After the retreat of Rhonegletshcer behind behind a bedrock ridge, a
proglacial lake has been forming since 2005. The formation of the lake
possibly accelerates the glacier retreat because ice dissipates more
by calving into the lake and enhanced basal ice flow. To investigate
the impact of the lake formation on glacier evolution, we have been
working on the glacier since 2007 with collaboration of ETH,
Zurich. From 2007 to 2009 summer field season, we drilled more than 50
boreholes in the terminal part of the glacier. These boreholes are
used for measuring subglacial water pressure, borehole inclination,
basal sliding speed and vertical strain. An accurate bedrock map was
constructed from the depth of the boreholes and subglacial sediments
were collected using specially designed devices. On the glacier
surface, ice flow and ice melt rates are measured with high temporal
and spatial resolutions. The goal of the project is to use all these
data to predict the future of Rhonegletscher with the aid of a
numerical glacier model.
A part of the field activity was carried out with participants of Swiss glacier field course
offered by Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido
University. Graduate students from many different scientific fields
experienced field work on a glacier. This course is also a program of
International Antarctic
Institute.
Publications
- Nishimura, D., S. Sugiyama, A. Bauder and M. Funk. 2013. Changes in
ice-flow velocity and surface elevation from 1874 to 2006 in
Rhonegletscher, Switzerland. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine
Research, 45(4), 552-562.
[PDF]
- Tsutaki, S., S. Sugiyama, D. Nishimura and
M. Funk. 2013. Acceleration and flotation of a glacier terminus during
a proglacial lake formation in Rhonegletscher, Switzerland.
Journal of Glaciology, 59(215), 559-570.
[PDF]
- Tsutaki, S., D. Nishimura, T. Yoshizawa and
S. Sugiyama. 2011. Changes in glacier dynamics under the influence of
proglacial lake formation in Rhonegletscher, Switzerland. Annals of
Glaciology, 52(58), 31-36.
[PDF]
- Sugiyama, S., T. Yoshizawa, M. Huss, S. Tsutaki and D. Nishimura. in
press. Spatial distribution of surface ablation in the terminus of
Rhonegletscher, Switzerland. Annals of Glaciology,
52(58), 1-8.
[PDF]
- Tsutaki, S. and S. Sugiyama. 2009. Development of a hot water drilling
system for subglacial and englacial measurements. Bulletin of
Glaciological Research, 27, 7-14.
[PDF]
- Sugiyama, S., S. Tsutaki, D. Nishimura, H. Blatter, A. Bauder and
M. Funk. 2008. Hot water drilling and glaciological observations
at the terminal part of Rhonegletscher, Switzerland in
2007. Bulletin of Glaciological Research, 26, 41-47.
[PDF]
