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Abstract:
Juvfonne is a small ice patch in the Norwegian mountain region Jotunheimen. Since 2010 annual investigations of mass balance with point measurements of snow accumulation and ablation have been carried out together with surface elevation and ice patch extent measurements. Overall, Jotunheimen glaciers have lost around 15% of area and significant amounts of mass since the 1960s, with accelerated thinning since 2000. However, Juvfonne is prevailing, despite years with highly negative mass balances and a greater variability than the other glaciers. Here we use data from two nearby automatic weather stations and a sonic snow depth sensor next to Juvfonne. In winter season, deposition of windblown snow on Juvfonne is estimated to cause three to four times more snow accumulation than in the surroundings. The snow accumulation is dependent on wind direction and speed. Major snowfall events are associated with storms or synoptic cold fronts. Ablation is related to cumulative positive degree days, but short periods of high melt are characterised by advection of warm and humid air masses.
