Mass Balance Factsheet for the Griesgletscher, Alps
Griesgletscher is a temperate valley glacier located in the central Swiss Alps at the border to Italy. The glacier currently covers an area of 4.4 km2 flowing in a north-east direction from 3310 m a.s.l. down to 2430 m a.s.l (2017). The mean equilibrium line altitude is 3010 m a.s.l. Mass balance measurements started in 1961 in connection with the construction of a reservoir for hydro-power production. In the 1970s up to 80 stakes were measured. The network consists of 19 stakes today that are surveyed seasonally. Topographic maps or photogrammetrical surveys exist for 1884, 1923, 1961, 1967, 1979, 1986, 1991, 1998, 2003, 2007 and annually since 2012 (Bauder et al., 2007). Huss et al. (2009) re-analyzed and homogenized the seasonal stake data and ice volume changes for the period 1961 to present. Mass balance measurements are perfromed in the frame of the programme GLAMOS (Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, www.glamos.ch).
For additional information on the status of the glacier and on data relating to annual mass balance and other measurements, visit the WGMS Fluctuations of Glaciers Browser.
FACTS:
- Political unit: CH
- WGMS ID: 359
- Latitude: 46.44°N
- Longitude: 8.34°E
- Height min: 2430 m a.s.l.
- Height max: 3010 m a.s.l.
- Measurement types: MASS BALANCE, THICKNESS CHANGE & FRONT VARIATION
- Current Principal Investigator: Martin Funk, Andreas Bauder & Colleagues
- Current Sponsoring Agency: LABORATORY OF HYDRAULICS, HYDROLOGY AND GLACIOLOGY, VAW – ETH ZURICH (ZURICH, CH)
Gries glacier in September 2007 (taken by M. Funk on 23/09/2007)
Terrestrial and satellite map of Gries glacier (Google Maps)
Gries glacier Annual Mass Balance (WGMS, 2016)
Continuous Mass Balance (MB) measurements since 1961/62:
Additional data available: Front Variation (FV), Thickness Change (TC) and Glacier Outlines:
Selected references:
Bauder, A., Funk, M., & Huss, M. (2007). Ice-volume changes of selected glaciers in the Swiss Alps since the end of the 19th century. Annals of Glaciology, 46, 145-149.
Huss, M., Bauder, A., & Funk, M. (2009). Homogenization of long-term mass-balance time series. Annals of Glaciology, 50(50), 198-206.
Huss, M., Dhulst, L., & Bauder, A. (2015). New long-term mass-balance series for the Swiss Alps. Journal of Glaciology, 61(227), 551-562.