Mass Balance Factsheet for the Glacier du Giétro, Alps
Glacier du Giétro is a temperate valley glacier located in the south-western Swiss Alps. The glacier currently covers an area of 5.3 km2 flowing in a north-west direction from 3820 m a.s.l. down to 2750 m a.s.l (2017). The mean equilibrium line altitude is 3230 m a.s.l. Ice break-off events from the steep glacier terminus have been documented during the first years of the monitoring programme. Mass balance measurements started in 1966 connected to the construction of a reservoir for hydro-power production. Observations at between four and ten stakes distributed over the entire glacier surface are conducted. Topographic maps or photogrammetrical surveys exist for 1934, 1971, 1985, 1997, 2003, 2008 and 2013 (Bauder et al., 2007). Huss et al. (2015) re-analyzed and homogenized the annual stake data and ice volume changes for the period 1966 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: 367
- Latitude: 46.00°N
- Longitude: 7.38°E
- Height min: 2750 m a.s.l.
- Height max: 3820 m a.s.l.
- Measurement types: MASS BALANCE, THICKNESS CHANGE & FRONT VARIATION
- Current Principal Investigator: Andreas Bauder, Matthias Huss & Colleagues
- Current Sponsoring Agency: LABORATORY OF HYDRAULICS, HYDROLOGY AND GLACIOLOGY, VAW – ETH ZURICH (ZURICH, CH)
Terrestrial and satellite map of Giétro glacier (Google Maps)
Continuous Mass Balance (MB) measurements since 1966/67:
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.