Mass Balance Factsheet for the Vernagtferner, Alps
Vernagt Ferner Glacier is a flat temperate plateau glacier situated in the southern part of the Ötztal Alps (Austria) near de main Alpine ridge. This glacier has been classified as one of the ‘reference glaciers’ by the World Glacier Monitoring Service because it has received continuous long-term observations dating back to the year 1964/65. The mean annual precipitation for the Vernagt drainage basin (11.4 km2) amounts to 1550 mm and the mean annual air temperature at the equilibrium line altitude (3065 m a.s.l.) lies between -3.5 and -4.5 °C. 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: AT
- WGMS ID: 489
- Latitude: 46.88°N
- Longitude: 10.82°E
- Height min: 2800 m a.s.l.
- Height max: 3628 m a.s.l.
- Measurement types: MASS BALANCE, THICKNESS CHANGE & FRONT VARIATION
- Current Principal Investigator: Ludwig N. Braun, Christoph Mayer & Colleagues
- Current Sponsoring Agency: COMMISSION FOR GEODESY AND GLACIOLOGY – BAVARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (MÜNCHEN, DE)
Vernagtferner in September 2008 (taken by J. Abermann on 09/09/2008)
Terrestrial and satellite map of Vernagtferner (Google Maps)
Vernagtferner Annual Mass Balance (WGMS)
Continuous Mass Balance (MB) measurements since 1964/65:
Additional data available: Front Variation (FV), Thickness Change (TC) and Glacier Outlines:
