Response of the climatic mass balance of Hurd and Johnsons glaciers, Livingston Island, to the transient cooling period of the northern Antarctic Peninsula in the early 21st century

Abstract

We calculated and analysed the climatic mass balance of Hurd and Johnsons glaciers, Livingston Island, northern Antarctic Peninsula region, over the period 2002−2016. This period is nearly coincident with the transient period of sustained cooling occurred in the northern Antarctic Peninsula region in the early 21st century. A positive trend for the climatic mass balance of ~0.5-0.6 m w.e. decade-1 was observed, in parallel with a striking negative trend of the equilibrium line altitude of ~ -100-200 m decade-1, and a positive trend of the accumulation area ratio of ~3-6% decade-1. Other glaciers monitored in the South Shetland Islands and the periphery of the northernmost Antarctic Peninsula have shown a similar behavior, with the changes observed in the former being more marked.