Graph of the Day: Ice Mass Balance of Glaciers and Ice Caps, 1961-2004

Cumulative (a) specific and (b) total mass balances of glaciers and ice caps, calculated for large regions [Dyurgerov and Meier, 2005]. Specific mass balances signalize the strength of the glacier response to climatic change in each region. Total mass balances indicate each region’s contribution to sea level.

G. Kaser, J. G. Cogley, M. B. Dyurgerov, M. F. Meier, and A. Ohmura, Mass balance of glaciers and ice caps: Consensus estimates for 1961–2004 [pdf], Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 33, L19501, doi:10.1029/2006GL027511, 2006