Integrating a glacier retreat model into a hydrological model - Case studies of three glacierised catchments in Norway and Himalayan region

Abstract

Glaciers are crucial in many countries where meltwater from glaciers is an important source of water for drinking water supply, irrigation, hydropower generation and the ecological system. Glaciers are also important indicators of climate change. They have been significantly altered due to the global warming and have subsequently affected the regional hydrological regime. However, few models are able to parameterise the dynamics of the glacier system and consequent runoff processes in glacier fed basins with desirable performance measures. To narrow this gap, we have developed an integrated approach by coupling a hydrological model (HBV) and a glacier retreat model (Δh-parameterisation) and tested this approach in three basins with different glacier coverage and subject to different climate and hydrologic regimes. Results show that the coupled model is able to give satisfactory estimations of runoff and glacier mass balance in the Nigardsbreen basin where the measured data are available to verify the results. In addition, the model can provide maps of snowpack distribution and estimate runoff components from glaciers.