Glacier Hydrology and Runoff

The hydrology of glaciers concerns the transfer of meltwater through an ice mass. Conceptually, a model for the hydrology of mid‐latitude glaciers provides a broad basis for our current understanding. In general, a glacier's hydrology is divided into three core environments: the surface, interior, and ice–bed interface. The structure and development of drainage within these environments controls the efficiency and manner in which meltwater is delivered to streams emanating from a glacier. Compared to flow over exposed bare ice, snow significantly delays the rate at which meltwater is transferred over a glacier surface. Micro‐ and macroscale drainage can enable water to drain through a glacier's interior. Meltwater at the ice–bed interface follows slow or fast flowpaths dependent on water volumes and the nature of the glacier bed. The progression of the melt season increases the efficiency of drainage through a glacier, consequently influencing both the volume and quality of runoff.

Climatology · Cryosphere · Geomorphology · Glacier · Glacier ice accumulation · Glacier mass balance · Glacier morphology · Hydrology (agriculture) · Ice stream · Meltwater · Sea ice · Snow · Surface runoff · Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics · Climate change and permafrost · Cryospheric studies and observations · Geology