Westerly winds impact glacier energy balance and sublimation at August-one glacier in northern Tibetan Plateau.

ABSTRACT: Mid-latitude westerlies critically regulate glacier mass balance on the Tibetan Plateau. Here, we analyze the meteorological variables, surface energy balance (SEB), and surface sublimation of the August-one glacier (located in the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau (TP), with a high altitude and relatively flat top) under different wind directions to better understand the effects of westerly winds on this glacier. Results show that westerly winds (60% frequency) drive 67% of total sublimation loss. Elevated sublimation under westerly winds is primarily controlled by wind speed, counteracting unfavorable humidity/temperature gradients. Simultaneously, westerly winds shift energy flux dominance from net radiation (R _net) to sensible heat (H), which contributes 52%

SUBMITTER: Guo S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12509168 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature