@article{fdi:010055886,
  title = {{S}light mass gain of {K}arakoram glaciers in the early twenty-first century},
  author = {{G}ardelle, {J}. and {B}erthier, {E}. and {A}rnaud, {Y}ves},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{A}ssessments of the state of health of {H}indu-{K}ush-{K}arakoram-{H}imalaya glaciers and their contribution to regional hydrology and global sea-level rise suffer from a severe lack of observations(1). {T}he globally averaged mass balance of glaciers and ice caps is negative(1-3). {A}n anomalous gain of mass has been suggested for the {K}arakoram glaciers(2,4-6), but was not confirmed by recent estimates of mass balance. {F}urthermore, numerous glacier surges in the region that lead to changes in glacier length and velocity(7-11) complicate the interpretation of the available observations. {H}ere, we calculate the regional mass balance of glaciers in the central {K}arakoram between 1999 and 2008, based on the difference between two digital elevation models. {W}e find a highly heterogeneous spatial pattern of changes in glacier elevation, which shows that ice thinning and ablation at high rates can occur on debris-covered glacier tongues. {T}he regional mass balance is just positive at +0.11 +/- 0.22 m yr(-1) water equivalent and in agreement with the observed reduction of river runoff that originates in this area(12). {O}ur measurements confirm an anomalous mass balance in the {K}arakoram region and indicate that the contribution of {K}arakoram glaciers to sea-level rise was -0.01 mm yr(-1) for the period from 1999 to 2008, 0.05 mm yr(-1) lower than suggested before(13).},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{N}ature {G}eoscience},
  volume = {5},
  numero = {5},
  pages = {322--325},
  ISSN = {1752-0894},
  year = {2012},
  DOI = {10.1038/ngeo1450},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010055886},
}