Articles | Volume 9, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-845-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-845-2021
Research article
 | 
02 Aug 2021
Research article |  | 02 Aug 2021

Climatic controls on mountain glacier basal thermal regimes dictate spatial patterns of glacial erosion

Jingtao Lai and Alison M. Anders

Download

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on esurf-2021-26', Simon Cook, 14 Apr 2021
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Jingtao Lai, 18 Jun 2021
  • RC2: 'Comment on esurf-2021-26', Ian Delaney, 25 May 2021
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Jingtao Lai, 18 Jun 2021

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by Jingtao Lai on behalf of the Authors (21 Jun 2021)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (06 Jul 2021) by Michele Koppes
ED: Publish as is (07 Jul 2021) by Tom Coulthard (Editor)
AR by Jingtao Lai on behalf of the Authors (07 Jul 2021)
Download
Short summary
Glaciers are strong erosive agents, and they have created many unique landforms in mountain belts. Climate has been viewed as a primary control on glacial erosion, yet our understanding of the mechanism by which climate impacts glacial erosion remains limited. Using computer simulations, we find that climate controls glacial erosion by modulating the temperature of the basal ice. Our results suggest that a warm and/or wet climate can create warm basal ice and, therefore, enhance erosion.