Suretta Sud Glacier - Servizio Glaciologico Lombardo

Tab. 9: The front variations of the sample glaciers since 1990: the dynamic phase is expressed by the
algebraic sign.
Year
Number
of measured
glaciers
Withdrawing glaciers Stable glaciers Advancing glacier
number % number % number %
1990 40 35 87,5 2 5,0 3 7,5
1991 26 23 88,5 2 7,7 1 3,8
1992 35 33 94,4 1 2,8 1 2,8
1993 36 32 88,8 2 5,6 2 5,6
1994 47 39 83,0 5 10,6 3 6,4
1995 44 38 86,4 4 9,1 2 4,5
1996 52 48 92,3 1 1,9 3 5,8
1997 55 37 67,3 1 1,8 17 30,9
1998 61 53 86,9 2 3,3 6 9,8
1999 57 47 82,5 6 10,5 4 7,0
2000 57 53 93,0 2 3,5 2 3,5
2001 24 14 58,3 2 8,4 8 33,3
2002 53 42 79,2 0 0 11 20,8
2003 62 56 90,4 3 4,8 3 4,8
2004 49 42 85,7 1 2,1 6 12,2
2005 57 53 93,0 3 5,3 1 1,7
2006 33 32 97 1 3 0 0
2007 30 29 96,7 0 0 1 3,3
2008 28 27 96,4 1 3,6 0 0
Tab. 10: The synthetic indexes used in order to define the annual dynamic phase of Lombardy glaciers.
Dynamic index Description
S (Stable) meaningful morphologic variation versus the previous survey. Extensive snow cover.
IL (Slight increment) snow cover over most of the glacier: slight increment of firn versus the previous year.
IM (Moderate increment) snow cover over the whole glacier; terminus shows some advancement.
IF (Strong increment)
snow cover over the whole glacier and surrounding areas; significant snout advancement.
DL (Slight decrement) Scarce snow cover, slight terminus retreat; or stable front but slightly reduced thickness.
DM (Moderate decrement)
DF (Strong decrement)
Very scarce or absent snow cover, verified terminus retreat; thickness and area reduction.
No snow cover, strong terminus retreat, or stable front but reduction of both thickness
and area.
I (Uncertain) the dynamic phase is doubtful (uncertain data, debris cover and so on…)
E (Extinct) / EC (Extinct
confirmation)
Extinct during the current year / already extinct in the previous years
- 35 -
2008 glaciological
Survey