Articles | Volume 22, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-173-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-173-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 Jan 2026
Research article |
| 21 Jan 2026
| 21 Jan 2026
A continuous 6000 a age depth relationship for the remainder of the Weißseespitze summit glacier based on 39Ar and 14C dating
David Wachs
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Azzurra Spagnesi
Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy
Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck, Austria
Pascal Bohleber
Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Andrea Fischer
Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck, Austria
Martin Stocker-Waldhuber
Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck, Austria
Alexander Junkermann
Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Carl Kindermann
Institute of Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Linus Langenbacher
Institute of Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Niclas Mandaric
Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Joshua Marks
Institute of Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Department of Lake Research, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Magdeburg, Germany
Florian Meienburg
Institute of Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Theo M. Jenk
PSI Center for Energy and Environmental Sciences, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Markus K. Oberthaler
Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Werner Aeschbach
Institute of Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Heidelberg Center for the Environment, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1721, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1721, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
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Our study focused on understanding how a warming climate affects the Aletsch glacier accumulation area. We used multi-year radar measurements and direct firn‑core analyses to estimate changes in density, layering, and compaction of snow-to-ice over a year. Our results show that the upper layers of the glacier are changing faster due to stronger summer melt in the lower parts of the accumulation zone. Our findings help to improve firn densification models and glacier mass-balance estimation.
Niklas Kappelt, Piers Larkman, Pascal Bohleber, Florian Adolphi, Marcus Christl, Christof Vockenhuber, Philip Gautschi, Eric Wolff, and Raimund Muscheler
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-790, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-790, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
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Lea Hartl, Jakob Abermann, Ayla Akgün, Giulia Bertolotti, Tobias Bolch, Svenja Conzelmann, Codrut-Andrei Diaconu, Iris Hansche, Anne Hartig, Anna Haut, Kay Helfricht, Bernhard Hynek, Marie Sophie Kaucher, Andreas Kellerer-Pirklbauer, Ann Christin Kogel, Julie Krippes, Marcela Violeta Lauria, Christoph Mayer, Jan-Christoph Otto, Rainer Prinz, Sina Prölß, Lorenzo Rieg, Lea Schönleber, Gabriele Schwaizer, Bernd Seiser, Martin Stocker-Waldhuber, Markus Strudl, Martin Verhounik, and Harald Zandler
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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
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We mapped glacier outlines in Austria using recent, high resolution imagery. The resulting glacier inventory provides an update on glacier area in Austria in 2021-2023. More than 30% of glacier area was lost and 95 glaciers have disappeared since the mid-2000s. Glacier recession is accelerating and regular updates to glacier inventories are needed to understand downstream changes to the hydrological system, quantify glacier mass loss, and support planning and adaptation measures.
Joshua Marks, Kazuhisa A. Chikita, and Bertram Boehrer
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 30, 1503–1521, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1503-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1503-2026, 2026
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6339, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6339, 2026
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Pascal Bohleber, Nicolas Stoll, Piers Larkman, Rachael H. Rhodes, and David Clases
The Cryosphere, 19, 5485–5498, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5485-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5485-2025, 2025
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Agnese Petteni, Elise Fourré, Elsa Gautier, Azzurra Spagnesi, Roxanne Jacob, Pete D. Akers, Daniele Zannoni, Jacopo Gabrieli, Olivier Jossoud, Frédéric Prié, Amaëlle Landais, Titouan Tcheng, Barbara Stenni, Joel Savarino, Patrick Ginot, and Mathieu Casado
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 5435–5455, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-5435-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-5435-2025, 2025
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Lea Hartl, Federico Covi, Martin Stocker-Waldhuber, Anna Baldo, Davide Fugazza, Biagio Di Mauro, and Kathrin Naegeli
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Paolo Gabrielli, Theo M. Jenk, Michele Bertó, Giuliano Dreossi, Daniela Festi, Werner Kofler, Mai Winstrup, Klaus Oeggl, Margit Schwikowski, Barbara Stenni, and Carlo Barbante
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2174, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2174, 2025
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Lea Hartl, Bernd Seiser, Martin Stocker-Waldhuber, Anna Baldo, Marcela Violeta Lauria, and Andrea Fischer
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The presented paper provides a 3.8 kyr long dataset of aerosol concentrations from the East Greenland Ice coring Project (EGRIP) ice core. The data consists of 1 mm depth-resolution profiles of calcium, sodium, ammonium, nitrate, and electrolytic conductivity as well as decadal averages of these profiles. Alongside the data a detailed description of the measurement setup as well as a discussion of the uncertainties are given.
Ling Fang, Theo M. Jenk, Dominic Winski, Karl Kreutz, Hanna L. Brooks, Emma Erwin, Erich Osterberg, Seth Campbell, Cameron Wake, and Margit Schwikowski
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Azzurra Spagnesi, Pascal Bohleber, Elena Barbaro, Matteo Feltracco, Fabrizio De Blasi, Giuliano Dreossi, Martin Stocker-Waldhuber, Daniela Festi, Jacopo Gabrieli, Andrea Gambaro, Andrea Fischer, and Carlo Barbante
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Preprint archived
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We present new data from a 10 m ice core drilled in 2019 and a 8.4 m parallel ice core drilled in 2021 at the summit of Weißseespitze glacier. In a new combination of proxies, we discuss profiles of stable water isotopes, major ion chemistry as well as a full profile of microcharcoal and levoglucosan. We find that the chemical and isotopic signals are preserved, despite the ongoing surface mass loss. This is not be to expected considering what has been found at other glaciers at similar locations.
Anja Eichler, Michel Legrand, Theo M. Jenk, Susanne Preunkert, Camilla Andersson, Sabine Eckhardt, Magnuz Engardt, Andreas Plach, and Margit Schwikowski
The Cryosphere, 17, 2119–2137, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2119-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2119-2023, 2023
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Lea Hartl, Thomas Zieher, Magnus Bremer, Martin Stocker-Waldhuber, Vivien Zahs, Bernhard Höfle, Christoph Klug, and Alessandro Cicoira
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 117–147, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-117-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-117-2023, 2023
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The rock glacier in Äußeres Hochebenkar (Austria) moved faster in 2021–2022 than it has in about 70 years of monitoring. It is currently destabilizing. Using a combination of different data types and methods, we show that there have been two cycles of destabilization at Hochebenkar and provide a detailed analysis of velocity and surface changes. Because our time series are very long and show repeated destabilization, this helps us better understand the processes of rock glacier destabilization.
Wangbin Zhang, Shugui Hou, Shuang-Ye Wu, Hongxi Pang, Sharon B. Sneed, Elena V. Korotkikh, Paul A. Mayewski, Theo M. Jenk, and Margit Schwikowski
The Cryosphere, 16, 1997–2008, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1997-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1997-2022, 2022
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This study proposes a quantitative method to reconstruct annual precipitation records at the millennial timescale from the Tibetan ice cores through combining annual layer identification based on LA-ICP-MS measurement with an ice flow model. The reliability of this method is assessed by comparing our results with other reconstructed and modeled precipitation series for the Tibetan Plateau. The assessment shows that the method has a promising performance.
Paolo Gabrielli, Theo Manuel Jenk, Michele Bertó, Giuliano Dreossi, Daniela Festi, Werner Kofler, Mai Winstrup, Klaus Oeggl, Margit Schwikowski, Barbara Stenni, and Carlo Barbante
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2022-20, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2022-20, 2022
Revised manuscript not accepted
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We present a methodology that reduces the chronological uncertainty of an Alpine ice core record from the glacier Alto dell’Ortles, Italy. This chronology will allow the constraint of the Holocene climatic and environmental histories emerging from this archive of Central Europe. This method will allow to obtain accurate chronologies also from other ice cores from-low latitude/high-altitude glaciers that typically suffer from larger dating uncertainties compared with well dated polar records.
Andrea Fischer, Gabriele Schwaizer, Bernd Seiser, Kay Helfricht, and Martin Stocker-Waldhuber
The Cryosphere, 15, 4637–4654, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4637-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4637-2021, 2021
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Eastern Alpine glaciers have been receding since the Little Ice Age maximum, but until now the majority of glacier margins could be delineated unambiguously. Today the outlines of totally debris-covered glacier ice are fuzzy and raise the discussion if these features are still glaciers. We investigated the fate of glacier remnants with high-resolution elevation models, analyzing also thickness changes in buried ice. In the past 13 years, the 46 glaciers of Silvretta lost one-third of their area.
Daniela Festi, Margit Schwikowski, Valter Maggi, Klaus Oeggl, and Theo Manuel Jenk
The Cryosphere, 15, 4135–4143, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4135-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4135-2021, 2021
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In our study we dated a 46 m deep ice core retrieved from the Adamello glacier (Central Italian Alps). We obtained a timescale combining the results of radionuclides 210Pb and 137Cs with annual layer counting derived from pollen and refractory black carbon concentrations. Our results indicate that the surface of the glacier is older than the drilling date of 2016 by about 20 years, therefore revealing that the glacier is at high risk of collapsing under current climate warming conditions.
Shugui Hou, Wangbin Zhang, Ling Fang, Theo M. Jenk, Shuangye Wu, Hongxi Pang, and Margit Schwikowski
The Cryosphere, 15, 2109–2114, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2109-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2109-2021, 2021
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We present ages for two new ice cores reaching bedrock, from the Zangser Kangri (ZK) glacier in the northwestern Tibetan Plateau and the Shulenanshan (SLNS) glacier in the western Qilian Mountains. We estimated bottom ages of 8.90±0.57/0.56 ka and 7.46±1.46/1.79 ka for the ZK and SLNS ice core respectively, constraining the time range accessible by Tibetan ice cores to the Holocene.
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Short summary
This study presents an age profile of the summit glacier of Weißseespitze in the Austrian Alps. The ages were obtained by combining 14C dating with the novel atom trap trace analysis for 39Ar. The data was used to constrain glacier age models. The results show that the surface ice is ~400 a old due to recent ice loss. The remaining ice continuously covers ages up to 6000 a. This work underscores the utility of 39Ar dating in glaciology, enabling precise reconstruction of age-depth relationships.
This study presents an age profile of the summit glacier of Weißseespitze in the Austrian Alps....
