A low-cost ice melt monitoring system using wind-induced motion of mass-balance stakes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a low-cost, automated system that uses wind-induced vibrations of stakes to continuously monitor glacier surface melt with high precision, enabling more frequent and accessible measurements.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel, inexpensive instrumentation that automates stake readings by measuring vibrational frequency, allowing continuous glacier surface ablation monitoring.

Findings

Achieved centimeter-level measurement precision.

Demonstrated system functionality in field tests at Nunavut.

Cost-effective solution at approximately $50 USD.

Abstract

Surface ablation measurements of glaciers are critical for understanding mass change over time. Mass-balance stakes are commonly used for localized measurements, with the exposed length typically measured manually at infrequent intervals. This paper presents the design and validation of new instrumentation that automates mass-balance stake readings, thus enabling continuous measurements with high temporal resolution. The instrumentation comprises readout electronics that are mounted on mass-balance stakes to measure wind-induced vibrations. The stake vibrational frequency depends sensitively on the exposed length, and changes in the measured frequency therefore probe glacier surface melt and accumulation. Initial instrumentation field tests conducted at Color Lake on Umingmat Nunaat (Axel Heiberg Island), Nunavut, demonstrate centimeter-level precision on length measurements. The instrumentation can be attached to existing mass-balance stakes and is low-cost (~ $50 USD) in comparison to many other systems that perform automated surface ablation measurements. The accessibility of this instrumentation opens new possibilities for localized, high temporal resolution measurements of glacier surface activity at any locations where mass balance stakes are deployed.