PELFINI M.
Equilibrium line altitude (ELA) variations by Ortles-Cevedale Glaciers (Lombardy, Italy) from Little Ice Age to Present
Pages 197-206
Abstract
In this study, both present-day and Little Ice Age equilibrium line altitudes (ELA) were obtained for glaciers located in Upper Valtellina (Central Alps) with the AAR method. Utilizing the hypsographic curve, the altitude corresponding to a ratio of accumulation area to total area equal to 0.66 ± 0.05 was calculated. The same method was applied to calculate the ELA for the Little Ice Age, after the reconstruction of the glacier surface. The altitude of the equilibrium line has shifted upwards of 102 m from the Little Ice Age to the present. This upward shift corresponds to an increase in mean annual temperature of about 0.5° C, as calculated b y taking into account the temperature lapse rate recorded in Lombardy.