01744nas a2200205   4500008004100000022001400041245006100055210005900116260001200175300001400187490000700201520112200208653001501330653001301345653001701358100002401375700002401399700002101423856009401444       2016                        eng d  a0022-143000aGlaciers in equilibrium, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica0 aGlaciers in equilibrium McMurdo Dry Valleys Antarctica  c07/2016  a976 - 9890 v623 a<p>The McMurdo Dry Valleys are a cold, dry polar desert and the alpine glaciers therein exhibit small annual and seasonal mass balances, often &lt;&plusmn;0.06 m w.e. Typically, winter is the accumulation season, but significant snow storms can occur any time of year occasionally making summer the accumulation season. The yearly equilibrium line altitude is poorly correlated with mass balance because the elevation gradient of mass balance on each glacier can change dramatically from year to year. Most likely, winds redistribute the light snowfall disrupting the normal gradient of increasing mass balance with elevation. Reconstructed cumulative mass balance shows that the glaciers have lost &lt;2 m w.e. over the past half century and area changes show minimal retreat. In most cases these changes are less than the uncertainty and the glaciers are considered in equilibrium. Since 2000, however, the glaciers have lost mass despite relatively stable summer air temperatures suggesting a different mechanism in play. Whether this trend is a harbinger of future changes or a temporary excursion is unclear.</p>10aAntarctica10aglaciers10amass balance1 aFountain, Andrew, G1 aBasagic, Hassan, J.1 aNiebuhr, Spencer  uhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143016000861