Mass balance estimation on the Zongo glacier, Bolivia, using a semi-distributed conceptual model (SCM)

Abstract. The mass balance of a glacier is used to quantify the accumulation and melting processes, which affect its mass. With this information, it is possible to infer the variation in water reserves, which will support decision-making based on the supply and demand of water. The objective of this work is to show the results of a mass balance model applied to the Zongo Glacier in Bolivia. The model used is a semi-distributed conceptual model (Schaefli et al., 2005). The monthly sensitivity of the mass balance and discharge predictions was evaluated for the hydrological years 2004-2006.

Our results show that the model presents discharge and mass balance values with an MAE error of 2.4 and a BIAS of 1.3 concerning the data observed in the glacier. Simple conceptual models can be a valuable tool to project the behavior of a glacial basin, but only if it has sufficient information for the calibration and validation of the model parameters.