Glacial extent and mass balance are sensitive climate proxies providing solid information on past climatic conditions. However, series of annual mass-balance measurements of more than 60 years are scarce. To our knowledge, this is the first time the latewood density data (MXD) of the Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra L.) have been used to reconstruct the summer mass balance (Bs) of an Alpine glacier. The MXD-based Bs well correlates with a Bs reconstruction based on the May to September temperature. Winter precipitation has been used as an independent proxy to infer the winter mass balance and to obtain an annual mass-balance (Bn) estimate dating back to the glaciological year 1811/12. The reconstructed MXD/precipitation-based Bn well correlates with the data both of the Careser and of other Alpine glaciers measured by the glaciological method. A number of critical issues should be considered in both proxies, including non-linear response of glacial mass balance to temperature, bedrock topography, ice thinning and fragmentation, MXD acquisition and standardization methods, and finally the ‘divergence problem’ responsible for the recently reduced sensitivity of the dendrochronological data. Nevertheless, our results highlight the possibility of performing MXD-based dendroglaciological reconstructions using this stable and reliable proxy.

中文翻译：

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Pinus cembra L. 树木年轮数据作为 Careser 冰川（意大利雷蒂安阿尔卑斯山）夏季质量平衡变化的代表

冰川范围和质量平衡是敏感的气候代理，可提供有关过去气候条件的可靠信息。然而，超过 60 年的年度质量平衡测量系列很少。据我们所知，这是首次获得瑞士石松的晚材密度数据（MXD）（松树L.) 已被用于重建夏季质量平衡 (乙s) 的高山冰川。基于 MXD乙s很好地与乙s根据 5 月至 9 月的温度进行重建。冬季降水已被用作独立代理来推断冬季质量平衡并获得年度质量平衡（乙n) 估计可追溯到 1811/12 冰川年。重建的 MXD/基于降水的乙n与通过冰川学方法测量的 Careser 和其他高山冰川的数据具有很好的相关性。在这两个代理中都应考虑许多关键问题，包括冰川质量平衡对温度、基岩地形、冰变薄和碎裂的非线性响应、MXD 采集和标准化方法，最后是导致最近减少的“分歧问题”树木年代学数据的敏感性。尽管如此，我们的结果强调了使用这种稳定可靠的代理进行基于 MXD 的树状冰川重建的可能性。