Nocturnal Thermal Fracturing of a Himalayan Debris‐Covered Glacier Revealed by Ambient Seismic Noise

Abstract Scientifically valuable information can be learned by listening to the tiny vibrations emanating from a glacier with seismometers. However, this approach has never been employed to better understand glaciers protected from heat by a debris mantle, despite being common in the Himalayas, one of the most glacierized regions in the world. Here we installed a seismic network at a series of challenging high‐altitude sites on a glacier in Nepal. Our results show that the diurnal air temperature modulates the glacial seismic noise. The exposed surface of the glacier experiences thermal contraction when the glacier cools, whereas the areas that are insulated with thick debris do not suffer such thermal stress. Thus, the unprotected ice surface bursts with seismicity every night due to cracking, which gradually damages and weathers the ice. This is the first time such processes have been observed at relatively warm temperatures and outside of the polar regions.