Complex multi-decadal ice dynamical change inland of marine-terminating glaciers on the Greenland Ice Sheet
Abstract Greenland's future contribution to sea-level rise is strongly dependent on the extent to which dynamic perturbations, originating at the margin, can drive increased ice flow within the ice-sheet interior. However, reported observations of ice dynamical change at distances >~50 km fr...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.31 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143021000319 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/jog.2021.31 2024-05-19T07:39:36+00:00 Complex multi-decadal ice dynamical change inland of marine-terminating glaciers on the Greenland Ice Sheet Williams, Joshua J. Gourmelen, Noel Nienow, Peter 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.31 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143021000319 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Journal of Glaciology volume 67, issue 265, page 833-846 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 journal-article 2021 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.31 2024-04-25T06:51:53Z Abstract Greenland's future contribution to sea-level rise is strongly dependent on the extent to which dynamic perturbations, originating at the margin, can drive increased ice flow within the ice-sheet interior. However, reported observations of ice dynamical change at distances >~50 km from the margin have a very low spatial and temporal resolution. Consequently, the likely response of the ice-sheet's interior to future oceanic and atmospheric warming is poorly constrained. Through combining GPS and satellite-image-derived ice velocity measurements, we measure multi-decadal (1993–1997 to 2014–2018) velocity change at 45 inland sites, encompassing all regions of the ice sheet. We observe an almost ubiquitous acceleration inland of tidewater glaciers in west Greenland, consistent with acceleration and retreat at glacier termini, suggesting that terminus perturbations have propagated considerable distances (>100 km) inland. In contrast, outside of Kangerlussuaq, we observe no acceleration inland of tidewater glaciers in east Greenland despite terminus retreat and near-terminus acceleration, and suggest propagation may be limited by the influence of basal topography and ice geometry. This pattern of inland dynamical change indicates that Greenland's future contribution to sea-level will be spatially complex and will depend on the capacity for dynamic changes at individual outlet glacier termini to propagate inland. Article in Journal/Newspaper East Greenland glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Kangerlussuaq Tidewater Cambridge University Press Journal of Glaciology 67 265 833 846 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Greenland's future contribution to sea-level rise is strongly dependent on the extent to which dynamic perturbations, originating at the margin, can drive increased ice flow within the ice-sheet interior. However, reported observations of ice dynamical change at distances >~50 km from the margin have a very low spatial and temporal resolution. Consequently, the likely response of the ice-sheet's interior to future oceanic and atmospheric warming is poorly constrained. Through combining GPS and satellite-image-derived ice velocity measurements, we measure multi-decadal (1993–1997 to 2014–2018) velocity change at 45 inland sites, encompassing all regions of the ice sheet. We observe an almost ubiquitous acceleration inland of tidewater glaciers in west Greenland, consistent with acceleration and retreat at glacier termini, suggesting that terminus perturbations have propagated considerable distances (>100 km) inland. In contrast, outside of Kangerlussuaq, we observe no acceleration inland of tidewater glaciers in east Greenland despite terminus retreat and near-terminus acceleration, and suggest propagation may be limited by the influence of basal topography and ice geometry. This pattern of inland dynamical change indicates that Greenland's future contribution to sea-level will be spatially complex and will depend on the capacity for dynamic changes at individual outlet glacier termini to propagate inland. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Williams, Joshua J. Gourmelen, Noel Nienow, Peter |
spellingShingle |
Williams, Joshua J. Gourmelen, Noel Nienow, Peter Complex multi-decadal ice dynamical change inland of marine-terminating glaciers on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
author_facet |
Williams, Joshua J. Gourmelen, Noel Nienow, Peter |
author_sort |
Williams, Joshua J. |
title |
Complex multi-decadal ice dynamical change inland of marine-terminating glaciers on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
title_short |
Complex multi-decadal ice dynamical change inland of marine-terminating glaciers on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
title_full |
Complex multi-decadal ice dynamical change inland of marine-terminating glaciers on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
title_fullStr |
Complex multi-decadal ice dynamical change inland of marine-terminating glaciers on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
title_full_unstemmed |
Complex multi-decadal ice dynamical change inland of marine-terminating glaciers on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
title_sort |
complex multi-decadal ice dynamical change inland of marine-terminating glaciers on the greenland ice sheet |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.31 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143021000319 |
genre |
East Greenland glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Kangerlussuaq Tidewater |
genre_facet |
East Greenland glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Kangerlussuaq Tidewater |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 67, issue 265, page 833-846 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.31 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
67 |
container_issue |
265 |
container_start_page |
833 |
op_container_end_page |
846 |
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1799479185072193536 |