Glacier changes over the past 144 years at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Canada
Abstract In this study, we use aerial photographs, satellite imagery and field observations to quantify changes in the area, terminus length, snowline elevation and surface elevation of eight glaciers in the Alexandra Fiord region, eastern Ellesmere Island, between 1959 and 2019. Comparisons to writ...
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/jog.2021.4 2024-10-13T14:01:09+00:00 Glacier changes over the past 144 years at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Canada Curley, Allison N. Kochtitzky, William H. Edwards, Benjamin R. Copland, Luke 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.4 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143021000046 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Journal of Glaciology volume 67, issue 263, page 511-522 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 journal-article 2021 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.4 2024-09-18T04:04:06Z Abstract In this study, we use aerial photographs, satellite imagery and field observations to quantify changes in the area, terminus length, snowline elevation and surface elevation of eight glaciers in the Alexandra Fiord region, eastern Ellesmere Island, between 1959 and 2019. Comparisons to written and pictorial descriptions from the British Arctic Expedition extend the record of change in terminus position and surface elevation to 1875 for Twin Glacier. Glacier area at Alexandra Fiord decreased by a total of 15.77 ± 0.65 km 2 (11.77 ± 0.49%) between 1959 and 2019, the mean end of summer snowline increased in elevation by 360 ± 84 m (8 ± 2 m a −1 ) between 1974 and 2019, and the glaciers thinned at an average rate of 0.60 ± 0.06 m a −1 between 2001 and 2018. Annual rates of terminus retreat were ~3–5 times higher over the period 1974–2019 compared to 1875–1974, and rates of thinning were ~2–3 times higher over 2001–18 compared to 1875–2001. Our results are consistent with rates of change determined for other glaciers of similar size on Ellesmere Island, and with accelerated rates of ice loss coincident with regional increases in air temperature of ~1.5°C since the early 1980s. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alexandra Fiord Arctic Ellesmere Island glacier* Journal of Glaciology Cambridge University Press Alexandra Fiord ENVELOPE(-75.797,-75.797,78.885,78.885) Arctic Canada Ellesmere Island Journal of Glaciology 67 263 511 522 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract In this study, we use aerial photographs, satellite imagery and field observations to quantify changes in the area, terminus length, snowline elevation and surface elevation of eight glaciers in the Alexandra Fiord region, eastern Ellesmere Island, between 1959 and 2019. Comparisons to written and pictorial descriptions from the British Arctic Expedition extend the record of change in terminus position and surface elevation to 1875 for Twin Glacier. Glacier area at Alexandra Fiord decreased by a total of 15.77 ± 0.65 km 2 (11.77 ± 0.49%) between 1959 and 2019, the mean end of summer snowline increased in elevation by 360 ± 84 m (8 ± 2 m a −1 ) between 1974 and 2019, and the glaciers thinned at an average rate of 0.60 ± 0.06 m a −1 between 2001 and 2018. Annual rates of terminus retreat were ~3–5 times higher over the period 1974–2019 compared to 1875–1974, and rates of thinning were ~2–3 times higher over 2001–18 compared to 1875–2001. Our results are consistent with rates of change determined for other glaciers of similar size on Ellesmere Island, and with accelerated rates of ice loss coincident with regional increases in air temperature of ~1.5°C since the early 1980s. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Curley, Allison N. Kochtitzky, William H. Edwards, Benjamin R. Copland, Luke |
spellingShingle |
Curley, Allison N. Kochtitzky, William H. Edwards, Benjamin R. Copland, Luke Glacier changes over the past 144 years at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Canada |
author_facet |
Curley, Allison N. Kochtitzky, William H. Edwards, Benjamin R. Copland, Luke |
author_sort |
Curley, Allison N. |
title |
Glacier changes over the past 144 years at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Canada |
title_short |
Glacier changes over the past 144 years at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Canada |
title_full |
Glacier changes over the past 144 years at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Canada |
title_fullStr |
Glacier changes over the past 144 years at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Glacier changes over the past 144 years at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Canada |
title_sort |
glacier changes over the past 144 years at alexandra fiord, ellesmere island, canada |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.4 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143021000046 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-75.797,-75.797,78.885,78.885) |
geographic |
Alexandra Fiord Arctic Canada Ellesmere Island |
geographic_facet |
Alexandra Fiord Arctic Canada Ellesmere Island |
genre |
Alexandra Fiord Arctic Ellesmere Island glacier* Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Alexandra Fiord Arctic Ellesmere Island glacier* Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 67, issue 263, page 511-522 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.4 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
67 |
container_issue |
263 |
container_start_page |
511 |
op_container_end_page |
522 |
_version_ |
1812808544220610560 |