Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic
Abstract This study provides the first comprehensive reconstruction of the dynamics of Iceberg Glacier, located on western Axel Heiberg Island, and reveals detailed observations of a complete surge for the first time in the Canadian Arctic. Historical aerial photographs, declassified intelligence sa...
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2023
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.20 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143023000205 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/jog.2023.20 2024-03-03T08:41:45+00:00 Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic Lauzon, Benoît Copland, Luke Van Wychen, Wesley Kochtitzky, William McNabb, Robert Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada ArcticNet University of Manitoba University of Ottawa 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.20 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143023000205 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Journal of Glaciology volume 69, issue 277, page 1333-1350 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 Earth-Surface Processes journal-article 2023 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.20 2024-02-08T08:43:13Z Abstract This study provides the first comprehensive reconstruction of the dynamics of Iceberg Glacier, located on western Axel Heiberg Island, and reveals detailed observations of a complete surge for the first time in the Canadian Arctic. Historical aerial photographs, declassified intelligence satellite photographs, optical satellite imagery and synthetic aperture radar data were used to quantify changes in terminus position, ice velocity and glacier thickness since the 1950s. A surge initiated at the terminus in 1981 and terminated in 2003, suggesting a 22-year active phase. High surface velocities, reaching ~2300 m a −1 in 1991, were accompanied by a maximum terminus advance of >7 km and a large transfer of mass down-glacier, causing significant median trunk-wide surface elevation changes attaining >3 ± 1 m a −1 . We suggest that the retreat from a pinning point, flotation of the terminus, the removal of sea-ice from the ice front, and an increase in subglacial meltwater availability from relatively high air temperatures in 1981 likely contributed to surge initiation. The ensuing quiescent period has seen a continual decrease in surface flow rates to an average centreline velocity of 11.5 m a −1 in 2020–21, a gradual steepening of the glacier surface and a > 2.5 km terminus retreat. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Axel Heiberg Island Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology Sea ice Cambridge University Press Arctic Heiberg ENVELOPE(13.964,13.964,66.424,66.424) Axel Heiberg Island ENVELOPE(-91.001,-91.001,79.752,79.752) Iceberg Glacier ENVELOPE(-92.134,-92.134,79.517,79.517) Journal of Glaciology 1 18 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth-Surface Processes |
spellingShingle |
Earth-Surface Processes Lauzon, Benoît Copland, Luke Van Wychen, Wesley Kochtitzky, William McNabb, Robert Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic |
topic_facet |
Earth-Surface Processes |
description |
Abstract This study provides the first comprehensive reconstruction of the dynamics of Iceberg Glacier, located on western Axel Heiberg Island, and reveals detailed observations of a complete surge for the first time in the Canadian Arctic. Historical aerial photographs, declassified intelligence satellite photographs, optical satellite imagery and synthetic aperture radar data were used to quantify changes in terminus position, ice velocity and glacier thickness since the 1950s. A surge initiated at the terminus in 1981 and terminated in 2003, suggesting a 22-year active phase. High surface velocities, reaching ~2300 m a −1 in 1991, were accompanied by a maximum terminus advance of >7 km and a large transfer of mass down-glacier, causing significant median trunk-wide surface elevation changes attaining >3 ± 1 m a −1 . We suggest that the retreat from a pinning point, flotation of the terminus, the removal of sea-ice from the ice front, and an increase in subglacial meltwater availability from relatively high air temperatures in 1981 likely contributed to surge initiation. The ensuing quiescent period has seen a continual decrease in surface flow rates to an average centreline velocity of 11.5 m a −1 in 2020–21, a gradual steepening of the glacier surface and a > 2.5 km terminus retreat. |
author2 |
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada ArcticNet University of Manitoba University of Ottawa |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lauzon, Benoît Copland, Luke Van Wychen, Wesley Kochtitzky, William McNabb, Robert Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe |
author_facet |
Lauzon, Benoît Copland, Luke Van Wychen, Wesley Kochtitzky, William McNabb, Robert Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe |
author_sort |
Lauzon, Benoît |
title |
Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic |
title_short |
Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic |
title_full |
Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic |
title_sort |
dynamics throughout a complete surge of iceberg glacier on western axel heiberg island, canadian high arctic |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.20 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143023000205 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(13.964,13.964,66.424,66.424) ENVELOPE(-91.001,-91.001,79.752,79.752) ENVELOPE(-92.134,-92.134,79.517,79.517) |
geographic |
Arctic Heiberg Axel Heiberg Island Iceberg Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Heiberg Axel Heiberg Island Iceberg Glacier |
genre |
Arctic Axel Heiberg Island Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Arctic Axel Heiberg Island Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology Sea ice |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 69, issue 277, page 1333-1350 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.20 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_start_page |
1 |
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18 |
_version_ |
1792497364301250560 |