Observations on the Drainage of an Ice-Dammed Lake in West Greenland

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Russell, Andrew J., Aitken, John F., Jong, Carmen De
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1990
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Dammed Lake; Greenland; glacier; Journal of Glaciology; Søndre strømfjord
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000005578; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000005578

A small ice-dammed lake near Søndre Strømfjord, West Greenland, drained suddenly during the night of 15–16 July 1988. This drainage was observed from within the lake basin near the tunnel mouth. The drainage had four main effects: the collapse of adjacent moraine ridges; the shearing of ice around the tunnel mouth; rapid incision of the lake bed; and the transport of sediment from the lake basin into the glacier. All of the above were confined to a period of 15–30 min following the exposure of a circular tunnel c. 6 m in diameter.