Origin and significance of lateral meltwater channels formed along a temperate glacier margin, Glacier Bay, Alaska
Pleistocene lateral meltwater channels are commonly used as evidence of cold‐based or polythermal ice. However, lateral meltwater channel formation has been observed for >40 years along the margins of a rapidly thinning temperate glacier in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Flights of nested linear lateral me...
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crwiley:10.1111/j.1502-3885.2008.00042.x 2024-06-02T08:07:00+00:00 Origin and significance of lateral meltwater channels formed along a temperate glacier margin, Glacier Bay, Alaska SYVERSON, KENT M. MICKELSON, DAVID M. 2009 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2008.00042.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1502-3885.2008.00042.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2008.00042.x en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Boreas volume 38, issue 1, page 132-145 ISSN 0300-9483 1502-3885 journal-article 2009 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2008.00042.x 2024-05-03T11:41:06Z Pleistocene lateral meltwater channels are commonly used as evidence of cold‐based or polythermal ice. However, lateral meltwater channel formation has been observed for >40 years along the margins of a rapidly thinning temperate glacier in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Flights of nested linear lateral meltwater channels and in‐and‐out channels have formed on the sides of emerging nunataks. Nested channels at Burroughs Glacier are up to 200 m long; they are good proxies for the slope of the ice margin along the land surface and are terminated by subglacial chutes. A perched water table associated with precipitation and high ablation rates in the temperate ice causes surface meltwater to flow toward the margin above less permeable ice. The water flows along the margin and erodes lateral meltwater channels until a subglacial chute carries the water into the subglacial water system. Rates of channel formation range from 0 to 8 channels/year. Spacing and rates of channel formation are controlled by the land‐surface slope, ablation rate, erodibility of the substrate and stream discharge. Because lateral meltwater channels have been observed forming along a temperate glacier margin, care must be exercised when using the presence of lateral meltwater channels as definitive evidence of cold‐based or polythermal ice. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Alaska Wiley Online Library Glacier Bay Boreas 38 1 132 145 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Wiley Online Library |
op_collection_id |
crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Pleistocene lateral meltwater channels are commonly used as evidence of cold‐based or polythermal ice. However, lateral meltwater channel formation has been observed for >40 years along the margins of a rapidly thinning temperate glacier in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Flights of nested linear lateral meltwater channels and in‐and‐out channels have formed on the sides of emerging nunataks. Nested channels at Burroughs Glacier are up to 200 m long; they are good proxies for the slope of the ice margin along the land surface and are terminated by subglacial chutes. A perched water table associated with precipitation and high ablation rates in the temperate ice causes surface meltwater to flow toward the margin above less permeable ice. The water flows along the margin and erodes lateral meltwater channels until a subglacial chute carries the water into the subglacial water system. Rates of channel formation range from 0 to 8 channels/year. Spacing and rates of channel formation are controlled by the land‐surface slope, ablation rate, erodibility of the substrate and stream discharge. Because lateral meltwater channels have been observed forming along a temperate glacier margin, care must be exercised when using the presence of lateral meltwater channels as definitive evidence of cold‐based or polythermal ice. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
SYVERSON, KENT M. MICKELSON, DAVID M. |
spellingShingle |
SYVERSON, KENT M. MICKELSON, DAVID M. Origin and significance of lateral meltwater channels formed along a temperate glacier margin, Glacier Bay, Alaska |
author_facet |
SYVERSON, KENT M. MICKELSON, DAVID M. |
author_sort |
SYVERSON, KENT M. |
title |
Origin and significance of lateral meltwater channels formed along a temperate glacier margin, Glacier Bay, Alaska |
title_short |
Origin and significance of lateral meltwater channels formed along a temperate glacier margin, Glacier Bay, Alaska |
title_full |
Origin and significance of lateral meltwater channels formed along a temperate glacier margin, Glacier Bay, Alaska |
title_fullStr |
Origin and significance of lateral meltwater channels formed along a temperate glacier margin, Glacier Bay, Alaska |
title_full_unstemmed |
Origin and significance of lateral meltwater channels formed along a temperate glacier margin, Glacier Bay, Alaska |
title_sort |
origin and significance of lateral meltwater channels formed along a temperate glacier margin, glacier bay, alaska |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2008.00042.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1502-3885.2008.00042.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2008.00042.x |
geographic |
Glacier Bay |
geographic_facet |
Glacier Bay |
genre |
glacier Alaska |
genre_facet |
glacier Alaska |
op_source |
Boreas volume 38, issue 1, page 132-145 ISSN 0300-9483 1502-3885 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2008.00042.x |
container_title |
Boreas |
container_volume |
38 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
132 |
op_container_end_page |
145 |
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1800752019831521280 |