Seismic Mapping of Subglacial Hydrology Reveals Previously Undetected Pressurization Event
Understanding the dynamic response of glaciers to climate change is vital for assessing water resources and hazards, and subglacial hydrology is a key player in glacier systems. Traditional observations of subglacial hydrology are spatially and temporally limited, but recent seismic deployments on a...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
American Geophysical Union
2022
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2021jf006406 |
id |
ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:79r10-1a091 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:79r10-1a091 2024-10-13T14:07:25+00:00 Seismic Mapping of Subglacial Hydrology Reveals Previously Undetected Pressurization Event Labedz, Celeste R. Bartholomaus, Timothy C. Amundson, Jason M. Gimbert, Florent Karplus, Marianne S. Tsai, Victor C. Veitch, Stephen A. 2022-03 https://doi.org/10.1029/2021jf006406 unknown American Geophysical Union https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006406 https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.2078 http://denali.micro-specialties.com/cgi-bin/uaseaelpDataQuery.cgi https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ak/nwis/inventory/?site_no=15052000 https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.9200 eprintid:113496 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Other Journal of Geophysical Research. Earth Surface, 127(3), Art. No. e2021JF006406, (2022-03) Cryoseismology Environmental Seismology Glacier Hydrology Seismology Glaciology Earth-Surface Processes Geophysics info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2022 ftcaltechauth https://doi.org/10.1029/2021jf00640610.1029/2021JF00640610.22002/D1.207810.22002/D1.9200 2024-09-25T18:46:44Z Understanding the dynamic response of glaciers to climate change is vital for assessing water resources and hazards, and subglacial hydrology is a key player in glacier systems. Traditional observations of subglacial hydrology are spatially and temporally limited, but recent seismic deployments on and around glaciers show the potential for comprehensive observation of glacial hydrologic systems. We present results from a high-density seismic deployment spanning the surface of Lemon Creek Glacier, Alaska. Our study coincided with a marginal lake drainage event, which served as a natural experiment for seismic detection of changes in subglacial hydrology. We observed glaciohydraulic tremor across the surface of the glacier that was generated by the subglacial hydrologic system. During the lake drainage, the relative changes in seismic tremor power and water flux are consistent with pressurization of the subglacial system of only the upper part of the glacier. This event was not accompanied by a significant increase in glacier velocity; either some threshold necessary for rapid basal motion was not attained, or, plausibly, the geometry of Lemon Creek Glacier inhibited speedup. This pressurization event would have likely gone undetected without seismic observations, demonstrating the power of cryoseismology in testing assumptions about and mapping the spatial extent of subglacial pressurization. © 2022 American Geophysical Union. Issue Online: 24 February 2022; Version of Record online: 24 February 2022; Accepted manuscript online: 16 February 2022; Manuscript accepted: 11 February 2022; Manuscript revised: 27 January 2022; Manuscript received: 20 August 2021. This work was made possible in part by hard work in the field by Margot Vore, Daniel Bowden, Galen Kaip, and the students and staff of the 2017 Juneau Icefield Research Program. We especially thank Matt Beedle for provision of the photogrammetrically-produced DEM of Lake Linda, following lake drainage. This work was also aided by the advice of Mike Gurnis ... Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier glaciers Alaska Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) Juneau Icefield ENVELOPE(-134.254,-134.254,58.916,58.916) Marginal Lake ENVELOPE(163.500,163.500,-74.600,-74.600) Lemon Creek ENVELOPE(177.452,177.452,51.987,51.987) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftcaltechauth |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Cryoseismology Environmental Seismology Glacier Hydrology Seismology Glaciology Earth-Surface Processes Geophysics |
spellingShingle |
Cryoseismology Environmental Seismology Glacier Hydrology Seismology Glaciology Earth-Surface Processes Geophysics Labedz, Celeste R. Bartholomaus, Timothy C. Amundson, Jason M. Gimbert, Florent Karplus, Marianne S. Tsai, Victor C. Veitch, Stephen A. Seismic Mapping of Subglacial Hydrology Reveals Previously Undetected Pressurization Event |
topic_facet |
Cryoseismology Environmental Seismology Glacier Hydrology Seismology Glaciology Earth-Surface Processes Geophysics |
description |
Understanding the dynamic response of glaciers to climate change is vital for assessing water resources and hazards, and subglacial hydrology is a key player in glacier systems. Traditional observations of subglacial hydrology are spatially and temporally limited, but recent seismic deployments on and around glaciers show the potential for comprehensive observation of glacial hydrologic systems. We present results from a high-density seismic deployment spanning the surface of Lemon Creek Glacier, Alaska. Our study coincided with a marginal lake drainage event, which served as a natural experiment for seismic detection of changes in subglacial hydrology. We observed glaciohydraulic tremor across the surface of the glacier that was generated by the subglacial hydrologic system. During the lake drainage, the relative changes in seismic tremor power and water flux are consistent with pressurization of the subglacial system of only the upper part of the glacier. This event was not accompanied by a significant increase in glacier velocity; either some threshold necessary for rapid basal motion was not attained, or, plausibly, the geometry of Lemon Creek Glacier inhibited speedup. This pressurization event would have likely gone undetected without seismic observations, demonstrating the power of cryoseismology in testing assumptions about and mapping the spatial extent of subglacial pressurization. © 2022 American Geophysical Union. Issue Online: 24 February 2022; Version of Record online: 24 February 2022; Accepted manuscript online: 16 February 2022; Manuscript accepted: 11 February 2022; Manuscript revised: 27 January 2022; Manuscript received: 20 August 2021. This work was made possible in part by hard work in the field by Margot Vore, Daniel Bowden, Galen Kaip, and the students and staff of the 2017 Juneau Icefield Research Program. We especially thank Matt Beedle for provision of the photogrammetrically-produced DEM of Lake Linda, following lake drainage. This work was also aided by the advice of Mike Gurnis ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Labedz, Celeste R. Bartholomaus, Timothy C. Amundson, Jason M. Gimbert, Florent Karplus, Marianne S. Tsai, Victor C. Veitch, Stephen A. |
author_facet |
Labedz, Celeste R. Bartholomaus, Timothy C. Amundson, Jason M. Gimbert, Florent Karplus, Marianne S. Tsai, Victor C. Veitch, Stephen A. |
author_sort |
Labedz, Celeste R. |
title |
Seismic Mapping of Subglacial Hydrology Reveals Previously Undetected Pressurization Event |
title_short |
Seismic Mapping of Subglacial Hydrology Reveals Previously Undetected Pressurization Event |
title_full |
Seismic Mapping of Subglacial Hydrology Reveals Previously Undetected Pressurization Event |
title_fullStr |
Seismic Mapping of Subglacial Hydrology Reveals Previously Undetected Pressurization Event |
title_full_unstemmed |
Seismic Mapping of Subglacial Hydrology Reveals Previously Undetected Pressurization Event |
title_sort |
seismic mapping of subglacial hydrology reveals previously undetected pressurization event |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021jf006406 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-134.254,-134.254,58.916,58.916) ENVELOPE(163.500,163.500,-74.600,-74.600) ENVELOPE(177.452,177.452,51.987,51.987) |
geographic |
Juneau Icefield Marginal Lake Lemon Creek |
geographic_facet |
Juneau Icefield Marginal Lake Lemon Creek |
genre |
glacier glaciers Alaska |
genre_facet |
glacier glaciers Alaska |
op_source |
Journal of Geophysical Research. Earth Surface, 127(3), Art. No. e2021JF006406, (2022-03) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006406 https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.2078 http://denali.micro-specialties.com/cgi-bin/uaseaelpDataQuery.cgi https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ak/nwis/inventory/?site_no=15052000 https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.9200 eprintid:113496 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Other |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021jf00640610.1029/2021JF00640610.22002/D1.207810.22002/D1.9200 |
_version_ |
1812813688472600576 |