Spatiotemporal variability of oxygen isotope compositions in three contrasting glacier river catchments in Greenland
Analysis of stable oxygen isotope (δ 18 O) characteristics is a useful tool to investigate water provenance in glacier river systems. In order to attain knowledge on the diversity of spatio-temporal δ 18 O variations in glacier rivers, we have examined three glacierized catchments in Greenland with...
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ftcopenhagenunip:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/31970da4-8a67-4cb3-81d0-80afd7bd667d 2023-05-15T16:20:51+02:00 Spatiotemporal variability of oxygen isotope compositions in three contrasting glacier river catchments in Greenland Yde, J. C. Knudsen, N. Tvis Steffensen, J. P. Carrivick, J. L. Hasholt, B. Ingeman-Nielsen, T. Kronborg, C. Larsen, N. K. Mernild, S. H. Oerter, H. Roberts, D. H. Russell, A. J. 2015-06-18 application/pdf https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/spatiotemporal-variability-of-oxygen-isotope-compositions-in-three-contrasting-glacier-river-catchments-in-greenland(31970da4-8a67-4cb3-81d0-80afd7bd667d).html https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-12-5841-2015 https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/232067800/hess_20_1197_2016.pdf eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Yde , J C , Knudsen , N T , Steffensen , J P , Carrivick , J L , Hasholt , B , Ingeman-Nielsen , T , Kronborg , C , Larsen , N K , Mernild , S H , Oerter , H , Roberts , D H & Russell , A J 2015 , ' Spatiotemporal variability of oxygen isotope compositions in three contrasting glacier river catchments in Greenland ' , Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions , vol. 12 , no. 6 , pp. 5841-5893 . https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-12-5841-2015 article 2015 ftcopenhagenunip https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-12-5841-2015 2022-02-24T00:35:37Z Analysis of stable oxygen isotope (δ 18 O) characteristics is a useful tool to investigate water provenance in glacier river systems. In order to attain knowledge on the diversity of spatio-temporal δ 18 O variations in glacier rivers, we have examined three glacierized catchments in Greenland with different areas, glacier hydrology and thermal regimes. At Mittivakkat Gletscher River, a small river draining a local temperate glacier in southeast Greenland, diurnal oscillations in δ 18 O occur with a three-hour time lag to the diurnal oscillations in runoff. Throughout the peak flow season the δ 18 O composition is controlled by the proportion between snowmelt and ice melt with episodic inputs of rainwater and occasional storage and release of a specific water component due to changes in the subglacial drainage system. At Kuannersuit Glacier River on the island Qeqertarsuaq, the δ 18 O characteristics were examined after the major 1995-1998 glacier surge event. Despite large variations in the δ 18 O values of glacier ice on the newly formed glacier tongue, there were no diurnal oscillations in the bulk meltwater emanating from the glacier in the post-surge years 2000-2001. In 2002 there were indications of diurnal oscillations, and in 2003 there were large diurnal fluctuations in δ 18 O. At Watson River, a large catchment at the western margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet, the spatial distribution of δ 18 O in the river system was applied to fingerprint the relative runoff contributions from sub-catchments. Spot sampling indicates that during the early melt season most of the river water (64-73 %) derived from the Qinnguata Kuussua tributary, whereas the water flow on 23 July 2009 was dominated by bulk meltwater from the Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua tributary (where 7 and 67 % originated from the Russell Glacier and Leverett Glacier sub-catchments, respectively). A comparison of the δ 18 O compositions from glacial river water in Greenland shows distinct differences between water draining local glaciers (between -17.4 and -13.7 ‰), large ice caps (between -23.0 and -17.8 ‰) and the Greenland Ice Sheet (between -29.9 and -23.2 ‰). Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Leverett Glacier Qeqertarsuaq University of Copenhagen: Research Greenland Leverett Glacier ENVELOPE(-147.583,-147.583,-85.633,-85.633) Qeqertarsuaq ENVELOPE(-56.867,-56.867,74.400,74.400) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Copenhagen: Research |
op_collection_id |
ftcopenhagenunip |
language |
English |
description |
Analysis of stable oxygen isotope (δ 18 O) characteristics is a useful tool to investigate water provenance in glacier river systems. In order to attain knowledge on the diversity of spatio-temporal δ 18 O variations in glacier rivers, we have examined three glacierized catchments in Greenland with different areas, glacier hydrology and thermal regimes. At Mittivakkat Gletscher River, a small river draining a local temperate glacier in southeast Greenland, diurnal oscillations in δ 18 O occur with a three-hour time lag to the diurnal oscillations in runoff. Throughout the peak flow season the δ 18 O composition is controlled by the proportion between snowmelt and ice melt with episodic inputs of rainwater and occasional storage and release of a specific water component due to changes in the subglacial drainage system. At Kuannersuit Glacier River on the island Qeqertarsuaq, the δ 18 O characteristics were examined after the major 1995-1998 glacier surge event. Despite large variations in the δ 18 O values of glacier ice on the newly formed glacier tongue, there were no diurnal oscillations in the bulk meltwater emanating from the glacier in the post-surge years 2000-2001. In 2002 there were indications of diurnal oscillations, and in 2003 there were large diurnal fluctuations in δ 18 O. At Watson River, a large catchment at the western margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet, the spatial distribution of δ 18 O in the river system was applied to fingerprint the relative runoff contributions from sub-catchments. Spot sampling indicates that during the early melt season most of the river water (64-73 %) derived from the Qinnguata Kuussua tributary, whereas the water flow on 23 July 2009 was dominated by bulk meltwater from the Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua tributary (where 7 and 67 % originated from the Russell Glacier and Leverett Glacier sub-catchments, respectively). A comparison of the δ 18 O compositions from glacial river water in Greenland shows distinct differences between water draining local glaciers (between -17.4 and -13.7 ‰), large ice caps (between -23.0 and -17.8 ‰) and the Greenland Ice Sheet (between -29.9 and -23.2 ‰). |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Yde, J. C. Knudsen, N. Tvis Steffensen, J. P. Carrivick, J. L. Hasholt, B. Ingeman-Nielsen, T. Kronborg, C. Larsen, N. K. Mernild, S. H. Oerter, H. Roberts, D. H. Russell, A. J. |
spellingShingle |
Yde, J. C. Knudsen, N. Tvis Steffensen, J. P. Carrivick, J. L. Hasholt, B. Ingeman-Nielsen, T. Kronborg, C. Larsen, N. K. Mernild, S. H. Oerter, H. Roberts, D. H. Russell, A. J. Spatiotemporal variability of oxygen isotope compositions in three contrasting glacier river catchments in Greenland |
author_facet |
Yde, J. C. Knudsen, N. Tvis Steffensen, J. P. Carrivick, J. L. Hasholt, B. Ingeman-Nielsen, T. Kronborg, C. Larsen, N. K. Mernild, S. H. Oerter, H. Roberts, D. H. Russell, A. J. |
author_sort |
Yde, J. C. |
title |
Spatiotemporal variability of oxygen isotope compositions in three contrasting glacier river catchments in Greenland |
title_short |
Spatiotemporal variability of oxygen isotope compositions in three contrasting glacier river catchments in Greenland |
title_full |
Spatiotemporal variability of oxygen isotope compositions in three contrasting glacier river catchments in Greenland |
title_fullStr |
Spatiotemporal variability of oxygen isotope compositions in three contrasting glacier river catchments in Greenland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spatiotemporal variability of oxygen isotope compositions in three contrasting glacier river catchments in Greenland |
title_sort |
spatiotemporal variability of oxygen isotope compositions in three contrasting glacier river catchments in greenland |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/spatiotemporal-variability-of-oxygen-isotope-compositions-in-three-contrasting-glacier-river-catchments-in-greenland(31970da4-8a67-4cb3-81d0-80afd7bd667d).html https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-12-5841-2015 https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/232067800/hess_20_1197_2016.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-147.583,-147.583,-85.633,-85.633) ENVELOPE(-56.867,-56.867,74.400,74.400) |
geographic |
Greenland Leverett Glacier Qeqertarsuaq |
geographic_facet |
Greenland Leverett Glacier Qeqertarsuaq |
genre |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Leverett Glacier Qeqertarsuaq |
genre_facet |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Leverett Glacier Qeqertarsuaq |
op_source |
Yde , J C , Knudsen , N T , Steffensen , J P , Carrivick , J L , Hasholt , B , Ingeman-Nielsen , T , Kronborg , C , Larsen , N K , Mernild , S H , Oerter , H , Roberts , D H & Russell , A J 2015 , ' Spatiotemporal variability of oxygen isotope compositions in three contrasting glacier river catchments in Greenland ' , Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions , vol. 12 , no. 6 , pp. 5841-5893 . https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-12-5841-2015 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-12-5841-2015 |
_version_ |
1766008866897657856 |