The glacial geomorphology of upper Godthåbsfjord (Nuup Kangerlua) in southwest Greenland

The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is known to have experienced widespread retreat over the last century. Information on outlet glacier dynamics, prior to this, are limited due to both a lack of observations and a paucity of mapped or mappable deglacial evidence which restricts our understanding of cent...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pearce, Danni M., Mair, Douglas W. F., Rea, Brice R., Lea, James M., J. Edward Schofield, Kamenos, Nicholas, Schoenrock, Kathryn
Format: Text
Language:unknown
Published: Taylor & Francis 2018
Subjects:
59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
FOS Earth and related environmental sciences
Ecology
FOS Biological sciences
20199 Astronomical and Space Sciences not elsewhere classified
FOS Physical sciences
Sociology
FOS Sociology
69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
Greenland
glacier
Godthåbsfjord
Ice Sheet
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5868309.v1
https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/The_glacial_geomorphology_of_upper_Godth_bsfjord_Nuup_Kangerlua_in_southwest_Greenland/5868309/1
Description
Summary:The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is known to have experienced widespread retreat over the last century. Information on outlet glacier dynamics, prior to this, are limited due to both a lack of observations and a paucity of mapped or mappable deglacial evidence which restricts our understanding of centennial to millennial timescale dynamics of the GrIS. Here we present glacial geomorphological mapping, for upper Godthåbsfjord, covering 5800 km 2 at a scale of 1:92,000, using a combination of ASTER GDEM V2, a medium-resolution DEM (error <10 m horizontal and <6 m vertical accuracy), panchromatic orthophotographs and ground truthing. This work provides a detailed geomorphological assessment for the area, compiled as a single map, comprising of moraines, meltwater channels, streamlined bedrock, sediment lineations, ice-dammed lakes, trimlines, terraces, gullied sediment and marine limits. Whilst some of the landforms have been previously identified, the new information presented here improves our understanding of ice margin behaviour and can be used for future numerical modelling and landform dating programmes. Data also form the basis for palaeoglaciological reconstructions and contribute towards understanding of the centennial to millennial timescale record of this sector of the GrIS.

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