Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: David W. Ashmore, Douglas W. F. Mair, David O. Burgess
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press 2020
• Subjects: Arctic glaciology; melt – surface; polar firn; snow/ice surface processes; surface mass budget; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Meteorology. Climatology; QC851-999; Arctic; Canada; Greenland; Devon Ice Cap; Ice cap; Ice Sheet; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.80; https://doaj.org/article/08d5a37c5d3b43198216d81c649242fb

The retention of meltwater in the accumulation area of the Greenland ice sheet and other Arctic ice masses buffers their contribution to sea level change. However, sustained warming also results in impermeable ice layers or ‘ice slabs’ that seal the underlying pore space. Here, we use a 1-D, physica...