Determining the evolution of an alpine glacier drainage system by solving inverse problems
Our understanding of the subglacial drainage system has improved markedly over the last decades due to field observations and numerical modelling. However, integrating data into increasingly complex numerical models remain challenging. Here we infer two-dimensional subglacial channel networks and hy...
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Cambridge University Press
2021
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.116 https://doaj.org/article/23520437f0784c99a41a20fc3aa2d902 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:23520437f0784c99a41a20fc3aa2d902 2023-05-15T16:57:34+02:00 Determining the evolution of an alpine glacier drainage system by solving inverse problems Inigo Irarrazaval Mauro A. Werder Matthias Huss Frederic Herman Gregoire Mariethoz 2021-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.116 https://doaj.org/article/23520437f0784c99a41a20fc3aa2d902 EN eng Cambridge University Press https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143020001161/type/journal_article https://doaj.org/toc/0022-1430 https://doaj.org/toc/1727-5652 doi:10.1017/jog.2020.116 0022-1430 1727-5652 https://doaj.org/article/23520437f0784c99a41a20fc3aa2d902 Journal of Glaciology, Vol 67, Pp 421-434 (2021) Glacier modelling glaciological instruments and methods subglacial processes Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.116 2023-03-12T01:30:57Z Our understanding of the subglacial drainage system has improved markedly over the last decades due to field observations and numerical modelling. However, integrating data into increasingly complex numerical models remain challenging. Here we infer two-dimensional subglacial channel networks and hydraulic parameters for Gorner Glacier, Switzerland, based on available field data at five specific times (snapshots) across the melt season of 2005. The field dataset is one of the most complete available, including borehole water pressure, tracer experiments and meteorological variables. Yet, these observations are still too sparse to fully characterize the drainage system and thus, a unique solution is neither expected nor desirable. We use a geostatistical generator and a steady-state water flow model to produce a set of subglacial channel networks that are consistent with measured water pressure and tracer-transit times. Field data are used to infer hydraulic and morphological parameters of the channels under the assumption that the location of channels persists during the melt season. Results indicate that it is possible to identify locations where subglacial channels are more likely. In addition, we show that different network structures can equally satisfy the field data, which support the use of a stochastic approach to infer unobserved subglacial features. Article in Journal/Newspaper Journal of Glaciology Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Journal of Glaciology 67 263 421 434 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Glacier modelling glaciological instruments and methods subglacial processes Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 |
spellingShingle |
Glacier modelling glaciological instruments and methods subglacial processes Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 Inigo Irarrazaval Mauro A. Werder Matthias Huss Frederic Herman Gregoire Mariethoz Determining the evolution of an alpine glacier drainage system by solving inverse problems |
topic_facet |
Glacier modelling glaciological instruments and methods subglacial processes Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 |
description |
Our understanding of the subglacial drainage system has improved markedly over the last decades due to field observations and numerical modelling. However, integrating data into increasingly complex numerical models remain challenging. Here we infer two-dimensional subglacial channel networks and hydraulic parameters for Gorner Glacier, Switzerland, based on available field data at five specific times (snapshots) across the melt season of 2005. The field dataset is one of the most complete available, including borehole water pressure, tracer experiments and meteorological variables. Yet, these observations are still too sparse to fully characterize the drainage system and thus, a unique solution is neither expected nor desirable. We use a geostatistical generator and a steady-state water flow model to produce a set of subglacial channel networks that are consistent with measured water pressure and tracer-transit times. Field data are used to infer hydraulic and morphological parameters of the channels under the assumption that the location of channels persists during the melt season. Results indicate that it is possible to identify locations where subglacial channels are more likely. In addition, we show that different network structures can equally satisfy the field data, which support the use of a stochastic approach to infer unobserved subglacial features. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Inigo Irarrazaval Mauro A. Werder Matthias Huss Frederic Herman Gregoire Mariethoz |
author_facet |
Inigo Irarrazaval Mauro A. Werder Matthias Huss Frederic Herman Gregoire Mariethoz |
author_sort |
Inigo Irarrazaval |
title |
Determining the evolution of an alpine glacier drainage system by solving inverse problems |
title_short |
Determining the evolution of an alpine glacier drainage system by solving inverse problems |
title_full |
Determining the evolution of an alpine glacier drainage system by solving inverse problems |
title_fullStr |
Determining the evolution of an alpine glacier drainage system by solving inverse problems |
title_full_unstemmed |
Determining the evolution of an alpine glacier drainage system by solving inverse problems |
title_sort |
determining the evolution of an alpine glacier drainage system by solving inverse problems |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.116 https://doaj.org/article/23520437f0784c99a41a20fc3aa2d902 |
genre |
Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology, Vol 67, Pp 421-434 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143020001161/type/journal_article https://doaj.org/toc/0022-1430 https://doaj.org/toc/1727-5652 doi:10.1017/jog.2020.116 0022-1430 1727-5652 https://doaj.org/article/23520437f0784c99a41a20fc3aa2d902 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.116 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
67 |
container_issue |
263 |
container_start_page |
421 |
op_container_end_page |
434 |
_version_ |
1766049132126928896 |