The distribution and evolution of supraglacial lakes on 79° N Glacier (north-eastern Greenland) and interannual climatic controls

The Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden glacier (also known as the 79 ∘ North Glacier) drains approximately 8 % of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Supraglacial lakes (SGLs), or surface melt ponds, are a persistent summertime feature and are thought to drain rapidly to the base of the glacier and influence seasonal ice v...

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Published in:The Cryosphere
Main Authors: J. V. Turton, P. Hochreuther, N. Reimann, M. T. Blau
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3877-2021
https://doaj.org/article/510bc9dd275946deb280e7300e2e6a95
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spelling ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:510bc9dd275946deb280e7300e2e6a95 2023-05-15T16:20:59+02:00 The distribution and evolution of supraglacial lakes on 79° N Glacier (north-eastern Greenland) and interannual climatic controls J. V. Turton P. Hochreuther N. Reimann M. T. Blau 2021-08-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3877-2021 https://doaj.org/article/510bc9dd275946deb280e7300e2e6a95 EN eng Copernicus Publications https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/3877/2021/tc-15-3877-2021.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-15-3877-2021 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/510bc9dd275946deb280e7300e2e6a95 The Cryosphere, Vol 15, Pp 3877-3896 (2021) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3877-2021 2022-12-31T12:30:06Z The Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden glacier (also known as the 79 ∘ North Glacier) drains approximately 8 % of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Supraglacial lakes (SGLs), or surface melt ponds, are a persistent summertime feature and are thought to drain rapidly to the base of the glacier and influence seasonal ice velocity. However, seasonal development and spatial distribution of SGLs in the north-east of Greenland are poorly understood, leaving a substantial error in the estimate of meltwater and its impacts on ice velocity. Using results from an automated detection of melt ponds, atmospheric and surface mass balance modelling, and reanalysis products, we investigate the role of specific climatic conditions in melt onset, extent, and duration from 2016 to 2019. The summers of 2016 and 2019 were characterised by above-average air temperatures, particularly in June, as well as a number of rainfall events, which led to extensive melt ponds to elevations up to 1600 m . Conversely, 2018 was particularly cold, with a large accumulated snowpack, which limited the development of lakes to altitudes less than 800 m . There is evidence of inland expansion and increases in the total area of lakes compared to the early 2000s, as projected by future global warming scenarios. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Greenland Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden ENVELOPE(-21.500,-21.500,79.500,79.500) The Cryosphere 15 8 3877 3896
institution Open Polar
collection Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles
op_collection_id ftdoajarticles
language English
topic Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Geology
QE1-996.5
spellingShingle Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Geology
QE1-996.5
J. V. Turton
P. Hochreuther
N. Reimann
M. T. Blau
The distribution and evolution of supraglacial lakes on 79° N Glacier (north-eastern Greenland) and interannual climatic controls
topic_facet Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Geology
QE1-996.5
description The Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden glacier (also known as the 79 ∘ North Glacier) drains approximately 8 % of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Supraglacial lakes (SGLs), or surface melt ponds, are a persistent summertime feature and are thought to drain rapidly to the base of the glacier and influence seasonal ice velocity. However, seasonal development and spatial distribution of SGLs in the north-east of Greenland are poorly understood, leaving a substantial error in the estimate of meltwater and its impacts on ice velocity. Using results from an automated detection of melt ponds, atmospheric and surface mass balance modelling, and reanalysis products, we investigate the role of specific climatic conditions in melt onset, extent, and duration from 2016 to 2019. The summers of 2016 and 2019 were characterised by above-average air temperatures, particularly in June, as well as a number of rainfall events, which led to extensive melt ponds to elevations up to 1600 m . Conversely, 2018 was particularly cold, with a large accumulated snowpack, which limited the development of lakes to altitudes less than 800 m . There is evidence of inland expansion and increases in the total area of lakes compared to the early 2000s, as projected by future global warming scenarios.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author J. V. Turton
P. Hochreuther
N. Reimann
M. T. Blau
author_facet J. V. Turton
P. Hochreuther
N. Reimann
M. T. Blau
author_sort J. V. Turton
title The distribution and evolution of supraglacial lakes on 79° N Glacier (north-eastern Greenland) and interannual climatic controls
title_short The distribution and evolution of supraglacial lakes on 79° N Glacier (north-eastern Greenland) and interannual climatic controls
title_full The distribution and evolution of supraglacial lakes on 79° N Glacier (north-eastern Greenland) and interannual climatic controls
title_fullStr The distribution and evolution of supraglacial lakes on 79° N Glacier (north-eastern Greenland) and interannual climatic controls
title_full_unstemmed The distribution and evolution of supraglacial lakes on 79° N Glacier (north-eastern Greenland) and interannual climatic controls
title_sort distribution and evolution of supraglacial lakes on 79° n glacier (north-eastern greenland) and interannual climatic controls
publisher Copernicus Publications
publishDate 2021
url https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3877-2021
https://doaj.org/article/510bc9dd275946deb280e7300e2e6a95
long_lat ENVELOPE(-21.500,-21.500,79.500,79.500)
geographic Greenland
Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden
geographic_facet Greenland
Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden
genre glacier
Greenland
Ice Sheet
Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden
The Cryosphere
genre_facet glacier
Greenland
Ice Sheet
Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden
The Cryosphere
op_source The Cryosphere, Vol 15, Pp 3877-3896 (2021)
op_relation https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/3877/2021/tc-15-3877-2021.pdf
https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416
https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424
doi:10.5194/tc-15-3877-2021
1994-0416
1994-0424
https://doaj.org/article/510bc9dd275946deb280e7300e2e6a95
op_doi https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3877-2021
container_title The Cryosphere
container_volume 15
container_issue 8
container_start_page 3877
op_container_end_page 3896
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