Exceptional 20th century glaciological regime of a major SE Greenland outlet glacier
Abstract The early 2000s accelerated ice-mass loss from large outlet glaciers in W and SE Greenland has been linked to warming of the subpolar North Atlantic. To investigate the uniqueness of this event, we extend the record of glacier and ocean changes back 1700 years by analyzing a sediment core f...
Published in: | Scientific Reports |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2017
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13246-x https://doaj.org/article/76556ad026674ec4a06b5c23da7d0be3 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:76556ad026674ec4a06b5c23da7d0be3 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:76556ad026674ec4a06b5c23da7d0be3 2023-05-15T16:03:48+02:00 Exceptional 20th century glaciological regime of a major SE Greenland outlet glacier Camilla S. Andresen Ulla Kokfelt Marie-Alexandrine Sicre Mads Faurschou Knudsen Laurence M. Dyke Vincent Klein Fanny Kaczmar Martin W. Miles David Wangner 2017-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13246-x https://doaj.org/article/76556ad026674ec4a06b5c23da7d0be3 EN eng Nature Portfolio https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13246-x https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-017-13246-x 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/76556ad026674ec4a06b5c23da7d0be3 Scientific Reports, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2017) Medicine R Science Q article 2017 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13246-x 2022-12-31T13:02:32Z Abstract The early 2000s accelerated ice-mass loss from large outlet glaciers in W and SE Greenland has been linked to warming of the subpolar North Atlantic. To investigate the uniqueness of this event, we extend the record of glacier and ocean changes back 1700 years by analyzing a sediment core from Sermilik Fjord near Helheim Glacier in SE Greenland. We show that multidecadal to centennial increases in alkenone-inferred Atlantic Water SSTs on the shelf occurred at times of reduced solar activity during the Little Ice Age, when the subpolar gyre weakened and shifted westward promoted by atmospheric blocking events. Helheim Glacier responded to many of these episodes with increased calving, but despite earlier multidecadal warming episodes matching the 20th century high SSTs in magnitude, the glacier behaved differently during the 20th century. We suggest the presence of a floating ice tongue since at least 300 AD lasting until 1900 AD followed by elevated 20th century glacier calving due to the loss of the tongue. We attribute this regime shift to 20th century unprecedented low sea-ice occurrence in the East Greenland Current and conclude that properties of this current are important for the stability of the present ice tongues in NE Greenland. Article in Journal/Newspaper East Greenland east greenland current glacier Greenland North Atlantic Sea ice Sermilik Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Greenland Scientific Reports 7 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
spellingShingle |
Medicine R Science Q Camilla S. Andresen Ulla Kokfelt Marie-Alexandrine Sicre Mads Faurschou Knudsen Laurence M. Dyke Vincent Klein Fanny Kaczmar Martin W. Miles David Wangner Exceptional 20th century glaciological regime of a major SE Greenland outlet glacier |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
Abstract The early 2000s accelerated ice-mass loss from large outlet glaciers in W and SE Greenland has been linked to warming of the subpolar North Atlantic. To investigate the uniqueness of this event, we extend the record of glacier and ocean changes back 1700 years by analyzing a sediment core from Sermilik Fjord near Helheim Glacier in SE Greenland. We show that multidecadal to centennial increases in alkenone-inferred Atlantic Water SSTs on the shelf occurred at times of reduced solar activity during the Little Ice Age, when the subpolar gyre weakened and shifted westward promoted by atmospheric blocking events. Helheim Glacier responded to many of these episodes with increased calving, but despite earlier multidecadal warming episodes matching the 20th century high SSTs in magnitude, the glacier behaved differently during the 20th century. We suggest the presence of a floating ice tongue since at least 300 AD lasting until 1900 AD followed by elevated 20th century glacier calving due to the loss of the tongue. We attribute this regime shift to 20th century unprecedented low sea-ice occurrence in the East Greenland Current and conclude that properties of this current are important for the stability of the present ice tongues in NE Greenland. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Camilla S. Andresen Ulla Kokfelt Marie-Alexandrine Sicre Mads Faurschou Knudsen Laurence M. Dyke Vincent Klein Fanny Kaczmar Martin W. Miles David Wangner |
author_facet |
Camilla S. Andresen Ulla Kokfelt Marie-Alexandrine Sicre Mads Faurschou Knudsen Laurence M. Dyke Vincent Klein Fanny Kaczmar Martin W. Miles David Wangner |
author_sort |
Camilla S. Andresen |
title |
Exceptional 20th century glaciological regime of a major SE Greenland outlet glacier |
title_short |
Exceptional 20th century glaciological regime of a major SE Greenland outlet glacier |
title_full |
Exceptional 20th century glaciological regime of a major SE Greenland outlet glacier |
title_fullStr |
Exceptional 20th century glaciological regime of a major SE Greenland outlet glacier |
title_full_unstemmed |
Exceptional 20th century glaciological regime of a major SE Greenland outlet glacier |
title_sort |
exceptional 20th century glaciological regime of a major se greenland outlet glacier |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13246-x https://doaj.org/article/76556ad026674ec4a06b5c23da7d0be3 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
East Greenland east greenland current glacier Greenland North Atlantic Sea ice Sermilik |
genre_facet |
East Greenland east greenland current glacier Greenland North Atlantic Sea ice Sermilik |
op_source |
Scientific Reports, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2017) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13246-x https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-017-13246-x 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/76556ad026674ec4a06b5c23da7d0be3 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13246-x |
container_title |
Scientific Reports |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766399495365459968 |