Modelled dynamic retreat of Kangerlussuaq Glacier, East Greenland, strongly influenced by the consecutive absence of an ice mélange in Kangerlussuaq Fjord
Mass loss at the Greenland Ice Sheet is influenced by atmospheric processes controlling its surface mass balance, and by submarine melt and calving where glaciers terminate in fjords. There, an ice mélange – a composite matrix of calved ice bergs and sea ice – may provide a buttressing force on a gl...
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Cambridge University Press
2023
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.70 https://doaj.org/article/bb2130b5821f4a389ccdfe4a3965a011 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:bb2130b5821f4a389ccdfe4a3965a011 2023-06-11T04:09:37+02:00 Modelled dynamic retreat of Kangerlussuaq Glacier, East Greenland, strongly influenced by the consecutive absence of an ice mélange in Kangerlussuaq Fjord Jamie Barnett Felicity A. Holmes Nina Kirchner 2023-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.70 https://doaj.org/article/bb2130b5821f4a389ccdfe4a3965a011 EN eng Cambridge University Press https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143022000703/type/journal_article https://doaj.org/toc/0022-1430 https://doaj.org/toc/1727-5652 doi:10.1017/jog.2022.70 0022-1430 1727-5652 https://doaj.org/article/bb2130b5821f4a389ccdfe4a3965a011 Journal of Glaciology, Vol 69, Pp 433-444 (2023) Arctic glaciology glacier calving glaciological model experiments ice/ocean interactions sea-ice/ice-shelf interactions Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.70 2023-05-28T00:37:02Z Mass loss at the Greenland Ice Sheet is influenced by atmospheric processes controlling its surface mass balance, and by submarine melt and calving where glaciers terminate in fjords. There, an ice mélange – a composite matrix of calved ice bergs and sea ice – may provide a buttressing force on a glacier terminus and control terminus dynamics. Kangerlussuaq Glacier is a major outlet of the Greenland Ice Sheet, for which recent major retreat events in 2004/2005 and 2016–2018 coincided with the absence of an ice mélange in Kangerlussuaq Fjord. To better understand the response of Kangerlussuaq Glacier to climatic and oceanic drivers, a 2D flowline model is employed. Results indicate that an ice mélange buttressing force exerts a major control on calving frequency and rapid retreat. When an ice mélange forms in Kangerlussuaq Fjord, it provides stabilising forces and conditions favourable for winter terminus re-advance. When it fails to form during consecutive years, model results indicate that Kangerlussuaq Glacier is primed to retreat into the large overdeepenings in Kangerlussuaq Fjord, and to terminus positions more than 30 km farther inland, implying that excessive mass loss from Kangerlussuaq Glacier by the year 2065 cannot be excluded. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic East Greenland glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Journal of Glaciology Kangerlussuaq Sea ice Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Greenland Kangerlussuaq ENVELOPE(-55.633,-55.633,72.633,72.633) Journal of Glaciology 1 12 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Arctic glaciology glacier calving glaciological model experiments ice/ocean interactions sea-ice/ice-shelf interactions Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 |
spellingShingle |
Arctic glaciology glacier calving glaciological model experiments ice/ocean interactions sea-ice/ice-shelf interactions Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 Jamie Barnett Felicity A. Holmes Nina Kirchner Modelled dynamic retreat of Kangerlussuaq Glacier, East Greenland, strongly influenced by the consecutive absence of an ice mélange in Kangerlussuaq Fjord |
topic_facet |
Arctic glaciology glacier calving glaciological model experiments ice/ocean interactions sea-ice/ice-shelf interactions Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 |
description |
Mass loss at the Greenland Ice Sheet is influenced by atmospheric processes controlling its surface mass balance, and by submarine melt and calving where glaciers terminate in fjords. There, an ice mélange – a composite matrix of calved ice bergs and sea ice – may provide a buttressing force on a glacier terminus and control terminus dynamics. Kangerlussuaq Glacier is a major outlet of the Greenland Ice Sheet, for which recent major retreat events in 2004/2005 and 2016–2018 coincided with the absence of an ice mélange in Kangerlussuaq Fjord. To better understand the response of Kangerlussuaq Glacier to climatic and oceanic drivers, a 2D flowline model is employed. Results indicate that an ice mélange buttressing force exerts a major control on calving frequency and rapid retreat. When an ice mélange forms in Kangerlussuaq Fjord, it provides stabilising forces and conditions favourable for winter terminus re-advance. When it fails to form during consecutive years, model results indicate that Kangerlussuaq Glacier is primed to retreat into the large overdeepenings in Kangerlussuaq Fjord, and to terminus positions more than 30 km farther inland, implying that excessive mass loss from Kangerlussuaq Glacier by the year 2065 cannot be excluded. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jamie Barnett Felicity A. Holmes Nina Kirchner |
author_facet |
Jamie Barnett Felicity A. Holmes Nina Kirchner |
author_sort |
Jamie Barnett |
title |
Modelled dynamic retreat of Kangerlussuaq Glacier, East Greenland, strongly influenced by the consecutive absence of an ice mélange in Kangerlussuaq Fjord |
title_short |
Modelled dynamic retreat of Kangerlussuaq Glacier, East Greenland, strongly influenced by the consecutive absence of an ice mélange in Kangerlussuaq Fjord |
title_full |
Modelled dynamic retreat of Kangerlussuaq Glacier, East Greenland, strongly influenced by the consecutive absence of an ice mélange in Kangerlussuaq Fjord |
title_fullStr |
Modelled dynamic retreat of Kangerlussuaq Glacier, East Greenland, strongly influenced by the consecutive absence of an ice mélange in Kangerlussuaq Fjord |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modelled dynamic retreat of Kangerlussuaq Glacier, East Greenland, strongly influenced by the consecutive absence of an ice mélange in Kangerlussuaq Fjord |
title_sort |
modelled dynamic retreat of kangerlussuaq glacier, east greenland, strongly influenced by the consecutive absence of an ice mélange in kangerlussuaq fjord |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.70 https://doaj.org/article/bb2130b5821f4a389ccdfe4a3965a011 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-55.633,-55.633,72.633,72.633) |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland Kangerlussuaq |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland Kangerlussuaq |
genre |
Arctic East Greenland glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Journal of Glaciology Kangerlussuaq Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Arctic East Greenland glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Journal of Glaciology Kangerlussuaq Sea ice |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology, Vol 69, Pp 433-444 (2023) |
op_relation |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143022000703/type/journal_article https://doaj.org/toc/0022-1430 https://doaj.org/toc/1727-5652 doi:10.1017/jog.2022.70 0022-1430 1727-5652 https://doaj.org/article/bb2130b5821f4a389ccdfe4a3965a011 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.70 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
12 |
_version_ |
1768383571600343040 |