A numerical model for meltwater channel evolution in glaciers
Meltwater channels form an integral part of the hydrological system of a glacier. Better understanding of how meltwater channels develop and evolve is required to fully comprehend supraglacial and englacial meltwater drainage. Incision of supraglacial stream channels and subsequent roof closure by i...
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Copernicus Publications
2012
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:c4bafb7b4afc4b1f8c3c064e314f2a9d 2023-05-15T16:21:48+02:00 A numerical model for meltwater channel evolution in glaciers A. H. Jarosch M. T. Gudmundsson 2012-04-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-493-2012 https://doaj.org/article/c4bafb7b4afc4b1f8c3c064e314f2a9d EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.the-cryosphere.net/6/493/2012/tc-6-493-2012.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-6-493-2012 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/c4bafb7b4afc4b1f8c3c064e314f2a9d The Cryosphere, Vol 6, Iss 2, Pp 493-503 (2012) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2012 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-493-2012 2022-12-31T02:13:24Z Meltwater channels form an integral part of the hydrological system of a glacier. Better understanding of how meltwater channels develop and evolve is required to fully comprehend supraglacial and englacial meltwater drainage. Incision of supraglacial stream channels and subsequent roof closure by ice deformation has been proposed in recent literature as a possible englacial conduit formation process. Field evidence for supraglacial stream incision has been found in Svalbard and Nepal. In Iceland, where volcanic activity provides meltwater with temperatures above 0 °C, rapid enlargement of supraglacial channels has been observed. Supraglacial channels provide meltwater through englacial passages to the subglacial hydrological systems of big ice sheets, which in turn affects ice sheet motion and their contribution to eustatic sea level change. By coupling, for the first time, a numerical ice dynamic model to a hydraulic model which includes heat transfer, we investigate the evolution of meltwater channels and their incision behaviour. We present results for different, constant meltwater fluxes, different channel slopes, different meltwater temperatures, different melt rate distributions in the channel as well as temporal variations in meltwater flux. The key parameters governing incision rate and depth are channel slope, meltwater temperature loss to the ice and meltwater flux. Channel width and geometry are controlled by melt rate distribution along the channel wall. Calculated Nusselt numbers suggest that turbulent mixing is the main heat transfer mechanism in the meltwater channels studied. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier glacier Ice Sheet Iceland Svalbard The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Svalbard The Cryosphere 6 2 493 503 |
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 A. H. Jarosch M. T. Gudmundsson A numerical model for meltwater channel evolution in glaciers |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Meltwater channels form an integral part of the hydrological system of a glacier. Better understanding of how meltwater channels develop and evolve is required to fully comprehend supraglacial and englacial meltwater drainage. Incision of supraglacial stream channels and subsequent roof closure by ice deformation has been proposed in recent literature as a possible englacial conduit formation process. Field evidence for supraglacial stream incision has been found in Svalbard and Nepal. In Iceland, where volcanic activity provides meltwater with temperatures above 0 °C, rapid enlargement of supraglacial channels has been observed. Supraglacial channels provide meltwater through englacial passages to the subglacial hydrological systems of big ice sheets, which in turn affects ice sheet motion and their contribution to eustatic sea level change. By coupling, for the first time, a numerical ice dynamic model to a hydraulic model which includes heat transfer, we investigate the evolution of meltwater channels and their incision behaviour. We present results for different, constant meltwater fluxes, different channel slopes, different meltwater temperatures, different melt rate distributions in the channel as well as temporal variations in meltwater flux. The key parameters governing incision rate and depth are channel slope, meltwater temperature loss to the ice and meltwater flux. Channel width and geometry are controlled by melt rate distribution along the channel wall. Calculated Nusselt numbers suggest that turbulent mixing is the main heat transfer mechanism in the meltwater channels studied. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
A. H. Jarosch M. T. Gudmundsson |
author_facet |
A. H. Jarosch M. T. Gudmundsson |
author_sort |
A. H. Jarosch |
title |
A numerical model for meltwater channel evolution in glaciers |
title_short |
A numerical model for meltwater channel evolution in glaciers |
title_full |
A numerical model for meltwater channel evolution in glaciers |
title_fullStr |
A numerical model for meltwater channel evolution in glaciers |
title_full_unstemmed |
A numerical model for meltwater channel evolution in glaciers |
title_sort |
numerical model for meltwater channel evolution in glaciers |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-493-2012 https://doaj.org/article/c4bafb7b4afc4b1f8c3c064e314f2a9d |
geographic |
Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Svalbard |
genre |
glacier glacier Ice Sheet Iceland Svalbard The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
glacier glacier Ice Sheet Iceland Svalbard The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 6, Iss 2, Pp 493-503 (2012) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/6/493/2012/tc-6-493-2012.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-6-493-2012 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/c4bafb7b4afc4b1f8c3c064e314f2a9d |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-493-2012 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
6 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
493 |
op_container_end_page |
503 |
_version_ |
1766009783536582656 |