Seasonal Acceleration of Petermann Glacier, Greenland, From Changes in Subglacial Hydrology

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Shivani Ehrenfeucht, Mathieu Morlighem, Eric Rignot, Christine F. Dow, Jeremie Mouginot
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2023
• Subjects: Geophysics. Cosmic physics; QC801-809; glacier; Greenland; Ice Sheet; Petermann glacier
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098009; https://doaj.org/article/c6c5f8e3989a46339b8b8195b91946fb

Abstract Petermann Glacier is a major outlet glacier of northern Greenland that drains a marine‐based basin vulnerable to destabilization from enhanced oceanic and atmospheric forcings. Using satellite radar interferometry data from the Sentinel‐1a/b missions, we observe a seasonal glacier acceleration of 15% in the summer, from 1,250 to 1,500 m/yr near the grounding line, but the physical drivers of this seasonality have not been elucidated. Here, we use a subglacial hydrology model coupled one‐way to an ice sheet model to evaluate the role of subglacial hydrology as a physical mechanism explaining the seasonal acceleration. We find excellent agreement between the observed and predicted velocity in terms of timing and magnitude with the addition of an applied lower limit on effective pressure of 6% of ice overburden pressure. We conclude that seasonal changes in subglacial hydrology are sufficient to explain the observed seasonal speed up of Petermann Glacier.