A decade (2002–2012) of supraglacial lake volume estimates across Russell Glacier, West Greenland
Supraglacial lakes represent an ephemeral storage buffer for meltwater runoff and lead to significant, yet short-lived, episodes of ice-flow acceleration by decanting large meltwater and energy fluxes into the ice sheet's hydrological system. Here, a methodology for calculating lake volume is u...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2014
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-107-2014 https://doaj.org/article/d16b85fdb2644b3ab5d7805e0cfcf267 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:d16b85fdb2644b3ab5d7805e0cfcf267 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:d16b85fdb2644b3ab5d7805e0cfcf267 2023-05-15T16:21:11+02:00 A decade (2002–2012) of supraglacial lake volume estimates across Russell Glacier, West Greenland A. A. W. Fitzpatrick A. L. Hubbard J. E. Box D. J. Quincey D. van As A. P. B. Mikkelsen S. H. Doyle C. F. Dow B. Hasholt G. A. Jones 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-107-2014 https://doaj.org/article/d16b85fdb2644b3ab5d7805e0cfcf267 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/107/2014/tc-8-107-2014.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-8-107-2014 https://doaj.org/article/d16b85fdb2644b3ab5d7805e0cfcf267 The Cryosphere, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 107-121 (2014) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2014 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-107-2014 2022-12-31T10:36:01Z Supraglacial lakes represent an ephemeral storage buffer for meltwater runoff and lead to significant, yet short-lived, episodes of ice-flow acceleration by decanting large meltwater and energy fluxes into the ice sheet's hydrological system. Here, a methodology for calculating lake volume is used to quantify storage and drainage across Russell Glacier, West Greenland, between 2002 and 2012. Using 502 MODIS scenes, water volume at ~200 seasonally occurring lakes was derived using a depth–reflectance relationship, which was independently calibrated and field validated against lake bathymetry. The inland expansion of lakes is strongly correlated with air temperature: during the record melt years of 2010 and 2012, lakes formed and drained earlier, attaining their maximum volume 38 and 20 days earlier than the 11 yr mean, as well as occupying a greater area and forming at higher elevations (> 1800 m) than previously. Despite occupying under 2% of the study area, lakes delay the transmission of up to 7–13% of the bulk meltwater discharged. Although the results are subject to an observational bias caused by periods of cloud cover, we estimate that across Russell Glacier, 28% of supraglacial lakes drain rapidly (< 4 days). Clustering of such events in space and time suggests a synoptic trigger mechanism. Further, we find no evidence to support a unifying critical size or depth-dependent drainage threshold. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Greenland The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Greenland The Cryosphere 8 1 107 121 |
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. A. W. Fitzpatrick A. L. Hubbard J. E. Box D. J. Quincey D. van As A. P. B. Mikkelsen S. H. Doyle C. F. Dow B. Hasholt G. A. Jones A decade (2002–2012) of supraglacial lake volume estimates across Russell Glacier, West Greenland |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Supraglacial lakes represent an ephemeral storage buffer for meltwater runoff and lead to significant, yet short-lived, episodes of ice-flow acceleration by decanting large meltwater and energy fluxes into the ice sheet's hydrological system. Here, a methodology for calculating lake volume is used to quantify storage and drainage across Russell Glacier, West Greenland, between 2002 and 2012. Using 502 MODIS scenes, water volume at ~200 seasonally occurring lakes was derived using a depth–reflectance relationship, which was independently calibrated and field validated against lake bathymetry. The inland expansion of lakes is strongly correlated with air temperature: during the record melt years of 2010 and 2012, lakes formed and drained earlier, attaining their maximum volume 38 and 20 days earlier than the 11 yr mean, as well as occupying a greater area and forming at higher elevations (> 1800 m) than previously. Despite occupying under 2% of the study area, lakes delay the transmission of up to 7–13% of the bulk meltwater discharged. Although the results are subject to an observational bias caused by periods of cloud cover, we estimate that across Russell Glacier, 28% of supraglacial lakes drain rapidly (< 4 days). Clustering of such events in space and time suggests a synoptic trigger mechanism. Further, we find no evidence to support a unifying critical size or depth-dependent drainage threshold. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
A. A. W. Fitzpatrick A. L. Hubbard J. E. Box D. J. Quincey D. van As A. P. B. Mikkelsen S. H. Doyle C. F. Dow B. Hasholt G. A. Jones |
author_facet |
A. A. W. Fitzpatrick A. L. Hubbard J. E. Box D. J. Quincey D. van As A. P. B. Mikkelsen S. H. Doyle C. F. Dow B. Hasholt G. A. Jones |
author_sort |
A. A. W. Fitzpatrick |
title |
A decade (2002–2012) of supraglacial lake volume estimates across Russell Glacier, West Greenland |
title_short |
A decade (2002–2012) of supraglacial lake volume estimates across Russell Glacier, West Greenland |
title_full |
A decade (2002–2012) of supraglacial lake volume estimates across Russell Glacier, West Greenland |
title_fullStr |
A decade (2002–2012) of supraglacial lake volume estimates across Russell Glacier, West Greenland |
title_full_unstemmed |
A decade (2002–2012) of supraglacial lake volume estimates across Russell Glacier, West Greenland |
title_sort |
decade (2002–2012) of supraglacial lake volume estimates across russell glacier, west greenland |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-107-2014 https://doaj.org/article/d16b85fdb2644b3ab5d7805e0cfcf267 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
glacier Greenland The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
glacier Greenland The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 107-121 (2014) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/107/2014/tc-8-107-2014.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-8-107-2014 https://doaj.org/article/d16b85fdb2644b3ab5d7805e0cfcf267 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-107-2014 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
8 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
107 |
op_container_end_page |
121 |
_version_ |
1766009206005039104 |