Warming of waters in an East Greenland fjord prior to glacier retreat: mechanisms and connection to large-scale atmospheric conditions
Hydrographic data acquired in Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord and adjacent seas in 1993 and 2004 are used together with reanalysis from the NEMO ocean modelling framework to elucidate water-mass change and ice-ocean-atmosphere interactions in East Greenland. The hydrographic data show that the fjord contains...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2011
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-701-2011 https://doaj.org/article/e44628ab548c4954b82ea9d9e7b1b657 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:e44628ab548c4954b82ea9d9e7b1b657 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:e44628ab548c4954b82ea9d9e7b1b657 2023-05-15T16:03:40+02:00 Warming of waters in an East Greenland fjord prior to glacier retreat: mechanisms and connection to large-scale atmospheric conditions P. Christoffersen R. I. Mugford K. J. Heywood I. Joughin J. A. Dowdeswell J. P. M. Syvitski A. Luckman T. J. Benham 2011-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-701-2011 https://doaj.org/article/e44628ab548c4954b82ea9d9e7b1b657 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/701/2011/tc-5-701-2011.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-5-701-2011 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/e44628ab548c4954b82ea9d9e7b1b657 The Cryosphere, Vol 5, Iss 3, Pp 701-714 (2011) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2011 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-701-2011 2022-12-31T08:17:52Z Hydrographic data acquired in Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord and adjacent seas in 1993 and 2004 are used together with reanalysis from the NEMO ocean modelling framework to elucidate water-mass change and ice-ocean-atmosphere interactions in East Greenland. The hydrographic data show that the fjord contains warm subtropical waters and that fjord waters in 2004 were considerably warmer than in 1993. The ocean reanalysis shows that the warm properties of fjord waters in 2004 are related to a major peak in oceanic shoreward heat flux into a cross-shelf trough on the outer continental shelf. The heat flux into this trough varies according to seasonal exchanges with the atmosphere as well as from deep seasonal intrusions of subtropical waters. Both mechanisms contribute to high (low) shoreward heat flux when winds from the northeast are weak (strong). The combined effect of surface heating and inflow of subtropical waters is seen in the hydrographic data, which were collected after periods when along-shore coastal winds from the north were strong (1993) and weak (2004). The latter data were furthermore acquired during the early phase of a prolonged retreat of Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier. We show that coastal winds vary according to the pressure gradient defined by a semi-permanent atmospheric high-pressure system over Greenland and a persistent atmospheric low situated near Iceland. The magnitude of this pressure gradient is controlled by longitudinal variability in the position of the Icelandic Low. Article in Journal/Newspaper East Greenland glacier glacier Greenland Iceland The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Greenland The Cryosphere 5 3 701 714 |
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 P. Christoffersen R. I. Mugford K. J. Heywood I. Joughin J. A. Dowdeswell J. P. M. Syvitski A. Luckman T. J. Benham Warming of waters in an East Greenland fjord prior to glacier retreat: mechanisms and connection to large-scale atmospheric conditions |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Hydrographic data acquired in Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord and adjacent seas in 1993 and 2004 are used together with reanalysis from the NEMO ocean modelling framework to elucidate water-mass change and ice-ocean-atmosphere interactions in East Greenland. The hydrographic data show that the fjord contains warm subtropical waters and that fjord waters in 2004 were considerably warmer than in 1993. The ocean reanalysis shows that the warm properties of fjord waters in 2004 are related to a major peak in oceanic shoreward heat flux into a cross-shelf trough on the outer continental shelf. The heat flux into this trough varies according to seasonal exchanges with the atmosphere as well as from deep seasonal intrusions of subtropical waters. Both mechanisms contribute to high (low) shoreward heat flux when winds from the northeast are weak (strong). The combined effect of surface heating and inflow of subtropical waters is seen in the hydrographic data, which were collected after periods when along-shore coastal winds from the north were strong (1993) and weak (2004). The latter data were furthermore acquired during the early phase of a prolonged retreat of Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier. We show that coastal winds vary according to the pressure gradient defined by a semi-permanent atmospheric high-pressure system over Greenland and a persistent atmospheric low situated near Iceland. The magnitude of this pressure gradient is controlled by longitudinal variability in the position of the Icelandic Low. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
P. Christoffersen R. I. Mugford K. J. Heywood I. Joughin J. A. Dowdeswell J. P. M. Syvitski A. Luckman T. J. Benham |
author_facet |
P. Christoffersen R. I. Mugford K. J. Heywood I. Joughin J. A. Dowdeswell J. P. M. Syvitski A. Luckman T. J. Benham |
author_sort |
P. Christoffersen |
title |
Warming of waters in an East Greenland fjord prior to glacier retreat: mechanisms and connection to large-scale atmospheric conditions |
title_short |
Warming of waters in an East Greenland fjord prior to glacier retreat: mechanisms and connection to large-scale atmospheric conditions |
title_full |
Warming of waters in an East Greenland fjord prior to glacier retreat: mechanisms and connection to large-scale atmospheric conditions |
title_fullStr |
Warming of waters in an East Greenland fjord prior to glacier retreat: mechanisms and connection to large-scale atmospheric conditions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Warming of waters in an East Greenland fjord prior to glacier retreat: mechanisms and connection to large-scale atmospheric conditions |
title_sort |
warming of waters in an east greenland fjord prior to glacier retreat: mechanisms and connection to large-scale atmospheric conditions |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-701-2011 https://doaj.org/article/e44628ab548c4954b82ea9d9e7b1b657 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
East Greenland glacier glacier Greenland Iceland The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
East Greenland glacier glacier Greenland Iceland The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 5, Iss 3, Pp 701-714 (2011) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/701/2011/tc-5-701-2011.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-5-701-2011 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/e44628ab548c4954b82ea9d9e7b1b657 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-701-2011 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
701 |
op_container_end_page |
714 |
_version_ |
1766399369650634752 |