Closing Greenland's Mass Balance:Frontal Ablation of Every Greenlandic Glacier From 2000 to 2020

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Kochtitzky, William, Copland, Luke, King, Michalea, Hugonnet, Romain, Jiskoot, Hester, Morlighem, Mathieu, Millan, Romain, Khan, Shfaqat Abbas, Noël, Brice
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water; name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water; glacier; Greenland; greenlandic; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/a6a5f12b-ba59-46ed-b023-e33643dea287; https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL104095; https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/336026495/Geophysical_Research_Letters_-_2023_-_Kochtitzky.pdf

In Greenland, 87% of the glacierized area terminates in the ocean, but mass lost at the ice-ocean interface, or frontal ablation, has not yet been fully quantified. Using measurements and models we calculate frontal ablation of Greenland's 213 outlet and 537 peripheral glaciers and find a total frontal ablation of 481.8 ± 24.0 for 2000–2010 and 510.2 ± 18.6 Gt a −1 for 2010–2020. Ice discharge accounted for ∼90% of frontal ablation during both periods, while mass loss due to terminus retreat comprised the remainder. Only 16 glaciers were responsible for the majority (>50%) of frontal ablation from 2010 to 2020. These estimates, along with the climatic-basal balance, allow for a more complete accounting of Greenland Ice Sheet and peripheral glacier mass balance. In total, Greenland accounted for ∼90% of Northern Hemisphere frontal ablation for 2000–2010 and 2010–2020.