Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard
Dynamic glacier activity is increasingly observed through passive seismic monitoring. We analysed near-regional-scale seismicity on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to identify seismic icequake signals and to study their spatialÁ temporal distribution within the 14-year period from 2000 until 2013...
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ftgfzpotsdam:oai:gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de:item_1876903 2023-05-15T14:28:56+02:00 Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard Köhler, A. Nuth, C. Schweitzer, J. Weidle, C. Gibbons, S. 2015 https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_1876903 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3402/polar.v34.26178 https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_1876903 Polar Research info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2015 ftgfzpotsdam https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v34.26178 2022-09-14T05:57:25Z Dynamic glacier activity is increasingly observed through passive seismic monitoring. We analysed near-regional-scale seismicity on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to identify seismic icequake signals and to study their spatialÁ temporal distribution within the 14-year period from 2000 until 2013. This is the first study that uses seismic data recorded on permanent broadband stations to detect and locate icequakes in different regions of Spitsbergen, the main island of the archipelago. A temporary local seismic network and direct observations of glacier calving and surging were used to identify icequake sources. We observed a high number of icequakes with clear spectral peaks between 1 and 8 Hz in different parts of Spitsbergen. Spatial clusters of icequakes could be associated with individual grounded tidewater glaciers and exhibited clear seasonal variability each year with more signals observed during the melt season. Locations at the termini of glaciers, and correlation with visual calving observations in situ at Kronebreen, a glacier in the Kongsfjorden region, show that these icequakes were caused dominantly by calving. Indirect evidence for glacier surging through increased calving seismicity was found in 2003 at Tunabreen, a glacier in central Spitsbergen. Another type of icequake was observed in the area of the Nathorstbreen glacier system. Seismic events occurred upstream of the glacier within a short time period between January and May 2009 during the initial phase of a major glacier surge. This study is the first step towards the generation and implementation of an operational seismic monitoring strategy for glacier dynamics in Svalbard. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Archipelago Arctic glacier Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Polar Research Svalbard Tidewater Spitsbergen GFZpublic (German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam) Arctic Svalbard Main Island ENVELOPE(-38.220,-38.220,-54.007,-54.007) Kronebreen ENVELOPE(13.333,13.333,78.833,78.833) Tunabreen ENVELOPE(17.387,17.387,78.461,78.461) Nathorstbreen ENVELOPE(16.215,16.215,77.437,77.437) Polar Research 34 1 26178 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
GFZpublic (German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam) |
op_collection_id |
ftgfzpotsdam |
language |
English |
description |
Dynamic glacier activity is increasingly observed through passive seismic monitoring. We analysed near-regional-scale seismicity on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to identify seismic icequake signals and to study their spatialÁ temporal distribution within the 14-year period from 2000 until 2013. This is the first study that uses seismic data recorded on permanent broadband stations to detect and locate icequakes in different regions of Spitsbergen, the main island of the archipelago. A temporary local seismic network and direct observations of glacier calving and surging were used to identify icequake sources. We observed a high number of icequakes with clear spectral peaks between 1 and 8 Hz in different parts of Spitsbergen. Spatial clusters of icequakes could be associated with individual grounded tidewater glaciers and exhibited clear seasonal variability each year with more signals observed during the melt season. Locations at the termini of glaciers, and correlation with visual calving observations in situ at Kronebreen, a glacier in the Kongsfjorden region, show that these icequakes were caused dominantly by calving. Indirect evidence for glacier surging through increased calving seismicity was found in 2003 at Tunabreen, a glacier in central Spitsbergen. Another type of icequake was observed in the area of the Nathorstbreen glacier system. Seismic events occurred upstream of the glacier within a short time period between January and May 2009 during the initial phase of a major glacier surge. This study is the first step towards the generation and implementation of an operational seismic monitoring strategy for glacier dynamics in Svalbard. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Köhler, A. Nuth, C. Schweitzer, J. Weidle, C. Gibbons, S. |
spellingShingle |
Köhler, A. Nuth, C. Schweitzer, J. Weidle, C. Gibbons, S. Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
author_facet |
Köhler, A. Nuth, C. Schweitzer, J. Weidle, C. Gibbons, S. |
author_sort |
Köhler, A. |
title |
Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
title_short |
Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
title_full |
Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
title_fullStr |
Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
title_full_unstemmed |
Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
title_sort |
regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on spitsbergen, svalbard |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_1876903 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-38.220,-38.220,-54.007,-54.007) ENVELOPE(13.333,13.333,78.833,78.833) ENVELOPE(17.387,17.387,78.461,78.461) ENVELOPE(16.215,16.215,77.437,77.437) |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard Main Island Kronebreen Tunabreen Nathorstbreen |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard Main Island Kronebreen Tunabreen Nathorstbreen |
genre |
Arctic Archipelago Arctic glacier Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Polar Research Svalbard Tidewater Spitsbergen |
genre_facet |
Arctic Archipelago Arctic glacier Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Polar Research Svalbard Tidewater Spitsbergen |
op_source |
Polar Research |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3402/polar.v34.26178 https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_1876903 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v34.26178 |
container_title |
Polar Research |
container_volume |
34 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
26178 |
_version_ |
1766303051579129856 |