Ice melting and earthquake suppression in Greenland

• Published in: Polar Science
• Main Authors: Olivieri, M., Spada, G.
• Other Authors: Olivieri, M.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Bologna, Bologna, Italia, Spada, G.; Dipartimento di Scienze di Base e Fondamenti, Urbino University “Carlo Bo”, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Bologna, Bologna, Italia, Dipartimento di Scienze di Base e Fondamenti, Urbino University “Carlo Bo”
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Science Limited 2015
• Subjects: Greenland; Earthquakes; Ice sheet melting; 02. Cryosphere::02.02. Glaciers::02.02.05. Ice dynamics; Ice Sheet; Polar Science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2122/9198; http://www.bo.ingv.it/~olivieri/publications/Ice_melting_Olivieri_Spada.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2014.09.004

It has been suggested that the Greenland ice sheet is the cause of earthquake suppression in the region. With few exceptions, the observed seismicity extends only along the continental margins of Greenland, which almost coincide with the ice sheet margin. This pattern has been put forward as further validation of the earthquake suppression hypothesis. In this review, new evidence in terms of ice melting, post-glacial rebound and earthquake occurrence is gathered and discussed to re-evaluate the connection between ice mass unloading and earthquake suppression. In Greenland, the spatiotemporal distribution of earthquakes indicates that seismicity is mainly con- fined to regions where the thick layer of ice is absent and where significant ice melting is presently occurring. A clear correlation between seismic activity and ice melting in Greenland is not found. However, earthquake locations and corresponding depth distributions suggest two distinct governing mechanisms: post-glacial rebound promotes moderate-size crustal earthquakes at Greenland’s regional scale, while current ice melting promotes shallow low magnitude seismicity locally Published 94–106 1T. Geodinamica e interno della Terra JCR Journal open