Glaciohydraulic seismic tremors on an Alpine glacier
International audience Hydraulic processes impact viscous and brittle ice deformation. Water-driven fracturing as well as turbulent water flow within and beneath glaciers radiate seismic waves which provide insights into otherwise hard-to-access englacial and subglacial environments. In this study,...
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Online Access: | https://hal.science/hal-03107593 https://hal.science/hal-03107593/document https://hal.science/hal-03107593/file/Lindner2020.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-287-2020 |
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ftinsu:oai:HAL:hal-03107593v1 2024-04-28T08:40:21+00:00 Glaciohydraulic seismic tremors on an Alpine glacier Lindner, Fabian Walter, Fabian Laske, Gabi Gimbert, Florent Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH Zürich) Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO - UC San Diego) University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) University of California (UC)-University of California (UC) Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement (IGE) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ) Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) 2020 https://hal.science/hal-03107593 https://hal.science/hal-03107593/document https://hal.science/hal-03107593/file/Lindner2020.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-287-2020 en eng HAL CCSD Copernicus info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.5194/tc-14-287-2020 hal-03107593 https://hal.science/hal-03107593 https://hal.science/hal-03107593/document https://hal.science/hal-03107593/file/Lindner2020.pdf doi:10.5194/tc-14-287-2020 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess ISSN: 1994-0424 EISSN: 1994-0416 The Cryosphere https://hal.science/hal-03107593 The Cryosphere, 2020, 14 (1), pp.287-308. ⟨10.5194/tc-14-287-2020⟩ [SDU.STU.HY]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Hydrology [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2020 ftinsu https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-287-2020 2024-04-05T00:38:39Z International audience Hydraulic processes impact viscous and brittle ice deformation. Water-driven fracturing as well as turbulent water flow within and beneath glaciers radiate seismic waves which provide insights into otherwise hard-to-access englacial and subglacial environments. In this study, we analyze glaciohydraulic tremors recorded by four seismic arrays installed in different parts of Glacier de la Plaine Morte, Switzerland. Data were recorded during the 2016 melt season including the sudden subglacial drainage of an ice-marginal lake. Together with our seismic data, discharge, lake level, and ice flow measurements provide constraints on glacier hydraulics. We find that the tremors are generated by subglacial water flow, in moulins, and by icequake bursts. The dominating process can vary on sub-kilometer and sub-daily scales. Consistent with field observations, continuous source tracking via matched-field processing suggests a gradual up-glacier progression of an efficient drainage system as the melt season progresses. The ice-marginal lake likely connects to this drainage system via hydrofracturing, which is indicated by sustained icequake signals emitted from the proximity of the lake basin and starting roughly 24 h prior to the lake drainage. To estimate the hydraulics associated with the drainage, we use tremor–discharge scaling relationships. Our analysis suggests a pressurization of the subglacial environment at the drainage onset, followed by an increase in the hydraulic radii of the conduits and a subsequent decrease in the subglacial water pressure as the capacity of the drainage system increases. The pressurization is in phase with the drop in the lake level, and its retrieved maximum coincides with ice uplift measured via GPS. Our results highlight the use of cryo-seismology for monitoring glacier hydraulics. Article in Journal/Newspaper The Cryosphere Institut national des sciences de l'Univers: HAL-INSU The Cryosphere 14 1 287 308 |
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Open Polar |
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Institut national des sciences de l'Univers: HAL-INSU |
op_collection_id |
ftinsu |
language |
English |
topic |
[SDU.STU.HY]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Hydrology [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology |
spellingShingle |
[SDU.STU.HY]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Hydrology [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology Lindner, Fabian Walter, Fabian Laske, Gabi Gimbert, Florent Glaciohydraulic seismic tremors on an Alpine glacier |
topic_facet |
[SDU.STU.HY]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Hydrology [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology |
description |
International audience Hydraulic processes impact viscous and brittle ice deformation. Water-driven fracturing as well as turbulent water flow within and beneath glaciers radiate seismic waves which provide insights into otherwise hard-to-access englacial and subglacial environments. In this study, we analyze glaciohydraulic tremors recorded by four seismic arrays installed in different parts of Glacier de la Plaine Morte, Switzerland. Data were recorded during the 2016 melt season including the sudden subglacial drainage of an ice-marginal lake. Together with our seismic data, discharge, lake level, and ice flow measurements provide constraints on glacier hydraulics. We find that the tremors are generated by subglacial water flow, in moulins, and by icequake bursts. The dominating process can vary on sub-kilometer and sub-daily scales. Consistent with field observations, continuous source tracking via matched-field processing suggests a gradual up-glacier progression of an efficient drainage system as the melt season progresses. The ice-marginal lake likely connects to this drainage system via hydrofracturing, which is indicated by sustained icequake signals emitted from the proximity of the lake basin and starting roughly 24 h prior to the lake drainage. To estimate the hydraulics associated with the drainage, we use tremor–discharge scaling relationships. Our analysis suggests a pressurization of the subglacial environment at the drainage onset, followed by an increase in the hydraulic radii of the conduits and a subsequent decrease in the subglacial water pressure as the capacity of the drainage system increases. The pressurization is in phase with the drop in the lake level, and its retrieved maximum coincides with ice uplift measured via GPS. Our results highlight the use of cryo-seismology for monitoring glacier hydraulics. |
author2 |
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH Zürich) Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO - UC San Diego) University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) University of California (UC)-University of California (UC) Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement (IGE) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ) Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lindner, Fabian Walter, Fabian Laske, Gabi Gimbert, Florent |
author_facet |
Lindner, Fabian Walter, Fabian Laske, Gabi Gimbert, Florent |
author_sort |
Lindner, Fabian |
title |
Glaciohydraulic seismic tremors on an Alpine glacier |
title_short |
Glaciohydraulic seismic tremors on an Alpine glacier |
title_full |
Glaciohydraulic seismic tremors on an Alpine glacier |
title_fullStr |
Glaciohydraulic seismic tremors on an Alpine glacier |
title_full_unstemmed |
Glaciohydraulic seismic tremors on an Alpine glacier |
title_sort |
glaciohydraulic seismic tremors on an alpine glacier |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-03107593 https://hal.science/hal-03107593/document https://hal.science/hal-03107593/file/Lindner2020.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-287-2020 |
genre |
The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
The Cryosphere |
op_source |
ISSN: 1994-0424 EISSN: 1994-0416 The Cryosphere https://hal.science/hal-03107593 The Cryosphere, 2020, 14 (1), pp.287-308. ⟨10.5194/tc-14-287-2020⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.5194/tc-14-287-2020 hal-03107593 https://hal.science/hal-03107593 https://hal.science/hal-03107593/document https://hal.science/hal-03107593/file/Lindner2020.pdf doi:10.5194/tc-14-287-2020 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-287-2020 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
1 |
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287 |
op_container_end_page |
308 |
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