Volume and velocity changes at Mittivakkat Gletscher, southeast Greenland

We document changes for Mittivakkat Gletscher, the peripheral glacier in Greenland with the longest field-based observed mass-balance and surface velocity time series. Between 1986 and 2011, this glacier changed by -15 in mean ice thickness and -30 in volume. We attribute these changes to summer war...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: S. H. Mernild, N. T. Knudsen, M. J. Hoffman, J. C. Yde, Edward Hanna, W. H. Lipscomb, J. K. Malmros, R. S. Fausto
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: 2013
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Online Access:https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Volume_and_velocity_changes_at_Mittivakkat_Gletscher_southeast_Greenland/24361759
Description
Summary:We document changes for Mittivakkat Gletscher, the peripheral glacier in Greenland with the longest field-based observed mass-balance and surface velocity time series. Between 1986 and 2011, this glacier changed by -15 in mean ice thickness and -30 in volume. We attribute these changes to summer warming and lower winter snow accumulation. Vertical strain compensated for â?¼60 of the elevation change due to surface mass balance (SMB) in the lower part, and â?¼25 in the upper part. The annual mean ice surface velocity changed by -30, which can be fully explained by the dynamic effect of ice thinning, within uncertainty. Mittivakkat Gletscher summer surface velocities were on average 50-60 above winter background values, and up to 160 higher during peak velocity events. Peak velocity events were accompanied by uplift of a few centimeters.