Tracing glacial meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet to the ocean using gliders
The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is experiencing significant mass loss and freshwater discharge at glacier fronts. The freshwater input from Greenland will impact the physical properties of adjacent coastal seas, including important regions of deep water formation and contribute to global sea level ri...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
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Language: | English |
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Online Access: | https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/50/368150.pdf |
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ftnioz:oai:imis.nioz.nl:344539 2023-05-15T16:21:15+02:00 Tracing glacial meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet to the ocean using gliders Hendry, K.R. Briggs, N. Henson, S. Opher, J. Brearley, J.A. Meredith, M.P. Leng, M.J. Meire, L. 2021 application/pdf https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/50/368150.pdf en eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/000690758000028 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/doi.org/10.1029/2021jc017274 https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/50/368150.pdf info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess %3Ci%3EJGR%3A+Oceans+126%288%29%3C%2Fi%3E%3A+e2021JC017274.+%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1029%2F2021jc017274%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3Ehttps%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1029%2F2021jc017274%3C%2Fa%3E info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2021 ftnioz https://doi.org/10.1029/2021jc017274 2023-02-22T23:20:20Z The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is experiencing significant mass loss and freshwater discharge at glacier fronts. The freshwater input from Greenland will impact the physical properties of adjacent coastal seas, including important regions of deep water formation and contribute to global sea level rise. However, the biogeochemical impact of increasing freshwater discharge from the GrIS is less well constrained. Here, we demonstrate the use of bio-optical sensors on ocean gliders to track biogeochemical properties of meltwaters off southwest Greenland. Our results reveal that fresh, coastal waters, with an oxygen isotopic composition characteristic of glacial meltwater, are distinguished by a high optical backscatter and high levels of fluorescing dissolved organic matter (FDOM), representative of the overall colored dissolved organic matter pool. Reconstructions of geostrophic velocities are used to show that these particle and FDOM-enriched coastal waters cross the strong boundary currents into the Labrador Sea. Meltwater input into the Labrador Sea is likely driven by mesoscale processes, such as eddy formation and local bathymetric steering, in addition to wind-driven Ekman transport. Ocean gliders housing bio-optical sensors can provide the high-resolution observations of both dissolved and particulate glacially derived material that are needed to understand meltwater dispersal mechanisms and their sensitivity to future climatic change. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Labrador Sea NIOZ Repository (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) Greenland Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 126 8 |
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Open Polar |
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NIOZ Repository (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) |
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ftnioz |
language |
English |
description |
The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is experiencing significant mass loss and freshwater discharge at glacier fronts. The freshwater input from Greenland will impact the physical properties of adjacent coastal seas, including important regions of deep water formation and contribute to global sea level rise. However, the biogeochemical impact of increasing freshwater discharge from the GrIS is less well constrained. Here, we demonstrate the use of bio-optical sensors on ocean gliders to track biogeochemical properties of meltwaters off southwest Greenland. Our results reveal that fresh, coastal waters, with an oxygen isotopic composition characteristic of glacial meltwater, are distinguished by a high optical backscatter and high levels of fluorescing dissolved organic matter (FDOM), representative of the overall colored dissolved organic matter pool. Reconstructions of geostrophic velocities are used to show that these particle and FDOM-enriched coastal waters cross the strong boundary currents into the Labrador Sea. Meltwater input into the Labrador Sea is likely driven by mesoscale processes, such as eddy formation and local bathymetric steering, in addition to wind-driven Ekman transport. Ocean gliders housing bio-optical sensors can provide the high-resolution observations of both dissolved and particulate glacially derived material that are needed to understand meltwater dispersal mechanisms and their sensitivity to future climatic change. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hendry, K.R. Briggs, N. Henson, S. Opher, J. Brearley, J.A. Meredith, M.P. Leng, M.J. Meire, L. |
spellingShingle |
Hendry, K.R. Briggs, N. Henson, S. Opher, J. Brearley, J.A. Meredith, M.P. Leng, M.J. Meire, L. Tracing glacial meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet to the ocean using gliders |
author_facet |
Hendry, K.R. Briggs, N. Henson, S. Opher, J. Brearley, J.A. Meredith, M.P. Leng, M.J. Meire, L. |
author_sort |
Hendry, K.R. |
title |
Tracing glacial meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet to the ocean using gliders |
title_short |
Tracing glacial meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet to the ocean using gliders |
title_full |
Tracing glacial meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet to the ocean using gliders |
title_fullStr |
Tracing glacial meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet to the ocean using gliders |
title_full_unstemmed |
Tracing glacial meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet to the ocean using gliders |
title_sort |
tracing glacial meltwater from the greenland ice sheet to the ocean using gliders |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/50/368150.pdf |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Labrador Sea |
genre_facet |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Labrador Sea |
op_source |
%3Ci%3EJGR%3A+Oceans+126%288%29%3C%2Fi%3E%3A+e2021JC017274.+%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1029%2F2021jc017274%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3Ehttps%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1029%2F2021jc017274%3C%2Fa%3E |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/000690758000028 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/doi.org/10.1029/2021jc017274 https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/50/368150.pdf |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021jc017274 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
container_volume |
126 |
container_issue |
8 |
_version_ |
1766009265459298304 |