A conceptual model of supra-glacial lake formation on debris-covered glaciers based on GPR facies analysis

• Published in: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
• Main Authors: Mertes, Jordan R., Thompson, Sarah S., Booth, Adam D., Gulley, Jason D., Benn, Douglas I.
• Other Authors: University of St Andrews. Geography & Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews. Bell-Edwards Geographic Data Institute
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Debris-covered glaciers; Facies analysis; Ground penetrating radar; Supra-glacial lakes; GE Environmental Sciences; Geography; Planning and Development; Earth-Surface Processes; Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous); NDAS; GE; Glacial Lake; Svalbard; glacier; UNIS; University Centre in Svalbard
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/12193; https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4068

Jordan R. Mertes acknowledges funding from Michigan Technological University and The Michigan Technological University 2016 Fall Finishing Fellowship. Sarah S. Thompson acknowledges funding from the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) and the European Commission FP7-MC-IEF. Supra-glacial lakes and ponds can create hotspots of mass loss on debris-covered glaciers. While much research has been directed at understanding lateral lake expansion, little is known about the rates or processes governing lake deepening. To a large degree, this knowledge gap persists due to sparse observations of lake beds. Here we report on the novel use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys to simultaneously collect supra-glacial lake bathymetry and bottom composition data from Spillway Lake (surface area of 2.4 × 105m2; volume of 9.5 × 104m3), which is located in the terminus region of the Ngozumpa Glacier in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalaya. We identified two GPR bottom signals corresponding to two sedimentary facies of (1) sub-horizontal layered fine sediment drape and (2) coarse blocky diamict. We provide an understanding of the changes in subaqueous debris distribution that occur through stages of lake expansion by combining the GPR results with in situ observations of shoreline deposits matching the interpreted facies. From this, we present an updated conceptual model of supra-glacial lake evolution, with the addition of data on the evolving debris environment, showing how dominant depositional processes can change as lakes evolve from perched lakes to multi-basin base-level lakes and finally onto large moraine-dammed lakes. Throughout lake evolution, processes such as shoreline steepening, lakebed collapse into voids and conduit interception, subaerial and subaqueous calving and rapid areal expansion alter the spatial distribution and makeup of lakebed debris and sediments forcing a number of positive and negative feedbacks on lake expansion. Postprint Peer reviewed