Modelled frontal ablation and velocities at Kronebreen, Svalbard, are sensitive to the choice of submarine melt rate scenario

Both submarine melt and calving are important for the overall mass balance of marine-terminating glaciers, but uncertainty is rife with regards to the magnitude of the processes. Modelling allows for these processes to be investigated without the need to visit inaccessible ice marginal zones. This s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Glaciology
Main Authors: Holmes, Felicity Alice, van Dongen, Eef, Kirchner, Nina
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för naturgeografi 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-224437
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.94
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Summary:Both submarine melt and calving are important for the overall mass balance of marine-terminating glaciers, but uncertainty is rife with regards to the magnitude of the processes. Modelling allows for these processes to be investigated without the need to visit inaccessible ice marginal zones. This study looks at the impact of different submarine melt and sea-ice back pressure scenarios on modelled calving activity and dynamics at Kronebreen, Svalbard, by running separate summer and winter simulations with various submarine melt parameterisations and sea-ice characteristics. It is found that submarine melt is an important driver of seasonal variation in modelled glacier dynamics and calving activity, with the choice of sliding law also exerting a significant influence on results.