Modelling the impact of submarine frontal melting and ice mélange on glacier dynamics
Submarine melting of the calving face of tidewater glaciers and the mechanical back force applied by the ice mélange layer are two mechanisms generally proposed to explain seasonal variations at the calving front of tidewater glaciers. However, the way these processes affect the calving rate and gla...
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:1b55411ef3fa4f9e9ea335c578111e37 2023-05-15T18:32:21+02:00 Modelling the impact of submarine frontal melting and ice mélange on glacier dynamics J. Krug G. Durand O. Gagliardini J. Weiss 2015-05-01 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-989-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/989/2015/tc-9-989-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/1b55411ef3fa4f9e9ea335c578111e37 en eng Copernicus Publications 1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-9-989-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/989/2015/tc-9-989-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/1b55411ef3fa4f9e9ea335c578111e37 undefined The Cryosphere, Vol 9, Iss 3, Pp 989-1003 (2015) geo envir Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2015 fttriple https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-989-2015 2023-01-22T19:07:25Z Submarine melting of the calving face of tidewater glaciers and the mechanical back force applied by the ice mélange layer are two mechanisms generally proposed to explain seasonal variations at the calving front of tidewater glaciers. However, the way these processes affect the calving rate and glacier dynamics remains uncertain. In this study, we used a finite element-based model that solves the full Stokes equations to simulate the impact of these forcings on two-dimensional theoretical flow line glacier configurations. The model, which includes calving processes, suggests that frontal melting affects the position of the terminus only slightly (less than a few hundred metres) and does not affect the multiannual glacier mass balance at all. However, the ice mélange has a greater impact on the advance and retreat cycles of the glacier front (more than several kilometres) and its consequences for the mass balance are not completely negligible, stressing the need for better characterization of forcing properties. We also show that ice mélange forcing against the calving face can mechanically prevent crevasse propagation at sea level and hence prevent calving. Results also reveal different behaviours in grounded and floating glaciers: in the case of a floating extension, the strongest forcings can disrupt the glacier equilibrium by modifying its buttressing and ice flux at the grounding line. Article in Journal/Newspaper The Cryosphere Tidewater Unknown Line Glacier ENVELOPE(167.833,167.833,-72.983,-72.983) The Cryosphere 9 3 989 1003 |
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English |
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geo envir |
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geo envir J. Krug G. Durand O. Gagliardini J. Weiss Modelling the impact of submarine frontal melting and ice mélange on glacier dynamics |
topic_facet |
geo envir |
description |
Submarine melting of the calving face of tidewater glaciers and the mechanical back force applied by the ice mélange layer are two mechanisms generally proposed to explain seasonal variations at the calving front of tidewater glaciers. However, the way these processes affect the calving rate and glacier dynamics remains uncertain. In this study, we used a finite element-based model that solves the full Stokes equations to simulate the impact of these forcings on two-dimensional theoretical flow line glacier configurations. The model, which includes calving processes, suggests that frontal melting affects the position of the terminus only slightly (less than a few hundred metres) and does not affect the multiannual glacier mass balance at all. However, the ice mélange has a greater impact on the advance and retreat cycles of the glacier front (more than several kilometres) and its consequences for the mass balance are not completely negligible, stressing the need for better characterization of forcing properties. We also show that ice mélange forcing against the calving face can mechanically prevent crevasse propagation at sea level and hence prevent calving. Results also reveal different behaviours in grounded and floating glaciers: in the case of a floating extension, the strongest forcings can disrupt the glacier equilibrium by modifying its buttressing and ice flux at the grounding line. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
J. Krug G. Durand O. Gagliardini J. Weiss |
author_facet |
J. Krug G. Durand O. Gagliardini J. Weiss |
author_sort |
J. Krug |
title |
Modelling the impact of submarine frontal melting and ice mélange on glacier dynamics |
title_short |
Modelling the impact of submarine frontal melting and ice mélange on glacier dynamics |
title_full |
Modelling the impact of submarine frontal melting and ice mélange on glacier dynamics |
title_fullStr |
Modelling the impact of submarine frontal melting and ice mélange on glacier dynamics |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modelling the impact of submarine frontal melting and ice mélange on glacier dynamics |
title_sort |
modelling the impact of submarine frontal melting and ice mélange on glacier dynamics |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-989-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/989/2015/tc-9-989-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/1b55411ef3fa4f9e9ea335c578111e37 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(167.833,167.833,-72.983,-72.983) |
geographic |
Line Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Line Glacier |
genre |
The Cryosphere Tidewater |
genre_facet |
The Cryosphere Tidewater |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 9, Iss 3, Pp 989-1003 (2015) |
op_relation |
1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-9-989-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/989/2015/tc-9-989-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/1b55411ef3fa4f9e9ea335c578111e37 |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-989-2015 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
989 |
op_container_end_page |
1003 |
_version_ |
1766216459794513920 |