Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard
Dynamic glacier activity is increasingly observed through passive seismic monitoring. We analysed near-regional-scale seismicity on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to identify seismic icequake signals and to study their spatial–temporal distribution within the 14-year period from 2000 until 2013....
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Language: | English |
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Norwegian Polar Institute
2015
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v34.26178 https://doaj.org/article/49e7831a706e4907ba3e6320c71c07c1 |
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:49e7831a706e4907ba3e6320c71c07c1 2023-05-15T14:28:55+02:00 Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard Andreas Köhler Christopher Nuth Johannes Schweitzer Christian Weidle Steven J. Gibbons 2015-12-01 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v34.26178 https://doaj.org/article/49e7831a706e4907ba3e6320c71c07c1 en eng Norwegian Polar Institute 1751-8369 doi:10.3402/polar.v34.26178 https://doaj.org/article/49e7831a706e4907ba3e6320c71c07c1 undefined Polar Research, Vol 34, Iss 0, Pp 1-19 (2015) Iceberg calving glacier surge icequake cryo-seismology Svalbard geo envir Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2015 fttriple https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v34.26178 2023-01-22T17:06:23Z Dynamic glacier activity is increasingly observed through passive seismic monitoring. We analysed near-regional-scale seismicity on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to identify seismic icequake signals and to study their spatial–temporal distribution within the 14-year period from 2000 until 2013. This is the first study that uses seismic data recorded on permanent broadband stations to detect and locate icequakes in different regions of Spitsbergen, the main island of the archipelago. A temporary local seismic network and direct observations of glacier calving and surging were used to identify icequake sources. We observed a high number of icequakes with clear spectral peaks between 1 and 8 Hz in different parts of Spitsbergen. Spatial clusters of icequakes could be associated with individual grounded tidewater glaciers and exhibited clear seasonal variability each year with more signals observed during the melt season. Locations at the termini of glaciers, and correlation with visual calving observations in situ at Kronebreen, a glacier in the Kongsfjorden region, show that these icequakes were caused dominantly by calving. Indirect evidence for glacier surging through increased calving seismicity was found in 2003 at Tunabreen, a glacier in central Spitsbergen. Another type of icequake was observed in the area of the Nathorstbreen glacier system. Seismic events occurred upstream of the glacier within a short time period between January and May 2009 during the initial phase of a major glacier surge. This study is the first step towards the generation and implementation of an operational seismic monitoring strategy for glacier dynamics in Svalbard. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Archipelago Arctic glacier Iceberg* Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Polar Research Svalbard Tidewater Spitsbergen Unknown Arctic Kronebreen ENVELOPE(13.333,13.333,78.833,78.833) Main Island ENVELOPE(-38.220,-38.220,-54.007,-54.007) Nathorstbreen ENVELOPE(16.215,16.215,77.437,77.437) Svalbard Tunabreen ENVELOPE(17.387,17.387,78.461,78.461) Polar Research 34 1 26178 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Unknown |
op_collection_id |
fttriple |
language |
English |
topic |
Iceberg calving glacier surge icequake cryo-seismology Svalbard geo envir |
spellingShingle |
Iceberg calving glacier surge icequake cryo-seismology Svalbard geo envir Andreas Köhler Christopher Nuth Johannes Schweitzer Christian Weidle Steven J. Gibbons Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
topic_facet |
Iceberg calving glacier surge icequake cryo-seismology Svalbard geo envir |
description |
Dynamic glacier activity is increasingly observed through passive seismic monitoring. We analysed near-regional-scale seismicity on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to identify seismic icequake signals and to study their spatial–temporal distribution within the 14-year period from 2000 until 2013. This is the first study that uses seismic data recorded on permanent broadband stations to detect and locate icequakes in different regions of Spitsbergen, the main island of the archipelago. A temporary local seismic network and direct observations of glacier calving and surging were used to identify icequake sources. We observed a high number of icequakes with clear spectral peaks between 1 and 8 Hz in different parts of Spitsbergen. Spatial clusters of icequakes could be associated with individual grounded tidewater glaciers and exhibited clear seasonal variability each year with more signals observed during the melt season. Locations at the termini of glaciers, and correlation with visual calving observations in situ at Kronebreen, a glacier in the Kongsfjorden region, show that these icequakes were caused dominantly by calving. Indirect evidence for glacier surging through increased calving seismicity was found in 2003 at Tunabreen, a glacier in central Spitsbergen. Another type of icequake was observed in the area of the Nathorstbreen glacier system. Seismic events occurred upstream of the glacier within a short time period between January and May 2009 during the initial phase of a major glacier surge. This study is the first step towards the generation and implementation of an operational seismic monitoring strategy for glacier dynamics in Svalbard. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Andreas Köhler Christopher Nuth Johannes Schweitzer Christian Weidle Steven J. Gibbons |
author_facet |
Andreas Köhler Christopher Nuth Johannes Schweitzer Christian Weidle Steven J. Gibbons |
author_sort |
Andreas Köhler |
title |
Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
title_short |
Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
title_full |
Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
title_fullStr |
Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
title_full_unstemmed |
Regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
title_sort |
regional passive seismic monitoring reveals dynamic glacier activity on spitsbergen, svalbard |
publisher |
Norwegian Polar Institute |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v34.26178 https://doaj.org/article/49e7831a706e4907ba3e6320c71c07c1 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(13.333,13.333,78.833,78.833) ENVELOPE(-38.220,-38.220,-54.007,-54.007) ENVELOPE(16.215,16.215,77.437,77.437) ENVELOPE(17.387,17.387,78.461,78.461) |
geographic |
Arctic Kronebreen Main Island Nathorstbreen Svalbard Tunabreen |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Kronebreen Main Island Nathorstbreen Svalbard Tunabreen |
genre |
Arctic Archipelago Arctic glacier Iceberg* Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Polar Research Svalbard Tidewater Spitsbergen |
genre_facet |
Arctic Archipelago Arctic glacier Iceberg* Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Polar Research Svalbard Tidewater Spitsbergen |
op_source |
Polar Research, Vol 34, Iss 0, Pp 1-19 (2015) |
op_relation |
1751-8369 doi:10.3402/polar.v34.26178 https://doaj.org/article/49e7831a706e4907ba3e6320c71c07c1 |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v34.26178 |
container_title |
Polar Research |
container_volume |
34 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
26178 |
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1766303046504022016 |