Suspended sediment transport in glacial meltwater during the initial quiescent phase after a major surge event at Kuannersuit Glacier, Greenland

• Published in: Geografisk Tidsskrift-Danish Journal of Geography
• Main Authors: Knudsen, Niels Tvis, Yde, Jacob Clement, Gasser, Gry
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: Glacier surge; Greenland; Quiescent phase; Suspended sediment transport; Arctic; glacier; Ice cap
• Online Access: https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/suspended-sediment-transport-in-glacial-meltwater-during-the-initial-quiescent-phase-after-a-major-surge-event-at-kuannersuit-glacier-greenland(94cb5d97-e166-4c0b-aa04-b7d2559cc7b7).html; https://doi.org/10.1080/00167223.2007.10801370; http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34548299847&partnerID=8YFLogxK

This paper describes a rough estimate of the suspended sediment transport in the bulk meltwater evacuated from Kuannersuit Glacier during the summers of 2000 and 2001. In 1995-98, an 11 km terrestrial surge of Kuannersuit Glacier, an outlet glacier of the largest ice cap on Disko Island, West Greenland, affected the catchment dramatically. The results show that in 2000, the daily sediment discharge was about 32,500 t day -1 , corresponding to a specific sediment load of 19,000 t km -2 year -1 . In 2001 the diurnal suspended sediment load was about 26,000 t day -1 , corresponding to a specific sediment load of 15,000 t km -2 year -1 . There was only a poor relation between meltwater discharge and suspended sediment transport, indicating that the drainage system was highly unstable. In 2001 the discharge and the sediment transport on several occasions was affected by collapse within the glacial drainage system and at the glacier margin. Assuming that suspended sediment transport and bedload is equal, the effective mechanical erosion is about 15 mm year -1 . Compared to the sediment transport from other parts of Greenland and High Arctic regions the transport during the surge event and in the early quiescent phase is significantly higher. This indicates the importance of glacier surge in initiating sediment transport pulses in cold regions.