Meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system: Virkisjökull, SE Iceland
The aim of this study is to characterise the glacial and pro-glacial hydrology of a rapidly de-glaciating system at Virkísjökull in SE Iceland, and to determine the water velocities through the glacier and pro-glacial area. This was achieved using dye tracer tests, river discharge measurements and s...
Published in: | Hydrology Research |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2017
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Online Access: | http://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/portal/en/research/meltwater-flow-through-a-rapidly-deglaciating-glacier-and-foreland-catchment-system(bd42d843-114d-474e-bc74-9d3ecf940215).html https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2017.205 http://hdl.handle.net/10588/bd42d843-114d-474e-bc74-9d3ecf940215 http://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/ws/files/10784880/HYDROLOGY_S_15_00367_2.pdf |
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ftunivdundeepure:oai:discovery.dundee.ac.uk:publications/bd42d843-114d-474e-bc74-9d3ecf940215 2023-05-15T16:21:39+02:00 Meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system: Virkisjökull, SE Iceland Flett, Verity Maurice, Louise Finlayson, Andrew Black, Andrew MacDonald, Alan Everest, Jez Kirkbride, Martin 2017-02-17 application/pdf http://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/portal/en/research/meltwater-flow-through-a-rapidly-deglaciating-glacier-and-foreland-catchment-system(bd42d843-114d-474e-bc74-9d3ecf940215).html https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2017.205 http://hdl.handle.net/10588/bd42d843-114d-474e-bc74-9d3ecf940215 http://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/ws/files/10784880/HYDROLOGY_S_15_00367_2.pdf eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Flett , V , Maurice , L , Finlayson , A , Black , A , MacDonald , A , Everest , J & Kirkbride , M 2017 , ' Meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system : Virkisjökull, SE Iceland ' Hydrology Research . DOI:10.2166/nh.2017.205 article 2017 ftunivdundeepure https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2017.205 2017-09-28T19:39:48Z The aim of this study is to characterise the glacial and pro-glacial hydrology of a rapidly de-glaciating system at Virkísjökull in SE Iceland, and to determine the water velocities through the glacier and pro-glacial area. This was achieved using dye tracer tests, river discharge measurements and studies of conduits within the foreland and lower glacial ablation zone using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). Tracer testing through the glacier via a moulin demonstrated rapid flow of 0.58 m s-1 which is comparable to the flow velocities within the pro-glacial river. A subsequent test at the end of the winter season demonstrated slower but still rapid flow of 0.02 m s-1. A tracer test through the proglacial foreland shows that the large proglacial lake does not substantially attenuate flow, with velocities of 0.03 m s-1. GPR profiles suggest the presence of a buried conduit system enabling the rapid transit of water through this area. The pro-glacial foreland contains buried ice which represents the remains of the retreating glacier; therefore this conduit system may be the remains of an en- and sub-glacial conduit flow-path. Buried conduits may be common in other de-glaciating ice cored forelands, and this study reveals that these may by-pass large proglacial lakes, which has implications for understanding hydrological response times in glacial catchments. The pro-glacial river is highly responsive to melt as a result of the fully developed conduits in both the sub-glacial and pro-glacial areas. Flow in the river is perennial, suggesting that the conduit systems in the glacier and buried ice remain open and active all year, and that glacial melting occurs in winter as well as in summer, enhancing the rapid deglaciation. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Iceland Discovery - University of Dundee Online Publications Hydrology Research 48 6 1666 1681 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Discovery - University of Dundee Online Publications |
op_collection_id |
ftunivdundeepure |
language |
English |
description |
The aim of this study is to characterise the glacial and pro-glacial hydrology of a rapidly de-glaciating system at Virkísjökull in SE Iceland, and to determine the water velocities through the glacier and pro-glacial area. This was achieved using dye tracer tests, river discharge measurements and studies of conduits within the foreland and lower glacial ablation zone using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). Tracer testing through the glacier via a moulin demonstrated rapid flow of 0.58 m s-1 which is comparable to the flow velocities within the pro-glacial river. A subsequent test at the end of the winter season demonstrated slower but still rapid flow of 0.02 m s-1. A tracer test through the proglacial foreland shows that the large proglacial lake does not substantially attenuate flow, with velocities of 0.03 m s-1. GPR profiles suggest the presence of a buried conduit system enabling the rapid transit of water through this area. The pro-glacial foreland contains buried ice which represents the remains of the retreating glacier; therefore this conduit system may be the remains of an en- and sub-glacial conduit flow-path. Buried conduits may be common in other de-glaciating ice cored forelands, and this study reveals that these may by-pass large proglacial lakes, which has implications for understanding hydrological response times in glacial catchments. The pro-glacial river is highly responsive to melt as a result of the fully developed conduits in both the sub-glacial and pro-glacial areas. Flow in the river is perennial, suggesting that the conduit systems in the glacier and buried ice remain open and active all year, and that glacial melting occurs in winter as well as in summer, enhancing the rapid deglaciation. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Flett, Verity Maurice, Louise Finlayson, Andrew Black, Andrew MacDonald, Alan Everest, Jez Kirkbride, Martin |
spellingShingle |
Flett, Verity Maurice, Louise Finlayson, Andrew Black, Andrew MacDonald, Alan Everest, Jez Kirkbride, Martin Meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system: Virkisjökull, SE Iceland |
author_facet |
Flett, Verity Maurice, Louise Finlayson, Andrew Black, Andrew MacDonald, Alan Everest, Jez Kirkbride, Martin |
author_sort |
Flett, Verity |
title |
Meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system: Virkisjökull, SE Iceland |
title_short |
Meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system: Virkisjökull, SE Iceland |
title_full |
Meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system: Virkisjökull, SE Iceland |
title_fullStr |
Meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system: Virkisjökull, SE Iceland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system: Virkisjökull, SE Iceland |
title_sort |
meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system: virkisjökull, se iceland |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/portal/en/research/meltwater-flow-through-a-rapidly-deglaciating-glacier-and-foreland-catchment-system(bd42d843-114d-474e-bc74-9d3ecf940215).html https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2017.205 http://hdl.handle.net/10588/bd42d843-114d-474e-bc74-9d3ecf940215 http://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/ws/files/10784880/HYDROLOGY_S_15_00367_2.pdf |
genre |
glacier Iceland |
genre_facet |
glacier Iceland |
op_source |
Flett , V , Maurice , L , Finlayson , A , Black , A , MacDonald , A , Everest , J & Kirkbride , M 2017 , ' Meltwater flow through a rapidly deglaciating glacier and foreland catchment system : Virkisjökull, SE Iceland ' Hydrology Research . DOI:10.2166/nh.2017.205 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2017.205 |
container_title |
Hydrology Research |
container_volume |
48 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
1666 |
op_container_end_page |
1681 |
_version_ |
1766009653755379712 |