Iceberg properties and distributions in three Greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery
Icebergs calved from tidewater glaciers represent about one third to one half of the freshwater flux from the Greenland ice sheet to the surrounding ocean. Using multiple satellite datasets, we quantify the first fjord-wide distributions of iceberg sizes and characteristics for three fjords with dis...
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2018
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1808/27326 https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2017.5 |
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ftunivkansas:oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/27326 2023-05-15T13:29:37+02:00 Iceberg properties and distributions in three Greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery Sulak, Daniel J. Sutherland, David A. Enderlin, Ellyn M. Stearns, Leigh A. 2018-11-13T20:49:40Z http://hdl.handle.net/1808/27326 https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2017.5 unknown Cambridge University Press Sulak, D., Sutherland, D., Enderlin, E., Stearns, L., & Hamilton, G. (2017). Iceberg properties and distributions in three Greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery. Annals of Glaciology, 58(74), 92-106. doi:10.1017/aog.2017.5 http://hdl.handle.net/1808/27326 doi:10.1017/aog.2017.5 © The Author(s) 2017. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license, which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ openAccess CC-BY Glaciers Icebergs Meltwater Remote-sensing Article 2018 ftunivkansas https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2017.5 2022-08-26T13:23:49Z Icebergs calved from tidewater glaciers represent about one third to one half of the freshwater flux from the Greenland ice sheet to the surrounding ocean. Using multiple satellite datasets, we quantify the first fjord-wide distributions of iceberg sizes and characteristics for three fjords with distinct hydrography and geometry: Sermilik Fjord, Rink Isbræ Fjord and Kangerlussuup Sermia Fjord. We estimate average total iceberg volumes in summer in the three fjords to be 6.4 ± 1.5, 1.7 ± 0.40 and 0.16 ± 0.09 km3, respectively. Iceberg properties are influenced by glacier calving style and grounding line depth, with variations in size distribution represented by exponents of power law distributions that are −1.95 ± 0.06, −1.87 ± 0.05 and −1.62 ± 0.04, respectively. The underwater surface area of icebergs exceeds the subsurface area of glacial termini by at least one order of magnitude in all three fjords, underscoring the need to include iceberg melt in fjord freshwater budgets. Indeed, in Sermilik Fjord, we calculate summertime freshwater flux from iceberg melt of 620 m3 s−1 (±140 m3 s−1), similar in magnitude to subglacial discharge. The method developed here can be extended across Greenland to assess relationships between glacier calving, iceberg discharge and freshwater production. NNX12AP50G 552232 Article in Journal/Newspaper Annals of Glaciology glacier Greenland greenlandic Ice Sheet Sermilik Tidewater The University of Kansas: KU ScholarWorks Greenland Rink Isbræ ENVELOPE(-51.333,-51.333,71.800,71.800) Annals of Glaciology 58 74 92 106 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The University of Kansas: KU ScholarWorks |
op_collection_id |
ftunivkansas |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Glaciers Icebergs Meltwater Remote-sensing |
spellingShingle |
Glaciers Icebergs Meltwater Remote-sensing Sulak, Daniel J. Sutherland, David A. Enderlin, Ellyn M. Stearns, Leigh A. Iceberg properties and distributions in three Greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery |
topic_facet |
Glaciers Icebergs Meltwater Remote-sensing |
description |
Icebergs calved from tidewater glaciers represent about one third to one half of the freshwater flux from the Greenland ice sheet to the surrounding ocean. Using multiple satellite datasets, we quantify the first fjord-wide distributions of iceberg sizes and characteristics for three fjords with distinct hydrography and geometry: Sermilik Fjord, Rink Isbræ Fjord and Kangerlussuup Sermia Fjord. We estimate average total iceberg volumes in summer in the three fjords to be 6.4 ± 1.5, 1.7 ± 0.40 and 0.16 ± 0.09 km3, respectively. Iceberg properties are influenced by glacier calving style and grounding line depth, with variations in size distribution represented by exponents of power law distributions that are −1.95 ± 0.06, −1.87 ± 0.05 and −1.62 ± 0.04, respectively. The underwater surface area of icebergs exceeds the subsurface area of glacial termini by at least one order of magnitude in all three fjords, underscoring the need to include iceberg melt in fjord freshwater budgets. Indeed, in Sermilik Fjord, we calculate summertime freshwater flux from iceberg melt of 620 m3 s−1 (±140 m3 s−1), similar in magnitude to subglacial discharge. The method developed here can be extended across Greenland to assess relationships between glacier calving, iceberg discharge and freshwater production. NNX12AP50G 552232 |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sulak, Daniel J. Sutherland, David A. Enderlin, Ellyn M. Stearns, Leigh A. |
author_facet |
Sulak, Daniel J. Sutherland, David A. Enderlin, Ellyn M. Stearns, Leigh A. |
author_sort |
Sulak, Daniel J. |
title |
Iceberg properties and distributions in three Greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery |
title_short |
Iceberg properties and distributions in three Greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery |
title_full |
Iceberg properties and distributions in three Greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery |
title_fullStr |
Iceberg properties and distributions in three Greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery |
title_full_unstemmed |
Iceberg properties and distributions in three Greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery |
title_sort |
iceberg properties and distributions in three greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1808/27326 https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2017.5 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-51.333,-51.333,71.800,71.800) |
geographic |
Greenland Rink Isbræ |
geographic_facet |
Greenland Rink Isbræ |
genre |
Annals of Glaciology glacier Greenland greenlandic Ice Sheet Sermilik Tidewater |
genre_facet |
Annals of Glaciology glacier Greenland greenlandic Ice Sheet Sermilik Tidewater |
op_relation |
Sulak, D., Sutherland, D., Enderlin, E., Stearns, L., & Hamilton, G. (2017). Iceberg properties and distributions in three Greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery. Annals of Glaciology, 58(74), 92-106. doi:10.1017/aog.2017.5 http://hdl.handle.net/1808/27326 doi:10.1017/aog.2017.5 |
op_rights |
© The Author(s) 2017. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license, which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ openAccess |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2017.5 |
container_title |
Annals of Glaciology |
container_volume |
58 |
container_issue |
74 |
container_start_page |
92 |
op_container_end_page |
106 |
_version_ |
1766001493110947840 |