Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The retention of meltwater in the accumulation area of the Greenland ice sheet and other Arctic ice masses buffers their contribution to sea level change. However, sustained warming also results in impermeable ice layers or ‘ice slabs’ that...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2020
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Online Access: | http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3061289/ https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.80 http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3061289/1/2019_ashmore_jglac.pdf |
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ftunivliverpool:oai:livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk:3061289 2023-05-15T15:07:28+02:00 Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada Ashmore, David W Mair, Doug WF Burgess, David O 2020 text http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3061289/ https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.80 http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3061289/1/2019_ashmore_jglac.pdf en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3061289/1/2019_ashmore_jglac.pdf Ashmore, David W orcid:0000-0003-4829-7854 , Mair, Doug WF orcid:0000-0001-7009-5461 and Burgess, David O (2020) Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada. JOURNAL OF GLACIOLOGY, 66 (255). pp. 61-73. Article NonPeerReviewed 2020 ftunivliverpool https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.80 2023-01-19T23:47:02Z <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The retention of meltwater in the accumulation area of the Greenland ice sheet and other Arctic ice masses buffers their contribution to sea level change. However, sustained warming also results in impermeable ice layers or ‘ice slabs’ that seal the underlying pore space. Here, we use a 1-D, physically based, high-resolution model to simulate the surface mass balance (SMB), percolation, refreezing, ice layer formation and runoff from across the high-elevation area of Devon Ice Cap, Canada, from 2001 to 2016. We vary the thickness of the ‘impermeable’ ice layer at which underlying firn becomes inaccessible to meltwater. Thick near-surface ice layers are established by an initial deep percolation, the formation of decimetre ice layers and the infilling of interleaving pore space. The cumulative SMB increases by 48% by varying impermeable layer thickness between 0.01 and 5 m. Within this range we identify narrower range (0.25–1 m) that can simulate both the temporal variability in SMB and the observed near-surface density structure. Across this range, cumulative SMB variation is limited to 6% and 45–49% of mass retention takes place within the annually replenished snowpack. Our results indicate cooler summers after intense mid-2000s warming have led to a partial replenishment of pore space.</jats:p> Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Greenland Ice cap Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology The University of Liverpool Repository Arctic Canada Devon Ice Cap ENVELOPE(-82.499,-82.499,75.335,75.335) Greenland Journal of Glaciology 66 255 61 73 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The University of Liverpool Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivliverpool |
language |
English |
description |
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The retention of meltwater in the accumulation area of the Greenland ice sheet and other Arctic ice masses buffers their contribution to sea level change. However, sustained warming also results in impermeable ice layers or ‘ice slabs’ that seal the underlying pore space. Here, we use a 1-D, physically based, high-resolution model to simulate the surface mass balance (SMB), percolation, refreezing, ice layer formation and runoff from across the high-elevation area of Devon Ice Cap, Canada, from 2001 to 2016. We vary the thickness of the ‘impermeable’ ice layer at which underlying firn becomes inaccessible to meltwater. Thick near-surface ice layers are established by an initial deep percolation, the formation of decimetre ice layers and the infilling of interleaving pore space. The cumulative SMB increases by 48% by varying impermeable layer thickness between 0.01 and 5 m. Within this range we identify narrower range (0.25–1 m) that can simulate both the temporal variability in SMB and the observed near-surface density structure. Across this range, cumulative SMB variation is limited to 6% and 45–49% of mass retention takes place within the annually replenished snowpack. Our results indicate cooler summers after intense mid-2000s warming have led to a partial replenishment of pore space.</jats:p> |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ashmore, David W Mair, Doug WF Burgess, David O |
spellingShingle |
Ashmore, David W Mair, Doug WF Burgess, David O Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada |
author_facet |
Ashmore, David W Mair, Doug WF Burgess, David O |
author_sort |
Ashmore, David W |
title |
Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada |
title_short |
Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada |
title_full |
Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada |
title_fullStr |
Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada |
title_sort |
meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on devon ice cap, canada |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3061289/ https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.80 http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3061289/1/2019_ashmore_jglac.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-82.499,-82.499,75.335,75.335) |
geographic |
Arctic Canada Devon Ice Cap Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada Devon Ice Cap Greenland |
genre |
Arctic Greenland Ice cap Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Arctic Greenland Ice cap Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology |
op_relation |
http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3061289/1/2019_ashmore_jglac.pdf Ashmore, David W orcid:0000-0003-4829-7854 , Mair, Doug WF orcid:0000-0001-7009-5461 and Burgess, David O (2020) Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada. JOURNAL OF GLACIOLOGY, 66 (255). pp. 61-73. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.80 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
66 |
container_issue |
255 |
container_start_page |
61 |
op_container_end_page |
73 |
_version_ |
1766338963006554112 |