Calving event size measurements and statistics of Eqip Sermia, Greenland, from terrestrial radar interferometry
Calving is a crucial process for the recently observed dynamic mass loss changes of the Greenland ice sheet. Despite its importance for global sea level change, major limitations in understanding the process of calving remain. This study presents high-resolution calving event data and statistics rec...
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ftunivzuerich:oai:www.zora.uzh.ch:186843 2024-10-13T14:07:27+00:00 Calving event size measurements and statistics of Eqip Sermia, Greenland, from terrestrial radar interferometry Walter, Andrea Lüthi, Martin P Vieli, Andreas 2020-03-20 application/pdf https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/186843/ https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/186843/1/2020_Walter%26al2020.pdf eng eng Copernicus Publications https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/186843/1/2020_Walter%26al2020.pdf doi:10.5167/uzh-186843 doi:10.5194/tc-14-1051-2020 urn:issn:1994-0416 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Walter, Andrea; Lüthi, Martin P; Vieli, Andreas (2020). Calving event size measurements and statistics of Eqip Sermia, Greenland, from terrestrial radar interferometry. The Cryosphere, 14(3):1051-1066. Institute of Geography 910 Geography & travel Earth-Surface Processes Water Science and Technology Journal Article PeerReviewed info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2020 ftunivzuerich https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-18684310.5194/tc-14-1051-2020 2024-09-25T00:59:11Z Calving is a crucial process for the recently observed dynamic mass loss changes of the Greenland ice sheet. Despite its importance for global sea level change, major limitations in understanding the process of calving remain. This study presents high-resolution calving event data and statistics recorded with a terrestrial radar interferometer at the front of Eqip Sermia, a marine-terminating outlet glacier in Greenland. The derived digital elevation models with a spatial resolution of several metres recorded at 1 min intervals were processed to provide source areas and volumes of 906 individual calving events during a 6 d period. The calving front can be divided into sectors ending in shallow and deep water with different calving statistics and styles. For the shallow sector, characterized by an inclined and very high front, calving events are more frequent and larger than for the vertical ice cliff of the deep sector. We suggest that the calving volume deficiency of 90 % relative to the estimated ice flux in our observations of the deep sector is removed by oceanic melt, subaquatic calving, and small aerial calving events. Assuming a similar ice thickness for both sectors implies that subaqueous mass loss must be substantial for this sector with a contribution of up to 65 % to the frontal mass loss. The size distribution of the shallow sector is represented by a log-normal model, while for the deep sector the log-normal and power-law model fit well, but none of them are significantly better. Variations in calving activity and style between the sectors seem to be controlled by the bed topography and the front geometry. Within the short observation period no simple relationship between environmental forcings and calving frequency or event volume could be detected. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere University of Zurich (UZH): ZORA (Zurich Open Repository and Archive Eqip Sermia ENVELOPE(-50.067,-50.067,69.817,69.817) Greenland |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Zurich (UZH): ZORA (Zurich Open Repository and Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftunivzuerich |
language |
English |
topic |
Institute of Geography 910 Geography & travel Earth-Surface Processes Water Science and Technology |
spellingShingle |
Institute of Geography 910 Geography & travel Earth-Surface Processes Water Science and Technology Walter, Andrea Lüthi, Martin P Vieli, Andreas Calving event size measurements and statistics of Eqip Sermia, Greenland, from terrestrial radar interferometry |
topic_facet |
Institute of Geography 910 Geography & travel Earth-Surface Processes Water Science and Technology |
description |
Calving is a crucial process for the recently observed dynamic mass loss changes of the Greenland ice sheet. Despite its importance for global sea level change, major limitations in understanding the process of calving remain. This study presents high-resolution calving event data and statistics recorded with a terrestrial radar interferometer at the front of Eqip Sermia, a marine-terminating outlet glacier in Greenland. The derived digital elevation models with a spatial resolution of several metres recorded at 1 min intervals were processed to provide source areas and volumes of 906 individual calving events during a 6 d period. The calving front can be divided into sectors ending in shallow and deep water with different calving statistics and styles. For the shallow sector, characterized by an inclined and very high front, calving events are more frequent and larger than for the vertical ice cliff of the deep sector. We suggest that the calving volume deficiency of 90 % relative to the estimated ice flux in our observations of the deep sector is removed by oceanic melt, subaquatic calving, and small aerial calving events. Assuming a similar ice thickness for both sectors implies that subaqueous mass loss must be substantial for this sector with a contribution of up to 65 % to the frontal mass loss. The size distribution of the shallow sector is represented by a log-normal model, while for the deep sector the log-normal and power-law model fit well, but none of them are significantly better. Variations in calving activity and style between the sectors seem to be controlled by the bed topography and the front geometry. Within the short observation period no simple relationship between environmental forcings and calving frequency or event volume could be detected. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Walter, Andrea Lüthi, Martin P Vieli, Andreas |
author_facet |
Walter, Andrea Lüthi, Martin P Vieli, Andreas |
author_sort |
Walter, Andrea |
title |
Calving event size measurements and statistics of Eqip Sermia, Greenland, from terrestrial radar interferometry |
title_short |
Calving event size measurements and statistics of Eqip Sermia, Greenland, from terrestrial radar interferometry |
title_full |
Calving event size measurements and statistics of Eqip Sermia, Greenland, from terrestrial radar interferometry |
title_fullStr |
Calving event size measurements and statistics of Eqip Sermia, Greenland, from terrestrial radar interferometry |
title_full_unstemmed |
Calving event size measurements and statistics of Eqip Sermia, Greenland, from terrestrial radar interferometry |
title_sort |
calving event size measurements and statistics of eqip sermia, greenland, from terrestrial radar interferometry |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/186843/ https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/186843/1/2020_Walter%26al2020.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-50.067,-50.067,69.817,69.817) |
geographic |
Eqip Sermia Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Eqip Sermia Greenland |
genre |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere |
op_source |
Walter, Andrea; Lüthi, Martin P; Vieli, Andreas (2020). Calving event size measurements and statistics of Eqip Sermia, Greenland, from terrestrial radar interferometry. The Cryosphere, 14(3):1051-1066. |
op_relation |
https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/186843/1/2020_Walter%26al2020.pdf doi:10.5167/uzh-186843 doi:10.5194/tc-14-1051-2020 urn:issn:1994-0416 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-18684310.5194/tc-14-1051-2020 |
_version_ |
1812813738078633984 |