Modeling the impact of glacial runoff on fjord circulation and submarine melt rate using a new subgrid-scale parameterization for glacial plumes
The injection at depth of ice sheet runoff into fjords may be an important control on the frontal melt rate of tidewater glaciers. Here we develop a new parameterization for ice marginal plumes within the Massachusetts Institute of Technology General Circulation Model (MITgcm), allowing three-dimens...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2015
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Online Access: | https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/modeling-the-impact-of-glacial-runoff-on-fjord-circulation-and-submarine-melt-rate-using-a-new-subgridscale-parameterization-for-glacial-plumes(6ffed5e4-54ba-4c73-98dc-17c65ce75e6e).html https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010324 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/11683/1/Cowton_2015_JGRO_GlacialRunoff_CC.pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014JC010324/abstract#footer-support-info |
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/6ffed5e4-54ba-4c73-98dc-17c65ce75e6e 2023-05-15T16:21:31+02:00 Modeling the impact of glacial runoff on fjord circulation and submarine melt rate using a new subgrid-scale parameterization for glacial plumes Cowton, Tom Slater, Donald Sole, Andrew Goldberg, Daniel Nienow, Peter 2015-03-12 application/pdf https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/modeling-the-impact-of-glacial-runoff-on-fjord-circulation-and-submarine-melt-rate-using-a-new-subgridscale-parameterization-for-glacial-plumes(6ffed5e4-54ba-4c73-98dc-17c65ce75e6e).html https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010324 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/11683/1/Cowton_2015_JGRO_GlacialRunoff_CC.pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014JC010324/abstract#footer-support-info eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Cowton , T , Slater , D , Sole , A , Goldberg , D & Nienow , P 2015 , ' Modeling the impact of glacial runoff on fjord circulation and submarine melt rate using a new subgrid-scale parameterization for glacial plumes ' , Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans , vol. 120 , no. 2 , pp. 796-812 . https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010324 Fjords Greenland ice sheet Plumes Tidewater glaciers article 2015 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010324 2022-10-31T06:43:39Z The injection at depth of ice sheet runoff into fjords may be an important control on the frontal melt rate of tidewater glaciers. Here we develop a new parameterization for ice marginal plumes within the Massachusetts Institute of Technology General Circulation Model (MITgcm), allowing three-dimensional simulation of large (500 km 2 ) glacial fjords on annual (or longer) time scales. We find that for an idealized fjord (without shelf-driven circulation), subglacial runoff produces a thin, strong, and warm down-fjord current in the upper part of the water column, balanced by a thick and slow up-fjord current at greater depth. Although submarine melt rates increase with runoff due to higher melt rates where the plume is in contact with the ice front, we find that annual submarine melt rate across the ice front is relatively insensitive to variability in annual runoff. Better knowledge of the spatial distribution of runoff, controls on melt rate in those areas not directly in contact with plumes, and feedback mechanisms linking submarine melting and iceberg calving are necessary to more fully understand the sensitivity of glacier mass balance to runoff-driven fjord circulation. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Tidewater University of St Andrews: Research Portal Greenland Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 120 2 796 812 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
topic |
Fjords Greenland ice sheet Plumes Tidewater glaciers |
spellingShingle |
Fjords Greenland ice sheet Plumes Tidewater glaciers Cowton, Tom Slater, Donald Sole, Andrew Goldberg, Daniel Nienow, Peter Modeling the impact of glacial runoff on fjord circulation and submarine melt rate using a new subgrid-scale parameterization for glacial plumes |
topic_facet |
Fjords Greenland ice sheet Plumes Tidewater glaciers |
description |
The injection at depth of ice sheet runoff into fjords may be an important control on the frontal melt rate of tidewater glaciers. Here we develop a new parameterization for ice marginal plumes within the Massachusetts Institute of Technology General Circulation Model (MITgcm), allowing three-dimensional simulation of large (500 km 2 ) glacial fjords on annual (or longer) time scales. We find that for an idealized fjord (without shelf-driven circulation), subglacial runoff produces a thin, strong, and warm down-fjord current in the upper part of the water column, balanced by a thick and slow up-fjord current at greater depth. Although submarine melt rates increase with runoff due to higher melt rates where the plume is in contact with the ice front, we find that annual submarine melt rate across the ice front is relatively insensitive to variability in annual runoff. Better knowledge of the spatial distribution of runoff, controls on melt rate in those areas not directly in contact with plumes, and feedback mechanisms linking submarine melting and iceberg calving are necessary to more fully understand the sensitivity of glacier mass balance to runoff-driven fjord circulation. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cowton, Tom Slater, Donald Sole, Andrew Goldberg, Daniel Nienow, Peter |
author_facet |
Cowton, Tom Slater, Donald Sole, Andrew Goldberg, Daniel Nienow, Peter |
author_sort |
Cowton, Tom |
title |
Modeling the impact of glacial runoff on fjord circulation and submarine melt rate using a new subgrid-scale parameterization for glacial plumes |
title_short |
Modeling the impact of glacial runoff on fjord circulation and submarine melt rate using a new subgrid-scale parameterization for glacial plumes |
title_full |
Modeling the impact of glacial runoff on fjord circulation and submarine melt rate using a new subgrid-scale parameterization for glacial plumes |
title_fullStr |
Modeling the impact of glacial runoff on fjord circulation and submarine melt rate using a new subgrid-scale parameterization for glacial plumes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modeling the impact of glacial runoff on fjord circulation and submarine melt rate using a new subgrid-scale parameterization for glacial plumes |
title_sort |
modeling the impact of glacial runoff on fjord circulation and submarine melt rate using a new subgrid-scale parameterization for glacial plumes |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/modeling-the-impact-of-glacial-runoff-on-fjord-circulation-and-submarine-melt-rate-using-a-new-subgridscale-parameterization-for-glacial-plumes(6ffed5e4-54ba-4c73-98dc-17c65ce75e6e).html https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010324 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/11683/1/Cowton_2015_JGRO_GlacialRunoff_CC.pdf http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014JC010324/abstract#footer-support-info |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Tidewater |
genre_facet |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Tidewater |
op_source |
Cowton , T , Slater , D , Sole , A , Goldberg , D & Nienow , P 2015 , ' Modeling the impact of glacial runoff on fjord circulation and submarine melt rate using a new subgrid-scale parameterization for glacial plumes ' , Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans , vol. 120 , no. 2 , pp. 796-812 . https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010324 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010324 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
container_volume |
120 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
796 |
op_container_end_page |
812 |
_version_ |
1766009518845591552 |