Subglacial topography, ice thickness, and bathymetry of Kongsfjorden, northwestern Svalbard

• Published in: Earth System Science Data
• Main Authors: Lindbäck, Katrin, Kohler, Jack, Pettersson, Rickard, Nuth, Christopher, Langley, Kirsty, Messerli, Alexandra, Vallot, Dorothée, Matsuoka, Kenichi, Brandt, Ola
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Uppsala universitet, Luft-, vatten- och landskapslära 2018
• Subjects: Physical Geography; Naturgeografi; Blomstrandbreen; Conwaybreen; Kongsbreen; Kongsvegen; Kronebreen; Svalbard; glacier; Kongsfjord*; Kongsfjorden; Tidewater; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-367386; https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1769-2018

Svalbard tidewater glaciers are retreating, which will affect fjord circulation and ecosystems when glacier fronts become land-terminating. Knowledge of the subglacial topography and bathymetry under retreating glaciers is important to modelling future scenarios of fjord circulation and glacier dynamics. We present high-resolution (150m gridded) digital elevation models of subglacial topography, ice thickness, and ice surface elevation of five tidewater glaciers in Kongsfjorden (1100 km(2)), northwestern Spitsbergen, based on similar to 1700 km airborne and ground-based ice-penetrating radar profiles. The digital elevation models (DEMs) cover the tidewater glaciers Blomstrandbreen, Conwaybreen, Kongsbreen, Kronebreen, and Kongsvegen and are merged with bathymetric and land DEMs for the non-glaciated areas. The large-scale subglacial topography of the study area is characterized by a series of troughs and highs. The minimum subglacial elevation is 180m above sea level (a.s.l.), the maximum subglacial elevation is 1400m a.s.l., and the maximum ice thickness is 740m. Three of the glaciers, Kongsbreen, Kronebreen, and Kongsvegen, have the potential to retreat by similar to 10 km before they become land-terminating. The compiled data set covers one of the most studied regions in Svalbard and is valuable for future studies of glacier dynamics, geology, hydrology, and fjord circulation.