scholarly journals Surface melt‐driven seasonal behaviour (englacial and subglacial) from a soft‐bedded temperate glacier recorded by in situ wireless probes

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 1769-1782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane K. Hart ◽  
Kirk Martinez ◽  
Philip J. Basford ◽  
Alexander I. Clayton ◽  
Graeme M. Bragg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Behaviour ◽  
Surface Melt

scholarly journals Application of an improved surface energy balance model to two large valley glaciers in the St. Elias Mountains, Yukon

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Tim Hill ◽  
Christine F. Dow ◽  
Eleanor A. Bash ◽  
Luke Copland
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Surface Melt

Abstract Glacier surficial melt rates are commonly modelled using surface energy balance (SEB) models, with outputs applied to extend point-based mass-balance measurements to regional scales, assess water resource availability, examine supraglacial hydrology and to investigate the relationship between surface melt and ice dynamics. We present an improved SEB model that addresses the primary limitations of existing models by: (1) deriving high-resolution (30 m) surface albedo from Landsat 8 imagery, (2) calculating shadows cast onto the glacier surface by high-relief topography to model incident shortwave radiation, (3) developing an algorithm to map debris sufficiently thick to insulate the glacier surface and (4) presenting a formulation of the SEB model coupled to a subsurface heat conduction model. We drive the model with 6 years of in situ meteorological data from Kaskawulsh Glacier and Nàłùdäy (Lowell) Glacier in the St. Elias Mountains, Yukon, Canada, and validate outputs against in situ measurements. Modelled seasonal melt agrees with observations within 9% across a range of elevations on both glaciers in years with high-quality in situ observations. We recommend applying the model to investigate the impacts of surface melt for individual glaciers when sufficient input data are available.

scholarly journals A benchmark dataset of in situ Antarctic surface melt rates and energy balance

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (256) ◽  
pp. 291-302
Author(s):  
Constantijn L. Jakobs ◽  
Carleen H. Reijmer ◽  
C. J. P. Paul Smeets ◽  
Luke D. Trusel ◽  
Willem Jan van de Berg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Benchmark Dataset ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Ice Shelves ◽  
Surface Melt ◽  
The Stability

AbstractSurface melt on the coastal Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) determines the viability of its ice shelves and the stability of the grounded ice sheet, but very few in situ melt rate estimates exist to date. Here we present a benchmark dataset of in situ surface melt rates and energy balance from nine sites in the eastern Antarctic Peninsula (AP) and coastal Dronning Maud Land (DML), East Antarctica, seven of which are located on AIS ice shelves. Meteorological time series from eight automatic and one staffed weather station (Neumayer), ranging in length from 15 months to almost 24 years, serve as input for an energy-balance model to obtain consistent surface melt rates and energy-balance results. We find that surface melt rates exhibit large temporal, spatial and process variability. Intermittent summer melt in coastal DML is primarily driven by absorption of shortwave radiation, while non-summer melt events in the eastern AP occur during föhn events that force a large downward directed turbulent flux of sensible heat. We use the in situ surface melt rate dataset to evaluate melt rates from the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2 and validate a melt product from the QuikSCAT satellite.

scholarly journals Quantifying meltwater refreezing along a transect of sites on the Greenland Icesheet

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 5485-5509 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Cox ◽  
N. Humphrey ◽  
J. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
High Temporal Resolution ◽  
Temperature Profiles ◽  
Lateral Migration ◽  
Conservation Of Energy ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Melt Water ◽  
Surface Melt ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. On the Greenland ice sheet, a significant quantity of surface melt water refreezes within the firn creating uncertainty in surface mass balance estimates. This refreezing has the potential to buffer seasonal runoff to future increases in melting, but direct measurement of the process remains difficult. We present a method for quantifying refreezing at point locations using in situ firn temperature observations. A time series of sub-hourly firn temperature profiles were collected over the course of two melt seasons from 2007 to 2009 along a transect of 11 sites in the accumulation zone of Greenland. Seasonal changes in temperature profiles combined with heat flux estimates based on high temporal resolution temperature gradients, enable us to isolate the heat released by refreezing using conservation of energy. Our method is verified from winter data when no refreezing takes place, and uncertainty is estimated using a monte carlo technique. Results provide additional evidence of a significant amount of refreezing taking place at depths greater than 1 m and that runoff begins to occur above the ELA. Near the runoff limit, lateral migration of melt water significantly complicates the relationship between total surface melt and total refreezing.

scholarly journals Helheim Glacier diurnal velocity fluctuations driven by surface melt forcing

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Laura A. Stevens ◽  
Meredith Nettles ◽  
James L. Davis ◽  
Timothy T. Creyts ◽  
Jonathan Kingslake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Diurnal Variations ◽  
Daily Maximum ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Velocity Fluctuations ◽  
Glacier Terminus ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Velocity Variations ◽  
Surface Melt

Abstract The influence of surface melt on the flow of Greenland's largest outlet glaciers remains poorly known and in situ observations are few. We use field observations to link surface meltwater forcing to glacier-wide diurnal velocity variations on East Greenland's Helheim Glacier over two summer melt seasons. We observe diurnal variations in glacier speed that peak ~6.5 h after daily maximum insolation and extend from the terminus region to the equilibrium line. Both the amplitude of the diurnal speed variation and its sensitivity to daily melt are largest at the glacier terminus and decrease up-glacier, suggesting that the magnitude of the response is controlled not only by melt input volume and temporal variability, but also by background effective pressure, which approaches zero at the terminus. Our results provide evidence that basal lubrication by meltwater drives diurnal velocity variations at Greenland's marine-terminating glaciers in a similar manner to alpine glaciers and Greenland's land-terminating outlet glaciers.

Rendez vous with Saturn's rings

1984 ◽  
Vol 75 ◽  
pp. 743-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry T. Nock
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Electric Propulsion ◽  
Power Source ◽  
Propulsion System ◽  
Low Thrust ◽  
Ring Plane ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Total Impulse ◽  
Saturn's Rings

ABSTRACTA mission to rendezvous with the rings of Saturn is studied with regard to science rationale and instrumentation and engineering feasibility and design. Future detailedin situexploration of the rings of Saturn will require spacecraft systems with enormous propulsive capability. NASA is currently studying the critical technologies for just such a system, called Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP). Electric propulsion is the only technology which can effectively provide the required total impulse for this demanding mission. Furthermore, the power source must be nuclear because the solar energy reaching Saturn is only 1% of that at the Earth. An important aspect of this mission is the ability of the low thrust propulsion system to continuously boost the spacecraft above the ring plane as it spirals in toward Saturn, thus enabling scientific measurements of ring particles from only a few kilometers.

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