Variability in summer anticyclonic circulation over the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and west Greenland in the late 20th/early 21st centuries and its effect on glacier mass balance

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 540-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Bezeau ◽  
M. Sharp ◽  
G. Gascon
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Canadian Arctic Archipelago ◽  
Anticyclonic Circulation ◽  
West Greenland

The career and disappearance of Hans K.E. Krüger, Arctic geologist, 1886–1930

Polar Record ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 29 (171) ◽  
pp. 277-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Barr
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Ellesmere Island ◽  
Canadian Arctic Archipelago ◽  
Royal Canadian Mounted Police ◽  
West Greenland

ABSTRACTOn 19 March 1930 the German geologist, Hans K.E. Krüger, accompanied by a Dane, Åge Rose Bjare, and an Inughuk, Akqioq (the latter driving their dog sledge) set off westwards from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police post at Bache Peninsula, Ellesmere Island; two support sledges, driven by Inughuit, escorted them. It appears to have been Krüger's intention to study the geology of the coasts of the outer islands of the Canadian Arctic archipelago and to carry out soundings of the continental shelf and slope. The two support sledges turned back at Depot Point, Eureka Sound. Krüger, Bjare, and Akqioq were never seen again. This article reviews Krüger's background, his preparations for the expedition (which included two summers of field work in West Greenland and a wintering in northwest Greenland), and the extensive searches mounted by the RCMP in 1931 and 1932. Finally, it analyzes the evidence provided by three messages left by Krüger and subsequently recovered, with a view to making an educated guess as to the fate of the expedition.

Major end moraines of Younger Dryas age on Wollaston Peninsula, Victoria Island, Canadian Arctic: implications for paleoclimate and for formation of hummocky moraine

2000 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 601-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur S Dyke ◽  
James M Savelle
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Younger Dryas ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Canadian Arctic Archipelago ◽  
Climatic Control ◽  
Glacier Ice ◽  
Victoria Island

Some of the most extensive and massive end moraines of Younger Dryas age (11–10 14C ka BP) yet recognized in North America occur on Wollaston Peninsula of Victoria Island. On the western part of the peninsula, numerous closely spaced end moraines formed in the interval starting 11 100 ± 100 radiocarbon years ago and ending about 10 500–10 200 years ago. Net recession was generally slow throughout and was punctuated by moraine-building and at least two readvances. Recession is mapped with a resolution that is approximately decadal. The moraines form an orderly, nested succession and are consistently associated with westward shedding of meltwater, which formed a sequence of marine-limit deltas. We lack firm, independent proxy-climate evidence needed to assess whether these moraines formed because of cold Younger Dryas climate, rather than because of controls such as topographic setting and water depth, but climatic control seems probable. The moraines evidently retain glacier ice cores, as do most similarly large moraines in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and northern mainland. They formed along active ice margins when the glacier mass balance on average was only slightly negative. Future melting of ice cores would produce regional hummocky moraine and much basal meltout till more than 10 000 years after deglaciation. Some southern areas of hummocky moraine may have originated as ice-cored moraines formed by active ice margins rather than from extensive regional stagnation.

scholarly journals Glacier advance, ice-marginal lakes and routing of meltwater and sediment: Russell Glacier, Greenland

2000 ◽  
Vol 46 (154) ◽  
pp. 423-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter G. Knight ◽  
Richard I. Waller ◽  
Carrie J. Patterson ◽  
Alison P. Jones ◽  
Zoe P. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Sediment Flux ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Mass Movements ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Water And Sediment ◽  
Sediment Content ◽  
Glacier Advance

AbstractThe ice-sheet margin at Russell Glacier, West Greenland, advanced ∼7 m a−1 between 1968 and 1999. As the ice advanced over moraine ridges, small changes in position caused major changes in the routing of proglacial water and sediment. These included changes in the distribution of ice-marginal lakes, in the periodic drainage of ice-dammed lakes, in the routing and sediment content of meltwater draining into the proglacial zone, and in the release of sediment from the moraines by erosion and mass movements. Proglacial hydrology and sediment flux appear to be controlled not simply by glacier mass balance, but by evolving ice-marginal geomorphology, which must be accounted for in palaeoenvironmental interpretation of proglacial sediments.

scholarly journals Circulation Pathways and Exports of Arctic River Runoff Influenced by Atmospheric Circulation Regimes

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Wang ◽  
Sergey Danilov ◽  
Dmitry Sidorenko ◽  
Xuezhu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
River Runoff ◽  
Arctic Oscillation ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Canadian Arctic Archipelago ◽  
Anticyclonic Circulation ◽  
Beaufort Gyre ◽  
The Impact

River runoff supplies the Arctic Ocean with a large amount of freshwater and land-derived material, so it is important for both the physical and biogeochemical marine environment. In this study, we used wind perturbation simulations to elucidate the response of the circulation pathways and exports of Arctic river runoff to different atmospheric circulation regimes. Specifically, wind perturbations representing the negative and positive phases of the Arctic Oscillation and Beaufort High modes were imposed over the Arctic Ocean separately in different sensitivity experiments. In addition, some combinations of the two modes were also considered in sensitivity experiments. By comparing these experiments with a control simulation, we revealed the impact of different wind perturbations. The atmospheric circulation regimes influence the Arctic surface geostrophic currents through changing the halosteric height, which is associated with the changes in spatial distribution of surface freshwater. The circulation pathways of river runoff, and Pacific and Atlantic derived surface waters are mainly determined by the surface geostrophic currents. The positive (negative) Arctic Oscillation reduces (increases) freshwater storage and sea surface height in the Makarov and Eurasian basins, thus strengthening (weakening) the cyclonic circulation and weakening (strengthening) the anticyclonic circulation; Accordingly, the Eurasian runoff leaves the Siberian shelf at more eastern (western) locations, and has an enhanced export through the Fram Strait (Canadian Arctic Archipelago). The positive (negative) Beaufort High increases (reduces) freshwater storage and sea surface height in the Amerasian Basin, thus strengthening (weakening) the anticyclonic circulation; Accordingly, the Eurasian runoff export through the Fram Strait and the Mackenzie River runoff export through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are reduced (increased). The positive Arctic Oscillation increases freshwater available to the Beaufort Gyre, which can be efficiently accumulated there in the presence of a positive Beaufort High forcing. The impact of the Beaufort High mode on the location of the Transpolar Drift Stream and runoff circulation pathways is stronger with a positive Arctic Oscillation than with a neutral Arctic Oscillation state. Our results also showed that Eurasian runoff can only have a relatively small contribution to freshwater accumulation in the Beaufort Gyre region.

scholarly journals Glaciers and Global Warming

2007 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy M. Koerner ◽  
Leif Lundgaard
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Warming Trend ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
The Past

ABSTRACT Ice core and mass balance studies from glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets constitute an ideal medium for monitoring and studying present and past environmental change and, as such, make a valuable contribution to the present debate over anthropogenic forcing of climate. Data derived from 32 years of measurements in the Canadian Arctic show no significant trends in glacier mass balance, ice melt, or snow accumulation, although the mass balance continues to be slightly negative. Models suggest that industrial aerosol loading of the atmosphere should add to the warming effect of greenhouse gases. However, we have found a sharp increase in the concentration of industrial pollutants in snow deposited since the early 1950's which makes the trendless nature of our various time series surprising. Spatial differences in the nature of climatic change may account for the lack of trend in the Queen Elizabeth Islands but encourages similar investigations to this study elsewhere in the circumpolar region. A global warming trend over the past 150 years has been demonstrated from instrumental data and is evident in our ice cores. However, the ice core data and glacier geometry changes in the Canadian Arctic suggest the Arctic warming is more pronounced in summer than winter. The same warming trend is not unique when viewed in the context of changes over the past 10,000 or 100,000 years. This suggests the 150-year trend is part of the natural climate variability.

scholarly journals Area, elevation and mass changes of the two southernmost ice caps of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago between 1952 and 2014

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1667-1704
Author(s):  
C. Papasodoro ◽  
E. Berthier ◽  
A. Royer ◽  
C. Zdanowicz ◽  
A. Langlois
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Baffin Island ◽  
Canadian Arctic Archipelago ◽  
Ice Caps ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Area Reduction ◽  
Elevation Changes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In the far south of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), on the Meta Incognita Peninsula (Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada), the small Grinnell and Terra Nivea ice caps have received little attention compared to the much larger ice masses further north. Their evolution can, however, give valuable information about the impact of the recent Arctic warming at lower latitudes (i.e. 62.5° N). In this paper, we measure historical and recent rates of area, elevation and mass changes of both ice caps using in-situ, airborne and spaceborne datasets. Results show that the Terra Nivea Ice Cap (TNIC) areal extent has decreased by 34% since the late 50s, while the Grinnell Ice Cap (GIC) extent was reduced by 20% since 1952. For both ice caps, rates of area reduction accelerated at the beginning of the 21st century. The glacier-wide mass balance for the GIC was −0.37 ± 0.21 m a−1 water equivalent (w.e.) for the 1952–2014 period, and −0.47 ± 0.16 m a−1 w.e. on the TNIC for the 1958/59–2014 period. More recently, the TNIC has experienced an accelerated rate of mass loss of −1.68 ± 0.36 m a−1 w.e. between 2007 and 2014. This rate is 5.6 times as negative when compared to the 1958/59–2007 period (−0.30 ± 0.19 m a−1 w.e.) and 2 times as negative when compared to the mass balance of other glaciers in the southern parts of Baffin Island over the 2003–2009 period. A similar acceleration in mass loss is suspected for the GIC, given the calculated elevation changes and the proximity.

scholarly journals Temporal and spatial changes of Laika Glacier, Canadian Arctic, since 1959, inferred from satellite remote sensing and mass-balance modelling

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (188) ◽  
pp. 857-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Huss ◽  
Reto Stöckli ◽  
Giovanni Kappenberger ◽  
Heinz Blatter
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Satellite Remote Sensing ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Spatial Changes ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

AbstractThe retreat of Laika Glacier (4.4 km2), part of a small ice cap situated on Coburg Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, is analyzed using field data, satellite remote sensing and mass-balance modelling. We present a methodology for merging various data types and numerical models and investigate the temporal and spatial changes of a remote glacier during the past five decades. A glacier mass-balance and surface-evolution model is run for the period 1959–2006, forced with in situ weather observations and climate re-analysis data (ERA-40, NARR). The model is calibrated using the ice-volume change observed between 1959 and 1971, and measured seasonal mass balances. Calculated glacier surface elevation is validated against ICESat GLAS altimeter data and ASTER-derived elevation. Landsatderived glacier outlines are used to validate calculated ice extent. The piedmont tongue of Laika Glacier has retreated considerably and is in a state of disintegration. The modelled glacier mass balance between 1959 and 2006 was −0.41 m w.e. a−1, on average. Model results indicate a significant trend towards higher mass-balance gradients. A complete wastage of Laika Glacier by 2100 is predicted by model runs based on climate scenarios.

scholarly journals Comparison of geodetic and glaciological mass budgets for White Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island, Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (237) ◽  
pp. 55-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
LAURA I. THOMSON ◽  
MICHAEL ZEMP ◽  
LUKE COPLAND ◽  
J. GRAHAM COGLEY ◽  
MILES A. ECCLESTONE
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Random Errors ◽  
Statistical Comparison ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Systematic And Random Errors ◽  
Axel Heiberg Island ◽  
Made In

ABSTRACTThis study presents the first reanalysis of a long-term glacier mass-balance record in the Canadian Arctic. The reanalysis is accomplished through comparison of the 1960–2014 glaciological mass-balance record of White Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, with a geodetically derived mass change over the same period. The corrections applied to homogenize the two datasets, including adjusting for changes in hypsometry over the period of record and the generic differences between methods, are discussed along with the associated systematic and random errors of the two forms of mass-balance measurement. Statistical comparison of the two datasets reveals that within the error margin there is no significant difference between the average annual glaciological balance (–213 ± 28 mm w.e. a−1) and geodetic balance (–178 ± 16 mm w.e. a−1) at White Glacier over the 54 year record. The validity of this result, and the assumptions made in implementing the glaciological method, are critically assessed.

scholarly journals Area, elevation and mass changes of the two southernmost ice caps of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago between 1952 and 2014

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1535-1550 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Papasodoro ◽  
E. Berthier ◽  
A. Royer ◽  
C. Zdanowicz ◽  
A. Langlois
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Baffin Island ◽  
Canadian Arctic Archipelago ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Ice Caps ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Grinnell and Terra Nivea Ice Caps are located on the southern Baffin Island, Nunavut, in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. These relatively small ice caps have received little attention compared to the much larger ice masses further north. Their evolution can, however, give valuable information about the impact of the recent Arctic warming at lower latitudes (i.e. ~ 62.5° N). In this paper, we measure or estimate historical and recent changes of area, elevation and mass of both ice caps using in situ, airborne and spaceborne data sets, including imagery from the Pléiades satellites. The area of Terra Nivea Ice Cap has decreased by 34 % since the late 1950s, while that of Grinnell Ice Cap has decreased by 20 % since 1952. For both ice caps, the areal reduction accelerated at the beginning of the 21st century. The estimated glacier-wide mass balance was −0.37 ± 0.21 m a−1 water equivalent (w.e.) over Grinnell Ice Cap for the 1952–2014 period, and −0.47 ± 0.16 m a−1 w.e. over Terra Nivea Ice Cap for the 1958/59–2014 period. Terra Nivea Ice Cap has experienced an accelerated rate of mass loss of −1.77 ± 0.36 m a−1 w.e. between 2007 and 2014. This rate is 5.9 times as negative when compared to the 1958/59–2007 period (−0.30 ± 0.19 m a−1 w.e.) and 2 times as negative when compared to the mass balance of other glaciers in the southern parts of Baffin Island over the 2003–2009 period. A similar acceleration in mass loss is suspected for the Grinnell Ice Cap, given the calculated elevation changes and the proximity to Terra Nivea Ice Cap. The recent increase in mass loss rates for these two ice caps is linked to a strong near-surface regional warming and a lengthening of the melt season into the autumn that may be indirectly strengthened by a later freezing of sea ice in the Hudson Strait sector. On a methodological level, our study illustrates the strong potential of Pléiades satellite data to unlock the under-exploited archive of old aerial photographs.

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