Basal Drainage System Response to Increasing Surface Melt on the Greenland Ice Sheet

Science ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 341 (6147) ◽  
pp. 777-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Meierbachtol ◽  
J. Harper ◽  
N. Humphrey
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Models ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
System Response ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Conduit Development

Surface meltwater reaching the bed of the Greenland ice sheet imparts a fundamental control on basal motion. Sliding speed depends on ice/bed coupling, dictated by the configuration and pressure of the hydrologic drainage system. In situ observations in a four-site transect containing 23 boreholes drilled to Greenland’s bed reveal basal water pressures unfavorable to water-draining conduit development extending inland beneath deep ice. This finding is supported by numerical analysis based on realistic ice sheet geometry. Slow meltback of ice walls limits conduit growth, inhibiting their capacity to transport increased discharge. Key aspects of current conceptual models for Greenland basal hydrology, derived primarily from the study of mountain glaciers, appear to be limited to a portion of the ablation zone near the ice sheet margin.

scholarly journals The firn meltwater Retention Model Intercomparison Project (RetMIP): Evaluation of nine firn models at four weather station sites on the Greenland ice sheet

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baptiste Vandecrux ◽  
Ruth Mottram ◽  
Peter L. Langen ◽  
Robert S. Fausto ◽  
Martin Olesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Weather Station ◽  
Model Intercomparison ◽  
Retention Model ◽  
Intercomparison Project ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Eulerian Models

Abstract. Perennial snow, or firn, covers 80 % of the Greenland ice sheet and has the capacity to retain part of the surface meltwater, buffering the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level. Multi-layer firn models are traditionally used to simulate the firn processes and estimate meltwater retention. We present the output from nine firn models, forced by weather-station-derived mass and energy fluxes at four sites representative of the dry snow, percolation, ice slab and firn aquifer areas. We compare the model outputs and evaluate them against in situ observations. Models that explicitly account for deep meltwater percolation overestimate percolation depth and consequently firn temperature at the percolation and ice slab sites although they accurately simulate the recharge of the firn aquifer. Models using Darcy's law and a bucket scheme compare favourably to observations at the percolation site but only the Darcy models accurately simulate firn temperature and thus meltwater percolation at the ice slab site. We find that Eulerian models, that transfer firn through fixed layers, smooth sharp gradients in firn temperature and density over time. From the model spread, we find that simulated densities (respectively temperature) have an uncertainty envelope of ±60 kg m−3 (resp. ±14 °C) in the dry snow area and up to ±280 kg m−3 (resp. ±15–18 °C) at warmer sites.

The meltwater feedbacks on ice dynamics, influence of melt amplitude, duration and extent.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Basile de Fleurian ◽  
Petra M. Langebroeke ◽  
Richard Davy
Keyword(s):  
Water Pressure ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
System Model ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
Different Characteristics ◽  
Crucial Parameter ◽  
Subglacial Drainage

<p>In recent years, temperatures over the Greenland ice sheet have been rising, leading to an increase in surface melt. This increase however can not be reduced to a simple number. Throughout the recent years we have seen some extreme melt seasons with melt extending over the whole surface of the ice sheet (2012) or melt seasons of lower amplitudes but with a longer duration (2010). The effect of those variations on the subglacial system and hence on ice dynamic are poorly understood and are still mainly deduced from studies based on mountain glaciers.</p><p>Here we apply the Ice-sheet and Sea-level System Model (ISSM) to a synthetic glacier with a geometry similar to a Greenland ice sheet land terminating glacier. The forcing is designed such that it allows to investigate different characteristics of the melt season: its length, intensity or the spatial extension of the melt. Subglacial hydrology and ice dynamics are coupled within ISSM is coupled to a subglacial hydrology model, allowing to study the response of the system in terms of subglacial water pressure and the final impact on ice dynamics. Of particular interest is the evolution of the distribution of the efficient and inefficient component of the subglacial drainage system which directly impacts the water pressure evolution at the base of the glacier.</p><p>We note that the initiation of the melt season and the intensity of the melt at this period is a crucial parameter when studying the dynamic response of the glacier to different melt season characteristics. From those results, we can infer a more precise evolution of the dynamics of land terminating glaciers that are heavily driven by their subglacial drainage system. We also highlight which changes in the melt season pattern would be the most damageable for glacier stability in the future.</p>

scholarly journals Katabatic winds and piteraq storms: observations from the Greenland ice sheet

1969 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 83-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Van As ◽  
Robert S. Fausto ◽  
Konrad Steffen
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Surface Ablation ◽  
Iceberg Calving ◽  
Energy Exchanges ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Insight Into

In 2007 the Programme for Monitoring the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE) was initiated to observe and gain insight into the mass budget of Greenland ice masses. By means of in situ observations and remote sensing, PROMICE assesses how much mass is gained as snow accumulation on the surface versus how much is lost by iceberg calving and surface ablation (Ahlstrøm et al. 2008). A key element of PROMICE is a network of automatic weather stations (AWSs) designed to quantify components of the surface mass balance, including the energy exchanges contributing to surface ablation (Van As et al. 2013).

scholarly journals Assessing spatio-temporal variability and trends in modelled and measured Greenland Ice Sheet albedo (2000–2013)

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 2293-2312 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Alexander ◽  
M. Tedesco ◽  
X. Fettweis ◽  
R. S. W. van de Wal ◽  
C. J. P. P. Smeets ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Surface Albedo ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Abstract. Accurate measurements and simulations of Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) surface albedo are essential, given the role of surface albedo in modulating the amount of absorbed solar radiation and meltwater production. In this study, we assess the spatio-temporal variability of GrIS albedo during June, July, and August (JJA) for the period 2000–2013. We use two remote sensing products derived from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), as well as outputs from the Modèle Atmosphérique Régionale (MAR) regional climate model (RCM) and data from in situ automatic weather stations. Our results point to an overall consistency in spatio-temporal variability between remote sensing and RCM albedo, but reveal a difference in mean albedo of up to ~0.08 between the two remote sensing products north of 70° N. At low elevations, albedo values simulated by the RCM are positively biased with respect to remote sensing products by up to ~0.1 and exhibit low variability compared with observations. We infer that these differences are the result of a positive bias in simulated bare ice albedo. MODIS albedo, RCM outputs, and in situ observations consistently indicate a decrease in albedo of −0.03 to −0.06 per decade over the period 2003–2013 for the GrIS ablation area. Nevertheless, satellite products show a decline in JJA albedo of −0.03 to −0.04 per decade for regions within the accumulation area that is not confirmed by either the model or in situ observations. These findings appear to contradict a previous study that found an agreement between in situ and MODIS trends for individual months. The results indicate a need for further evaluation of high elevation albedo trends, a reconciliation of MODIS mean albedo at high latitudes, and the importance of accurately simulating bare ice albedo in RCMs.

scholarly journals How robust are in situ observations for validating satellite-derived albedo over the dark zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet?

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 6218-6225 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Ryan ◽  
A. Hubbard ◽  
T. D. Irvine-Fynn ◽  
S. H. Doyle ◽  
J. M. Cook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Dark Zone ◽  
In Situ Observations

scholarly journals Assessing spatio-temporal variability and trends (2000–2013) of modelled and measured Greenland ice sheet albedo

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 3733-3783 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Alexander ◽  
M. Tedesco ◽  
X. Fettweis ◽  
R. S. W. van de Wal ◽  
C. J. P. P. Smeets ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Surface Albedo ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Abstract. Accurate measurements and simulations of Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) surface albedo are essential, given the crucial role of surface albedo in modulating the amount of absorbed solar radiation and meltwater production. In this study, we assess the spatio-temporal variability of GrIS albedo (during June, July, and August) for the period 2000–2013. We use two remote sensing products derived from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), as well as outputs from the Modèle Atmosphérique Régionale (MAR) regional climate model (RCM) and data from in situ automatic weather stations. Our results point to an overall consistency in spatiotemporal variability between remote sensing and RCM albedo, but reveal a difference in mean albedo of up to ~0.08 between the two remote sensing products north of 70° N. At low elevations, albedo values simulated by the RCM are positively biased with respect to remote sensing products and in situ measurements by up to ~0.1 and exhibit low variability compared with observations. We infer that these differences are the result of a positive bias in simulated bare-ice albedo. MODIS albedo, RCM outputs and in situ observations consistently point to a~decrease in albedo of −0.03 to −0.06 per decade over the period 2003–2013 for the GrIS ablation zone (where there is a net loss of mass at the GrIS surface). Nevertheless, satellite products show a~decline in albedo of −0.03 to −0.04 per decade for regions within the accumulation zone (where there is a net gain of mass at the surface) that is not confirmed by either the model or in situ observations.

scholarly journals Hydraulic transmissivity inferred from ice-sheet relaxation following Greenland supraglacial lake drainages

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Yao Lai ◽  
Laura A. Stevens ◽  
Danielle L. Chase ◽  
Timothy T. Creyts ◽  
Mark D. Behn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Surface Uplift ◽  
Drainage Networks ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Lake Drainage ◽  
Magnitude Increase

AbstractSurface meltwater reaching the base of the Greenland Ice Sheet transits through drainage networks, modulating the flow of the ice sheet. Dye and gas-tracing studies conducted in the western margin sector of the ice sheet have directly observed drainage efficiency to evolve seasonally along the drainage pathway. However, the local evolution of drainage systems further inland, where ice thicknesses exceed 1000 m, remains largely unknown. Here, we infer drainage system transmissivity based on surface uplift relaxation following rapid lake drainage events. Combining field observations of five lake drainage events with a mathematical model and laboratory experiments, we show that the surface uplift decreases exponentially with time, as the water in the blister formed beneath the drained lake permeates through the subglacial drainage system. This deflation obeys a universal relaxation law with a timescale that reveals hydraulic transmissivity and indicates a two-order-of-magnitude increase in subglacial transmissivity (from 0.8 ± 0.3 $${\rm{m}}{{\rm{m}}}^{3}$$ m m 3 to 215 ± 90.2 $${\rm{m}}{{\rm{m}}}^{3}$$ m m 3 ) as the melt season progresses, suggesting significant changes in basal hydrology beneath the lakes driven by seasonal meltwater input.

scholarly journals Seasonal variability in the dynamics of marine-terminating outlet glaciers in Greenland

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (198) ◽  
pp. 601-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian M. Howat ◽  
Jason E. Box ◽  
Yushin Ahn ◽  
Adam Herrington ◽  
Ellyn M. McFadden
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Surface Air Temperature ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Flow Speed ◽  
High Temporal Resolution ◽  
Sea Ice Concentration ◽  
Seasonal Behavior ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Front Position

AbstractRecent studies indicate that the dynamics of fast-flowing, marine-terminating outlet glaciers of the Greenland ice sheet may be sensitive to climate and ocean forcing on sub-annual timescales. Observations of seasonal behavior of these glaciers at such high temporal resolution, however, are currently few. Here we present observations of front position, flow speed, near-surface air temperature and ocean conditions for six large marine-terminating glaciers in the Uummannaq region of West Greenland, to investigate controls on short-term glacier dynamics. As proposed by other studies, we find that seasonal front advance and retreat correlates with the formation and disappearance of an ice melange. Our data suggest that high sea-surface temperature, anomalously low sea-ice concentration and reduced melange formation in early 2003 have triggered multi-year retreat of several glaciers in the study area, which is consistent with other regions in Greenland. Of the stable glaciers, only Rink Isbræ exhibits a seasonal speed variation that correlates with variations in front position, with the others undergoing mid-summer deceleration that indicates the effects of subglacial meltwater discharge and drainage system evolution. Drainage of supraglacial lakes and water-filled crevasses results in substantial decreases in speed (40–60%) on fast-flowing glaciers. Our results demonstrate that attempts to model ice-sheet evolution must take into account short-timescale flow dynamics resulting from drainage events and oceanographic conditions.

Mapping the aerodynamic roughness of the Greenland ice sheet surface using ICESat-2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurice van Tiggelen ◽  
Paul C.J.P. Smeets ◽  
Carleen H. Reijmer ◽  
Bert Wouters ◽  
Jakob F. Steiner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eddy Covariance ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Atmospheric Models ◽  
Laser Altimeter ◽  
Eddy Covariance Measurements ◽  
Aerodynamic Roughness

<p>The roughness of a natural surface is an important parameter in atmospheric models, as it determines the intensity of turbulent transfer between the atmosphere and the surface. Unfortunately, this parameter is often poorly known, especially in remote areas where neither high-resolution elevation models nor eddy-covariance measurements are available.</p><p>In this study, we take advantage of the measurements of the ICESat-2 satellite laser altimeter. We use the geolocated photons product (ATL03) to retrieve a 1-m resolution surface elevation product over the K-transect (West Greenland ice sheet). In combination with a bulk drag partitioning model, the retrieved surface elevation is used to estimate the aerodynamic roughness length (z<sub>0m</sub>) of the surface.</p><p>We demonstrate the high precision of the retrieved ICESat-2 elevation using co-located UAV photogrammetry, and then evaluate the modelled aerodynamic roughness against multiple in situ eddy-covariance observations. The results point out the importance to use a bulk drag model over a more empirical formulation.</p><p>The currently available ATL03 geolocated photons are used to map the aerodynamic roughness along the K-transect (2018-2020). We find a considerable spatiotemporal variability in z<sub>0m</sub>, ranging between 10<sup>−4</sup> m for a smooth snow surface to more than 10<sup>−1</sup> m for rough crevassed areas, which confirms the need to incorporate a variable aerodynamic roughness in atmospheric models over ice sheets.</p>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document