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Dynamic Response of a High Arctic Glacier to Melt and Runoff Variations
Author(s) -
Pelt Ward J. J.,
Pohjola Veijo A.,
Pettersson Rickard,
Ehwald Lena E.,
Reijmer Carleen H.,
Boot Wim,
Jakobs Constantijn L.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2018gl077252
Subject(s) - surface runoff , glacier , arctic , channelized , environmental science , greenland ice sheet , geology , hydrology (agriculture) , climatology , snowmelt , climate change , atmospheric sciences , snow , geomorphology , oceanography , ecology , telecommunications , geotechnical engineering , computer science , biology
Abstract The dynamic response of High Arctic glaciers to increased runoff in a warming climate remains poorly understood. We analyze a 10‐year record of continuous velocity data collected at multiple sites on Nordenskiöldbreen, Svalbard, and study the connection between ice flow and runoff within and between seasons. During the melt season, the sensitivity of ice motion to runoff at sites in the ablation and lower accumulation zone drops by a factor of 3 when cumulative runoff exceeds a local threshold, which is likely associated with a transition from inefficient (distributed) to efficient (channelized) drainage. Average summer (June–August) velocities are found to increase with summer ablation, while subsequent fall (September–November) velocities decrease. Spring (March–May) velocities are largely insensitive to summer ablation, which suggests a short‐lived impact of summer melt on ice flow during the cold season. The net impact of summer ablation on annual velocities is found to be insignificant.