Articles | Volume 14, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-309-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-309-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
29 Jan 2020
Research article |
| 29 Jan 2020
| 29 Jan 2020
Glacier algae accelerate melt rates on the south-western Greenland Ice Sheet
Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 2TN, UK
Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences,
Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DA, UK
Andrew J. Tedstone
Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Berkely Square, Bristol, BS8 1RL, UK
Christopher Williamson
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Ave, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
Jenine McCutcheon
School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
Andrew J. Hodson
Department of Geology, University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, 9171, Norway
Department of Environmental Sciences, Western Norway University of
Applied Sciences, 6856 Sogndal, Norway
Archana Dayal
Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 2TN, UK
Department of Geology, University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, 9171, Norway
McKenzie Skiles
Department of Geography, University of Utah, Central Campus Dr, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Stefan Hofer
Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Berkely Square, Bristol, BS8 1RL, UK
Robert Bryant
Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 2TN, UK
Owen McAree
Faculty of Science, Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
Andrew McGonigle
Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 2TN, UK
School of Geosciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006,
Australia
Jonathan Ryan
Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Alexandre M. Anesio
Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, 4000
Roskilde, Denmark
Tristram D. L. Irvine-Fynn
Department of Geography and Earth Science, Aberystwyth University,
Wales, SY23 3DB, UK
Alun Hubbard
Centre for Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, University of Tromsø, 9010 Tromsø, Norway
Edward Hanna
School of Geography and Lincoln Centre for Water and Planetary Health, University of Lincoln, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7DW, UK
Mark Flanner
Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward St. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Sathish Mayanna
German Research Centre for Geosciences, GFZ, Potsdam, Germany
Liane G. Benning
School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
German Research Centre for Geosciences, GFZ, Potsdam, Germany
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Dirk van As
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark
Marian Yallop
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Ave, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
James B. McQuaid
School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
Thomas Gribbin
Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Berkely Square, Bristol, BS8 1RL, UK
Martyn Tranter
Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Berkely Square, Bristol, BS8 1RL, UK
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Latest update: 06 Dec 2025
Short summary
Melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is a major source of uncertainty for sea level rise projections. Ice-darkening due to the growth of algae has been recognized as a potential accelerator of melting. This paper measures and models the algae-driven ice melting and maps the algae over the ice sheet for the first time. We estimate that as much as 13 % total runoff from the south-western GrIS can be attributed to these algae, showing that they must be included in future mass balance models.
Melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is a major source of uncertainty for sea level rise...
