Articles | Volume 17, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-309-2023
© Author(s) 2023. 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-17-309-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
23 Jan 2023
Research article |
| 23 Jan 2023
| 23 Jan 2023
The control of short-term ice mélange weakening episodes on calving activity at major Greenland outlet glaciers
Institute of Geography, University of Zurich, 8052 Zurich, Switzerland
Martin P. Lüthi
Institute of Geography, University of Zurich, 8052 Zurich, Switzerland
Andreas Vieli
Institute of Geography, University of Zurich, 8052 Zurich, Switzerland
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Short summary
We characterized short-lived episodes of ice mélange weakening (IMW) at the front of three major Greenland outlet glaciers. Through a continuous detection at the front of Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier during the June-to-September period from 2018 to 2021, we found that 87 % of the IMW episodes occurred prior to a large-scale calving event. Using a simple model for ice mélange motion, we further characterized the IMW process as self-sustained through the existence of an IMW–calving feedback.
We characterized short-lived episodes of ice mélange weakening (IMW) at the front of three...
