Articles | Volume 18, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4817-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4817-2024
Research article
 | 
24 Oct 2024
Research article |  | 24 Oct 2024

Ice mélange melt changes observed water column stratification at a tidewater glacier in Greenland

Nicole Abib, David A. Sutherland, Rachel Peterson, Ginny Catania, Jonathan D. Nash, Emily L. Shroyer, Leigh A. Stearns, and Timothy C. Bartholomaus

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Cited articles

Abib, N., Sutherland, D., Peterson, R., Catania, G., Nash, J., Shroyer, E., Stearns, L., and Bartholomaus, T.: August 2014 Timelapse Video of the Terminus of Kangilliup Sermia, Greenland, figshare [video], https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.26878042.v1, 2024. 
Amundson, J. M., Fahnestock, M., Truffer, M., Brown, J., Lüthi, M. P., and Motyka, R. J.: Ice mélange dynamics and implications for terminus stability, Jakobshavn Isbrse, Greenland, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 115, 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JF001405, 2010. 
Bao, W. and Moffat, C.: Impact of shallow sills on circulation regimes and submarine melting in glacial fjords, The Cryosphere, 18, 187–203, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-187-2024, 2024. 
Bartholomaus, T. C., Stearns, L. A., Sutherland, D. A., Shroyer, E. L., Nash, J. D., Walker, R. T., Catania, G., Felikson, D., Carroll, D., Fried, M. J., Noël, B. P. Y., and Van Den Broeke, M. R.: Contrasts in the response of adjacent fjords and glaciers to ice-sheet surface melt in West Greenland, Ann. Glaciol., 57, 25–38, https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2016.19, 2016. 
Beaird, N., Straneo, F., and Jenkins, W.: Spreading of Greenland meltwaters in the ocean revealed by noble gases, Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 7705–7713, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL065003, 2015. 
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Short summary
The melting of ice mélange, or dense packs of icebergs and sea ice in glacial fjords, can influence the water column by releasing cold fresh water deep under the ocean surface. However, direct observations of this process have remained elusive. We use measurements of ocean temperature, salinity, and velocity bookending an episodic ice mélange event to show that this meltwater input changes the density profile of a glacial fjord and has implications for understanding tidewater glacier change.