Articles | Volume 18, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4817-2024
© Author(s) 2024. 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-18-4817-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Ice mélange melt changes observed water column stratification at a tidewater glacier in Greenland
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA
David A. Sutherland
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA
Rachel Peterson
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97405, USA
Ginny Catania
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
Jonathan D. Nash
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
Emily L. Shroyer
Office of Naval Research, Arlington, VA 22217, USA
Leigh A. Stearns
Department of Geology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
Timothy C. Bartholomaus
Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
Related authors
No articles found.
Alexander O. Hager, David A. Sutherland, and Donald A. Slater
The Cryosphere, 18, 911–932, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-911-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-911-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Warming ocean temperatures cause considerable ice loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet; however climate models are unable to resolve the complex ocean processes within fjords that influence near-glacier ocean temperatures. Here, we use a computer model to test the accuracy of assumptions that allow climate and ice sheet models to project near-glacier ocean temperatures, and thus glacier melt, into the future. We then develop new methods that improve accuracy by accounting for local ocean processes.
Dominik Fahrner, Donald Slater, Aman KC, Claudia Cenedese, David A. Sutherland, Ellyn Enderlin, Femke de Jong, Kristian K. Kjeldsen, Michael Wood, Peter Nienow, Sophie Nowicki, and Till Wagner
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-411, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-411, 2023
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
Marine-terminating glaciers can lose mass through frontal ablation, which comprises submarine and surface melting, and iceberg calving. We estimate frontal ablation for 49 marine-terminating glaciers in Greenland by combining existing, satellite derived data and calculating volume change near the glacier front over time. The dataset offers exciting opportunities to study the influence of climate forcings on marine-terminating glaciers in Greenland over multi-decadal timescales.
Enze Zhang, Ginny Catania, and Daniel T. Trugman
The Cryosphere, 17, 3485–3503, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3485-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3485-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Glacier termini are essential for studying why glaciers retreat, but they need to be mapped automatically due to the volume of satellite images. Existing automated mapping methods have been limited due to limited automation, lack of quality control, and inadequacy in highly diverse terminus environments. We design a fully automated, deep-learning-based method to produce termini with quality control. We produced 278 239 termini in Greenland and provided a way to deliver new termini regularly.
Chris Miele, Timothy C. Bartholomaus, and Ellyn M. Enderlin
The Cryosphere, 17, 2701–2704, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2701-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2701-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Vertical shear stress (the stress orientation usually associated with vertical gradients in horizontal velocities) is a key component of the stress balance of ice shelves. However, partly due to historical assumptions, vertical shear is often misspoken of today as
negligiblein ice shelf models. We address this miscommunication, providing conceptual guidance regarding this often misrepresented stress. Fundamentally, vertical shear is required to balance thickness gradients in ice shelves.
Evan Carnahan, Ginny Catania, and Timothy C. Bartholomaus
The Cryosphere, 16, 4305–4317, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4305-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4305-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The Greenland Ice Sheet primarily loses mass through increased ice discharge. We find changes in discharge from outlet glaciers are initiated by ocean warming, which causes a change in the balance of forces resisting gravity and leads to acceleration. Vulnerable conditions for sustained retreat and acceleration are predetermined by the glacier-fjord geometry and exist around Greenland, suggesting increases in ice discharge may be sustained into the future despite a pause in ocean warming.
Sophie Goliber, Taryn Black, Ginny Catania, James M. Lea, Helene Olsen, Daniel Cheng, Suzanne Bevan, Anders Bjørk, Charlie Bunce, Stephen Brough, J. Rachel Carr, Tom Cowton, Alex Gardner, Dominik Fahrner, Emily Hill, Ian Joughin, Niels J. Korsgaard, Adrian Luckman, Twila Moon, Tavi Murray, Andrew Sole, Michael Wood, and Enze Zhang
The Cryosphere, 16, 3215–3233, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3215-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3215-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Terminus traces have been used to understand how Greenland's glaciers have changed over time; however, manual digitization is time-intensive, and a lack of coordination leads to duplication of efforts. We have compiled a dataset of over 39 000 terminus traces for 278 glaciers for scientific and machine learning applications. We also provide an overview of an updated version of the Google Earth Engine Digitization Tool (GEEDiT), which has been developed specifically for the Greenland Ice Sheet.
John Erich Christian, Alexander A. Robel, and Ginny Catania
The Cryosphere, 16, 2725–2743, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2725-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2725-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Marine-terminating glaciers have recently retreated dramatically, but the role of anthropogenic forcing remains uncertain. We use idealized model simulations to develop a framework for assessing the probability of rapid retreat in the context of natural climate variability. Our analyses show that century-scale anthropogenic trends can substantially increase the probability of retreats. This provides a roadmap for future work to formally assess the role of human activity in recent glacier change.
Andy Aschwanden, Timothy C. Bartholomaus, Douglas J. Brinkerhoff, and Martin Truffer
The Cryosphere, 15, 5705–5715, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5705-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5705-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Estimating how much ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica will contribute to sea level rise is of critical societal importance. However, our analysis shows that recent efforts are not trustworthy because the models fail at reproducing contemporary ice melt. Here we present a roadmap towards making more credible estimates of ice sheet melt.
Ellyn M. Enderlin and Timothy C. Bartholomaus
The Cryosphere, 14, 4121–4133, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4121-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4121-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Accurate predictions of future changes in glacier flow require the realistic simulation of glacier terminus position change in numerical models. We use crevasse observations for 19 Greenland glaciers to explore whether the two commonly used crevasse depth models match observations. The models cannot reproduce spatial patterns, and we largely attribute discrepancies between modeled and observed depths to the models' inability to account for advection.
Related subject area
Discipline: Other | Subject: Ocean Interactions
Ice-shelf freshwater triggers for the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf melt tipping point in a global ocean–sea-ice model
Fjord circulation induced by melting icebergs
The macronutrient and micronutrient (iron and manganese) signature of icebergs
Modeling seasonal-to-decadal ocean–cryosphere interactions along the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica
Impact of icebergs on the seasonal submarine melt of Sermeq Kujalleq
Reversal of ocean gyres near ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea caused by the interaction of sea ice and wind
Impact of freshwater runoff from the southwest Greenland Ice Sheet on fjord productivity since the late 19th century
Modeling intensive ocean–cryosphere interactions in Lützow-Holm Bay, East Antarctica
Drivers for Atlantic-origin waters abutting Greenland
Impact of West Antarctic ice shelf melting on Southern Ocean hydrography
Ice island thinning: rates and model calibration with in situ observations from Baffin Bay, Nunavut
Quantifying iceberg calving fluxes with underwater noise
Modeling the effect of Ross Ice Shelf melting on the Southern Ocean in quasi-equilibrium
Matthew J. Hoffman, Carolyn Branecky Begeman, Xylar S. Asay-Davis, Darin Comeau, Alice Barthel, Stephen F. Price, and Jonathan D. Wolfe
The Cryosphere, 18, 2917–2937, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2917-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2917-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica is susceptible to the intrusion of deep, warm ocean water that could increase the melting at the ice-shelf base by a factor of 10. We show that representing this potential melt regime switch in a low-resolution climate model requires careful treatment of iceberg melting and ocean mixing. We also demonstrate a possible ice-shelf melt domino effect where increased melting of nearby ice shelves can lead to the melt regime switch at Filchner–Ronne.
Kenneth G. Hughes
The Cryosphere, 18, 1315–1332, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1315-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1315-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A mathematical and conceptual model of how the melting of hundreds of icebergs generates currents within a fjord.
Jana Krause, Dustin Carroll, Juan Höfer, Jeremy Donaire, Eric Pieter Achterberg, Emilio Alarcón, Te Liu, Lorenz Meire, Kechen Zhu, and Mark James Hopwood
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2991, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2991, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Icebergs are a mechanism via which the cryosphere and ocean interact. Here we analyzed ice samples from both Arctic and Antarctic polar regions to assess the variability in the composition of calved ice. Our results show that low concentrations of nitrate and phosphate in ice are primarily atmospheric in origin, whereas sediments impart a low concentration of silica and modest concentrations of trace metals, especially iron and manganese.
Kazuya Kusahara, Daisuke Hirano, Masakazu Fujii, Alexander D. Fraser, Takeshi Tamura, Kohei Mizobata, Guy D. Williams, and Shigeru Aoki
The Cryosphere, 18, 43–73, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-43-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-43-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study focuses on the Totten and Moscow University ice shelves, East Antarctica. We used an ocean–sea ice–ice shelf model to better understand regional interactions between ocean, sea ice, and ice shelf. We found that a combination of warm ocean water and local sea ice production influences the regional ice shelf basal melting. Furthermore, the model reproduced the summertime undercurrent on the upper continental slope, regulating ocean heat transport onto the continental shelf.
Karita Kajanto, Fiammetta Straneo, and Kerim Nisancioglu
The Cryosphere, 17, 371–390, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-371-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-371-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Many outlet glaciers in Greenland are connected to the ocean by narrow glacial fjords, where warm water melts the glacier from underneath. Ocean water is modified in these fjords through processes that are poorly understood, particularly iceberg melt. We use a model to show how iceberg melt cools down Ilulissat Icefjord and causes circulation to take place deeper in the fjord than if there were no icebergs. This causes the glacier to melt less and from a smaller area than without icebergs.
Yixi Zheng, David P. Stevens, Karen J. Heywood, Benjamin G. M. Webber, and Bastien Y. Queste
The Cryosphere, 16, 3005–3019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3005-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3005-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
New observations reveal the Thwaites gyre in a habitually ice-covered region in the Amundsen Sea for the first time. This gyre rotates anticlockwise, despite the wind here favouring clockwise gyres like the Pine Island Bay gyre – the only other ocean gyre reported in the Amundsen Sea. We use an ocean model to suggest that sea ice alters the wind stress felt by the ocean and hence determines the gyre direction and strength. These processes may also be applied to other gyres in polar oceans.
Mimmi Oksman, Anna Bang Kvorning, Signe Hillerup Larsen, Kristian Kjellerup Kjeldsen, Kenneth David Mankoff, William Colgan, Thorbjørn Joest Andersen, Niels Nørgaard-Pedersen, Marit-Solveig Seidenkrantz, Naja Mikkelsen, and Sofia Ribeiro
The Cryosphere, 16, 2471–2491, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2471-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2471-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
One of the questions facing the cryosphere community today is how increasing runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet impacts marine ecosystems. To address this, long-term data are essential. Here, we present multi-site records of fjord productivity for SW Greenland back to the 19th century. We show a link between historical freshwater runoff and productivity, which is strongest in the inner fjord – influenced by marine-terminating glaciers – where productivity has increased since the late 1990s.
Kazuya Kusahara, Daisuke Hirano, Masakazu Fujii, Alexander D. Fraser, and Takeshi Tamura
The Cryosphere, 15, 1697–1717, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1697-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1697-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We used an ocean–sea ice–ice shelf model with a 2–3 km horizontal resolution to investigate ocean–ice shelf/glacier interactions in Lützow-Holm Bay, East Antarctica. The numerical model reproduced the observed warm water intrusion along the deep trough in the bay. We examined in detail (1) water mass changes between the upper continental slope and shelf regions and (2) the fast-ice role in the ocean conditions and basal melting at the Shirase Glacier tongue.
Laura C. Gillard, Xianmin Hu, Paul G. Myers, Mads Hvid Ribergaard, and Craig M. Lee
The Cryosphere, 14, 2729–2753, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2729-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2729-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Greenland's glaciers in contact with the ocean drain the majority of the ice sheet (GrIS). Deep troughs along the shelf branch into fjords, connecting glaciers with ocean waters. The heat from the ocean entering deep troughs may then accelerate the mass loss. Onshore heat transport through troughs was investigated with an ocean model. Processes that drive the delivery of ocean heat respond differently by region to increasing GrIS meltwater, mean circulation, and filtering out of storms.
Yoshihiro Nakayama, Ralph Timmermann, and Hartmut H. Hellmer
The Cryosphere, 14, 2205–2216, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2205-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2205-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Previous studies have shown accelerations of West Antarctic glaciers, implying that basal melt rates of these glaciers were small and increased in the middle of the 20th century. We conduct coupled sea ice–ice shelf–ocean simulations with different levels of ice shelf melting from West Antarctic glaciers. This study reveals how far and how quickly glacial meltwater from ice shelves in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen seas propagates downstream into the Ross Sea and along the East Antarctic coast.
Anna J. Crawford, Derek Mueller, Gregory Crocker, Laurent Mingo, Luc Desjardins, Dany Dumont, and Marcel Babin
The Cryosphere, 14, 1067–1081, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1067-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1067-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Large tabular icebergs (
ice islands) are symbols of climate change as well as marine hazards. We measured thickness along radar transects over two visits to a 14 km2 Arctic ice island and left automated equipment to monitor surface ablation and thickness over 1 year. We assess variation in thinning rates and calibrate an ice–ocean melt model with field data. Our work contributes to understanding ice island deterioration via logistically complex fieldwork in a remote environment.
Oskar Glowacki and Grant B. Deane
The Cryosphere, 14, 1025–1042, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1025-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1025-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Marine-terminating glaciers are shrinking rapidly in response to the warming climate and thus provide large quantities of fresh water to the ocean system. However, accurate estimates of ice loss at the ice–ocean boundary are difficult to obtain. Here we demonstrate that ice mass loss from iceberg break-off (calving) can be measured by analyzing the underwater noise generated as icebergs impact the sea surface.
Xiying Liu
The Cryosphere, 12, 3033–3044, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3033-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3033-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Numerical experiments have been performed to study the effect of basal melting of the Ross Ice Shelf on the ocean southward of 35° S. It is shown that the melt rate averaged over the entire Ross Ice Shelf is 0.253 m year-1, which is associated with a freshwater flux of 3150 m3 s-1. The extra freshwater flux decreases the salinity in the Southern Ocean substantially, leading to anomalies in circulation, sea ice, and heat transport in certain parts of the ocean.
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.
Carnahan, E., Catania, G., and Bartholomaus, T. C.: Observed mechanism for sustained glacier retreat and acceleration in response to ocean warming around Greenland, The Cryosphere, 16, 4305–4317, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4305-2022, 2022.
Carroll, D., Sutherland, D. A., Shroyer, E. L., Nash, J. D., Catania, G. A., and Stearns, L. A.: Modeling turbulent subglacial meltwater plumes: Implications for fjord-scale buoyancy-driven circulation, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 45, 2169–2185, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-15-0033.1, 2015.
Carroll, D., Sutherland, D. A., Hudson, B., Moon, T., Catania, G. A., Shroyer, E. L., Nash, J. D., Bartholomaus, T. C., Felikson, D., Stearns, L. A., Noël, B. P. Y., and van den Broeke, M. R.: The impact of glacier geometry on meltwater plume structure and submarine melt in Greenland fjords, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, 9739–9748, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070170, 2016.
Carroll, D., Sutherland, D. A., Shroyer, E. L., Nash, J. D., Catania, G. A., and Stearns, L. A.: Subglacial discharge-driven renewal of tidewater glacier fjords, J. Geophys. Res.-Ocean., 122, 6611–6629, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JC012962, 2017.
Carroll, D., Sutherland, D. A., Curry, B., Nash, J. D., Shroyer, E. L., Catania, G. A., Stearns, L. A., Grist, J. P., Lee, C. M., and de Steur, L.: Subannual and Seasonal Variability of Atlantic-Origin Waters in Two Adjacent West Greenland Fjords, J. Geophys. Res.-Ocean., 123, 6670–6687, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014278, 2018.
Catania, G. A., Stearns, L. A., Sutherland, D. A., Fried, M. J., Bartholomaus, T. C., Morlighem, M., Shroyer, E., and Nash, J.: Geometric Controls on Tidewater Glacier Retreat in Central Western Greenland, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 123, 2024–2038, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JF004499, 2018a.
Catania, G., Stearns, L., Sutherland, D., Shroyer, E., and Nash, J.: Water temperature, salinity and hydrostatic pressure collected from subsurface moorings deployed by the research vessel Sanna in the Uummannaq Bay, west Greenland, from 2013-09-17 to 2015-07-12, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information [data set], https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0173969 (last access: 5 August 2024), 2018b.
Cenedese, C. and Straneo, F.: Icebergs Melting, Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech., 55, 377–402, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-fluid-032522-100734, 2023.
Chauché, N., Hubbard, A., Gascard, J. C., Box, J. E., Bates, R., Koppes, M., Sole, A., Christoffersen, P., and Patton, H.: Ice-ocean interaction and calving front morphology at two west Greenland tidewater outlet glaciers, The Cryosphere, 8, 1457–1468, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1457-2014, 2014.
Cowton, T., Sole, A., Nienow, P., Slater, D. A., Wilton, D., and Hanna, E.: Controls on the transport of oceanic heat to Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier, East Greenland, J. Glaciol., 62, 1167–1180, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.117, 2016.
Cowton, T. R., Sole, A. J., Nienow, P. W., Slater, D. A., and Christoffersen, P.: Linear response of east Greenland's tidewater glaciers to ocean/atmosphere warming, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 115, 7907–7912, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1801769115, 2018.
Davison, B. J., Cowton, T. R., Cottier, F. R., and Sole, A. J.: Iceberg melting substantially modifies oceanic heat flux towards a major Greenlandic tidewater glacier, Nat. Commun., 11, 5983, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19805-7, 2020.
Davison, B. J., Cowton, T., Sole, A., Cottier, F., and Nienow, P.: Modelling the effect of submarine iceberg melting on glacier-adjacent water properties, The Cryosphere, 16, 1181–1196, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1181-2022, 2022.
Enderlin, E. M., Hamilton, G. S., Straneo, F., and Sutherland, D. A.: Iceberg meltwater fluxes dominate the freshwater budget in Greenland's iceberg-congested glacial fjords, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, 11287–11294, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070718, 2016.
Fahrner, D., Lea, J. M., Brough, S., Mair, D. W. F., and Abermann, J.: Linear response of the Greenland ice sheet's tidewater glacier terminus positions to climate, J. Glaciol., 67, 193–203, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.13, 2021.
FitzMaurice, A., Straneo, F., Cenedese, C., and Andres, M.: Effect of a sheared flow on iceberg motion and melting, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, 12520–12527, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL071602, 2016.
Fried, M. J., Catania, G. A., Stearns, L. A., Sutherland, D. A., Bartholomaus, T. C., Shroyer, E., and Nash, J.: Reconciling Drivers of Seasonal Terminus Advance and Retreat at 13 Central West Greenland Tidewater Glaciers, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 123, 1590–1607, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JF004628, 2018.
Gade, H. G.: Melting of Ice in Sea Water: A Primitive Model with Application to the Antarctic Ice Shelf and Icebergs, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 9, 189–198, 1979.
Greene, C. A., Gardner, A. S., Wood, M., and Cuzzone, J. K.: Ubiquitous acceleration in Greenland Ice Sheet calving from 1985 to 2022, Nature, 625, 523–528, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06863-2, 2024.
Hager, A. O., Sutherland, D. A., and Slater, D. A.: Local forcing mechanisms challenge parameterizations of ocean thermal forcing for Greenland tidewater glaciers, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-746, 2023.
Howat, I. M., Box, J. E., Ahn, Y., Herrington, A., and McFadden, E. M.: Seasonal variability in the dynamics of marine-terminating outlet glaciers in Greenland, J. Glaciol., 56, 601–613, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214310793146232, 2010.
Jackson, R. H., Shroyer, E. L., Nash, J. D., Sutherland, D. A., Carroll, D., Fried, M. J., Catania, G. A., Bartholomaus, T. C., and Stearns, L. A.: Near-glacier surveying of a subglacial discharge plume: Implications for plume parameterizations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 6886–6894, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073602, 2017.
Jackson, R. H., Nash, J. D., Kienholz, C., Sutherland, D. A., Amundson, J. M., Motyka, R. J., Winters, D., Skyllingstad, E., and Pettit, E. C.: Meltwater Intrusions Reveal Mechanisms for Rapid Submarine Melt at a Tidewater Glacier, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2019GL085335, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085335, 2020.
Jenkins, A.: The Impact of Melting Ice on Ocean Waters, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 29, 2370–2381, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(1999)029<2370:TIOMIO>2.0.CO;2, 1999.
Joughin, I., Howat, I. M., Fahnestock, M., Smith, B., Krabill, W., Alley, R. B., Stern, H., and Truffer, M.: Continued evolution of Jakobshavn Isbrae following its rapid speedup, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 113, 1–14, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JF001023, 2008.
Kajanto, K., Straneo, F., and Nisancioglu, K.: Impact of icebergs on the seasonal submarine melt of Sermeq Kujalleq, The Cryosphere, 17, 371–390, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-371-2023, 2023.
Kimura, S., Holland, P. R., Jenkins, A., and Piggott, M.: The effect of meltwater plumes on the melting of a vertical glacier face, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 44, 3099–3117, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-13-0219.1, 2014.
King, M. D., Howat, I. M., Jeong, S., Noh, M. J., Wouters, B., Noël, B., and Van Den Broeke, M. R.: Seasonal to decadal variability in ice discharge from the Greenland Ice Sheet, The Cryosphere, 12, 3813–3825, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3813-2018, 2018.
King, M. D., Howat, I. M., Candela, S. G., Noh, M. J., Jeong, S., Noël, B. P. Y., van den Broeke, M. R., Wouters, B., and Negrete, A.: Dynamic ice loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet driven by sustained glacier retreat, Commun. Earth Environ., 1, 1–7, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-0001-2, 2020.
Krug, J., Durand, G., Gagliardini, O., and Weiss, J.: Modelling the impact of submarine frontal melting and ice mélange on glacier dynamics, The Cryosphere, 9, 989–1003, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-989-2015, 2015.
Mankoff, K. D., Noël, B., Fettweis, X., Ahlstrøm, A. P., Colgan, W., Kondo, K., Langley, K., Sugiyama, S., van As, D., and Fausto, R. S.: Greenland liquid water discharge from 1958 through 2019, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 2811–2841, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2811-2020, 2020.
McDougall, T. J. and Barker, P. M.: Getting started with TEOS-10 and the Gibbs Seawater (GSW) Oceanographic Toolbox, 28 pp., SCOR/IAPSO WG127, ISBN 978-0-646-55621-5, 2011.
Moon, T., Sutherland, D. A., Carroll, D., Felikson, D., Kehrl, L., and Straneo, F.: Subsurface iceberg melt key to Greenland fjord freshwater budget, Nat. Geosci., 11, 49–54, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-017-0018-z, 2018.
Morlighem, M., Williams, C. N., Rignot, E., An, L., Arndt, J. E., Bamber, J. L., Catania, G., Chauché, N., Dowdeswell, J. A., Dorschel, B., Fenty, I., Hogan, K., Howat, I., Hubbard, A., Jakobsson, M., Jordan, T. M., Kjeldsen, K. K., Millan, R., Mayer, L., Mouginot, J., Noël, B. P. Y., O'Cofaigh, C., Palmer, S., Rysgaard, S., Seroussi, H., Siegert, M. J., Slabon, P., Straneo, F., van den Broeke, M. R., Weinrebe, W., Wood, M., and Zinglersen, K. B.: BedMachine v3: Complete Bed Topography and Ocean Bathymetry Mapping of Greenland From Multibeam Echo Sounding Combined With Mass Conservation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 11051–11061, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074954, 2017.
Morlighem, M., Williams, C., Rignot, E., An, L., Arndt, J. E., Bamber, J., Catania, G., Chauché, N., Dowdeswell, J. A., Dorschel, B., Fenty, I., Hogan, K., Howat, I., Hubbard, A., Jakobsson, M., Jordan, T. M., Kjeldsen, K. K., Millan, R., Mayer, L., Mouginot, J., Noël, B., O'Cofaigh, C., Palmer, S. J., Rysgaard, S., Seroussi, H., Siegert, M. J., Slabon, P., Straneo, F., van den Broeke, M. R., Weinrebe, W., Wood, M., and Zinglersen, K.: IceBridge BedMachine Greenland, Version 5, NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center [data set], https://doi.org/10.5067/GMEVBWFLWA7X, 2022.
Murray, T., Scharrer, K., James, T. D., Dye, S. R., Hanna, E., Booth, A. D., Selmes, N., Luckman, A., Hughes, A. L. C., Cook, S., and Huybrechts, P.: Ocean regulation hypothesis for glacier dynamics in southeast Greenland and implications for ice sheet mass changes, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 115, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JF001522, 2010.
Nick, F. M., Vieli, A., Howat, I. M., and Joughin, I.: Large-scale changes in Greenland outlet glacier dynamics triggered at the terminus, Nat. Geosci., 2, 110–114, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo394, 2009.
Noël, B., Van De Berg, W. J., Van Meijgaard, E., Kuipers Munneke, P., Van De Wal, R. S. W., and Van Den Broeke, M. R.: Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: Summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet, The Cryosphere, 9, 1831–1844, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1831-2015, 2015.
Slater, D. A., Goldberg, D. N., Nienow, P. W., and Cowton, T. R.: Scalings for submarine melting at tidewater glaciers from buoyant plume theory, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 46, 1839–1855, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-15-0132.1, 2016.
Slater, D. A., Nienow, P. W., Goldberg, D. N., Cowton, T. R., and Sole, A. J.: A model for tidewater glacier undercutting by submarine melting, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 2360–2368, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072374, 2017a.
Slater, D. A., Nienow, P., Sole, A., Cowton, T., Mottram, R., Langen, P., and Mair, D.: Spatially distributed runoff at the grounding line of a large Greenlandic tidewater glacier inferred from plume modelling, J. Glaciol., 63, 309–323, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.139, 2017b.
Slater, D. A., Carroll, D., Oliver, H., Hopwood, M. J., Straneo, F., Wood, M., Willis, J. K., and Morlighem, M.: Characteristic Depths, Fluxes, and Timescales for Greenland's Tidewater Glacier Fjords From Subglacial Discharge-Driven Upwelling During Summer, Geophys. Res. Lett., 49, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL097081, 2022.
Straneo, F. and Cenedese, C.: The dynamics of greenland's glacial fjords and their role in climate, Ann. Rev. Mar. Sci., 7, 89–112, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-010213-135133, 2015.
Straneo, F., Sutherland, D. A., Holland, D., Gladish, C., Hamilton, G. S., Johnson, H. L., Rignot, E., Xu, Y., and Koppes, M.: Characteristics of ocean waters reaching greenland's glaciers, Ann. Glaciol., 53, 202–210, https://doi.org/10.3189/2012AoG60A059, 2012.
Sulak, D. J., Sutherland, D. A., Enderlin, E. M., Stearns, L. A., and Hamilton, G. S.: Iceberg properties and distributions in three Greenlandic fjords using satellite imagery, Ann. Glaciol., 58, 92–106, https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2017.5, 2017.
Swaninger, E. S.: Summer mélange stabilizes rifting terminus ice and Rink Isbrae, West Greenland, University of Idaho, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 39 pp., 2020.
Wood, M., Rignot, E., Fenty, I., An, L., Bjørk, A., Broeke, M. Van Den, Cai, C., Kane, E., Menemenlis, D., Millan, R., Morlighem, M., Mouginot, J., Noël, B., Scheuchl, B., Velicogna, I., Willis, J. K., and Zhang, H.: Ocean forcing drives glacier retreat in Greenland, Sci. Adv., 7, 1–10, 2021.
Xu, Y., Rignot, E., Fenty, I., Menemenlis, D., and Flexas, M. M.: Subaqueous melting of Store Glacier, west Greenland from three-dimensional, high-resolution numerical modeling and ocean observations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 4648–4653, https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50825, 2013.
Zhao, K. X., Stewart, A. L., McWilliams, J. C., Fenty, I. G., and Rignot, E. J.: Standing Eddies in Glacial Fjords and Their Role in Fjord Circulation and Melt, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 53, 821–840, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-22-0085.1, 2023.
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.
The melting of ice mélange, or dense packs of icebergs and sea ice in glacial fjords, can...