Articles | Volume 18, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5451-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5451-2024
Research article
 | 
25 Nov 2024
Research article |  | 25 Nov 2024

Modeling saline-fluid flow through subglacial channels

Amy Jenson, Mark Skidmore, Lucas Beem, Martin Truffer, and Scott McCalla

Model code and software

Subglacial brine flow Amy Jenson et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10775488

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Short summary
Water in some glacier environments contains salt, which increases its density and lowers its freezing point, allowing saline water to exist where freshwater cannot. Previous subglacial hydrology models do not consider saline fluid. We model the flow of saline fluid from a subglacial lake through a circular channel at the glacier bed, finding that higher salinities lead to less melting at the channel walls and lower discharge rates. We also observe the impact of increased fluid density on flow.