Articles | Volume 19, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-267-2025
© Author(s) 2025. 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-19-267-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
22 Jan 2025
Research article |
| 22 Jan 2025
| 22 Jan 2025
Creep enhancement and sliding in a temperate, hard-bedded alpine glacier
Juan-Pedro Roldán-Blasco
IGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, 38000 Grenoble, France
Adrien Gilbert
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
IGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, 38000 Grenoble, France
Luc Piard
IGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, 38000 Grenoble, France
Florent Gimbert
IGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, 38000 Grenoble, France
Christian Vincent
IGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, 38000 Grenoble, France
Olivier Gagliardini
IGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, 38000 Grenoble, France
Anuar Togaibekov
IGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, 38000 Grenoble, France
ISTerre, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, UGE, 38000 Grenoble, France
Andrea Walpersdorf
ISTerre, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, UGE, 38000 Grenoble, France
Nathan Maier
IGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, 38000 Grenoble, France
Related authors
No articles found.
Christophe Ogier, Mauro A. Werder, Olivier Gagliardini, Ilaria Santin, Raphael Moser, Romain Hugonnet, Antoine Blanc, and Daniel Farinotti
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-466, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-466, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS).
Short summary
Short summary
In June 2024, a destructive flood impacted the village of La Bérarde in the French Alps. Rain, snowmelt, and the drainage of a surface lake on a glacier cannot fully explain the flood magnitude. We used glacier topography to estimate how much water could also have been stored beneath the glacier before the event. Our results show that large volumes of hidden water may have existed and could have amplified the flood, highlighting an overlooked hazard in debris-covered mountain glaciers.
Anuar Togaibekov, Adrien Gilbert, Florent Gimbert, and Andrea Walpersdorf
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6293, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6293, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
Changes in water reaching the base of glaciers strongly affect their sliding speed by altering water pressure beneath the ice. High water pressure is often thought to develop during summer melt, enlarging cavities at the glacier base and increasing sliding speed. Our observations show instead that the cavities mainly grow during winter, when water pressure builds up in isolated cavities. As the cavities become connected during the melt season, water pressure decreases and the glacier slows down.
Victoria Mowbray, Christian Sue, Stéphane Baize, Céline Beauval, Marguerite Mathey, Anne Lemoine, Andrea Walpersdorf, and Eloïse Granier
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-601, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-601, 2025
Preprint under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
We present a fault-related data compilation, named South-East France Potentially Active Faults (SEFPAF). It integrates structural components and presents a fault classification by importance, amount of documentation and seismogenic potential. This last parameter is assessed by analysing the amount of observed seismicity near the faults, amount of surface deformation estimated from GNSS velocities, and the age of the last known rupture on the fault.
Thomas Chauve, Florent Gimbert, Adrien Gilbert, Olivier Gagliardini, Luc Piard, Arnaud Reboud, Olivier Laarman, Paolo Perret, William Boffelli, Pietro Di Sopra, Luca Mondardini, and Fabrizio Troilo
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5714, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5714, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
A field campaign on the Planpincieux Glacier investigated how hidden heterogeneities inside the ice affect its deformation. A borehole logged with optical and acoustic tools and equipped with tilt sensors revealed that these heterogeneities cause strong deformation localization. Such weak zones significantly influence glacier motion, showing that internal structure is key to understanding how glaciers flow.
Albane Barbero, Guilhem Freche, Luc Piard, Lucile Richard, Takoua Mhadhbi, Anouk Marsal, Stephan Houdier, Julie Camman, Mathilde Brezins, Benjamin Golly, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, and Gaëlle Uzu
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 7085–7104, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-7085-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-7085-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Air pollution can harm our health by triggering harmful chemical reactions in our lungs. To better understand this, we developed a new instrument that measures how air particles may cause such effects in near real time. Unlike current methods that may miss key signals, our system captures and analyzes air more efficiently and continuously. Our results show it works reliably, offering a promising new tool to monitor pollution’s health impacts more accurately.
Léon Roussel, Marie Dumont, Marion Réveillet, Delphine Six, Marin Kneib, Pierre Nabat, Kévin Fourteau, Diego Monteiro, Simon Gascoin, Emmanuel Thibert, Antoine Rabatel, Jean-Emmanuel Sicart, Mylène Bonnefoy, Luc Piard, Olivier Laarman, Bruno Jourdain, Mathieu Fructus, Matthieu Vernay, and Matthieu Lafaysse
The Cryosphere, 19, 5201–5230, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5201-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5201-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Saharan dust deposits frequently turn alpine glaciers orange. Mineral dust reduces snow albedo and increases snow and glaciers melt rate. Using physical modeling, we quantified the impact of dust on the Argentière Glacier over the period 2019–2022. We found that the contribution of mineral dust to the melt represents between 8 % and 16 % of Argentière Glacier summer melt. At specific locations, the impact of dust over one year can rise to an equivalent of 1.2 m of melted ice.
Cyrille Mosbeux, Peter Råback, Adrien Gilbert, Julien Brondex, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Mondher Chekki, Olivier Gagliardini, and Gaël Durand
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3039, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3039, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Transport processes like rocks carried by ice flow and damage evolution – a proxy for crevasses – are key in ice sheet modeling and should occur without diffusion. Yet, standard numerical methods often blur these features. We explore a particle-based Semi-Lagrangian approach, comparing it to a Discontinuous Galerkin method, and show it can accurately simulate such transport when run at high enough resolution.
Julien Brondex, Olivier Gagliardini, Adrien Gilbert, and Emmanuel Thibert
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2137, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2137, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate crevasse initiation by analyzing the artificial drainage of a water-filled cavity at Tête Rousse Glacier (Mont Blanc, France). Using a numerical model, we compute stress fields in response to water level variations in the cavity and compare them to observed crevasse patterns. Results show that a non-linear viscous rheology and a maximum principal stress criterion (with a stress threshold of 100–130 kPa) best predict crevasse occurrence.
Marin Kneib, Amaury Dehecq, Adrien Gilbert, Auguste Basset, Evan S. Miles, Guillaume Jouvet, Bruno Jourdain, Etienne Ducasse, Luc Beraud, Antoine Rabatel, Jérémie Mouginot, Guillem Carcanade, Olivier Laarman, Fanny Brun, and Delphine Six
The Cryosphere, 18, 5965–5983, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5965-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5965-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Avalanches contribute to increasing the accumulation on mountain glaciers by redistributing snow from surrounding mountains slopes. Here we quantified the contribution of avalanches to the mass balance of Argentière Glacier in the French Alps, by combining satellite and field observations to model the glacier dynamics. We show that the contribution of avalanches locally increases the accumulation by 60–70 % and that accounting for this effect results in less ice loss by the end of the century.
Mohd Farooq Azam, Christian Vincent, Smriti Srivastava, Etienne Berthier, Patrick Wagnon, Himanshu Kaushik, Md. Arif Hussain, Manoj Kumar Munda, Arindan Mandal, and Alagappan Ramanathan
The Cryosphere, 18, 5653–5672, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5653-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5653-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Mass balance series on Chhota Shigri Glacier has been reanalysed by combining the traditional mass balance reanalysis framework and a nonlinear model. The nonlinear model is preferred over traditional glaciological methods to compute the mass balances, as the former can capture the spatiotemporal variability in point mass balances from a heterogeneous in situ point mass balance network. The nonlinear model outperforms the traditional method and agrees better with the geodetic estimates.
Susanne Preunkert, Pascal Bohleber, Michel Legrand, Adrien Gilbert, Tobias Erhardt, Roland Purtschert, Lars Zipf, Astrid Waldner, Joseph R. McConnell, and Hubertus Fischer
The Cryosphere, 18, 2177–2194, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2177-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2177-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ice cores from high-elevation Alpine glaciers are an important tool to reconstruct the past atmosphere. However, since crevasses are common at these glacier sites, rigorous investigations of glaciological conditions upstream of drill sites are needed before interpreting such ice cores. On the basis of three ice cores extracted at Col du Dôme (4250 m a.s.l; French Alps), an overall picture of a dynamic crevasse formation is drawn, which disturbs the depth–age relation of two of the three cores.
Emily A. Hill, Benoît Urruty, Ronja Reese, Julius Garbe, Olivier Gagliardini, Gaël Durand, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson, Ricarda Winkelmann, Mondher Chekki, David Chandler, and Petra M. Langebroek
The Cryosphere, 17, 3739–3759, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3739-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3739-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The grounding lines of the Antarctic Ice Sheet could enter phases of irreversible retreat or advance. We use three ice sheet models to show that the present-day locations of Antarctic grounding lines are reversible with respect to a small perturbation away from their current position. This indicates that present-day retreat of the grounding lines is not yet irreversible or self-enhancing.
Ronja Reese, Julius Garbe, Emily A. Hill, Benoît Urruty, Kaitlin A. Naughten, Olivier Gagliardini, Gaël Durand, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson, David Chandler, Petra M. Langebroek, and Ricarda Winkelmann
The Cryosphere, 17, 3761–3783, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3761-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3761-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We use an ice sheet model to test where current climate conditions in Antarctica might lead. We find that present-day ocean and atmosphere conditions might commit an irreversible collapse of parts of West Antarctica which evolves over centuries to millennia. Importantly, this collapse is not irreversible yet.
Christian Vincent and Emmanuel Thibert
The Cryosphere, 17, 1989–1995, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1989-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1989-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Temperature-index models have been widely used for glacier mass projections in the future. The ability of these models to capture non-linear responses of glacier mass balance (MB) to high deviations in air temperature and solid precipitation has recently been questioned by mass balance simulations employing advanced machine-learning techniques. Here, we confirmed that temperature-index models are capable of detecting non-linear responses of glacier MB to temperature and precipitation changes.
Rubén Basantes-Serrano, Antoine Rabatel, Bernard Francou, Christian Vincent, Alvaro Soruco, Thomas Condom, and Jean Carlo Ruíz
The Cryosphere, 16, 4659–4677, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4659-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4659-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We assessed the volume variation of 17 glaciers on the Antisana ice cap, near the Equator. We used aerial and satellite images for the period 1956–2016. We highlight very negative changes in 1956–1964 and 1979–1997 and slightly negative or even positive conditions in 1965–1978 and 1997–2016, the latter despite the recent increase in temperatures. Glaciers react according to regional climate variability, while local humidity and topography influence the specific behaviour of each glacier.
Małgorzata Chmiel, Maxime Godano, Marco Piantini, Pierre Brigode, Florent Gimbert, Maarten Bakker, Françoise Courboulex, Jean-Paul Ampuero, Diane Rivet, Anthony Sladen, David Ambrois, and Margot Chapuis
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 1541–1558, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-1541-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-1541-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
On 2 October 2020, the French Maritime Alps were struck by an extreme rainfall event caused by Storm Alex. Here, we show that seismic data provide the timing and velocity of the propagation of flash-flood waves along the Vésubie River. We also detect 114 small local earthquakes triggered by the rainwater weight and/or its infiltration into the ground. This study paves the way for future works that can reveal further details of the impact of Storm Alex on the Earth’s surface and subsurface.
Christophe Genthon, Dana E. Veron, Etienne Vignon, Jean-Baptiste Madeleine, and Luc Piard
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1571–1580, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1571-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1571-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The surface atmosphere of the high Antarctic Plateau is very cold and clean. Such conditions favor water vapor supersaturation. A 3-year quasi-continuous series of atmospheric moisture in a ~40 m atmospheric layer at Dome C is reported that documents time variability, vertical profiles and occurrences of supersaturation. Supersaturation with respect to ice is frequently observed throughout the column, with relative humidities occasionally reaching values near liquid water saturation.
R. Akhmetov, G. Makhmetova, E. Orynbassarova, A. Baltiyeva, A. Togaibekov, K. Roberts, and A. Yerzhankyzy
Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XLVI-5-W1-2022, 7–14, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVI-5-W1-2022-7-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVI-5-W1-2022-7-2022, 2022
Anna Derkacheva, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, Jeremie Mouginot, Eliot Jager, Nathan Maier, and Samuel Cook
The Cryosphere, 15, 5675–5704, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5675-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5675-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Along the edges of the Greenland Ice Sheet surface melt lubricates the bed and causes large seasonal fluctuations in ice speeds during summer. Accurately understanding how these ice speed changes occur is difficult due to the inaccessibility of the glacier bed. We show that by using surface velocity maps with high temporal resolution and numerical modelling we can infer the basal conditions that control seasonal fluctuations in ice speed and gain insight into seasonal dynamics over large areas.
Marco Piantini, Florent Gimbert, Hervé Bellot, and Alain Recking
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 1423–1439, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1423-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1423-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We carry out laboratory experiments to investigate the formation and propagation dynamics of exogenous sediment pulses in mountain rivers. We show that the ability of a self-formed deposit to destabilize and generate sediment pulses depends on the sand content of the mixture, while each pulse turns out to be formed by a front, a body, and a tail. Seismic measurements reveal a complex and non-unique dependency between seismic power and sediment pulse transport characteristics.
Marguerite Mathey, Christian Sue, Colin Pagani, Stéphane Baize, Andrea Walpersdorf, Thomas Bodin, Laurent Husson, Estelle Hannouz, and Bertrand Potin
Solid Earth, 12, 1661–1681, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-1661-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-1661-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This work features the highest-resolution seismic stress and strain fields available at the present time for the analysis of the active crustal deformation of the Western Alps. In this paper, we address a large dataset of newly computed focal mechanisms from a statistical standpoint, which allows us to suggest a joint control from far-field forces and from buoyancy forces on the present-day deformation of the Western Alps.
Chloé Scholzen, Thomas V. Schuler, and Adrien Gilbert
The Cryosphere, 15, 2719–2738, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2719-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2719-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We use a two-dimensional model of water flow below the glaciers in Kongsfjord, Svalbard, to investigate how different processes of surface-to-bed meltwater transfer affect subglacial hydraulic conditions. The latter are important for the sliding motion of glaciers, which in some cases exhibit huge variations. Our findings indicate that the glaciers in our study area undergo substantial sliding because water is poorly evacuated from their base, with limited influence from the surface hydrology.
Andreas Kääb, Mylène Jacquemart, Adrien Gilbert, Silvan Leinss, Luc Girod, Christian Huggel, Daniel Falaschi, Felipe Ugalde, Dmitry Petrakov, Sergey Chernomorets, Mikhail Dokukin, Frank Paul, Simon Gascoin, Etienne Berthier, and Jeffrey S. Kargel
The Cryosphere, 15, 1751–1785, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1751-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1751-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Hardly recognized so far, giant catastrophic detachments of glaciers are a rare but great potential for loss of lives and massive damage in mountain regions. Several of the events compiled in our study involve volumes (up to 100 million m3 and more), avalanche speeds (up to 300 km/h), and reaches (tens of kilometres) that are hard to imagine. We show that current climate change is able to enhance associated hazards. For the first time, we elaborate a set of factors that could cause these events.
Nathan Maier, Florent Gimbert, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, and Adrien Gilbert
The Cryosphere, 15, 1435–1451, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1435-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1435-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In Greenland, ice motion and the surface geometry depend on the friction at the bed. We use satellite measurements and modeling to determine how ice speeds and friction are related across the ice sheet. The relationships indicate that ice flowing over bed bumps sets the friction across most of the ice sheet's on-land regions. This result helps simplify and improve our understanding of how ice motion will change in the future.
Christian Vincent, Diego Cusicanqui, Bruno Jourdain, Olivier Laarman, Delphine Six, Adrien Gilbert, Andrea Walpersdorf, Antoine Rabatel, Luc Piard, Florent Gimbert, Olivier Gagliardini, Vincent Peyaud, Laurent Arnaud, Emmanuel Thibert, Fanny Brun, and Ugo Nanni
The Cryosphere, 15, 1259–1276, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1259-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1259-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In situ glacier point mass balance data are crucial to assess climate change in different regions of the world. Unfortunately, these data are rare because huge efforts are required to conduct in situ measurements on glaciers. Here, we propose a new approach from remote sensing observations. The method has been tested on the Argentière and Mer de Glace glaciers (France). It should be possible to apply this method to high-spatial-resolution satellite images and on numerous glaciers in the world.
Cited articles
Adams, C. J., Iverson, N. R., Helanow, C., Zoet, L. K., and Bate, C. E.: Softening of Temperate Ice by Interstitial Water, Front. Earth Sci., 9, 1–11, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.702761, 2021. a
Amundson, J. M., Truffer, M., and Lüthi, M. P.: Time-dependent basal stress conditions beneath Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska, USA, inferred from measurements of ice deformation and surface motion, J. Glaciol., 52, 347–357, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756506781828593, 2006. a
Arthern, R. J. and Gudmundsson, G. H.: Initialization of ice-sheet forecasts viewed as an inverse Robin problem, J. Glaciol., 56, 527–533, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214310792447699, 2010. a
Barnes, P., Tabor, D., and Walker, J. C. F.: The friction and creep of polycrystalline ice, P. Roy. Soc. Lond. A, 324, 127–155, https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1971.0132, 1971. a, b
Behn, M. D., Goldsby, D. L., and Hirth, G.: The role of grain size evolution in the rheology of ice: implications for reconciling laboratory creep data and the Glen flow law, The Cryosphere, 15, 4589–4605, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4589-2021, 2021. a
Benjumea, B., Macheret, Y. Y., Navarro, F. J., and Teixidó, T.: Estimation of water content in a temperate glacier from radar and seismic sounding data, Ann. Glaciol., 37, 317–324, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756403781815924, 2003. a
Beraud, L., Cusicanqui, D., Rabatel, A., Brun, F., Vincent, C., and Six, D.: Glacier-wide seasonal and annual geodetic mass balances from Pléiades stereo images: application to the Glacier d'Argentière, French Alps, J. Glaciol., 69, 525–537, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.79, 2022. a
Bock, Y., Gourevitch, S. A., Counselman, III, C. C., King, R. W., and Abbot, R. I.: Interferometric analysis of GPS phase observations, Manuscripta Geodaetica, 11, 282–288, 1986. a
Booth, A. D., Christoffersen, P., Schoonman, C., Clarke, A., Hubbard, B., Law, R., Doyle, S. H., Chudley, T. R., and Chalari, A.: Distributed Acoustic Sensing of Seismic Properties in a Borehole Drilled on a Fast-Flowing Greenlandic Outlet Glacier, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2020GL088148, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088148, 2020. a
Budd, W. F. and Jacka, T. H.: A review of ice rheology for ice sheet modelling, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 16, 107–144, https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-232X(89)90014-1, 1989. a
Chandler, D., Hubbard, B., Hubbard, A., Murray, T., and Rippin, D.: Optimising ice flow law parameters using borehole deformation measurements and numerical modelling, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L12502, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL033801, 2008. a, b
Chauve, T., Montagnat, M., Dansereau, V., Saramito, P., Fourteau, K., and Tommasi, A.: A physically-based formulation for texture evolution during dynamic recrystallization. A case study of ice, Comptes Rendus. Mécanique, 352, 99–134, https://doi.org/10.5802/crmeca.243, 2024. a, b
Cohen, D.: Rheology of ice at the bed of engabreen, Norway, J. Glaciol., 46, 611–621, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756500781832620, 2000.
Doyle, S. H., Hubbard, B., Christoffersen, P., Young, T. J., Hofstede, C., Bougamont, M., Box, J. E., and Hubbard, A.: Physical Conditions of Fast Glacier Flow: 1. Measurements From Boreholes Drilled to the Bed of Store Glacier, West Greenland, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth Surf., 123, 324–348, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JF004529, 2018. a, b
Endres, A. L., Murray, T., Booth, A. D., and West, L. J.: A new framework for estimating englacial water content and pore geometry using combined radar and seismic wave velocities, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L04501, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL036876, 2009. a
Fichtner, A., Hofstede, C., Gebraad, L., Zunino, A., Zigone, D., and Eisen, O.: Borehole fibre-optic seismology inside the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream, Geophys. J. Int., 235, 2430–2441, https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggad344, 2023. a
Fürst, J. J., Durand, G., Gillet-Chaulet, F., Merino, N., Tavard, L., Mouginot, J., Gourmelen, N., and Gagliardini, O.: Assimilation of Antarctic velocity observations provides evidence for uncharted pinning points, The Cryosphere, 9, 1427–1443, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1427-2015, 2015. a
Gagliardini, O., Zwinger, T., Gillet-Chaulet, F., Durand, G., Favier, L., de Fleurian, B., Greve, R., Malinen, M., Martín, C., Råback, P., Ruokolainen, J., Sacchettini, M., Schäfer, M., Seddik, H., and Thies, J.: Capabilities and performance of Elmer/Ice, a new-generation ice sheet model, Geosci. Model Dev., 6, 1299–1318, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-6-1299-2013, 2013. a
Gajek, W., Gräff, D., Hellmann, S., Rempel, A. W., and Walter, F.: Diurnal expansion and contraction of englacial fracture networks revealed by seismic shear wave splitting, Commun. Earth Environ., 2, 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00279-4, 2021. a
Gilbert, A., Gimbert, F., Thøgersen, K., Schuler, T. V., and Kääb, A.: A Consistent Framework for Coupling Basal Friction With Subglacial Hydrology on Hard-Bedded Glaciers, Geophys. Res. Lett., 49, e2021GL097507, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL097507, 2022. a, b
Gilbert, A., Gimbert, F., Gagliardini, O., and Vincent, C.: Inferring the Basal Friction Law From Long Term Changes of Glacier Length, Thickness and Velocity on an Alpine Glacier, Geophys. Res. Lett., 50, e2023GL104503, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL104503, 2023. a, b, c
Gimbert, F., Gilbert, A., Gagliardini, O., Vincent, C., and Moreau, L.: Do Existing Theories Explain Seasonal to Multi-Decadal Changes in Glacier Basal Sliding Speed?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 48, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092858, 2021a. a, b, c
Gimbert, F., Nanni, U., Roux, P., Helmstetter, A., Garambois, S., Lecointre, A., Walpersdorf, A., Jourdain, B., Langlais, M., Laarman, O., Lindner, F., Sergeant, A., Vincent, C., and Walter, F.: A multi-physics experiment with a temporary dense seismic array on the argentière Glacier, French Alps: The RESOLVE project, Seismol. Res. Lett., 92, 1185–1201, https://doi.org/10.1785/0220200280, 2021b. a
Glen, J. W.: The creep of polycrystalline ice, P. Roy. Soc. Lond. A, 228, 519–538, https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1955.0066, 1955. a
Goldsby, D. L. and Kohlstedt, D. L.: Superplastic deformation of ice: Experimental observations, J. Geophys. Res.-Sol. Ea., 106, 11017–11030, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JB900336, 2001. a
Gudmundsson, G. H.: Basal-flow characteristics of a non-linear flow sliding frictionless over strongly undulating bedrock, J. Glaciol., 43, 80–89, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000002835, 1997a. a
Gudmundsson, G. H.: Basal-flow characteristics of a linear medium sliding frictionless over small bedrock undulations, J. Glaciol., 43, 71–79, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000002823, 1997b. a, b
Gudmundsson, G. H., Bauder, A., Lüthi, M., Fischer, U. H., and Funk, M.: Estimating rates of basal motion and internal ice deformation from continuous tilt measurements, Ann. Glaciol., 28, 247–252, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756499781821751, 1999. a, b, c
Hantz, D. and Lliboutry, L.: Waterways, Ice Permeability at Depth, and Water Pressures at Glacier D’Argentière, French Alps, J. Glaciol., 29, 227–239, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000008285, 1983. a
Harper, J. T., Humphrey, N. F., Pfeffer, W. T., Huzurbazar, S. V., Bahr, D. B., and Welch, B. C.: Spatial variability in the flow of a valley glacier: Deformation of a large array of boreholes, J. Geophys. Res.-Sol. Ea., 106, 8547–8562, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000jb900440, 2001. a, b
Herring, T. A., King, R. W., and McClusky, S. C.: GPS analysis at MIT, GAMIT reference manual, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. a
Hooke, R. L.: Structure and Flow in the Margin of the Barnes Ice Cap, Baffin Island, N.W.T., Canada, J. Glaciol., 12, 423–438, https://doi.org/10.3189/s0022143000031841, 1973. a
Hooke, R. L. B. and Hanson, B.: Borehole deformation experiments, Barnes Ice Cap, Canada, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 12, 261–276, https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-232X(86)90039-X, 1986. a
Hubbard, B. P., Hubbard, A., Mader, H. M., Tison, J. L., Grust, K., and Nienow, P. W.: Spatial variability in the water content and rheology of temperate glaciers: Glacier de Tsanfleuron, Switzerland, Ann. Glaciol., 37, 1–6, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756403781815474, 2003.
Jones, S. J. and Glen, J. W.: The effect of dissolved impurities on the mechanical properties of ice crystals, Philos. Mag., 19, 13–24, https://doi.org/10.1080/14786436908217758, 1969. a
Joubert, J.-L.: Stratigraphie de la glace tempérée à l'aide de la teneur en eau liquide, Comptes rendus académie des sciences, p. 3638, 1963.
Keller, A. and Blatter, H.: Measurement of strain-rate components in a glacier with embedded inclinometers, J. Glaciol., 58, 692–698, https://doi.org/10.3189/2012JoG11J234, 2012. a, b, c
Law, R., Christoffersen, P., MacKie, E., Cook, S., Haseloff, M., and Gagliardini, O.: Complex motion of Greenland Ice Sheet outlet glaciers with basal temperate ice, Sci. Adv., 9, eabq5180, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abq5180, 2023. a
Lee, I. R., Hawley, R. L., Bernsen, S., Campbell, S. W., Clemens-Sewall, D., Gerbi, C. C., and Hruby, K.: A novel tilt sensor for studying ice deformation: Application to streaming ice on Jarvis Glacier, Alaska, J. Glaciol., 66, 74–82, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.84, 2019. a
Legchenko, A., Vincent, C., Baltassat, J. M., Girard, J. F., Thibert, E., Gagliardini, O., Descloitres, M., Gilbert, A., Garambois, S., Chevalier, A., and Guyard, H.: Monitoring water accumulation in a glacier using magnetic resonance imaging, The Cryosphere, 8, 155–166, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-155-2014, 2014. a
Lliboutry, L.: Une théorie du frottement du glacier sur son lit, Annales de Geophysique, 15, 250, 1959. a
Lliboutry, L.: General theory of subglacial cavitation and sliding of temperate glaciers, J. Glaciol., 7, 21–58, 1968. a
Lliboutry, L.: Permeability, Brine Content and Temperature of Temperate Ice, J. Glaciol., 10, 15–29, https://doi.org/10.3189/s002214300001296x, 1971
Lliboutry, L.: Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Glacier Annual Balances, J. Glaciol., 13, 371–392, https://doi.org/10.3189/s0022143000023169, 1974. a
Lliboutry, L. and Duval, P.: Various isotropic and anisotropic ices found in glaciers and polar ice caps and their corresponding rheologies, Int. J. Rock Mech. Min., 22, 198, https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(85)90267-0, 1985. a, b, c, d
Lüthi, M., Funk, M., Iken, A., Gogineni, S., and Truffer, M.: Mechanisms of fast flow in Jakobshavn Isbræ, West Greenland: Part III. Measurements of ice deformation, temperature and cross-borehole conductivity in boreholes to the bedrock, J. Glaciol., 48, 369–385, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756502781831322, 2002. a, b
Maier, N., Humphrey, N., Harper, J., and Meierbachtol, T.: Sliding dominates slow-flowing margin regions, Greenland Ice Sheet, Sci. Adv., 5, eaaw5406, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw5406, 2019. a, b, c, d
Maier, N., Humphrey, N., Meierbachtol, T., and Harper, J.: Deformation motion tracks sliding changes through summer, western Greenland, J. Glaciol., 68, 187–196, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.87, 2021. a, b
Maier, N., Gimbert, F., and Gillet-Chaulet, F.: Threshold response to melt drives large-scale bed weakening in Greenland, Nature, 607, 714–720, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04927-3, 2022. a
Marshall, H. P., Harper, J. T., Pfeffer, W. T., and Humphrey, N. F.: Depth-varying constitutive properties observed in an isothermal glacier, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 61-1–61-4, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL015412, 2002. a
Montagnat, M. and Duval, P.: The viscoplastic behaviour of ice in polar ice sheets: experimental results and modelling, Comptes Rendus Physique, 5, 699–708, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crhy.2004.06.002, 2004. a
Mosbeux, C., Gillet-Chaulet, F., and Gagliardini, O.: Comparison of adjoint and nudging methods to initialise ice sheet model basal conditions, Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 2549–2562, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-2549-2016, 2016. a
Murray, T., Stuart, G. W., Fry, M., Gamble, N. H., and Crabtree, M. D.: Englacial water distribution in a temperate glacier from surface and borehole radar velocity analysis, J. Glaciol., 46, 389–398, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756500781833188, 2000
Murray, T., Booth, A., and Rippin, D. M.: Water-content of Glacier-ice: Limitations on estimates from velocity analysis of surface ground-penetrating radar surveys, J. Environ. Eng. Geoph., 12, 87–99, https://doi.org/10.2113/JEEG12.1.87, 2007. a
Nanni, U., Gimbert, F., Roux, P., and Lecointre, A.: Observing the subglacial hydrology network and its dynamics with a dense seismic array, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 118, e2023757118, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023757118, 2021. a
Nye, J. F.: The Flow of a Glacier in a Channel of Rectangular, Elliptic or Parabolic Cross-Section, J. Glaciol., 5, 661–690, https://doi.org/10.3189/s0022143000018670, 1965. a
Ogier, C., Manen, D.-J. V., Maurer, H., Räss, L., Hertrich, M., Bauder, A., and Farinotti, D.: Ground penetrating radar in temperate ice: englacial water inclusions as limiting factor for data interpretation, J. Glaciol., 69, 1874–1885, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.68, 2023. a
Perutz, M. F.: Direct Measurement of the Velocity Distribution in a Vertical Profile Through a Glacier, J. Glaciol., 1, 382–383, https://doi.org/10.3189/s0022143000012594, 1949. a
Pettersson, R., Jansson, P., and Blatter, H.: Spatial variability in water content at the cold-temperate transition surface of the polythermal Storglaciären, Sweden, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth Surf., 109, F02009, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003jf000110, 2004. a
Rabatel, A., Sanchez, O., Vincent, C., and Six, D.: Estimation of Glacier Thickness From Surface Mass Balance and Ice Flow Velocities: A Case Study on Argentière Glacier, France, Front. Earth Sci., 6, 112, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2018.00112, 2018. a, b
Rathmann, N. M. and Lilien, D. A.: Inferred basal friction and mass flux affected by crystal-orientation fabrics, J. Glaciol., 68, 236–252, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.88, 2022. a
Raymond, C.: Flow in a Transverse Section of Athabasca Glacier, Alberta, Canada, J. Glaciol., 10, 55–84, https://doi.org/10.3189/s0022143000012995, 1971. a
Roldan-Blasco, J. P., Gilbert, A., Piard, L., Gimbert, F., Christian, V., Gagliardini, O., Togaibekov, A., Walpersdorf, A., and Maier, N.: Data for “Creep enhancement and sliding in a temperate, hard-bedded alpine glacier”, Zenodo [code and data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13961256, 2024. a
Röthlisberger, H.: Water Pressure in Intra- and Subglacial Channels, J. Glaciol., 11, 177–203, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000022188, 1972. a
Ryser, C., Lüthi, M. P., Andrews, L. C., Hoffman, M. J., Catania, G. A., Hawley, R. L., Neumann, T. A., and Kristensen, S. S.: Sustained high basal motion of the Greenland ice sheet revealed by borehole deformation, J. Glaciol., 60, 647–660, https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG13J196, 2014. a, b, c
Schoof, C.: Ice-sheet acceleration driven by melt supply variability, Nature, 468, 803–806, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09618, 2010. a
Sergeant, A., Chmiel, M., Lindner, F., Walter, F., Roux, P., Chaput, J., Gimbert, F., and Mordret, A.: On the Green's function emergence from interferometry of seismic wave fields generated in high-melt glaciers: implications for passive imaging and monitoring, The Cryosphere, 14, 1139–1171, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1139-2020, 2020. a, b
Shreve, R. and Sharp, R.: Internal Deformation and Thermal Anomalies in Lower Blue Glacier, Mount Olympus, Washington, U.S.A., J. Glaciol., 9, 65–86, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000026800, 1970. a
Togaibekov, A., Gimbert, F., Gilbert, A., and Walpersdorf, A.: Observing and Modeling Short-Term Changes in Basal Friction During Rain-Induced Speed-Ups on an Alpine Glacier, Geophys. Res. Lett., 51, e2023GL107999, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107999, 2024. a, b
Vallon, M., Petit, J.-R., and Fabre, B.: Study of an Ice Core to the Bedrock in the Accumulation zone of an Alpine Glacier, J. Glaciol., 17, 13–28, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000030677, 1976.
Vincent, C. and Moreau, L.: Sliding velocity fluctuations and subglacial hydrology over the last two decades on Argentière glacier, Mont Blanc area, J. Glaciol., 62, 805–815, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.35, 2016. a
Vincent, C., Fischer, A., Mayer, C., Bauder, A., Galos, S. P., Funk, M., Thibert, E., Six, D., Braun, L., and Huss, M.: Common climatic signal from glaciers in the European Alps over the last 50 years, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 1376–1383, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072094, 2017. a
Vincent, C., Gilbert, A., Walpersdorf, A., Gimbert, F., Gagliardini, O., Jourdain, B., Roldan Blasco, J. P., Laarman, O., Piard, L., Six, D., Moreau, L., Cusicanqui, D., and Thibert, E.: Evidence of Seasonal Uplift in the Argentière Glacier (Mont Blanc Area, France), J. Geophys. Res.-Earth Surf., 127, e2021JF006454, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006454, 2022. a, b, c, d
Vivian, R. and Bocquet, G.: Subglacial Cavitation Phenomena Under the Glacier D'Argentière, Mont Blanc, France, J. Glaciol., 12, 439–451, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000031853, 1973. a
Weertman, J.: On the Sliding of Glaciers, J. Glaciol., 3, 33–38, https://doi.org/10.3189/s0022143000024709, 1957. a, b
Weertman, J.: CREEP DEFORMATION OF ICE, Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 11, 215–240, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ea.11.050183.001243, 1983. a
Willis, I., Mair, D., Hubbard, B., Nienow, P., Fischer, U. H., and Hubbard, A.: Seasonal variations in ice deformation and basal motion across the tongue of Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland, Ann. Glaciol., 36, 157–167, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756403781816455, 2003. a, b, c, d
Young, T. J., Martín, C., Christoffersen, P., Schroeder, D. M., Tulaczyk, S. M., and Dawson, E. J.: Rapid and accurate polarimetric radar measurements of ice crystal fabric orientation at the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core site, The Cryosphere, 15, 4117–4133, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4117-2021, 2021. a
Zryd, A.: Conditions dans la couche basale des glaciers tempérés: contraintes, teneur en eau et frottement intérieur, Ph.D. thesis, ETH, 1991.
Short summary
The flow of glaciers and ice sheets results from ice deformation and basal sliding driven by gravitational forces. Quantifying the rate at which ice deforms under its own weight is critical for assessing glacier evolution. This study uses borehole instrumentation in an Alpine glacier to quantify ice deformation and constrain ice viscosity in a natural setting. Our results show that the viscosity of ice at 0 °C is largely influenced by interstitial liquid water, which enhances ice deformation.
The flow of glaciers and ice sheets results from ice deformation and basal sliding driven by...
