Articles | Volume 20, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1797-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1797-2026
Research article
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25 Mar 2026
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 25 Mar 2026

The terrestrial ice margin morphology in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland)

Jakob Steiner, Jakob Abermann, and Rainer Prinz

Data sets

tIM - the Greenland ice margin repository Jakob Steiner, Jakob Abermann, Rainer Prinz https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15491607

Model code and software

tIM - the Greenland ice margin repository Jakob Steiner https://github.com/fidelsteiner/tIM

Video abstract

The terrestrial ice margin morphology in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) Jakob Steiner https://doi.org/10.5446/72703

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Editorial statement
This paper provides a novel insight into the nature of glacier termini across Greenland, both in terms of margin morphology and whether margins are land-, lake-, or marine-terminating. It is therefore a valuable contribution to future work on the changing peripheries of Greenland's ice. Furthermore, it demonstrates the value of open source approaches and data, such as the ArcticDEM, for the ongoing development of knowledge of the polar regions.
Short summary
Nearly 95% of the Greenland ice margin ends on land, where meltwater leaves the ice to supply surrounding ecosystems. Here we show that nearly 30% of this land-terminating margin ends in extremely steep, often vertical sections, previously only described in individual locations. Less than 20% are shallow ramps. Knowledge of these margin shapes and their locations allows us to further investigate what they can potentially tell us about the current ice sheet health and its future evolution.
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