Articles | Volume 20, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3257-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-20-3257-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
02 Jun 2026
Research article |
| 02 Jun 2026
| 02 Jun 2026
Seasonal glacier motion variations and underlying hydro-mechanical processes at Glacier d'Argentière, French Alps
IGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, 38000 Grenoble, France
ISTerre, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, UGE, 38000 Grenoble, France
Adrien Gilbert
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
Andrea Walpersdorf
ISTerre, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, UGE, 38000 Grenoble, France
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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.
Changes in water reaching the base of glaciers strongly affect their sliding speed by altering...
