Contrasting dynamics of lake- and marine-terminating glaciers under same climatic conditions

Vacek, Florian; Nick, Faezeh M.; Benn, Douglas; Zwarts, Maarten P. A.; Immerzeel, Walter; van de Wal, Roderik S. W.

doi:10.5194/tc-20-3827-2026

Articles | Volume 20, issue 7

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3827-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3827-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 20, issue 7

Research article

| Highlight paper

|

13 Jul 2026

Research article | Highlight paper |

| 13 Jul 2026

Contrasting dynamics of lake- and marine-terminating glaciers under same climatic conditions

Florian Vacek, Faezeh M. Nick, Douglas Benn, Maarten P. A. Zwarts, Walter Immerzeel, and Roderik S. W. van de Wal

Data sets

Bathymetry of Lake Motzfeldt (South Greenland) F. Vacek et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17600758

Temperature and pressure measurements in Lake Motzfeldt (South Greenland) F. Vacek et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17601786

Supporting data for: "Contrasting dynamics of lake- and marine-terminating glaciers under same climatic conditions" submitted to The Cryosphere. F. Vacek https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17602738

Model code and software

vacekfl/contrasting_marine_lake: Zenodo connect Vacek, F. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17603519

Video abstract

Contrasting dynamics of lake- and marine-terminating glaciers under same climatic conditions Florian Vacek, Faezeh M. Nick, Douglas Benn, Maarten P. A. Zwarts, Walter Immerzeel, and Roderik S. W. van de Wal https://doi.org/10.5446/73584

Editorial statement

This study offers a rare natural experiment by comparing two adjacent glaciers South Greenland with shared upstream conditions but differing terminus environments: one terminating in a lake and the other in the ocean. The clear contrast in their dynamic behaviours, despite similar climate and input conditions, provides valuable insight into the role of terminus type in regulating glacier response. This has broader implications for predicting glacier change and sea-level contributions in a warming climate.