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Seasonal speedup along the western flank of the Greenland ice sheet

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Matt King

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Abstract

It has been widely hypothesized that a warmer climate in Greenland would increase the volume of lubricating surface meltwater reaching the ice-bedrock interface, accelerating ice flow and increasing mass loss. We have assembled a data set that provides a synoptic-scale view, spanning ice-sheet to outlet-glacier flow, with which to evaluate this hypothesis. On the ice sheet, these data reveal summer speedups (50 to 100%) consistent with, but somewhat larger than, earlier observations. The relative speedup of outlet glaciers, however, is far smaller (<15%). Furthermore, the dominant seasonal influence on Jakobshavn Isbrae's flow is the calving front's annual advance and retreat. With other effects producing outlet-glacier speedups an order of magnitude larger, seasonal melt's influence on ice flow is likely confined to those regions dominated by ice-sheet flow.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Joughin I, Das SB, King MA, Smith BE, Howat IM, Moon T

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Science

Year: 2008

Volume: 320

Issue: 5877

Pages: 781-783

ISSN (print): 0036-8075

ISSN (electronic): 1095-9203

Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1153288

DOI: 10.1126/science.1153288

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