Cowton, T, Nienow, P., Sole, A. orcid.org/0000-0001-5290-8967 et al. (2 more authors) (2016) Variability in ice motion at a land-terminating Greenlandic outlet glacier: the role of channelized and distributed drainage systems. Journal of Glaciology, 62 (233). pp. 451-466. ISSN 0022-1430
Abstract
We use a combination of field observations and hydrological modelling to examine the mechanisms through which variability in meltwater input affects ice motion at a land-terminating Greenlandic outlet glacier. We find a close agreement between horizontal ice velocity, vertical ice velocity and modelled subglacial water pressure over the course of a melt season. On this basis, we argue that variation in horizontal and vertical ice velocity primarily reflects the displacement of basal ice during periods of cavity expansion and contraction, a process itself driven by fluctuations in basal water pressure originating in subglacial channels. This process is not captured by traditional sliding laws linking water pressure and basal velocity, which may hinder the simulation of realistic diurnal to seasonal variability in ice velocity in coupled models of glacial hydrology and dynamics.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2016. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommon s.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | Glacier hydrology; ice dynamics; subglacial processes |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Geography (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 09 Aug 2016 14:10 |
Last Modified: | 09 Aug 2016 14:10 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.36 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/jog.2016.36 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:103395 |