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Greenland ice sheet motion insensitive to exceptional meltwater forcing
Andrew J Tedstone1, Peter W Nienow, Andrew J Sole
1School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, Scotland.
Summary
Extreme melt events in Greenland accelerated summer ice flow but decreased overall annual motion. Surface melt impact on land-terminating glaciers remains insignificant for sea level rise, even with increased melting.
Area of Science:
- * Glaciology
- * Climate Science
- * Cryosphere Dynamics
Background:
- * Greenland ice sheet dynamics are influenced by surface melt and oceanic forcing.
- * Surface meltwater can lubricate glacier beds, increasing ice flow.
- * The net effect of meltwater on annual ice flow and sea level rise is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To investigate the dynamic response of a land-terminating glacier to extreme surface melting in 2012.
- * To quantify the impact of meltwater on seasonal and annual ice motion.
- * To assess the significance of surface melt-induced acceleration for sea level rise.
Main Methods:
- * Analysis of ice motion observations for a southwest Greenland outlet glacier.
- * Examination of data from extreme melt events in 2012 and comparison with a typical melt year (2009).
- * Calculation of summer ice sheet runoff and its deviation from the long-term mean.
Main Results:
- * Two extreme melt events in 2012 led to enhanced summer ice motion compared to 2009.
- * Record summer melting was followed by reduced winter ice motion.
- * Net annual ice motion in 2012 was 6% less than in 2009, despite extreme melt.
Conclusions:
- * Surface melt-induced acceleration of land-terminating glaciers had an insignificant net impact on annual ice motion in 2012.
- * Even under extreme melting scenarios, surface melt's contribution to sea level rise from these regions is likely minimal.
- * Winter ice motion dynamics play a crucial role in modulating the annual impact of surface melt events.
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