Persistent flow acceleration within the interior of the Greenland ice sheet
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Material Information

Title:
Persistent flow acceleration within the interior of the Greenland ice sheet
Series Title:
Geophysical Research Letters
Creator:
Doyle, Samuel H.
Hubbard, Alun
Fitzpatrick, Andrew A.W.
van As, Dirk
Mikkelsen, Andreas B.
Pettersson, Rickard
Hubbard, Bryn
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union
Publication Date:
Language:
English

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Climate Change ( lcsh )
Ice Sheets ( lcsh )
unknownGreenland ( lcsh )

Notes

Abstract:
We present surface velocity measurements from a high-elevation site located 140 km from the western margin of the Greenland ice sheet, and ~ 50 kminto its accumulation area. Annual velocity increased each year from 51.78 ± 0.01myr-1 in 2009 to 52.92 ± 0.01myr-1 in 2012—a net increase of 2.2%. These data also reveal a strong seasonal velocity cycle of up to 8.1% above the winter mean, driven by seasonal melt and supraglacial lake drainage. Sole et al. (2013) recently argued that ice motion in the ablation area is mediated by reduced winter flow following the development of efficient subglacial drainage during warmer, faster, summers. Our data extend this analysis and reveal a year-on-year increase in annual velocity above the equilibrium line altitude, where despite surface melt increasing, it is still sufficiently low to hinder the development of efficient drainage under thick ice. ( English )

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Source Institution:
Florida International University
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