Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic

Benoît Lauzon; Luke Copland; Wesley Van Wychen; William Kochtitzky; Robert McNabb; Dorthe Dahl-Jensen

doi:10.1017/jog.2023.20

Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic

Benoît Lauzon, Luke Copland, Wesley Van Wychen, William Kochtitzky, Robert McNabb, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen

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Abstract

This study provides the first comprehensive reconstruction of the dynamics of Iceberg Glacier, located on western Axel Heiberg Island, and reveals detailed observations of a complete surge for the first time in the Canadian Arctic. Historical aerial photographs, declassified intelligence satellite photographs, optical satellite imagery and synthetic aperture radar data were used to quantify changes in terminus position, ice velocity and glacier thickness since the 1950s. A surge initiated at the terminus in 1981 and terminated in 2003, suggesting a 22-year active phase. High surface velocities, reaching ~2300 m a−1 in 1991, were accompanied by a maximum terminus advance of >7 km and a large transfer of mass down-glacier, causing significant median trunk-wide surface elevation changes attaining >3 ± 1 m a−1. We suggest that the retreat from a pinning point, flotation of the terminus, the removal of sea-ice from the ice front, and an increase in subglacial meltwater availability from relatively high air temperatures in 1981 likely contributed to surge initiation. The ensuing quiescent period has seen a continual decrease in surface flow rates to an average centreline velocity of 11.5 m a−1 in 2020–21, a gradual steepening of the glacier surface and a > 2.5 km terminus retreat.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1333-1350
Number of pages	18
Journal	Journal of Glaciology
Volume	69
Issue number	277
Early online date	12 Apr 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.20
Publication status	Published online - 12 Apr 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering and Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence Canada, University of Manitoba and University of Ottawa. We thank the National Air Photo library for their help with acquiring some of the historical aerial photographs for Iceberg Glacier. We are grateful to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and NASA for obtaining the MCoRDS ice penetrating radar data over the glacier. The tomography radar data products were generated by CReSIS (Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets) with support from the University of Kansas, NASA Operation IceBridge grant NNX16AH54G and NSF grant ACI-1443054. We would also like to thank GAMMA Remote Sensing for their help with the processing of ERS data.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The International Glaciological Society.

Keywords

Artic glaciology
glacier flow
glacier surges
ice dynamics
remote sensing
Arctic glaciology

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1017/jog.2023.20Licence: CC BY

Dynamics-throughout-a-complete-surge-of-iceberg-glacier-on-western-Final VersionFinal published version, 10.7 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic",

abstract = "This study provides the first comprehensive reconstruction of the dynamics of Iceberg Glacier, located on western Axel Heiberg Island, and reveals detailed observations of a complete surge for the first time in the Canadian Arctic. Historical aerial photographs, declassified intelligence satellite photographs, optical satellite imagery and synthetic aperture radar data were used to quantify changes in terminus position, ice velocity and glacier thickness since the 1950s. A surge initiated at the terminus in 1981 and terminated in 2003, suggesting a 22-year active phase. High surface velocities, reaching ~2300 m a−1 in 1991, were accompanied by a maximum terminus advance of >7 km and a large transfer of mass down-glacier, causing significant median trunk-wide surface elevation changes attaining >3 ± 1 m a−1. We suggest that the retreat from a pinning point, flotation of the terminus, the removal of sea-ice from the ice front, and an increase in subglacial meltwater availability from relatively high air temperatures in 1981 likely contributed to surge initiation. The ensuing quiescent period has seen a continual decrease in surface flow rates to an average centreline velocity of 11.5 m a−1 in 2020–21, a gradual steepening of the glacier surface and a > 2.5 km terminus retreat.",

keywords = "Artic glaciology, glacier flow, glacier surges, ice dynamics, remote sensing, Arctic glaciology",

author = "Beno{\^i}t Lauzon and Luke Copland and {Van Wychen}, Wesley and William Kochtitzky and Robert McNabb and Dorthe Dahl-Jensen",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering and Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence Canada, University of Manitoba and University of Ottawa. We thank the National Air Photo library for their help with acquiring some of the historical aerial photographs for Iceberg Glacier. We are grateful to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and NASA for obtaining the MCoRDS ice penetrating radar data over the glacier. The tomography radar data products were generated by CReSIS (Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets) with support from the University of Kansas, NASA Operation IceBridge grant NNX16AH54G and NSF grant ACI-1443054. We would also like to thank GAMMA Remote Sensing for their help with the processing of ERS data. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The International Glaciological Society.",

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JF - Journal of Glaciology

IS - 277

ER -

Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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