Geometric and thermal evolution of a surge-type glacier in its quiescent state: Trapridge Glacier, Yukon Territory, Canada, 1969–89

Abstract

Trapridge Glacier, Yukon Territory, Canada is a subpolar surge-type glacier. It last surged in the 1940s and is now in the late stages of quiescence. Since 1969, when the glacier was first surveyed, a large wave-like bulge has formed near the glacier terminus. Our surveys from 1969–89 show the profile evolution that has accompanied the formation and downflow propagation of this feature. Ice-temperature measurements taken in 1980–81 established that the bulge was forming at the boundary between thick warm-based ice lying up-glacier from the bulge, and thin cold-based ice lying down-glacier from it. The bulge is propagating at roughly 30 m a−1and thick ice has now completely overridden the region once covered by thin cold-based ice that we instrumented in 1980–81. In 1987, and again in 1988, the geographical positions of the 1980 measurement sites were redrilled and instrumented with new thermistor cables. Comparison of the 1980–81 data with that from 1987–88 shows that this region of the glacier has undergone a dramatic change in geometry and thermal regime. Water penetration into surface crevasses has warmed the 15-m ice temperature by roughly 2°C. The zone of transition from warm- to cold-based ice is migrating down-glacier but at a slower rate than that of the bulge feature. The transition from warm-based to cold-based ice appears to cause a discontinuity in the flow that resembles a transition from flow over a sliding boundary to flow over an adhering boundary. The discontinuity in the flow field is associated with anomalies in the temperature field and appears to be the source region for an englacial structure formed from subglacial sediment. This structure was not present in 1980–81 and is thought to have the geometry of a thrust fault or recumbent fold.