Affiliation:
1. Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Silesia in Katowice Katowice Poland
2. Institute of Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences Warszawa Poland
3. Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences Sopot Poland
4. NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS Tromsø Norway
5. Department of Geosciences The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
6. Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research University of Colorado at Boulder Boulder CO USA
Abstract
AbstractMany Arctic marine‐terminating glaciers have undergone rapid retreats in recent decades. Seasonal and year‐to‐year variations in terminus position act on all tidewater glaciers, but the key controls on those changes vary from region to region. Here, we examined seasonal and decadal changes in termini positions of seven tidewater glaciers in the inner part of Hornsund, the southernmost fjord of Spitsbergen (Svalbard Archipelago), based on a variety of data from 1992 to 2020. Combining satellite imagery, basic meteorological data (air temperature, positive degree day index (PDD), liquid precipitation), sea surface temperature (SST), mean temperature in the glacier forefield bays, fast sea ice cover, and bathymetry near the glacier front, we examined the influence of potential controlling parameters on interannual and seasonal variability of the glacier termini. We found regional synchrony between terminus advance/retreat and climate variables. At a regional scale, annual fluctuation changes are related to PDD and SST, while summer fluctuations are linked to PDD, although individual glaciers are shown to have differing sensitivities to potential climate drivers. We also found that the retreat period in Hornsund generally lasts from June to October‐December. Onset of the retreat is related to sea and air temperature, and in some cases follows the disappearance of the ice cover. These results indicate that the expected increase in meltwater runoff in Svalbard, the input of relatively warm Atlantic water to the fjord, and the increasing trend of longer summer and warmer winter periods will have implications for glacier velocity and frontal ablation.
Funder
Krajowy Naukowy Osrodek Wiodacy
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Subject
Earth-Surface Processes,Geophysics
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献