Coastal tides in West Greenland derived from tide gauge records

Richter, Andreas; Rysgaard, Søren; Dietrich, Reinhard; Mortensen, John; Petersen, Dorthe

doi:10.1007/s10236-010-0341-z

Cited by 37 publications

(26 citation statements)

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“…The fjord system is composed of a number of fjord branches and covers a surface area of *2013 km 2 , with a mean depth of *260 m (maximum depths *620 m). The main sill of the fjord (depth *170 m) is located near the mouth of the fjord, where significant tidal forces (tidal range up to 4.6 m; Richter et al 2011) modify the water masses entering and exiting the fjord. The main fjord has been divided into two regional domains: the outer sill region and the main fjord basin (Fig.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Microplankton succession in a SW Greenland tidewater glacial fjord influenced by coastal inflows and run-off from the Greenland Ice Sheet

et al. 2015

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Studies of annual successions and inter-annual variations in sub-Arctic and Arctic microplankton assemblages are required in order to understand the structure and function of marine ecosystems. This study depicts the microplankton ([20 lm) structure in a sub-Arctic tidewater glacial fjord system, SW Greenland. The descriptions are based on monthly net hauls collected between January 2006 and December 2010. Two blooms, with distinctive species compositions, were identified across all years: a spring bloom and a summer/autumn bloom. In addition, the winter season-with weak stratification, deep tidal mixing, and dense coastal inflows-was characterised by a separate species composition at much lower abundance. Here, the highest variety of microplankton groups was recorded and represented by diatoms (Chaetoceros spp. and Thalassiosira spp.), silicoflagellates, dinoflagellates, and ciliates. During the spring bloom, species correlated with higher light intensities, i.e. haptophytes and diatoms (Thalassiosira spp. and Fragilariopsis spp.), dominated the microplankton assemblage. Among these, diatoms were also correlated with cooler and fresher waters influenced by springtime melt. During the summer/autumn bloom, the microplankton assemblage was mainly represented by diatoms, such as Chaetoceros spp. 'Low-saline' chrysophytes were also present. The latter bloom coincides with elevated temperatures in the fjord and renewal of nutrients due to the onset of glacial meltwater run-off from the Greenland Ice Sheet. Our study shows a yearly recurrent succession of microplankton assemblages and that the annual succession is controlled primarily by ocean-fjordglacier interactions.

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Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Microplankton succession in a SW Greenland tidewater glacial fjord influenced by coastal inflows and run-off from the Greenland Ice Sheet

et al. 2015

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“…The Godthåbsfjord system is affected by significant tides (tidal range ca. 1 to 5 m; Richter et al 2011); during the spring tide 20 km 3 of water passes the outer-sill region during a tidal cycle. This volume is of the same order of magnitude as the annual freshwater discharge to the fjord, including both the liquid and solid components (van As et al 2014).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and interannual phytoplankton production in a sub-Arctic tidewater outlet glacier fjord, SW Greenland

Juul-Pedersen¹,

Arendt²,

Mortensen³

et al. 2015

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

102

167

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This study describes seasonal patterns and proposes likely drivers of an unusual phytoplankton primary production pattern in the outer-sill region of a tidewater outlet glacierinfluenced fjord (Godthåbsfjord) in SW Greenland. It is based on monthly measurements of pelagic primary production and hydrographic conditions during a 7 yr period. Total annual primary production during 2005 to 2012 was between 84.6 and 139.1 g C m −2 yr −1. Two phytoplankton blooms of similar magnitude reoccur in the fjord every year. A 'classical' spring bloom of up to 1743 mg C m −2 d −1 occurred in late April/early May in a water column almost fully mixed due to tidal forces at the fjord sill. After the spring bloom, primary production decreased in June, after which a summer bloom of up to 1383 mg C m −2 d −1 built up. This bloom coincided with the development of a pycnocline caused by substantial runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet every year during midsummer. This observation supports a hypothesis that fjord circulation modes and subglacial freshwater discharge, leading to upwelling of nutrient rich water, stimulate primary production in the fjord. Future changes in the timing or magnitude of meltwater runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet are thus likely to affect phytoplankton dynamics in the fjord.

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“…The fjord system is made up of a number of fjord branches. Tidal range varies from 1 to 5 m (Richter et al, 2011). The inner part of the main fjord is in contact with three tidal outlet glaciers.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Oxygen isotope ratios in the shell of <i>Mytilus edulis</i>: archives of glacier meltwater in Greenland?

et al. 2012

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Abstract. Melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is accelerating and will contribute significantly to global sea level rise during the 21st century. Instrumental data on GrIS melting only cover the last few decades, and proxy data extending our knowledge into the past are vital for validating models predicting the influence of ongoing climate change. We investigated a potential meltwater proxy in Godthåbsfjord (West Greenland), where glacier meltwater causes seasonal excursions with lower oxygen isotope water (δ 18 O w ) values and salinity. The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) potentially records these variations, because it precipitates its shell calcite in oxygen isotopic equilibrium with ambient seawater. As M. edulis shells are known to occur in raised shorelines and archaeological shell middens from previous Holocene warm periods, this species may be ideal in reconstructing past meltwater dynamics. We investigate its potential as a palaeo-meltwater proxy. First, we confirmed that M. edulis shell calcite oxygen isotope (δ 18 O c ) values are in equilibrium with ambient water and generally reflect meltwater conditions. Subsequently we investigated if this species recorded the full range of δ 18 O w values occurring during the years 2007 to 2010. Results show that δ 18 O w values were not recorded at very low salinities (< ∼ 19), because the mussels appear to cease growing. This implies that M. edulis δ 18 O c values are suitable in reconstructing past meltwater amounts in most cases, but care has to be taken that shells are collected not too close to a glacier, but rather in the midregion or mouth of the fjord. The focus of future research will expand on the geographical and temporal range of the shell measurements by sampling mussels in other fjords in Greenland along a south-north gradient, and by sampling shells from raised shorelines and archaeological shell middens from prehistoric settlements in Greenland.

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Coastal tides in West Greenland derived from tide gauge records

Cited by 37 publications

References 10 publications

Microplankton succession in a SW Greenland tidewater glacial fjord influenced by coastal inflows and run-off from the Greenland Ice Sheet

Microplankton succession in a SW Greenland tidewater glacial fjord influenced by coastal inflows and run-off from the Greenland Ice Sheet

Seasonal and interannual phytoplankton production in a sub-Arctic tidewater outlet glacier fjord, SW Greenland

Oxygen isotope ratios in the shell of <i>Mytilus edulis</i>: archives of glacier meltwater in Greenland?

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Coastal tides in West Greenland derived from tide gauge records

Cited by 37 publications

References 10 publications

Microplankton succession in a SW Greenland tidewater glacial fjord influenced by coastal inflows and run-off from the Greenland Ice Sheet

Microplankton succession in a SW Greenland tidewater glacial fjord influenced by coastal inflows and run-off from the Greenland Ice Sheet

Seasonal and interannual phytoplankton production in a sub-Arctic tidewater outlet glacier fjord, SW Greenland

Oxygen isotope ratios in the shell of &lt;i&gt;Mytilus edulis&lt;/i&gt;: archives of glacier meltwater in Greenland?

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Oxygen isotope ratios in the shell of <i>Mytilus edulis</i>: archives of glacier meltwater in Greenland?