Dye tracing to determine flow properties of hydrocarbon-polluted Rabots glaciär, Kebnekaise, Sweden

Abstract

Abstract. Over 11 000 L of kerosene was deposited on the surface of Rabots glaciär on the Kebnekaise Massif, northern Sweden, following the crash of a Royal Norwegian Air Force aircraft in March 2012. An environmental monitoring programme was subsequently commissioned, including a series of dye tracing experiments during the 2013 melt season, conducted to investigate the transport of pollutants through the glacier hydrological system. This experimental set-up provided a basis from which we could gain new insight into the internal hydrological system of Rabots glaciär. Results of dye tracing experiments reveal a degree of homogeneity in the topology of the drainage system throughout July and August, with an increase in efficiency as the season progresses, as reflected by decreasing temporary storage and dispersivity. Early onset of melting likely led to formation of an efficient, discrete drainage system early in the melt season, subject to decreasing sinuosity and braiding as the season progressed. Four distinct meltwater flow regimes are identified to summarize the temporal and spatial evolution of the system. Analysis of turbidity-discharge hysteresis further supports the formation of discrete, efficient drainage, with clockwise diurnal hysteresis suggesting easy mobilization of readily available sediments in channels. Dye injection immediately downstream of the pollution source zone reveals prolonged storage of dye followed by fast, efficient release. Twinned with a low dye recovery, and supported by sporadic detection of hydrocarbons in the proglacial river, we suggest that meltwater, and thus pollutants in solution, may be released periodically through an efficient, and likely pressurized, hydrological system within the upper reaches of the glacier.

Anthropogenic contaminants in glacial environments II: Release and downstream consequences

“…Mountain ranges are prone to mass movements of snow, ice, rock and sediment due to characteristics such as steep slopes, high topographic relief, seismic activity, and hazard cascades (Shugar et al, 2021). These mass movements, such as avalanches and rockfall, can occur in response to natural instabilities in the snowpack or mountain permafrost (Owen, 1991), or in response to anthropogenic activity and accidents (Clason et al, 2015). The rapid mass movement of material on glacier surfaces can scrub contaminants from the supraglacial environment, transporting them downslope with other materials such as snow, ice blocks and water, leading to accumulation of contaminants at lower elevations (Lawson, 1982; Owen, 1991).…”

Uso de traçadores naturais e fluorescentes para identificação de seções de descarga na bacia de Juatuba

“…Bandeira et al, (2012), utilizaram um traçador radioativo (tecnécio 99) para estudos ambientais associados ao impacto ambiental decorrente das descargas de fundo na Pequena Central Hidrelétrica de Paciência, em Minas Gerais, próximo a Juiz de Fora. Clason et al, (2015), investigaram problemas ambientais com o auxílio de traçadores fluorescentes em regiões glaciais na Suécia, enquanto Bekele et al, (2014), utilizaram traçadores químicos para estudar o tempo de residência de águas recicladas em aquíferos na Austrália. Dentre os traçadores utilizados em vários tipos de pesquisa, os estudos da dinâmica da água podem ser efetuados com o auxílio de espécies isotópicas desta molécula.…”

Search and recovery of aircraft parts in ice-sheet crevasse fields using airborne and in situ geophysical sensors

“…Alexander and Foote, 1998). Many aircraft have also crashed on glaciers around the world (Heggie, 2008; Clason and others, 2015; Safronov, 2018; Compagno and others, 2019). Locating some of these aircraft can be challenging (e.g.…”

“…Compagno and others, 2019 were only able to find exposed, not buried, debris). Search and recovery work at these sites is important for a variety of reasons, including environmental hazard cleanup (Clason and others, 2015), ice velocity estimates (Ward, 1955), ice-flow model validation (Compagno and others, 2019), glacial archaeology and anthropology (Dixon and others, 2014; Pilloud and others, 2016), repatriation of the crew and passengers (Brooks, 2010; Pilloud and others, 2016), or investigations to determine the cause of an accident to reduce the likelihood of future similar events (this project). Investigators were only able to confidently determine the cause of the failure after the fan hub fragment was recovered by this project.…”