Field tracking (GPS) of ten icebergs in eastern Baffin Bay, offshore Upernavik, northwest Greenland

Larsen, Poul-Henrik; Hansen, Marc Overgaard; Buus-Hinkler, Jørgen; Krane, Klaus Harnvig; Sønderskov, Carsten

doi:10.3189/2015jog14j216

Cited by 11 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…This version incorporates more internal and external sensors to provide higher temporal resolution measurements of position, rotation, and acceleration, as well as temperature and conductivity. At first glance, EXITE is similar in construction to other low-cost drifters (Johnson et al, 2003;Larsen et al, 2015). The use of low-cost, OTS materials will result in some similarities in available waterproof housings.…”

Section: Next Generation Exitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Measurements of iceberg trajectories in Greenlandic fjords are somewhat limited (Amundson et al, 2010;Sutherland et al, 2014;Andres et al, 2015;FitzMaurice et al, 2016). GPS-based observations in fjords (Sutherland et al, 2014;Sulak et al, 2017) and in Baffin Bay (Wagner et al, 2014;Larsen et al, 2015) are biased toward larger and, presumably, more stable icebergs. Larger icebergs have been tagged with GPS trackers both for scientific reasons, as large icebergs have been found to account for most of the solid ice volume in specific fjords (Sulak et al, 2017), as well as logistical reasons.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Larger icebergs have been tagged with GPS trackers both for scientific reasons, as large icebergs have been found to account for most of the solid ice volume in specific fjords (Sulak et al, 2017), as well as logistical reasons. Commercial GPS trackers are typically deployed by helicopter (Sutherland et al, 2014;Larsen et al, 2015;Sulak et al, 2017), which requires a large, stable platform. Furthermore, commercial GPS trackers are relatively expensive and the additional cost of helicopter deployments typically limits the number of units available for deployment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bergy Bit and Melt Water Trajectories in Godthåbsfjord (SW Greenland) Observed by the Expendable Ice Tracker

et al. 2017

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Icebergs and bergy bits makes up a significant component of the total freshwater flux from the Greenland Ice Sheet to the ocean. Observations of iceberg trajectories are biased toward larger icebergs and, as a result, the drift characteristics of smaller icebergs and bergy bits are poorly understood. In an attempt to fill this critical knowledge gap, we developed the open-source EXpendable Ice TrackEr (EXITE). EXITE is a low-cost, satellite-tracked GPS beacon capable of high-resolution temporal measurements over extended deployment periods (30 days or more). Furthermore, EXITE can transform to a surface drifter when its host iceberg capsizes or fragments. Here we describe basic construction of an EXITE beacon and present results from a deployment in Godthåbsfjord (SW Greenland) in August 2016. Overall, EXITE trajectories show out-fjord surface transport, in agreement with a simple estuarine circulation paradigm. However, eddies and abrupt wind-driven reversals reveal complex surface transport pathways at time scales of hours to days.

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Section: Next Generation Exitementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bergy Bit and Melt Water Trajectories in Godthåbsfjord (SW Greenland) Observed by the Expendable Ice Tracker

et al. 2017

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“…Iceberg samples have been retrieved using helicopters (Diemand, 1984;Gagnon and Gammon, 1997), and from small boats, either by chipping pieces off with an ice axe (Hawkings et al, 2018) or by collecting floating pieces of glacial ice from the water (Hopwood et al, 2016(Hopwood et al, , 2017Meire et al, 2016). Helicopters have also been used to deploy GPS trackers (Sutherland et al, 2014;Jones and Gudmundsson, 2015;Larsen et al, 2015;Sulak et al, 2017) and wave motion sensors (Lever et al, 1991). Icebergs pose a significant safety risk as they can disintegrate and/or roll with little to no warning (Lewis and Bennett, 1984;Macayeal et al, 2011;Heller et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retrieval of Ice Samples Using the Ice Drone

et al. 2019

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The ecological impacts of meltwater produced by icebergs and sea ice in the waters around Greenland are poorly understood, due in part to limited observations. Current field sampling methods are resource and labor-intensive, and not without significant risk. We developed a small, unoccupied, and robotic platform to retrieve ice samples, while simultaneously eliminating safety risks to scientists and their support infrastructure. The IceDrone consists of a modified commercial hexcopter that retrieves ice samples. We describe the design requirements, construction, and testing of the IceDrone. IceDrone's capabilities were validated in the laboratory and during a field test in January 2019 near Nuuk (southwest Greenland). IceDrone retrieved samples in hard and dry glacial ice in harsh winter conditions. The field test led to modifications in the drilling head design and drilling process that enable it to retrieve samples in thin sea ice. All design files and software are provided in an attempt to rapidly enhance our collective understanding of ice-ocean interactions while improving the safety and productivity of field sampling campaigns.

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“…However, other parts of the globe have an iceberg hazard (Berz et al 2001), but do not have such a good observational base concerning past iceberg numbers and distributions, nor a longestablished ice hazard service. A few regions have collections of ship or drift buoys' observations of icebergs, such as the Barents Sea (Abramov 1992;Eik 2009), West Greenland (Valeur et al 1996;Fournier et al 2013;Larsen et al 2015), the Grand Banks (Verbit et al 2006) or parts of the Southern Ocean (Jacka and Giles 2007; Romanov et al 2008). Others have satellite-derived records.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A model for assessing iceberg hazard

et al. 2018

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With the polar regions opening up to more marine activities but iceberg numbers more likely to increase than decline as a result of global warming, the risk from icebergs to shipping and offshore facilities is increasing. The NW Atlantic iceberg hazard has been well monitored by the International Ice Patrol for a century, but many other polar regions have little detailed climatological knowledge of the iceberg risk. Here, we develop a modelling approach to assessing iceberg hazard. This uses the region of the Falklands Plateau and its shipping routes for a case study, but the approach has general geographical applicability and can be used for assessing iceberg hazard for routes or fixed locations. The iceberg risk for a number of locations selected from the main shipping routes in the SW Atlantic is assessed by using an iceberg model, forced by the output from a high-resolution ocean model. The iceberg model was seeded with icebergs around the edge of the modelled region using a number of scenarios for the seeding distribution, based on a combination of idealised, modelled and observed iceberg fluxes from the Southern Ocean. This enabled us to determine measures of iceberg risk linked to a mix of starting location and the likelihood of icebergs being encountered in such a position. For our study area, the main area of iceberg risk is linked to the East Falklands Current, but small, yet nonzero, risk covers much of the east and north of the region.

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Field tracking (GPS) of ten icebergs in eastern Baffin Bay, offshore Upernavik, northwest Greenland

Abstract: ). Relations between iceberg size and drift speed were investigated, showing that icebergs with large surface areas moved at the highest speeds, which occurred particularly during strong wind conditions.

Cited by 11 publications

References 15 publications

Bergy Bit and Melt Water Trajectories in Godthåbsfjord (SW Greenland) Observed by the Expendable Ice Tracker

Bergy Bit and Melt Water Trajectories in Godthåbsfjord (SW Greenland) Observed by the Expendable Ice Tracker

Retrieval of Ice Samples Using the Ice Drone

A model for assessing iceberg hazard

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