Recent observations on the surging Otto Glacier, Ellesmere Island

Hattersley-Smith, G.

doi:10.1139/e69-090

Cited by 37 publications

(30 citation statements)

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“…[]). Hattersley‐Smith [] and Müller [] described dynamic variability (attributed to surging) within the region as early as the 1960s. Copland et al .…”

Section: Background and Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing interannual variability of glacier dynamics and dynamic discharge (1999–2015) for the ice masses of Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands, Nunavut, Canada

et al. 2016

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Landsat 7 and RADARSAT‐1/RADARSAT‐2 satellite images are used to produce the most comprehensive record of glacier motion in the Canadian High Arctic to date and to characterize spatial and temporal variability in ice flow over the past ~15 years. This allows us to assess whether dynamically driven glacier change can be attributed to “surging” or “pulsing,” or whether other mechanisms are involved. RADAR velocity mapping allows annual regional dynamic discharge (iceberg calving) to be calculated for 2000 and the period 2011–2015 (yielding a mean regional discharge of 2.21 ± 0.68 Gt a−1), and velocities derived from feature tracking of optical imagery allow for annual dynamic discharge to be calculated for select glaciers from 1999 to 2010. Since ~2011, several of the major tidewater‐terminating glaciers within the region have decelerated and their dynamic discharge has decreased. Trinity and Wykeham Glaciers (Prince of Wales Icefield) represent a notable departure from this pattern as they have generally accelerated over the study period. The resulting increase in dynamic discharge from these glaciers entirely compensates (within error limits) for the decrease in discharge from the other tidewater glaciers across the study region. These two glaciers accounted for ~62% of total regional dynamic discharge in winter 2015 (compared to ~22% in 2000), demonstrating that total ice discharge from the Canadian High Arctic can be sensitive to variations in flow of just a few tidewater glaciers.

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“…[]). Hattersley‐Smith [] and Müller [] described dynamic variability (attributed to surging) within the region as early as the 1960s. Copland et al .…”

Section: Background and Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing interannual variability of glacier dynamics and dynamic discharge (1999–2015) for the ice masses of Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands, Nunavut, Canada

et al. 2016

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“…Because tributary and trunk flow may be blocked or enhanced by each other's relative activity, tributary/trunk interaction has been proposed to have a causal relationship to surge dynamics (Hattersley-Smith, 1969;Jiskoot and others, 2001;Kotlyakov and others, 2008;King and others, 2015;Paul, 2015). Indeed, both locally and globally surge-type glaciers tend to be more dendritic than normal glaciers (Jiskoot and others, 2003;Sevestre and Benn, 2015), and in some regions tributaries have a higher surge propensity than their trunks (Clarke and others, 1986;Hewitt, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flow and structure in a dendritic glacier with bedrock steps

2017

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ABSTRACT. We analyse ice flow and structural glaciology of Shackleton Glacier, a dendritic glacier with multiple icefalls in the Canadian Rockies. A major tributary-trunk junction allows us to investigate the potential of tributaries to alter trunk flow and structure, and the formation of bedrock steps at confluences. Multi-year velocity-stake data and structural glaciology up-glacier from the junction were assimilated with glacier-wide velocity derived from Radarsat-2 speckle tracking. Maximum flow speeds are 65 m a −1 in the trunk and 175 m a −1 in icefalls. Field and remote-sensing velocities are in good agreement, except where velocity gradients are high. Although compression occurs in the trunk up-glacier of the tributary entrance, glacier flux is steady state because flow speed increases at the junction due to the funnelling of trunk ice towards an icefall related to a bedrock step. Drawing on a published erosion model, we relate the heights of the step and the hanging valley to the relative fluxes of the tributary and trunk. It is the first time that an extant glacier is used to test and support such model. Our study elucidates the inherent complexity of tributary/trunk interactions and provides a conceptual model for trunk flow restriction by a tributary in surge-type glaciers.

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“…The findings identified eight possible surge-type glaciers across Northern Ellesmere, four likely surge-type glaciers and one observed surge. The observed surge was from Otto Glacier (G82716W81419N), a glacier that was reported to have surged between 1950and 1959(by Hattersley-Smith, 1969) and continued to surge or surge again by 1999 (Copland and others, 2003). An active surge was also reported for the Milne Glacier from 1966 to 1983, when the glacier advanced by 4.25 km at a rate of 250 m a −1 (Jeffries, 1984).…”

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confidence: 99%

Area change of glaciers across Northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, between ~1999 and ~2015

White

Copland

2018

J. Glaciol.

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Using a variety of optical satellite scenes, this study quantifies the change in the areal extent of 1773 glaciers across Northern Ellesmere Island between ∼1999 and ∼2015. Our results show that the regional ice coverage decreased by 1705.3 km 2 over the ∼16-year period, a loss of ∼5.9%. Ice shelves had the greatest losses relative to their size, of ∼42.4%. Glaciers feeding into ice shelves reduced in area by 4.7%, while tidewater glaciers reduced in area by 3.3%. Marine-terminating glaciers with floating ice tongues reduced in area by 4.9%, and 19 of these 27 ice tongues disintegrated, causing these glaciers to retreat to their grounding lines. Land-terminating glaciers lost 4.9% of their 1999 area, including the complete loss of three small ice caps (<1.5 km 2 ). Our study highlights the high sensitivity of the ice cover of Northern Ellesmere Island to recent climate warming and the continued losses that are likely to occur in the future. In particular, the ice masses most susceptible to further losses are marine-terminating glaciers with floating termini and small land-terminating ice caps at low elevations.

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Recent observations on the surging Otto Glacier, Ellesmere Island

Cited by 37 publications

References 0 publications

Characterizing interannual variability of glacier dynamics and dynamic discharge (1999–2015) for the ice masses of Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands, Nunavut, Canada

Characterizing interannual variability of glacier dynamics and dynamic discharge (1999–2015) for the ice masses of Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands, Nunavut, Canada

Flow and structure in a dendritic glacier with bedrock steps

Area change of glaciers across Northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, between ~1999 and ~2015

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