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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Matt King
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It has been widely hypothesized that a warmer climate in Greenland would increase the volume of lubricating surface meltwater reaching the ice-bedrock interface, accelerating ice flow and increasing mass loss. We have assembled a data set that provides a synoptic-scale view, spanning ice-sheet to outlet-glacier flow, with which to evaluate this hypothesis. On the ice sheet, these data reveal summer speedups (50 to 100%) consistent with, but somewhat larger than, earlier observations. The relative speedup of outlet glaciers, however, is far smaller (<15%). Furthermore, the dominant seasonal influence on Jakobshavn Isbrae's flow is the calving front's annual advance and retreat. With other effects producing outlet-glacier speedups an order of magnitude larger, seasonal melt's influence on ice flow is likely confined to those regions dominated by ice-sheet flow.
Author(s): Joughin I, Das SB, King MA, Smith BE, Howat IM, Moon T
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Science
Year: 2008
Volume: 320
Issue: 5877
Pages: 781-783
ISSN (print): 0036-8075
ISSN (electronic): 1095-9203
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1153288
DOI: 10.1126/science.1153288
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