The Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers Extended Abstracts Workshop and GLACIODYN

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers Extended Abstracts Workshop and GLACIODYN The Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers Extended abstracts Workshop and GLACIODYN (IPY) meeting, 15 - 18 January 2007, Pontresina (Switzerland) IASCIASC WorkingWorking groupgroup onon ArcticArctic GlaciologyGlaciology Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht Utrecht University, The Netherlands The Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers Extended abstracts Workshop and GLACIODYN (IPY) Meeting, 15 - 18 January 2007, Pontresina (Switzerland) IASC Working Group on Arctic Glaciology Organized by J. Oerlemans and C.H. Tijm-Reijmer Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht Utrecht University, The Netherlands 1 2 CONTENTS Preface..............................................................................................7 Johannes Oerlemans Program ............................................................................................9 List of participants.........................................................................13 Abstracts ........................................................................................17 20th Century evolution and modelling of Hoffellsjökull, Southeast Iceland .........................................................................................18 Gufinna Aalgeirsdóttir, H. Björnsson, F. Pálsson and S.P. Sigursson The surface energy balance of Storbreen....................................20 Liss M. Andreassen, M.R. van den Broeke, J. Oerlemans Topographic controls on the spatial variability of glacier surface energy balance ............................................................................23 Neil Arnold, G. Rees, A. Hodson and J. Kohler Predicting the surface mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet: Importance of refreezing..............................................................27 Jonathan Bamber, M. Bougamont, R. Gladstone, J. Griggs, T. Payne, I. Rutt, E. Hanna, J. Ridley and W. Greuell Geodetic observations of Svalbard land ice mass balance: resutls and plans for IPY .........................................................................29 Jonathan Bamber, T. Murray, T. James, J Rougier, B. Krabill, J. Kohler, J.O. Hagen and P. Gogineni Impact of surface meltwater production on Greenland ice sheet outlet glacier flow .........................................................................31 Jason E. Box, L. Yang and A. Herrington Meltwater Input, Flow Velocities and Calving of Arctic Glaciers: Nordenskiöldbreen, Svalbard.......................................................32 Marianne A.G. den Ouden, J. Oerlemans, C.H. Tijm-Reijmer and V. Pohjola Snow accumulation on Austfonna, northeastern Svalbard, derived by ground-penetrating radar ........................................................34 Thorben Dunse, T.V. Schuler, A. Taurisano, J.O. Hagen, K. Melvold, T. Eiken and G. Moholdt Glacier monitoring approach suggested from analysis mass balance observations...................................................................37 Mark Dyurgerov An investigation of the correlation between changing snowcover and the net mass balance of Storglaciären, Northern Sweden....40 Eleri Evans, R. Essery and R. Lucas 3 Structure of Amundsenisen, Spitsbergen, from ground based radio echo sounding .............................................................................43 Piotr Glowacki, E. Vasilenko, Y. Macheret, A. Glazovsky, J. Moore, J.O. Hagen and F. Navarro Mass balance assessment of Werenskioldbreen (SW Spitsbergen) on the basis of meteorological and cartographical data...............45 Mariusz Grabiec, T. Budzik Climate change response of three ice caps in Iceland.................50 Sverrir Gumundsson, H. Björnsson, G. Aalgeirsdóttir, T. Jóhannesson, F. Pálsson and O. Sigursson Mass balance modelling of Hofsjökull..........................................54 T. Jóhannesson, O. Sigursson, . orsteinsson and R. Hock Natural radioactive isotopes in glacier studies.............................57 Antoine Kies, H. Surbeck and Z. Tosheva Fridtjovbreen changes in XX century from remote sensing data..61 Ivan I. Lavrentiev Preliminary results from radio-echo sounding at Ariebreen, Hornsund, Spitsbergen ................................................................64 F. Machío, J. Lapazaran, P. Dolnicki, M.Petlicki, P. Glowacki and F. Navarro Ablation of Hans Glacier (Svalbard) estimated using energy balance from the AWS data........................................................67 Krzysztof Migaa, D. Puczko, J. Jania and P. Gowack A new DEM over Austfonna ice cap from SAR interferometry, ICESat altimetry and GPS ground profiles...................................71 Geir Moholdt, T. Eiken, J.O. Hagen, A. Kääb, E. Loe, T. V. Schuler, and A. Taurisano Glacier-climate interactions in arctic Alaska.................................74 Matt Nolan and J. Geck Simulation of the turbulent fluxes at Summit, Greenland .............76 Friedrich Obleitner, N.J. Cullen and K. Steffen The impact of volcanic and geothermal activity on the mass balance of Vatnajökull..................................................................80 Finnur Pálsson, S. Gumundsson, and H. Björnsson Variations in mass balance and snow and firn densities along a transect in the percolation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet .......85 Vicki Parry, P. Nienow, D. Mair and J. Scott A new glacier inventory for the Svartisen area (Norway) from Landsat ETM+: Methodological challenges and first results ........88 Frank Paul, L.M. Andreassen 4 A study of 18O and temperature gradients and their trends and relations over the ice field Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard, during the last century ..................................................................................91 Veijo Pohjola, B. Sjögren, T.Martma, E. Isaksson, J. Kohler, K. Törnblom and R.S.W. van de Wal Glacier volume projections: flowline modelling vs volume-area scaling..........................................................................................93 Valentina Radi, R. Hock and J. Oerlemans Modelling the 21st century mass balance of Svalbard glaciers using ERA-40 reanalysis and general circulation models ............96 Cameron Rye, I. Willis and N. Arnold Ground control for modelling glacier changes in Hornsundet ......99 Aleksey I. Sharov and Roland Wack Ablation and outflow from Kaffiøyra glaciers in 1996-2006, Svalbard.....................................................................................104 Ireneusz Sobota Mass balance monitoring of Kaffiøyra glaciers, Svalbard ..........108 Ireneusz Sobota Relationship of equilibrium line altitude (ELA) and accumulation area ratio (AAR) with mass balance of Kaffiøyra glaciers, Svalbard ...................................................................................................112 Ireneusz Sobota Mass balance observations on some glaciers in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 balance years, Nordenskiold Land, Spitsbergen......115 I.Y. Solovyanova and B.R. Mavlyudov Geodetic investigations on dynamic parameters of the West Greenland inland ice..................................................................121 Manfred Stober Estimation of the motion of arctic glaciers with satellite L-band SAR data ...................................................................................125 Tazio Strozzi, A. Wiesmann, U. Wegmüller, C. Werner, A. Kouraev and A. Sharov A new glacier inventory for Cumberland Peninsula, Canadian Arctic, from ASTER data with assessment of changes since 1975 and the Little Ice Age extent ......................................................127 Felix Svoboda and F. Paul Thermal regime changes of the polythermal Midre Lovénbreen, Svalbard.....................................................................................130 Ian C. Willis, D.M. Rippin and J. Kohler 5 World Glacier Monitoring Service – Call-for-data for the observation period 2000–2005 and International Polar Year activities.....................................................................................134 Michael Zemp, M. Hoelzle, F. Paul and W. Haeberli Mass Balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet: Consistent Results on Near Balance to Negative..........................................................137 H. Jay Zwally, A.C. Brenner, S.B. Luthcke, D. Yi, J. Li, J.L. Saba, M.B. Giovinetto, H.G. Cornejo, M.A. Beckley, and W. Abdalati GLACIODYN .................................................................................139 6 PREFACE This year (2007) the annual workshop of the Working Group on Arctic Glaciology of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC-WAG) was held once more in Pontresina, Switzerland. Apart from the traditional contributions on the mass balance of arctic glaciers there was also an appreciable number of contributions on glacier dynamics. Over 50 participants presented 41 oral contributions and 11 posters on a wide range of subjects. Since previous reports of the workshop were received with great enthusiasm, it was decided to make a book of extended abstracts once more. Therefore many of the presentations are summarized here, and I want to thank the contributors for their efforts to produce clear and well-illustrated texts. IASC generously provided financial means for eight young scientists to participate in the workshop. Further support was received from IMAU (Utrecht University) and the Netherlands IPY Programme (NWO), covering the costs of the congress facilities and the printing of this book. It is clear that the IPY will strengthen existing projects and generate new projects on arctic glaciers. The issue of greenhouse warming, land ice and sea level,
Recommended publications
  • Fluctuations of Tidewater Glaciers in Hornsund Fjord (Southern Svalbard) Since the Beginning of the 20Th Century
    Title: Fluctuations of tidewater glaciers in Hornsund Fjord (Southern Svalbard) since the beginning of the 20th century Author: Małgorzata Błaszczyk, Jacek A. Jania, Leszek Kolondra Citation style: Błaszczyk Małgorzata, Jania Jacek A., Kolondra Leszek. (2013). Fluctuations of tidewater glaciers in Hornsund Fjord (Southern Svalbard) since the beginning of the 20th century. “Polish Polar Research” (vol. 34, no. 4 (2013), s. 327-352), doi 10.2478/popore-2013-0024 vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 327–352, 2013 doi: 10.2478/popore−2013−0024 Fluctuations of tidewater glaciers in Hornsund Fjord (Southern Svalbard) since the beginning of the 20th century Małgorzata BŁASZCZYK, Jacek A. JANIA and Leszek KOLONDRA Wydział Nauk o Ziemi, Uniwersytet Śląski, ul. Będzińska 60, 41−200 Sosnowiec, Poland <[email protected]> <[email protected]> <[email protected]> Abstract: Significant retreat of glaciers terminating in Hornsund Fjord (Southern Spits− bergen, Svalbard) has been observed during the 20th century and in the first decade of the 21st century. The objective of this paper is to present, as complete as possible, a record of front positions changes of 14 tidewater glaciers during this period and to distinguish the main factors influencing their fluctuations. Results are based on a GIS analysis of archival maps, field measurements, and aerial and satellite images. Accuracy was based on an as− sessment of seasonal fluctuations of a glacier’s ice cliff position with respect to its mini− mum length in winter (November–December) and its maximum advance position in June or July. Morphometric features and the environmental setting of each glacier are also pre− sented.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers Extended Abstracts
    The Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers Extended abstracts Workshop and GLACIODYN (IPY) meeting, 15 - 18 January 2007, Pontresina (Switzerland) IASCIASC WorkingWorking groupgroup onon ArcticArctic GlaciologyGlaciology Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht Utrecht University, The Netherlands The Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers Extended abstracts Workshop and GLACIODYN (IPY) Meeting, 15 - 18 January 2007, Pontresina (Switzerland) IASC Working Group on Arctic Glaciology Organized by J. Oerlemans and C.H. Tijm-Reijmer Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht Utrecht University, The Netherlands 1 2 CONTENTS Preface..............................................................................................7 Johannes Oerlemans Program ............................................................................................9 List of participants.........................................................................13 Abstracts ........................................................................................17 20th Century evolution and modelling of Hoffellsjökull, Southeast Iceland .........................................................................................18 Gufinna Aalgeirsdóttir, H. Björnsson, F. Pálsson and S.P. Sigursson The surface energy balance of Storbreen....................................20 Liss M. Andreassen, M.R. van den Broeke, J. Oerlemans Topographic controls on the spatial variability of glacier surface energy balance ............................................................................23
    [Show full text]
  • Report from the Field Workshop on Studies of Tidewater Glaciers
    Report from the Field Workshop on Studies of Tidewater Glaciers 26-31 August 2012 on board the r/v Horyzont II around Svalbard Cryosphere Working Group International Arctic Science Committee Sosnowiec 2013 Field Workshop on Studies of Tidewater Glaciers 26 - 31 August 2012, Svalbard Sponsors and organizers Cryosphere Working Group, International Arctic Science Committee Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences EU - project Ice2sea Nordic Centre of Excellence SVALI Committee on Polar Research, Polish Academy of Sciences University of Silesia, Poland University of Oslo, Norway University Centre in Svalbard - UNIS, Longyearbyen Steering Group Piotr G³owacki, Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences Jon Ove Hagen, University of Oslo Jacek A. Jania, University of Silesia Tad Pfeffer, University of Colorado Report prepared by Jenny Baeseman and Early Career Scientists - participants of the Workshop Edited by Jacek A. Jania and Joanna Szafraniec © Cryosphere Working Group, International Arctic Science Committee ISBN: 978-3-9813637-5-3 Published by the Polish Polar Consortium Faculty of Earth Sciences University of Silesia ul. Bêdziñska 60 Sosnowiec, Poland Report from the Field Workshop on Studies of Tidewater Glaciers Table of Contents Preface: IASC Cryosphere Working Group motivations for the workshop . 5 Executive Summary . 7 1. Relevance of tidewater glaciers and a review of the current state of knowledge . 9 2. Challenges and gaps in studies of tidewater glaciers . 11 3. Modeling needs: key boundary conditions, validation data sets and requests to data collectors . 15 4. Recommendations for field and remote sensing methods for tidewater glaciers . 17 5. Perspectives for further coordinated research . 19 6. Field trips and additional educational experiences from the workshop .
    [Show full text]
  • Melting Characteristics of Snow Cover on Tidewater Glaciers in Hornsund Fjord, Svalbard
    water Article Melting Characteristics of Snow Cover on Tidewater Glaciers in Hornsund Fjord, Svalbard Michał Laska 1,* ID , Barbara Barzycka 1 and Bartłomiej Luks 2 ID 1 Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, B˛edzi´nska60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland; [email protected] 2 Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ksi˛eciaJanusza 64, 01-452 Warsaw, Poland; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +48-32-36-89-896 Received: 16 August 2017; Accepted: 16 October 2017; Published: 19 October 2017 Abstract: In recent years, the Svalbard area, especially its southern section, has been characterised by an exceptionally thin snow cover, which has a significant impact of the annual mass balance of glaciers. The objective of this study was to determine melting processes of the snow cover deposited on 11 glaciers that terminate into Hornsund Fjord during the melting period of 2014. The study included analyses of snow pits and snow cores, meteorological data collected from automatic weather stations and Polish Polar Station Hornsund, and supervised classification of six Landsat 8 images for assessing the progress of snow cover melting. The calculated Snow-Covered Area (SCA) varied from 98% at the beginning of the melting season to 43% at the end of August. The melting vertical gradient on Hansbreen was −0.34 m 100 m−1, leading to surface melting of −1.4 cm water equivalent (w.e.) day−1 in the ablation zone (c. 200 m a.s.l. (above sea level)) and −0.7 cm w.e. day−1 in the accumulation zone (c.
    [Show full text]
  • Bathymetry and Geographical Regionalization of Brepollen (Hornsund, Spitsbergen) Based on Bathymetric Profiles Interpolations
    vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 1–22, 2013 doi: 10.2478/popore−2013−0001 Bathymetry and geographical regionalization of Brepollen (Hornsund, Spitsbergen) based on bathymetric profiles interpolations Mateusz MOSKALIK1, Piotr GRABOWIECKI1, Jarosław TĘGOWSKI2 and Monika ŻULICHOWSKA3 1 Instytut Geofizyki, Polska Akademia Nauk, ul. Księcia Janusza 64, 01−452 Warszawa, Poland <[email protected]> <[email protected]> 2 Wydział Oceanografii i Geografii, Uniwersytet Gdański, Al. M. Piłsudskiego 46, 81−378 Gdynia, Poland <[email protected]> 3 Wydział Biologii i Nauk o Ziemi, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, ul. Gronostajowa 7, 30−387 Kraków, Poland <[email protected]> Abstract: Determination of High Arctic regions bathymetry is strictly dependent from weather and ice mass quantity. Due to safety, it is often necessary to use a small boat to study fjords area, especially close to glaciers with unknown bathymetry. This precludes the use of modern multi−beam echosounders, and so traditional single−beam echosounders have been used for bathymetry profiling. Adequate interpolation techniques were determined for the most probable morphological formations in−between bathymetric profiles. Choosing the most accurate interpolation method allows for the determination of geographical regionalisation of submarine elevations of the Brepollen area (inner part of Hornsund, Spitsbergen). It has also been found that bathymetric interpolations should be performed on averaged grid values, rather than individual records. The Ordinary Kriging Method was identified as the most adequate for interpolations and was compared with multi beam scan− ning, which was possible to make due to a previously modelled single beam interpolation map. In total, eight geographical units were separated in Brepollen, based on the bathy− metry, slope and aspect maps.
    [Show full text]
  • Subglacial Discharges Create Fluctuating Foraging Hotspots for Sea Birds in Tidewater Glacier Bays
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Subglacial discharges create fluctuating foraginghotspots for sea birds in tidewater glacier bays Received: 06 July 2016 Jacek Andrzej Urbanski1, Lech Stempniewicz2, Jan Marcin Węsławski3, Accepted: 03 February 2017 Katarzyna Dragańska-Deja3, Agnieszka Wochna1, Michał Goc2 & Lech Iliszko2 Published: 07 March 2017 Although the processes occurring at the front of an ice face in tidewater glacier bays still await thorough investigation, their importance to the rapidly changing polar environment is spurring a considerable research effort. Glacier melting, sediment delivery and the formation of seabird foraging hotspots are governed by subglacial discharges of meltwater. We have combined the results of tracking black- legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla equipped with GPS loggers, analyses of satellite images and in situ measurements of water temperature, salinity and turbidity in order to examine the magnitude and variability of such hotspots in the context of glacier bay hydrology. Small though these hotspots are in size, foraging in them appears to be highly intensive. They come into existence only if the subglacial discharge reaches the surface, if the entrainment velocity at a conduit is high and if there is sufficient macroplankton in the entrainment layer. The position and type of subglacial discharges may fluctuate in time and space, thereby influencing glacier bay hydrology and the occurrence of foraging hotspots. Tidewater glaciers and the waters of bays in front of ice faces are unique features of arctic fjords. Recent years have witnessed greater research efforts in these areas, as glacier retreat is one of the most spectacular, visible signs of global warming1. Glacier bays play a significant part in sedimentation, ice cover formation and iceberg calving, thus bringing a substantial influence to bear on the ecology of fjord coastal waters2,3.
    [Show full text]
  • GMK08 Round Spitsbergen 05-15 July
    Expedition Log Around Spitsbergen 5th – 15 th July 2006 M/V Grigoriy Mikheev The Grigoriy Mikheev was built in 1990 in Finland and was designed as an ice strengthened hydrographical vessel. Of steel construction, measuring 65,3m (210 ft) long, 12.7m (42 ft) wide, with a displacement of 2,000 tons, she is ideal for the Polar Regions. This former research vessel of the Hydrographical Department of Russia in St. Petersburg is manned by an enthusiastic Russian crew so we know that we are in extremely capable hands. During the northern winter she cruises the water of the Antarctic Peninsula. 1 Around Svalbard onboard Grigoriy Mikheev from 5 – 15 July 2006 With Captain – Aleksandr Pruss and his Russian Crew of 18 including 1st Mate - Zodiac Driver: Andrey Postnikov 2nd Mate - Zodiac Driver: Valeriy Kovalev 3rd Mate - Zodiac Driver: Andrey Ivanov Radio Engineer - Zodiac Driver: Roman Aleksakhin Able Seaman - Zodiac Driver: Ruslan Kuzmenko Able Seaman - Zodiac Driver: Igor Voyko Cabin Stewardess: Alina Zurikhina Cabin Stewardess: Marina Tattar Dining Room Stewardess: Lyudmila Santimova Dining Room Stewardess: Nataliya Dudinskaya and Expedition Leader: Rolf Stange (Germany) Guide/Lecturer: Delphine Aurès (France) Guide/Lecturer: Troels Jacobsen (Denmark) Hotel Manager: Jan de Ceuster (Belgium) Head Chef: Nathan Russ (New Zealand) Sous Chef: Beverley Howlett (UK) Ship’s Physician: Dr. Mathias Heinl (Germany) Wildwatch Tours escort: Peter Jones (UK) Grand Nord escort: Stephane Niveau (France) And 47 of us from Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, UK, and USA 5th July 2006 – Longyearbyen Position at 17.00: 78°14’ N / 15°39’ E 2 Around Svalbard onboard Grigoriy Mikheev from 5 – 15 July 2006 Air temperature: 8°C, light westerly, cloudy.
    [Show full text]
  • Distribution Patterns of Polychaete Fauna in an Arctic Fjord (Hornsund, Spitsbergen)
    Polar Biol DOI 10.1007/s00300-013-1366-9 ORIGINAL PAPER Distribution patterns of polychaete fauna in an Arctic fjord (Hornsund, Spitsbergen) Monika Ke˛dra • Krzysztof Pabis • Sławomira Gromisz • Jan Marcin We˛sławski Received: 7 November 2012 / Revised: 20 June 2013 / Accepted: 28 June 2013 Ó The Author(s) 2013. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Polychaetes are one of the most important the glacier (longitude). No significant correlations were groups of benthic organisms in marine ecosystems. They found with depth or total organic carbon content. Carni- dominate on the Arctic shelf and play an important role in vore and motile surface deposit feeding polychaete species ecosystem functioning. This study focuses on the poly- dominated in the areas close to the glaciers, while the chaete biodiversity and their distribution patterns in OUTER community was dominated by carnivores and Hornsund, an open glacial fjord, in western Spitsbergen surface sessile and discretely motile species, and had more and provides important baseline data for future studies of complex trophic structure, with multiple species repre- temporal fluctuations in benthic fauna. The main aim of senting different functional groups including carnivores, this study was to assess how the polychaete abundance, sessile, discretely motile, and motile surface deposit feed- biomass, diversity, community structure, and function vary ers and motile burrowers. along the Hornsund fjord’s axis, in relation to the envi- ronmental factors. Eighty-eight polychaete taxa were Keywords Polychaeta Á Svalbard Á Fjords Á Diversity Á identified; an average density was 457 ind. m-2 ± Patterns of distribution 237.5 SD.
    [Show full text]
  • Fluctuations of Tidewater Glaciers in Hornsund Fjord (Southern Svalbard) Since the Beginning of the 20Th Century
    vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 327–352, 2013 doi: 10.2478/popore−2013−0024 Fluctuations of tidewater glaciers in Hornsund Fjord (Southern Svalbard) since the beginning of the 20th century Małgorzata BŁASZCZYK, Jacek A. JANIA and Leszek KOLONDRA Wydział Nauk o Ziemi, Uniwersytet Śląski, ul. Będzińska 60, 41−200 Sosnowiec, Poland <[email protected]> <[email protected]> <[email protected]> Abstract: Significant retreat of glaciers terminating in Hornsund Fjord (Southern Spits− bergen, Svalbard) has been observed during the 20th century and in the first decade of the 21st century. The objective of this paper is to present, as complete as possible, a record of front positions changes of 14 tidewater glaciers during this period and to distinguish the main factors influencing their fluctuations. Results are based on a GIS analysis of archival maps, field measurements, and aerial and satellite images. Accuracy was based on an as− sessment of seasonal fluctuations of a glacier’s ice cliff position with respect to its mini− mum length in winter (November–December) and its maximum advance position in June or July. Morphometric features and the environmental setting of each glacier are also pre− sented. The total area of the glacier cover in Hornsund Fjord in the period of 1899–2010 diminished approximately 172 km2, with an average areal retreat rate of 1.6 km2a−1.The recession rate increased from ~1 km2a−1 in first decades of the 20th century up to ~3 km2a−1 in years 2001–2010. The latest period was more thoroughly studied using optical satellite images acquired almost every year.
    [Show full text]
  • Ice-Cliff Morphometry in Identifying the Surge Phenomenon of Tidewater Glaciers (Spitsbergen, Svalbard)
    geosciences Article Ice-Cliff Morphometry in Identifying the Surge Phenomenon of Tidewater Glaciers (Spitsbergen, Svalbard) Joanna Ewa Szafraniec Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, B˛edzi´nska60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland; [email protected]; Tel.: +48-32-3689-687 Received: 27 May 2020; Accepted: 18 August 2020; Published: 20 August 2020 Abstract: In this study, 110 tidewater glaciers from Spitsbergen were studied to characterize the frontal zone using morphometric indicators. In addition, their time variability was also determined based on features of the active phase of glacier surges. Landsat satellite imagery and topographic maps were used for digitalization of the ice-cliffs line. In recent years (2014–2017) all the glaciers studied can be thus classified as: stagnant (33%), retreating and deeply recessing (33%), starting to move forward/fulfilling the frontal zone (23%), and surging (11%). Indicators of the glacier frontal zone (CfD and CfE) allow to identify the beginning and the end of the active phase through changes in their values by ca. 0.05–0.06 by the year and get even bigger for large glaciers as opposed to typical interannual differences within the limits of 0.01 to 0.02. The active phase lasted an average ± of 6–10 years. The presence of a “glacier buttress system” and the “pointed arch” structure of the ice-cliff seem to be an important factor regulating the tidewater glacier stability. Keywords: ice-cliff morphometry; “glacier buttress system”; glacier surge; Spitsbergen; tidewater glaciers 1. Introduction Spitsbergen glaciers are in rapid recession. This is observed in both land-based glaciers [1–5] and those terminating at sea [6–8] and is regarded as a manifestation of the Arctic amplification effect, whereby changes in the net radiation balance tend to produce a larger increase in temperature near the pole than the planetary average [9,10].
    [Show full text]
  • Download Book of Abstracts IPSIP Conference (Pdf)
    CONTENT INVITED LECTURE Susan Barr IPY STATIONS IN THE NORWEGIAN ARCTIC – THEIR 8 HISTORY AND CURRENT MANAGEMENT Jerónimo López- PRESENT AND FUTURE ANTARCTIC RESEARCH, 9 Martínez IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Jon Ove Hagen et al. MASS BALANCE OF SVALBARD GLACIERS 1957-2015, IN 11 A GLOBAL CONTEXT Jefferson Cardia BRAZILIANS IN ANTARCTICA: OPPORTUNITIES FOR 13 Simões INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION THEMATIC LECTURE Andrew Jonathan LANDSCAPE CHANGE AND THE EMISSION OF 14 Hodson et al. GREENHOUSE GASES IN CENTRAL SPITSBERGEN Francisco Navarro OBSERVED IMPACTS ON THE CRYOSPHERE OF THE 15 RECENT COOLING IN THE NORTHERN ANTARCTIC PENINSULA Ursula Schauer et al. OCEAN GLACIER INTERACTION IN NORTHEAST 16 GREENLAND León A. Bravo et al. IN SITU WARMING EXPERIMENTS NEAR HENRYK 17 ARCTOWSKI ANTARCTIC STATION: UNRAVELING THE IMPACT OF REGIONAL WARMING ON ANTARCTIC VASCULAR PLANTS Michał Łuszczuk THE POLITICAL CONTEXTS OF THE POLISH POLAR 19 RESEARCH Climate change and polar meteorology Przemysław RECENT AIR TEMPERATURE CHANGES IN THE ARCTIC 20 Wyszyński, Rajmund IN THE LIGHT OF OBSERVATIONAL AND REANALYSIS Przybylak DATA Alfred Stach, MODELLING LAND SURFACE TEMPERATURE (LST) ON THE 21 Grzegorz Rachlewicz SVALBARD ARCHIPELAGO Jacek W. Kamiński et ASSESSING THE CLIMATE IMPACT OF AVIATION 23 al. EMISSIONS ON THE ARCTIC ENVIRONMENT Interdisciplinary Polar Studies in Poland, Warsaw, Poland, 17-19 November 2017 1 Katarzyna Cielecka, AIR TEMPERATURE AS A CRITERION FOR SNOW AND 24 Ewa Łupikasza RAIN SEPARATION FOR SVALBARD Andrzej Araźny COMPARISON OF BIOCLIMATIC CONDITIONS ON FRANZ 25 JOSEF LADN (THE ARCTIC) BETWEEN THE TURN OF THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES AND MODERN TIMES Michał Posyniak et al. STUDIES OF AEROSOL OPTICAL PROPERTIES DURING 26 LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT OF BIOMASS BURNING FROM CANADA AND GREENLAND TO SVALBARD IN JULY AND AUGUST 2017 Evolution of glaciers & cryosphere and related processes Mariusz Grabiec et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Principal Component and Cluster Analysis for Determining
    doi:10.5697/oc.56-1.059 Principal Component OCEANOLOGIA, 56 (1), 2014. pp. 59–84. and Cluster Analysis C Copyright by for determining Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, diversification of bottom 2014. morphology based on KEYWORDS bathymetric profiles from Fjord morphology Brepollen (Hornsund, Brepollen Hornsund Spitsbergen)* Svalbard Principal Component and Cluster Analyses Mateusz Moskalik1 Jarosław Tęgowski2 Piotr Grabowiecki1 Monika Żulichowska3 1 Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Księcia Janusza 64, 01–452 Warsaw, Poland; e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, al. Marszałka J. Piłsudskiego 46, 81–378 Gdynia, Poland; e-mail: [email protected] 3 Department of Biology and Earth Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30–387 Kraków, Poland; e-mail: m [email protected] Received 24 May 2013, revised 24 September 2013, accepted 3 October 2013. * The project was partly supported by The Polish Ministry of Sciences and Higher Education Grant No. N N525 350038. 60 M. Moskalik, J. Tęgowski, P. Grabowiecki, M. Żulichowska Abstract Navigation charts of the post-glacial regions of Arctic fjords tend not to cover regions from which glaciers have retreated. Whilst research vessels can make de- tailed bathymetric models using multibeam echosounders, they are often too large to enter such areas. To map these regions therefore requires smaller boats carrying single beam echosounders. To obtain morphology models of equivalent quality to those generated using multibeam echosounders, new ways of processing data from single beam echosounders have to be found. The results and comprehensive analysis of such measurements conducted in Brepollen (Hornsund, Spitsbergen) are presented in this article.
    [Show full text]