Examining the effect of ice dynamic changes on subglacial hydrology through modelling of a synthetic Antarctic glacier
Hydrologic pathways beneath ice sheets and glaciers play an important role in regulating ice flow. Antarctica has experienced, and will continue to experience, changes in ice dynamics and geometry, but the associated changes in subglacial hydrology have received less attention. Here, we use the GlaD...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143023000655/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1826937753854541824 |
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| author | Anna-Mireilla Hayden Christine F. Dow |
| author_facet | Anna-Mireilla Hayden Christine F. Dow |
| author_sort | Anna-Mireilla Hayden |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hydrologic pathways beneath ice sheets and glaciers play an important role in regulating ice flow. Antarctica has experienced, and will continue to experience, changes in ice dynamics and geometry, but the associated changes in subglacial hydrology have received less attention. Here, we use the GlaDS subglacial hydrology model to examine drainage evolution beneath an idealised Antarctic glacier in response to steepening ice surface slopes, accelerating ice velocities and subglacial lake drainages. Ice surface slope changes exerted a dominant influence, redirecting basal water to different outlet locations and substantially increasing channelised discharge crossing the grounding line. Faster ice velocities had comparatively negligible effects. Subglacial lake drainage results indicated that lake refilling times play a key role in drainage system evolution, with lake flux more readily accommodated following shorter refilling times. Our findings are significant for vulnerable Antarctic regions currently experiencing dynamic thinning since subglacial water re-routing could destabilise ice shelves through enhanced sub-shelf melting, potentially hastening irreversible retreat. These changes could also affect subglacial lake activity. We, therefore, emphasise that including a nuanced and complex representation of subglacial hydrology in ice-sheet models could provide critical information on the timing and magnitude of sea-level change contributions from Antarctica. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:11:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-127370b60427496584035890776bcade |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-17T18:45:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj.art-127370b60427496584035890776bcade2024-12-11T10:15:39ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522023-12-01691846185910.1017/jog.2023.65Examining the effect of ice dynamic changes on subglacial hydrology through modelling of a synthetic Antarctic glacierAnna-Mireilla Hayden0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5931-458XChristine F. Dow1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1346-2258Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, CanadaHydrologic pathways beneath ice sheets and glaciers play an important role in regulating ice flow. Antarctica has experienced, and will continue to experience, changes in ice dynamics and geometry, but the associated changes in subglacial hydrology have received less attention. Here, we use the GlaDS subglacial hydrology model to examine drainage evolution beneath an idealised Antarctic glacier in response to steepening ice surface slopes, accelerating ice velocities and subglacial lake drainages. Ice surface slope changes exerted a dominant influence, redirecting basal water to different outlet locations and substantially increasing channelised discharge crossing the grounding line. Faster ice velocities had comparatively negligible effects. Subglacial lake drainage results indicated that lake refilling times play a key role in drainage system evolution, with lake flux more readily accommodated following shorter refilling times. Our findings are significant for vulnerable Antarctic regions currently experiencing dynamic thinning since subglacial water re-routing could destabilise ice shelves through enhanced sub-shelf melting, potentially hastening irreversible retreat. These changes could also affect subglacial lake activity. We, therefore, emphasise that including a nuanced and complex representation of subglacial hydrology in ice-sheet models could provide critical information on the timing and magnitude of sea-level change contributions from Antarctica.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143023000655/type/journal_articleAntarctic glaciologyglacier modellingsubglacial processes |
| spellingShingle | Anna-Mireilla Hayden Christine F. Dow Examining the effect of ice dynamic changes on subglacial hydrology through modelling of a synthetic Antarctic glacier Journal of Glaciology Antarctic glaciology glacier modelling subglacial processes |
| title | Examining the effect of ice dynamic changes on subglacial hydrology through modelling of a synthetic Antarctic glacier |
| title_full | Examining the effect of ice dynamic changes on subglacial hydrology through modelling of a synthetic Antarctic glacier |
| title_fullStr | Examining the effect of ice dynamic changes on subglacial hydrology through modelling of a synthetic Antarctic glacier |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining the effect of ice dynamic changes on subglacial hydrology through modelling of a synthetic Antarctic glacier |
| title_short | Examining the effect of ice dynamic changes on subglacial hydrology through modelling of a synthetic Antarctic glacier |
| title_sort | examining the effect of ice dynamic changes on subglacial hydrology through modelling of a synthetic antarctic glacier |
| topic | Antarctic glaciology glacier modelling subglacial processes |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143023000655/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annamireillahayden examiningtheeffectoficedynamicchangesonsubglacialhydrologythroughmodellingofasyntheticantarcticglacier AT christinefdow examiningtheeffectoficedynamicchangesonsubglacialhydrologythroughmodellingofasyntheticantarcticglacier |