Learning from Alfred Wegener’s pioneering field observations in West Greenland after a century of climate change
Abstract The cryosphere in Greenland is currently undergoing strong changes. While remote sensing improves our understanding of spatial and temporal changes across scales, particularly our knowledge of conditions during the pre-satellite era is fragmented. Therefore, high-quality field data from tha...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-05-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33225-9 |
| _version_ | 1797818064506454016 |
|---|---|
| author | J. Abermann B. Vandecrux S. Scher K. Löffler F. Schalamon A. Trügler R. Fausto W. Schöner |
| author_facet | J. Abermann B. Vandecrux S. Scher K. Löffler F. Schalamon A. Trügler R. Fausto W. Schöner |
| author_sort | J. Abermann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The cryosphere in Greenland is currently undergoing strong changes. While remote sensing improves our understanding of spatial and temporal changes across scales, particularly our knowledge of conditions during the pre-satellite era is fragmented. Therefore, high-quality field data from that period can be particularly valuable to better understand changes of the cryosphere in Greenland at climate time scales. At Graz University, the last work-place of Alfred Wegener we have access to the extensive expedition results from their epic 1929–1931 expedition to Greenland. The expedition coincides with the warmest phase of the Arctic early twentieth century warm period. We present an overview of the main findings of the Wegener expedition archive and set it into context with further monitoring activities that occurred since, as well as the results from reanalysis products and satellite imagery. We find that firn temperatures have increased significantly, while snow and firn densities and have remained similar or decreased since. Local conditions at the Qaamarujup Sermia have changed strongly, with a reduction in length of more than 2 km, in thickness by up to 120 m and a rise in terminus position of approximately 300 m. The elevation of the snow line of the years 1929 and 1930 was similar to the one from the extreme years 2012 and 2019. Compared to the satellite era, we find that during the time of the Wegener expedition fjord ice extent was smaller in early spring and larger in late spring. We demonstrate that a well-documented snapshot of archival data can provide a local and regional context for contemporary climate change and that it can serve as the basis for process-based studies on the atmospheric drivers of glacier changes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:03:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-684c8e5030b242d79e44768e56d0172b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:03:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-684c8e5030b242d79e44768e56d0172b2023-05-28T11:12:40ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-05-0113111410.1038/s41598-023-33225-9Learning from Alfred Wegener’s pioneering field observations in West Greenland after a century of climate changeJ. Abermann0B. Vandecrux1S. Scher2K. Löffler3F. Schalamon4A. Trügler5R. Fausto6W. Schöner7Department of Geography and Regional Sciences, University of GrazDepartment of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS)Know-Center, Research Center for Trustworthy AI and DataDepartment of Geography and Regional Sciences, University of GrazDepartment of Geography and Regional Sciences, University of GrazDepartment of Geography and Regional Sciences, University of GrazDepartment of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS)Department of Geography and Regional Sciences, University of GrazAbstract The cryosphere in Greenland is currently undergoing strong changes. While remote sensing improves our understanding of spatial and temporal changes across scales, particularly our knowledge of conditions during the pre-satellite era is fragmented. Therefore, high-quality field data from that period can be particularly valuable to better understand changes of the cryosphere in Greenland at climate time scales. At Graz University, the last work-place of Alfred Wegener we have access to the extensive expedition results from their epic 1929–1931 expedition to Greenland. The expedition coincides with the warmest phase of the Arctic early twentieth century warm period. We present an overview of the main findings of the Wegener expedition archive and set it into context with further monitoring activities that occurred since, as well as the results from reanalysis products and satellite imagery. We find that firn temperatures have increased significantly, while snow and firn densities and have remained similar or decreased since. Local conditions at the Qaamarujup Sermia have changed strongly, with a reduction in length of more than 2 km, in thickness by up to 120 m and a rise in terminus position of approximately 300 m. The elevation of the snow line of the years 1929 and 1930 was similar to the one from the extreme years 2012 and 2019. Compared to the satellite era, we find that during the time of the Wegener expedition fjord ice extent was smaller in early spring and larger in late spring. We demonstrate that a well-documented snapshot of archival data can provide a local and regional context for contemporary climate change and that it can serve as the basis for process-based studies on the atmospheric drivers of glacier changes.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33225-9 |
| spellingShingle | J. Abermann B. Vandecrux S. Scher K. Löffler F. Schalamon A. Trügler R. Fausto W. Schöner Learning from Alfred Wegener’s pioneering field observations in West Greenland after a century of climate change Scientific Reports |
| title | Learning from Alfred Wegener’s pioneering field observations in West Greenland after a century of climate change |
| title_full | Learning from Alfred Wegener’s pioneering field observations in West Greenland after a century of climate change |
| title_fullStr | Learning from Alfred Wegener’s pioneering field observations in West Greenland after a century of climate change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Learning from Alfred Wegener’s pioneering field observations in West Greenland after a century of climate change |
| title_short | Learning from Alfred Wegener’s pioneering field observations in West Greenland after a century of climate change |
| title_sort | learning from alfred wegener s pioneering field observations in west greenland after a century of climate change |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33225-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jabermann learningfromalfredwegenerspioneeringfieldobservationsinwestgreenlandafteracenturyofclimatechange AT bvandecrux learningfromalfredwegenerspioneeringfieldobservationsinwestgreenlandafteracenturyofclimatechange AT sscher learningfromalfredwegenerspioneeringfieldobservationsinwestgreenlandafteracenturyofclimatechange AT kloffler learningfromalfredwegenerspioneeringfieldobservationsinwestgreenlandafteracenturyofclimatechange AT fschalamon learningfromalfredwegenerspioneeringfieldobservationsinwestgreenlandafteracenturyofclimatechange AT atrugler learningfromalfredwegenerspioneeringfieldobservationsinwestgreenlandafteracenturyofclimatechange AT rfausto learningfromalfredwegenerspioneeringfieldobservationsinwestgreenlandafteracenturyofclimatechange AT wschoner learningfromalfredwegenerspioneeringfieldobservationsinwestgreenlandafteracenturyofclimatechange |