Transient subglacial water routing efficiency modulates ice velocities prior to surge termination on Sít’ Kusá, Alaska
Glacier surges are opportunities to study large amplitude changes in ice velocities and accompanying links to subglacial hydrology. Although the surge phase is generally explained as a disruption in the glacier's ability to drain water from the bed, the extent and duration of this disruption re...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143024000388/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1826865801199616000 |
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| author | Yoram Terleth Timothy C. Bartholomaus Jukes Liu Flavien Beaud Thomas Dylan Mikesell Ellyn Mary Enderlin |
| author_facet | Yoram Terleth Timothy C. Bartholomaus Jukes Liu Flavien Beaud Thomas Dylan Mikesell Ellyn Mary Enderlin |
| author_sort | Yoram Terleth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Glacier surges are opportunities to study large amplitude changes in ice velocities and accompanying links to subglacial hydrology. Although the surge phase is generally explained as a disruption in the glacier's ability to drain water from the bed, the extent and duration of this disruption remain difficult to observe. Here we present a combination of in situ and remotely sensed observations of subglacial water discharge and evacuation during the latter half of an active surge and subsequent quiescent period. Our data reveal intermittently efficient subglacial drainage prior to surge termination, showing that glacier surges can persist in the presence of channel-like subglacial drainage and that successive changes in subglacial drainage efficiency can modulate active phase ice dynamics at timescales shorter than the surge cycle. Our observations favor an explanation of fast ice flow sustained through an out-of-equilibrium drainage system and a basal water surplus rather than binary switching between states in drainage efficiency. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T07:52:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9f8da9856d4e4c8ea6e6ab5dc616846a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-16T21:47:49Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9f8da9856d4e4c8ea6e6ab5dc616846a2025-01-16T21:48:26ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522024-01-017010.1017/jog.2024.38Transient subglacial water routing efficiency modulates ice velocities prior to surge termination on Sít’ Kusá, AlaskaYoram Terleth0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6583-5258Timothy C. Bartholomaus1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1470-6720Jukes Liu2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4151-2796Flavien Beaud3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0687-8741Thomas Dylan Mikesell4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9900-9846Ellyn Mary Enderlin5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8266-7719Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, USADepartment of Earth and Spatial Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, USACryosphere Remote Sensing and Geophysics (CryoGARS) Laboratory, Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, Boise, USADepartment of Earth and Spatial Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, USANorwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Oslo, NorwayCryosphere Remote Sensing and Geophysics (CryoGARS) Laboratory, Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, Boise, USAGlacier surges are opportunities to study large amplitude changes in ice velocities and accompanying links to subglacial hydrology. Although the surge phase is generally explained as a disruption in the glacier's ability to drain water from the bed, the extent and duration of this disruption remain difficult to observe. Here we present a combination of in situ and remotely sensed observations of subglacial water discharge and evacuation during the latter half of an active surge and subsequent quiescent period. Our data reveal intermittently efficient subglacial drainage prior to surge termination, showing that glacier surges can persist in the presence of channel-like subglacial drainage and that successive changes in subglacial drainage efficiency can modulate active phase ice dynamics at timescales shorter than the surge cycle. Our observations favor an explanation of fast ice flow sustained through an out-of-equilibrium drainage system and a basal water surplus rather than binary switching between states in drainage efficiency.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143024000388/type/journal_articleGlacier hydrologyglacier surgessubglacial processesseismology |
| spellingShingle | Yoram Terleth Timothy C. Bartholomaus Jukes Liu Flavien Beaud Thomas Dylan Mikesell Ellyn Mary Enderlin Transient subglacial water routing efficiency modulates ice velocities prior to surge termination on Sít’ Kusá, Alaska Journal of Glaciology Glacier hydrology glacier surges subglacial processes seismology |
| title | Transient subglacial water routing efficiency modulates ice velocities prior to surge termination on Sít’ Kusá, Alaska |
| title_full | Transient subglacial water routing efficiency modulates ice velocities prior to surge termination on Sít’ Kusá, Alaska |
| title_fullStr | Transient subglacial water routing efficiency modulates ice velocities prior to surge termination on Sít’ Kusá, Alaska |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transient subglacial water routing efficiency modulates ice velocities prior to surge termination on Sít’ Kusá, Alaska |
| title_short | Transient subglacial water routing efficiency modulates ice velocities prior to surge termination on Sít’ Kusá, Alaska |
| title_sort | transient subglacial water routing efficiency modulates ice velocities prior to surge termination on sit kusa alaska |
| topic | Glacier hydrology glacier surges subglacial processes seismology |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143024000388/type/journal_article |
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