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Warming of SE Greenland shelf waters in 2016 primes large glacier for runaway retreat
Suzanne Bevan 
,
Adrian Luckman ,
Douglas I. Benn,
Tom Cowton ,
Joe Todd
,
Adrian Luckman ,
Douglas I. Benn,
Tom Cowton ,
Joe Todd
The Cryosphere Discussion
Swansea University Authors:
Suzanne Bevan , Adrian Luckman
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DOI (Published version): 10.5194/tc-2018-260
Abstract
Kangerdluqssuaq Glacier in south-east Greenland has now retreated further inland than at any time in the past 33 years and is fast approaching a region of retrograde bedslope, meaning that continued rapid retreat is likely. Here we show that the current retreat was driven by anomalously warm surface...
| Published in: | The Cryosphere Discussion |
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| Published: |
Copernicus GmbH
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| Online Access: |
http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-2018-260 |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62741 |
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| Abstract: |
Kangerdluqssuaq Glacier in south-east Greenland has now retreated further inland than at any time in the past 33 years and is fast approaching a region of retrograde bedslope, meaning that continued rapid retreat is likely. Here we show that the current retreat was driven by anomalously warm surface water on the continental shelf during 2016. The warm surface water likely penetrated the fjord and weakened the mixture of sea ice and icebergs known as mélange, which is normally rigid enough to inhibit calving in winter. As Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier continued to calve almost continuously throughout 2017 and2018 it accelerated by 35% and thinned by 35 m. |
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| Item Description: |
Manuscript under review for journal The Cryosphere |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |