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Creators/Authors contains: "Nienow, P. W."

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  1. Abstract

    Iceberg discharge is estimated to account for up to 50% of the freshwater flux delivered to glacial fjords. The amount, timing, and location of iceberg melting impacts fjord‐water circulation and heat budget, with implications for glacier dynamics, nutrient cycling, and fjord productivity. We use Sentinel‐2 imagery to examine seasonal variations in freshwater flux from open‐water icebergs in Sermilik Fjord, Greenland during summer and fall of 2017–2018. Using iceberg velocities derived from visual‐tracking and changes in total iceberg volume with distance down‐fjord from Helheim Glacier, we estimate maximum average two‐month full‐fjord iceberg‐derived freshwater fluxes of ~1,060 ± 615, 1,270 ± 735, 1,200 ± 700, 3,410 ± 1,975, and 1,150 ± 670 m3/s for May–June, June–July, July–August, August–September, and September–November, respectively. Fluxes decrease with distance down‐fjord, and on average, 86–91% of iceberg volume is lost before reaching the fjord mouth. This method provides a simple, invaluable tool for monitoring seasonal and interannual iceberg freshwater fluxes across a range of Greenlandic fjords.

     
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  2. Abstract

    Recent acceleration of Greenland's ocean‐terminating glaciers has substantially amplified the ice sheet's contribution to global sea level. Increased oceanic melting of these tidewater glaciers is widely cited as the likely trigger, and is thought to be highest within vigorous plumes driven by freshwater drainage from beneath glaciers. Yet melting of the larger part of calving fronts outside of plumes remains largely unstudied. Here we combine ocean observations collected within 100 m of a tidewater glacier with a numerical model to show that unlike previously assumed, plumes drive an energetic fjord‐wide circulation which enhances melting along the entire calving front. Compared to estimates of melting within plumes alone, this fjord‐wide circulation effectively doubles the glacier‐wide melt rate, and through shaping the calving front has a potential dynamic impact on calving. Our results suggest that melting driven by fjord‐scale circulation should be considered in process‐based projections of Greenland's sea level contribution.

     
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