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Ice cliffs are melt hot spots that contribute disproportionately to melt on debris-covered glaciers. In this study, we investigate the impact of supraglacial stream hydrology on ice cliffs using in situ and remote sens- ing observations, streamflow measurements, and a conceptual geomorphic model of ice cliff backwasting applied to ice cliffs on Kennicott Glacier, Alaska. We found that 33 % of ice cliffs (accounting for 69 % of the ice cliff area) are actively influenced by streams, while half are nearer than 10 m from the nearest stream. Supraglacial streams contribute to ice cliff formation and maintenance by horizontal meandering, vertical incision, and de- bris transport. These processes produce an undercut lip at the ice cliff base and transport clasts up to tens of centimeters in diameter, preventing reburial of ice cliffs by debris. Stream meander morphology reminiscent of sedimentary river channel meanders and oxbow lakes produces sinuous and crescent ice cliff shapes. Stream avulsions result in rapid ice cliff collapse and local channel abandonment. Ice cliffs abandoned by streams are observed to be reburied by supraglacial debris, indicating a strong role played by streams in ice cliff persistence. We also report on a localized surge-like event at the glacier’s western margin which drove the formation of ice cliffs from crevassing; these cliffs occur in sets with parallel linear morphologies contrasting with the crescent planform shape of stream-driven cliffs. The development of landscape evolution models may assist in quanti- fying the total net effect of these processes on steady-state ice cliff coverage and mass balance, contextualizing them with other drivers including supraglacial ponds, differential melt, ice dynamics, and collapse of englacial voids. 

Melt from debris-covered glaciers represents a regionally important freshwater source, especially in high-relief settings as found in central Asia, Alaska, and South America. Sub-debris melt is traditionally predicted from surface energy balance models that determine heat conduction through the supraglacial debris layer. Convection is rarely addressed, despite the porous nature of debris. Here we provide the first constraints on convection in supraglacial debris, through the development of a novel method to calculate individual conductive and nonconductive heat flux components from debris temperature profile data. This method was applied to data from Kennicott Glacier, Alaska, spanning two weeks in the summer of 2011 and two months in the summer of 2020. Both heat flux components exhibit diurnal cycles, the amplitude of which is coupled to atmospheric conditions. Mean diurnal nonconductive heat flux peaks at up to 43% the value of conductive heat flux, indicating that failure to account for it may lead to an incorrect representation of melt rates and their drivers. We interpret this heat flux to be dominated by latent heat as debris moisture content changes on a diurnal cycle. A sharp afternoon drop-off in nonconductive heat flux is observed at shallow depths as debris dries. We expect these processes to be relevant for other debris-covered glaciers. Debris properties such as porosity and tortuosity may play a large role in modulating it. Based on the present analysis, we recommend further study of convection in supraglacial debris for glaciers across the globe with different debris properties.