Direct measurement of warm Atlantic Intermediate Water close to the grounding line of Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden (79° N) Glacier, northeast Greenland

Abstract ∘  N) Glacier calving front, but AIW penetration deep into the ice shelf cavity has not been observed directly. Here, we report temperature and salinity measurements from profiles in an epishelf lake, which provide the first direct evidence of AIW proximal to the grounding line of 79∘  N Glacier, over 50 km from the calving front. We also report evidence for partial un-grounding of the margin of 79∘  N Glacier taking place at the western end of the epishelf lake. Comparison of our measurements to those close to the calving front shows that AIW transits the cavity to reach the grounding line within a few months. The observations provide support for modelling studies that infer AIW-driven basal melt proximal to the grounding line and demonstrate that offshore oceanographic changes can be rapidly transmitted throughout the sub-ice-shelf cavity, with implications for near-future stability of the ice stream.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Direct measurement of warm Atlantic Intermediate Water close to the grounding line of Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden (79° N) Glacier, northeast Greenland ; volume:17 ; number:5 ; year:2023 ; pages:1821-1837 ; extent:17 ; The Cryosphere ; 17, Heft 5 (2023), 1821-1837 (gesamt 17)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Bentley, Michael J. ; Smith, James A. ; Jamieson, Stewart S. R. ; Lindeman, Margaret R. ; Rea, Brice R. ; Humbert, Angelika ; Lane, Timothy P. ; Darvill, Christopher M. ; Lloyd, Jeremy M. ; Straneo, Fiammetta ; Helm, Veit ; Roberts, David H.

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/tc-17-1821-2023
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023051104314235666159
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:43 AM CEST