Abstract
Time-varying elevations near the calving front of Jakobshavn Isbræ, Greenland were observed with a terrestrial radar interferometer (TRI) in June 2015. An ice block with surface dimensions of 1370 m × 290 m calved on 10 June. TRI-generated time series show that ice elevation near the calving front began to increase 65 h prior to the event, and can be fit with a simple block rotation model. We hypothesize that subsurface melting at the base of the floating terminus breaks the gravity-buoyancy equilibrium, leading to slow subsidence and rotation of the block, and its eventual failure.
Original language | American English |
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Journal | Journal of Glaciology |
Volume | 62 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 1 2016 |
Keywords
- glacier calving
- ice block rotation
- Lagrangian coordinates
- subsurface melting
- terrestrial radar interferometry
Disciplines
- Earth Sciences
- Geology