With data from a rare expedition to Greenland, researchers are shedding more light into the complex subglacial processes that control how fast glaciers slide toward the ocean and contribute to sea level rise. go.nasa.gov/2PY0oCG
Researchers camped on the surface of Russell Glacier to study how its sliding velocity changed in response to meltwater that drains down to the bottom of the ice
At the edge of the ice sheet, where glaciers melt constantly, meltwater rushes everywhere through an intricate system of lakes and streams. Some of those streams thunder off into sinkhole-like structures called moulins, which funnel water downwards.
As that water reaches the ice sheet’s underlying bed, it can make the ice detach slightly and slide more rapidly—eventually leading to faster melting and more ice calving into the ocean.
The researchers concluded the most important factor influencing ice sliding speeds was how quickly water pressure changed within cavities at its base, where surface meltwater met bedrock. Read the study: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/20…
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