Meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet and its water isotope distribution in Dickson Fjord, East Greenland
<p>Glacier retreat and mass loss in East Greenland have profound implications for global sea-level rise, making it crucial to understand the complex dynamics of glacier–ocean interactions. Currently, our knowledge of East Greenland glacial fjords is limited, and the processes occurring directl...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/19/2881/2025/tc-19-2881-2025.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849337808042328064 |
|---|---|
| author | F. Rooijakkers E. Poulsen E. Ruiz-Castillo S. Rysgaard |
| author_facet | F. Rooijakkers E. Poulsen E. Ruiz-Castillo S. Rysgaard |
| author_sort | F. Rooijakkers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Glacier retreat and mass loss in East Greenland have profound implications for global sea-level rise, making it crucial to understand the complex dynamics of glacier–ocean interactions. Currently, our knowledge of East Greenland glacial fjords is limited, and the processes occurring directly in front of these glaciers, particularly the fate of subglacial meltwater, remain poorly understood. In this study, conducted in Dickson Fjord, East Greenland, in August 2022, hydrographic and stable water isotope measurements at various depths and fjord locations were carried out, starting from the terminus of the marine-terminating glacier. Employing a drone-deployed ocean profiler, we obtained salinity and temperature profiles as close as 20 m from the glacier terminus. We found that the terminus is primarily in contact with a cold Polar Water layer, with temperatures ranging between <span class="inline-formula">−</span>0.8 and <span class="inline-formula">−</span>1.7 °C. Within this layer, we observed an increase in temperature close to the glacier terminus. In the surface water layer, we identified two distinct depleted water isotope signals originating from the glacier: one located at the surface and the other near the freshwater freezing line, separated by non-depleted water. Based on our findings, we hypothesise that subglacial meltwater undergoes freezing upon encountering the cold Polar Water at the terminus. The buoyant ice crystals (frazil) formed during this refreezing process would then ascend to the surface, where they encounter positive ocean temperatures and melt. This frazil ice crystal formation process would explain the temperature increase in the Polar Water layer (due to latent heat released during freezing) and the depleted water isotope signal around the freshwater freezing line.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-039924ebafba4ff8996577dd666fc20b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-039924ebafba4ff8996577dd666fc20b2025-08-20T03:44:35ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242025-08-01192881289410.5194/tc-19-2881-2025Meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet and its water isotope distribution in Dickson Fjord, East GreenlandF. Rooijakkers0E. Poulsen1E. Ruiz-Castillo2S. Rysgaard3Arctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, DenmarkArctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, DenmarkArctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, DenmarkArctic Research Centre, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark<p>Glacier retreat and mass loss in East Greenland have profound implications for global sea-level rise, making it crucial to understand the complex dynamics of glacier–ocean interactions. Currently, our knowledge of East Greenland glacial fjords is limited, and the processes occurring directly in front of these glaciers, particularly the fate of subglacial meltwater, remain poorly understood. In this study, conducted in Dickson Fjord, East Greenland, in August 2022, hydrographic and stable water isotope measurements at various depths and fjord locations were carried out, starting from the terminus of the marine-terminating glacier. Employing a drone-deployed ocean profiler, we obtained salinity and temperature profiles as close as 20 m from the glacier terminus. We found that the terminus is primarily in contact with a cold Polar Water layer, with temperatures ranging between <span class="inline-formula">−</span>0.8 and <span class="inline-formula">−</span>1.7 °C. Within this layer, we observed an increase in temperature close to the glacier terminus. In the surface water layer, we identified two distinct depleted water isotope signals originating from the glacier: one located at the surface and the other near the freshwater freezing line, separated by non-depleted water. Based on our findings, we hypothesise that subglacial meltwater undergoes freezing upon encountering the cold Polar Water at the terminus. The buoyant ice crystals (frazil) formed during this refreezing process would then ascend to the surface, where they encounter positive ocean temperatures and melt. This frazil ice crystal formation process would explain the temperature increase in the Polar Water layer (due to latent heat released during freezing) and the depleted water isotope signal around the freshwater freezing line.</p>https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/19/2881/2025/tc-19-2881-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | F. Rooijakkers E. Poulsen E. Ruiz-Castillo S. Rysgaard Meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet and its water isotope distribution in Dickson Fjord, East Greenland The Cryosphere |
| title | Meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet and its water isotope distribution in Dickson Fjord, East Greenland |
| title_full | Meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet and its water isotope distribution in Dickson Fjord, East Greenland |
| title_fullStr | Meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet and its water isotope distribution in Dickson Fjord, East Greenland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet and its water isotope distribution in Dickson Fjord, East Greenland |
| title_short | Meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet and its water isotope distribution in Dickson Fjord, East Greenland |
| title_sort | meltwater from the greenland ice sheet and its water isotope distribution in dickson fjord east greenland |
| url | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/19/2881/2025/tc-19-2881-2025.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT frooijakkers meltwaterfromthegreenlandicesheetanditswaterisotopedistributionindicksonfjordeastgreenland AT epoulsen meltwaterfromthegreenlandicesheetanditswaterisotopedistributionindicksonfjordeastgreenland AT eruizcastillo meltwaterfromthegreenlandicesheetanditswaterisotopedistributionindicksonfjordeastgreenland AT srysgaard meltwaterfromthegreenlandicesheetanditswaterisotopedistributionindicksonfjordeastgreenland |