Regional‐Scale Response of Glacier Speed to Seasonal Runoff Variations on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Abstract Seasonal variations in glacier motion are influenced by water supply and associated changes in subglacial drainage systems. Few studies have investigated how year‐to‐year variations in glacier runoff modify these seasonal speed patterns. We analyze more than 200 correlations between glacier...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL115248 |
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| author | Ruitang Yang Regine Hock David R. Rounce Shichang Kang |
| author_facet | Ruitang Yang Regine Hock David R. Rounce Shichang Kang |
| author_sort | Ruitang Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Seasonal variations in glacier motion are influenced by water supply and associated changes in subglacial drainage systems. Few studies have investigated how year‐to‐year variations in glacier runoff modify these seasonal speed patterns. We analyze more than 200 correlations between glacier surface speed and runoff for 77 glaciers (∼3,070 km2) on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, from 2015 to 2019. Correlations for the same‐month or same‐season were typically weak or insignificant. However, lower‐than‐average ice speeds in a given month or season often correspond with higher‐than‐average runoff in preceding months or seasons. Delays up to 9 months (e.g., correlations between April speed and preceding July runoff), suggest the impact of interannual runoff variations on ice speed lasts longer than previously documented. Unlike previous studies in the region and elsewhere, winter speed and summer runoff are weakly correlated or uncorrelated, while winter speed negatively correlates with October/November runoff. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c730ebdae2b54fd194929e16fcb50000 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-c730ebdae2b54fd194929e16fcb500002025-08-20T03:39:00ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-04-01528n/an/a10.1029/2025GL115248Regional‐Scale Response of Glacier Speed to Seasonal Runoff Variations on the Kenai Peninsula, AlaskaRuitang Yang0Regine Hock1David R. Rounce2Shichang Kang3Department of Geosciences University of Oslo Oslo NorwayDepartment of Geosciences University of Oslo Oslo NorwayDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh PA USAState Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou ChinaAbstract Seasonal variations in glacier motion are influenced by water supply and associated changes in subglacial drainage systems. Few studies have investigated how year‐to‐year variations in glacier runoff modify these seasonal speed patterns. We analyze more than 200 correlations between glacier surface speed and runoff for 77 glaciers (∼3,070 km2) on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, from 2015 to 2019. Correlations for the same‐month or same‐season were typically weak or insignificant. However, lower‐than‐average ice speeds in a given month or season often correspond with higher‐than‐average runoff in preceding months or seasons. Delays up to 9 months (e.g., correlations between April speed and preceding July runoff), suggest the impact of interannual runoff variations on ice speed lasts longer than previously documented. Unlike previous studies in the region and elsewhere, winter speed and summer runoff are weakly correlated or uncorrelated, while winter speed negatively correlates with October/November runoff.https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL115248glacierrunoffspeedAlaskaregional‐scalecorrelation |
| spellingShingle | Ruitang Yang Regine Hock David R. Rounce Shichang Kang Regional‐Scale Response of Glacier Speed to Seasonal Runoff Variations on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska Geophysical Research Letters glacier runoff speed Alaska regional‐scale correlation |
| title | Regional‐Scale Response of Glacier Speed to Seasonal Runoff Variations on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska |
| title_full | Regional‐Scale Response of Glacier Speed to Seasonal Runoff Variations on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska |
| title_fullStr | Regional‐Scale Response of Glacier Speed to Seasonal Runoff Variations on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska |
| title_full_unstemmed | Regional‐Scale Response of Glacier Speed to Seasonal Runoff Variations on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska |
| title_short | Regional‐Scale Response of Glacier Speed to Seasonal Runoff Variations on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska |
| title_sort | regional scale response of glacier speed to seasonal runoff variations on the kenai peninsula alaska |
| topic | glacier runoff speed Alaska regional‐scale correlation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL115248 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ruitangyang regionalscaleresponseofglacierspeedtoseasonalrunoffvariationsonthekenaipeninsulaalaska AT reginehock regionalscaleresponseofglacierspeedtoseasonalrunoffvariationsonthekenaipeninsulaalaska AT davidrrounce regionalscaleresponseofglacierspeedtoseasonalrunoffvariationsonthekenaipeninsulaalaska AT shichangkang regionalscaleresponseofglacierspeedtoseasonalrunoffvariationsonthekenaipeninsulaalaska |