Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Glaciology

Rights and Access Note

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Publication Date

2005

First Page

443

Last Page

450

Issue Number

174

Volume Number

51

Abstract/ Summary

Assuming a channelized drainage system in steady state, we investigate the influence of enhanced surface melting on the water pressure in subglacial channels, compared to that of changes in conduit geometry, ice rheology and catchment variations. The analysis is carried out for a specific part of the western Greenland ice-sheet margin between 66 degrees N and 66 degrees 30' N using new high-resolution digital elevation models of the subglacial topography and the ice-sheet surface, based on an airborne ice-penetrating radar survey in 2003 and satellite repeat-track interferometric synthetic aperture radar analysis of European Remote-sensing Satellite 1 and 2 (ERS-1/-2) imagery, respectively. The water pressure is calculated up-glacier along a likely subglacial channel at distances of 1, 5 and 9 km from the outlet at the ice margin, using a modified version of Rothlisberger's equation. Our results show that for the margin of the western Greenland ice sheet, the water pressure in subglacial channels is not sensitive to realistic variations in catchment size and mean surface water input compared to small changes in conduit geometry and ice rheology.

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Ahlstrom, AP, Mohr, JJ, Reeh, N, Christensen, EL, and Hooke, RL, 2005, Controls on the Basal Water Pressure in Subglacial Channels Near the Margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet: Journal of Glaciology, v. 51, p. 443-450. Available on publisher's site at: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/igsoc/jog/2005/00000051/00000174/art00012

Publisher Statement

© Copyright 2005 by the International Glaciological Society

DOI

10.3189/172756505781829214

Version

publisher's version of the published document

Download

Share

 

Rights Statement

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted.