Northeast sector of the Greenland Ice Sheet to undergo the greatest inland expansion of supraglacial lakes during the 21st century

Ignéczi, Á, Sole, AJ, Livingstone, SJ, Leeson, AA, Fettweis, X, Selmes, N, Gourmelen, N and Briggs, K 2016 Northeast sector of the Greenland Ice Sheet to undergo the greatest inland expansion of supraglacial lakes during the 21st century. Geophysical Research Letters, 43 (18). 9729-9738. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070338

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Abstract/Summary

The formation and rapid drainage of supraglacial lakes (SGL) influences the mass balance and dynamics of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). Although SGLs are expected to spread inland during the 21st century due to atmospheric warming, less is known about their future spatial distribution and volume. We use GrIS surface elevation model and regional climate model outputs to show that at the end of the 21st century (2070–2099) approximately 9.8 ± 3.9 km3 (+113% compared to 1980-2009) and 12.6 ± 5 km3 (+174%) of meltwater could be stored in SGLs under moderate and high representative concentration pathways (RCP 4.5 and 8.5), respectively. The largest increase is expected in the northeastern sector of the GrIS (191% in RCP 4.5 and 320% in RCP 8.5), whereas in west Greenland, where the most SGLs are currently observed, the future increase will be relatively moderate (55% in RCP 4.5 and 68% in RCP 8.5).

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	2016GL070338
Additional Keywords:	Glaciology, Ice sheets, Ponds, Mass balance, Arctic region, Greenland Ice Sheet, supraglacial lakes, ice sheet hydrology, surface mass balance, sea level, Northeast Greenland Ice Stream
Subjects:	Earth Observation - Remote Sensing
Divisions:	Plymouth Marine Laboratory > Science Areas > Earth Observation Science and Applications
Depositing User:	Dr N Selmes
Date made live:	29 Nov 2017 11:21
Last Modified:	25 Apr 2020 09:57
URI:	https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/7283

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