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A cross-validated three-dimensional model of an englacial and subglacial drainage system in a High-Arctic glacier

Uldal Hansen, Lena LU orcid ; Piotrowski, Jan A. ; Benn, Douglas I. and Sevstre, Heidi (2020) In Journal of Glaciology 67(256). p.1-13
Abstract
Recent speleological surveys of meltwater drainage systems in cold and polythermal glaciers have documented dynamic englacial and in some cases subglacial conduits formed by the ‘cut-and- closure’ mechanism. Investigations of the spatial distribution of such conduits often require a combination of different methods. Here, we studied the englacial drainage system in the cold gla- cier Longyearbreen, Svalbard by combining speleological exploration of a 478 m long meltwater conduit with a high-resolution ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey with two different centre- frequencies (25 and 100 MHz). The results yielded a 3-D documentation of the present englacial drainage system. The study shows that the overall form of englacial conduits can... (More)
Recent speleological surveys of meltwater drainage systems in cold and polythermal glaciers have documented dynamic englacial and in some cases subglacial conduits formed by the ‘cut-and- closure’ mechanism. Investigations of the spatial distribution of such conduits often require a combination of different methods. Here, we studied the englacial drainage system in the cold gla- cier Longyearbreen, Svalbard by combining speleological exploration of a 478 m long meltwater conduit with a high-resolution ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey with two different centre- frequencies (25 and 100 MHz). The results yielded a 3-D documentation of the present englacial drainage system. The study shows that the overall form of englacial conduits can be detected from velocity−depth converted GPR data, and that the 3-D model can facilitate a method to pinpoint the reflections in a radargram corresponding with the englacial drainage system, although fine detail cannot be resolved. Visible reflections approximately parallel to the mapped englacial water drainage system likely result from sediment incorporated in the ice or from abandoned parts of the englacial drainage system. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Arctic glaciology, glacier hydrology, ground-penetrating radar
in
Journal of Glaciology
volume
67
issue
256
pages
13 pages
publisher
International Glaciological Society
external identifiers
  • scopus:85079037139
ISSN
0022-1430
DOI
10.1017/jog.2020.1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9fdebcea-61ed-4ec0-8828-4115031938b7
date added to LUP
2020-02-04 10:08:16
date last changed
2022-04-18 20:15:46
@article{9fdebcea-61ed-4ec0-8828-4115031938b7,
  abstract     = {{Recent speleological surveys of meltwater drainage systems in cold and polythermal glaciers have documented dynamic englacial and in some cases subglacial conduits formed by the ‘cut-and- closure’ mechanism. Investigations of the spatial distribution of such conduits often require a combination of different methods. Here, we studied the englacial drainage system in the cold gla- cier Longyearbreen, Svalbard by combining speleological exploration of a 478 m long meltwater conduit with a high-resolution ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey with two different centre- frequencies (25 and 100 MHz). The results yielded a 3-D documentation of the present englacial drainage system. The study shows that the overall form of englacial conduits can be detected from velocity−depth converted GPR data, and that the 3-D model can facilitate a method to pinpoint the reflections in a radargram corresponding with the englacial drainage system, although fine detail cannot be resolved. Visible reflections approximately parallel to the mapped englacial water drainage system likely result from sediment incorporated in the ice or from abandoned parts of the englacial drainage system.}},
  author       = {{Uldal Hansen, Lena and Piotrowski, Jan A. and Benn, Douglas I. and Sevstre, Heidi}},
  issn         = {{0022-1430}},
  keywords     = {{Arctic glaciology; glacier hydrology; ground-penetrating radar}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{256}},
  pages        = {{1--13}},
  publisher    = {{International Glaciological Society}},
  series       = {{Journal of Glaciology}},
  title        = {{A cross-validated three-dimensional model of an englacial and subglacial drainage system in a High-Arctic glacier}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.1}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/jog.2020.1}},
  volume       = {{67}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}