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<p>Iceberg calving is a major contributor to Greenland’s ice mass loss. Ice mélange, tightly packed sea ice and icebergs, has been hypothesized to buttress the calving fronts. However, quantifying the mélange buttressing force from field observations remains a challenge. Here we show that such quantification can be achieved with a single field measurement: thickness of mélange at the glacier terminus. We develop a three-dimensional discrete element model of mélange along with a simple analytical model to quantify the mélange buttressing using mélange thickness data from ArcticDEM over 32 Greenland glacier termini. We observed a strong seasonality in mélange thickness: thin mélange (averaged thickness <InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41467_2024_55241_Article_IEq1.gif" Format="GIF" Height="22" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="39" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(3{4}_{-15}^{+17}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mn>3</mn> <msubsup> <mrow> <mn>4</mn> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>−</mo> <mn>15</mn> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>+</mo> <mn>17</mn> </mrow> </msubsup> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> m) in summertime when terminus retreats, and thick mélange (averaged thickness <InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41467_2024_55241_Article_IEq2.gif" Format="GIF" Height="22" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="46" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(11{9}_{-37}^{+31}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mn>11</mn> <msubsup> <mrow> <mn>9</mn> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>−</mo> <mn>37</mn> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>+</mo> <mn>31</mn> </mrow> </msubsup> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> m) in wintertime when terminus advances. The observed seasonal changes of mélange thickness strongly coincide with observed Greenland calving dynamics and the modeled buttressing effects.</p>

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Seasonal changes of mélange thickness coincide with Greenland calving dynamics

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年1月10日

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  • Yue Meng,
  • Ching-Yao Lai,
  • Riley Culberg,
  • Michael G. Shahin,
  • Leigh A. Stearns,
  • Justin C. Burton,
  • Kavinda Nissanka

摘要

Iceberg calving is a major contributor to Greenland’s ice mass loss. Ice mélange, tightly packed sea ice and icebergs, has been hypothesized to buttress the calving fronts. However, quantifying the mélange buttressing force from field observations remains a challenge. Here we show that such quantification can be achieved with a single field measurement: thickness of mélange at the glacier terminus. We develop a three-dimensional discrete element model of mélange along with a simple analytical model to quantify the mélange buttressing using mélange thickness data from ArcticDEM over 32 Greenland glacier termini. We observed a strong seasonality in mélange thickness: thin mélange (averaged thickness \(3{4}_{-15}^{+17}\) 3 4 − 15 + 17 m) in summertime when terminus retreats, and thick mélange (averaged thickness \(11{9}_{-37}^{+31}\) 11 9 − 37 + 31 m) in wintertime when terminus advances. The observed seasonal changes of mélange thickness strongly coincide with observed Greenland calving dynamics and the modeled buttressing effects.