Seasonal changes of mélange thickness coincide with Greenland calving dynamics
Abstract 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...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55241-7 |
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| author | Yue Meng Ching-Yao Lai Riley Culberg Michael G. Shahin Leigh A. Stearns Justin C. Burton Kavinda Nissanka |
| author_facet | Yue Meng Ching-Yao Lai Riley Culberg Michael G. Shahin Leigh A. Stearns Justin C. Burton Kavinda Nissanka |
| author_sort | Yue Meng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ddef7dc987c244938b132de9910bb74b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-ddef7dc987c244938b132de9910bb74b2025-01-12T12:29:52ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111610.1038/s41467-024-55241-7Seasonal changes of mélange thickness coincide with Greenland calving dynamicsYue Meng0Ching-Yao Lai1Riley Culberg2Michael G. Shahin3Leigh A. Stearns4Justin C. Burton5Kavinda Nissanka6Department of Geophysics, Stanford UniversityDepartment of Geophysics, Stanford UniversityDepartment of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell UniversityDepartment of Geology, University of KansasDepartment of Geology, University of KansasDepartment of Physics, Emory UniversityDepartment of Physics, Emory UniversityAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55241-7 |
| spellingShingle | Yue Meng Ching-Yao Lai Riley Culberg Michael G. Shahin Leigh A. Stearns Justin C. Burton Kavinda Nissanka Seasonal changes of mélange thickness coincide with Greenland calving dynamics Nature Communications |
| title | Seasonal changes of mélange thickness coincide with Greenland calving dynamics |
| title_full | Seasonal changes of mélange thickness coincide with Greenland calving dynamics |
| title_fullStr | Seasonal changes of mélange thickness coincide with Greenland calving dynamics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonal changes of mélange thickness coincide with Greenland calving dynamics |
| title_short | Seasonal changes of mélange thickness coincide with Greenland calving dynamics |
| title_sort | seasonal changes of melange thickness coincide with greenland calving dynamics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55241-7 |
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