Tracking coarse sediment in an Alpine subglacial channel using radio-tagged particles
We present a method for tracking radio-tagged pebbles and cobbles through subglacial meltwater channels under shallow temperate glaciers. Natural particles tagged with active radio transmitters were injected directly into a large subglacial channel 300 m up-glacier from the terminus of the Glacier d...
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Cambridge University Press
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143023000771/type/journal_article |
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| author | Matt Jenkin Margaux Hofmann Bryn Hubbard Davide Mancini Floreana M. Miesen Frédéric Herman Stuart N. Lane |
| author_facet | Matt Jenkin Margaux Hofmann Bryn Hubbard Davide Mancini Floreana M. Miesen Frédéric Herman Stuart N. Lane |
| author_sort | Matt Jenkin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present a method for tracking radio-tagged pebbles and cobbles through subglacial meltwater channels under shallow temperate glaciers. Natural particles tagged with active radio transmitters were injected directly into a large subglacial channel 300 m up-glacier from the terminus of the Glacier d'Otemma, Switzerland. A roving antenna was developed to localise tagged particles planimetrically in subglacial and proglacial channel reaches (350 and 150 m long, respectively) using a probabilistic technique, delivering records of the change in particle location and transport distance over time with uncertainty. The roving antenna had a ±5−15 m planimetric precision, a 75% particle localisation rate and operated at a maximum ice depth of 47 m. Additionally, stationary supraglacial and proglacial antennas continuously monitored the passage of tagged particles through consecutive reaches of the channel, constraining the timing of particle transport events. The proglacial antenna system had a 98.1% detection rate and was operational to 0.89 m water depth during testing. Roving and stationary antenna records were combined to create a transport distance model for each particle, which may be used in conjunction with hydraulic data to investigate the kinematics of particle motion. When applied at scale in future studies, this method may be used to reveal the mechanisms and timescales of coarse sediment export from Alpine glaciers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e5d4fdad20cf446db6bf030e4ddf61a2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
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| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj-art-e5d4fdad20cf446db6bf030e4ddf61a22024-12-11T10:15:39ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522023-12-01691992200610.1017/jog.2023.77Tracking coarse sediment in an Alpine subglacial channel using radio-tagged particlesMatt Jenkin0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5857-0880Margaux Hofmann1Bryn Hubbard2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3565-3875Davide Mancini3Floreana M. Miesen4Frédéric Herman5Stuart N. Lane6Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandInstitute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandDepartment of Geography & Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UKInstitute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandInstitute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandInstitute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandInstitute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandWe present a method for tracking radio-tagged pebbles and cobbles through subglacial meltwater channels under shallow temperate glaciers. Natural particles tagged with active radio transmitters were injected directly into a large subglacial channel 300 m up-glacier from the terminus of the Glacier d'Otemma, Switzerland. A roving antenna was developed to localise tagged particles planimetrically in subglacial and proglacial channel reaches (350 and 150 m long, respectively) using a probabilistic technique, delivering records of the change in particle location and transport distance over time with uncertainty. The roving antenna had a ±5−15 m planimetric precision, a 75% particle localisation rate and operated at a maximum ice depth of 47 m. Additionally, stationary supraglacial and proglacial antennas continuously monitored the passage of tagged particles through consecutive reaches of the channel, constraining the timing of particle transport events. The proglacial antenna system had a 98.1% detection rate and was operational to 0.89 m water depth during testing. Roving and stationary antenna records were combined to create a transport distance model for each particle, which may be used in conjunction with hydraulic data to investigate the kinematics of particle motion. When applied at scale in future studies, this method may be used to reveal the mechanisms and timescales of coarse sediment export from Alpine glaciers.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143023000771/type/journal_articleglaciological instruments and methodssubglacial sedimentssubglacial processes |
| spellingShingle | Matt Jenkin Margaux Hofmann Bryn Hubbard Davide Mancini Floreana M. Miesen Frédéric Herman Stuart N. Lane Tracking coarse sediment in an Alpine subglacial channel using radio-tagged particles Journal of Glaciology glaciological instruments and methods subglacial sediments subglacial processes |
| title | Tracking coarse sediment in an Alpine subglacial channel using radio-tagged particles |
| title_full | Tracking coarse sediment in an Alpine subglacial channel using radio-tagged particles |
| title_fullStr | Tracking coarse sediment in an Alpine subglacial channel using radio-tagged particles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tracking coarse sediment in an Alpine subglacial channel using radio-tagged particles |
| title_short | Tracking coarse sediment in an Alpine subglacial channel using radio-tagged particles |
| title_sort | tracking coarse sediment in an alpine subglacial channel using radio tagged particles |
| topic | glaciological instruments and methods subglacial sediments subglacial processes |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143023000771/type/journal_article |
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