Contrasting response of South Greenland glaciers to recent climatic change
- Univ. of Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom)
A unique geographical configuration of glaciers exists in the Narsarsuaq district of South Greenland. Two large outlet glaciers divide into seven distributaries, such that each glacier system has land-terminating, tidewater-calving, and fresh-water-calving termini. Despite a similar climatic regime, these seven glaciers have exhibited strongly contrasting terminal behavior in historical time, as shown by historical records, aerial photographs, and fieldwork in 1989. The behavior of the calving glaciers cannot be accounted for with reference solely to climatic parameters. The combination of iceberg calving dynamics and topographic control has partially decoupled them from climatic forcing such that their oscillations relate more closely to glaciodynamic than glacioclimatic factors.
- OSTI ID:
- 6954538
- Journal Information:
- Arctic and Alpine Research (Boulder, Colorado); (United States), Vol. 24:2; ISSN 0004-0851
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
CLIMATIC CHANGE
MONITORING
GREENLAND
GLACIERS
AERIAL SURVEYING
TOPOGRAPHY
540210* - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (1990-)
290301 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety- Regional & Global Environmental Aspects- (1992-)