Collaborative Research: Investigating jamming in iceberg-choked fjords with field observations, laboratory experiments, and numerical models
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Nontechnical: This award is jointly funded by the Condensed Matter Physics Program and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in Math and Physical Sciences and the Artic Natural Sciences Program in Geosciences. The polar regions of our planet are home to many dynamic physical processes. Although the word "glacier" may invoke connotations of stoic and slow-moving mountains of ice whose changes are indistinguishable to the eye, this is not always the case. Among the most active regions of glaciological activity are the massive coastal fjords in Greenland. Rivers of ice which are 5-10 km wide and up to 1 km deep are rapidly flowing towards the ocean. At the end of these glaciers, where the ice meets the sea, icebergs are constantly breaking off or "calving" into the ocean. Approximately 30-50% of all ice discharged into the ocean occurs through calving, as opposed to other mechanisms such as melting. Unfortunately, the physical processes which control calving are not well understood. One possible influence is the presence of an ice mélange, which is a floating layer of icebergs and sea ice extending many kilometers away from the front of the glacier. The mélange is essentially a large-scale, quasi-two dimensional granular material, which can potentially have a large impact on calving rates and our ability to detect iceberg calving. This collaborative project aims to determine the correct physical description of ice mélange mechanics, as well as its influences on iceberg calving. This is accomplished through an interdisciplinary combination of satellite imagery, small-scale laboratory experiments, and theoretical modeling. By bringing together ideas in condensed matter physics to study large-scale glaciological processes, the project sheds new light on the underlying mechanisms which shape the polar regions of our planet. Technical: The primary goal of this project is to characterize the rheology of ice mélange, a closely-packed granular material composed of icebergs and sea ice that is found in fjords throughout Greenland. Ice mélange is unique among granular materials in that it contains exceptionally large clasts (10s to 100s of meters in scale in all directions), is constrained to flow in a quasi-two-dimensional setting, and floats in its own melt. Seasonal variations in ice mélange motion and extent are well-correlated with seasonal variations in iceberg calving rates, suggesting that ice mélange is an important control on outlet glacier and ice sheet stability. The dynamics, energetics, and oceanographic consequences of ice mélange are essentially unexplored. The research team's aim is to study ice mélange by combining analysis of field observations with laboratory experiments and numerical modeling. Satellite imagery, along with previously collected time lapse photography and terrestrial radar data, is analyzed to produce ice mélange velocity fields and quantify iceberg-size distributions. This work provides new insights into ice mélange kinematics and composition, and serves as a benchmark for laboratory and numerical modeling experiments. In addition, experiments are conducted in which synthetic icebergs in a water tank are pushed by a model terminus. These experiments study jamming of particles that model icebergs during and between calving events to investigate stress transmission through ice mélange. Finally, numerical experiments are performed in which ice mélange is simulated using discrete particle and continuum models adapted from previous work on granular materials. The model rheology can be adjusted to find a description of ice mélange that is consistent with field observations and laboratory experiments.
Title | Project start | End date | Organisation | Department | Project study region |
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79NG-EC - MACS@NG - HTRES | 19.07.2021 | 14.08.2021 | Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI) | Greenland Ice Sheet | |
FACE-IT: The future of Arctic coastal ecosystems – Identifying transitions in fjord systems and adjacent coastal areas | 01.11.2020 | 31.10.2024 | University of Bremen | University of Bremen, department | Arctic (entire region) |
Greenland Climate Network | 01.01.2010 | 31.12.2029 | Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) | Greenland Ice Sheet | |
Unravelling the response time scales of Greenland's most critical outlet glacier | 21.04.2020 | 26.05.2020 | Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) | Greenland Ice Sheet | |
Ice-dammed lakes - Evaluation of monitoring methods | 15.01.2020 | 31.12.2020 | Asiaq Greenland Survey | Hydrology, Climate and Environment | Greenland, South-West |
Collaborative Research: Using seismic tremor to constrain seasonal variations in subglacial hydrology at the bed of the Greenland ice sheet | 01.01.2019 | 31.12.2021 | Boston College | Boston College, dept. | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Using seismic tremor to constrain seasonal variations in subglacial hydrology at the bed of the Greenland ice sheet | 01.01.2019 | 31.12.2021 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
A Northern Hemisphere Holocene Paleoatmospheric Record of Ethane and Acetylene from the GISP2 Ice Core | 01.01.2019 | 31.12.2022 | University of California | University of California, Irvine, dept. | |
Collaborative Research: 800-Year Trends in Anthropogenic and Marine Biogenic Sources of Arctic Sulfate Aerosol | 01.01.2019 | 31.12.2022 | South Dakota State University | South Dakota State University, Dept. | |
Chemistry of reactive gases in the Arctic sea ice and atmosphere | 01.01.2019 | 31.12.2021 | University of Colorado Boulder | University of Colorado Boulder, Department | |
Collaborative Research: 800-Year Trends in Anthropogenic and Marine Biogenic Sources of Arctic Sulfate Aerosol | 01.01.2019 | 31.12.2022 | University of Washington | School of Oceanography | |
RAPID: Ocean Forcing for Ice Sheet Models for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report | 01.01.2019 | 31.12.2020 | University of California | University of California, San Diego, Department | |
Dating of the Little Ice Age | 01.01.2018 | 31.12.2020 | Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) | Greenland, North-West | |
AirMiMic - Fieldwork | 20.07.2019 | 31.07.2019 | Aarhus University (AU) | Department of Environmental Science | Greenland, South-East |
Representing surface meltwater runoff in Greenland ice sheet models | 01.01.2019 | 31.12.2020 | Brown University | Brown University, dept. | Greenland, North-West |
Carbonyl sulfide measurements in the GISP2D ice core from Summit, Greenland | 01.01.2019 | 31.12.2022 | University of California | University of California, Irvine, dept. | |
A beauty for the eye, but what shapes icebergs in Greenland? | 01.05.2019 | 01.09.2020 | Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR) | Greenland Climate Research Centre | Greenland, Mid-West |
CryoVEx-2019 summer campaign | 08.08.2019 | 15.08.2019 | Technical University of Denmark (DTU) | DTU Space | Greenland, North-East |
EastGRIP | 01.04.2015 | 31.12.2020 | University of Copenhagen | Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth | Greenland, North-East |
Greenland GNSS Network - GNET | 01.08.2019 | 31.08.2019 | Technical University of Denmark (DTU) | DTU Space | Greenland, North-East |
Parameterizing sub-grid Arctic snow-on-sea-ice processes in Earth System Models using MOSAiC field observations and realistic-resolution process models | 01.01.2018 | 31.12.2021 | Colorado State University | Colorado State University, dept | Arctic (entire region) |
Q19 | 11.04.2019 | 25.04.2019 | Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) | Greenland, South-West | |
Airborne CryoSat and ICESat cross-calibration campaign | 21.03.2019 | 03.04.2019 | Technical University of Denmark (DTU) | DTU Space | Greenland, North-East |
Airborne campaign for future Copernicus polar satellite | 28.02.2019 | 12.03.2019 | Technical University of Denmark (DTU) | DTU Space | Svalbard |
DMI - Research, Monitoring and Infrastructure 2019-2020 | 01.08.2019 | 30.09.2019 | Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) | Greenland, North-East | |
Programme for monitoring of the Greenland ice sheet | 04.01.2010 | 31.12.2027 | Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) | Greenland Ice Sheet | |
BLACK and BLOOM - Microbial processes darken and accelerate the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2017 | Bristol University | Bristol University, dept. | Greenland, Mid-West |
East Greenland Ice-core Project | 01.01.2017 | 31.12.2021 | University of Copenhagen | University of Copenhagen, dept. | Greenland Ice Sheet |
Drainage efficiency of the Greenland supraglacial river network | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2018 | Brown University | Brown University, dept. | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Three-dimensional structure of Arctic tides and near-inertial oscillations, and their role in changing the Arctic Ocean and ice pack | 01.01.2017 | 31.12.2020 | Atmospheric and Environmental Research Inc (AER) | Atmospheric and Environmental Research Inc, dept. | |
Collaborative Research: Closing the Gaps in Climate Models' Surface Albedo Schemes of Processes Driving the Darkening of the Greenland Ice Sheet | 01.01.2017 | 31.12.2020 | City University of New York | City University of New York (CUNY), dept. | |
Collaborative Research: Investigating jamming in iceberg-choked fjords with field observations, laboratory experiments, and numerical models | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2018 | University of Alaska | University of Alaska, Southeast, dept. | |
Collaborative Research: Investigating jamming in iceberg-choked fjords with field observations, laboratory experiments, and numerical models | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2018 | Emory University | Emory University, dept. | |
Collaborative research: Spatial and temporal variability of surface albedo and light absorbing chemical species in Greenland | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2015 | Duke University | Duke University, dept. | |
Collaborative Research: Understanding GrIS moulin hydrology and links to ice motion | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2019 | University of Arkansas | University of Arkansas, dept. | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Refreezing in the firn of the Greenland ice sheet: Spatiotemporal variability and implications for ice sheet mass balance | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2019 | City University of New York | City University of New York (CUNY), dept. | Greenland Ice Sheet |
Collaborative Research: Understanding GrIS moulin hydrology and links to ice motion | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2019 | University of South Florida | University of South Florida, dept. | Greenland Ice Sheet |
Collaborative Research: Visualization, analysis, and HPC modeling of subglacial hydrology from high-resolution 3D conduit scans acquired with a novel sensor | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2017 | University of South Florida | University of South Florida, dept. | |
Collaborative Research: The Greenland Firn Aquifer Impacts on Ice Sheet Hydrology: Characterizing Volume, Flow, and Discharge | 01.01.2014 | 31.12.2017 | University of Maryland | University of Maryland College Park, dept. | Greenland, Mid-East |
Collaborative Research: GreenTrACS: a Greenland Traverse for Accumulation and Climate Studies | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2017 | Boise State University | Boise State University, dept. | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Visualization, analysis, and HPC modeling of subglacial hydrology from high-resolution 3D conduit scans acquired with a novel sensor | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2017 | University of South Florida | University of South Florida, dept. | |
Collaborative Research: The Greenland Firn Aquifer Impacts on Ice Sheet Hydrology: Characterizing Volume, Flow, and Discharge | 01.01.2014 | 31.12.2017 | University of Utah | University of Utah, dept. | Greenland, Mid-East |
Collaborative Research: Investigating the Influence of Sea-surface Variability on Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Outlet Glacier Behavior using Records from Disko Bugt, West Greenland | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2015 | Wheaton College | Wheaton College, dept. | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Investigating the Influence of Sea-surface Variability on Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Outlet Glacier Behavior using Records from Disko Bugt, West Greenland | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2015 | Clark University | Clark University, dept. | Greenland, Mid-West |
MRI: Development of a High-power, Large Antenna Array and Ultrawideband Radar for a Basler for Sounding and Imaging of Fast-flowing Glaciers and Mapping Internal Layers | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2016 | University of Kansas | University of Kansas, dept. | Greenland, Mid-West |
An initial investigation of the Greenland perennial firn aquifer | 01.01.2013 | 31.12.2015 | University of Utah | University of Utah, dept. | Greenland Ice Sheet |
Quantifying Firn Compaction and its Implications for Altimetry-based Mass Balance Estimates of the Greenland Ice Sheet | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2018 | National Aeronautical and Space Administration | National Aeronautical and Space Administration, Department | Greenland Ice Sheet |
Continued Core Atmospheric and Snow Measurements at the Summit, Greenland Environmental Observatory | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2021 | National Aeronautical and Space Administration | National Aeronautical and Space Administration, Department | Greenland Ice Sheet |
GOne with the Wind ON-Arctic (GOWON-Arctic) | 01.01.2013 | 31.12.2015 | National Aeronautical and Space Administration | National Aeronautical and Space Administration, Department | |
Long term monitoring of Greenland's under ice environment | 01.01.2013 | 31.12.2014 | National Aeronautical and Space Administration | National Aeronautical and Space Administration, Department | Greenland Ice Sheet |
ARI: Seasonal Fluxes across Submarine Ice Sheet Margins: A Pilot Study in West Greenland | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2013 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Quantifying Heat/Mass Structure and Fluxes Through the Full Thickness of Greenland's Percolation Zone | 01.01.2017 | 31.12.2021 | University of Wyoming | University of Wyoming, Department | Greenland Ice Sheet |
Collaborative Research: Quantifying Heat/Mass Structure and Fluxes Through the Full Thickness of Greenland's Percolation Zone | 01.01.2017 | 31.12.2020 | University of Montana | University of Montana, Department | Greenland Ice Sheet |
Glacier Front Drifters Design Concept | 01.01.2013 | 31.12.2015 | National Aeronautical and Space Administration | National Aeronautical and Space Administration, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Visualization, analysis, and HPC modeling of subglacial hydrology from high-resolution 3D conduit scans acquired with a novel sensor | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2017 | Penn State University | Penn State University, Department | |
Collaborative Research: Refreezing in the firn of the Greenland ice sheet: Spatiotemporal variability and implications for ice sheet mass balance | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2020 | Rutgers University New Brunswick | Rutgers University New Brunswick, Department | Greenland Ice Sheet |
RAPID: Impact of Large Scale Greenland Ice Sheet Melting on Glacier Hydrology and Meltwater Geochemistry | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2013 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Investigating the Influence of Sea-surface Variability on Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Outlet Glacier Behavior using Records from Disko Bugt, West Greenland | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2015 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
From the Ice Sheet to the Sea: An Interdisciplinary Study of the Impact of Extreme Melt on Ocean Stratification and Productivity near West Greenland | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2017 | University of Georgia | University of Georgia, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: In Situ Borehole Measurements To Partition The Velocity Of The Greenland Ice Sheet Into Ice Deformation And Basal Sliding Components | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2017 | University of Wyoming | University of Wyoming, Department | Greenland Ice Sheet |
Collaborative Research: In Situ Borehole Measurements To Partition The Velocity Of The Greenland Ice Sheet Into Ice Deformation And Basal Sliding Components | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2017 | University of Montana | University of Montana, Department | Greenland Ice Sheet |
Holistic Ice-Ocean-Climate Interactions Campaign on Store Glacier and Ikeresak Fjord | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2013 | Ohio State University | Ohio State University, Byrd Polar Research Center | Greenland, Mid-West |
GROVER: Greenland Rover for Cryospheric Research | 01.01.2013 | 31.12.2016 | University of Colorado Boulder | University of Colorado Boulder, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Comprehensive Assessment of Ice Sheet Contributions to Sea Level Based on Integrated Remote Sensing Observations | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2013 | University of Colorado Boulder | University of Colorado Boulder, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Towards an Operational System for Estimating Greenland Ice Sheet Thickness Change from Altimetry | 01.01.2014 | 31.12.2020 | Ohio State University | Ohio State University, Byrd Polar Research Center | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Understanding the controls on spatial and temporal variability in ice discharge using a Greenland-wide ice sheet model | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2019 | University of Alaska | University of Alaska Fairbanks, Department | |
Collaborative Research: Understanding the controls on spatial and temporal variability in ice discharge using a Greenland-wide ice sheet model | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2019 | University of Texas at Austin | University of Texas at Austin, Department | |
Predictability of Open Water in the Chukchi/Beaufort Seas and Other Regions | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2019 | University of Colorado Boulder | University of Colorado Boulder, Department | |
Collaborative Research: Refreezing in the firn of the Greenland ice sheet: Spatiotemporal variability and implications for ice sheet mass balance | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2019 | University of Alaska | University of Alaska Fairbanks, Department | Greenland Ice Sheet |
Inter-Hemispheric Climate Teleconnections in response to Massive Iceberg Discharge in the North Atlantic | 01.01.2017 | 31.12.2020 | Oregon State University | Oregon State University, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences | |
Collaborative Research: Three-dimensional structure of Arctic tides and near-inertial oscillations, and their role in changing the Arctic Ocean and ice pack | 01.01.2017 | 31.12.2020 | University of Texas at Austin | University of Texas at Austin, Department | |
Collaborative Research: Three-dimensional structure of Arctic tides and near-inertial oscillations, and their role in changing the Arctic Ocean and ice pack | 01.01.2017 | 31.12.2020 | Earth & Space Research | Earth & Space Research, Department | |
Collaborative Research: Three-dimensional structure of Arctic tides and near-inertial oscillations, and their role in changing the Arctic Ocean and ice pack | 01.01.2017 | 31.12.2020 | University of Alaska | University of Alaska Fairbanks, Department | |
Collaborative Research: Closing the Gaps in Climate Models' Surface Albedo Schemes of Processes Driving the Darkening of the Greenland Ice Sheet | 01.01.2017 | 31.12.2020 | University of Michigan | University of Michigan, Department | |
Collaborative Research: Sonic Logging the NEEM Corehole, Greenland | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2013 | University of Alaska | University of Alaska Fairbanks, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
CAREER: Linking cryospheric processes across scales to model non-linear albedo feedback | 01.01.2013 | 31.12.2018 | University of Michigan | University of Michigan, Department | |
Collaborative Research: GreenTrACS: a Greenland Traverse for Accumulation and Climate Studies | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2017 | Dartmouth College | Dartmouth College, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Dynamic Observations of the Evolution of Firn | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2019 | Dartmouth College | Dartmouth College, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Response of the Northwest Greenland Cryosphere to Holocene Climate Change | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2014 | Northwestern University | Northwestern University, Department | Greenland, North-West |
Physical controls on ocean-terminating glacier variability in Central West Greenland | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2015 | University of Texas at Austin | University of Texas at Austin, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: A 1500m Ice Core from South Pole | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2017 | University of California | University of California, Irvine, dept. | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: A 1500m Ice Core from South Pole | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2017 | University of New Hampshire | University of New Hampshire, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Response of the Northwest Greenland Cryosphere to Holocene Climate Change | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2014 | Dartmouth College | Dartmouth College, Department | Greenland, North-West |
Collaborative Research: Sonic Logging the NEEM Corehole, Greenland | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2013 | University of Washington | School of Oceanography | Greenland, Mid-West |
Inland Migration of Crevasses on the Greenland Ice Sheet | 01.01.2013 | 31.12.2014 | University of Maine | University of Maine, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: GreenTrACS: a Greenland Traverse for Accumulation and Climate Studies | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2017 | University of Maine | University of Maine, Department | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Detecting Glacier Calving Events from Ocean Waves and Underwater Acoustics | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2017 | University of Washington | School of Oceanography | |
Collaborative Research: Detecting Glacier Calving Events from Ocean Waves and Underwater Acoustics | 01.01.2015 | 31.12.2017 | University of California | University of California, San Diego, Department | |
Proteomic evidence of microbial weathering processes beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet | 01.01.2016 | 31.12.2017 | University of Washington | School of Oceanography | |
Collaborative Research: Detecting Glacier Calving Events from Ocean Waves and Underwater Acoustics | 01.01.2017 | 31.12.2018 | University of California | University of California, San Diego, Department | |
Collaborative Research: Response of the Northwest Greenland Cryosphere to Holocene Climate Change | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2014 | University of Maine | University of Maine, Department | Greenland, North-West |
Collaborative Research: A 1500m Ice Core from South Pole | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2017 | University of Washington | School of Oceanography | Greenland, Mid-West |
Collaborative Research: Investigating the Influence of Sea-surface Variability on Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Outlet Glacier Behavior using Records from Disko Bugt, West Greenland | 01.01.2012 | 31.12.2015 | University of Washington | School of Oceanography | Greenland, Mid-West |