Dissertations / Theses: 'Glaciology'

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Kenneally, James Patrick. "Crevassing and Calving of Glacial Ice." Fogler Library, University of Maine, 2003. http://www.library.umaine.edu/theses/pdf/KenneallyJP2003.pdf.

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Jones, Francis Hugh Melvill. "Digital impulse radar for glaciology : instrumentation, modelling, and field studies." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26421.

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Several aspects of impulse radar echo sounding of small glaciers are investigated. First, the ranges of values expected for conductivity and relative dielectric permittivity of glacier ice, glacier bed materials and mixtures of ice and rock are established. These parameters, and the fundamentals of electromagnetic wave propagation, are employed in a modelling scheme that examines the reflection of pulses from planar reflectors within the glacier. The glacier bed can be modelled as solid rock or unconsolidated debris and as either frozen or wet. A layer of mixed ice and rock between the glacier ice and bed can also be included. Signal enhancement, especially using multi-channel principal component analysis, is discussed. Discussion of practical application of the technique begins with the description of a portable microprocessor-controlled instrument capable of recording digitized echograms. Then results from experiments on Trapridge Glacier, Yukon Territory are presented. Surveys up to half a kilometer long with soundings at 1 to 20 m intervals were conducted. Bed topography is presented and locally anomalous sections are examined. Smaller-scale parameters such as the attenuation constant of ice and reflector properties are also extracted from the data. Subglacial and englacial temporal variations were studied by automatically recording echoes at one location every 20 minutes over a three-day period. Such experiments are to be used in the future in conjunction with other, concurrent, geophysical and hydrological investigations.
Science, Faculty of
Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of
Graduate

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Golledge, Nicholas Robert. "Glacial geology and glaciology of the Younger Dryas ice cap in Scotland." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/3789.

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This thesis uses geological field data and numerical ice sheet modelling to study the Younger Dryas ice cap in Scotland. The Younger Dryas stadial is important because it represents the most recent period of high-magnitude global climate change, and was marked by the expansion of ice sheets in North America and Scandinavia, and the regrowth of glaciers in the British Isles. An integrated methodology linking field results and modelling is developed and applied here, specifically focussing on the deposits, landforms, and palaeoglaciology of Younger Dryas glaciers in western Scotland. This combined approach enables data of different scales to be compared, and connected, from local sedimentological investigations and empirically derived reconstructions, to regional ice-sheet simulations from a high-resolution numerical model. Previous geological mapping in western Scotland resulted in contradictory views of the thickness and extent of ice during the Younger Dryas, consequently leading to uncertainty about the dynamics of the former ice cap. By using a ‘landsystem’ method to characterise the terrain, it is argued here that geological evidence in the study area implies a relatively thick central ice cap that fed steep outlet glaciers around its margins. These glaciers oscillated throughout the stadial, and during deglaciation produced suites of moraines that marked successive positions of glacier retreat. Widespread preservation of superimposed landforms, and of sediment sequences pre-dating the Younger Dryas, suggest that, despite being active, the Younger Dryas ice cap was not particularly erosive in its central area and only subtly modified its bed. These geological interpretations are supported by high-resolution numerical modelling of the ice cap, which reveals clear spatial variability in the velocity structure, thermal regime, and flow mechanism of the ice cap; patterns that led to local contrasts in basal processes and diversity in the geological imprint. These model experiments also highlight the non-linear relationship between climate forcing and glacier response, identifying evidence of ice sheet hysteresis and climatically decoupled glacier oscillations – concepts as relevant to geological investigations of former ice masses as they are to the prediction of glacier response under future climate changes.

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Nagostinis, Maria. "Cambiamento dei ghiacciai dell'Alto Adige centro-occidentale dalla Piccola Età Glaciale al 2014." Master's thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, 2019. http://amslaurea.unibo.it/19424/.

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I ghiacciai delle Alpi Europee si stanno ritirando in modo rapido ed accelerato negli ultimi decenni ad opera dei cambiamenti climatici in atto. Per poter avere una visione di come le aree glacializzate si evolveranno nei prossimi anni, è necessario dare uno sguardo al passato e tener traccia dei loro cambiamenti. Per questo motivo negli ultimi decenni sono stati compilati diversi inventari in differenti parti delle Alpi e del mondo. Questi permettono di comprendere le relazioni sussistenti tra la variazione areale ed altri attributi e sono da supporto per studi di modellazione. Oggetto di questa tesi è la compilazione di un inventario multi-temporale nella parte centro-occidentale dell’Alto Adige, derivato dalla delineazione manuale del perimetro dei ghiacciai a partire da fotografie aeree ed immagini satellitari acquisite in nove annate: 1945, 1954, 1985, 1994, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2011 e 2014. Dalle analisi è emerso che, globalmente, nel periodo 1860-2014 la superficie dei ghiacciai in Alto-Adige centro-occidentale si è ritirata del 70,1%, accompagnato dall’estinzione del 77% dei corpi glaciali, con un tasso di contrazione areale medio del -0,19 % a-1. Questi tassi hanno avuto un marcato aumento a partire dal periodo post-1994, in cui la variazione ha raggiunto mediamente valori 5,3 volte rispetto a quelli pre-1994. Nel contempo, la media dell’altitudine minima (fronti) alla quale si trovano i ghiacciai è aumentata con un tasso annuale di 2,1 m a-1, mentre la media dell’altitudine massima è diminuita con un tasso di 0,4 m a-1. Successivamente, per valutare l’entità della variabilità intra-regionale, i ghiacciai sono stati suddivisi ed analizzati in cinque sotto-regioni: Stubai, Venoste, Tessa, O-C est ed O-C ovest. Al fine di valutare la variazione areale intra-regionale dei ghiacciai in un contesto più ampio, sono stati comparati intervalli temporali PEG-1994 e 1994-2008 ai settori lombardi delle Orobie, Disgrazia e Livigno (Scotti et al., 2014).

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Bingham, Robert G. "The hydrology and dynamics of a high arctic glacier." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.274106.

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Wuite, Jan. "Spatial and temporal dynamics of three East Antarctic outlet glaciers and their floating ice tongues." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1162225099.

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Davaze, Lucas. "Quantification du bilan de masse des glaciers de montagne à l'échelle régionale par télédétection spatiale optique." Thesis, Université Grenoble Alpes (ComUE), 2019. http://www.theses.fr/2019GREAU022/document.

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Au-delà de leur rôle d’icône du changement climatique, les glaciers de montagne sont une composante essentielle de notre planète. Ils sont, de plus, de véritables « climat-mètres » naturels. Malgré leur faible superficie (0.5% des terres émergées), les glaciers de montagne contribuent à hauteur de 30% à la hausse du niveau des mers. Dans certaines régions, ils constituent de véritables enjeux quant à l’eau potable, l’agriculture, la production hydroélectrique ou les aléas glaciaires. Peu sont en revanche instrumentés (<0.0025%) et leurs fluctuations à l’échelle de régions entières sont mal connues.Grâce au développement de capteurs satellitaires à haute résolution spatiale (métrique à décamétrique), le développement de méthodes automatisées permet aujourd’hui d’augmenter considérablement le nombre de glaciers observés. Après avoir dressé un état de l’art des méthodes existantes et identifié les verrous méthodologiques, nous avons développé deux méthodes en particulier.La première se base sur la détection automatique de l’altitude de la limite glace/neige (i.e. ligne de neige) à la surface du glacier, à partir d’images satellites optiques. Cette altitude, lorsque mesurée à la fin de l’été, est un marqueur du changement de masse à la surface du glacier ayant eu lieu au cours de l’année (appelé bilan de masse de surface). Cette approche nous a permis d’estimer le bilan de masse de surface annuel de 239 glaciers dans les Alpes européennes et de 82 glaciers dans les Andes tropicales pour la période 2000-2016 et 2000-2018, respectivement. La perte moyenne annuelle observée est de -0.74 et de -1.29 m équivalent eau par an pour les deux régions respectivement. A notre connaissance, cette approche a permis d’établir le premier jeu de données de bilans de masse de surface annuels pour des glaciers individuels à échelle régionale à partir d’images satellites optiques. Une dépendance du bilan de masse de surface moyen par glacier à des caractères morpho-topographiques (e.g. pente, altitude médiane …) a été observée, où plus les glaciers sont pentus et hauts en altitude, moins leur perte de masse est importante. Une comparaison avec des mesures in situ dans les Alpes Européennes révèle une surestimation de la perte de masse par ces dernières si on les extrapole spatialement, notamment à cause de la faible représentation de glaciers à forte pente (>20°) dans les mesures in situ. Notre étude sur les Alpes Européennes a de plus permis d’identifier une variabilité interannuelle hétérogène sur cette région, en partie expliquée par des contextes climatiques différents grâce à l’utilisation de données issues de ré-analyses.Le développement d’une autre méthode a permis, à partir de l’analyse de carte d’albédo issues du capteur MODIS, de caractériser le bilan de masse de surface annuel et estival de 30 glaciers dans les Alpes françaises. Cette étude ouvre la porte à l’utilisation de cette méthode pour l’analyse du bilan annuel et saisonnier à l’échelle régionale.Ce travail a permis, à travers des applications dans différentes régions englacées, de développer et valider des méthodes capables, à partir d’images satellites optiques, d’estimer le bilan de masse de surface annuel et saisonnier de glaciers de montagne à l’échelle de régions entières. Ces estimations peuvent ensuite être utilisées pour : (1) étudier l’impact du climat local sur les glaciers de montagne ; (2) d’investiguer de possibles conditions météorologiques favorisant les fluctuations observées ; (3) calibrer et valider les modèles glacio-hydrologiques utilisés pour estimer les contributions actuelles et futures des glaciers de montagne au fonctionnement hydrologique des bassins versants et à l'élévation du niveau des mers
Beyond their iconic role of climate change, mountain glaciers can be considered as Earth’ essential component and natural “climate-meter”. Despite their small spatial coverage (0.5% of emerged land), mountain glaciers contribute as high as 30% of the observed sea-level rise. In some regions, they are considered as essential issues because of their importance in terms of potable water, agriculture, hydroelectricity or natural hazards. A small share is however monitored in situ (<0.0025%) and their fluctuations at regional scale are poorly known.Thanks to the development of high spatial resolution satellite sensors (metric to decametric), new methods are today available to significantly increase the number of monitored glaciers. After a state of the art of the existing methods and an identification of the limitations, we focused our attention on the development of two methods.The first one is based on the automatic detection of the snow/ice interface altitude (i.e. snowline) at the glacier surface from optical satellite images. This altitude, when estimated at the end of summer, is a proxy of the annual glacier-wide mass change at the glacier surface (called surface mass balance, SMB). Using this approach, we estimated the annual SMBs of 239 glaciers in the European Alps and 82 glaciers in the tropical Andes for the period 2000-2016 and 2000-2018, respectively. The mean mass loss are -0.74 and -1.29 m water equivalent per year for the two regions, respectively. This approach allowed to derive the first dataset of annual SMBs for individual glaciers at regional scale from optical remote sensing. We found significant relationships between the computed SMBs and the glacier morpho-topographic features (e.g. slope, median altitude, …), with steeper and higher glaciers, experiencing less mass losses. Comparison with in situ monitored SMBs revealed an overestimation of mass losses from in situ estimates, due to a low representativeness of steep glaciers (>20°) in the in situ datasets. Our study also revealed heterogeneous inter-annual variability across the European Alps, partially explained by the climatic context of the studied sub-regions, thanks to the analysis of climate reanalysis data.We developed a second method to derive the annual and summer SMBs from albedo maps, computed from MODIS images. With an application on 30 glaciers in the French Alps, this work opened the way toward a regional application of this method, in order to estimate both annual and summer SMBs.By performing regional applications on different glacierized regions, we developed and validated methods capable of deriving the annual and summer SMBs of individual mountain glaciers at regional scale, from optical remote sensing data. These data could then be used to (1) assess the impact of peculiar climatic conditions onto mountain glaciers; (2) investigate possible meteorological conditions driving the documented glacier fluctuations; (3) calibrate and validate glacio-hydrological models used to estimate the current and future contributions of mountain glaciers to the hydrological functioning of mountain catchments and to sea level rise

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Steig, Eric J. "Beryllium-10 in the Taylor Dome ice core : applications to Antarctic glaciology and paleoclimatology /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/6745.

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Docquier, David. "Representing grounding-line dynamics in Antarctic ice-sheet models." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/209400.

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Since the mid-20th century, global average temperatures have dramatically risen mostly due to the increasing amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. The effects of this recent global warming are already evident and could be exacerbated in the near future if no real action is taken. Recent ice loss in West Antarctica, monitored by satellite measurements and other techniques, gives cause for concern in such a warming world. A major part of this loss has been driven by warm water masses penetrating underneath the ice shelves in this region. This has led to a flow acceleration of the inland outlet glaciers and a greater discharge of ice to the ocean. The actual resulting contribution of West Antarctica to sea-level rise is estimated to be around 0.2 mm per year between 1992 and 2011, i.e. about one third of the ice-sheet contribution (Antarctica and Greenland), and is expected to increase in the near future.

In this thesis, we first clearly demonstrate that modeling grounding-line (the boundary between grounded and floating ice) migration depends on both the numerical approach and the physical approximation of the ice-sheet model used. Ice-sheet models prescribing the ice flux at the grounding line and using appropriate physical level and numerical approach converge to the same steady-state grounding-line position irrespective of the grid size used. However, the transient behavior of those models is less accurate than other models and leads to an overestimated grounding-line discharge. Therefore, they need to be used with particular attention on short time scales. Furthermore, the non-inclusion of vertical shear stress in those models increases the effective viscosity and gives steady-state grounding-line positions further downstream when compared to full-Stokes models.

The second major finding of this thesis is the high control of geometry (glacier width and bedrock topography) on Thwaites Glacier, one of the fastest-flowing outlet glaciers in West Antarctica. A flowline finite-difference Shallow-Shelf Approximation (SSA) model is applied to the glacier and shows that ice-flow convergence (through width parameterization) slows down the grounding-line retreat when compared to simulations where the width is constant. A new buttressing parameterization is also tested on the glacier and permits a better understanding of this effect. Finally, the three-dimensional version of the model above is applied to Thwaites Glacier and highlights the strong control of lateral variations in bedrock topography on grounding-line migration./Depuis le milieu du 20e siècle, les températures moyennes globales ont fortement augmenté principalement à cause de l'augmentation des émissions de gaz à effet de serre d'origine humaine. Les effets de ce réchauffement global récent sont déjà détectables et pourraient s'accentuer dans un futur proche si aucune mesure réelle n'est prise. La perte récente de glace en Antarctique de l'Ouest, enregistrée par mesures satellites et d'autres techniques, est préoccupante dans un monde qui se réchauffe. Une grande partie de cette perte de glace est due à la pénétration de masses d'eau chaude sous les plateformes de glace flottante dans cette région. Cela engendre une accélération de l'écoulement des glaciers émissaires et une plus grande décharge de glace vers l'océan. Ainsi, la contribution récente à la hausse du niveau de la mer de l'Antarctique de l'Ouest s'élève à environ 0.2 mm par an entre 1992 et 2011, c'est-à-dire près du tiers de la contribution des calottes glaciaires (Antarctique et Groenland). On estime que cette contribution va continuer à augmenter dans le futur proche.

Dans cette thèse, nous démontrons clairement que la modélisation de la migration de la ligne d'ancrage (frontière entre glaces posée et flottante) dépend de l'approche numérique et de l'approximation physique du modèle cryosphérique utilisé. Les modèles cryosphériques qui prescrivent le flux glaciaire à la ligne d'ancrage et qui utilisent un niveau de physique et une approche numérique appropriés convergent vers la même position d'équilibre de la ligne d'ancrage quelle que soit la taille de maille utilisée. Cependant, le comportement transitoire de ces modèles est moins précis que d'autres modèles et mène à une surestimation du flux à la ligne d'ancrage. Dès lors, ces modèles doivent être utilisés avec précaution sur de courtes périodes de temps. De plus, la non inclusion des contraintes verticales de cisaillement dans ces modèles augmente la viscosité effective et donne des positions d'équilibre de la ligne d'ancrage plus en aval en comparaison avec les modèles « full-Stokes ».

La seconde découverte majeure de cette thèse est le contrôle important exercé par la géométrie (largeur du glacier et topographie du lit rocheux) sur Thwaites Glacier, l'un des glaciers émissaires les plus rapides en Antarctique de l'Ouest. Un modèle « Shallow-Shelf Approximation » (SSA) résolvant les différences finies le long d'une ligne d'écoulement est appliqué au glacier et montre que la convergence de l'écoulement glaciaire (au travers de la paramétrisation de la largeur) ralentit le retrait de la ligne d'ancrage comparé aux simulations où la largeur est constante. Une nouvelle paramétrisation de l'effet arc-boutant est testée sur le glacier et permet de mieux comprendre cet effet. Finalement, la version en trois dimensions du modèle ci-dessus est appliquée à Thwaites Glacier et met en évidence le contrôle important des variations latérales de l'altitude du lit rocheux sur la migration de la ligne d'ancrage.
Doctorat en Sciences
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

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Parry, Victoria. "Densification and refreezing in the percolation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet : implications for mass balance measurements." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/3076.

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In order to increase coverage, mass balance changes of the world’s ice sheets are increasingly derived from surface elevation changes measured via satellite. Across the percolation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet, meltwater, percolation and refreezing cause a re-distribution of mass through densification which may result in elevation change with no associated mass loss. Therefore, densification processes need to be quantified, spatially and temporally, and accounted for in mass balance measurements. This thesis investigates the relationships between patterns of elevation change and temporally and spatially variable accumulation and densification processes. In doing so, it provides an important contribution to the validation of the European Space Agency’s CryoSat-2 mission by placing error bars on the accuracy to which changes in satellite-measured ice-mass surface elevation represent real changes in ice mass. Temporal variability in near-surface (<10 m) snowpack and firn density and structure was measured in snowpits, shallow cores and using a neutron probe in the spring and autumn of 2004 at ~1945 m elevation (T05, 69o 51N, 47o 15W) in the percolation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Results show that average snowpack density increased by 26% from spring to autumn, with a 5% (7.6 cm) increase in elevation, and a corresponding 32% increase in mass. Spatial variability was investigated at 11 sites along two transects at spatial scales of 1 m – 10 km. Whilst there was little variability in small scale (1 - 100 m) density changes, ‘seasonal densification’ increased at lower elevations, rising to 47% 10 km closer to the ice sheet margin at 1860 m a.s.l. The spatial variability in seasonal densification was further investigated in spring 2006 at seven sites located at ~10 km intervals along a 57 km transect spanning a 350 m elevation range. Snowpits and shallow cores reveal no significant variation in spring (prior to melt) snowpack density but following summer melt and refreezing cycles, seasonal densification decreased with increasing elevation at 32 kg m-3 per 100 m. Measurements at three sites ranging in elevation from 1860 – 2015 m and spanning three melt-seasons show inter-annual variation in the seasonal densification gradient. In order to obtain a longer time series of mass balance, a 17 m core retrieved in spring 2004 was analysed for stratigraphy, density and ionic and isotopic concentrations to identify annual layers. Unfortunately, the seasonal melt cycle (whereby on average 10% of the snowpack undergoes melt), results in a complex stratigraphy and density and ionic concentrations that cannot be resolved into a seasonal signature. However, the δ18O and δ D isotopes show clear sinusoidal fluctuations, which have been used to derive annual mass balance from 1986 to 2003. These show a mean annual accumulation of 53.7 cm w.e. (s.d. 12.9 cm w.e.) although the accuracy of these measurements is compromised by the percolation of meltwater through more than more year’s snowpack. These findings confirm that estimates of mass balance cannot be calculated solely from observed changes in surface elevation. However, predicting spatial and temporal variations in densification is not straightforward because of the complex inter-annual variations in the processes of accumulation, melt, percolation and refreezing.

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Cowton, Thomas Ralph. "Hydrology of a land-terminating Greenlandic outlet glacier." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/8286.

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Hydrology is recognised as an important component of the glacial system in alpine environments. In particular, the subglacial drainage of surface meltwaters is known to exert a strong influence on the motion of glaciers and on their capacity to erode the underlying bedrock. This thesis examines the more poorly understood drainage system of the Greenland Ice Sheet, with specific focus on Leverett Glacier, a landterminating outlet glacier on the ice sheet’s western margin. Because of the vast size of the ice sheet, the influence of the drainage system could have wide ranging implications, most notably for sea level rise and continental scale landscape evolution. The thesis commences with an investigation into the morphology of the drainage system of the lower 14 km of Leverett Glacier. This is undertaken using a variety of field methods, including dye tracing and the monitoring of proglacial discharge, englacial water levels, surface melt rates and glacier motion. The data reveal that the drainage system of the glacier closely resembles that of alpine glaciers, undergoing an evolution from distributed to channelised drainage morphologies as the melt season progresses. Another aspect of the field data, the suspended sediment load evacuated from the subglacial system in the emerging proglacial river, is then examined to investigate the impact that this drainage system morphology has on the interaction between the glacier and the underlying bedrock or substrate. This demonstrates that the presence of large, efficient subglacial drainage channels allows for the removal of vast quantities of basal debris during much of the melt season, facilitating an erosion rate 1-2 orders of magnitude greater than previously proposed for ice sheet settings. The thesis then focuses on the relationship between discharge, water pressure and ice motion. Observations from Greenlandic and alpine glaciers demonstrate that glaciers generally decelerate through the melt season following a maximum velocity induced by the onset of melt in the spring. The data indicate that the evolution of the drainage system from a distributed to a channelised morphology occurs rapidly and so can only explain this trend in ice velocity during the early part of the melt season. Beyond this period, ice velocity patterns can instead be explained primarily by transient fluctuations in water pressure within the channelised drainage system. These transient pressure fluctuations result from the lag between changes to the rate of meltwater input to the glacier and the subsequent adjustment of channel cross section. This indicates that it is crucial to consider temporal variability in melt rate when seeking to link climate with the dynamics of ice sheets and glaciers. This process can be simulated, which is demonstrated by using the proglacial discharge record to model subglacial water pressure and ice velocity. In the following chapter, this model is built upon by considering how these variations in water pressure, originating in discrete subglacial channels, control sliding velocities across large areas of the glacier. Detailed examination of high-resolution ice velocity records from Leverett Glacier reveals that, in keeping with theory, horizontal ice velocity is dependent on both the volume of subglacial cavities and the rate-of-change of this volume. A simple model of subglacial water movement is then used to demonstrate how these changes in the cavity system could be driven by the pressure fluctuations predicted within the channelised drainage system. This enables a system scale model of glacier hydrology to be developed, which is presented in the final chapter, linking variations in surface melt rate to channel pressure, cavity volume and ultimately ice motion. In summary, this research has helped to illuminate the morphology and functioning of the drainage system of Leverett Glacier. This has improved our understanding of how hydrology influences both the motion of the Greenland Ice Sheet and its impact on the underlying topography, and enabled better prediction of how these processes are influenced by changes in climate.

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Boston, Clare Mary. "A Lateglacial plateau icefield in the Monadhliath Mountains, Scotland : reconstruction, dynamics and palaeoclimatic implications." Thesis, Queen Mary, University of London, 2012. http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/8314.

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The complex record of glaciogenic landforms and sediments in Britain relating to the last British-Irish Ice Sheet provides the opportunity to reconstruct former ice extents, ice dynamics, retreat patterns and examine their links to climate change. Yet in Scotland, as in the rest of Britain, a previously fragmentary approach to palaeoglaciological research has limited our understanding of glacier dynamics and their relationship to climate, particularly during the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition. The Monadhliath Mountains in the Central Scottish Highlands are dominated by an extensive plateau area that has received little research attention in the past. The few examples of research include work by British Geological Survey officers in the early 1900s and J.R. Young in the 1970s. These studies focussed primarily on the geomorphology and sedimentology of isolated valleys and therefore this PhD research provides the first systematic mapping of the region as a whole. Results of remote and field mapping demonstrate that two coalescent plateau icefields, together covering an area of c. 280 km2, occurred over the southwest and central sector of the Monadhliath Mountains during the Younger Dryas. Equilibrium line altitudes calculated for the icefield are of comparable magnitude to those reconstructed for nearby Younger Dryas ice masses, such as in Drumochter and Creag Meagaidh, but indicate slightly lower precipitation in the Monadhliath Mountains. ELAs of individual outlet glaciers rise steeply from west to east across the plateau, indicating a strong local precipitation gradient. Significant variations in the geomorphology on the plateau and within outlet valleys allowed an examination of former thermal regime and differences in ice dynamics during retreat. In-depth analysis of moraine retreat patterns enabled a detailed insight into palaeoglaciological controls on deglaciation for the first time, concluding that valley morphology and gradient were the most influential factors on the retreat dynamics of the plateau icefield.

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Channon, Heather. "Multiscale analysis of the landforms and sediments of palaeo-ice streams." Thesis, Queen Mary, University of London, 2013. http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/8398.

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Ice streams play a fundamental role in the stability and dynamics of ice sheets. They are defined by their rapid flow and this is enabled by conditions and processes at the icebed interface. A significant limitation to our understanding of this environment is that most studies, of both contemporary and palaeo-ice streams, have focussed on only one or two, discrete spatial scales of analysis and so integration between scales is restricted. This thesis investigates palaeo-ice streams at multiple scales in order to examine their subglacial processes and characteristics, and to assess the links between and the application of different spatial scales of analysis. Seven palaeo-ice streams from the British and Laurentide ice sheets were investigated at the macroscale, which involved geomorphological mapping, spatial analysis of subglacial lineations and examination of bed characteristics. Two ice streams were also investigated at smaller scales, which included sedimentological analysis (mesoscale) and micromorphological analysis (microscale). Macroscale results showed that subglacial lineations display certain spatial characteristics, including: clustering according to elongation ratio; distribution of low elongation ratios throughout the ice streams; and a decrease in maximum elongation ratio towards the ice stream lateral margins. The latter of which is considered to reflect the transverse distribution of ice velocity. In some cases, a decline in subglacial lineation concentration and elongation ratio coincided with topographic obstacles at the ice stream bed. The most common bed characteristics identified were: widespread till, fine grained sedimentary bedrock with a moderate permeability, low relief and a flat topographic curvature. Key subglacial processes identified included deformation, which was observed at all three scales, and high pore water pressures, for which multiple lines of evidence were found at the meso and micro scales. Spatial variability in both strain and pore water pressure was also common. The multiscale approach allowed robust interpretations of fast flow mechanisms, which furthers knowledge of the sediment and landform characteristics that may result from these flow mechanisms. A summary of the processes that can be identified at each of the spatial scales is given.

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Maddy, Darrel. "The Middle Pleistocene development of the rivers Severn and Avon." Thesis, Royal Holloway, University of London, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.311980.

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Rumrill, Julie. "Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Variations in Strain Rates Near Swiss Camp, Greenland." ScholarWorks @ UVM, 2009. http://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/205.

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In this thesis, I present results from a two-year study of strain-rate variations along a flow line on the western margin of the Greenland ice sheet. I used baseline network solutions to investigate variations in longitudinal strain rates over the 2006 and 2007 melt seasons. Analyses revealed high-magnitude, short-duration events of increased longitudinal strain early in the melt season coincident with a high melt year, suggesting a link between melt production and its effects on seasonal ice flow. Results from 2006 data show that longitudinal strain rates became variable shortly after the onset of melt (day 186) changing up to ~ 15 x 10-4 a-1 within 24 hours. The onset of melting occurred earlier in 2007 (day 153) and was also followed closely by strain-rate deviation from background rates calculated prior to melting. The data revealed rapid (hours to days), high-magnitude (two to ten times greater than background rates) changes in longitudinal strain rates (hereafter referred to as ‘high-strain’ events) that occurred both on the small-scale (affecting 1-4 baselines) and on the large-scale (affecting 5 or more baselines). Large-scale high-strain events were infrequent, on the order of two events per season. Events were likely caused by drainage of supraglacial meltwater that penetrated to the bed of the glacier raising the basal water pressure. The increase in pressure reduced the basal resistive stress, and allowed rapid local acceleration. The basal stress reduction was transmitted to areas of higher stress which resulted in longitudinal compression of the ice down glacier and longitudinal extension up glacier. The evolution of high-strain events altered longitudinal strain rates more than 15 km along flow from the site of initiation. I estimated the origin and spatial extent of highstrain events by assessing the magnitude of the strain-rate variations in various baselines, and observing whether the altered strain regime was extensive or compressive. Magnitude and timing of changes in strain suggest that high-strain events originated in the ablation zone, the equilibrium zone, and inland of the equilibrium zone, and indicate that short-term altered stress conditions are not confined to the ablation zone. The background strain-rate for 2007 (~ -7 x 10-4 a-1 for a 37 km longitudinal baseline) was similar to the 2006 longitudinal background rate. When extrapolating the 2006 background rate over the melt season, the expected change in baseline length (~ 11 m) was similar to the observed change (~ 9 m). In contrast, when extrapolating the 2007 background rate over the melt season, the expected shortening was ~ 6 m, but the observed shortening was less than 1 m. This result suggests that seasonal high-strain events have the ability to alter longitudinal baseline length, allowing a greater ice flux to lower elevations where melting occurs for a larger portion of the year. However, the cumulative seasonal effects of both large-scale and small-scale strain events are modest, and indicate that seasonal changes in strain rates have a minor effect on the overall stability of the ice sheet. Nevertheless, it is possible that over much longer timescales these seasonal changes may become more important with increasing temperatures and available melt. Results from this study may also be useful in making broader inferences regarding the response of grounded portions of the ice sheet to seasonal changes in basal resistive stress.

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Weertman, Bruce Randall. "Interpretation of ice sheet stratigraphy : a radio-echo sounding study of the Dyer Plateau, Antarctica /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/6822.

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17

Fourteau, Kévin. "Physique de la fermeture des pores dans le névé polaire, implications pour la compréhension des rétrocations passées entre cycle du carbone et climat." Thesis, Université Grenoble Alpes (ComUE), 2019. http://www.theses.fr/2019GREAU018/document.

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Les carottes de glace sont des archive climatiques sans équivalents : les gaz contenus dans la glace de la région aride de l'Antarctique de l'Est permettent de reconstruire les compositions atmosphériques au cours des derniers 800 000 ans. Les gaz sont piégés pendant la compaction de la neige tombée sur l'inlandsis. Dans la neige en surface, aussi appelée névé, le réseau poreux interstitiel diminue jusqu'au pincement des pores qui piègent définitivement les gaz dans la glace. Cependant, le processus même de piégeage des gaz impacte l'enregistrement des signaux mesurés dans les carottes. L'interprétation de ces signaux demande de caractériser en quoi ils diffèrent de l'atmosphère passée. Le but de cette thèse est d'étudier deux effets altérant les enregistrements gaz des carottes, le piégeage par couches qui crée des irrégularités stratigraphiques et le lissage qui retire la variabilité rapide de l’enregistrement. Une attention particulière est portée sur les glaces de l'Antarctique de l'Est.Ce travail démarre avec l'étude multi-traceurs d'une carotte de névé forée au site de Lock-In en Antarctique de l'Est. Les résultats montrent que le bas du névé est un empilement hétérogène de strates se densifiant suivant une même évolution de leur réseau poreux. La stratification reflète simplement que certaines strates sont en avance (ou retard) dans leur densification, mais la fermeture des pores est similaire dans toutes les strates. Notamment, les strates contiennent toutes des quantités similaires de gaz, comme le montrent des mesures directes. Des mesures de chimie à haute-résolution montrent que les strates denses ont une haute conductivité liquide, suggérant que la stratification profonde du névé est due à une densification préférentielle induite par des impuretés.Ces connaissances sont appliquées pour étudier des variations centimétriques mesurées dans les signaux méthane des carottes de glace. Pour cette thèse, nous utilisons 6 nouveaux signaux méthane à haute résolution, mesurés dans des carottes d'Antarctique de l'Est à l'IGE. On montre que ces variations sont des artefacts dus aux irrégularités stratigraphiques causées par des strates denses se fermant en avance. Un modèle est proposé pour simuler la présence irrégulière de ces artefacts.Une nouvelle méthode est proposée pour estimer la distribution en âge des gaz dans les carottes, qui à l'origine du lissage des variations atmosphériques rapides. Elle peut être appliquée aux carottes de la dernière période glaciaire, et donne pour la première fois des indications quantitatives sur le lissage des signaux dans les carottes à très faible accumulation. Nos résultats montrent qu'en Antarctique de l'Est, le lissage est peu sensible au taux d'accumulation, et que plus d'information que prévu est préservée lors du piégeage.Enfin, nous présentons le développement d'un nouveau type de modèle micro-mécanique du névé. Son but est de simuler l'évolution des pores dans une strate de névé. Un tel modèle pourrait être utilisé pour contraindre le piégeage des gaz dans la glace, dans des conditions de période glaciaire
As they contain air from past atmospheres, ice cores are unparalleled climate paleo-archives. The study of the gases enclosed in ice cores from the arid region of East Antarctica allows to infer the past compositions of the atmosphere back to 800,000 years ago. Gases are trapped during the compaction of the snow deposited on top of the ice sheet. In the near-surface snow, also referred to as firn, the interstitial porous network shrinks until it eventually pinches and traps gases in the ice. However, the very process of gas trapping has impacts on the gas signals recorded in ice cores. The interpretation of gas records requires to characterize how ice core and atmospheric signals differ. The aim of this PhD is to study two effects altering ice core gas records, namely gas layered trapping that creates stratigraphic irregularities and firn smoothing that removes fast variability from the record. A specific focus is put on low-accumulation East Antarctic ice cores.This inquiry starts with the multi-tracer study of a firn core drilled at the Lock-In site, East Antarctica. The results show that the bottom of the firn can be seen as a stack of heterogeneous strata that densify following the same porous network evolution with density. In this vision, the stratification simply reflects the fact that some strata are in advance (or late) in their densification, but that pore closure happens in a similar fashion in all strata. This notably means that all strata contain nearly similar amounts of gases, as supported by direct measurements. High-resolution chemistry data indicate that denser strata are characterized by a high liquid conductivity, suggesting that deep firn stratification is due the impurity-induced preferential densification.This knowledge is then used to explain abrupt spikes observed in ice core methane records. For this PhD we rely on 6 new high-resolution methane records, measured in several East Antarctic ice cores at IGE. We show that the abrupt variations are layering artifacts due to stratigraphic irregularities caused by dense firn strata closing in advance. A simple model is developed to simulate the irregular occurrence of layering artifacts.A novel technique is proposed to estimate the age distributions of gases in ice cores, that are responsible for the smoothing of fast atmospheric variations. It can notably be applied to glacial records, and for the first time provides quantitative insights on the smoothing of very low-accumulation records. Our results show that in East Antarctica, the firn smoothing is weakly sensitive to the accumulation rate, meaning that more information than previously thought is preserved.Finally, we present the development of a new type of micro-mechanical firn model. Its ambition is to simulate the evolution of the porous network of a firn stratum. Such a model could be used to better constrain the enclosure of gases in polar ice under glacial conditions

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McDaniel, Shannon M. "New techniques for the investigation of deformation mechanisms in flow of fine-grained ice Ih /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/6747.

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19

Meierbachtol, Toby Warren. "Borehole Measurements of Dynamic Basal Drainage Adjustments During Sliding Accelerations: Bench Glacier, Alaska." The University of Montana, 2007. http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-05152007-152644/.

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Artificial perturbations of borehole water levels, or slug tests, are a commonly employed means of characterizing the glacier hydrologic system. Results documenting the influence of slug testing on a field of boreholes and its change with time, however, are scarce. Slug tests were performed on Bench Glacier, AK in 21 boreholes over three field seasons during an annual late spring glacier speed up event. Fifty four slug tests were conducted, with water level monitoring in up to five boreholes adjacent to the slugged borehole. Seven of the slug tests were performed in conjunction with dye dispersion tests to identify water pathways within the slugged borehole following perturbation. Underdamped and overdamped slug test responses show a high degree of connectivity among boreholes connected via the glacier bed. The nature and degree of connectivity is temporally variable, suggesting that the drainage network at the bed is highly dynamic on time and space scales of hours and 10s of meters, respectively. The changes we document in slug test responses over time and space can be used to constrain explanations for the cause of the underdamped response. Examination of the underdamped response necessitates an understanding of the process(es) acting as the spring to produce the oscillatory water level behavior. We propose that coherent air packages are a likely means of producing the compliance needed to generate the underdamped slug test response, and that these air packages may exist within the glacier at the tips of subglacially propagated fractures. Synthesis of slug testing with other methods of study, such as video observation and dye tracing, helps lend insight into the governing processes at the glacier bed.

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20

Bartholomew, Ian David. "Hydrology and dynamics of a land-terminating Greenland outlet glacier." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/7613.

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The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the hydrology and dynamics of a land-terminating outlet glacier on the western margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). The investigations are motivated by uncertainty about the effect of meltwater on rates of ice flow in the GrIS and the possibility that hydrologically forced changes in ice velocity might increase mass loss from the ice sheet significantly in response to climate warming. The impact of meltwater on fluctuations in ice flow has been a research focus for glaciologists studying Alpine and Arctic glaciers for decades. In these settings, one of the main controls on the relationship between surface melting and ice velocity is the structure of the subglacial drainage system, which evolves spatially and temporally on a seasonal basis in response to inputs of meltwater from the glacier surface. In this thesis we present three years of field observations of glacier velocity, surface ablation and hydrology from a land-terminating glacier in west Greenland. These data are supplemented by satellite data and the use of simple models to constrain surface melting. We find that hydrologically forced ice acceleration occurs each year along a 115 km transect, first at sites nearest the ice sheet margin and at locations further inland following the onset of surface melting at higher elevations. At sites near the ice sheet margin, the relationship between surface melting and ice velocity is not consistent throughout the melt season, and ice velocity becomes less sensitive to inputs of meltwater later in the summer. This is explained by development in the efficiency of the subglacial drainage system, in a manner similar to Alpine glaciers. We perform a hydrological study which indicates that an efficient subglacial drainage system expands upglacier over the course of the melt season, in response to inputs of water from the ice sheet surface. At higher elevation sites, however, thicker ice and colder temperatures mean that it is harder to generate enough water to reach the ice-bed interface and this only occurs once enough water has accumulated to propagate fractures through thick ice to the bed. One mechanism which allows this is drainage of supraglacial lakes. Inter-annual comparison shows that increased rates of annual ablation lead to higher annual ice velocities. At high elevation sites (>1000 m), timing of drainage of meltwater to the ice-bed interface appears to be the main control on the the overall magnitude of summer acceleration. At lower elevations, although development in the structure of the subglacial drainage system limits the overall summer acceleration signal, short-term variability in meltwater input can sustain high ice velocities even once the subglacial drainage system has become channelised. Overall, the research presented in this thesis suggests that hydrologically-forced acceleration can increase mass loss from the GrIS in a warmer climate due to inland expansion of the area of the ice sheet bed which is subject to inputs of meltwater from the ice sheet surface. The relationship between surface melting and ice velocity is mediated, however, by the structure of the subglacial drainage system and variations in the rate of meltwater drainage to the ice bed interface. Insights from this work can help in the development of numerical ice sheet models which aim to predict the future contribution to sea-level rise from the Greenland Ice Sheet.

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Geiger, Stuart T. "Influence of rock glaciers on stream hydrology, La Sal Mountains, Utah, U.S.A." Laramie, Wyo. : University of Wyoming, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1663116491&sid=2&Fmt=2&clientId=18949&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

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22

Tschetter, Timothy J. "Seasonal evolution of a glacial hydrologic system observations of borehole water levels from the Bench Glacier, Alaska /." Laramie, Wyo. : University of Wyoming, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1594501731&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=18949&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

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23

Koziol, Conrad Pawel. "Modelling the impact of surface melt on the hydrology and dynamics of the Greenland Ice Sheet." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2018. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/273345.

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Increasing surface runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet due to a warming climate not only accelerates ice mass loss by altering surface mass balance, but may also lead to increased dynamic losses. This is because surface melt draining to the bed can reduce ice-bed coupling, leading to faster ice flow. Understanding the impact of surface melt on ice dynamics is important for constraining the contribution of the Greenland Ice Sheet to sea level rise. The aim of this thesis is to numerically model the influence of surface runoff on ice velocities. Three new models are presented: an updated supraglacial hydrology model incorporating moulin and crevasse drainage, along with lake drainage over the ice surface via channel incision; an ice sheet model implementing a numerically efficient formulation of ice flow; an adjoint code of the ice flow model based on automatic differentiation. Together with a subglacial hydrology model, these represent the key components of the ice sheet system. The supraglacial hydrology model is calibrated in the Paakitsoq region. Model output shows the partitioning of melt between different drainage pathways and the spatial distribution of surface drainage. Melt season intensity is found to be a relevant factor for both. A key challenge for simulations applying a coupled ice-flow/hydrology model is state and parameter initialization. This challenge is addressed by developing a new workflow for incorporating modelled subglacial water pressures into inversions of basal drag. A current subglacial hydrology model is run for a winter season, and the output is incorporated into the workflow to invert for basal drag at the start of summer in the Russell Glacier area. Comparison of the modelled subglacial system to observations suggests that model output is more in line with summer conditions than winter conditions. A multicomponent model integrating the main components of the ice sheet system is developed and applied to the Russell Glacier area. A coupled ice-flow/hydrology model is initialized using the proposed workflow, and driven using output from the supraglacial hydrology model. Three recent melt seasons are modelled. To a first order, predicted ice velocities match measured velocities at multiple GPS sites. This affirms the conceptual model that summer velocity patterns are driven by transitions between distributed and channelized subglacial hydrological systems.

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Johnson, Gunnar Forrest. "Rock Glaciers of the Contiguous United States: Spatial Distribution, Cryospheric Context, and Riparian Vegetation." PDXScholar, 2018. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4507.

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Continental-scale inventories of glaciers are available, but no analogous rock glacier inventories exist. We present the Portland State University Rock Glacier Inventory (n = 10,343) for the contiguous United States, then compare it to an existing inventory of contiguous United States glaciers (n = 853), identifying geographic and climatic factors affecting the spatial distributions observed. At least one rock glacier is identified in each of the 11 westernmost states, but nearly 90% are found in just five; Colorado (n = 3889), Idaho (n = 1723), Montana (n = 1780), Utah (n = 834), and Wyoming (n = 849). Glaciers are concentrated in relatively humid mountain ranges, while rock glaciers are concentrated in relatively arid mountain ranges. Mean glacier area (0.60 ± 0.073 km2) is significantly greater than mean rock glacier area (0.10 ± 0.002 km2), though total glacier area (507.70 km2) is lower than total rock glacier area (1008.91 km2). Glacier and rock glacier areas, as a percent of small watersheds containing them, are modeled using geographically weighted regression. Glacier percent area (R2 = 0.55) is best explained by elevation range and mean fall snowfall, while rock glacier percent area (R2 = 0.42) is best explained by mean spring dewpoint temperature and slope standard deviation. Finally, we compare riparian vegetation along meltwater streams draining glaciers and rock glaciers. Initial 500 m long meltwater stream reaches emanating from a total of 35 pairs of collocated glaciers and rock glaciers were delineated, allowing estimation of riparian vegetation cover and density. Rock glacier meltwater stream riparian vegetation cover (mean cover = 86.2% ± 9.3%) and density (mean NDVI = 0.30 ± 0.02) are significantly greater (p-value < 0.05) than glacier meltwater stream riparian vegetation cover (mean cover = 64.5% ± 10.9%) and density (mean NDVI = 0.13 ± 0.01). This study shows that while the spatial distributions of glaciers and rock glaciers are both generally influenced by a combination of geographic and climatic variables, the specific forcings and local magnitudes are distinct for each cryospheric feature type, and processes inherent to rock glacier cryospheric meltwater sourcing positively influence first-order meltwater stream vegetation patterns.

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Banta, John Ryan. "Interpretation of glaciochemical records from an array of Greenland ice cores." abstract and full text PDF (free order & download UNR users only), 2006. http://0-gateway.proquest.com.innopac.library.unr.edu/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3231685.

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26

Smith, Andrew Mark. "Seismic investigations on Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica." Thesis, Open University, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.361847.

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Rye, Cameron James. "Spatially distributed modelling of regional glacier mass balance : a Svalbard case study." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.609569.

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28

How, Penelope. "Dynamical change at tidewater glaciers examined using time-lapse photogrammetry." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/31103.

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Retreating glaciers and ice sheets provide a significant contribution to sea level rise, which will affect future populations and their activities. Accurate sea level projections are needed in order to best inform policy makers, but these projections are limited by our understanding of dynamical change at marine-terminating glaciers. Terrestrial time-lapse photography has proved to be a viable approach for obtaining high-detail observational records, and is used here to examine signals of dynamical change at two tidewater glaciers in Svalbard. Photogrammetric measurements were extracted using PyTrx (`Python Tracking'), a new photogrammetry toolbox that has been developed here for deriving velocities (e.g. glacier surface velocity), surface areas (e.g. supraglacial lake area, surfacing plume area), and line distances (e.g. terminus profiles). PyTrx has been created as a Python-alternative photogrammetry software, and offers additional functionality to the typical monoscopic feature-tracking toolboxes that are currently available. Subglacial hydrology and its relation to basal sliding were examined at Kronebreen, Svalbard. The results revealed a difference in flow efficiency between the north and south regions of the glacier tongue, which influences spatial patterns in surface velocities. Long-term changes in ice flow were concluded to be controlled by the location of effcient and inefficient drainage, and the position of regions where water is stored and released. Changes in terminus conditions and calving processes were examined at Tunabreen, a surge-type tidewater glacier. Observations suggested that atmospheric forcing plays a larger role in terminus stability than previously considered, and it is likely that terminus dynamics at Tunabreen are the product of a unique interplay between oceanic and atmospheric forcing which are shaped by the glacier's surge-type nature. Additionally, calving activity at Tunabreen can be characterised as high-frequency, low-magnitude events, and a high proportion of its long-term calving activity can be attributed to the rate of under-cutting at the terminus. In all, these studies demonstrate that long-term changes in glacier dynamics are dictated by the small changes in basal and terminus conditions, and how they vary from year-to-year. Future research now needs to be directed towards understanding how small-scale processes vary over multiple melt seasons, in order to establish how they operate at longer timescales. PyTrx provides an appropriate basis to continue this work and expand the capabilities of the toolbox.

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Seroussi, Hélène. "Modélisation des calottes polaires par des formulations multi-modèles." Phd thesis, Ecole Centrale Paris, 2011. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00697005.

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La modélisation numérique des écoulements de glace est indispensable pour prédire l'évolution des calottes polaires suite au réchauffement climatique. De récentes études ont souligné l'importance des modèles d'écoulement dits d'ordre supérieur voir même de Stokes au lieu de la traditionnelle approximation de couche mince dont les hypothèses ne sont pas valables dans certaines zones critiques mais à l'étendue limitée. Cependant, ces modèles d'ordre supérieur sont difficiles à utiliser à l'échelle d'un continent en raison de leurs temps de calculs prohibitifs. Ce travail de thèse propose une nouvelle technique qui permet de réduire les temps de calculs tout en maximisant la précision des modèles. Plusieurs modèles d'écoulement de glace de complexité variables ont été mis en place dans ISSM (Ice Sheet System Model), un code élément fini massivement parallèle développé par le Jet Propulsion Laboratory. L'analyse et la comparaison des différents modèles, à la fois sur des cas théoriques et réels, montrent que l'utilisation des modéles les plus complets est principalement nécessaire au voisinage de la zone d'échouage, transition entre les parties flottantes et posées de la glace, mais aussi que des modèles plus simples peuvent être utilisés sur la majeure partie des glaciers. Coupler différents modèles présente donc un avantage significatif en terme de temps de calcul mais aussi d'amélioration de la physique utilisées dans les modèles. Plusieurs méthodes de couplage de modèles existent et sont présentées dans ce manuscrit. Une nouvelle technique, dite de tuilage, particulièrement adaptée au couplage de modèles d'écoulement de glace est décrite ici : son principe repose sur la superposition et le raccordement de plusieurs modèles mécaniques. Une analyse mathématique est effectuée afin de définir les conditions d'utilisation de cette méthode de tuilage. Le traitement du couplage entre un modèle de Stokes et des modèles simplifiés, pour lesquels le calcul des vitesses horizontales et verticales est découplé, est ensuite présenté. Cette technique a été mise en place dans ISSM afin de pouvoir créer des modèles hybrides combinant plusieurs modèles d'écoulement de complexité variable. Après avoir été validée sur des cas synthétiques, cette technique est utilisée sur des glaciers réels comme Pine Island Glacier, dans l'Antarctique de l'Ouest, afin d'illustrer sa pertinence. Les modèles hybrides ont le potentiel d'améliorer la précision des résultats en combinant différents modèles mécaniques, utilisés chacun dans les zones où leurs approximations sont valides, tout en réduisant les temps de calcul et en étant compatibles avec les ressources informatiques actuelles.

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POCHINI, ENRICO. "Paleo and present oceanic modelling of the Ross Sea (Antarctica): evolution of water masses and ice shelf – ocean interactions during the last glacial cycle (21-0 ka)." Doctoral thesis, Università degli Studi di Trieste, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/11368/3030770.

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In this work, we want to investigate the influences of water masses on the basal melting under the RIS at present and in the past. In particular, the research aimed at understanding the influences of Ross Sea water masses variability on the RIS basal melting both at present and in the past. A regional adaptation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm) was implemented on the Ross Sea to simulate ocean circulation on the continental shelf and under the RIS. A present-day transient run, forced by ocean (GLORYS12V1) and atmospheric (ERA5) reanalysis over the period 1993-2018, shows that: [1] simulated water masses present different timescales of variability in their properties: Circumpolar Deep Water and Antarctic Surface Waters show a strong seasonal cycle, modulated by strong interannual variability. High Salinity Shelf Water and Low Salinity Shelf Water, on the other hand, show a weaker seasonal cycle and a decadal oscillation in their salinity. Variability of CDW and AASW is probably related to wind variability associated with the Southern Annular Mode, the Amundsen Sea Low, and El-Niño Southern Oscillation, mediated by sea ice. Variability of HSSW and LSSW is probably related to variability of the sea ice and meltwater input, and katabatic wind strength, in turn associated with the Polar Cell. The same variability is observed for the water masses beneath the RIS. [2] Basal melting presents a distinct pattern, related to the current at draft level, and variability related to the changing water masses properties. A new method based on mixing of water masses was developed to disentangle the effect of mixing, and highlight the melting variability associated to each water mass. Results show basal melting of ∼78 Gt/yr, in line with the observations, and presenting variability at the seasonal, interannual and decadal scale indicative of changing water masses properties or volume expansion inside the cavity. Then, we run 21 snapshots at intervals of 1000 years, over the Last Deglaciation (∼21-0 kyears BP): each snapshot was 26 years long and branched on a separate 120 years-long spinup. Simulations are forced by the outputs from an existent transient global paleoclimate experiment TraCE-21ka. The purpose of the paleo experiment was: 1) to analyse the evolution of the water masses with varying deglacial climatic conditions, and 2) how circulation resumed on the continental shelf, starting from a condition restricted by a grounded ice sheet at LGM (∼21 ka), and retreating during the deglaciation. Results show that: [1] initially, circulation was limited to three sub-ice shelf cavities in the Western Ross Sea. In Pennel trough warm CDW water reached the cavity, whereas in the Drygaslki and Joides troughs, HSSW filled the bottom level. [2] During the millenium following the Meltwater Pulse 1-A (14.6-14.3 ka), deep ocean warming and sub-surface ocean freshening caused a weakening of the Antarctic Slope Front, fostered CDW flow in Pennel and the Whales Deep cavity, which experienced high rates of basal melting. HSSW production in the Drygaslki and Joides stopped during this event. [3] In the Early Holocene (∼11.8 ka) grounding line retreat uncovered growingly portions of the continental shelf, allowing stronger atmospheric cooling and resumption of HSSW production. At ∼10ka the RIS cavity began to form, and was melted on the Westward side by HSSW, and on the Eastward side by advected mCDW; therefore, the stronger melting role shifted to the HSSW at that time.
In this work, we want to investigate the influences of water masses on the basal melting under the RIS at present and in the past. In particular, the research aimed at understanding the influences of Ross Sea water masses variability on the RIS basal melting both at present and in the past. A regional adaptation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm) was implemented on the Ross Sea to simulate ocean circulation on the continental shelf and under the RIS. A present-day transient run, forced by ocean (GLORYS12V1) and atmospheric (ERA5) reanalysis over the period 1993-2018, shows that: [1] simulated water masses present different timescales of variability in their properties: Circumpolar Deep Water and Antarctic Surface Waters show a strong seasonal cycle, modulated by strong interannual variability. High Salinity Shelf Water and Low Salinity Shelf Water, on the other hand, show a weaker seasonal cycle and a decadal oscillation in their salinity. Variability of CDW and AASW is probably related to wind variability associated with the Southern Annular Mode, the Amundsen Sea Low, and El-Niño Southern Oscillation, mediated by sea ice. Variability of HSSW and LSSW is probably related to variability of the sea ice and meltwater input, and katabatic wind strength, in turn associated with the Polar Cell. The same variability is observed for the water masses beneath the RIS. [2] Basal melting presents a distinct pattern, related to the current at draft level, and variability related to the changing water masses properties. A new method based on mixing of water masses was developed to disentangle the effect of mixing, and highlight the melting variability associated to each water mass. Results show basal melting of ∼78 Gt/yr, in line with the observations, and presenting variability at the seasonal, interannual and decadal scale indicative of changing water masses properties or volume expansion inside the cavity. Then, we run 21 snapshots at intervals of 1000 years, over the Last Deglaciation (∼21-0 kyears BP): each snapshot was 26 years long and branched on a separate 120 years-long spinup. Simulations are forced by the outputs from an existent transient global paleoclimate experiment TraCE-21ka. The purpose of the paleo experiment was: 1) to analyse the evolution of the water masses with varying deglacial climatic conditions, and 2) how circulation resumed on the continental shelf, starting from a condition restricted by a grounded ice sheet at LGM (∼21 ka), and retreating during the deglaciation. Results show that: [1] initially, circulation was limited to three sub-ice shelf cavities in the Western Ross Sea. In Pennel trough warm CDW water reached the cavity, whereas in the Drygaslki and Joides troughs, HSSW filled the bottom level. [2] During the millenium following the Meltwater Pulse 1-A (14.6-14.3 ka), deep ocean warming and sub-surface ocean freshening caused a weakening of the Antarctic Slope Front, fostered CDW flow in Pennel and the Whales Deep cavity, which experienced high rates of basal melting. HSSW production in the Drygaslki and Joides stopped during this event. [3] In the Early Holocene (∼11.8 ka) grounding line retreat uncovered growingly portions of the continental shelf, allowing stronger atmospheric cooling and resumption of HSSW production. At ∼10ka the RIS cavity began to form, and was melted on the Westward side by HSSW, and on the Eastward side by advected mCDW; therefore, the stronger melting role shifted to the HSSW at that time.

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Mendonça, Luís Felipe Ferreira de. "Estimativa das variações sazonais no fluxo da Geleira Grey, Patagônia, por imagens SAR." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/78960.

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Este trabalho estima a velocidade de fluxo da geleira Grey, localizada no Campo de Gelo Patagônico Sul, nos meses de outubro de 2011 e janeiro a abril de 2012. Os valores de velocidade foram obtidos por um algoritmo, baseado no cálculo de correlação cruzada, entre pares de imagens SAR COSMO-SkyMed e, posteriormente interpolados, para a geração de uma superfície contínua, que ilustre os valores de direção e intensidade de fluxo para toda a geleira. Os resultados foram comparados com dados meteorológicos, disponibilizados pelo Serviço Meteorológico Argentino, para interpretar o padrão sazonal na velocidade de deslocamento. Os meses de Outubro e abril registraram valores médios de velocidade de fluxo de 1,2 ± 0,6 md-1 e 1,1 ± 0,7 md-1, respectivamente. Durante o período de verão, os meses de janeiro, fevereiro e março apresentaram valores de velocidade de fluxo de 1,5 ± 0,6 md-1; 1,3 ± 0,7 md-1 e 1,4 ± 0,5 md-1 variando, diretamente, com a temperatura média mensal. Os valores mensais de fluxo da geleira Grey apresentaram uma correlação linear de 0,96 com a temperatura do ar, medida por uma estação meteorológica automática, localizada a cerca de 80 km da geleira. Os resultados indicam que os valores mensais do fluxo da geleira Grey possuem uma relação positiva com a variação sazonal da temperatura.
This study aims to estimate the flow velocities of Grey Glacier, located in Southern Patagonian Ice Field, between October 2011 and May 2012. The velocity vectors of Grey Glacier were obtained by means of an algorithm based on cross-correlation between pairs of COSMO-SkyMed images and subsequently interpolated, for generate a continuous surface that illustrates the values of intensity and direction of glacier flow. The results were compared with meteorological data, provided by the Meteorological Service of Argentina, to interpret the seasonal pattern in velocity. October-April registered values of flow velocity of 1,2 ± 0,6 md-1 and 1,1 ± 0,7 md-1; respectively. During the summer, the months of January, February and March had values of flow velocity of 1,5 ± 0,6 md-1; 1,3 ± 0,7 md-1 and 1,4 ± 0,5 md-1 varying directly with the monthly average temperature. The monthly values flow of Glacier Grey presented a linear correlation of 0.96 with the air temperature measured by an automatic weather station, located about 80 km from the glacier. The results indicate that the monthly values of the Grey glacier flow are positively related to seasonal variation in temperature.

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Wise, Matthew Geoffrey. "Iceberg-keel ploughmarks on the seafloor of Antarctic continental shelves and the North Falkland Basin : implications for palaeo-glaciology." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2018. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/276147.

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The use of iceberg-keel ploughmarks as proxy indicators of past and present iceberg morphology, keel depth and drift direction has seldom been approached in the southern hemisphere. Using high-resolution multi-beam swath bathymetry of the mid-shelf Pine Island Trough and outermost Weddell Sea shelf regions of Antarctica, detailed analysis of >13,000 iceberg-keel ploughmarks was undertaken. By considering the draft of icebergs calved from Antarctica today, calculated from detailed satellite altimetric datasets by this work, almost all observed ploughmarks were interpreted to be relict features. In Pine Island Trough, ploughmark planform parameters and cross-sections imply calving of a large number of non-tabular icebergs with v-shaped keels from the palaeo-Pine Island-Thwaites ice stream. Geological evidence of ploughmark form and modern water depth distribution indicates calving-margin thicknesses (949 m) and subaerial ice cliff elevations (102 m) equivalent to the theoretical threshold predicted to trigger ice-cliff structural collapse and calving by marine ice-cliff instability (MICI) processes. Thus, ploughmarks provide the first observational evidence of rapid retreat of the palaeo-Pine Island-Thwaites ice stream, driven by MICI processes commencing ~12.3 cal ka BP. On the Weddell Sea shelf, ploughmark morphologies imply considerable variation in palaeo-iceberg shape and size, most likely reflecting calving from multiple source margins. In turn, an absence of grounded ice on the Weddell Sea shelf and a palaeo-oceanographic regime comparable to today are implied at the time of formation. Analysis of a 3D seismic cube of the Sea Lion Field area of the North Falkland Basin reveals iceberg-keel ploughmarks incised into the modern- and palaeo-seafloor, formed by icebergs of varying shape and size that most-likely calved from the Antarctic Ice Sheet during three past glacial periods (estimated ages ~18 - 26.5 ka BP, ~246 ka BP, ~9.8 Ma BP). Despite illustrating the possibility of iceberg drift into the North Falkland Basin today, the relict ploughmark age implies little risk to any seafloor structures in the area, which might be required for hydrocarbon production. By these analyses, the significance of iceberg-keel ploughmarks as indicators of palaeo-glaciology and palaeo-oceanography at the time of formation is emphasised.

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33

Jackson, Jerilynn. "Tangled Up in Blue: Narratives of Glacier Change in Southeast Iceland." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/22665.

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This dissertation reports the findings of an ethnographic field study that examined the plurality of glacier-related narratives, knowledges, and practices of people living on the southeastern coast of Iceland. A growing amount of research is directed at glaciers and society from a variety of disciplines within the social sciences, however, a crucial gap in research remains centered around local perceptions, values, beliefs—of how and why people and ice interrelate today and how such experiences compare from one glacier community to the next. Everywhere glaciers are located on this planet, there are people, and the two have been interacting for the entirety of human history, but very little is known about the nature of people-ice relations. To better understand how people and ice interrelate, I completed nine months of field work from September 2015 through May 2016 on the southeastern coast of Iceland. Iceland was chosen as field site because people and ice on the southeastern coast exist in extreme proximity. Local glaciology models predict these glaciers will lose 25-35 percent of present volume over the next fifty years. As such, to better understand the nature of relations in this rapidly changing environment, alongside focus groups, participant observation and preliminary field work, I interviewed 84 Icelandic women and 112 Icelandic men ranging in age from 18 to 96 years old using a semi-structured, in-depth ethnographic interview method. The results of this dissertation demonstrate other ways of looking at glaciers and people, highlighting profound connections, the power glaciers enact upon communities, the perceptions of glaciers as alive and self-aware, the plasticity of glaciers to verify multiple conflicting narratives all at once, and the intertwined positive and negative consequences glacier change engenders for local communities. I argue glaciers have rich social and cultural context and variability that is largely unstudied, that glaciers are contested, controversial, and that what is widely assumed does not match what is happening on the ground. The aim of this work is to contribute to the development of a global geography of glacier change that includes the physical and social dimensions of ice across the cryosphere.
10000-01-01

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Mendes, Junior Claudio Wilson. "Monitoramento da zona superficial de neve úmida da Península Antártica pelo uso de dados dos sensores SMMR e SSM/I." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/32593.

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Dados EASE-grid do Special Sensor Microwave-Imager (SSM/I) e imagens classificadas ASAR wideswath (WS), cobrindo a Península Antártica (PA), foram processadas e usadas em um Modelo Linear de Mistura Espectral (MLME), para a análise subpixel da Zona Superficial de Neve Úmida (ZSNU) em imagens SSM/I. As proporções dos componentes puros (imagens-fração) da área de estudo (ZSNU, Zona Superficial de Neve Seca e rochas) foram derivadas das imagens ASAR classificadas. As imagens-fração e imagens SSM/I co-registradas de mesma data (bandas 19H, 19V, 37H e 37V) foram usadas no MLME para estimar as assinaturas espectrais desconhecidas (i.e., temperatura de brilho em cada banda SSM/I). Essas assinaturas espectrais foram então usadas no MLME para estimar as imagens-fração da ZSNU, as quais foram comparadas com as imagens-fração ASAR correspondentes, por meio do cálculo do coeficiente de correlação. Foram identificadas as duas assinaturas espectrais que resultaram nos dados mais correlacionados, sendo também calculadas as correlações das imagens-fração da ZSNU resultantes do uso no MLME dos valores médio e mediano das assinaturas espectrais mais similares. Os valores medianos dessas assinaturas espectrais produziram as imagens-fração da ZSNU mais correlacionadas, que tiveram uma precisão global de classificação média (PGCM) de 95,6% e 97,3%, nas imagens de primavera e outono, respectivamente (amplitude de classes de 0,1), e uma PGCM de 72,6% nas imagens de verão (amplitude de classes de 0,2). Essas assinaturas espectrais medianas foram então usadas no MLME para estimar, com esses níveis de precisão global, a intensidade e extensão da ZSNU na PA, pelo uso de imagens calibradas SSM/I e SMMR (Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer), possibilitando assim a análise diária e em nível subpixel dessa fácie superficial, de 1978 a 2008. Na análise espacial das imagens-fração da ZSNU estimadas, observou-se que o derretimento superficial médio começava no final de outubro e terminava no final de março, com auge em 7 de janeiro (cerca de 172.237 km2 ou 31,6% da área da PA). A área total mediana da ZSNU no verão foi de aproximadamente 105.100 km2. A análise de regressão com as imagens-fração dos verões entre 1978-1979 a 2007-2008 revelou a tendência de redução da área da ZSNU, totalizando 330,854 km2 nesse período. Todavia, essa tendência não é estatisticamente significante, devido à alta variabilidade interanual da área da ZSNU na PA. Forte derretimento superficial ocorreu nos verões de 1984-1985 (176.507,289 km2) e 1989-1990 (172.681,867 km2), enquanto fraco derretimento, nos verões de 1993-1994 (26.392,208 km2) e 1981-1982 (23.244,341 km2). O mais persistente e intenso derretimento superficial foi observado nas plataformas de gelo Larsen, Wilkins, George VI e Wordie e isto foi relacionado com os eventos de fragmentação e desintegração dessas massas de gelo, ocorridos nas últimas décadas. O derretimento superficial está intimamente relacionado com a estabilidade do sistema glacial antártico e com mudanças no nível médio dos mares. Esse poderia ser monitorado em toda a Antártica, por meio da análise subpixel de imagens SMMR e SSM/I proposta neste estudo.
Special Sensor Microwave-Imager (SSM/I) EASE-grid data and classified ASAR wideswath (WS) images, covering the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), were processed and used in a Spectral Linear Mixing Model (SLMM) for a subpixel analysis of the Wet Snow Zone (WSZ) in SSM/I images. The components’ proportions (fraction images) of the endmembers in the study area, namely WSZ, Dry Snow Zone and rock outcrops, were derived from classified ASAR images. These fraction images and co-registered SSM/I images (bands 19H, 19V, 37H and 37V), acquired on the same date, were used in the SLMM to estimate the unknown spectral signatures (i.e., brightness temperature on each SSM/I band). These spectral signatures were used to estimate WSZ fraction images, which were compared with the ASAR fraction images, by calculating the correlation coefficients. This work identified two spectral signatures that produced the most correlated data, and determined the WSZ fraction images correlations resulting from the use, in the SLMM, of the mean and median values of the most similar spectral signatures. The median values of these spectral signatures produced the most correlated WSZ fraction images, which had an average overall classification accuracy (AOCA) of 95.6% and 97.3% for spring and autumn fraction images, respectively (class range of 0.1), and an AOCA of 72.6% for summer fraction images (class range of 0.2). These median spectral signatures were then used in a SLMM to estimate accurately the WSZ intensity and its extension on the AP, by using calibrated SSM/I and SMMR (Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer) imageries, allowing a daily subpixel analysis of this glacier facie on the AP from 1978 to 2008. Based on the spatial analysis of the WSZ fraction images, it was observed that melt primarily takes place in late October and ends in late March, with peak on January 7th (about 172,237 km2 or 31,6% of the AP area). The WSZ median total area in summer was about 105,100 km2. Regression analysis over the 1978-1979 to 2007-2008 summers, revealed a negative interanual trend in surface melt of 330.854 km2. Nevertheless, this trend inference is not statistically significant, due to the high WSZ interanual variability. Extremely high melt occurred in the 1984-1985 (176,507.289 km2) and 1989-1990 (172,681.867 km2) summers, while extremely weak melt occurred in the 1993-1994 (26,392.208 km2) and 1981-1982 (23,244.341 km2) summers. The most persistent and intensive melt was observed on Larsen, Wilkins, George VI and Wordie ice shelves and it was related to the break-up and disintegration events that occurred on these glaciers in the last decades. Surface melting is closely related to the stability of the Antarctic glacial system and global sea level changes. It could be monitored for the whole Antarctica, by using the WSZ subpixel analysis in SMMR and SSM/I imageries proposed by this study.

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35

Morse, David L. "Glacier geophysics at Taylor Dome, Antarctica /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/6801.

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36

Passalacqua, Olivier. "Localiser une archive glaciaire de 1.5 millions d'années par une approche multi-modèles." Thesis, Université Grenoble Alpes (ComUE), 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017GREAU024/document.

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Les glaces de l'Antarctique constituent un matériau d'archivage unique pour garder la trace de l'atmosphère du passé. La plus ancienne archive glaciaire disponible (800 ka) ne permet malheureusement pas d'étudier une transition climatique majeure qui s'est déroulé entre 1.2 Ma et 0.9 Ma (transition du mi-Pleistocène). Localiser un site ayant permis la conservation d'une glace aussi ancienne est donc un enjeu majeur au sein de la communauté des carottes de glace. Plusieurs régions autour du Dôme C présentent de bonnes caractéristiques d'un point de vue thermique et mécanique. Le but de ces travaux est d'identifier précisément des sites propices à un archivage de long terme, en utilisant différents modèles successifs. D'abord un modèle thermique 1D, qui permet de calculer le flux géothermique local, et d'affirmer que les hauteurs du socle sont exemptes de fusion depuis au moins 800 ka. Ensuite un modèle 3D d'écoulement, qui permet la description des trajectoires des particules de glace depuis la surface jusqu'au socle. Pour minimiser les perturbations stratigraphiques, il conviendra de placer le site de forage proche de la crête, et pour assurer une résolution suffisante le site ne devra pas se trouver à l'aplomb du sommet du relief basal, mais sur son flanc. Enfin, on utilise un modèle de datation 1D contraints par les isochrones, pour connaître la distribution des âges basaux et résolutions compatibles avec les isochrones observées, et estimer les risques de succès ou d'échec du forage. On propose deux sites de forage distants de 37 km de Dôme C, pour lesquels la présence de glace exploitable de 1.5 Ma et d'une résolution suffisante est hautement probable
Antarctic ice is an exceptional archive of ancient atmospheric air. The oldest available ice archive (800 ka) is not old enough to study a main climatic transition that occurred between 1.2 Ma and 0.9 Ma (mid-Pleistocene transition). Locating a future old-ice drill site is now one of the main goal of the ice-core community. In the region of Dome C, several old-ice targets have required characteristics, from a thermal and mechanical point of view, to hosts very old ice. The goal of this work is to precisely locate suitable coring sites, using several glaciological models. First a 1D heat model to compute the local geothermal flux, that make us confident in the fact that bedrock heights have been free of basal melting for at least the last 800 ka. It is very likely that such sites are able to host a 1.5 Ma ice archive. Second, a 3D ice flow model, to describe the ice trajectories from the ice surface to the bed. Drilling less than 10 km from the surface ridge mimimizes the risks of stratigraphic disturbance, and drilling on the flanks of the bed relief - and not on its top - is mandatory to ensure a sufficient age resolution. Third, a 1D dating model constrained by isochrones let us describe the distribution of basal ages and age resolutions compatible with observed isochrones, and assess the risk of success or failure of the drilling. With currently available data and modelling tools, two drilling sites are proposed that are located 37 km from Dome C, at which 1.5 Ma-old ice is very likely to be archived in required conditions and with sufficient resolution

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37

Price, Stephen F. "Development and applications of a full-stress flowband model for ice using the finite volume method /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/6797.

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38

Banwell, Alison Frances. "Modelling the hydrology of the Greenland Ice Sheet." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2013. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/267715.

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There is increasing recognition that the hydrology of the Greenland Ice Sheet plays an important role in the dynamics and therefore mass balance of the ice sheet. Understanding the hydrology of the ice sheet and being able to predict its future behaviour is therefore a key aspect of glaciological research. To date, the ice sheet’s hydrology has tended to be inferred from the analysis of surface velocity measurements, or modelled in a theoretical, idealised way. This study focuses on the development of a high spatial (100 m) and temporal (1 hour) resolution, physically based, time-dependent hydrological model which is applied to the ~2,300 km2 Paakitsoq region, West Greenland, and is driven, calibrated, and evaluated using measured data. The model consists of three components. First, net runoff is calculated across the ice sheet from a distributed, surface energy- balance melt model coupled to a subsurface model, which calculates changes in temperature, density and water content in the snow, firn and upper-ice layers, and hence refreezing. The model is calibrated by adjusting key parameter values to minimize the error between modelled output and surface height and albedo measurements from the three Greenland Climate Network (GC-Net) stations, JAR 1, JAR 2 and Swiss Camp. Model performance is evaluated in two ways by comparing: i) modelled snow and ice distribution with that derived from Landsat-7 ETM+ satellite imagery using Normalised Difference Snow Index (NDSI) classification and supervised image thresholding; and ii) modelled albedo with that retrieved from the Moderate- resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor MOD10A1 product. Second, a surface routing / lake filling model takes the time-series of calculated net runoff over the ice sheet and calculates flow paths and water velocities over the snow / ice covered surface, routing the water into ‘open’ moulins or into topographic depressions which can fill to form supraglacial lakes. This model component is calibrated against field measurements of a filling lake in the study area made during June 2011. Supraglacial lakes are able to drain by a simulated hydrofracture mechanism if they reach a critical volume. Once water is at the ice / bed interface, discharge and hydraulic head within subglacial drainage pathways are modelled using the third model component. This consists of an adaptation of a component (EXTRAN) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), modified to allow for enlargement and closure of ice-walled conduits. The model is used to identify how the subglacial hydrological system evolves in space and time in response to varying surface water inputs due to melt and lake drainage events, driven ultimately by climate data. A key output from the model is the spatially and temporally varying water pressures which are of interest in helping to explain patterns of surface velocity and uplift found by others, and will ultimately be of interest for driving ice dynamics models.

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39

Drinkwater, Mark Roland. "Radar altimetric studies of polar ice." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1987. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/268053.

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Active microwave sensors are known to provide valuable information regarding snow and ice surfaces in the polar regions, where darkness and cloud cover prevail. Here, data collected in the Arctic by a Ku-band microwave radar altimeter, designed and constructed in the UK, are analysed. The two main components of this study comprise data gathered in the East Greenland Sea marginal ice zone and over two Svalbard ice caps. A systematic treatment is made of the electromagnetic properties of snow and ice at 13.81 GHz, and the differences between various polar surface media are highlighted. Theoretical and empirical models are presented which enable calculation of the relevant dielectric and scattering properties of snow and ice layers. Parametric studies are undertaken to give insight into the range of scattering conditions likely to be encountered by a radar altimeter in the regions investigated. Examples of altimetric data and results of their analysis are presented, demonstrating the effects of different ice types and terrain upon incident altimeter pulses. Waveforms are characterised by their shape, and certain forms are linked with particular physical properties of the surface. To this a variety of supporting information is added in order to verify and validate interpretations of these results. Algorithms are proposed which enable geophysical information to be derived from altimetric data.

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40

Massom, Robert Anthony. "The study of Weddell Sea ice using passive microwave and buoy data." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1989. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/268043.

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The growth of the Weddell Sea ice cover in 1980 is examined, using Nimbus-7 satellite Scanning Multi-channel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) data in combination with data (positional, air temperature and atmospheric pressure) from 4 Nimbus-tracked drifting buoys. Ice concentrations are retrieved from the SMMR data by applying a cluster analysis algorithm developed by J. Comiso of NASA. Analyses of computed differential kinematic parameters (DKP)s of the buoy array offer insight into the complex mesoscale behaviour of the underlying Weddell Gyre. High frequency divergence, convergence and deformation events isolated in the DKP results, and driven largely by the regular passage of cyclones, are related to changes in ice concentration observed in the SMMR data. The profound role of the Antarctic Peninsula in influencing both atmospheric and oceanic circulation (and thus ice formation, drift and eventual decay) in the region is evaluated. Possible relationships between buoy drift in the inner pack and ice edge advance are examined, yielding information on the relative importance of ice growth in open water within the pack and that at the ice edge. After an introductory chapter, Chapter 2 describes the physical setting of the Weddell Sea. Comparisons are drawn both with other sectors of the Southern Ocean and the Arctic, emphasizing the uniqueness of the region not only in terms of its climate and oceanography but also its sea ice cover. Chapter 3 traces the evolution of passive microwave remote sensing from space as a tool for monitoring Antarctic sea ice extent and concentration; the relative merits and disadvantages of these techniques are evaluated. Chapter 4 concentrates on the use of SMMR data. Detailed comparisons are made of algorithms available for the extraction of ice concentrations from the raw brightness temperature data. The choice of algorithm used is justified. Chapter 5 is largely concerned with the analysis of the buoy data, and the kinematic behaviour of the array as a unit. These results are combined with the SMMR data in Chapter 6 to identify distinct dynamic zones and meridional advective sectors, and to compare the behaviour of the inner pack with that of the unconstrained ice edge. The evolution of a high concentration core within the unique perennial sea ice zone hugging the east coast of the Peninsula, which persists throughout the period of study is unusual enough to merit a separate sub-section. Conclusions are drawn in chapter 7.

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41

Willis, Ian Craig. "The hydrological context and geomorphological significance of glacier motion : Midtdlsbreen, Norway." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1991. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.239090.

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Hodgkins, Richard. "The seasonal evolution of meltwater discharge, quality and routing at a high-Arctic glacier." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.360892.

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Lawson, Wendy. "The structural evolution of Variegated Glacier, Alaska." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.334183.

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Vere, D. M. "Depositional characteristics of ice-marginal landforms, Jotunheimen, Southern Norway." Thesis, Coventry University, 1986. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.374681.

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McMillan, Malcolm John. "Satellite investigations of ice-ocean interactions in the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/6242.

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This thesis analyses satellite-based radar data to improve our understanding of the interactions between the Antarctic Ice Sheet and the ocean in the Amundsen Sea Sector of West Antarctica. Over the last two decades, the European Remote Sensing (ERS) Satellites have provided extensive observations of the marine and cryospheric environments of this region. Here I use this data record to develop new datasets and methods for studying the nature and drivers of ongoing change in this sector. Firstly, I develop a new bathymetric map of the Amundsen Sea, which serves to provide improved boundary conditions for models of (1) ocean heat transfer to the ice sheet margin, and (2) past ice sheet behaviour and extent. This new map augments sparse ship-based depth soundings with dense gravity data acquired from ERS altimetry and achieves an RMS depth accuracy of 120 meters. An evaluation of this technique indicates that the inclusion of gravity data improves the depth accuracy by up to 17 % and reveals glaciologically-important features in regions devoid of ship surveys. Secondly, I use ERS synthetic aperture radar observations of the tidal motion of ice shelves to assess the accuracy of tide models in the Amundsen Sea. Tide models contribute to simulations of ocean circulation and are used to remove unwanted signals from estimates of ice shelf flow velocities. The quality of tide models directly affects the accuracy of such estimates yet, due to a lack of in situ records, tide model accuracy in this region is poorly constrained. Here I use two methods to determine that tide model accuracy in the Amundsen Sea is of the order of 10 cm. Finally, I develop a method to map 2-d ice shelf flow velocity from stacked conventional and multiple aperture radar interferograms. Estimates of ice shelf flow provide detail of catchment stability, and the processes driving glaciological change in the Amundsen Sea. However, velocity estimates can be contaminated by ocean tide and atmospheric pressure signals. I minimise these signals by stacking interferograms, a process which synthesises a longer observation period, and enhances long-period (flow) displacement signals, relative to rapidly-varying (tide and atmospheric pressure) ones. This avoids the reliance upon model predictions of tide and atmospheric pressure, which can be uncertain in remote regions. Ice loss from Amundsen Sea glaciers forms the largest component of Antarctica’s total contribution to sea level, yet because present models cannot adequately characterise the processes driving this system, future glacier evolution is uncertain. Observations and models implicate the ocean as the driver of glaciological change in this region and have focussed attention on improving our understanding of the nature of ice-ocean interactions in the Amundsen Sea. This thesis contributes datasets and methods that will aid historical reconstructions, current monitoring and future modelling of these processes.

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Sammonds, Peter Robert. "Triaxial deformation experiments on natural sea ice as a function of temperature and strain rate." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.241922.

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Barnes, Piers Robert Fitzgerald. "The location of impurities in polar ice." Thesis, Open University, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.251398.

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Tweed, Fiona S. "Predicting glacial lake formation and catastrophic drainage at Solheimajokull, Southern Iceland." Thesis, Keele University, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.314735.

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Hindmarsh, R. C. A. "Modelling glacial erosional landform development." Thesis, Durham University, 1985. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/7235/.

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Glacial erosional systems exhibit a complex, highly scaledependent phenomenology. Some aspects of modelling the development of glacial erosional landforms in response to glacial erosional processes acting over a wide range of scales are considered. The physics of ice at the glacier sole is discussed. A simple ice-water mixture theory is proposed. A method for finding the solution of the equations of motion of ice at the glacier sole based on the finite element velocities-pressure formulation is shown, which includes novel formulations for the sliding boundary condition, compression of ice and flow of water between ice and bedrock. These finite element formulations are used to simulate flows at the ice-rock interface. The use of the Laplace equation in simulating uni-axial flow is also considered, and further simulations are carried out using this equation. The results from these finite element simulations are used to consider erosional processes occurring at the glacier bed. The processes of abrasion are considered, and previous models are shown to be physically inconsistent. Cavitation, transiency and heterogeneity are shown to have an effect on clast-bed contact forces, and the local viscosity of ice is identified as being a further controlling variable on abrasion. These results are used to consider the likely development of hummocks of bedrock. A mass-balance analysis of basal debris is carried out and shown to have an important effect on erosional patterns. The equations describing the movement of a surface normal to itself are considered. Various solution techniques for these equations are tested, and requirements for the persistence of form under lowering are given. The modelling strategy used in this thesis is a nested hierarchy, with the various hierarchical levels corresponding to different scales. The effect of this hierarchisation on the modelling is discussed with respect to the generic properties of the systems, explanation and testability.

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Hamilton, Samantha J. "Age determination of rock glaciers using lichenometry." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.318766.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Glaciology'

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