scholarly journals Author Correction: Large subglacial source of mercury from the southwestern margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon R. Hawkings ◽  
Benjamin S. Linhoff ◽  
Jemma L. Wadham ◽  
Marek Stibal ◽  
Carl H. Lamborg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Southwestern Margin

scholarly journals Large subglacial source of mercury from the southwestern margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon R. Hawkings ◽  
Benjamin S. Linhoff ◽  
Jemma L. Wadham ◽  
Marek Stibal ◽  
Carl H. Lamborg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Waters ◽  
Inorganic Mercury ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Arctic Ecosystems ◽  
High Mercury ◽  
Southwestern Margin ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Dissolved Mercury

AbstractThe Greenland Ice Sheet is currently not accounted for in Arctic mercury budgets, despite large and increasing annual runoff to the ocean and the socio-economic concerns of high mercury levels in Arctic organisms. Here we present concentrations of mercury in meltwaters from three glacial catchments on the southwestern margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet and evaluate the export of mercury to downstream fjords based on samples collected during summer ablation seasons. We show that concentrations of dissolved mercury are among the highest recorded in natural waters and mercury yields from these glacial catchments (521–3,300 mmol km−2 year−1) are two orders of magnitude higher than from Arctic rivers (4–20 mmol km−2 year−1). Fluxes of dissolved mercury from the southwestern region of Greenland are estimated to be globally significant (15.4–212 kmol year−1), accounting for about 10% of the estimated global riverine flux, and include export of bioaccumulating methylmercury (0.31–1.97 kmol year−1). High dissolved mercury concentrations (~20 pM inorganic mercury and ~2 pM methylmercury) were found to persist across salinity gradients of fjords. Mean particulate mercury concentrations were among the highest recorded in the literature (~51,000 pM), and dissolved mercury concentrations in runoff exceed reported surface snow and ice values. These results suggest a geological source of mercury at the ice sheet bed. The high concentrations of mercury and its large export to the downstream fjords have important implications for Arctic ecosystems, highlighting an urgent need to better understand mercury dynamics in ice sheet runoff under global warming.

scholarly journals Brief Communication: Sudden drainage of a subglacial lake beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. M. Howat ◽  
C. Porter ◽  
M. J. Noh ◽  
B. E. Smith ◽  
S. Jeong
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Meltwater Runoff ◽  
Hydrologic System ◽  
Sudden Release ◽  
Southwestern Margin ◽  
Term Storage

Abstract. We report on the appearance of a 2 km wide, 70 m deep circular depression located 50 km inland of the southwestern margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet that provides the first direct evidence for concentrated, long-term storage, and sudden release, of meltwater at the bed. Drainage of the lake may have been triggered by the recent increase in meltwater runoff. The abundance of such lakes and their potential importance to the ice sheet's hydrologic system and flow regime remain unknown.

scholarly journals Brief Communication: Sudden drainage of a subglacial lake beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 5361-5374
Author(s):  
I. M. Howat ◽  
C. Porter ◽  
M. J. Noh ◽  
B. E. Smith ◽  
S. Jeong
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Meltwater Runoff ◽  
Hydrologic System ◽  
Sudden Release ◽  
Southwestern Margin ◽  
Term Storage

Abstract. We report on the appearance of a 2 km wide, 70 m deep circular depression located 50 km inland of the southwestern margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet that provides the first direct evidence for concentrated, long-term storage, and sudden release, of meltwater at the bed. Drainage of the lake may have been triggered by the recent increase in meltwater runoff. The abundance of such lakes and their potential importance to the ice sheet's hydrologic system and flow regime remain unknown.

scholarly journals No evidence for large subglacial source of mercury from the southwestern margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Jørgensen ◽  
Jens Søndergaard ◽  
Martin Larsen ◽  
Kristian Kjeldsen ◽  
Diogo Rosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Field Work ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Mercury Chloride ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Direct Measurements ◽  
Southwestern Margin ◽  
Dissolved Mercury ◽  
Control Study

In the current Matters Arising we present results from verifying control measurements of dissolved mercury (Hg) in glacial meltwater from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS), which significantly challenges the conclusions of the recent publication by Hawkings et al. (2021). By direct measurements of meltwater in the same glacial catchment area, we demonstrate that the input Hg concentration for the regional upscaling in Hawkings et al (2021) is likely vastly over-estimated with major implications for the validity of the asserted extreme yield of Hg from the GrIS. In addition, we present a plausible explanation for the high Hg concentration values in the study, namely hitherto unidentified cross-contamination of water samples by mercury chloride (HgCl2), which was present and used for other purposes during field work. Together, the result of our control study potentially invalidates the suggested implications of geologically sourced Hg under the southwestern margin of the GrIS on the Arctic ecosystem in both current and future climate conditions.

The Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden glacier project, North-East Greenland: a study of ice sheet response to climatic change

1997 ◽  
pp. 95-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Højmark Thomsen ◽  
Niels Reeh ◽  
Ole B. Olesen ◽  
Carl Egede Bøggilde ◽  
Wolfgang Starzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Change ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
East Greenland ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
North East ◽  
Integrated Research ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
Advance Research ◽  
Inland Ice

NOTE: This article was published in a former series of GEUS Bulletin. Please use the original series name when citing this article, for example: Højmark Thomsen, H., Reeh, N., Olesen, O. B., Egede Bøggilde, C., Starzer, W., Weidick, A., & Higgins, A. K. (1997). The Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden glacier project, North-East Greenland: a study of ice sheet response to climatic change. Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin, 176, 95-103. https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v176.5073 _______________ Glaciological research was initiated in 1996 on the floating glacier tongue filling Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden in NorthEast Greenland (Fig. 1), with the aim of acquiring a better understanding of the response of the Greenland ice sheet (Inland Ice) to changing climate, and the implications for future sea level. The research is part of a three year project (1996–98) to advance research into the basic processes that contribute to changes in the ocean volume with a changing climate. Five nations are participants in the project, which is supported by the European Community (EC) Environment and Climate Programme. The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and the Danish Polar Center are the Danish partners in the project, both with integrated research themes concentrated on and around Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden.

Could climate engineering save the Greenland Ice Sheet?

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Applegate ◽  
K. Keller
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Computer Model ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Upper Atmosphere ◽  
Climate Engineering ◽  
Air Temperatures

Engineering the climate through albedo modification (AM) could slow, but probably would not stop, melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Albedo modification is a technology that could reduce surface air temperatures through putting reflective particles into the upper atmosphere. AM has never been tested, but it might reduce surface air temperatures faster and more cheaply than reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Some scientists claim that AM would also prevent or reverse sea-level rise. But, are these claims true? The Greenland Ice Sheet will melt faster at higher temperatures, adding to sea-level rise. However, it's not clear that reducing temperatures through AM will stop or reverse sea-level rise due to Greenland Ice Sheet melting. We used a computer model of the Greenland Ice Sheet to examine its contributions to future sea level rise, with and without AM. Our results show that AM would probably reduce the rate of sea-level rise from the Greenland Ice Sheet. However, sea-level rise would likely continue even with AM, and the ice sheet would not regrow quickly. Albedo modification might buy time to prepare for sea-level rise, but problems could arise if policymakers assume that AM will stop sea-level rise completely.

scholarly journals Response of the Energy Balance on the Margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet to Temperature Changes

1990 ◽  
Vol 36 (123) ◽  
pp. 217-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger J. Braithwaite ◽  
Ole B. Olesen
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Temperature Response ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Energy Balance Model ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Sensible Heat

AbstractDaily ice ablation on two outlet glaciers from the Greenland ice sheet, Nordbogletscher (1979–83) and Qamanârssûp sermia (1980–86), is related to air temperature by a linear regression equation. Analysis of this ablation-temperature equation with the help of a simple energy-balance model shows that sensible-heat flux has the greatest temperature response and accounts for about one-half of the temperature response of ablation. Net radiation accounts for about one-quarter of the temperature response of ablation, and latent-heat flux and errors account for the remainder. The temperature response of sensible-heat flux at QQamanârssûp sermia is greater than at Nordbogletscher mainly due to higher average wind speeds. The association of high winds with high temperatures during Föhn events further increases sensible-heat flux. The energy-balance model shows that ablation from a snow surface is only about half that from an ice surface at the same air temperature.

scholarly journals Melt season duration and ice layer formation on the Greenland ice sheet, 2000–2004

2007 ◽  
Vol 112 (F4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Libo Wang ◽  
Martin Sharp ◽  
Benoit Rivard ◽  
Konrad Steffen
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Layer Formation
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