scholarly journals Borehole water-level variations and the structure of the subglacial hydrological system of Haut Glacier d’Arolla, Valais, Switzerland

1995 ◽  
Vol 41 (139) ◽  
pp. 572-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. P. Hubbard ◽  
M. J. Sharp ◽  
I. C. Willis ◽  
M. K. Nielsen ◽  
C. C. Smart
Keyword(s):  
Distributed System ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Variable Pressure ◽  
Sediment Layer ◽  
Drainage Channels ◽  
Hydrological System ◽  
Borehole Water ◽  
Water Level Variations

AbstractLate-summer subglacial water pressures have been measured in a dense array of boreholes in the ablation area of Haut Glacier d’Arolla, Switzerland. Interpolated surfaces of minimum diurnal water pressure and diurnal water-pressure variation suggest the presence of a subglacial channel within a more widespread, distributed drainage system. The channel flows along the centre of a variable pressure axis (VPA), some tens of metres wide, that is characterized by low minimum diurnal water pressures (frequently atmospheric) and high diurnal water-pressure variations. These characteristics are transitional over a lateral distance of c. 70 m to higher and more stable subglacial water pressures in the adjacent distributed system. Water-pressure variations recorded in boreholes located close to the centre of the VPA reflect the delivery of surface-derived meltwater to the glacier bed and result in a diurnally reversing, transverse hydraulic gradient that drives water out from the channel into the distributed system during the afternoon and back to the channel overnight. Subglacial observations suggest that such flow occurs through a vertically confined sediment layer. Borehole turbidity records indicate that the resulting diurnal water flows are responsible for the mobilization and transport of fine debris in suspension. Analysis of the propagation velocity and amplitude attenuation cf the diurnal pressure waves suggests that the hydraulic conductivity of the sediment layer decreases exponentially with distance from the channel, falling from c. 10−4 m s−1 at the channel boundary to c. 10−7 m s−1 70 m away. These apparent hydraulic conductivities are consistent with Darcian flow through clean sand and typical glacial till, respectively.We suggest that fine material is systematically flushed from basal sediments located adjacent to large, melt-season drainage channels beneath warm-based glaciers. This process may have important implications for patterns of glacier erosion, hydro-chemistry and dynamics.

scholarly journals Borehole water-level variations and the structure of the subglacial hydrological system of Haut Glacier d’Arolla, Valais, Switzerland

1995 ◽  
Vol 41 (139) ◽  
pp. 572-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. P. Hubbard ◽  
M. J. Sharp ◽  
I. C. Willis ◽  
M. K. Nielsen ◽  
C. C. Smart
Keyword(s):  
Distributed System ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Variable Pressure ◽  
Sediment Layer ◽  
Drainage Channels ◽  
Hydrological System ◽  
Borehole Water ◽  
Water Level Variations

AbstractLate-summer subglacial water pressures have been measured in a dense array of boreholes in the ablation area of Haut Glacier d’Arolla, Switzerland. Interpolated surfaces of minimum diurnal water pressure and diurnal water-pressure variation suggest the presence of a subglacial channel within a more widespread, distributed drainage system. The channel flows along the centre of avariable pressure axis(VPA), some tens of metres wide, that is characterized by low minimum diurnal water pressures (frequently atmospheric) and high diurnal water-pressure variations. These characteristics are transitional over a lateral distance of c. 70 m to higher and more stable subglacial water pressures in the adjacent distributed system. Water-pressure variations recorded in boreholes located close to the centre of the VPA reflect the delivery of surface-derived meltwater to the glacier bed and result in a diurnally reversing, transverse hydraulic gradient that drives water out from the channel into the distributed system during the afternoon and back to the channel overnight. Subglacial observations suggest that such flow occurs through a vertically confined sediment layer. Borehole turbidity records indicate that the resulting diurnal water flows are responsible for the mobilization and transport of fine debris in suspension. Analysis of the propagation velocity and amplitude attenuation cf the diurnal pressure waves suggests that the hydraulic conductivity of the sediment layer decreases exponentially with distance from the channel, falling from c. 10−4m s−1at the channel boundary to c. 10−7m s−170 m away. These apparent hydraulic conductivities are consistent with Darcian flow through clean sand and typical glacial till, respectively.We suggest that fine material is systematically flushed from basal sediments located adjacent to large, melt-season drainage channels beneath warm-based glaciers. This process may have important implications for patterns of glacier erosion, hydro-chemistry and dynamics.

scholarly journals A test of common assumptions used to infer subglacial water flow through overdeepenings

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (222) ◽  
pp. 725-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine F. Dow ◽  
Jeffrey L. Kavanaugh ◽  
Johnny W. Sanders ◽  
Kurt M. Cuffey
Keyword(s):  
Melting Point ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Variable Pressure ◽  
Local Pressure ◽  
Overburden Pressure ◽  
Temperature Regimes ◽  
Hydrological System ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Pressure Melting

AbstractBorehole instrument records from a cirque glacier with an overdeepened bed are examined to assess the validity of widely held glacial hydrological assumptions. At this glacier, hydraulic-potential calculations suggest water below overburden pressure will flow into the overdeepening, where the steepness of the riegel causes water to pool in the basin and increase in pressure. Our subglacial water pressure data also show high consistent pressures in the overdeepening and the presence of an active, variable-pressure drainage system towards the margin of the cirque. Therefore, we find that although uniform hydraulic-potential calculations are not directly applicable, they can still be useful for interpretation of the subglacial hydrological system. We also examine supercooling assumptions under different pressure and temperature regimes for water flowing over a riegel, driven using our borehole records of subglacial water temperatures that are consistently above the pressure-melting point during the late melt season. Our results show that even a slight increase in basal temperatures relative to the local pressure-melting point is sufficient to prevent a reduction in basal hydraulic conductivity as a result of supercooling freeze-on.

Interaction between water pressure in the basal drainage system and discharge from an Alpine glacier before and during a rainfall-induced subglacial hydrological event

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 288-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew P. Barrett ◽  
David N. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Drainage Network ◽  
Alpine Glacier ◽  
Hydraulic Conditions ◽  
Borehole Water ◽  
Progressive Growth ◽  
Resultant Increase

Combined measurements of meltwater discharge from the portal and of water level in a borehole drilled to the bed of Findelengletscher, Switzerland, were obtained during the later part of the 1993 ablation season. A severe storm, lasting from 22 through 24 September, produced at least 130 mm of precipitation over the glacier, largely as rain. The combined hydrological records indicate periods during which the basal drainage system became constricted and water storage in the glacier increased, as well as phases of channel growth. During the storm, water pressure generally increased as water backed up in the drainage network. Abrupt, temporary falls in borehole water level were accompanied by pulses in portal discharge. On 24 September, whilst borehole water level continued to rise, water started to escape under pressure with a resultant increase in discharge. As the drainage network expanded, a large amount of debris was flushed from a wide area of the bed. Progressive growth in channel capacity as discharge increased enabled stored water to drain and borehole water level to fall rapidly. Possible relationships between observed borehole water levels and water pressures in subglacial channels are influenced by hydraulic conditions at the base of the hole, distance between the hole and a channel, and the nature of the substrate.

scholarly journals Mechanical forcing of water pressure in a hydraulically isolated reach beneath Western Greenland's ablation zone

2016 ◽  
Vol 57 (72) ◽  
pp. 62-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby W. Meierbachtol ◽  
Joel T. Harper ◽  
Neil F. Humphrey ◽  
Patrick J. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Load Transfer ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Diurnal Changes ◽  
Basal Cavity ◽  
In Situ Investigation ◽  
Borehole Water ◽  
Borehole Drilling ◽  
Thermal Signature

ABSTRACTA suite of surface and basal measurements during and after borehole drilling is used to perform in situ investigation of the local basal drainage system and pressure forcing in western Greenland. Drill and borehole water temperature were monitored during borehole drilling, which was performed with dyed hot water. After drilling, borehole water pressure and basal dye concentration were measured concurrently with positions in a GPS strain diamond at the surface. Water pressure exhibited diurnal changes in antiphase with velocity. Dye monitoring in the borehole revealed stagnant basal water for nearly 2 weeks. The interpretation of initial connection to an isolated basal cavity is corroborated by the thermal signature of borehole water during hot water drilling. Measurement-based estimates of cavity size are on the order of cubic meters, and analysis indicates that small changes in its volume could induce the observed pressure variations. It is found that longitudinal coupling effects are unable to force necessary volume changes at the site. Sliding-driven basal cavity opening and elastic uplift from load transfer are plausible mechanisms controlling pressure variations. Elastic uplift requires forcing from a hydraulically connected reach, which observations suggest must be relatively small and in close proximity to the isolated cavity.

scholarly journals Modelling the evolution of subglacial tunnels due to varying water input

1998 ◽  
Vol 44 (148) ◽  
pp. 485-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul M. Cutler
Keyword(s):  
Water Pressure ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Initial Shape ◽  
Initial Area ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Dimensional Finite Element ◽  
Borehole Water ◽  
Low Tunnels ◽  
Tunnel Cross Section

AbstractThe time evolution of a subglacial tunnel cross-section is examined usine a two-dimensional finite-element ice-flow model coupled to an idealized drainage system. Simulations are driven by physically based calculations of surface water-input variations at Slorgiaciaren, Sweden. Highlights of the model are its ability to handle unsteady conditions and irregular tunnel shapes. Agreement between modelled water pressure and borehole water levels is good. The following conclusions are reached: (i) Tunnels adapt to fluctuating inflow on time-scales of days. Storms, during which effective pressure ranges from 0 to 0.9 MPa, cause significant adjustments but daily fluctuations due solely to melt-water inflow are minor, (ii) Open-channel flow may become commonplace late in the ablation season, (iii) Initial tunnel shape influences subsequent tunnel evolution and seasonal water-pressure variation. Over the course of a summer, tunnels retain some of their initial shape, though in all experiments the width-to-height ratio increased with time, (iv) Tunnel contraction forms broad low tunnels. However, (v) given two tunnels of equal initial area, the higher narrower one expands more rapidly. Thus, more semi-circular tunnels may capture How from broader neighbours early in the summer.

Interaction between water pressure in the basal drainage system and discharge from an Alpine glacier before and during a rainfall-induced subglacial hydrological event

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 288-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew P. Barrett ◽  
David N. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Drainage Network ◽  
Alpine Glacier ◽  
Hydraulic Conditions ◽  
Borehole Water ◽  
Progressive Growth ◽  
Resultant Increase

Combined measurements of meltwater discharge from the portal and of water level in a borehole drilled to the bed of Findelengletscher, Switzerland, were obtained during the later part of the 1993 ablation season. A severe storm, lasting from 22 through 24 September, produced at least 130 mm of precipitation over the glacier, largely as rain. The combined hydrological records indicate periods during which the basal drainage system became constricted and water storage in the glacier increased, as well as phases of channel growth. During the storm, water pressure generally increased as water backed up in the drainage network. Abrupt, temporary falls in borehole water level were accompanied by pulses in portal discharge. On 24 September, whilst borehole water level continued to rise, water started to escape under pressure with a resultant increase in discharge. As the drainage network expanded, a large amount of debris was flushed from a wide area of the bed. Progressive growth in channel capacity as discharge increased enabled stored water to drain and borehole water level to fall rapidly. Possible relationships between observed borehole water levels and water pressures in subglacial channels are influenced by hydraulic conditions at the base of the hole, distance between the hole and a channel, and the nature of the substrate.

Subglacial water pressure records from a fast-flowing outlet glacier in Greenland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Doyle ◽  
Bryn Hubbard ◽  
Poul Christoffersen ◽  
Marion Bougamont ◽  
Robert Law ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Pressure ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Distinct Component ◽  
Outlet Glacier ◽  
Diurnal Cycles ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Hydrological System ◽  
Discharge Pressure ◽  
Glacier Motion

<p>Glacier motion is resisted by basal traction that can be reduced significantly by pressurised water at the ice-bed interface. Few records of subglacial water pressure have been collected from fast-flowing, marine-terminating glaciers despite such glaciers accounting for approximately half of total ice discharge from the Greenland Ice Sheet.  The paucity of such measurements is due to the practical challenges in drilling and instrumenting boreholes to the bed, in areas that are often heavily-crevassed, through rapidly-deforming ice that ruptures sensor cables within weeks. Here, we present pressure records and drilling observations from two sites located 30 km from the calving front of Store Glacier in West Greenland, where ice flow averages ~600 m yr<sup>-1</sup>.  In 2018, boreholes were drilled 950 m to the bed near the margin of a large, rapidly-draining supraglacial lake. In 2019, multiple boreholes were drilled ~1030 m to the bed in the centre of the drained supraglacial lake, and in close proximity to a large, active moulin. All boreholes drained rapidly when they intersected or approached the ice-bed interface, which is commonly interpreted as indicating connection to an active subglacial drainage system. Neighbouring boreholes responded to the breakthrough of subsequent boreholes demonstrating hydrological or mechanical inter-connection over a distance of ~70 m. Differences in the time series of water pressure indicate that each borehole intersected a distinct component of the subglacial hydrological system. Boreholes located within 250 m of the moulin reveal clear diurnal cycles either in phase or anti-phase with moulin discharge. Pressure records from boreholes located on the lake margin, however, show smaller amplitude, and less distinct, diurnal cycles superimposed on longer-period (e.g. multiday) variability. We compare these datasets to those in the literature and investigate consistencies and inconsistencies with glacio-hydrological theory.</p>

Large-scale integrated subglacial drainage around the former Keewatin Ice Divide, Canada reveals interaction between distributed and channelised systems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Lewington ◽  
Stephen Livingstone ◽  
Chris Clark ◽  
Andrew Sole ◽  
Robert Storrar
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
Variable Pressure ◽  
Ice Sheet Dynamics ◽  
Subglacial Meltwater ◽  
Subglacial Drainage

<p>Despite being widely studied, subglacial meltwater landforms are typically mapped and investigated individually, thus the drainage system as a whole remains poorly understood. Here, we identify and map all visible traces of subglacial meltwater flow across the Keewatin sector of the former Laurentide Ice Sheet from the ArcticDEM, generating significant new insights into the connectedness of the drainage system.</p><p>Due to similarities in spacing, morphometry and spatial location, we suggest that the 100s-1000s m wide features often flanking and connecting sections of eskers (i.e. tunnel valleys, meltwater tracks and esker splays) are varying expressions of the same phenomena and collectively term these features ‘meltwater corridors’. Based on observations from contemporary ice masses, we propose a new formation model based on the pressure fluctuations surrounding a central conduit, in which the esker records the imprint of the central conduit and the wider meltwater corridors the interactions with the surrounding distributed drainage system, or variable pressure axis (VPA).</p><p>We suggest that the widespread aerial coverage of meltwater corridors across the Keewatin sector provides constraints on the extent of basal uncoupling induced by basal water pressure fluctuation and variations in spatial distribution and evolution of the subglacial drainage system, which have important implications for ice sheet dynamics. </p>

scholarly journals Determining the evolution of an alpine glacier drainage system by solving inverse problems

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Inigo Irarrazaval ◽  
Mauro A. Werder ◽  
Matthias Huss ◽  
Frederic Herman ◽  
Gregoire Mariethoz
Keyword(s):  
Field Data ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Stochastic Approach ◽  
Channel Networks ◽  
Alpine Glacier ◽  
Transit Times ◽  
Borehole Water ◽  
State Water

Abstract Our understanding of the subglacial drainage system has improved markedly over the last decades due to field observations and numerical modelling. However, integrating data into increasingly complex numerical models remain challenging. Here we infer two-dimensional subglacial channel networks and hydraulic parameters for Gorner Glacier, Switzerland, based on available field data at five specific times (snapshots) across the melt season of 2005. The field dataset is one of the most complete available, including borehole water pressure, tracer experiments and meteorological variables. Yet, these observations are still too sparse to fully characterize the drainage system and thus, a unique solution is neither expected nor desirable. We use a geostatistical generator and a steady-state water flow model to produce a set of subglacial channel networks that are consistent with measured water pressure and tracer-transit times. Field data are used to infer hydraulic and morphological parameters of the channels under the assumption that the location of channels persists during the melt season. Results indicate that it is possible to identify locations where subglacial channels are more likely. In addition, we show that different network structures can equally satisfy the field data, which support the use of a stochastic approach to infer unobserved subglacial features.

scholarly journals Water storage and subglacial drainage conditions inferred from borehole measurements on Gornergletscher, Valais, Switzerland

1996 ◽  
Vol 42 (141) ◽  
pp. 233-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almut Iken ◽  
Kristian Fabri ◽  
Martin Funk
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Sediment Layer ◽  
Northern Margin ◽  
Upstream Side ◽  
Different Depths ◽  
Subglacial Drainage

AbstractMeasurements of change in length of a borehole, or displacements of poles and of subglacial Water pressure were combined with drainage tests and electrode tests in boreholes, in experiments near the northern margin of Gornergletscher, Valais, Switzerland, at the upstream side of an overdeepening. The measurements suggest that the subglacial drainage system consisted of discrete conduits at that location, presumably linked cavities on “clean” bedrock. Changes in subglacial water pressure were followed by variations in subglacial water storage, together with similar variations in elevation of a pole. The variations in subglacial water storage caused changes in cross-sections of subglacial passageways and thereby changed the frequencies of slug-test oscillations. Similar experiments conducted near the center line of the glacier revealed different subglacial conditions: impeded drainage through a sediment layer, and different depths of water levels in different boreholes. These results are discussed in relation to previous studies.

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