Subglacial topography, ice thickness, and bathymetry of Kongsfjorden, northwestern Svalbard

Subglacial topography, ice thickness, and bathymetry of Kongsfjorden, northwestern Svalbard

<p>Svalbard tidewater glaciers are retreating, which will affect fjord circulation and ecosystems when glacier fronts become land-terminating. Knowledge of the subglacial topography and bathymetry under retreating glaciers is important to modelling future scenarios of fjord circulation and...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: K. Lindbäck, J. Kohler, R. Pettersson, C. Nuth, K. Langley, A. Messerli, D. Vallot, K. Matsuoka, O. Brandt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2018-10-01
Series:Earth System Science Data
Online Access:https://www.earth-syst-sci-data.net/10/1769/2018/essd-10-1769-2018.pdf
id doaj-9db04b01e18243fba6866f8c291ba936
record_format Article
spelling doaj-9db04b01e18243fba6866f8c291ba9362020-11-24T23:43:19ZengCopernicus PublicationsEarth System Science Data1866-35081866-35162018-10-01101769178110.5194/essd-10-1769-2018Subglacial topography, ice thickness, and bathymetry of Kongsfjorden, northwestern SvalbardK. Lindbäck0J. Kohler1R. Pettersson2C. Nuth3K. Langley4A. Messerli5D. Vallot6K. Matsuoka7O. Brandt8Norwegian Polar Insitute, Framsentret, Postboks 6606, Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, NorwayNorwegian Polar Insitute, Framsentret, Postboks 6606, Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 752 36 Uppsala, SwedenUniversity of Oslo, Postboks 1047 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, NorwayAsiaq Greenland Survey, Postboks 1003, 3900 Nuuk, GreenlandNorwegian Polar Insitute, Framsentret, Postboks 6606, Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 752 36 Uppsala, SwedenNorwegian Polar Insitute, Framsentret, Postboks 6606, Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, NorwayNorwegian Coastal Administration, Kystveien 30, 4841 Arendal, Norway<p>Svalbard tidewater glaciers are retreating, which will affect fjord circulation and ecosystems when glacier fronts become land-terminating. Knowledge of the subglacial topography and bathymetry under retreating glaciers is important to modelling future scenarios of fjord circulation and glacier dynamics. We present high-resolution (150&thinsp;m gridded) digital elevation models of subglacial topography, ice thickness, and ice surface elevation of five tidewater glaciers in Kongsfjorden (1100&thinsp;km<sup>2</sup>), northwestern Spitsbergen, based on  ∼ 1700&thinsp;km airborne and ground-based ice-penetrating radar profiles. The digital elevation models (DEMs) cover the tidewater glaciers Blomstrandbreen, Conwaybreen, Kongsbreen, Kronebreen, and Kongsvegen and are merged with bathymetric and land DEMs for the non-glaciated areas. The large-scale subglacial topography of the study area is characterized by a series of troughs and highs. The minimum subglacial elevation is −180&thinsp;m above sea level (a.s.l.), the maximum subglacial elevation is 1400&thinsp;m&thinsp;a.s.l., and the maximum ice thickness is 740&thinsp;m. Three of the glaciers, Kongsbreen, Kronebreen, and Kongsvegen, have the potential to retreat by  ∼ 10&thinsp;km before they become land-terminating. The compiled data set covers one of the most studied regions in Svalbard and is valuable for future studies of glacier dynamics, geology, hydrology, and fjord circulation. The data set is freely available at the Norwegian Polar Data Centre (<a href="https://doi.org/10.21334/npolar.2017.702ca4a7" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.21334/npolar.2017.702ca4a7</a>).</p>https://www.earth-syst-sci-data.net/10/1769/2018/essd-10-1769-2018.pdf
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author K. Lindbäck
J. Kohler
R. Pettersson
C. Nuth
K. Langley
A. Messerli
D. Vallot
K. Matsuoka
O. Brandt
spellingShingle K. Lindbäck
J. Kohler
R. Pettersson
C. Nuth
K. Langley
A. Messerli
D. Vallot
K. Matsuoka
O. Brandt
Subglacial topography, ice thickness, and bathymetry of Kongsfjorden, northwestern Svalbard
Earth System Science Data
author_facet K. Lindbäck
J. Kohler
R. Pettersson
C. Nuth
K. Langley
A. Messerli
D. Vallot
K. Matsuoka
O. Brandt
author_sort K. Lindbäck
title Subglacial topography, ice thickness, and bathymetry of Kongsfjorden, northwestern Svalbard
title_short Subglacial topography, ice thickness, and bathymetry of Kongsfjorden, northwestern Svalbard
title_full Subglacial topography, ice thickness, and bathymetry of Kongsfjorden, northwestern Svalbard
title_fullStr Subglacial topography, ice thickness, and bathymetry of Kongsfjorden, northwestern Svalbard
title_full_unstemmed Subglacial topography, ice thickness, and bathymetry of Kongsfjorden, northwestern Svalbard
title_sort subglacial topography, ice thickness, and bathymetry of kongsfjorden, northwestern svalbard
publisher Copernicus Publications
series Earth System Science Data
issn 1866-3508
1866-3516
publishDate 2018-10-01
description <p>Svalbard tidewater glaciers are retreating, which will affect fjord circulation and ecosystems when glacier fronts become land-terminating. Knowledge of the subglacial topography and bathymetry under retreating glaciers is important to modelling future scenarios of fjord circulation and glacier dynamics. We present high-resolution (150&thinsp;m gridded) digital elevation models of subglacial topography, ice thickness, and ice surface elevation of five tidewater glaciers in Kongsfjorden (1100&thinsp;km<sup>2</sup>), northwestern Spitsbergen, based on  ∼ 1700&thinsp;km airborne and ground-based ice-penetrating radar profiles. The digital elevation models (DEMs) cover the tidewater glaciers Blomstrandbreen, Conwaybreen, Kongsbreen, Kronebreen, and Kongsvegen and are merged with bathymetric and land DEMs for the non-glaciated areas. The large-scale subglacial topography of the study area is characterized by a series of troughs and highs. The minimum subglacial elevation is −180&thinsp;m above sea level (a.s.l.), the maximum subglacial elevation is 1400&thinsp;m&thinsp;a.s.l., and the maximum ice thickness is 740&thinsp;m. Three of the glaciers, Kongsbreen, Kronebreen, and Kongsvegen, have the potential to retreat by  ∼ 10&thinsp;km before they become land-terminating. The compiled data set covers one of the most studied regions in Svalbard and is valuable for future studies of glacier dynamics, geology, hydrology, and fjord circulation. The data set is freely available at the Norwegian Polar Data Centre (<a href="https://doi.org/10.21334/npolar.2017.702ca4a7" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.21334/npolar.2017.702ca4a7</a>).</p>
url https://www.earth-syst-sci-data.net/10/1769/2018/essd-10-1769-2018.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT klindback subglacialtopographyicethicknessandbathymetryofkongsfjordennorthwesternsvalbard
AT jkohler subglacialtopographyicethicknessandbathymetryofkongsfjordennorthwesternsvalbard
AT rpettersson subglacialtopographyicethicknessandbathymetryofkongsfjordennorthwesternsvalbard
AT cnuth subglacialtopographyicethicknessandbathymetryofkongsfjordennorthwesternsvalbard
AT klangley subglacialtopographyicethicknessandbathymetryofkongsfjordennorthwesternsvalbard
AT amesserli subglacialtopographyicethicknessandbathymetryofkongsfjordennorthwesternsvalbard
AT dvallot subglacialtopographyicethicknessandbathymetryofkongsfjordennorthwesternsvalbard
AT kmatsuoka subglacialtopographyicethicknessandbathymetryofkongsfjordennorthwesternsvalbard
AT obrandt subglacialtopographyicethicknessandbathymetryofkongsfjordennorthwesternsvalbard
_version_ 1725501910684794880

Similar Items