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Atlantic Water warming increases melt below Northeast Greenland’s last floating ice tongue

Author

Listed:
  • Claudia Wekerle

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research)

  • Rebecca McPherson

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research)

  • Wilken-Jon von Appen

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research)

  • Qiang Wang

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research)

  • Ralph Timmermann

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research)

  • Patrick Scholz

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research)

  • Sergey Danilov

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
    Constuctor University)

  • Qi Shu

    (Ministry of Natural Resources)

  • Torsten Kanzow

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
    University of Bremen)

Abstract

The 79 North Glacier (79NG) features Greenland’s largest floating ice tongue. Even though its extent has not changed significantly in recent years, observations have indicated a major thinning of the ice tongue from below. Both ocean warming and an increase in subglacial discharge from the ice sheet induced by atmospheric warming could increase the basal melt; however, available observations alone cannot tell which of these is the main driver. Here, we employ a global simulation which explicitly resolves the ocean circulation in the cavity with 700 m resolution to disentangle the impact of the ocean and atmosphere. We find that the interannual variability of basal melt below 79NG over the past 50 years is mainly associated with changes in the temperature of the Atlantic Intermediate Water inflow, which can be traced back across the Northeast Greenland continental shelf to the eastern Fram Strait with a lag of 3 years.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudia Wekerle & Rebecca McPherson & Wilken-Jon von Appen & Qiang Wang & Ralph Timmermann & Patrick Scholz & Sergey Danilov & Qi Shu & Torsten Kanzow, 2024. "Atlantic Water warming increases melt below Northeast Greenland’s last floating ice tongue," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-45650-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45650-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shfaqat A. Khan & Youngmin Choi & Mathieu Morlighem & Eric Rignot & Veit Helm & Angelika Humbert & Jérémie Mouginot & Romain Millan & Kurt H. Kjær & Anders A. Bjørk, 2022. "Extensive inland thinning and speed-up of Northeast Greenland Ice Stream," Nature, Nature, vol. 611(7937), pages 727-732, November.
    2. B. E. Schmidt & P. Washam & P. E. D. Davis & K. W. Nicholls & D. M. Holland & J. D. Lawrence & K. L. Riverman & J. A. Smith & A. Spears & D. J. G. Dichek & A. D. Mullen & E. Clyne & B. Yeager & P. Ank, 2023. "Heterogeneous melting near the Thwaites Glacier grounding line," Nature, Nature, vol. 614(7948), pages 471-478, February.
    3. B. E. Schmidt & P. Washam & P. E. D. Davis & K. W. Nicholls & D. M. Holland & J. D. Lawrence & K. L. Riverman & J. A. Smith & A. Spears & D. J. G. Dichek & A. D. Mullen & E. Clyne & B. Yeager & P. Ank, 2023. "Publisher Correction: Heterogeneous melting near the Thwaites Glacier grounding line," Nature, Nature, vol. 615(7952), pages 21-21, March.
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