EAPS

Title: The dynamic underside of of southeast Greenland icebergs: What is the geometry and how quickly is it changing?

Abstract:
The increasing input of freshwater to the subpolar North Atlantic, both through glacier meltwater runoff and the melting of calved icebergs, has significant implications for fjord circulation. However, the magnitude and timing of this meltwater input has been challenging to quantify because iceberg melt rates and subsurface iceberg geometries are largely unknown. In this study, we use data from a simultaneous glaciological and oceanographic field campaign conducted in Sermilik Fjord, southeast Greenland, during the summers of 2017- 2019. We used a combination of coincident ship-based multibeam submarine scans and aerial imagery to constrain iceberg geometry, and used repeat subsurface surveys in combination with ocean hydrography measurements to construct a detailed picture of melt rate (iceberg geometry change) and meltwater injection with depth. This synthesis of in situ iceberg melt measurements in combination with adjacent ocean measurements is amongst the first of its kind. In this presentation, I will discuss the results of the 2017- 2019 field campaigns and the implications of variable iceberg meltwater injection throughout the water column.