Distribution and dynamics of Greenland subglacial lakes

Few subglacial lakes have been identified beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) despite extensive documentation in Antarctica, where periodic release of water can impact ice flow. Here we present an ice-sheet-wide survey of Greenland subglacial lakes, identifying 54 candidates from airborne radio-e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2019-06, Vol.10 (1), p.2810-11, Article 2810
Main Authors: Bowling, J. S., Livingstone, S. J., Sole, A. J., Chu, W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
704/172
704/242
Basins
Drainage
Echo sounding
Elevation
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hydrology
Ice
Ice sheets
Lakes
Meltwater
multidisciplinary
Polls & surveys
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:Few subglacial lakes have been identified beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) despite extensive documentation in Antarctica, where periodic release of water can impact ice flow. Here we present an ice-sheet-wide survey of Greenland subglacial lakes, identifying 54 candidates from airborne radio-echo sounding, and 2 lakes from ice-surface elevation changes. These range from 0.2–5.9 km in length, and are mostly distributed away from ice divides, beneath relatively slow-moving ice. Based on our results and previous observations, we suggest three zones of formation: stable lakes in northern and eastern regions above the Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA) but away from the interior; hydrologically-active lakes near the ELA recharged by surface meltwater and; small, seasonally-active lakes below the ELA, which form over winter and drain during the melt season. These observations provide important constraints on the GrIS's basal thermal regime and help refine our understanding of the subglacial hydrological system. Subglacial lakes can influence basal hydrology and ice flow in Antarctica, but are poorly constrained in Greenland. Here the authors provide the first ice sheet-wide inventory of subglacial lakes beneath GrIS, including 54 uncharted lakes.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-019-10821-w