The Importance of Solving Subglaciar Hydrology in Modeling Glacier Retreat: A Case Study of Hansbreen, Svalbard

Arctic tidewater glaciers are retreating, serving as key indicators of global warming. This study aims to assess how subglacial hydrology affects glacier front retreat by comparing two glacier–fjord models of the Hansbreen glacier: one incorporating a detailed subglacial hydrology model and another...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrology 2024-11, Vol.11 (11), p.193
Main Authors: De Andrés, Eva, Muñoz-Hermosilla, José M., Shahateet, Kaian, Otero, Jaime
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
calving
Case studies
Climate change
Climate models
Climate prediction
Discharge
Flow velocity
frontal ablation
Glaciers
Global warming
Hydrologic models
Hydrology
Ice
Ice calving
Modelling
Position indicators
Salinity
Simulation methods
subglacial discharge
Submarine boats
submarine melting
Temperature
Tidewater
tidewater glacier modeling
Topography
Winter
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Summary:Arctic tidewater glaciers are retreating, serving as key indicators of global warming. This study aims to assess how subglacial hydrology affects glacier front retreat by comparing two glacier–fjord models of the Hansbreen glacier: one incorporating a detailed subglacial hydrology model and another simplifying the subglacial discharge to a single channel centered in the flow line. We first validate the subglacial hydrology model by comparing its discharge channels with observations of plume activity. Simulations conducted from April to December 2010 revealed that the glacier front position aligns more closely with the observations in the coupled model than in the simplified version. Furthermore, the mass loss due to calving and submarine melting is greater in the coupled model, with the calving mass loss reaching 6 Mt by the end of the simulation compared to 4 Mt in the simplified model. These findings highlight the critical role of subglacial hydrology in predicting glacier dynamics and emphasize the importance of detailed modeling in understanding the responses of Arctic tidewater glaciers to climate change.
ISSN:2306-5338
2306-5338
DOI:10.3390/hydrology11110193