Debris Cover Limits Subglacial Erosion and Promotes Till Accumulation

• Published in: Geophysical research letters 2022-08, Vol.49 (16), p.e2022GL099049-n/a
• Main Authors: Delaney, Ian, Anderson, Leif S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: alpine geomorphology; Bedrock; Debris; debris‐covered glaciers; Detritus; Evolution; Glacial drift; Glacial erosion; glacier dynamics; glacier erosion; Glacier melting; glacier modeling; Glacier movement; Glaciers; Ice; Ice cover; Ice melting; Mathematical models; Mountain glaciers; Mountains; Numerical models; Numerical simulations; Rock; Rock glaciers; Rocks; Sediment; sediment transport; Sediments; Shape; Shielding; Sliding; Slopes; Slumping; Snow; Snow and ice; Soil erosion; Storage; Subglacial erosion
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1029/2022GL099049

Glaciers are commonly conceptualized as bodies composed of snow and ice. Yet, many glaciers contain a substantial amount of rock, especially those abutting steep mountains. Mountain slopes erode, depositing rocks on glaciers below. This loose rock (or debris) is buried in glaciers and melts out lower down creating a debris cover. Debris cover reduces ice melt, which changes the shape and movement of glaciers. Glacier movement, specifically basal sliding, efficiently sculpts landscapes. To date, we know little about the impacts of surface debris on conditions below glaciers. To help remedy this, we run numerical model simulations which show that debris‐covered glaciers erode slower than glaciers unaffected by debris. Reduced melt under surface debris lowers sliding speeds and causes sediment to accumulate at the bed, potentially establishing conditions for surging. The influence of surface debris cover on the subglacial environment may hold substantial implications for alpine sediment storage and landscape evolution. Plain Language Summary Glaciers are imagined as bodies composed entirely of snow and ice. But many glaciers, especially those in steep mountains contain a substantial amount of rock as well. Rocks are deposited on glaciers from steep mountain slopes above them. This loose rock (or debris), buried by snow, can completely cover glaciers' lower reaches as it melts out of the ice. Debris reduces melt, which changes the glacier shape and in turn how glaciers move down valley. To test how debris‐covered glaciers erode and sculpt landscapes we use numerical models. Our simulations show that debris‐covered glaciers erode landscapes at lower rates than glaciers unaffected by debris. The reduced amount of melt from debris cover causes glaciers to slide slower and causes sediment to accumulate under debris‐covered ice, shielding bedrock from erosion. The tendency for debris‐covered glaciers to build sediment layers at their bed may lead to the rapid speed up and advancement of glaciers, also known as surges. The influence of surface debris cover on the subglacial environment may hold substantial implications for alpine sediment storage and landscape evolution. Key Points Erosion is reduced under debris‐covered ice because of compounding effects between reduced surface melt and the subglacial environment Till accumulates under debris‐covered ice because surface melt is suppressed by surface debris cover Debris cover on glaciers promotes subglacial fluvial