South Greenland Ice Research Articles

Topographical evolution and glaciation history of South Greenland constrained by paired 26Al/10Be nuclides

The pattern of cosmogenic nuclide inheritance within bedrock surfaces in previously glaciated regions can be used to assess the efficiency of glacial erosion and constrain topographic evolution. Here, we present fifty new in-situ cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al pairs in bedrock and boulder erratics from South Greenland. The data demonstrate rapid retreat of the South Greenland Ice Sheet in the early Holocene and a clear gradient in cosmogenic nuclide inheritance in bedrock with elevation. Sites <800m above sea level (m a.s.l.) generally show limited or no nuclide inheritance (exposure from before the last glaciation). In contrast, the nuclide inheritance in samples from sites at higher elevations varies from negligible to >90kyr of exposure before the last glaciation, depending on the topographic setting. Our results suggest that steering of ice into troughs led to substantial erosion (>2.6m) in the troughs over the last glacial cycle, even at elevations above 1500 m a.s.l., while bedrock on summit flats at similar elevations experienced much less erosion. Inverse Markov-Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) modelling of the nuclide inventories further indicates that selective linear erosion developed >1Myr ago at the summit flat closest to the present ice margin, and effectively limited the subsequent erosion to <2.6m. Erosion of the Redekammen Ridge some 40 km from the present ice margin was slightly more efficient over the last 1 Myr, indicating that selective linear erosion is less pronounced, or developed later, here than at the summit flats. Long-term ice-cover histories are generally less well-constrained than the erosion histories. The results suggest that the summit flats were possibly ice-covered during large parts of the last 1 Myr and experienced minimal erosion during this interval, but it is also possible that they were only covered by ice during the coldest parts of the glacial periods and that a cover of regolith or overlying rock was stripped off during one of the latest major glaciations. Although inverse modelling cannot distinguish between these scenarios, we identify the more likely ice-cover scenarios for each site based on the geological setting and surface characteristics.

A low climate threshold for south Greenland Ice Sheet demise during the Late Pleistocene

The Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) has been losing mass at an accelerating rate over the recent decades. Models suggest a possible temperature threshold between 0.8 and 3.2 °C, beyond which GIS decline becomes irreversible. The duration of warmth above a given threshold is also a critical determinant for GIS survival, underlining the role of ocean warming, as its inertia prolongs warmth and triggers longer-term feedbacks. The exact point at which these feedbacks are triggered remains equivocal. Late Pleistocene interglacials provide potential case examples for constraining the past response of the GIS to a range of climate states, including conditions warmer than present. However, little is known about the magnitude and duration of warming near Greenland during these periods. Using high-resolution multiproxy surface ocean climate records off southern Greenland, we show that the previous 4 interglacials over the last ∼450 ka all reached warmer than present climate conditions and exceeded the modeled temperature threshold for GIS collapse but by different magnitudes and durations. Complete deglaciation of the southern GIS in Marine Isotope Stage 11c (MIS 11c; 394.7 to 424.2 ka) occurred under climates only slightly warmer than present (∼0.5 ± 1.6 °C), placing the temperature threshold for major GIS retreat in the lower end of model estimates and within projections for this century.

Paradoxical cold conditions during the medieval climate anomaly in the Western Arctic.

In the Northern Hemisphere, most mountain glaciers experienced their largest extent in the last millennium during the Little Ice Age (1450 to 1850 CE, LIA), a period marked by colder hemispheric temperatures than the Medieval Climate Anomaly (950 to 1250 CE, MCA), a period which coincided with glacier retreat. Here, we present a new moraine chronology based on 36Cl surface exposure dating from Lyngmarksbræen glacier, West Greenland. Consistent with other glaciers in the western Arctic, Lyngmarksbræen glacier experienced several advances during the last millennium, the first one at the end of the MCA, in ~1200 CE, was of similar amplitude to two other advances during the LIA. In the absence of any significant changes in accumulation records from South Greenland ice cores, we attribute this expansion to multi-decadal summer cooling likely driven by volcanic and/or solar forcing, and associated regional sea-ice feedbacks. Such regional multi-decadal cold conditions at the end of the MCA are neither resolved in temperature reconstructions from other parts of the Northern Hemisphere, nor captured in last millennium climate simulations.

Earliest Holocene south Greenland ice sheet retreat within its late Holocene extent

AbstractEarly Holocene summer warmth drove dramatic Greenland ice sheet (GIS) retreat. Subsequent insolation‐driven cooling caused GIS margin readvance to late Holocene maxima, from which ice margins are now retreating. We use 10Be surface exposure ages from four locations between 69.4°N and 61.2°N to date when in the early Holocene south to west GIS margins retreated to within these late Holocene maximum extents. We find that this occurred at 11.1 ± 0.2 ka to 10.6 ± 0.5 ka in south Greenland, significantly earlier than previous estimates, and 6.8 ± 0.1 ka to 7.9 ± 0.1 ka in southwest to west Greenland, consistent with existing 10Be ages. At least in south Greenland, these 10Be ages likely provide a minimum constraint for when on a multicentury timescale summer temperatures after the last deglaciation warmed above late Holocene temperatures in the early Holocene. Current south Greenland ice margin retreat suggests that south Greenland may have now warmed to or above earliest Holocene summer temperatures.

Estimating south Greenland Ice Sheet retreat during Pleistocene interglacials using radiogenic isotope tracers in meltwater and marine core sediments

Estimating south Greenland Ice Sheet retreat during Pleistocene interglacials using radiogenic isotope tracers in meltwater and marine core sediments

Significant thinning of the south Greenland Ice Sheet margin

Significant thinning of the south Greenland Ice Sheet margin

Glacier retreat, mass‐balance and thinning: sermilik glacier, south greenland

This study documents thinning and retreat of the South Greenland ice margin and discusses possible reasons in the light of mass‐balance and change of dynamic conditions. Analyses of satellite images have shown that the glacier tongue of Sermilik glacier disintegrated within the past 15 years. Furthermore, the observed thinning close to the Sermilik glacier front was as much as 120 m water equivalent during this period. This figure was derived by comparing surface elevation data from a digital elevation model (1985) and laser altimeter measurements from the year 2000, showing surface elevation changes along a flow line of Sermilik glacier. Mass‐balance data from in situ measurements performed at a centre flow line of the glacier are presented. These data are compared to results from remote sensing analyses of the study area. Net ablation reconstruction over the last 41 years from positive‐degree‐day modelling, at various locations along the Sermilik glacier massbalance transect, shows an increase during the past decades. These analyses indicate that only 55% of the total thinning in this area can be explained by mass‐balance changes. The remaining 45% of the thinning is attributed to changes in the dynamic behaviour of the glacier, such as an increase of creep towards the end of the twentieth century. The significant thinning along the Qagssimiut lobe can also be explained as a combination of mass‐balance changes and changes in ice dynamic behaviour.

Ice core record of fatty acids over the past 450 years in Greenland

Fatty acids have been studied in the ice core taken from Site‐J, Greenland using a capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Their molecular distributions showed a strong even/odd carbon number predominance with two maxima at C16 and C24 or C22 acids. Unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid (C18∶1) were also detected in the ice samples as major species, being in contrast to the remote marine aerosols in which unsaturated fatty acids are depleted by photochemical degradation. This suggests that organic aerosols derived from marine and terrestrial biological sources are transported long distances in the atmosphere over the south Greenland ice sheet without serious photochemical transformation. Total concentrations of fatty acids were relatively constant (ca. 10 µg/kg‐ice) in the 16th to 19th centuries, however, they significantly increased in the 20th century with maxima in the 1930s–1950s and 1980s (up to ca. 100 µg/kg‐ice), suggesting an enhanced sea‐to‐air emission of organic matter and subsequent transport over the Greenland. The increased concentrations of fatty acids in this century were found to be consistent with an increased arctic temperature. During warmer periods, atmospheric circulation is enhanced and more lipids which are enriched in the sea surface microlayers are emitted to the atmosphere by bubble bursting mechanisms and imprinted in the ice core of south Greenland.

Two‐hundred‐year record of biogenic sulfur in a south Greenland ice core (20D)

The concentration of methanesulfonic acid (MSA) was determined in a shallow south central Greenland ice core (20D). This study provides a high‐resolution record of the DMS‐derived biogenic sulfur in Greenland precipitation over the past 200 years. The mean concentration of MSA is 3.30 ppb (σ = 2.38 ppb, n = 1134). The general trend of MSA is an increase from 3.01 to 4.10 ppb between 1767 and 1900, followed by a steady decrease to 2.34 ppb at the present time. This trend is in marked contrast to that of non‐sea‐salt sulfate (nss SO42−), which increases dramatically after 1900 due to the input of anthropogenic sulfur. The MSA fraction ((MSA/(MSA + nss SO42−))* 100) ranges from a mean of 15% in preindustrial ice to less than 5% in recent ice. These MSA fractions suggest that approximately 15 to 40% of the sulfur in recent Greenland ice is of biological origin. It is suggested that there is a significant low‐latitude component to the biogenic sulfur in the core and that variations in the MSA fraction reflect changes in the relative strengths of low‐ and high‐latitude inputs. The data show no evidence for a strong dependence of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) emissions on sea surface temperature during the last century. There is also no indication that the yield of MSA from DMS oxidation has been altered by increased NOx levels over the North Atlantic during this period.

Trajectory analysis of source regions influencing the south Greenland Ice Sheet during the Dye 3 Gas and Aerosol Sampling Program

Backward air mass trajectories for Dye 3, Greenland (elevation 2.5 km) show source regions that vary with season: the direction of greatest transport distance is from the southwest in fall, west in winter, and northwest in spring; the trajectories in summer do not show a strong preferred direction. Based on 5 d transit times, the trajectories in fall suggest the importance of North America as a potential source region, with occasional trajectories from western Europe. The trajectories in spring, especially in April, suggest Eurasia (transport over the Pole), eastern North America, and Western Europe as potential source regions. Less transport of chemical constituents to Dye 3 is expected in summer when transport distances are shorter. Although some long-range transport to Greenland occurs in winter, the stability of the atmosphere over the ice sheet at this time of year is likely to limit the delivery of chemical constituents to the surface. Sources outside of these regions can also influence Dye 3 if transit times longer than 5 d are considered. These results are in contrast to trajectories reported by others for sea-level arctic locations such as Barrow, Alaska and Mould Bay, Canada, where transport over the Pole from Eurasia is responsible for high chemical species concentrations over much of the winter and early spring. Overall, the trajectories are consistent with aerosol chemical data for this time period at Dye 3 reported by several investigators, showing peak concentrations in spring and fall.

A Modern Pollen Spectrum From Dye 3, South Greenland Ice Sheet

AbstractResults of pollen analysis of a large firn sample from Dye 3, southern Greenland, are reported. The sample was divided into three sections: all dominated by pine, birch, and ragweed pollen. Pollen concentration for the entire sample is 15 pollen grains per litre and the annual pollen deposition rate has been estimated at approximately 0.73 grains cm−2 year−1 (7300 grains m−2 a−1). Although these values are slightly lower than expected, considering the relatively southern latitude of the site, they are within the range of values obtained from other Arctic ice caps.

The Age-Depth Profile in the Upper Part of a Steady-State Ice Sheet

AbstractSimple analytical models are developed in order to study how up-stream variations in accumulation rate and ice thickness, and horizontal convergence/ divergence of the flow influence the age and annual layer-thickness profiles in a steady-state ice sheet. Generally, a decrease/increase of the accumulation rate and an increase/decrease of the ice thickness in the up-stream direction (i.e. opposite to the flow direction) results in older/younger ice at a given depth in the ice sheet than would result if the up-stream accumulation rate and ice thickness were constant along the flow line.Convergence/divergence of the up-stream flow will decrease/increase the effect of the accumulation-rate and ice-thickness gradients, whereas convergence/divergence has no influence at all on the age and layer-thickness profiles if the up-stream accumulation rate and ice thickness are constant along the flow line.A modified column-flow model, i.e. a model for which the strain-rate profile (or, equivalently, the horizontal velocity profile) is constant down to the depth corresponding to the Holocene/Wisconsinan transition 10 750 year BP., seems to work well for dating the ice back to 10 000–11 000 year B P. at sites in the slope regions of the Greenland ice sheet. For example, the model predicts the experimentally determined age profile at Dye 3 on the south Greenland ice sheet with a relative root-mean-square error of only 3% back to c. 10 700 year B.P. As illustrated by the Milcent location on the western slope of the central Greenland ice sheet, neglecting up-stream accumulation-rate and ice-thickness gradients, may lead to dating errors as large as 3000–000 years for c. 10 000 year old ice.However, even if these gradients are taken into account, the simple model fails to give acceptable ages for 10 000 year old ice at locations on slightly sloping ice ridges with strongly divergent flow, as for example the Camp Century location. The main reason for this failure is that the site of origin of the ice cannot be determined accurately enough by the simple models, if the flow is strongly divergent.With this exception, the simple models are well suited for dating the ice at locations where the available data or the required accuracy do not justify application of elaborate numerical models. The formulae derived for the age-depth profiles can easily be worked out on a pocket calculator, and in many cases will be a sensible alternative to using numerical flow models.

The Age-Depth Profile in the Upper Part of a Steady-State Ice Sheet

AbstractSimple analytical models are developed in order to study how up-stream variations in accumulation rate and ice thickness, and horizontal convergence/ divergence of the flow influence the age and annual layer-thickness profiles in a steady-state ice sheet. Generally, a decrease/increase of the accumulation rate and an increase/decrease of the ice thickness in the up-stream direction (i.e. opposite to the flow direction) results in older/younger ice at a given depth in the ice sheet than would result if the up-stream accumulation rate and ice thickness were constant along the flow line.Convergence/divergence of the up-stream flow will decrease/increase the effect of the accumulation-rate and ice-thickness gradients, whereas convergence/divergence has no influence at all on the age and layer-thickness profiles if the up-stream accumulation rate and ice thickness are constant along the flow line.A modified column-flow model, i.e. a model for which the strain-rate profile (or, equivalently, the horizontal velocity profile) is constant down to the depth corresponding to the Holocene/Wisconsinan transition 10 750 year BP., seems to work well for dating the ice back to 10 000–11 000 year B P. at sites in the slope regions of the Greenland ice sheet. For example, the model predicts the experimentally determined age profile at Dye 3 on the south Greenland ice sheet with a relative root-mean-square error of only 3% back toc. 10 700 year B.P. As illustrated by the Milcent location on the western slope of the central Greenland ice sheet, neglecting up-stream accumulation-rate and ice-thickness gradients, may lead to dating errors as large as 3000–000 years forc. 10 000 year old ice.However, even if these gradients are taken into account, the simple model fails to give acceptable ages for 10 000 year old ice at locations on slightly sloping ice ridges with strongly divergent flow, as for example the Camp Century location. The main reason for this failure is that the site of origin of the ice cannot be determined accurately enough by the simple models, if the flow is strongly divergent.With this exception, the simple models are well suited for dating the ice at locations where the available data or the required accuracy do not justify application of elaborate numerical models. The formulae derived for the age-depth profiles can easily be worked out on a pocket calculator, and in many cases will be a sensible alternative to using numerical flow models.

An Inter-Hemispheric Volcanic Time-Marker in Ice Cores from Greenland and Antarctica

A strong volcanic-acid signal is clearly registered, using an acidity-measuring technique, in the A.D. 1259 ice layer in four different Greenland ice cores (Camp Century, Milcent, Crête and Dye 3). This signal is similar in amplitude to the Laki (Iceland) A.D. 1783 volcanic event as recorded in the central and south Greenland ice cores. Measurement of ice layers from corresponding age levels in Antarctic ice cores (Byrd Station, South Pole and J–9 on the Ross Ice Shelf) provides similar strong acid signals. There is no historical record of a significant volcanic eruption for the period around A.D. 1260 in the Northern Hemisphere. Subsequent chemical analyses of all A.D. 1259 ice layers show similar compositions. We suggest that the A.D. 1259 signals registered in both Greenland and Antarctica were caused by the same volcanic disturbance and that its epicenter was located at the Earth’s equatorial zone, which enabled global distribution of the acid gases. These results indicate that inter-hemispheric dating of ice sheets is possible by the chemical identification of major eruptive volcanic events in the equatorial zone.

Sulfate and Nitrate Concentrations from a South Greenland Ice Core

An ice core in south Greenland covering the period 1869 to 1984 was analyzed for oxygen isotopes and chloride, nitrate, and sulfate concentrations. The data show that the "excess" (nonsea-salt) sulfate concentration has tripled since approximately 1900 to 1910 and the nitrate concentration has doubled since approximately 1955. The increases may be attributable to the deposition of these chemical specis from air masses carrying North American and Eurasian anthropogenic emissions.

Microparticles in snow from the South Greenland ice sheet

Microparticles in snow from the South Greenland ice sheet

Microparticles in snow from the South Greenland ice sheet

A detailed analysis of the concentration and the size distribution of insoluble microparticles (dust) in snow from the South Greenland ice sheet covering the years 1980-1983 has been carried out. An approximative description of the temporal variations of the size distributions has been obtained using Junge distributions to describe the general features of the measured size distributions in the size interval 0.55-2.5 μm. Variations of the 3 measured parameters, the bulk dust concentration, N0.5, the slope of the Junge distribution, β, and the δ18O value of the snow are compared and discussed. The slope, p, varies seasonally, i.e., low values in winter and high in summer, and β appears to be closer related to the δ18O values of the snow than the bulk dust Concentration. In conclusion, analysis of the dust-size distribution may help to improve stratigraphic icecore dating. The δ18O values of the snow are found to vary in parallel with the temperature at coastal stations in South Greenland. This opens the possibility to date snow strata of the order of a month, provided that diffusion has not yet obliterated the subannual variations of δ180.