A data set of monthly freshwater fluxes from the Greenland ice sheet’s marine-terminating glaciers on a glacier–basin scale 2010–2020

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34194/geusb.v53.8338

Keywords:

Ice mass loss, ice sheet – fjord interactions, ice surface melt, iceberg discharge, basal melt

Abstract

The loss of mass from the Greenland ice sheet causes an increasing influx of freshwater to the Greenlandic fjords and the oceans. Freshwater fluxes from marine-terminating glaciers are important to understand fjord circulation and ecosystem dynamics. Here, we present a data set constructed by reformulating existing products into a shared temporal and spatial framework. We combine three publicly available data sets of solid-ice discharge (iceberg), liquid-surface runoff (runoff) and basal melt to present a cohesive overview of the flow of freshwater from marine-terminating glaciers to the Greenlandic fjords. We also calculate glacier drainage basins and compare our findings to previous studies showing that drainage-basin sizes may vary considerably depending on how they were reconstructed. The data set will be a valuable asset to oceanographic, glaciological and marine biological research activities.

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Greenland Map and bar chart

Published

22-08-2023

How to Cite

Karlsson, N. B., Mankoff, K. D., Solgaard, A. M., Larsen, S. H., How, P. R., Fausto, R. S., & Sørensen, L. S. (2023). A data set of monthly freshwater fluxes from the Greenland ice sheet’s marine-terminating glaciers on a glacier–basin scale 2010–2020. GEUS Bulletin, 53. https://doi.org/10.34194/geusb.v53.8338

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Section

DATA ARTICLE | SHORT