Citation:

PANGAEA.786791

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Abstract:

During the early 2000s the Greenland Ice Sheet experienced the largest ice-mass loss of the instrumental record, largely as a result of the acceleration, thinning and retreat of large outlet glaciers in West and southeast Greenland. The quasi-simultaneous change in the glaciers suggests a common climate forcing. Increasing air and ocean temperatures have been indicated as potential triggers. Here, we present a record of calving activity of Helheim Glacier, East Greenland, that extends back to about AD 1890, based on an analysis of sedimentary deposits from Sermilik Fjord, where Helheim Glacier terminates. Specifically, we use the annual deposition of and grains as a proxy for iceberg discharge. Our record reveals large fluctuations in calving rates, but the present high rate was reproduced only in the 1930s. A comparison with climate indices indicates that high calving activity coincides with a relatively strong influence of Atlantic water and a lower influence of polar water on the shelf off Greenland, as well as with warm summers and the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation. Our analysis provides evidence that Helheim Glacier responds to short-term fluctuations of large-scale oceanic and atmospheric conditions, on timescales of 3-10 years.

Related to:

Andresen, Camilla S; Straneo, Fiammetta; Ribergaard, Mads Hvid; Andersen, Thorbjørn Joest; Kuijpers, Antoon; Nørgaard-Pedersen, Niels; Kjær, Kurt Henrik; Schjøth, Frands; Weckström, Kaarina; Ahlstrøm, Andreas P (2012): Rapid response of Helheim Glacier in Greenland to climate variability over the past century. Nature Geoscience, 5, 37-41, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1349

Project(s):

Climate Change: Learning from the past climate (Past4Future)

Funding:

Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), grant/award no. 243908 : Climate Change: Learning from the past climate

Coverage:

Latitude: 66.012700 * Longitude: -37.860400

Minimum Elevation: -595.0 m * Maximum Elevation: -595.0 m

Event(s):

Helheim_Glacier_sandflux * Latitude: 66.012700 * Longitude: -37.860400 * Elevation: -595.0 m * Location: Sermilik Fjord, SE Greenland * Comment: Virtual Event based on Events (Cores) ER07, ER11 and ER13. Position is calculated as average of ER07-13

Parameter(s):

#	Name	Short Name	Unit	Principal Investigator	Method/Device	Comment
1	Year of deposition	Deposition	a AD	Andresen, Camilla S	High resolution, low background gamma spectroscopy (HPGe detector, Canberra Inc.)
2	Sand, flux, mean, per year	Sand flux	g/m²/a	Andresen, Camilla S	Grain size, Mastersizer 2000, Malvern Instrument Inc.

License:

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-3.0)

Size:

196 data points

Data

Download dataset as tab-delimited text — use the following character encoding:

1 Deposition [a AD]	2 Sand flux [g/m²/a]
2008	496
2007	511
2006	501
2005	470
2004	449
2003	594
2002	588
2001	601
2000	488
1999	396
1998	339
1997	382
1996	352
1995	323
1994	340
1993	356
1991	380
1989	353
1987	455
1986	462
1985	465
1984	385
1982	351
1981	435
1980	483
1979	517
1978	542
1977	354
1976	485
1975	415
1974	404
1973	369
1972	378
1971	394
1970	369
1969	420
1968	442
1967	405
1966	419
1964	444
1963	435
1962	384
1961	318
1960	387
1959	457
1958	434
1957	416
1956	434
1955	471
1953	472
1952	435
1951	392
1949	320
1947	310
1946	361
1945	382
1944	397
1943	416
1942	470
1941	559
1940	605
1939	627
1938	517
1937	512
1936	452
1935	424
1934	372
1933	347
1932	340
1931	319
1930	291
1929	443
1927	384
1926	236
1925	272
1923	269
1922	246
1921	237
1919	241
1916	352
1915	330
1914	313
1913	314
1911	317
1910	291
1909	188
1908	187
1907	208
1906	258
1905	304
1904	263
1902	389
1901	357
1900	259
1899	258
1896	403
1893	254
1890	254