’HI-SLIDE’: The influence of climate on the decadal dynamic stability of high-elevation sectors of the Greenland Ice Sheet
Université de Fribourg
Lay summary
A major uncertainty associated with predictions of global sea level rise by 2100 is that we know little about how changes in climate will affect the dynamics of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets (IPCC, 2019). If climatic changes can cause changes to the flow of kilometres-thick ice, there could be large impacts upon 21st century sea level rise. HI-SLIDE will measure the dynamics of high-elevation regions of the south-west Greenland Ice Sheet. In recent years we have seen meltwater running along the surface of high-elevation regions before it disappears down crevasses and moulins. Meltwater which reaches the bed of the ice sheet can change the ‘slipperiness’ of the contact between the ice and its bed, which changes the speed at which the ice flows. Previous work has shown that this does not always cause the ice to flow faster: at lower elevations, the ice flowed slower in years of more melting. Observations of this phenomenon at high elevations are sparse. As such, current evidence of the impact of meltwater upon ice flow is equivocal. It is not clear whether the expanding runoff limit has increased or decreased ice flow at high elevations. HI-SLIDE will make the required detailed field observations to fill this gap, using a network of GPS receivers which will be installed and maintained during a 2-year field campaign from April 2020 to April 2022. HI-SLIDE is based at the University of Fribourg in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, and is integrated tightly with the European Research Council-funded ‘CASSANDRA’ project, ‘Accelerating mass loss of Greenland: firn and the shifting runoff limit’.
Details
| Regional focus | Arctic |
| Location | K-transect, Greenland ice sheet |
| Funded amount | 35,000 CHF |
| Project dates | 1st February 2020 – 31st October 2023 |
| Category | SPI Exploratory Grants |