Mass loss of glaciers and ice caps across Greenland since the Little Ice Age

Jonathan L. Carrivick; Clare M. Boston; Jenna L. Sutherland; Danni Pearce; Hugo Armstrong; Anders Bjørk; Kristian K. Kjeldsen; Jakob Abermann; Rachel P. Oien; Michael Grimes; William H.M. James; Mark W. Smith

doi:10.1029/2023GL103950

Mass loss of glaciers and ice caps across Greenland since the Little Ice Age

Jonathan L. Carrivick, Clare M. Boston, Jenna L. Sutherland, Danni Pearce, Hugo Armstrong, Anders Bjørk, Kristian K. Kjeldsen, Jakob Abermann, Rachel P. Oien, Michael Grimes, William H.M. James, Mark W. Smith

Department of Glaciology and Climate

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Glaciers and ice caps (GICs) are important contributors of meltwater runoff and to global sea level rise. However, knowledge of GIC mass changes is largely restricted to the last few decades. Here we show the extent of 5327 Greenland GICs during Little Ice Age (LIA) termination (1900) and reveal that they have fragmented into 5467 glaciers in 2001, losing at least 587 km³ from their ablation areas, equating to 499 Gt at a rate of 4.34 Gt yr⁻¹. We estimate that the long-term mean mass balance in glacier ablation areas has been at least −0.18 to −0.22 m w.e. yr⁻¹ and note the rate between 2000 and 2019 has been three times that. Glaciers with ice-marginal lakes formed since the LIA termination have had the fastest changing mass balance. Considerable spatial variability in glacier changes suggest compounding regional and local factors present challenges for understanding glacier evolution.

Original language	English
Article number	e2023GL103950
Number of pages	9
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	50
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL103950
Publication status	Published - 28 May 2023

Keywords

glacier
Greenland
ice cap
Little Ice Age
meltwater
volume

Programme Area

Programme Area 5: Nature and Climate

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10.1029/2023GL103950Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Mass loss of glaciers and ice caps across Greenland since the Little Ice Age",

abstract = "Glaciers and ice caps (GICs) are important contributors of meltwater runoff and to global sea level rise. However, knowledge of GIC mass changes is largely restricted to the last few decades. Here we show the extent of 5327 Greenland GICs during Little Ice Age (LIA) termination (1900) and reveal that they have fragmented into 5467 glaciers in 2001, losing at least 587 km3 from their ablation areas, equating to 499 Gt at a rate of 4.34 Gt yr−1. We estimate that the long-term mean mass balance in glacier ablation areas has been at least −0.18 to −0.22 m w.e. yr−1 and note the rate between 2000 and 2019 has been three times that. Glaciers with ice-marginal lakes formed since the LIA termination have had the fastest changing mass balance. Considerable spatial variability in glacier changes suggest compounding regional and local factors present challenges for understanding glacier evolution.",

keywords = "glacier, Greenland, ice cap, Little Ice Age, meltwater, volume",

author = "Carrivick, {Jonathan L.} and Boston, {Clare M.} and Sutherland, {Jenna L.} and Danni Pearce and Hugo Armstrong and Anders Bj{\o}rk and Kjeldsen, {Kristian K.} and Jakob Abermann and Oien, {Rachel P.} and Michael Grimes and James, {William H.M.} and Smith, {Mark W.}",

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doi = "10.1029/2023GL103950",

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T1 - Mass loss of glaciers and ice caps across Greenland since the Little Ice Age

AU - Carrivick, Jonathan L.

AU - Boston, Clare M.

AU - Sutherland, Jenna L.

AU - Pearce, Danni

AU - Armstrong, Hugo

AU - Bjørk, Anders

AU - Kjeldsen, Kristian K.

AU - Abermann, Jakob

AU - Oien, Rachel P.

AU - Grimes, Michael

AU - James, William H.M.

AU - Smith, Mark W.

PY - 2023/5/28

Y1 - 2023/5/28

N2 - Glaciers and ice caps (GICs) are important contributors of meltwater runoff and to global sea level rise. However, knowledge of GIC mass changes is largely restricted to the last few decades. Here we show the extent of 5327 Greenland GICs during Little Ice Age (LIA) termination (1900) and reveal that they have fragmented into 5467 glaciers in 2001, losing at least 587 km3 from their ablation areas, equating to 499 Gt at a rate of 4.34 Gt yr−1. We estimate that the long-term mean mass balance in glacier ablation areas has been at least −0.18 to −0.22 m w.e. yr−1 and note the rate between 2000 and 2019 has been three times that. Glaciers with ice-marginal lakes formed since the LIA termination have had the fastest changing mass balance. Considerable spatial variability in glacier changes suggest compounding regional and local factors present challenges for understanding glacier evolution.

AB - Glaciers and ice caps (GICs) are important contributors of meltwater runoff and to global sea level rise. However, knowledge of GIC mass changes is largely restricted to the last few decades. Here we show the extent of 5327 Greenland GICs during Little Ice Age (LIA) termination (1900) and reveal that they have fragmented into 5467 glaciers in 2001, losing at least 587 km3 from their ablation areas, equating to 499 Gt at a rate of 4.34 Gt yr−1. We estimate that the long-term mean mass balance in glacier ablation areas has been at least −0.18 to −0.22 m w.e. yr−1 and note the rate between 2000 and 2019 has been three times that. Glaciers with ice-marginal lakes formed since the LIA termination have had the fastest changing mass balance. Considerable spatial variability in glacier changes suggest compounding regional and local factors present challenges for understanding glacier evolution.

KW - glacier

KW - Greenland

KW - ice cap

KW - Little Ice Age

KW - meltwater

KW - volume

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JF - Geophysical Research Letters

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ER -

Mass loss of glaciers and ice caps across Greenland since the Little Ice Age

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