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Climatic control of the surge periodicity of an Icelandic outlet glacier

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Author

Summary, in English

Surging outlet glaciers are important in draining large ice caps, but the mechanisms controlling surge periodicities are poorly known. We investigated a sediment sequence from the glacier-fed Lake Logurinn in eastern Iceland, and our unique annually resolved data, based on sedimentary varves, imply that Eyjabakkajokull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajokull, began surging about 2200 cal a BP (before 1950 AD). Approximately 1700 cal a BP, the glacier started to surge at a uniform 34- to 38-year periodicity that prevailed until the coldest part of the Little Ice Age when the periodicity almost halved to 21-23 years. Since the late 1800s the surge periodicity of Eyjabakkajokull has returned to a longer period of 35-40 years. We suggest that surge periodicities of Eyjabakkajokull are forced by climatically driven mass balance changes, which may be a common forcing factor for similar surge-type outlet glaciers. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Publishing year

2011

Language

English

Pages

561-565

Publication/Series

Journal of Quaternary Science

Volume

26

Issue

6

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Topic

  • Geology
  • Water Engineering

Keywords

  • climate
  • glacial surge
  • Iceland
  • surge periodicity
  • varved lake
  • sediments

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1099-1417