Changes in Greenland’s peripheral glaciers linked to the North Atlantic Oscillation

Bjørk, Anders A.; Aagaard, S.; Lütt, A.; Khan, S. A.; Box, J. E.; Kjeldsen, K. K.; Larsen, N. K.; Korsgaard, N. J.; Cappelen, J.; Colgan, W. T.; Machguth, Horst; Andresen, C. S.; Peings, Y.; Kjær, K. H.

doi:10.1038/s41558-017-0029-1

Back

Journal article

+ 1 other files

Changes in Greenland’s peripheral glaciers linked to the North Atlantic Oscillation

Bjørk, Anders A. Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Denmark - Earth System Science, University - NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, USA
Aagaard, S. Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Lütt, A. Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Khan, S. A. DTU Space, National Space Institute, Department of Geodesy, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Box, J. E. Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, Denmark
Kjeldsen, K. K. Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Denmark - DTU Space, National Space Institute, Department of Geodesy, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark - Department of Earth Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada
Larsen, N. K. Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Denmark - Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, Denmark
Korsgaard, N. J. Nordic Volcanological Center, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
Cappelen, J. Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), Copenhagen, Denmark
Colgan, W. T. Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, Denmark - Department of Earth and Space Science & Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada
Machguth, Horst Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland - Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Andresen, C. S. Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, Denmark
Peings, Y. Earth System Science, University
Kjær, K. H. Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

18.12.2017

Published in:

Nature Climate Change. - 2018, vol. 8, no. 1, p. 48–52

English Glaciers and ice caps peripheral to the main Greenland Ice Sheet contribute markedly to sea-level rise1,2,3. Their changes and variability, however, have been difficult to quantify on multi-decadal timescales due to an absence of long-term data4. Here, using historical aerial surveys, expedition photographs, spy satellite imagery and new remote-sensing products, we map glacier length fluctuations of approximately 350 peripheral glaciers and ice caps in East and West Greenland since 1890. Peripheral glaciers are found to have recently undergone a widespread and significant retreat at rates of 12.2 m per year and 16.6 m per year in East and West Greenland, respectively; these changes are exceeded in severity only by the early twentieth century post-Little-Ice-Age retreat. Regional changes in ice volume, as reflected by glacier length, are further shown to be related to changes in precipitation associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), with a distinct east–west asymmetry; positive phases of the NAO increase accumulation, and thereby glacier growth, in the eastern periphery, whereas opposite effects are observed in the western periphery. Thus, with projected trends towards positive NAO in the future5,6, eastern peripheral glaciers may remain relatively stable, while western peripheral glaciers will continue to diminish.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Géosciences

Language