Glacier microseismicity is a promising tool to study glacier dynamics. However, physical processes connecting seismic signals and ice dynamics are not clearly understood at present. Particularly, the relationship between tide-modulated seismicity and dynamics of calving glaciers remains elusive. Here we analyze records from an on-ice seismometer placed 250 m from the calving front of Bowdoin Glacier, Greenland. Using high-frequency glacier flow speed measurements, we show that the microseismic activity is related to strain rate variations. The seismic activity correlates with longitudinal stretching measured at the glacier surface. Both higher melt rates and falling tides accelerate glacier motion and increase longitudinal stretching. Long-term microseismic monitoring could therefore provide insights on how a calving glacier's force balance and flow regime react to changes at the ice-ocean interface.

Tide-modulated ice flow variations drive seismicity near the calving front of Bowdoin Glacier, Greenland / Podolskiy, Evgeny A.; Sugiyama, Shin; Funk, Martin; Walter, Fabian; Genco, Riccardo; Tsutaki, Shun; Minowa, Masahiro; Ripepe, Maurizio. - In: GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS. - ISSN 0094-8276. - STAMPA. - 43:(2016), pp. 2036-2044. [10.1002/2016GL067743]

Tide-modulated ice flow variations drive seismicity near the calving front of Bowdoin Glacier, Greenland

GENCO, RICCARDO;RIPEPE, MAURIZIO
2016

Abstract

Glacier microseismicity is a promising tool to study glacier dynamics. However, physical processes connecting seismic signals and ice dynamics are not clearly understood at present. Particularly, the relationship between tide-modulated seismicity and dynamics of calving glaciers remains elusive. Here we analyze records from an on-ice seismometer placed 250 m from the calving front of Bowdoin Glacier, Greenland. Using high-frequency glacier flow speed measurements, we show that the microseismic activity is related to strain rate variations. The seismic activity correlates with longitudinal stretching measured at the glacier surface. Both higher melt rates and falling tides accelerate glacier motion and increase longitudinal stretching. Long-term microseismic monitoring could therefore provide insights on how a calving glacier's force balance and flow regime react to changes at the ice-ocean interface.
2016
43
2036
2044
Podolskiy, Evgeny A.; Sugiyama, Shin; Funk, Martin; Walter, Fabian; Genco, Riccardo; Tsutaki, Shun; Minowa, Masahiro; Ripepe, Maurizio
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/1065971
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