Persistent flow acceleration within the interior of the Greenland ice sheet

• We present surface velocity measurements from a high-elevation site located 140km from the western margin of the Greenland ice sheet, and similar to 50km into its accumulation area. Annual velocity increased each year from 51.780.01myr(-1) in 2009 to 52.920.01myr(-1) in 2012a net increase of 2.2%. These data also reveal a strong seasonal velocity cycle of up to 8.1% above the winter mean, driven by seasonal melt and supraglacial lake drainage. Sole et al. (2013) recently argued that ice motion in the ablation area is mediated by reduced winter flow following the development of efficient subglacial drainage during warmer, faster, summers. Our data extend this analysis and reveal a year-on-year increase in annual velocity above the equilibrium line altitude, where despite surface melt increasing, it is still sufficiently low to hinder the development of efficient drainage under thick ice. Key Points Ice flow in the accumulation area accelerated year-on-year between 2009 and 2012 The acceleration correlates with the inland expansion of supraglacial lakes This dynamic response contrasts with observations from the ablation zone

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Greenland Ice Sheet

Ice sheet dynamics

Global Positioning System

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)