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As warming intensifies across the Greenland ice sheet, an increasing number of shallow coring and radar studies are targeting the melt-impacted firn column to investigate meltwater processes. Highly inhomogeneous infiltration and refreezing, however, redistributes mass, distorting age–depth relationships and confounding comparisons between different cores. Here, we utilize a dynamic time warping algorithm for time series alignment to investigate and quantify the heterogeneous impact of melt processes on nine closely spaced (within 50 m) firn core-density profiles. The 10 m cores were collected relatively high in Greenland's percolation zone, where melt alteration is minimal compared to lower elevation. Our analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of dynamic time warping as a tool for assessing heterogeneity between ice core records. We find that the optimal alignment of density profiles in the nine cores requires vertical stretching and compression of individual profiles, ranging from, on average, <1 to ~16% of the core lengths. We identified four depth zones of mass redistribution that appear to coincide with observed ice layers. Further, ~75% of density measurements from each core do not align with an age model-derived density profile that assumes no mass redistribution of meltwater, indicating the pervasive impact of melt processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal field within the firn layer on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) governs meltwater retention processes, firn densification with surface elevation change, and heat transfer from the surface boundary to deep ice. However, there are few observational data to constrain these processes with only sparse in situ temperature time series that does not extend through the full firn depth. Here, we quantify the thermal structure of Western Greenland's firn column using instrumentation installed in an elevation transect of boreholes extending to 30 and 96 m depth. During the high‐melt summer of 2019, heat gain in the firn layer showed strong elevation dependency, with greater uptake and deeper penetration of heat at lower elevations. The bulk thermal conductivity increased by 15% per 100 m elevation loss due to higher density related to ice layers. Nevertheless, the conductive heat gain remained relatively constant along the transect due to stronger temperature gradients in the near surface firn at higher elevations. The primary driver of heat gain during this high melt summer was latent heat transfer, which increased up to ten‐fold over the transect, growing by 34 MJ m−2 per 100 m elevation loss. The deep‐firn temperature gradient beneath the seasonally active layer doubled over a 270‐m elevation drop across the study transect, increasing heat flux from the firn layer into deep ice at lower elevations. Our in situ firn temperature time series offers observational constraints for modeling studies and insights into the future evolution of the percolation zone in a warmer climate. Plain Language Summary: We address understudied aspects of the temperature field within the firn layer of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). Firn is snow that is in transition to glacier ice and its temperature is important to surface elevation changes, refreezing of meltwater, and ice flow properties. Our research deployed instrumentation in boreholes extending to depths of 30 and 96 m across an elevation transect in Western Greenland. During the high‐melt summer of 2019, we observed a pronounced spatial gradient in the thermal structure of the firn layer such that as elevation decreases, there is greater heat uptake, deeper heat penetration, and higher heat flux to deep ice. Despite increasing thermal conductivity with elevation loss, conductive heat gain remained relatively constant along the transect due to stronger and sustained temperature gradients in near‐surface firn at higher elevations. Notably, latent heat transfer from refreezing meltwater was the primary driver of heat gain, increasing up to ten‐fold across the transect with a growth rate of 34 MJ m−2 per 100 m elevation loss. Our in situ firn temperature time series not only provide valuable constraints for modeling studies but also offer insights into the prospective evolution of the percolation zone in a warmer climate. Key Points: Temperatures in boreholes up to 96 m depth in Greenland's percolation zone reveal strong time/space gradients in heat‐transfer mechanismsLatent heat transfer causes deeper and greater summer heat uptake at lower elevations, but conductive heat gain remains nearly constantDeep firn temperature gradients steepen sharply as elevation decreases, causing greater heat flux from the firn layer to the underlying ice [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As warming intensifies across the Greenland ice sheet, an increasing number of shallow coring and radar studies are targeting the melt-impacted firn column to investigate meltwater processes. Highly inhomogeneous infiltration and refreezing, however, redistributes mass, distorting age–depth relationships and confounding comparisons between different cores. Here, we utilize a dynamic time warping algorithm for time series alignment to investigate and quantify the heterogeneous impact of melt processes on nine closely spaced (within 50 m) firn core-density profiles. The 10 m cores were collected relatively high in Greenland's percolation zone, where melt alteration is minimal compared to lower elevation. Our analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of dynamic time warping as a tool for assessing heterogeneity between ice core records. We find that the optimal alignment of density profiles in the nine cores requires vertical stretching and compression of individual profiles, ranging from, on average, <1 to ~16% of the core lengths. We identified four depth zones of mass redistribution that appear to coincide with observed ice layers. Further, ~75% of density measurements from each core do not align with an age model-derived density profile that assumes no mass redistribution of meltwater, indicating the pervasive impact of melt processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional assessments of ice elevation change provide insight into the processes controlling an ice sheet's geometric response to climate forcing. In Southwest Greenland's land terminating sector (SWLTS), it is presumed that ice surface elevation changes result solely from changing surface mass balance (SMB). Here we test this assumption by developing a multi-decadal (1985–2017) record of elevation change from digital elevation models (DEMs) and comparing it to regional climate model output and available records of ice speed. The SWLTS thinned by >12 m on average over the full 32-year period, but the change was highly variable in time and space. Thinning was amplified in the central region of the SWLTS, relative to the north and south. During 1985–2007, the north and south regions demonstrated net thickening while the central region thinned. Regional differences in elevation change are inconsistent with SMB anomalies, indicating that enhanced ice flow in the north and south contributed to thickening during this early time interval. While clear validation in the south is prevented by incomplete velocity data, historical surface speeds in the north were elevated. These findings support the interpretation that changing ice flow can influence ice surface elevation in the slow-moving SWLTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometry and thermal structure of western Greenland ice sheet are known to have undergone relatively substantial change over the Holocene. Evolution of the frozen and melted fractions of the bed associated with the ice-sheet retreat over this time frame remains unclear. We address this question using a thermo-mechanically coupled flowline model to simulate a 11 ka period of ice-sheet retreat in west central Greenland. Results indicate an episode of ~100 km of terminus retreat corresponded to ~16 km of upstream frozen/melted basal boundary migration. The majority of migration of the frozen area is associated with the enhancement of the frictional and strain heating fields, which are accentuated toward the retreating ice margin. The thermally active bedrock layer acts as a heat sink, tending to slow contraction of frozen-bed conditions. Since the bedrock heat flux in our region is relatively low compared to other regions of the ice sheet, the frozen region is relatively greater and therefore more susceptible to marginward changes in the frictional and strain heating fields. Migration of melted regions thus depends on both geometric changes and the antecedent thermal state of the bedrock and ice, both of which vary considerably around the ice sheet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basal sliding in the ablation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet is closely associated with water from surface melt introduced to the bed in summer, yet melting of basal ice also generates subglacial water year-round. Assessments of basal melt rely on modeling with results strongly dependent upon assumptions with poor observational constraints. Here we use surface and borehole measurements to investigate the generation and fate of basal meltwater in the ablation zone of Isunnguata Sermia basin, western Greenland. The observational data are used to constrain estimates of the heat and water balances, providing insights into subglacial hydrology during the winter months when surface melt is minimal or nonexistent. Despite relatively slow ice flow speeds during winter, the basal meltwater generation from sliding friction remains manyfold greater than that due to geothermal heat flux. A steady acceleration of ice flow over the winter period at our borehole sites can cause the rate of basal water generation to increase by up to 20 %. Borehole measurements show high but steady basal water pressure rather than monotonically increasing pressure. Ice and groundwater sinks for water do not likely have sufficient capacity to accommodate the meltwater generated in winter. Analysis of basal cavity dynamics suggests that cavity opening associated with flow acceleration likely accommodates only a portion of the basal meltwater, implying that a residual is routed to the terminus through a poorly connected drainage system. A forcing from cavity expansion at high pressure may explain observations of winter acceleration in western Greenland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature sensors installed in a grid of nine full-depth boreholes drilled in the southwestern ablation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet recorded cooling in discrete sections of ice over time within the lowest third of the ice column in most boreholes. Rates of temperature change outpace cooling expected from vertical conduction alone. Additionally, observed temperature profiles deviate significantly from the site-average thermal profile that is shaped by all thermomechanical processes upstream. These deviations imply recent, localized changes to the basal thermal state in the boreholes. Although numerous heat sources exist to add energy and warm ice as it moves from the central divide towards the margin such as strain heat from internal deformation, latent heat from refreezing meltwater, and the conduction of geothermal heat across the ice–bedrock interface, identifying heat sinks proves more difficult. After eliminating possible mechanisms that could cause cooling, we find that the observed cooling is a manifestation of previous warming in near-basal ice. Thermal decay after latent heat is released from freezing water in basal crevasses is the most likely mechanism resulting in the transient evolution of temperature and the vertical thermal structure observed at our site. We argue basal crevasses are a viable englacial heat source in the basal ice of Greenland's ablation zone and may have a controlling influence on the temperature structure of the near-basal ice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the influence of various heat transfer processes on the thermal structure of near-surface ice in Greenland's ablation zone, we compare in situ measurements with thermal modeling experiments. A total of seven temperature strings were installed at three different field sites, each with between 17 and 32 sensors and extending up to 21m below the ice surface. In one string, temperatures were measured every 30 min, and the record is continuous for more than 3 years. We use these measured ice temperatures to constrain our modeling experiments, focusing on four isolated processes and assessing the relative importance of each for the near-surface ice temperature: (1) the moving boundary of an ablating surface, (2) thermal insulation by snow, (3) radiative energy input, and (4) subsurface ice temperature gradients below the seasonally active near-surface layer. In addition to these four processes, transient heating events were observed in two of the temperature strings. Despite no observations of meltwater pathways to the subsurface, these heating events are likely the refreezing of liquid water below 5-10m of cold ice. Together with subsurface refreezing, the five heat transfer mechanisms presented here account for measured differences of up to 3 °C between the mean annual air temperature and the ice temperature at the depth where annual temperature variability is dissipated. Thus, in Greenland's ablation zone, the mean annual air temperature is not a reliable predictor of the near-surface ice temperature, as is commonly assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intense rainfall events significantly affect Alpine and Alaskan glaciers through enhanced melting, ice-flow acceleration and subglacial sediment erosion, yet their impact on the Greenland ice sheet has not been assessed. Here we present measurements of ice velocity, subglacial water pressure and meteorological variables from the western margin of the Greenland ice sheet during a week of warm, wet cyclonic weather in late August and early September 2011. We find that extreme surface runoff from melt and rainfall led to a widespread acceleration in ice flow that extended 140 km into the ice-sheet interior. We suggest that the late-season timing was critical in promoting rapid runoff across an extensive bare ice surface that overwhelmed a subglacial hydrological system in transition to a less-efficient winter mode. Reanalysis data reveal that similar cyclonic weather conditions prevailed across southern and western Greenland during this time, and we observe a corresponding ice-flow response at all land- and marine-terminating glaciers in these regions for which data are available. Given that the advection of warm, moist air masses and rainfall over Greenland is expected to become more frequent in the coming decades, our findings portend a previously unforeseen vulnerability of the Greenland ice sheet to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water plays a first-order role in basal sliding of glaciers and ice sheets and is often a key constituent of accelerated glacier motion. Subglacial water is known to occupy systems of cavities and conduits at the interface between ice and the underlying bed surface, depending upon the history of water input and the characteristics of the substrate. Full understanding of the extent and configuration of basal water is lacking, however, because direct observation is difficult. This limits our ability to simulate ice dynamics and the subsequent impacts on sea-level rise realistically. Here we show that the subglacial hydrological system can have a large volume of water occupying basal crevasses that extend upward from the bed into the overlying ice. Radar and seismic imaging combined with in situ borehole measurements collected on Bench Glacier, Alaska, reveal numerous water-filled basal crevasses with highly transmissive connections to the bed. Some crevasses extend many tens of metres above the bed and together they hold a volume of water equivalent to at least a decimetre layer covering the bed. Our results demonstrate that the basal hydrologic system can extend high into the overlying ice mass, where basal crevasses increase water-storage capacity and could potentially modulate basal water pressure. Because basal crevasses can form under commonly observed glaciological conditions, our findings have implications for interpreting and modelling subglacial hydrologic processes and related sliding accelerations of glaciers and ice sheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permafrost typically exists in regions impacted by past or present glacier and ice sheet coverage. Consequently, the thermal and physical conditions at the bed of ice masses can often form important controls on permafrost and associated groundwater flow dynamics. Here we present a conceptual overview of the Western Greenland ice sheet basal conditions, from ice divide-to-margin, with regards to regional permafrost and groundwater flow fields. Our understanding is based on ice sheet modeling combined with detailed field observations conducted along a 325 km long transect of the ice sheet as part of the "Greenland Analogue Project". We drilled 36 boreholes to the bed of the ice sheet to measure ice temperature, ice deformation and basal sliding, and subglacial water pressure and transmissivity. Simulations incorporate heat transport and higher-order physics for ice flow in three dimensions, data assimilation for constraining model results with climate and surface velocity data fields, and are forced by boundary conditions uniquely constrained by observational data. Our results suggest that between the central ice divide and the ice sheet margin, the bed transitions between four differing thermo-hydrologic regimes. Each zone has different physical conditions and plays contrasting roles in the regional groundwater flow field. We discuss the permafrost conditions beneath the ice sheet and two remaining uncertainties in transitional zones that impact permafrost and groundwater flow conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research that investigates the massive aquifer that stores the melted water, from the ice sheets, underneath the earth surface in southern Greenland. In April 2011, researchers drilled the cores of the ice sheets and measure its thickness but they discovered water-saturated firn that is 10 meters below from the surface. Moreover, they have uncovered the fundamental and overlooked meltwater runoff in the country.

To contrast continental and alpine subglacial weathering regimes and thereby assess the role of large ice masses in chemical weathering, borehole and outlet water samples were collected from multiple locations on a major, land-terminating outlet of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Boreholes, reaching ice depths to 824 m, were drilled to the bed with hot-water methods in four areas of the ice sheet ablation zone along a 45 km transect extending inland from the outlet terminus. The bulk chemical composition of these samples shows substantially less influence of sulfides and carbonates than found in alpine glaciers, suggesting that the sediment under this region of the ice sheet has become depleted of accessory minerals. The waters show wide variability in chemical composition over both large and small temporalspatial scales, suggesting large ranges in length of subglacial water storage and in rates of abrasion and comminution of subglacial earth materials. The dissolved solids concentrations found in the Greenland Ice Sheet are comparable to and in some cases exceed those of alpine glaciers, suggesting that large ice masses are capable of generating substantial dissolved loads through silicate weathering mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]