Seasonal waves on glaciers

Journal article

Seasonal waves accompanying annual changes in the sliding velocity of ice travel down glacier at speeds much faster than the ice itself. A simple explanation for these waves in terms of the passage of a pressure wave through the subglacial drainage system is given. Drainage by both distributed and localized systems is explored, with the sliding velocity governed by a dependence on the effective pressure. Waves are caused by drainage through a slow distributed system, but may be damped if this is well connected to an efficient channelized system. A possible connection between these waves and high velocity spring events is discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Authors: Hewitt, I; Fowler, A

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 19
• Pages: 3919-3930
• Publication date: 2008-09-15
• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.7029
• EISSN: 1099-1085
• ISSN: 0885-6087
• Language: English
• Keywords: seasonal drainage evolution; glacier dynamics; subglacial hydrology; glacier sliding