Supraglacial Lake Volumes On The Jakobshavn Isbrae
Adler, John 1
1 CIRES
In contrast to Antarctica, water runoff constitutes approximately half of Greenland's annual ice loss, with iceberg calving contributing the other 50%. In the Jakobshavn Isbrae region, the melt water from dozens of supraglacial lakes will ultimately flow into the ocean as runoff, which can contribute to sea level rise. The July 2008 Arctic MUSCOX (Multisensor Cryospheric Observation Experiment) project investigated a few of these supraglacial lakes. The combination of laser profiling techniques from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) along with high-resolution satellite imagery enabled detailed mapping and the calculation of a supraglacial lake volume (on the order of 5,000 hectare meters). Drainage patterns of the 5 square kilometer supraglacial lake are described following the July 10th drainage event. Analysis of the flow patterns if the input and output streams is also presented.