Articles | Volume 9, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-103-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-103-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Brief communication
| 
15 Jan 2015
Brief communication |
| 15 Jan 2015
Brief Communication: Sudden drainage of a subglacial lake beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet
I. M. Howat
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Earth Sciences and Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
C. Porter
Polar Geospatial Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
M. J. Noh
School of Earth Sciences and Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
B. E. Smith
Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Lab, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
S. Jeong
School of Earth Sciences and Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Cited
23 citations as recorded by crossref.
- A synthesis of the basal thermal state of the Greenland Ice Sheet J. MacGregor et al. 10.1002/2015JF003803
- Characterization of a glacial paleo-outburst flood using high-resolution 3-D seismic data: Bjørnelva River Valley, SW Barents Sea B. Bellwald et al. 10.1017/jog.2020.115
- Geodetic mass balance record with rigorous uncertainty estimates deduced from aerial photographs and lidar data – Case study from Drangajökull ice cap, NW Iceland E. Magnússon et al. 10.5194/tc-10-159-2016
- A constraint upon the basal water distribution and thermal state of the Greenland Ice Sheet from radar bed echoes T. Jordan et al. 10.5194/tc-12-2831-2018
- A numerical algorithm for the assessment of the conjecture of a subglacial lake tested at Amundsenisen, Svalbard D. Mansutti et al. 10.1007/s12210-016-0547-1
- Filling and drainage of a subglacial lake beneath the Flade Isblink ice cap, northeast Greenland Q. Liang et al. 10.5194/tc-16-2671-2022
- Anatomy of a meltwater drainage system beneath the ancestral East Antarctic ice sheet L. Simkins et al. 10.1038/ngeo3012
- Subglacial lake activity beneath the ablation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet Y. Fan et al. 10.5194/tc-17-1775-2023
- Discovery of a hypersaline subglacial lake complex beneath Devon Ice Cap, Canadian Arctic A. Rutishauser et al. 10.1126/sciadv.aar4353
- Triangular-shaped landforms reveal subglacial drainage routes in SW Finland J. Mäkinen et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2017.03.024
- Radar sounding survey over Devon Ice Cap indicates the potential for a diverse hypersaline subglacial hydrological environment A. Rutishauser et al. 10.5194/tc-16-379-2022
- CryoSat-2 swath interferometric altimetry for mapping ice elevation and elevation change N. Gourmelen et al. 10.1016/j.asr.2017.11.014
- Recent advances in understanding Antarctic subglacial lakes and hydrology M. Siegert et al. 10.1098/rsta.2014.0306
- Drainage and refill of an Antarctic Peninsula subglacial lake reveal an active subglacial hydrological network D. Hodgson et al. 10.5194/tc-16-4797-2022
- Evidence of Cascading Subglacial Water Flow at Jutulstraumen Glacier (Antarctica) Derived From Sentinel‐1 and ICESat‐2 Measurements N. Neckel et al. 10.1029/2021GL094472
- Surface Expression and Apparent Timing of Subglacial Lake Oscillations Controlled by Viscous Ice Flow A. Stubblefield et al. 10.1029/2021GL094658
- A Method of Repeat Photoclinometry for Detecting Kilometer-Scale Ice Sheet Surface Evolution C. Greene & D. Blankenship 10.1109/TGRS.2017.2773364
- Improved monitoring of subglacial lake activity in Greenland L. Sandberg Sørensen et al. 10.5194/tc-18-505-2024
- Chaotic dynamics of a glaciohydraulic model J. Kingslake 10.3189/2015JoG14J208
- Funnel-shaped surface depressions — Indicator or accelerant of rapid glacier disintegration? A case study in the Tyrolean Alps M. Stocker-Waldhuber et al. 10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.11.006
- Distribution and dynamics of Greenland subglacial lakes J. Bowling et al. 10.1038/s41467-019-10821-w
- Subglacial lake drainage detected beneath the Greenland ice sheet S. Palmer et al. 10.1038/ncomms9408
- Theoretical, contemporary observational and palaeo-perspectives on ice sheet hydrology: Processes and products S. Greenwood et al. 10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.01.010
23 citations as recorded by crossref.
- A synthesis of the basal thermal state of the Greenland Ice Sheet J. MacGregor et al. 10.1002/2015JF003803
- Characterization of a glacial paleo-outburst flood using high-resolution 3-D seismic data: Bjørnelva River Valley, SW Barents Sea B. Bellwald et al. 10.1017/jog.2020.115
- Geodetic mass balance record with rigorous uncertainty estimates deduced from aerial photographs and lidar data – Case study from Drangajökull ice cap, NW Iceland E. Magnússon et al. 10.5194/tc-10-159-2016
- A constraint upon the basal water distribution and thermal state of the Greenland Ice Sheet from radar bed echoes T. Jordan et al. 10.5194/tc-12-2831-2018
- A numerical algorithm for the assessment of the conjecture of a subglacial lake tested at Amundsenisen, Svalbard D. Mansutti et al. 10.1007/s12210-016-0547-1
- Filling and drainage of a subglacial lake beneath the Flade Isblink ice cap, northeast Greenland Q. Liang et al. 10.5194/tc-16-2671-2022
- Anatomy of a meltwater drainage system beneath the ancestral East Antarctic ice sheet L. Simkins et al. 10.1038/ngeo3012
- Subglacial lake activity beneath the ablation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet Y. Fan et al. 10.5194/tc-17-1775-2023
- Discovery of a hypersaline subglacial lake complex beneath Devon Ice Cap, Canadian Arctic A. Rutishauser et al. 10.1126/sciadv.aar4353
- Triangular-shaped landforms reveal subglacial drainage routes in SW Finland J. Mäkinen et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2017.03.024
- Radar sounding survey over Devon Ice Cap indicates the potential for a diverse hypersaline subglacial hydrological environment A. Rutishauser et al. 10.5194/tc-16-379-2022
- CryoSat-2 swath interferometric altimetry for mapping ice elevation and elevation change N. Gourmelen et al. 10.1016/j.asr.2017.11.014
- Recent advances in understanding Antarctic subglacial lakes and hydrology M. Siegert et al. 10.1098/rsta.2014.0306
- Drainage and refill of an Antarctic Peninsula subglacial lake reveal an active subglacial hydrological network D. Hodgson et al. 10.5194/tc-16-4797-2022
- Evidence of Cascading Subglacial Water Flow at Jutulstraumen Glacier (Antarctica) Derived From Sentinel‐1 and ICESat‐2 Measurements N. Neckel et al. 10.1029/2021GL094472
- Surface Expression and Apparent Timing of Subglacial Lake Oscillations Controlled by Viscous Ice Flow A. Stubblefield et al. 10.1029/2021GL094658
- A Method of Repeat Photoclinometry for Detecting Kilometer-Scale Ice Sheet Surface Evolution C. Greene & D. Blankenship 10.1109/TGRS.2017.2773364
- Improved monitoring of subglacial lake activity in Greenland L. Sandberg Sørensen et al. 10.5194/tc-18-505-2024
- Chaotic dynamics of a glaciohydraulic model J. Kingslake 10.3189/2015JoG14J208
- Funnel-shaped surface depressions — Indicator or accelerant of rapid glacier disintegration? A case study in the Tyrolean Alps M. Stocker-Waldhuber et al. 10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.11.006
- Distribution and dynamics of Greenland subglacial lakes J. Bowling et al. 10.1038/s41467-019-10821-w
- Subglacial lake drainage detected beneath the Greenland ice sheet S. Palmer et al. 10.1038/ncomms9408
- Theoretical, contemporary observational and palaeo-perspectives on ice sheet hydrology: Processes and products S. Greenwood et al. 10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.01.010
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Discussed (final revised paper)
Latest update: 23 Apr 2024
Short summary
In the summer of 2011, a large crater appeared in the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet. It formed when a subglacial lake, equivalent to 10,000 swimming pools, catastrophically drained in less than 14 days. This is the first direct evidence that surface meltwater that drains through cracks to the bed of the ice sheet can build up in subglacial lakes over long periods of time. The sudden drainage may have been due to more surface melting and an increase in meltwater reaching the bed.
In the summer of 2011, a large crater appeared in the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet. It...
