Modelling the outlet glaciers terminating in Godthab fjord

Published: May 1, 2013 by The PISM Authors

Can regional ice dynamics modeling help to understand the mass loss of the Greenland ice sheet through surface melting and flow into outlet glaciers (calving and basal melting), and estimate the fresh water flux into a fjord? This study considers an example, the outlet glaciers terminating in Godthab fjord, including glacier Kangiata Nunaata Sermia. surface mass balance and 2 m air temperature from RACMO and HIRHAM RCM output were compared. The new PISM ‘regional’ mode, the pismo executable in stable0.5, was applied. The model captures the high velocities near the terminus qualitatively, but even at high 2 km model resolution the distinct fast flowing arms are not well modelled, and the modelled velocities and fluxes are overall lower than than observed. The question remains: Are there are deep troughs in the bed topography where the surface velocity is very high? see the youtube video