Greenland in a warmer climate: What controls the advance & retreat of the NE Greenland Ice Stream
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Geography
Abstract
Over the past decade the Greenland ice sheet has thinned at an accelerating rate and is currently the largest single contributor to global sea-level rise. Understanding the likely rate and magnitude of future change matters because accurate projections of sea-level rise are necessary if governments are to plan for the future in a warming world and develop sustainable coastal defence strategies.
A significant portion of Greenland's contribution to sea-level rise has been associated with the speed-up and melting of an increased number of fast-flowing outlet glaciers. Rapid thinning of these glaciers has coincided with increases in air and ocean temperatures, suggesting that they are sensitive and responsive to these parameters. However, although various mechanisms related to atmospheric and oceanic forcing have been proposed to explain the recent thinning, there exist large uncertainties in the relative importance of and interplay between each of these and the ice sheet response to them over longer timescales. Without this crucial information output from the current generation of ice sheet models has limitations and there is potential for significant errors in sea-level rise projections.
This research will directly address this critical gap in our understanding by reconstructing the past behaviour of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) over the past 10,000 years. NEGIS is of particular interest because recent studies show that this cold, High Arctic region of the ice sheet has started to undergo sustained thinning after more than 25 years of relative stability. This has raised concerns that rapid inland retreat is already underway and could lead to drawdown of the NEGIS catchment. Complete collapse of its drainage basin would raise sea-level by ~1.4 m (equivalent to the combined Pine Island-Thwaites catchment in Antarctica) posing a major hazard for coastal populations. NEGIS provides an unparalleled opportunity to investigate the response of an ice stream to past change (oceanic and atmospheric warming), because there is evidence that it underwent dramatic retreat (and then advance) during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (a period of increased air temperatures analogous to that predicted for late 21st century).
To achieve this we have assembled an experienced team who will generate a detailed record of changes in NEGIS geometry, and the contemporaneous atmospheric, oceanic and relative sea level changes. We will reconstruct ice stream configuration (thickness, extent) from marine and terrestrial data, and produce high-resolution records of oceanic and atmospheric temperatures and relative sea level. Using a state-of-the-art ice sheet model (BISICLES), these data will be used to test the sensitivity of the ice stream to different forcing mechanisms at 100-1000 year timescales. Our chosen timescale will allow us to differentiate short term 'noise' from long term trends, something that has been recognised as a potential issue, which is not possible from investigations of contemporary margin fluctuations derived from a few decades of instrumental records. Ultimately our project will deliver significant improvements in our understanding of the sensitivity of the ice sheet to various forcing mechanisms that will help to underpin sea-level rise projections, shape policy on coastal defence and protect future generations.
The project has significant added value in that we will work within a funded European programme 'Greenland Ice Sheet/Ocean Interaction and Fram Strait Fluxes' and has confirmed funded logistical support through the Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany and a 50 day cruise on the RV Polarstern (2016) to this remote area.
A significant portion of Greenland's contribution to sea-level rise has been associated with the speed-up and melting of an increased number of fast-flowing outlet glaciers. Rapid thinning of these glaciers has coincided with increases in air and ocean temperatures, suggesting that they are sensitive and responsive to these parameters. However, although various mechanisms related to atmospheric and oceanic forcing have been proposed to explain the recent thinning, there exist large uncertainties in the relative importance of and interplay between each of these and the ice sheet response to them over longer timescales. Without this crucial information output from the current generation of ice sheet models has limitations and there is potential for significant errors in sea-level rise projections.
This research will directly address this critical gap in our understanding by reconstructing the past behaviour of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) over the past 10,000 years. NEGIS is of particular interest because recent studies show that this cold, High Arctic region of the ice sheet has started to undergo sustained thinning after more than 25 years of relative stability. This has raised concerns that rapid inland retreat is already underway and could lead to drawdown of the NEGIS catchment. Complete collapse of its drainage basin would raise sea-level by ~1.4 m (equivalent to the combined Pine Island-Thwaites catchment in Antarctica) posing a major hazard for coastal populations. NEGIS provides an unparalleled opportunity to investigate the response of an ice stream to past change (oceanic and atmospheric warming), because there is evidence that it underwent dramatic retreat (and then advance) during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (a period of increased air temperatures analogous to that predicted for late 21st century).
To achieve this we have assembled an experienced team who will generate a detailed record of changes in NEGIS geometry, and the contemporaneous atmospheric, oceanic and relative sea level changes. We will reconstruct ice stream configuration (thickness, extent) from marine and terrestrial data, and produce high-resolution records of oceanic and atmospheric temperatures and relative sea level. Using a state-of-the-art ice sheet model (BISICLES), these data will be used to test the sensitivity of the ice stream to different forcing mechanisms at 100-1000 year timescales. Our chosen timescale will allow us to differentiate short term 'noise' from long term trends, something that has been recognised as a potential issue, which is not possible from investigations of contemporary margin fluctuations derived from a few decades of instrumental records. Ultimately our project will deliver significant improvements in our understanding of the sensitivity of the ice sheet to various forcing mechanisms that will help to underpin sea-level rise projections, shape policy on coastal defence and protect future generations.
The project has significant added value in that we will work within a funded European programme 'Greenland Ice Sheet/Ocean Interaction and Fram Strait Fluxes' and has confirmed funded logistical support through the Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany and a 50 day cruise on the RV Polarstern (2016) to this remote area.
Planned Impact
Who will benefit?
1. Think Big Science day: The Think Big programme is part of Durham University's Supported Progression Programme for talented students studying in the North East and Cumbria who have the potential to study at university and who will benefit from additional help and support to reach their full potential. Through offering a Think Big science day on 'Ice Sheets and Climate Change' we would aim to inspire and attract Pre 16 school children from all across the northeast region to come and learn about ice sheets and the challenges of climate change, and to encourage them to join our Supported Progression Programme.
2. DynamIce interactive WWW site: Ice sheet models provide the key to predicting the future behaviour of our cryosphere in a warming world, but perhaps more importantly, they provide a spectacular visual means with which to engage the public. Ice sheet models are dynamic, colourful and informative. As part of this project we propose to design and build a user friendly, interactive, animated model that will enable the public to explore the response of an ice sheet to different climatic forcings.
3. Academic community: The numerical modelling community will benefit particularly from increased understanding of ocean-ice interactions and a benchmark dataset for testing numerical models of marine-based ice sheet outlet glaciers and ice shelves over centennial to millennial timescales.
How will they benefit?
1. Think Big Science day: The Think Big science day will provide 100 places for local children and teachers from local/regional secondary schools. We will offer children the chance to spend a day in the Geography Department with interactive laboratory sessions, guest lectures by the project team ('Climate Change + Ice' and 'Adventures in the Arctic') and a mini field trip
2. DynamIce interactive WWW site: DynamIce will be self-guiding and demonstrate the relationships between increasing ocean and air temperatures, ice sheet response and sea-level, but also illustrate concepts of non-linear response behaviour in the earth system. It would be trialled on the Think Big Science Day to get feedback on its ease of use and impact before being made more widely available through outreach programmes embedded within bodies such as the Geographical Association, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Quaternary Research Association. An improved understanding of numerical models and their associated uncertainties forms a critical part of the public debate on climate change and we hope that DynamIce will inform this debate.
3. Academic community: Our field data, providing the first well-constrained data on long-term ice-ocean-atmosphere coupling will help constrain and validate the next generation of ice sheet numerical models.
What will be done?
1. Think Big Science day: The Supported Progression team will implement the planning and development of the day in partnership with local schools.
2. DynamIce interactive WWW site: The project team will use a design and imaging team to develop Dynam-Ice.
3. Academic community: Our results will be communicated though conferences, workshops, and papers and our data added to the NERC National Geoscience Data Centre.
1. Think Big Science day: The Think Big programme is part of Durham University's Supported Progression Programme for talented students studying in the North East and Cumbria who have the potential to study at university and who will benefit from additional help and support to reach their full potential. Through offering a Think Big science day on 'Ice Sheets and Climate Change' we would aim to inspire and attract Pre 16 school children from all across the northeast region to come and learn about ice sheets and the challenges of climate change, and to encourage them to join our Supported Progression Programme.
2. DynamIce interactive WWW site: Ice sheet models provide the key to predicting the future behaviour of our cryosphere in a warming world, but perhaps more importantly, they provide a spectacular visual means with which to engage the public. Ice sheet models are dynamic, colourful and informative. As part of this project we propose to design and build a user friendly, interactive, animated model that will enable the public to explore the response of an ice sheet to different climatic forcings.
3. Academic community: The numerical modelling community will benefit particularly from increased understanding of ocean-ice interactions and a benchmark dataset for testing numerical models of marine-based ice sheet outlet glaciers and ice shelves over centennial to millennial timescales.
How will they benefit?
1. Think Big Science day: The Think Big science day will provide 100 places for local children and teachers from local/regional secondary schools. We will offer children the chance to spend a day in the Geography Department with interactive laboratory sessions, guest lectures by the project team ('Climate Change + Ice' and 'Adventures in the Arctic') and a mini field trip
2. DynamIce interactive WWW site: DynamIce will be self-guiding and demonstrate the relationships between increasing ocean and air temperatures, ice sheet response and sea-level, but also illustrate concepts of non-linear response behaviour in the earth system. It would be trialled on the Think Big Science Day to get feedback on its ease of use and impact before being made more widely available through outreach programmes embedded within bodies such as the Geographical Association, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Quaternary Research Association. An improved understanding of numerical models and their associated uncertainties forms a critical part of the public debate on climate change and we hope that DynamIce will inform this debate.
3. Academic community: Our field data, providing the first well-constrained data on long-term ice-ocean-atmosphere coupling will help constrain and validate the next generation of ice sheet numerical models.
What will be done?
1. Think Big Science day: The Supported Progression team will implement the planning and development of the day in partnership with local schools.
2. DynamIce interactive WWW site: The project team will use a design and imaging team to develop Dynam-Ice.
3. Academic community: Our results will be communicated though conferences, workshops, and papers and our data added to the NERC National Geoscience Data Centre.
Organisations
- Durham University (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Copenhagen (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN (Collaboration)
- Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (Collaboration)
- Quaternary Research Association (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Alfred-Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (Collaboration)
- British Antarctic Survey (Collaboration)
- University of Bristol (Collaboration)
- University of Bristol (Project Partner)
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Project Partner)
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (Project Partner)
Publications
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Jerry M Lloyd
(2023)
Ice-ocean interactions at the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) over the past 11,000 years
in Quaternary Science Reviews
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Lane T
(2023)
The geomorphological record of an ice stream to ice shelf transition in Northeast Greenland
in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Schaffer J
(2020)
Bathymetry constrains ocean heat supply to Greenland's largest glacier tongue
in Nature Geoscience
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Smith J
(2023)
Holocene history of the 79° N ice shelf reconstructed from epishelf lake and uplifted glaciomarine sediments
in The Cryosphere
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Syring N
(2020)
Holocene Interactions Between Glacier Retreat, Sea Ice Formation, and Atlantic Water Advection at the Inner Northeast Greenland Continental Shelf
in Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
Description | There have been two research cruises to Greenland (Aug/Sept 2016 + Sept/Oct 2017) with German colleagues (AWI) on the ice breaker (RV Polarstern; PS100/109) as part of this project.T he geophysical data and core material collected from the ocean floor as part of these cruises has been partially analysed by PDRA 1 between April 2017 and March 2018. There has also been an onshore field campaign to NE Greenland in the summer of 2017. This collected geological samples from glaciated terrain for cosmogenic surface exposure dating and radiocarbon dating of uplifted marine sediments. Geomorphological data was also collected from areas adjacent to the 79N ice shelf. The deployment of a raft on an epishelf lake also enabled the collection of sediment cores and surface samples that will be analysed through 2018/19. Throughout 2019 and 2021 the project has focused on ice sheet modelling and data model integration in order to validate and calibrate our new ice sheet models. 2 papers are published to date with 8 to follow. |
Exploitation Route | Data on changing cryospheric and oceanic conditions will be of interest to the modelling community and climate scientists. New ice sheet models of Greenland ice sheet evolution will be of interest to the modelling community and climate scientists. |
Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
URL | http://community.dur.ac.uk/negis/ |
Title | An update to Greenland and Antarctic ice sheet topography, cavity geometry, and global bathymetry (RTopo-2.0.4), supplement to: Schaffer, Janin; Kanzow, Torsten; von Appen, Wilken-Jon; von Albedyll, Luisa; Arndt, Jan Erik; Roberts, David H (in review): Bathymetry constrains ocean heat supply to Greenland's largest glacier tongue. Nature Geoscience |
Description | As an update to the RTopo-2.0.1 data set (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.856844), RTopo-2.0.4 contains new original bathymetry data for the Northeast Greenland continental shelf. In the Southern Ocean, we added the Rosier et al. (JGR Oceans, 2018) bathymetry grid below Filchner Ice Shelf. This work was supported in part through the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the Special Priority Program (SPP) 1889 "Regional Sea Level Change and Society" (grant OGreen79), the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) within the GROCE project (Grant 03F0778A), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) large grant "Ice shelves in a warming world: Filchner Ice Shelf System" (NE/L013770/1), the NERC project "Greenland in a warmer climate: What controls the advance & retreat of the NE Greenland Ice Stream" (Grant NE/N011228/1), and the Helmholtz Climate Initiative "Regional Climate Change" (REKLIM). |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Title | An update to the Northeast Greenland - Digital Bathymetric Compilation, supplement to: Schaffer, Janin; Kanzow, Torsten; von Appen, Wilken-Jon; von Albedyll, Luisa; Arndt, Jan Erik; Roberts, David H (2020): Bathymetry constrains ocean heat supply to Greenland's largest glacier tongue. Nature Geoscience, 13(3), 227-231 |
Description | As an update to the Northeast Greenland - Digital Bathymetric Compilation (https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.849313), the updated digital bathymetric model (DBM) for the Northeast Greenland (NEG) continental shelf (74°N - 81°N) contains new original bathymetry data for the Northeast Greenland continental shelf, specifically in front of the 79 North Glacier, recorded during R/V Polarstern expedition PS100.This work was supported in part through the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the Special Priority Program (SPP) 1889 "Regional Sea Level Change and Society" (grant OGreen79), the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) within the GROCE project (Grant 03F0778A), and the NERC project "Greenland in a warmer climate: What controls the advance & retreat of the NE Greenland Ice Stream" (Grant NE/N011228/1). |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.909628 |
Title | Chronological sedimentological data (radiocarbon 14C) for cores LC7 and LC12 sediment record from Blaso, a large, epishelf lake in NW Greenland collected July-August 2017 |
Description | The dataset comprises of analyses of two sediment cores (LC12 and LC7), extracted from Blaso, a large epishelf lake on the margin of 79 degrees N Ice Shelf, NW Greenland in July-August 2017. The data are used to constrain ice shelf dynamics over the last 8500 calibrated years before present (cal. years B.P., where present is A.D. 1950). Data for the LC7 and LC12 sediment records consist of radiocarbon (14C) chronology data. Overlapping 2 m-long sediment cores were recovered with a UWITEC KOL 'Kolbenlot percussion piston corer to a total sediment depth of 3.74 m (LC7) and 5.24 m (LC12). Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was used for radiocarbon (14C) dating. Core LC7: 87 m water depth; 79.589 degrees N, 22.494 degrees E. Core LC12: 90 m water depth; 79.5948 degrees N, 22.44233 degrees E. This project was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through Standard Grant NE/N011228/1. We thank the Alfred Wegner Institute, and particularly Angelika Humbert and Hicham Rafiq, for their significant logistic support through the iGRIFF project. Additional support was provided from Station Nord (Jorgen Skafte), Nordland Air, Air Greenland and the Joint Arctic Command. Naalakkersuisut, Government of Greenland, provided Scientific Survey (VU-00121) and Export (046/2017) licences for this work |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01663 |
Title | Conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) data from Blaso epishelf lake, Northeast Greenland, July-August 2017 |
Description | Fieldwork was undertaken at the epishelf lake, Blaso, in Northeast Greenland between 19th July and 11th August 2017. CTD casts were made between 27/7/17 and 10/8/17. The CTD operated continuously and was deployed using a hand-spooled winch from a small boat at eight sites across the lake, with the objective of characterising water conditions at both calving fronts and in the three lake basins identified by the CHIRP survey. The CTDs were sampled between 31st July and 10th August 2017 and during this period there was persistent lake ice which prevented CTD measurements close to the eastern calving front. In contrast, most of the lake ice in the western basin had dispersed and melted by early August, allowing access to the western calving margin. Depth temperature and salinity observations are reported as metres (m), degrees centigrade (Deg C) and Practical Salinity Units (PSU). This project was funded by NERC Standard Grant NE/N011228/1 |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | First direct observations of water mass characteristics in Blaso epishelf lake. Critical for future understanding of the stability of the Nioghalvesfjerdfjorden ice shelf and the Northeast Greenland ice stream. |
URL | https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01675 |
Title | Fieldwork/data collection NE Greenland |
Description | Fieldwork in NE Greenland executed July/aug 2017 |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Analysis ongoing. |
Title | Geochemical data (XRF-scanner) for core LC7 sediment record from Blaso, a large, epishelf lake in NW Greenland collected July-August 2017 |
Description | The dataset comprises multi-proxy analyses of sediment core, LC7, extracted from Blaso, a large epishelf lake on the margin of 79 °N Ice Shelf, NW Greenland in July-August 2017. The data are used to constrain ice shelf dynamics over the last 8500 calibrated years before present (cal. years B.P., where present is A.D. 1950). A 2 m-long sediment core was recovered with a UWITEC KOL 'Kolbenlot' percussion piston corer to a total sediment depth of 3.74m. Core LC7: 87 m water depth; 79.589 ° N, 22.494 ° E. Geochemical data for the LC7 sediment records consists of XRF-scanner data. This project was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through Standard Grant NE/N011228/1. We thank the Alfred Wegner Institute, and particularly Angelika Humbert and Hicham Rafiq, for their significant logistic support through the iGRIFF project. Additional support was provided from Station Nord (Jorgen Skafte), Nordland Air, Air Greenland and the Joint Arctic Command. Naalakkersuisut, Government of Greenland, provided Scientific Survey (VU-00121) and Export (046/2017) licences for this work. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01666 |
Title | Geochemical data (clay mineral, XRF-scanner and biomarker data) for core LC12 sediment record from Blaso, a large, epishelf lake in NW Greenland collected July-August 2017 |
Description | The dataset comprises multi-proxy analyses of sediment core, LC12, extracted from Blaso, a large epishelf lake on the margin of 79 degree N Ice Shelf, NW Greenland in July-August 2017. The data are used to constrain ice shelf dynamics over the last 8500 calibrated years before present (cal. years B.P., where present is A.D. 1950). A 2 m-long sediment core was recovered with a UWITEC KOL 'Kolbenlot' percussion piston corer to a total sediment depth of 5.24. Core LC12: 90 m water depth; 79.5948 ° N, 22.44233 ° E. Geochemical data for the LC12 sediment records consists of clay mineral, XRF-scanner and biomarker data. This project was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through Standard Grant NE/N011228/1. We thank the Alfred Wegner Institute, and particularly Angelika Humbert and Hicham Rafiq, for their significant logistic support through the iGRIFF project. Additional support was provided from Station Nord (Jorgen Skafte), Nordland Air, Air Greenland and the Joint Arctic Command. Naalakkersuisut, Government of Greenland, provided Scientific Survey (VU-00121) and Export (046/2017) licences for this work. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01667 |
Title | NEGIS ice sheet modelling |
Description | NEGIS ice sheet modelling experiments (BISCICLES) ongoing March 2020 to March 2021. Led by Jamieson (Co-I), Cullum (PDRA), Cornford (Project Partner), Roberts (PI). Note: modelling COVID impacted through 2020/2021 |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Ice sheet modelling is the final work package component of the NEGIS project. It will be completed in 2021. |
Title | Offshore sediment cores and geophysical data |
Description | Sediment cores and geophysical data were collected on cruise PS100 in summer 2016. 43 sediment cores are archived at Durham University and analysis will begin April 2017. Geophysical data generated by the shipboard Parasound system will also be analysed when PDRA 1 starts in April 2017 |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | none thus far |
Title | Pressure transducer (tidal) data for Blaso epishelf lake, Northeast Greenland July - August 2017 |
Description | Fieldwork was undertaken at Blaso epishelf lake, Northeast Greenland between 19th July and 11th August 2017. Tidal variation was measured using a water pressure transducer between the 24th July to 8th August 2017. The tidal measurements are therefore presented as three measurement intervals: Interval 1 (25th July - 29th July), Interval 2 (29th July - 2nd August), and Interval 3 (2nd August - 12th August). This project was funded by NERC Standard Grant NE/N011228/1. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | First direct observations of tidal influence on the behaviour of the grounding line of the Northeast Greenland ice stream and the dynamic behaviour of water masses in Blaso epishelf lake. Critical for future understanding of the stability of the Nioghalvesfjerdfjorden ice shelf. |
URL | https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01676 |
Title | Sediment core analysis |
Description | 25 sediment cores form cruise PS109 analysed between Oct 2017 and March 2018 |
Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Sediment core analysis and interpretation ongoing |
Title | Sediment core analysis |
Description | 43 sediment cores form cruise PS100 analysed at Durham University between April 2017 and Feb 2018 |
Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Sediment core analysis and interpretation ongoing |
Title | Sedimentological data (foraminifera, wet bulk density and magnetic susceptibility) for core LC7 sediment record from Blaso, a large, epishelf lake in NW Greenland collected July-August 2017 |
Description | The dataset comprises multi-proxy analyses of a sediment core (LC7) extracted from Blaso, a large epishelf lake on the margin of 79 ° N Ice Shelf, NW Greenland in July-August 2017. The data are used to constrain ice shelf dynamics over the last 8500 calibrated years before present (cal. years B.P., where present is A.D. 1950). A 2 m-long sediment core was recovered with a UWITEC KOL 'Kolbenlot' percussion piston corer to a total sediment depth of 3.74 m. Core LC7: 87 m water depth; 79.589 ° N, 22.494 ° E. Sedimentological data for the LC7 sediment record consists of physical properties (magnetic susceptibility, wet bulk density) and foraminifera data. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01664 |
Title | Sedimentological data (grain size data, wet bulk density, foraminifera and magnetic susceptibility) for core LC12 sediment record from Blaso, a large, epishelf lake, NW Greenland in July-Aug 2017 |
Description | The dataset comprises multi-proxy analyses sediment core, LC12, extracted from Blaso, a large, epishelf lake on the margin of 79 degrees N Ice Shelf, NW Greenland in July-August 2017. The data are used to constrain ice shelf dynamics over the last ~8500 calibrated years before present (cal. years B.P., where present is A.D. 1950). 2 m-long sediment cores were recovered with a UWITEC KOL 'Kolbenlot' percussion piston corer to a total sediment depth of 5.24 m. Core LC12 collected from: 90 m water depth; 79.5948 degrees N, 22.44233 degrees E. LC12 sediment records consist of physical properties (magnetic susceptibility, wet bulk density), foraminifera and grain-size data. This project was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through Standard Grant NE/N011228/1. We thank the Alfred Wegner Institute, and particularly Angelika Humbert and Hicham Rafiq, for their significant logistic support through the iGRIFF project. Additional support was provided from Station Nord (Jorgen Skafte), Nordland Air, Air Greenland and the Joint Arctic Command. Naalakkersuisut, Government of Greenland, provided Scientific Survey (VU-00121) and Export (046/2017) licences for this work. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01665 |
Description | Collaboration Agreement: Greenland in a warmer climate - what controls the advance and decay of the NE Greenland ice stream |
Organisation | Alfred-Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Durham provide the team to collect field data both onshore and offshore in NE Greenland Durham provide the team to analyse the data back in the UK and manage and disseminate the findings of the project |
Collaborator Contribution | Alfred Wegener provide ship time on the RV Polarstern through their Arctic Research programme and will share a logistical platform in NE Greenland in summer 2017. BAS will have an input into the collection and analysis of epishelf lake sediments. Aberdeen will have an input into the collection of terrestrial samples and onshore mapping. Bristol will help to develop our ice sheet model. Niels-Bohr will provide glaciological information for NE Greenland to inform the model. The QRA will help with the dissemination of our impact plan |
Impact | Cruise PS 100 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2016 with AWI. Cruise PS 109 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2017 with AWI. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Collaboration Agreement: Greenland in a warmer climate - what controls the advance and decay of the NE Greenland ice stream |
Organisation | British Antarctic Survey |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Durham provide the team to collect field data both onshore and offshore in NE Greenland Durham provide the team to analyse the data back in the UK and manage and disseminate the findings of the project |
Collaborator Contribution | Alfred Wegener provide ship time on the RV Polarstern through their Arctic Research programme and will share a logistical platform in NE Greenland in summer 2017. BAS will have an input into the collection and analysis of epishelf lake sediments. Aberdeen will have an input into the collection of terrestrial samples and onshore mapping. Bristol will help to develop our ice sheet model. Niels-Bohr will provide glaciological information for NE Greenland to inform the model. The QRA will help with the dissemination of our impact plan |
Impact | Cruise PS 100 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2016 with AWI. Cruise PS 109 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2017 with AWI. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Collaboration Agreement: Greenland in a warmer climate - what controls the advance and decay of the NE Greenland ice stream |
Organisation | Quaternary Research Association |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Durham provide the team to collect field data both onshore and offshore in NE Greenland Durham provide the team to analyse the data back in the UK and manage and disseminate the findings of the project |
Collaborator Contribution | Alfred Wegener provide ship time on the RV Polarstern through their Arctic Research programme and will share a logistical platform in NE Greenland in summer 2017. BAS will have an input into the collection and analysis of epishelf lake sediments. Aberdeen will have an input into the collection of terrestrial samples and onshore mapping. Bristol will help to develop our ice sheet model. Niels-Bohr will provide glaciological information for NE Greenland to inform the model. The QRA will help with the dissemination of our impact plan |
Impact | Cruise PS 100 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2016 with AWI. Cruise PS 109 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2017 with AWI. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Collaboration Agreement: Greenland in a warmer climate - what controls the advance and decay of the NE Greenland ice stream |
Organisation | University of Aberdeen |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Durham provide the team to collect field data both onshore and offshore in NE Greenland Durham provide the team to analyse the data back in the UK and manage and disseminate the findings of the project |
Collaborator Contribution | Alfred Wegener provide ship time on the RV Polarstern through their Arctic Research programme and will share a logistical platform in NE Greenland in summer 2017. BAS will have an input into the collection and analysis of epishelf lake sediments. Aberdeen will have an input into the collection of terrestrial samples and onshore mapping. Bristol will help to develop our ice sheet model. Niels-Bohr will provide glaciological information for NE Greenland to inform the model. The QRA will help with the dissemination of our impact plan |
Impact | Cruise PS 100 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2016 with AWI. Cruise PS 109 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2017 with AWI. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Collaboration Agreement: Greenland in a warmer climate - what controls the advance and decay of the NE Greenland ice stream |
Organisation | University of Bristol |
Department | MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Durham provide the team to collect field data both onshore and offshore in NE Greenland Durham provide the team to analyse the data back in the UK and manage and disseminate the findings of the project |
Collaborator Contribution | Alfred Wegener provide ship time on the RV Polarstern through their Arctic Research programme and will share a logistical platform in NE Greenland in summer 2017. BAS will have an input into the collection and analysis of epishelf lake sediments. Aberdeen will have an input into the collection of terrestrial samples and onshore mapping. Bristol will help to develop our ice sheet model. Niels-Bohr will provide glaciological information for NE Greenland to inform the model. The QRA will help with the dissemination of our impact plan |
Impact | Cruise PS 100 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2016 with AWI. Cruise PS 109 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2017 with AWI. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Collaboration Agreement: Greenland in a warmer climate - what controls the advance and decay of the NE Greenland ice stream |
Organisation | University of Copenhagen |
Department | Niels Bohr Institute |
Country | Denmark |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Durham provide the team to collect field data both onshore and offshore in NE Greenland Durham provide the team to analyse the data back in the UK and manage and disseminate the findings of the project |
Collaborator Contribution | Alfred Wegener provide ship time on the RV Polarstern through their Arctic Research programme and will share a logistical platform in NE Greenland in summer 2017. BAS will have an input into the collection and analysis of epishelf lake sediments. Aberdeen will have an input into the collection of terrestrial samples and onshore mapping. Bristol will help to develop our ice sheet model. Niels-Bohr will provide glaciological information for NE Greenland to inform the model. The QRA will help with the dissemination of our impact plan |
Impact | Cruise PS 100 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2016 with AWI. Cruise PS 109 to NE Greenland completed in summer 2017 with AWI. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Mercury flux in sediment cores from NE Greenland. |
Organisation | Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography |
Country | France |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Collaboration with Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography, France. Working on Mercury flux in sediment cores from NE Greenland. We supply the cores and sediment samples. |
Collaborator Contribution | Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida and Mariia Petrova (MIO) provide the geochemical analysis of the cores with a specific focus on Mercury. |
Impact | .. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Conference paper - 'The downstream geomorphic imprint of the Northeast Greenland ice stream' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk at EGRIP - NEGIS symposium Copenhagen November 12th -16th 2018 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Conference paper - Reconstructing Late Quaternary retreat of the NE Greenland Ice Stream |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Callard, S.L, Roberts, D.H., Ó Cofaigh, C, Lloyd, J., Smith, J., Dorschel, B. EGU General Assembly Vienna 8th to 19th April. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Conference talk: QUIGS-IFG Virtual Meeting on Chronologies of Late Pleistocene Terminations (T5-0) May 17th and 19th 2021 INQUA Palaeoclimate Commission (PALCOM) Multi-year Project on Past Glacial Terminations |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk presentation: Lev Tarasov. Title: A North/South comparison of T2 and T1 from approximate Bayesian calibrations of glaciological models for the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | EGU 2023 presentation: A joint glaciological model and visco-elastic earth model history matching of the last glacial cycle: Greenland and Antarctica components |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | EGU General Assembly 2023, Session G3.3 - Advances in investigations of glacial isostatic adjustment and its role in the Earth system, room -2.47/48 on Thursday, 27 April 2023 Abstract: EGU23-10574 GLAC3: Joint glaciological model and visco-elastic earth model history matching of the last glacial cycle: Greenland and Antarctica components Presenter: Lev Tarasov |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | EGU2018-14776 Reconstructing Late Quaternary retreat of the NE Greenland Ice Stream. Louise Callard et al. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | EGU conference |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Greenland ice sheet stability - Lessons from the past (Workshop Bergen 2023): The retreat and thinning history of the Northeast Greenland ice stream. D. Roberts et al. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Greenland ice sheet stability: Lessons from the past GRISO International Workshop focussed on Greenland ice sheet history and future projections Bergen, Norway April 19-21, 2023. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | INQUA 2023 Rome: Shelf-edge terminating glaciation offshore of northeast Greenland during the Last Glacial Maximum and timing of initial ice sheet retreat. Colm O'Cofaigh et al. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | INQUA 2023 Rome Presentation: Shelf-edge terminating glaciation offshore of northeast Greenland during the Last Glacial Maximum and timing of initial ice sheet retreat ID: 1748 • Colm O'Cofaigh (Durham University) • David Roberts (Durham University) • S. Louise Callard (University of Newcastle) • Jeremy Lloyd (Durham University) • Georgia Ware (Durham University) • Katharina Streuff (MARUM-Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen) • Torsten Kanszow (Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz-Centre for Polar and Marine Research) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | INQUA 2023 Rome: The deglacial behaviour of the Northeast Greenland ice stream and 79N ice shelf. D Roberts et al. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | INQUA 2023 Presentation: The deglacial behaviour of the Northeast Greenland ice stream and 79N ice shelf. ID: 4823 • David Roberts (Durham University) • Mike Bentley (Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.) • Colm O'Cofaigh (Durham University) • Jeremy Lloyd (Durham University) • Stewart Jamieson (Durham University) • James Smith (British Antarctic Survey) • Timothy Lane (School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University) • S. Louise Callard (University of Newcastle) • Brice Rea (School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK) • Christopher Darvill (The University of Manchester) • Richard Jones (Monash University) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | INQUA 2023 Rome: The morphology, bathymetry and stratigraphic architecture of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream pinning point in outer 79N fjord. Presentation: D Roberts et al. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation: INQUA 2023 ID: 4880 Title: The morphology, bathymetry and stratigraphic architecture of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream pinning point in outer 79N fjord. • David Roberts (Durham University) • Colm O'Cofaigh (Durham University) • Jeremy Lloyd (Durham University) • S. Louise Callard (University of Newcastle) • Catalina Gebhardt (Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz-Centre for Polar and Marine Research) • Boris Dorschel (AWI - Alfred Wegener Institute for polar and marine research) • Torsten Kanszow (Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz-Centre for Polar and Marine Research) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Ice2ice workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The NEGIS/ Ice2ice workshop in Bergen, Norway March 2017 This workshop draws together a group of international researchers who have interests in the glacial history and contemporary glaciology of NE Greenland, in particular the NE Greenland ice stream and the ice shelves at 79N and Zachariae isstrom |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | MagellanPlus Workshop Northeast Greenland (NorthGreen) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | MagellanPlus Workshop Northeast Greenland (NorthGreen): Unlocking records from sea to land Copenhagen (Denmark) between 21 and 23 November 2022. The aim of NorthGreen was to develop coordinated IODP mission specific platforms along Northeast Greenland including both onshore and offshore operations, within short and long timeframes. In addition, to define specific Cenozoic drilling targets based on existing data and to define the data gaps in the key areas. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | NEGIS Workshop July 2020 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | NEGIS workshop July 31st Durham |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | NEGIS workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | NEGIS workshop summer 2019 to discuss research progress |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | PP24A-04: New marine geophysical and sediment record of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | AGU conference 2017 New Orleans |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Past Gateway Conference 2018 - Extent and timing of retreat of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream on the continental shelf offshore of Greenland during the last glacial cycle |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Past Gateways Conference 2018 - Durham |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Past Gateway Conference 2018 - Late Holocene interaction between ocean circulation and the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Past Gateway Conference 2018 - Durham |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Past Gateway Conference 2018 - Late Quaternary and Holocene ice shelf sediment records from NE Greenland |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Past Gateway Conference 2018 - Durham |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Past Gateways 2018 - The onshore imprint of the Northeast Greenland ice stream and 79N ice shelf |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Past Gateway Conference 2018 - Durham |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Seminar - Impacts of Climate Change on the Northeast Greenland Icestream. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited talk to Durham Agricultural Society, 6th March 2018 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Seminar - Interaction between ocean circulation and the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Research seminar at Department of Geological Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, 21st March 2018: |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | UK Polar Horizons 2021 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | UK Polar Horizons 2021 The Polar Horizons Initiative, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, builds new connections and collaborations between the UK Polar Science community and those from currently underrepresented groups, particularly BAME, LGBTQ+ and Disabled. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.bas.ac.uk/project/diversity-in-uk-polar-science-initiative/uk-polar-horizons-2021/ |