Networks of Sensors in Extreme Environments: High-Resolution Glacier Dynamic Monitoring
Lead Research Organisation:
Swansea University
Department Name: School of the Environment and Society
Abstract
Our work brings together two important areas of science and engineering: wireless communications technology and glaciology. Using innovative techniques currently being developed for wireless communications to install a network of sensors, we will increase our understanding of how the world's large ice sheets will respond to climate change, while the knowledge gained by experimenting with wireless networks in an extreme environment will be of benefit to engineers developing the next generation of wireless networks such as mobile phone networks. Around the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet are outlet glaciers, which allow ice to flow from the centre of the ice sheet into the sea. Where the ice meets the sea, icebergs are formed, and about half of the ice which leaves the ice sheet does so in this way. These glaciers are thought to be very sensitive to changes in air and ocean temperatures, but we do not yet know enough about them to be able to predict future changes, or understand those already observed. The processes leading to iceberg formation ('calving') are particularly important, but poorly understood. In particular, there is an urgent need to address the question of how changes in glacier flow ('dynamics') relate to changes in terminus position and calving rates. Does one drive the other, or is it more complex than that? To understand this, we need to know what the primary mechanisms are for calving in Greenland outlet glaciers, and we need characterise these mechanisms in a consistent, quantitative way across all such glaciers. Only then can the relevant processes be represented in computer models of the ice sheet and its outlet glaciers, allowing us to improve our predictions of how they will respond to climate change. To improve our understanding, it is vital to have detailed observations of iceberg calving events, but these are hard to obtain because of the difficulty of placing and maintaining instrumentation on the heavily-crevassed ice surface. To overcome the problem of getting the right observations, a network of expendable GPS receivers will be deployed on Helheim Glacier, an important calving glacier in south-east Greenland. Using special data processing techniques, GPS can be used to make measurements which are accurate to a few centimetres. The GPS receivers will be connected to each other and to a base station via a network of expendable, low-power wireless transceivers. The design of the network will mean that data can still be collected if parts of it are lost: it will be self-healing. The innovative nature of the network and its components make it economically and logistically possible to deploy a large number of sensors by helicopter in the calving region of the glacier. During the lifetime of the project, we expect to observe several calving events in detail. The data from the GPS receivers will be combined with other data sources, from aircraft, satellites and stereo photography, to obtain an unprecedented insight into iceberg formation. The data will be combined with computer models of ice flow, enabling various theories about iceberg formation to be explored and tested. This part of the project has the potential to deliver new science well beyond the end of the funded work.
Publications
Bevan S
(2017)
Stable dynamics in a Greenland tidewater glacier over 26 years despite reported thinning
in Annals of Glaciology
Bevan S
(2012)
Glacier dynamics over the last quarter of a century at Helheim, Kangerdlugssuaq and 14 other major Greenland outlet glaciers
in The Cryosphere
Bjørk A
(2018)
Holocene history of the Helheim Glacier, southeast Greenland
in Quaternary Science Reviews
Cook S
(2014)
Modelling environmental influences on calving at Helheim Glacier in eastern Greenland
in The Cryosphere
Dyke L
(2018)
The deglaciation of coastal areas of southeast Greenland
in The Holocene
Dyke LM
(2017)
Minimal Holocene retreat of large tidewater glaciers in Køge Bugt, southeast Greenland.
in Scientific reports
Everett A
(2021)
The Impacts of a Subglacial Discharge Plume on Calving, Submarine Melting, and Mélange Mass Loss at Helheim Glacier, South East Greenland
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
Everett A
(2016)
Annual down-glacier drainage of lakes and water-filled crevasses at Helheim Glacier, southeast Greenland DOWN-GLACIER SURFACE WATER DRAINAGE
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
James T
(2014)
Buoyant flexure and basal crevassing in dynamic mass loss at Helheim Glacier
in Nature Geoscience
Martin I
(2014)
A High-Resolution Sensor Network for Monitoring Glacier Dynamics
in IEEE Sensors Journal
Murray T
(2018)
Extensive retreat of Greenland tidewater glaciers, 2000-2010
in Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research
Murray T
(2015)
Dynamics of glacier calving at the ungrounded margin of Helheim Glacier, southeast Greenland.
in Journal of geophysical research. Earth surface
Murray T
(2015)
Ice sheets. Reverse glacier motion during iceberg calving and the cause of glacial earthquakes.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Olsen K
(2021)
Improved Estimation of Glacial-Earthquake Size Through New Modeling of the Seismic Source
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
Rigelsford, Jon
(2012)
A Robust Wide-Area Wireless Sensor Network for GNSS Monitoring of Flowing Glaciers
Wagner T
(2016)
On the role of buoyant flexure in glacier calving
in Geophysical Research Letters
Description | 19 node GPS sensor network and 5 oblique cameras installed at Helheim Glacier for 55 days during 2013. Calving by exploitation of bottom-crevasses with ice downglacier of flexion zones rotating upwards prior to and during calving. Mechanism likely to dominate whenever glacier is out of buoyant equilibrium. We have shown that glacial earthquakes are caused when icebergs are calved from ice that is lightly grounded. Further work is showing that glacial earthquakes can be used to count calving events and derive estimates of the size of icebergs (volume of ice lost) associated with each event. |
Exploitation Route | Glacial earthquakes could, with further research, be used as a method for remotely monitoring glacial calving in Greenland. |
Sectors | Environment |
URL | http://connect.unavco.org/display/dat250804 |
Description | Leverhulme Trust Royal Society Senior Research Fellowship |
Amount | £42,464 (GBP) |
Funding ID | LT140002 |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Department | Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2014 |
End | 08/2015 |
Title | Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier surface elevations, 2012-2018 |
Description | A time series of the mean surface elevation along a transect across Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier from Feb 2012 to May 2018. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Title | UNAVCO data set all data archived |
Description | All data from the grant have been archived at BGS. The data reported in our Science paper was in addition archived at UNAVCO. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | The UNAVCO data have been requested. |
URL | http://www.unavco.org/data/gps-gnss/data-access-methods/dai2/app/dai2.html#boundingBox=66.2690,-38.9... |
Description | Network of Sensors Glacial Earthquake Team |
Organisation | Columbia University |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We are working together on a Nature paper. |
Collaborator Contribution | Emory and Michigan have contributed the results of laboratory experiments. Columbia University ave contributed data on the occurrence of glacial earthquakes and theoretical development. |
Impact | Working on a Nature paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Network of Sensors Glacial Earthquake Team |
Organisation | Emory University |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We are working together on a Nature paper. |
Collaborator Contribution | Emory and Michigan have contributed the results of laboratory experiments. Columbia University ave contributed data on the occurrence of glacial earthquakes and theoretical development. |
Impact | Working on a Nature paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Network of Sensors Glacial Earthquake Team |
Organisation | University of Michigan |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We are working together on a Nature paper. |
Collaborator Contribution | Emory and Michigan have contributed the results of laboratory experiments. Columbia University ave contributed data on the occurrence of glacial earthquakes and theoretical development. |
Impact | Working on a Nature paper. |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | David Linton Prize Lecture, Sheffield University |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I was awarded the David Linton Prize and gace the lecture at the BSG Annual meeting in Sheffield in September 2019. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | National Trust |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Keynote presentation at National Trust Shifting Shores Seminar, Swansea |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/living-with-change-our-shifting-shores |
Description | Three Lectures |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk sparked questions and discussion afterwards - also had ~10 requests for copys of our outreach DVD. had ~10 requests for copys of our outreach DVD including one by school teacher for use in classroom. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | UCAS presentations to prospective students |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Results from our project were included in UCAS presentations to applicants and parents attending University of Newcastle School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences open days |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |