Articles | Volume 72, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-189-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-189-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 Aug 2023
Research article |
| 21 Aug 2023
Subglacial hydrology from high-resolution ice-flow simulations of the Rhine Glacier during the Last Glacial Maximum: a proxy for glacial erosion
Department of Earth and Environmental Science, New Mexico Tech,
Socorro, New Mexico, USA
CoSci LLC, Orlando, Florida, USA
Guillaume Jouvet
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne,
Lausanne, Switzerland
Thomas Zwinger
CSC – IT Center for Science Ltd., Espoo, Finland
Angela Landgraf
Nagra, Wettingen, Switzerland
Urs H. Fischer
Nagra, Wettingen, Switzerland
Related authors
Feiko Bernard van Zadelhoff, Adel Albaba, Denis Cohen, Chris Phillips, Bettina Schaefli, Luuk Dorren, and Massimiliano Schwarz
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2611–2635, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2611-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2611-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Shallow landslides pose a risk to people, property and infrastructure. Assessment of this hazard and the impact of protective measures can reduce losses. We developed a model (SlideforMAP) that can assess the shallow-landslide risk on a regional scale for specific rainfall events. Trees are an effective and cheap protective measure on a regional scale. Our model can assess their hazard reduction down to the individual tree level.
Aaron Micallef, Remus Marchis, Nader Saadatkhah, Potpreecha Pondthai, Mark E. Everett, Anca Avram, Alida Timar-Gabor, Denis Cohen, Rachel Preca Trapani, Bradley A. Weymer, and Phillipe Wernette
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 1–18, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We study coastal gullies along the Canterbury coast of New Zealand using field observations, sample analyses, drones, satellites, geophysical instruments and modelling. We show that these coastal gullies form when rainfall intensity is higher than 40 mm per day. The coastal gullies are formed by landslides where buried channels or sand lenses are located. This information allows us to predict where coastal gullies may form in the future.
Denis Cohen, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, Wilfried Haeberli, Horst Machguth, and Urs H. Fischer
The Cryosphere, 12, 2515–2544, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2515-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2515-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
As part of an integrative study about the safety of repositories for radioactive waste under ice age conditions in Switzerland, we modeled the flow of ice of the Rhine glacier at the Last Glacial Maximum to determine conditions at the ice–bed interface. Results indicate that portions of the ice lobes were at the melting temperature and ice was sliding, two conditions necessary for erosion by glacier. Conditions at the bed of the ice lobes were affected by climate and also by topography.
Denis Cohen and Massimiliano Schwarz
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 451–477, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-451-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-451-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Tree roots reinforce soils on slopes. A new slope stability model is presented that computes root reinforcement including the effects of root heterogeneities and dependence of root strength on tensile and compressive strain. Our results show that roots stabilize slopes that would otherwise fail under a rainfall event. Tension in roots is more effective than compression. Redistribution of forces in roots across the hillslope plays a key role in the stability of the slope during rainfall events.
F. Giadrossich, M. Niedda, D. Cohen, and M. Pirastru
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 2451–2468, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-2451-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-2451-2015, 2015
André Löfgren, Thomas Zwinger, Peter Råback, Christian Helanow, and Josefin Ahlkrona
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1507, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1507, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper investigates a stabilization method for free-surface flows in the context of glacier simulations. Previous applications of the stabilization on ice flows have only considered simple ice-sheet benchmark problems; in particular the method has not been tested on real-world glacier domains. This work addresses this shortcoming by demonstrating that the stabilization works well also in this case, and increases stability and robustness without negatively impacting computation times.
Hélène Seroussi, Vincent Verjans, Sophie Nowicki, Antony J. Payne, Heiko Goelzer, William H. Lipscomb, Ayako Abe Ouchi, Cécile Agosta, Torsten Albrecht, Xylar Asay-Davis, Alice Barthel, Reinhard Calov, Richard Cullather, Christophe Dumas, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Rupert Gladstone, Nicholas R. Golledge, Jonathan M. Gregory, Ralf Greve, Tore Hatterman, Matthew J. Hoffman, Angelika Humbert, Philippe Huybrechts, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Thomas Kleiner, Eric Larour, Gunter R. Leguy, Daniel P. Lowry, Chistopher M. Little, Mathieu Morlighem, Frank Pattyn, Tyler Pelle, Stephen F. Price, Aurélien Quiquet, Ronja Reese, Nicole-Jeanne Schlegel, Andrew Shepherd, Erika Simon, Robin S. Smith, Fiametta Straneo, Sainan Sun, Luke D. Trusel, Jonas Van Breedam, Peter Van Katwyk, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, Ricarda Winkelmann, Chen Zhao, Tong Zhang, and Thomas Zwinger
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-109, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-109, 2023
Preprint under review for TC
Short summary
Short summary
Mass loss from Antarctica is a key contributor to sea level rise over the 21st century and the associated uncertainty dominates sea level projections. We highlight here the Antarctic glaciers showing the largest changes and we quantify the main sources of uncertainty in their future evolution using an ensemble of ice flow models. We show that on top of Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, Totten and Moscow University glaciers show rapid changes and a strong sensitivity to warmer ocean conditions.
Emmanuele Russo, Jonathan Buzan, Sebastian Lienert, Guillaume Jouvet, Patricio Velasquez Alvarez, Basil Davis, Patrick Ludwig, Fortunat Joos, and Christoph Raible
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1197, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1197, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We present a series of experiments conducted for the Last Glacial Maximum (~21000 years ago) over Europe using the regional climate Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) at convection-permitting resolutions. The model, with new developments better suitable for paleo studies, agrees well with pollen-based climate reconstructions. This agreement is improved when considering different sources of uncertainty. The added value of convection-permitting resolutions is also demonstrated.
Maryam Zarrinderakht, Christian Schoof, and Thomas Zwinger
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-807, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-807, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We used a model to study how crevasses propagate in ice shelves. Our model combines a viscous model and a fracture mechanics model. We studied periodic crevasses on an ice shelf being stretched. We show that existing models based only on stress cannot fully explain how crevasses grow and lead to iceberg calving. This model can be a useful tool to train a low-dimensional representation calving law for an ice sheet model.
Jens Martin Turowski, Gunnar Pruß, Anne Voigtländer, Andreas Ludwig, Angela Landgraf, Florian Kober, and Audrey Bonnelye
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-76, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-76, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Rivers can cut into rocks and their strength modulates the river's erosion rates. Yet, it is poorly understood which properties of the rock control its response to erosive action. Here, we describe parallel experiments to measure rock erosion rates under fluvial impact erosion and the rock's geotechnical properties such as fracture strength, elasticity and density. Erosion rates vary over a factor of million between different rock types. We use the data to improve current theory.
Feiko Bernard van Zadelhoff, Adel Albaba, Denis Cohen, Chris Phillips, Bettina Schaefli, Luuk Dorren, and Massimiliano Schwarz
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2611–2635, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2611-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2611-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Shallow landslides pose a risk to people, property and infrastructure. Assessment of this hazard and the impact of protective measures can reduce losses. We developed a model (SlideforMAP) that can assess the shallow-landslide risk on a regional scale for specific rainfall events. Trees are an effective and cheap protective measure on a regional scale. Our model can assess their hazard reduction down to the individual tree level.
Douglas I. Benn, Adrian Luckman, Jan A. Åström, Anna J. Crawford, Stephen L. Cornford, Suzanne L. Bevan, Thomas Zwinger, Rupert Gladstone, Karen Alley, Erin Pettit, and Jeremy Bassis
The Cryosphere, 16, 2545–2564, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2545-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2545-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Thwaites Glacier (TG), in West Antarctica, is potentially unstable and may contribute significantly to sea-level rise as global warming continues. Using satellite data, we show that Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, the largest remaining floating extension of TG, has started to accelerate as it fragments along a shear zone. Computer modelling does not indicate that fragmentation will lead to imminent glacier collapse, but it is clear that major, rapid, and unpredictable changes are underway.
Rupert Gladstone, Benjamin Galton-Fenzi, David Gwyther, Qin Zhou, Tore Hattermann, Chen Zhao, Lenneke Jong, Yuwei Xia, Xiaoran Guo, Konstantinos Petrakopoulos, Thomas Zwinger, Daniel Shapero, and John Moore
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 889–905, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-889-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-889-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Retreat of the Antarctic ice sheet, and hence its contribution to sea level rise, is highly sensitive to melting of its floating ice shelves. This melt is caused by warm ocean currents coming into contact with the ice. Computer models used for future ice sheet projections are not able to realistically evolve these melt rates. We describe a new coupling framework to enable ice sheet and ocean computer models to interact, allowing projection of the evolution of melt and its impact on sea level.
Aaron Micallef, Remus Marchis, Nader Saadatkhah, Potpreecha Pondthai, Mark E. Everett, Anca Avram, Alida Timar-Gabor, Denis Cohen, Rachel Preca Trapani, Bradley A. Weymer, and Phillipe Wernette
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 1–18, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We study coastal gullies along the Canterbury coast of New Zealand using field observations, sample analyses, drones, satellites, geophysical instruments and modelling. We show that these coastal gullies form when rainfall intensity is higher than 40 mm per day. The coastal gullies are formed by landslides where buried channels or sand lenses are located. This information allows us to predict where coastal gullies may form in the future.
Hélène Seroussi, Sophie Nowicki, Antony J. Payne, Heiko Goelzer, William H. Lipscomb, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Cécile Agosta, Torsten Albrecht, Xylar Asay-Davis, Alice Barthel, Reinhard Calov, Richard Cullather, Christophe Dumas, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Rupert Gladstone, Nicholas R. Golledge, Jonathan M. Gregory, Ralf Greve, Tore Hattermann, Matthew J. Hoffman, Angelika Humbert, Philippe Huybrechts, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Thomas Kleiner, Eric Larour, Gunter R. Leguy, Daniel P. Lowry, Chistopher M. Little, Mathieu Morlighem, Frank Pattyn, Tyler Pelle, Stephen F. Price, Aurélien Quiquet, Ronja Reese, Nicole-Jeanne Schlegel, Andrew Shepherd, Erika Simon, Robin S. Smith, Fiammetta Straneo, Sainan Sun, Luke D. Trusel, Jonas Van Breedam, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, Ricarda Winkelmann, Chen Zhao, Tong Zhang, and Thomas Zwinger
The Cryosphere, 14, 3033–3070, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3033-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3033-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The Antarctic ice sheet has been losing mass over at least the past 3 decades in response to changes in atmospheric and oceanic conditions. This study presents an ensemble of model simulations of the Antarctic evolution over the 2015–2100 period based on various ice sheet models, climate forcings and emission scenarios. Results suggest that the West Antarctic ice sheet will continue losing a large amount of ice, while the East Antarctic ice sheet could experience increased snow accumulation.
Thomas Zwinger, Grace A. Nield, Juha Ruokolainen, and Matt A. King
Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 1155–1164, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-1155-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-1155-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We present a newly developed flat-earth model, Elmer/Earth, for viscoelastic treatment of solid earth deformation under ice loads. Unlike many previous approaches with proprietary software, this model is based on the open-source FEM code Elmer, with the advantage for scientists to apply and alter the model without license constraints. The new-generation full-stress ice-sheet model Elmer/Ice shares the same code base, enabling future coupled ice-sheet–glacial-isostatic-adjustment simulations.
Shahbaz Memon, Dorothée Vallot, Thomas Zwinger, Jan Åström, Helmut Neukirchen, Morris Riedel, and Matthias Book
Geosci. Model Dev., 12, 3001–3015, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-3001-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-3001-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Scientific workflows enable complex scientific computational scenarios, which include data intensive scenarios, parametric executions, and interactive simulations. In this article, we applied the UNICORE workflow management system to automate a formerly hard-coded coupling of a glacier flow model and a calving model, which contain many tasks and dependencies, ranging from pre-processing and data management to repetitive executions on heterogeneous high-performance computing (HPC) resources.
Joe Todd, Poul Christoffersen, Thomas Zwinger, Peter Råback, and Douglas I. Benn
The Cryosphere, 13, 1681–1694, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1681-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1681-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The Greenland Ice Sheet loses 30 %–60 % of its ice due to iceberg calving. Calving processes and their links to climate are not well understood or incorporated into numerical models of glaciers. Here we use a new 3-D calving model to investigate calving at Store Glacier, West Greenland, and test its sensitivity to increased submarine melting and reduced support from ice mélange (sea ice and icebergs). We find Store remains fairly stable despite these changes, but less so in the southern side.
Eef C. H. van Dongen, Nina Kirchner, Martin B. van Gijzen, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, Thomas Zwinger, Gong Cheng, Per Lötstedt, and Lina von Sydow
Geosci. Model Dev., 11, 4563–4576, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-4563-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-4563-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Ice flow forced by gravity is governed by the full Stokes (FS) equations, which are computationally expensive to solve. Therefore, approximations to the FS equations are used, especially when modeling an ice sheet on long time spans. Here, we report a combination of an approximation with the FS equations that allows simulating the dynamics of ice sheets over long time spans without introducing artifacts caused by application of approximations in parts of the domain where they are not valid.
Chen Zhao, Rupert M. Gladstone, Roland C. Warner, Matt A. King, Thomas Zwinger, and Mathieu Morlighem
The Cryosphere, 12, 2637–2652, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2637-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2637-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
A combination of computer modelling and observational data were used to infer the resistance to ice flow at the bed of the Fleming Glacier on the Antarctic Peninsula. The model was also used to simulate the distribution of temperature within the ice, which governs the rate at which the ice can deform. This is especially important for glaciers like the Fleming Glacier, which has both regions of rapid deformation and regions of rapid sliding at the bed.
Chen Zhao, Rupert M. Gladstone, Roland C. Warner, Matt A. King, Thomas Zwinger, and Mathieu Morlighem
The Cryosphere, 12, 2653–2666, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2653-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2653-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
A combination of computer modelling and observational data were used to infer the resistance to ice flow at the bed of the Fleming Glacier on the Antarctic Peninsula in both 2008 and 2015. The comparison suggests the grounding line retreated by ~ 9 km from 2008 to 2015. The retreat may be enhanced by a positive feedback between friction, melting and sliding at the glacier bed.
Denis Cohen, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, Wilfried Haeberli, Horst Machguth, and Urs H. Fischer
The Cryosphere, 12, 2515–2544, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2515-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2515-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
As part of an integrative study about the safety of repositories for radioactive waste under ice age conditions in Switzerland, we modeled the flow of ice of the Rhine glacier at the Last Glacial Maximum to determine conditions at the ice–bed interface. Results indicate that portions of the ice lobes were at the melting temperature and ice was sliding, two conditions necessary for erosion by glacier. Conditions at the bed of the ice lobes were affected by climate and also by topography.
Sue Cook, Jan Åström, Thomas Zwinger, Benjamin Keith Galton-Fenzi, Jamin Stevens Greenbaum, and Richard Coleman
The Cryosphere, 12, 2401–2411, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2401-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2401-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The growth of fractures on Antarctic ice shelves is important because it controls the amount of ice lost as icebergs. We use a model constructed of multiple interconnected blocks to predict the locations where fractures will form on the Totten Ice Shelf in East Antarctica. The results show that iceberg calving is controlled not only by fractures forming near the front of the ice shelf but also by fractures which formed many kilometres upstream.
Yongmei Gong, Thomas Zwinger, Jan Åström, Bas Altena, Thomas Schellenberger, Rupert Gladstone, and John C. Moore
The Cryosphere, 12, 1563–1577, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1563-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1563-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
In this study we apply a discrete element model capable of simulating ice fracturing. A microscopic-scale discrete process is applied in addition to a continuum ice dynamics model to investigate the mechanisms facilitated by basal meltwater production, surface meltwater and ice crack opening, for the surge in Basin 3, Austfonna ice cap. The discrete element model is used to locate the ice cracks that can penetrate though the full thickness of the glacier and deliver surface water to the bed.
Dorothée Vallot, Jan Åström, Thomas Zwinger, Rickard Pettersson, Alistair Everett, Douglas I. Benn, Adrian Luckman, Ward J. J. van Pelt, Faezeh Nick, and Jack Kohler
The Cryosphere, 12, 609–625, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-609-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-609-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents a new perspective on the role of ice dynamics and ocean interaction in glacier calving processes applied to Kronebreen, a tidewater glacier in Svalbard. A global modelling approach includes ice flow modelling, undercutting estimation by a combination of glacier energy balance and plume modelling as well as calving by a discrete particle model. We show that modelling undercutting is necessary and calving is influenced by basal friction velocity and geometry.
Hakime Seddik, Ralf Greve, Thomas Zwinger, and Shin Sugiyama
The Cryosphere, 11, 2213–2229, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2213-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2213-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The Shirase Glacier in Antarctica is studied by means of a computer model. This model implements two physical approaches to represent the glacier flow dynamics. This study finds that it is important to use the more precise and sophisticated method in order to better understand and predict the evolution of fast flowing glaciers. This may be important to more accurately predict the sea level change due to global warming.
Denis Cohen and Massimiliano Schwarz
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 451–477, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-451-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-451-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Tree roots reinforce soils on slopes. A new slope stability model is presented that computes root reinforcement including the effects of root heterogeneities and dependence of root strength on tensile and compressive strain. Our results show that roots stabilize slopes that would otherwise fail under a rainfall event. Tension in roots is more effective than compression. Redistribution of forces in roots across the hillslope plays a key role in the stability of the slope during rainfall events.
Rupert Michael Gladstone, Roland Charles Warner, Benjamin Keith Galton-Fenzi, Olivier Gagliardini, Thomas Zwinger, and Ralf Greve
The Cryosphere, 11, 319–329, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-319-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-319-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Computer models are used to simulate the behaviour of glaciers and ice sheets. It has been found that such models are required to be run at very high resolution (which means high computational expense) in order to accurately represent the evolution of marine ice sheets (ice sheets resting on bedrock below sea level), in certain situations which depend on sub-glacial physical processes.
T. Zwinger, T. Malm, M. Schäfer, R. Stenberg, and J. C. Moore
The Cryosphere, 9, 1415–1426, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1415-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1415-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
By deploying a large-scale high-resolution turbulent CFD simulation using the present-day topography of the Scharffenbergbotnen (SBB) valley, we show how the surrounding topography redirects incoming easterly katabatic storm fronts to impact the blue ice areas (BIA) inside the valley, where the snow cover frequently is removed. A further simulation of a reconstructed topography at the Late Glacial Maximum further reveals that the BIA at SBB must have formed after this period.
F. Giadrossich, M. Niedda, D. Cohen, and M. Pirastru
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 2451–2468, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-2451-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-2451-2015, 2015
M. Schäfer, F. Gillet-Chaulet, R. Gladstone, R. Pettersson, V. A. Pohjola, T. Strozzi, and T. Zwinger
The Cryosphere, 8, 1951–1973, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1951-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1951-2014, 2014
R. Gladstone, M. Schäfer, T. Zwinger, Y. Gong, T. Strozzi, R. Mottram, F. Boberg, and J. C. Moore
The Cryosphere, 8, 1393–1405, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1393-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1393-2014, 2014
B. Sun, J. C. Moore, T. Zwinger, L. Zhao, D. Steinhage, X. Tang, D. Zhang, X. Cui, and C. Martín
The Cryosphere, 8, 1121–1128, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1121-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1121-2014, 2014
S. Cook, I. C. Rutt, T. Murray, A. Luckman, T. Zwinger, N. Selmes, A. Goldsack, and T. D. James
The Cryosphere, 8, 827–841, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-827-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-827-2014, 2014
T. Zwinger, M. Schäfer, C. Martín, and J. C. Moore
The Cryosphere, 8, 607–621, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-607-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-607-2014, 2014
T. Sato, T. Shiraiwa, R. Greve, H. Seddik, E. Edelmann, and T. Zwinger
Clim. Past, 10, 393–404, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-393-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-393-2014, 2014
B. de Fleurian, O. Gagliardini, T. Zwinger, G. Durand, E. Le Meur, D. Mair, and P. Råback
The Cryosphere, 8, 137–153, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-137-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-137-2014, 2014
J. A. Åström, T. I. Riikilä, T. Tallinen, T. Zwinger, D. Benn, J. C. Moore, and J. Timonen
The Cryosphere, 7, 1591–1602, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1591-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1591-2013, 2013
O. Gagliardini, T. Zwinger, F. Gillet-Chaulet, G. Durand, L. Favier, B. de Fleurian, R. Greve, M. Malinen, C. Martín, P. Råback, J. Ruokolainen, M. Sacchettini, M. Schäfer, H. Seddik, and J. Thies
Geosci. Model Dev., 6, 1299–1318, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-6-1299-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-6-1299-2013, 2013
A. S. Drouet, D. Docquier, G. Durand, R. Hindmarsh, F. Pattyn, O. Gagliardini, and T. Zwinger
The Cryosphere, 7, 395–406, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-395-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-395-2013, 2013
L. Zhao, L. Tian, T. Zwinger, R. Ding, J. Zong, Q. Ye, and J. C. Moore
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-7-145-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-7-145-2013, 2013
Revised manuscript not accepted
F. Gillet-Chaulet, O. Gagliardini, H. Seddik, M. Nodet, G. Durand, C. Ritz, T. Zwinger, R. Greve, and D. G. Vaughan
The Cryosphere, 6, 1561–1576, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-1561-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-1561-2012, 2012
Related subject area
Quaternary geology
The past is the key to the future – considering Pleistocene subglacial erosion for the minimum depth of a radioactive waste repository
Comparison of overdeepened structures in formerly glaciated areas of the northern Alpine foreland and northern central Europe
Tunnel valleys in the southeastern North Sea: more data, more complexity
The lithostratigraphic formations of the coastal Holocene in NE Germany – a synthesis
Morpho-sedimentary characteristics of Holocene paleochannels in the Upper Rhine alluvial plain, France
Two glaciers and one sedimentary sink: the competing role of the Aare and the Valais glaciers in filling an overdeepened trough inferred from provenance analysis
A tribute to Narr (1952): On the stratigraphy of Upper Palaeolithic types and type groups
A tribute to Fink (1956): On the correlation of terraces and loesses in Austria
A tribute to Schwarzbach (1968): Recent ice age hypotheses
A tribute to Boenigk (1978): The fluvial development of the Lower Rhine Basin during the late Tertiary and early Quaternary
A composite 10Be, IR-50 and 14C chronology of the pre-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) full ice extent of the western Patagonian Ice Sheet on the Isla de Chiloé, south Chile (42° S)
Der späteiszeitliche Tüttensee-Komplex als Ergebnis der Abschmelzgeschichte am Ostrand des Chiemsee-Gletschers und sein Bezug zum „Chiemgau Impakt“ (Landkreis Traunstein, Oberbayern)
The multistage structural development of the Upper Weichselian Jasmund Glacitectonic Complex (Rügen, NE Germany)
The formation of Middle and Upper Pleistocene terraces (Übergangsterrassen and Hochterrassen) in the Bavarian Alpine Foreland – new numeric dating results (ESR, OSL, 14C) and gastropod fauna analysis
Sonja Breuer, Anke Bebiolka, Vera Noack, and Jörg Lang
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 72, 113–125, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-113-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-113-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Our work presented here deals with the impact of deep glacial erosion forms and their effect on the safety of a possible repository for highly radioactive waste. In past ice ages, glaciers have formed deep tunnel valleys. We assume that similar depths of erosion can be reached in future ice ages. This must be taken into account in the safety assessment of radioactive waste repositories. We have calculated a new depth zone map from maps and data based on records from the Pleistocene.
Lukas Gegg and Frank Preusser
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 72, 23–36, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-23-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-23-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Erosion processes below glacier ice have carved large and deep basins in the landscapes surrounding mountain ranges as well as polar regions. With our comparison, we show that these two groups of basins are very similar in their shapes and sizes. However, open questions still remain especially regarding the sediments that later fill up these basins. We aim to stimulate future research and promote exchange between researchers working around the Alps and the northern central European lowlands.
Arne Lohrberg, Jens Schneider von Deimling, Henrik Grob, Kai-Frederik Lenz, and Sebastian Krastel
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 71, 267–274, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-267-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-267-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We present an update on the distribution of tunnel valleys in the southeastern North Sea between Amrum and Heligoland based on active seismic data. Our results demonstrate that very dense grids of seismic profiles are needed to understand the distribution and the formation of tunnel valleys in a given region. We also demonstrate that acquiring offshore active seismic data is time- and cost-effective to learn more about the formation and filling of tunnel valleys in different geological settings.
Reinhard Lampe
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 71, 249–265, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-249-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-249-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The depositional sequences of all types of coastal sediments which accumulated during the Holocene sea-level rise along the NE German coast and in the inner coastal waters are comprehensively described and classified into four formations and two subformations. Their detailed characterisation and chronostratigraphic correlation are an important addition to the only brief definition given in the LithoLex database of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR).
Mubarak Abdulkarim, Stoil Chapkanski, Damien Ertlen, Haider Mahmood, Edward Obioha, Frank Preusser, Claire Rambeau, Ferréol Salomon, Marco Schiemann, and Laurent Schmitt
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 71, 191–212, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-191-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-191-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We used a combination of remote sensing, field investigations, and laboratory analysis to map and characterize abandoned river channels within the French Upper Rhine alluvial plain. Our results show five major paleochannel groups with significant differences in their pattern, morphological characteristics, and sediment filling. The formation of these paleochannel groups is attributed to significant changes in environmental processes in the area during the last ~ 11 700 years.
Michael A. Schwenk, Laura Stutenbecker, Patrick Schläfli, Dimitri Bandou, and Fritz Schlunegger
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 71, 163–190, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-163-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-163-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated the origin of glacial sediments in the Bern area to determine their route of transport either with the Aare Glacier or the Valais Glacier. These two ice streams are known to have joined in the Bern area during the last major glaciation (ca. 20 000 years ago). However, little is known about the ice streams prior to this last glaciation. Here we collected evidence that during a glaciation about 250 000 years ago the Aare Glacier dominated the area as documented in the deposits.
Nicholas J. Conard
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 213–216, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-213-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-213-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Karl J. Narr's paper on the stratigraphy of Upper Palaeolithic artefact types and cultural groups from 1952 synthesized the state of research in the early 1950s. Narr's singular focus on cultural history is instructive in terms of both the history of research and as a reflection of what the goals of Palaeolithic archaeology could and should be today.
Tobias Sprafke
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 221–224, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-221-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-221-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This work is an invited retrospective to the seminal paper of Fink (1956). Fink combined field evidence from geology, geomorphology, and soil science to provide a holistic framework of Quaternary stratigraphy and paleoenvironmental evolution in the Austrian Alpine foreland. This paper is an outstanding example of the relevance of interdisciplinary perspectives to understand landscape evolution. With a few exceptions in detail, the findings of Fink remain largely valid until today.
Jürgen Ehlers
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 235–237, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-235-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-235-2021, 2021
Philip L. Gibbard
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 251–255, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-251-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-251-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This is an appraisal of the article by Wolfgang Boenigk published in Eiszeitalter und Gegenwart in 1978.
Juan-Luis García, Christopher Lüthgens, Rodrigo M. Vega, Ángel Rodés, Andrew S. Hein, and Steven A. Binnie
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 105–128, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-105-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-105-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) about 21 kyr ago is known to have been global in extent. Nonetheless, we have limited knowledge during the pre-LGM time in the southern middle latitudes. If we want to understand the causes of the ice ages, the complete glacial period must be addressed. In this paper, we show that the Patagonian Ice Sheet in southern South America reached its full glacial extent also by 57 kyr ago and defies a climate explanation.
Robert Huber, Robert Darga, and Hans Lauterbach
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 69, 93–120, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-93-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-93-2020, 2020
Anna Gehrmann
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 69, 59–60, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-59-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-59-2020, 2020
Gerhard Schellmann, Patrick Schielein, Wolfgang Rähle, and Christoph Burow
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 141–164, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-141-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-141-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents ESR, OSL and C-14 data from Upper and Middle Pleistocene fluvial terraces (Übergangsterrassen, Hochterrassen) and its loess cover in the Bavarian Alpine Foreland. It will be illustrated that the ESR dating of embedded land-snail shells offers a new dating approach with an upper dating limit most probably much older than the penultimate interglacial (MIS 7). Furthermore, it shows that in some areas Hochterrassen gravels are underlain by older interglacial gravel deposits.
Cited articles
Alley, R. B., Strasser, J. C., Lawson, D. E., Evenson, E. B., and Larson,
G. J.: Glaciological and geological implications of basal-ice accretion in
overdeepenings, Geol. S. Am. S., 337, 1–9,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0-8137-2337-X.1, 1999. a
Alley, R. B., Lawson, D. E., Evenson, E. B., and Larson, G. J.: Sediment,
glaciohydraulic supercooling, and fast glacier flow, Ann. Glaciol.,
36, 135–141, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756403781816121, 2003. a
Alley, R. B., Cuffey, K. M., and Zoet, L. K.: Glacial erosion: status and
outlook, Ann. Glaciol., 60, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2019.38, 2019. a, b
Andrews, L. C., Catania, G. A., Hoffman, M. J., Gulley, J. D., Lüthi,
M. P., Ryser, C., Hawley, R. L., and Neumann, T. A.: Direct observations of
evolving subglacial drainage beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, Nature, 514,
80–83, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13796, 2014. a
Arnold, N., Richards, K., Willis, I., and Sharp, M.: Initial results from a
distributed, physically based model of glacier hydrology, Hydrol.
Process., 12, 191–219,
https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1085(199802)12:2<191::AID-HYP571>3.0.CO;2-C, 1998. a
Banwell, A. F., Willis, I. C., and Arnold, N. S.: Modeling subglacial water
routing at Paakitsoq, W Greenland, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth Surf., 118, 1282–1295, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrf.20093, 2013. a
Bartholomaus, T. C., Anderson, R. S., and Anderson, S. P.: Response of glacier
basal motion to transient water storage, Nat. Geosci., 1, 33–37,
https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo.2007.52, 2008. a
Bartholomew, I., Nienow, P., Mair, D., Hubbard, A., King, M. A., and Sole, A.:
Seasonal evolution of subglacial drainage and acceleration in a Greenland
outlet glacier, Nat. Geosci., 3, 408–411, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo863, 2010. a
Beaud, F., Flowers, G. E., and Pimentel, S.: Seasonal-scale abrasion and
quarrying patterns from a two-dimensional ice-flow model coupled to
distributed and channelized subglacial drainage, Geomorphology, 219,
176–191, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.04.036, 2014. a
Beckenbach, E., Müller, T., Seyfried, H., and Simon, T.: Potential of a
high-resolution DTM with large spatial coverage for visualization,
identification and interpretation of young (Würmiam) glacial
geomorphology – a case study from Oberschwaben (southern Germany),
Quaternary Science Journal, 63, 107–129, https://doi.org/10.3285/eg.63.2.01, 2014. a
Buechi, M. W., Graf, H. R., Haldimann, P., Lowick, S. E., and Anselmetti,
F. S.: Multiple Quaternary erosion and infill cycles in overdeepened basins
of the northern Alpine foreland, Swiss J. Geosci., 111,
133–167, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00015-017-0289-9, 2018. a
Buzan, J. R., Russo, E., Kim, W. M., and Raible, C. C.: Winter sensitivity of glacial states to orbits and ice sheet heights in CESM1.2, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-324, 2023. a
Calov, R. and Greve, R.: Correspondence: A semi-analytical solution for the
positive degree-day model with stochastic temperature variations, J. Glaciol,
51, 173–175, 2005. a
Carter, S. P., Fricker, H. A., and Siegfried, M. R.: Antarctic subglacial lakes drain through sediment-floored canals: theory and model testing on real and idealized domains, The Cryosphere, 11, 381–405, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-381-2017, 2017. a
Chu, W., Creyts, T. T., and Bell, R. E.: Rerouting of subglacial water flow
between neighboring glaciers in West Greenland, J. Geophys.
Res.-Earth Surf., 121, 925–938, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003705, 2016. a, b, c
Cohen, D.: Numerical Reconstruction of the Rhine Glacier at the Last
Glacial Maximum, Tech. rep., Nagra Arbeitsbericht NAB 17–25,, 2017. a
Cohen, D., Hooyer, T. S., Iverson, N. R., Thomason, J. F., and Jackson, M.:
Role of transient water pressure in quarrying: A subglacial experiment using
acoustic emissions, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth Surf., 111, F03006,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JF000439, 2006. a, b
Cohen, D., Gillet-Chaulet, F., Haeberli, W., Machguth, H., and Fischer, U. H.: Numerical reconstructions of the flow and basal conditions of the Rhine glacier, European Central Alps, at the Last Glacial Maximum, The Cryosphere, 12, 2515–2544, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2515-2018, 2018. a, b, c, d, e, f
Conrad, O., Bechtel, B., Bock, M., Dietrich, H., Fischer, E., Gerlitz, L., Wehberg, J., Wichmann, V., and Böhner, J.: System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses (SAGA) v. 2.1.4, Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 1991–2007, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-1991-2015, 2015. a
Dehnert, A., Lowick, S. E., Preusser, F., Anselmetti, F. S.,
Drescher-Schneider, R., Graf, H. R., Heller, F., Horstmeyer, H., Kemna,
H. A., Nowaczyk, N. R., Züger, A., and Furrer, H.: Evolution of an
overdeepened trough in the northern Alpine Foreland at Niederweningen,
Switzerland, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 34, 127–145,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2011.12.015, 2012. a
Dühnforth, M., Anderson, R. S., Ward, D., and Stock, G. M.: Bedrock fracture
control of glacial erosion processes and rates, Geology, 38, 423–426,
https://doi.org/10.1130/G30576.1, 2010. a
Fabbri, S., Affentranger, C., Krastel, S., Lindhorst, K., Wessels, M.,
Madritsch, H., Allenbach, R., Herwegh, M., Heuberger, S., Wielandt-Schuster,
U., Pomella, H., Schwestermann, T., and Anselmetti, F.: Active Faulting in
Lake Constance (Austria, Germany, Switzerland) Unraveled by Multi-Vintage
Reflection Seismic Data, Front. Earth Sci., 9, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.670532, 2021. a
Farinotti, D., Huss, M., Fürst, J. J., Landmann, J., Machguth, H.,
Maussion, F., and Pandit, A.: A consensus estimate for the ice thickness
distribution of all glaciers on Earth, Nat. Geosci., 12, 168–173,
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0300-3, 2019. a
Fischer, U. H., Braun, A., Bauder, A., and Flowers, G. E.: Changes in geometry
and subglacial drainage derived from digital elevation models:
Unteraargletscher, Switzerland, 1927–97, Ann. Glaciol., 40,
20–24, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756405781813528, 2005. a
Fischer, U. H., Bebiolka, A., Brandefelt, J., Cohen, D., Harper, J., Hirschorn,
S., Jensen, M., Kennell, L., Liakka, J., Näslund, J.-O., Normani, S.,
Stück, H., and Weitkamp, A.: Chapter 11 – Radioactive waste under
conditions of future ice ages, in: Snow and Ice-Related Hazards, Risks, and
Disasters (Second Edition), edited by: Haeberli, W. and Whiteman, C., Hazards
and Disasters Series, 323–375, Elsevier, 2nd Edn.,
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817129-5.00005-6, 2021. a, b
Flowers, G. E. and Clarke, G. K. C.: Surface and bed topography of Trapridge
Glacier, Yukon Territory, Canada: digital elevation models and derived
hydraulic geometry, J. Glaciol., 45, 165–174,
https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000003142, 1999. a, b
Gaar, D., Graf, H. R., and Preusser, F.: New chronological constraints on the timing of Late Pleistocene glacier advances in northern Switzerland, E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 53–73, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-53-2019, 2019. a
Gagliardini, O. and Werder, M. A.: Influence of increasing surface melt over
decadal timescales on land-terminating Greenland-type outlet glaciers,
J. Glaciol., 64, 700–710, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2018.59, 2018. a
Gagliardini, O., Zwinger, T., Gillet-Chaulet, F., Durand, G., Favier, L., de Fleurian, B., Greve, R., Malinen, M., Martín, C., Råback, P., Ruokolainen, J., Sacchettini, M., Schäfer, M., Seddik, H., and Thies, J.: Capabilities and performance of Elmer/Ice, a new-generation ice sheet model, Geosci. Model Dev., 6, 1299–1318, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-6-1299-2013, 2013. a
Haeberli, W., Fischer, U. H., Cohen, D., and Schnellmann, M.: Radioaktive
Abfälle und Eiszeiten in der Schweiz: Können Gletscher und Permafrost
zukünftiger Eiszeiten die langfristige Sicherheit der geplanten Lager
beeinflussen?, Wasser Energie Luft, 112, 261–269, 2020. a
Hallet, B.: Glacial Abrasion and Sliding: their Dependence on the Debris
Concentration in Basal Ice, Ann. Glaciol., 2, 23–28,
https://doi.org/10.3189/172756481794352487, 1981. a, b
Hallet, B.: Glacial quarrying: a simple theoretical model, Ann.
Glaciol., 22, 1–8, https://doi.org/10.3189/1996AoG22-1-1-8, 1996. a, b
Herman, F., Beyssac, O., Brughelli, M., Lane, S. N., Leprince, S., Adatte, T.,
Lin, J. Y. Y., Avouac, J.-P., and Cox, S. C.: Erosion by an Alpine glacier,
Science, 350, 193–195, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aab2386, 2015. a
Hewitt, I. J.: Seasonal changes in ice sheet motion due to melt water
lubrication, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 371–372, 16–25,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.04.022, 2013. a
Hooke, R.: Flow law for polycrystalline ice in glaciers: comparison of
theoretical predictions, laboratory data, and field measurements, Rev.
Geophys. Space. Phys., 19, 664–672, 1981. a
Hooke, R. L.: Positive feedbacks associated with erosion of glacial cirques and
overdeepenings, GSA Bulletin, 103, 1104,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1991)103<1104:PFAWEO>2.3.CO;2, 1991. a
Hooyer, T. S., Cohen, D., and Iverson, N. R.: Control of glacial quarrying by
bedrock joints, Geomorphology, 153, 91–101,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.02.012, 2012. a
Humphrey, N. F. and Raymond, C. F.: Hydrology, erosion and sediment production
in a surging glacier: Variegated Glacier, Alaska, 1982–83, J.
Glaciol., 40, 539–552, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000012429, 1994. a
Iverson, N. R.: Morphology of glacial striae: Implications for abrasion of
glacier beds and fault surfaces, GSA Bulletin, 103, 1308–1316,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1991)103<1308:MOGSIF>2.3.CO;2, 1991. a, b
Iverson, N. R.: A theory of glacial quarrying for landscape evolution models,
Geology, 40, 679–682, https://doi.org/10.1130/G33079.1, 2012. a, b
Jouzel, J., Masson-Delmotte, V., Cattani, O., Dreyfus, G., Falourd, S., Hoffmann, G., Minster, B., Nouet, J., Barnola, J.-M., Chappellaz, J., Fischer, H., Gallet, J. C., Johnsen, S., Leuenberger, M., Loulergue, L., Luethi, D., Oerter, H., Parrenin, F., Raisbeck, G., Raynaud, D., Schilt, A., Schwander, J., Selmo, E., Souchez, R., Spahni, R., Stauffer, B., Steffensen, J. P., Stenni, B., Stocker, T. F., Tison, J. L., Werner, M., and Wolff, E. W.: Orbital and millennial Antarctic climate variability over the past 800 000 years, Science, 317, 793–796, 2007. a
Kamleitner, S.: Reconstructing the evolution and dynamics of Central Alpine glaciers during the Last Glacial Maximum on the basis of their geomorphological footprints and cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating, PhD thesis, University of Zürich, 186 pp., https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000579564, 2022. a
Keller, O. and Krayss, E.: Der Rhein-Linth-Gletscher im letzten
Hochglazial. 1. Teil: Einleitung; Aufbau und Abschmelzen des
Rhein-Linth-Gletschers im Oberen Würm, Vierteljahrsschrift der
Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zürich, 150, 19–32, 2005a. a
Keller, O. and Krayss, E.: Der Rhein-Linth-Gletscher im letzten
Hochglazial. 2. Teil: Datierung und Modelle der
Rhein-Linth-Vergletscherung. Klima-Rekonstruktionen,
Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zürich, 150,
69–85, 2005b. a
Kirkham, J. D., Hogan, K. A., Larter, R. D., Arnold, N. S., Ely, J. C., Clark, C. D., Self, E., Games, K., Huuse, M., Stewart, M. A., Ottesen, D., and Dowdeswell, J. A.: Tunnel valley formation beneath deglaciating mid-latitude ice sheets: Observations and modelling, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 107680, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107680, in press, 2022. a, b
Koppes, M., Hallet, B., Rignot, E., Mouginot, J., Wellner, J. S., and Boldt,
K.: Observed latitudinal variations in erosion as a function of glacier
dynamics, Nature, 526, 100–103, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15385, 2015. a, b
Lawson, D. E., Strasse r, J. C., Evenson, E. B., Alley, R. B., Larson, G. J.,
and Arcone, S. A.: Glaciohydraulic supercooling: a freeze-on mechanism to
create stratified, debris-rich basal ice: I. Field evidence, J.
Glaciol., 44, 547–562, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000002069, 1998. a
Le Brocq, A., Payne, A., Siegert, M., and Alley, R.: A subglacial water-flow
model for West Antarctica, J. Glaciol., 55, 879–888,
https://doi.org/10.3189/002214309790152564, 2009. a
Lindbäck, K., Pettersson, R., Hubbard, A. L., Doyle, S. H., van As, D.,
Mikkelsen, A. B., and Fitzpatrick, A. A.: Subglacial water drainage, storage,
and piracy beneath the Greenland ice sheet, Geophys. Res. Lett.,
42, 7606–7614, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL065393, 2015. a
Livingstone, S. J., Clark, C. D., Woodward, J., and Kingslake, J.: Potential subglacial lake locations and meltwater drainage pathways beneath the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, The Cryosphere, 7, 1721–1740, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1721-2013, 2013. a
MacGregor, K. R., Anderson, R., Anderson, S., and Waddington, E.: Numerical
simulations of glacial-valley longitudinal profile evolution, Geology, 28,
1031–1034, 2000. a
Medici, F. and Rybach, L.: Geothermal Map of Switzerland 1995 (Heat Flow
Density), Tech. Rep. 30, Swiss Geophysical Commission, 1995. a
Meierbachtol, T., Harper, J., and Humphrey, N.: Basal Drainage System Response
to Increasing Surface Melt on the Greenland Ice Sheet, Science, 341,
777–779, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1235905, 2013. a
Pitcher, L. H., Smith, L. C., Gleason, C. J., and Yang, K.: CryoSheds: a GIS
modeling framework for delineating land-ice watersheds for the Greenland
Ice Sheet, GISci. Remote Sens., 53, 707–722,
https://doi.org/10.1080/15481603.2016.1230084, 2016. a
Preusser, F., Blei, A., Graf, H., and Schlüchter, C.: Luminescence dating of
Würmian (Weichselian) proglacial sediments from Switzerland:
methodological aspects and stratigraphical conclusions, Boreas, 36, 130–142,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2007.tb01187.x, 2007. a
Preusser, F., Reitner, J., and Schlüchter, C.: Distribution, geometry, age
and origin of overdeepened valleys and basins in the Alps and their
foreland, Swiss J. Geosci., 103, 407–426,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00015-010-0044-y, 2010. a
Preusser, F., Graf, H. R., Keller, O., Krayss, E., and Schlüchter, C.: Quaternary glaciation history of northern Switzerland, E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 60, 21, https://doi.org/10.3285/eg.60.2-3.06, 2011. a, b
Reber, R. and Schlunegger, F.: Unravelling the moisture sources of the Alpine
glaciers using tunnel valleys as constraints, Terra Nova, 28, 202–211,
https://doi.org/10.1111/ter.12211, 2016. a, b
Ruokolainen, J., Malinen, M., Råback, P., Zwinger, T., Pursula, A., and Byckling, M.: ElmerSolver Manual, Tech. Rep. Online, CSC – IT Center for Science, https://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/physics/elmer/doc/ElmerSolverManual.pdf (last access: 9 August 2023), 2020. a
Ruokolainen, J., Malinen, M., Råback, P., Zwinger, T., Takala, E., Kataja, J., Gillet-Chaulet, F., Ilvonen, S., Gladstone, R., Byckling, M., Chekki, M., Gong, C., Ponomarev, P., van Dongen, E., Robertsen, F., Wheel, I., Cook, S., t7saeki, luzpaz, and Rich_B.: ElmerCSC/elmerfem: Elmer 9.0 (release-9.0), Zenodo [code], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7892181, 2023. a
Russo, E., Fallah, B., Ludwig, P., Karremann, M., and Raible, C. C.: The long-standing dilemma of European summer temperatures at the mid-Holocene and other considerations on learning from the past for the future using a regional climate model, Clim. Past, 18, 895–909, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-895-2022, 2022. a
Schlüchter, C.: A non-classical summary of the Quaternary stratigraphy in the Northern Alpine Foreland of Switzerland, Bulletin de la
Société neuchâteloise de Géographie, 32, 143–157, 1988. a
Schlüchter, C.: The Swiss glacial record – A schematic summary, in:
Quaternary Glaciations Extent and ChronologyPart I: Europe, edited by: Ehlers,
J. and Gibbard, P., Vol. 2, Part 1 of: Developments in Quaternary
Sciences, 413–418, Elsevier, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1571-0866(04)80092-7,
2004. a
Schoof, C.: Ice sheet acceleration driven by melt supply variability, Nature,
468, 803–806, 2010. a
Seguinot, J. and Delaney, I.: Last-glacial-cycle glacier erosion potential in
the Alps, Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 923–935, 2021. a
Shackleton, C., Patton, H., Hubbard, A., Winsborrow, M., Kingslake, J.,
Esteves, M., Andreassen, K., and Greenwood, S. L.: Subglacial water storage
and drainage beneath the Fennoscandian and Barents Sea ice sheets,
Quaternary Sci. Rev., 201, 13–28,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.10.007, 2018. a
Shreve, R.: Movement of water in glaciers, J. Glaciol, 11, 205–214, 1972. a
Sundal, A. V., Shepherd, A., Nienow, P., Hanna, E., Palmer, S., and Huybrechts,
P.: Melt-induced speed-up of Greenland ice sheet offset by efficient
subglacial drainage, Nature, 469, 521–524, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09740, 2011. a
Sutter, J., Fischer, H., Grosfeld, K., Karlsson, N. B., Kleiner, T., Van Liefferinge, B., and Eisen, O.: Modelling the Antarctic Ice Sheet across the mid-Pleistocene transition – implications for Oldest Ice, The Cryosphere, 13, 2023–2041, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2023-2019, 2019. a
Tarboton, D. G.: A new method for the determination of flow directions and
upslope areas in grid digital elevation models, Water Resour. Res., 33,
309–319, https://doi.org/10.1029/96WR03137, 1997.
a
Ugelvig, S. V., Egholm, D. L., and Iverson, N. R.: Glacial landscape evolution
by subglacial quarrying: A multiscale computational approach, J.
Geophys. Res.-Earth Surf., 121, 2042–2068,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JF003960, 2016. a
Ugelvig, S. V., Egholm, D. L., Anderson, R. S., and Iverson, N. R.: Glacial
Erosion Driven by Variations in Meltwater Drainage, J. Geophys.
Res.-Earth Surf., 123, 2863–2877,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JF004680, 2018. a, b, c
van de Wal, R. S. W., Boot, W., van den Broeke, M. R., Smeets, C. J. P. P.,
Reijmer, C. H., Donker, J. J. A., and Oerlemans, J.: Large and Rapid
Melt-Induced Velocity Changes in the Ablation Zone of the Greenland Ice
Sheet, Science, 321, 111–113, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1158540, 2008. a
Velasquez, P., Messmer, M., and Raible, C. C.: A new bias-correction method for precipitation over complex terrain suitable for different climate states: a case study using WRF (version 3.8.1), Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 5007–5027, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-5007-2020, 2020. a
Velasquez, P., Messmer, M., and Raible, C. C.: The role of ice-sheet topography in the Alpine hydro-climate at glacial times, Clim. Past, 18, 1579–1600, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1579-2022, 2022. a
Werder, M., Hewitt, I., Schoof, C., and Flowers, G.: Modeling channelized and
distributed subglacial drainage in two dimensions, J Geophys. Res.-Earth
Surf., 118, 2140–2158, 2013. a
Werder, M. A.: The hydrology of subglacial overdeepenings: A new supercooling
threshold formula, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, 2045–2052,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL067542, 2016. a
Willis, I. C., Fitzsimmons, C. D., Melvold, K., Andreassen, L. M., and Giesen,
R. H.: Structure, morphology and water flux of a subglacial drainage system,
Midtdalsbreen, Norway, Hydrol. Process., 26, 3810–3829,
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.8431, 2012. a
Wright, P. J., Harper, J. T., Humphrey, N. F., and Meierbachtol, T. W.:
Measured basal water pressure variability of the western Greenland Ice
Sheet: Implications for hydraulic potential, J. Geophys.
Res.-Earth Surf., 121, 1134–1147, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JF003819, 2016. a
Short summary
During glacial times in Switzerland, glaciers of the Alps excavated valleys in low-lying regions that were later filled with sediment or water. How glaciers eroded these valleys is not well understood because erosion occurred near ice margins where ice moved slowly and was present for short times. Erosion is linked to the speed of ice and to water flowing under it. Here we present a model that estimates the location of water channels beneath the ice and links these locations to zones of erosion.
During glacial times in Switzerland, glaciers of the Alps excavated valleys in low-lying regions...
