Submarine melting at the terminus of a temperate tidewater glacier, LeConte Glacier, Alaska, USAr
Roman J. Motyka, Lewis Hunter, Keith A. Echelmeyer, Cathy Connor [Motyka et al, 2002 ] International Glaciological Society, Annals of Glaciology v 36 pp 57-65
This study from the Annals of Glaciology examines the contribution that submarine melting makes to the overall ablation of temperate tidewater glaciers. The study measured conductivity, temperature and depth 200-500 meters from the terminus of the LeConte Glacier in Alaska to examine the late summer melt rate. It was determined that increased melt rates are related to fjord water temperatures and forced convection of deep, warm, saline waters driven by bouyant subglacial dishcarge. It was also suggested that seasonal fluctuations in the terminus position of tidewater glaciers are directly related to seasonal changes in submarine melting.
