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Author Topic: Sverdrup Gletscher / Steenstrup Gletscher/ Kjer Gletscher / North West Greenland  (Read 56327 times)

DrTskoul

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Breaking News
What was only a Nunatak (Nunataq) a few years ago is now a 7 km2 island of the coast of Kjer Gletscher, I decided to name it Trekanten in Danish (The Triangle) a more correct Greenland name wil be found, a lot of facts about this devellopment can be seen above in this thread:

Do you have the link for the previous picture ??

oren

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So your forecast from last year proved correct. Another small chapter concluded on the GIS retreat story.
As to the shape of the new island, it seems to me that most of the triangle is old remains of the glacier? Just the left side is the actual island?

Espen

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Breaking News
What was only a Nunatak (Nunataq) a few years ago is now a 7 km2 island of the coast of Kjer Gletscher, I decided to name it Trekanten in Danish (The Triangle) a more correct Greenland name wil be found, a lot of facts about this devellopment can be seen above in this thread:

Do you have the link for the previous picture ??

Previous picture?
Have a ice day!

Espen

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So your forecast from last year proved correct. Another small chapter concluded on the GIS retreat story.
As to the shape of the new island, it seems to me that most of the triangle is old remains of the glacier? Just the left side is the actual island?

The island may include other small islands now covered by ice/snow, but if it is one island or a group islands I think they will have the shape of a Triangle.
Have a ice day!

crandles

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Do you have the link for the previous picture ??

See this thread reply #1, #3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 25, 26, 34, 40, 42, 45, 46, 47

How many do you want?

DrTskoul

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Do you have the link for the previous picture ??

See this thread reply #1, #3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 25, 26, 34, 40, 42, 45, 46, 47

How many do you want?

 :P. Smart aleck..  ;D I thought I was in a different thread with multiple hundreds of messages

TerryM

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Damn good eye Espen, and I haven't thanked you for your daily charts for some time. Solid, and much appreciated work all around!


Terry

Espen

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Thanks Terry

I really appreciate your comments, and I promise I will relatively soon present a much larger ice sheet released island.
Have a ice day!

TerryM

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Thanks Terry

I really appreciate your comments, and I promise I will relatively soon present a much larger ice sheet released island.


Have you kept up with Flade Isblink over the years? I remember much discussion back in 2011 or 2012 on the blog, when Independence Fjord was breaking up for the first time. The "grooves" that may have matched up with the Ellesmere Shelves grooves still fascinate.
Far more research back then on my part. So many new and wondrous things to learn. Fast ice that had been in place for millennia, wrenched from the land on high tides.
Your spotting of the new Petermann ice island was a high water mark that we all took pride in.


Sorry for the rambling
Terry

Tealight

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Great spotting Espen!

To celebrate the occasion I add a full 10m resolution image in true colour of Trekanten.

All you need to do now is get a ship, sail to the island and plant your flag ;D

Espen

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Update:

The separation of Steenstrup Gletscher and Kjer Gletscher is almost complete. And the shape of the new island Trekanten is keeping its triangle form:
Have a ice day!

Tony Mcleod

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It look to me the wrinkled ice on the east is a remnant of the floating glacier. What's Madagascar in Dutch?

Shared Humanity

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It look to me the wrinkled ice on the east is a remnant of the floating glacier. What's Madagascar in Dutch?

I agree. You can make out the eastern edge of the island. Just follow the drop in elevation from the island to the remnant of floating glacier.

Espen

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Update:

The demolition of the former ice bridge between Kjer Gletscher and the "New" free island Trekanten is continuing, the triangle shape of Trekanten remains:
Have a ice day!

Espen

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Update:

Dramatic changes at Kjer Gletscher that pobably will result in a completely different and stronger flow of ice from the glacier. The new island Trekanten is still keeping its shape according to its name. And the separation from Steenstrup Gletscher is now almost complete. By the way an interesting part of Greenland to follow, now that the Superstars of the ice sheet are having a rest:
Have a ice day!

bairgon

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Could you post a link to the glacier on the Sentinel playground please?

Edit: Found it here
« Last Edit: July 02, 2017, 09:31:28 AM by bairgon »

Espen

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Now that the Superstars of the Glacier Stage are more or less inactive, we still have action in the Kjer Gletscher and Steenstrup Gletscher region. Within the latest 10 days massive calving events happened and the whole area is being reshaped, the separation between the 2 glaciers is almost complete now and will probably be a fact during this melting season. The newly released island Trekanten is still keeping the triangle shape:
Have a ice day!

oren

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Espen thank you for keeping us updated. The whole front is crumbling. This will probably speed up both glaciers, as they lose the buttressing of each other and the buttressing of the island.

Shared Humanity

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A lot of action. I still say the island is going to end up looking like Corsica.

Espen

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A very large and one of the largest calving seen / followed in this part of North West Greenland (Baffin Sea / Melville Bay), the area (red color) that is going to leave the ice sheet is the part where Steenstrup Gletscher and Kjer Gletscher joins together for the time being, the area is measured to aprox. 5 - 6 km2. The whole area of Melville Bay is extremely active calving and retreat wise these years, and maybe it is only a coincidence, not very far from here you will find Camp Century?
Have a ice day!

Shared Humanity

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Would not be at all surprised if the narrow, leading portion of Kjer Gletcher was to disintegrate completely before the end of the melt season. Having broken free of the island, it is no longer pinned to the land to the north. As Kjer Gletcher continues to advance, the effect is to cause this section of the glacier to separate from the land. You can see this in the GIF. Unsupported on both sides, I can't imagine it surviving long.

Shared Humanity

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Would also like to point out there is a very small calving of ice that is observable on the remaining ice sheet that is attached to the island. This occurred on the northern edge of the ice at the eastern most point.

There also appears to have been a small calving of this ice on the southeast edge, about midpoint along this face where a section that extended slightly beyond the rest of the face has broken free.

Shared Humanity

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Espen...

Second compliment of the day but I love all of the threads you have created, tracking individual glaciers. These are a must visit for me (daily) and you, among others, are the key contributors on this forum.

It is not lost on me the amount of energy and effort it takes to provide regular updates on so many glaciers.

Don't get a big head.  ;)
« Last Edit: July 28, 2017, 04:12:18 PM by Shared Humanity »

Jim Hunt

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"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Shared Humanity

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A lot of ice has calved off the new island since July 27.

Espen

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If I should should choose the most important story about the Ice Sheet of Greenland (GIS) in 2017.
It would be the collapse and retreat of Kjer Gletscher including the release of the island "Trekanten" (not so triangle shaped anymore), I am sure it will be very interesting to follow Kjer Gletscher and its neigbor glaciers in the near future.
Below you will see an animation over almost 6 months from the site:
Have a ice day!

RealityCheck

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Espen, why 'most important'? Could you elaborate on the significance of this development please? Is it for the increase in ice loss rate from these particular glaciers it might be expected to cause? Thanks.
Sic transit gloria mundi

oren

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Espen has provided a lot of very interesting coverage on this set of glaciers since 2014. The retreat has been spectacular. To anyone not familiar, I recommend looking at these two posts from upthread:
2014-2015 animation
Comparison of the region to Jakobshavn, and the 1989 front

RealityCheck

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Thanks Oren. In terms of dramatic retreat I certainly see why this has been a very significant story over the last 3-4 years, and especially with the collapse of the ice bridge. It seems to have released a surge of calving.

Many thanks to Espen for the ongoing observation and telling the story.

I guess what I am wondering about is the relative contributions of the larger Greenland glacier drainage basins to ice volume loss, and melting. Where do these 2 glaciers rank in the overall picture, and is it now likely their contribution to SLR will increase?

Is there a thread where this is discussed?
Sic transit gloria mundi

nukefix

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Wonderful work Espen!

Espen

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Kjer Gletscher update:

Continuing heavy calving and retreat.
Have a ice day!

Shared Humanity

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Very impressive. Looks like it will continue to calve aggressively through the fall. There is what appears to be a grounded berg which does not move with this last calving. Can be seen in the bottom center of this image.

There is also some small calving occurring on the edge of the new island.

Shared Humanity

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Just noticed what appear to be other grounded ice bergs NE (?) of the new island. As the sea ice around them scatters they stay in a fixed position relative to the island.

Espen

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I believe the area between the island and the glaciers is relatively shallow?
Have a ice day!

Espen

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I am aware that some reports claim the total mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet is positive for the year 2017, but I am pretty sure this does not include the Melville Bay area inside Baffin Bay, since many of the glaciers in the area retreated visibly for even untrained eyes during 2017.
Most dramatic is the separation of the outlets of Kjer Gletscher and Steenstrup Gletscher, a new island is even born in this proces and continuing retreat of these 2 glaciers is expected during the next couple of months. 
Have a ice day!

gerontocrat

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I am aware that some reports claim the total mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet is positive for the year 2017, but I am pretty sure this does not include the Melville Bay area inside Baffin Bay,
The DMI data says above average snowfall of nearly 200 gt was dumped on the Greenland ice sheet in the year 1/09/16 - 30/08/17. Melt this year was above average but not by much. Hence it is possible that the greenland ice sheet mass may have increased a bit. The DMI have made no comment about the calving this year. We have to wait for GRACE, n'est ce pas ?

I am speculating on a new regime of increased snowfall, melting and calving emerging as AGW increases. Effect on the N. Atlantic?
"Para a Causa do Povo a Luta Continua!"
"And that's all I'm going to say about that". Forrest Gump
"Damn, I wanted to see what happened next" (Epitaph)

Espen

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I even suspect there is a new Island between the New Island ( Former Trekanten ) and the glacier outlets, but who cares?
Have a ice day!

Shared Humanity

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I even suspect there is a new Island between the New Island ( Former Trekanten ) and the glacier outlets, but who cares?

I do. Is it under one of the sections of ice that is not moving?

Espen

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Kjer Gletscher continuing heavy calving and retreat and more is to come, what a reshape of the whole site?
Have a ice day!

sesyf

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This year’s pics seem to have a wrong year?

Espen

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Yes that is right, too busy in the studio that day :-[
« Last Edit: September 25, 2017, 06:26:48 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Shared Humanity

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Will the geometry of the sharp right turn have any effect on the retreat of the calving face?

Espen

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Kjer Gletscher:
Beside the extreme retreat over the past year, an impressive thinning can be seen in the red incircled areas, the hidden rocks are popping up like watermarks from below the ice sheet.
« Last Edit: March 26, 2018, 09:42:44 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

oren

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Thanks Espen. This area continues to impress. It seems as if someone turned off the tap and the glaciers are crumbling at their ends.

Shared Humanity

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Could some of this be a difference in snow cover?

Espen

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Could some of this be a difference in snow cover?

That would be strange, since we are not yet in the "real" melting season, and the hidden rocks / nunataks can not be seen that clear late in the melting season August 26 2017, so something happened in between?
Have a ice day!

Tor Bejnar

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I think we see mountain's shadows.  Could we be seeing clouds or their shadows (instead of rocks poking through ice)?
Arctic ice is healthy for children and other living things because "we cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice"

P-maker

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Tor, Espen & SH
I think we are seeing the traces of aeolian activity. The new dark grey streaks are all oriented perpendicular to the predominant SE-ly winds in these tracts, so I am convinced that they are tiny ice ridges blown bare by katabatic winds and the white areas are the shallows in between, where the snow is deposited. Bare rock is black, so we are not there yet.
Cheers P

Espen

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Here is an update on the situation at especially Kjer Gletscher and Steenstrup Gletscher.

This part of the coast in Baffin Sea and more precisely at Melville Bay a bunch of glacier can be found and nowhere in Greenland is the changes of the sea line so extreme, several islands were released from the ice sheet, and an enormous amount of ice was sent of to melt in ocean, resulting in a completely new coast line over the last 20 - 30 years:

A Trekanten Ø  (Triangle Island). The release of this island from the ice sheet, was first reported in this forum (read above) and so named due to the shape when released from the ice sheet, but not so triangle shaped anymore, I admit.

B Lower part of Steenstrup Gletscher, the retreat is more moderate than the neighbor glacier Kjer Gletcher but still very visible.

C Upper part of Kjer Gletscher here is the activity more extreme and even this early in the season heavy calving activity is seen and retreat is obvious for untrained eyes.

C Lower part of Kjer Gletscher, moderate calving activity but retreat can easily be seen.
Have a ice day!

Shared Humanity

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Looks like there may be another island that will eventually be released that sits between the upper and lower part of Kjer Gletscher