Support the Arctic Sea Ice Forum and Blog

Author Topic: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland  (Read 24275 times)

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« on: June 20, 2013, 11:00:48 PM »
As you probably know, Steensby Glacier did the first ever recorded calving on August 24 2012 and  was reporter by members of the Arctic Sea Ice Blog, a more detailed report on this event can be studied at "From a Glaciers Perspective" by Mauri Pelto: http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/steensby-glacier-calving-event-and-retreat-northern-greenland/

It will be interesting to watch if the the Ice Island S1-2012, will be allowed out of the "narrow" (+/- 4 km) fjord of Sankt Georg Fjord where Kap Hunt reaches out from Warming Land.
Images from Modis and GEUS.

The black and white image is from Kap Hunt where Daniel Bruun Firn, Warming Land is seen in the background. GEUS
« Last Edit: August 16, 2014, 11:58:13 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2013, 10:34:19 PM »
We got more than one Ice "Calf" Island stucked, although the cousin further south PII-2012 is far bigger and already gained stardom.
But one thing they both have in common is they cant move, PII-2012 is too tall and S 1-2012 at least too fat, so let is us check in August if any of them will be one the move, who will be the "first mover"?
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2014, 04:58:24 PM »
Steensby Glacier did the first ever recorded calving on August 24 2012 and  was reporter by members of the Arctic Sea Ice Blog. See top at this thread.

Here we have a Landsat 8 image of "The Calf" from that event, I will follow it during this season to see if it is released further out into Sankt George Fjord:
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2014, 11:24:41 PM »
S 1-2012 on the move

I don't know if you still remember, Steensby Gletscher calved a relatively big calf (S 1-2012) on August 24 2012, since then nothing much happened, I actually thought the calf (S 1-2012) was stuck in the narrow strait and would stay there for some time, but now it seems she (S 1-2012) wants to move on:
« Last Edit: August 11, 2014, 11:36:59 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2014, 09:12:52 AM »
I think, after studying the Landsat image, the calf will have hard times getting any further through that narrow strait at Kap Hunt. 
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2014, 07:37:35 PM »
Opposite to what I wrote earlier, the Steensby calf (S 1-2012) moved even more, so maybe it will escape? Note the calf at Ryder also made a move today!

It is almost like a calf race? :D
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2014, 04:21:18 PM »
As we all know it is hard to reduce size and weight, the Steensby calf (S 1-2012) decided to go into self-destruction mode, more on that later, today.
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2014, 05:26:10 PM »
The Steensby calf (S 1-2012), decided the strait was to narrow, so it came up with a solution:

(Reminds me of Smashing Pumpkins playing unplugged in Sankt George Fjord)
« Last Edit: August 13, 2014, 05:37:25 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2014, 06:58:12 AM »
Here is the Landsat version of the divided Steensby calf:

The "cut" very similar to what a glazier do, here it is the former melt water river.
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #9 on: August 15, 2014, 05:57:13 PM »
A bit bit confused here, but there is indications of a new calving at Steensby Gletscher, "the glacier that was not supposed to calve" (Frank Ahnert: only terminal disintegration, than customary "calving" ?), I only got this unreliable Modis documentation for the time being:
« Last Edit: August 15, 2014, 06:17:41 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #10 on: August 15, 2014, 06:31:30 PM »
I am more confident now:
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #11 on: August 15, 2014, 07:54:07 PM »
An animation showing today's calving, this one is larger than the previous calving on August 24 2012, and the second ever recorded.

My first estimate it is at least twice as big as the previous calving in 2012, surfacewise.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2014, 08:46:09 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #12 on: August 15, 2014, 09:12:55 PM »
And for the record this is big time retreat!
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #13 on: August 15, 2014, 09:43:09 PM »
My first estimate it is at least twice as big as the previous calving in 2012, surfacewise.
Some will say no, but there is more to come.

And here are some beautiful images from Studinger (NASA):

The new calving front is around here now.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2014, 09:54:56 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #14 on: August 15, 2014, 10:04:47 PM »
Here is some not so accurate documentation on Steensby Glacier:
THE TERMINAL DISINTEGRATION OF STEENSBY GLETSCHER

http://www.igsoc.org:8080/journal/4/35/igs_journal_vol04_issue035_pg537-545.pdf
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Glacier / North Greenland
« Reply #15 on: August 16, 2014, 06:24:33 AM »
Here is the Landsat version of that impressive calving (~ 32 km2 about 50 % larger than the 2012 calving)
« Last Edit: August 16, 2014, 05:31:31 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Shared Humanity

  • Guest
Re: Steensby Gletscher / North Greenland
« Reply #16 on: August 16, 2014, 03:08:37 PM »
Wow! Pretty clear there is  still a huge section of glacier that will be pulling away this year. It has already calved. It just hasn't drifted up the fjord. You said this glacier has been historically stable. Is it unusual for a glacier to  rapidly change dynamics like this? What  sort of conditioning was occurring over the past decade that would allow a switch to go on like this?

DaddyBFree

  • New ice
  • Posts: 30
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 16
Re: Steensby Gletscher / North Greenland
« Reply #17 on: August 16, 2014, 05:15:34 PM »
Great documentation of these events Espen :cheers:

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / North Greenland
« Reply #18 on: August 16, 2014, 07:11:15 PM »
Wow! Pretty clear there is  still a huge section of glacier that will be pulling away this year. It has already calved. It just hasn't drifted up the fjord. You said this glacier has been historically stable. Is it unusual for a glacier to  rapidly change dynamics like this? What  sort of conditioning was occurring over the past decade that would allow a switch to go on like this?

The immediate changes I can see in the area, the firns (ice caps) around the glacier are getting smaller so it must be warmer at the location since 1999 (the earliest I can get documentation), whether that is the reason, I cant say?
I expect the S-2-2014 main will be parked at the narrow Kap Hunt gate, as happened to S-1-2012 that was only released earlier this week, from almost a 2 years arrest.

New studies shows we are actually back where the glaciers sub lobes were in 1947, and since then the glacier obviously changed character and advanced, from a sub lobe front to a more uniform front, making "normal" calvings (large iceberg) possible. 
See map below by Frank Ahnert.
« Last Edit: August 16, 2014, 10:14:45 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #19 on: August 18, 2014, 08:34:33 PM »
Steensby update. Also interesting to watch the sea ice at the mouth of the fjords:
« Last Edit: August 18, 2014, 10:17:09 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #20 on: August 23, 2014, 09:18:21 AM »
Steensby update:
« Last Edit: August 23, 2014, 09:26:17 AM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #21 on: April 12, 2015, 06:07:31 PM »
A busy Sunday, just a warning, you remember the glacier that never calved aka Steensby Gletscher is not having a break, but continues the path of self destruction, 2 large calvings happened in 2012 and 2014 but that is not enough we will probably see another one soon not that big but still worth mentioning, a new crack developed since August 2014 (red encircled):
« Last Edit: April 12, 2015, 06:20:11 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #22 on: April 20, 2015, 07:50:52 PM »
Calving in progress:

Have a ice day!

Tor Bejnar

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 4606
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 879
  • Likes Given: 826
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #23 on: April 20, 2015, 08:19:35 PM »
I just read (re-read) the entire thread: it made the three years of calving events sound so exciting and dynamic.  With the historical lack of calving events, of course, it is rather dynamic. 

What ever happened to the "too tall" PII-2012?  (I'm not certain I could tell what bit of ice this is/was.)
Arctic ice is healthy for children and other living things because "we cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice"

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #24 on: April 20, 2015, 08:35:00 PM »
I just read (re-read) the entire thread: it made the three years of calving events sound so exciting and dynamic.  With the historical lack of calving events, of course, it is rather dynamic. 

What ever happened to the "too tall" PII-2012?  (I'm not certain I could tell what bit of ice this is/was.)

She is still up-fjord (Sankt Georg Fjord), yes dynamic but a bit scary .
« Last Edit: April 20, 2015, 08:40:15 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #25 on: August 09, 2015, 01:50:06 AM »
And here we go again, remember this glacier is never supposed to calve, but anyway, we have a dual calving and by the way the calving to the left was created at least because of a melt water river :
Have a ice day!

Iceismylife

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 281
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 1
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #26 on: August 10, 2015, 12:34:05 AM »
Nice work!!! 8)

andy_t_roo

  • New ice
  • Posts: 61
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #27 on: August 10, 2015, 09:24:17 AM »
And here we go again, remember this glacier is never supposed to calve, but anyway, we have a dual calving and by the way the calving to the left was created at least because of a melt water river :

Why is it that it is never supposed to calve, other than a lack of doing so for an extended period of time, through to 2012?

oren

  • Moderator
  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 9805
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 3584
  • Likes Given: 3922
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #28 on: August 10, 2015, 10:28:41 AM »
If you are interested in more details I recommend to read this
THE TERMINAL DISINTEGRATION OF STEENSBY GLETSCHER, NORTH GREENLAND By FRANK AHNERT

oren

  • Moderator
  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 9805
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 3584
  • Likes Given: 3922
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #29 on: August 10, 2015, 11:21:53 AM »
Quoted from that source:
Steensby Gletscher commands particular interest; it possesses - contrary to the conditions outlined by Koch - large crevasses, and because it disintegrates areally rather than producing neatly separated icebergs by calving along its forward edge, the phrase terminal disintegration seems more appropriate as a term to describe the break-up of the Steensby Gletscher ice tongue than the customary "calving" .



Is it possible that when the glacier retreats back to where it was in 1947, it might revert back to the disintegration mode?

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #30 on: July 10, 2017, 06:59:37 PM »
Here we go again - Steensby Gletscher "The glacier that never calves":
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #31 on: August 19, 2017, 12:16:41 AM »
Scientists be aware of what you write in your reports, Steensby Gletscher is a good example:
Have a ice day!

andy_t_roo

  • New ice
  • Posts: 61
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #32 on: August 19, 2017, 05:22:36 AM »
Do we know the ground topology for this glacier that leads to this different behaviour?

In order to sustain a long and narrow profile this glacier either has a higher "ice pressure" feeding it or has a lower melt-rate. Alternatively this entire glacier has been unstable for a while, and has only just fallen of it's equilibrium enough to disturb the structural integrity of the area past the front, and cause the calving that we haven't seen before.

This "long+narrow" is a qualitative observation compared compared to something like the short+stubby shape of other glaciers that we talk about eg:

79N is thinning

georged

  • New ice
  • Posts: 52
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #33 on: August 19, 2017, 08:09:26 AM »
Scientists be aware of what you write in your reports, Steensby Gletscher is a good example:

Steensby appears to have lost about 10km since 2012.

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #34 on: August 19, 2017, 06:01:51 PM »
Scientists be aware of what you write in your reports, Steensby Gletscher is a good example:

Steensby appears to have lost about 10km since 2012.

I would estimate it to be + 13 km
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #35 on: August 21, 2017, 07:43:13 PM »
The August 2017 calving:
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #36 on: August 07, 2018, 08:32:39 AM »
Steensby Glacier action:
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #37 on: April 13, 2022, 11:58:06 AM »
Steensby Gletscher:
Pre-Calving Alert at the glacier that never calves (Ahnert).
It looks like we will see a very large unexpected calving (15 - 17 km2) in the near future.
The winter speed of the ice between Mid-September 2021 and Mid-April is measured at + 1 meter a day or in total 250 meters.
It would be nice to have some bedrock data from this interesting glacier?


Please click on image to enlarge and animate!
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #38 on: April 13, 2022, 07:45:29 PM »
Steensby Gletscher:

More details about the next expected calving at Steensby Gletscher, documented by Sentinel 1 (Radar) data:

Please click on image to enlarge and animate!
Have a ice day!

Tealight

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 490
    • View Profile
    • CryosphereComputing
  • Liked: 176
  • Likes Given: 17
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #39 on: April 14, 2022, 04:45:03 PM »
...
It would be nice to have some bedrock data from this interesting glacier?

Are you happy with an NSIDC Bedmap 3?


Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #40 on: April 14, 2022, 07:16:19 PM »
...
It would be nice to have some bedrock data from this interesting glacier?

Are you happy with an NSIDC Bedmap 3?

Thanks Tealight!  ;) Explains a lot.
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #41 on: April 01, 2023, 12:32:43 PM »
Steensby Gletscher update:

There is an ungoing large (~ 5 km2) calving taking place at Steensby Gletscher.

Please click on image to enlarge and animate!
Have a ice day!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3705
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 420
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #42 on: August 08, 2023, 05:04:02 PM »
To those who care: Steensby Gletscher calved a couple +7 km2 of calves the other day.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2023, 06:45:03 PM by Espen »
Have a ice day!

be cause

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 2441
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1012
  • Likes Given: 1034
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #43 on: August 08, 2023, 06:11:09 PM »
Hi Espen , seems we still do . :)
Conflict is the root of all evil , for being blind it does not see whom it attacks . Yet it always attacks the Son Of God , and the Son of God is you .

gerontocrat

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 20370
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 5289
  • Likes Given: 69
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #44 on: August 08, 2023, 09:56:47 PM »
Hi Espen , seems we still do . :)
Indeed we do, and I even found where it is.
Steensby has very close neigbours. How are they doing?
"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)

oren

  • Moderator
  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 9805
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 3584
  • Likes Given: 3922
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #45 on: August 09, 2023, 10:35:27 AM »
Thanks Espen. Seeing as the image was already viewed 31 times, there is definitely a silent majority quite interested in these updates.

Diaminedave

  • New ice
  • Posts: 29
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 11
  • Likes Given: 19
Re: Steensby Gletscher / Sankt George Fjord / North Greenland
« Reply #46 on: August 09, 2023, 10:56:25 PM »
One of my favourite places to visit to get some great images of Glacier movement...please more Espen, if you have the time!