Calving-driven fjord dynamics resolved by seafloor fibre sensing – publication
13 augustus 2025
Time lapse images from the camera south of the calving front. a, 2023-08-24 06:57 UTC, b, 2023-08-24 07:17 UTC
As glaciers melt, huge chunks of ice break free and splash into the sea, generating tsunami-size waves and leaving behind a powerful wake as they drift away.
This process, called calving, is important for researchers to understand. But the front of a glacier is a dangerous place for data collection. To solve this problem, a team of researchers from the University of Washington and collaborating institutions used a fiber-optic cable to capture calving dynamics across the fjord of the Eqalorutsit Kangilliit Sermiat glacier in South Greenland. Data collected from the cable allowed them to document — without getting too close — one of the key processes that is accelerating the rate of glacial mass loss and in turn, threatening the stability of ice sheets, with consequences for global ocean currents and local ecosystems. The data provides, for the first time, a deeper look at the relationship between ice and the water it collapses into, from surface waves to disturbances within the water column. The findings were published in the article ‘Calving-driven fjord dynamics resolved by seafloor fibre sensing‘.
As glaciers melt, huge chunks of ice break free and splash into the sea, generating tsunami-size waves and leaving behind a powerful wake as they drift away.
This process, called calving, is important for researchers to understand. But the front of a glacier is a dangerous place for data collection. To solve this problem, a team of researchers from the University of Washington and collaborating institutions used a fiber-optic cable to capture calving dynamics across the fjord of the Eqalorutsit Kangilliit Sermiat glacier in South Greenland. Data collected from the cable allowed them to document — without getting too close — one of the key processes that is accelerating the rate of glacial mass loss and in turn, threatening the stability of ice sheets, with consequences for global ocean currents and local ecosystems. The data provides, for the first time, a deeper look at the relationship between ice and the water it collapses into, from surface waves to disturbances within the water column. The findings were published in the article ‘Calving-driven fjord dynamics resolved by seafloor fibre sensing‘.
Links:
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