CR
Cryospheric Sciences

landscape origin

The new glacial geomorphological map from New Zealand

April 2, 2021
The new glacial geomorphological map from New Zealand
Glacial geomorphological mapping comparison in 3D. a - Moraine ridge in the middle section of the Ahuriri River valley with surrounding area. b - Key landscape elements are shown in the accompanying sketch. (Credit: Tielidze et al., 2021).

Geomorphological maps are a fundamental tool to represent landforms and understand how different morphological elements and agents shaped a natural landscape. They are also important as background information for many fields of research including ecology, forestry and of course, glaciology. In this week’s blog, Levan Tielidze tells us about the importance of mapping glacial geomorphology, presenti ...[Read More]

Image of the Week – Canyons Under The Greenland Ice Sheet!

June 24, 2016
Image of the Week – Canyons Under The Greenland Ice Sheet!
Figure 1: The calculated drainage network for southern Greenland (interpreted from airbourne ice penetrating radar data). It shows an extensive flow network of channels beneath the ice. Which can be interpreted as a possible configuration for water flow pre-glacially, as well as in an ice-free future. The main channel within the catchment area of Jakobshavn Isbræ is marked by the red line. Bed elevation (between 300 and 1300 m above sea level (asl)) is also shown. Inset: location of study area within Greenland.

The Greenland Ice Sheet contains enough water to raise sea level by 7.36 meters (Bamber, et. al. 2013) and much of this moves from the interior of the continent into the oceans via Jakobshavn Isbræ – Greenland’s fastest flowing outlet glacier. An ancient river basin hidden beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, discovered by researchers at the University of Bristol, may help explain the loca ...[Read More]