Monitoring Fjord Circulation Using Iceberg-Mounted GPS as Real-Time Drifters

dc.contributor.advisorSutherland, Daviden_US
dc.contributor.authorRoth, Georgeen_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-29T17:52:03Z
dc.date.available2014-09-29T17:52:03Z
dc.date.issued2014-09-29
dc.description.abstractOcean circulation in Greenland's large glacial fjords is one mechanism that controls the rate of submarine melting at the termini of Greenland's outlet glaciers. Here we use hourly position data from GPS units deployed on ten large (>100 meter), deep-keeled icebergs in Sermilik Fjord, SE Greenland. We observe and quantify the motions of these icebergs moving through the mélange, fjord, and shelf regimes. In the mélange, icebergs move outward with glacier flow until pushed loose by large calving events. In the fjord, high frequency, low amplitude tidally-driven motions are superimposed on dominant 1-5 day events with net velocities exceeding 0.1 m/s. We interpret these events as two-layer, intermediary circulation driven by winds along the shelf, where icebergs travel southward in the East Greenland Coastal Current. These results showcase the potential of this novel instrumentation to link iceberg motion with circulation in any large glacial fjord.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/18416
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregonen_US
dc.rightsAll Rights Reserved.en_US
dc.subjectDriftersen_US
dc.subjectFjordsen_US
dc.subjectGreenlanden_US
dc.subjectHelheimen_US
dc.subjectIcebergsen_US
dc.subjectSermiliken_US
dc.titleMonitoring Fjord Circulation Using Iceberg-Mounted GPS as Real-Time Driftersen_US
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertationen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineDepartment of Geological Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Oregonen_US
thesis.degree.levelmastersen_US
thesis.degree.nameM.S.en_US

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