Geochemistry and subglacial hydrology of the west Greenland Ice Sheet
Meltwaters reaching the ice-bedrock interface of the Greenland Ice Sheet acquire a geochemical signature that is based on their starting composition, residence time in the basal hydrologic system, bedrock lithology, and the nature of the weathering processes at work. Working at Isunguata Sermia, a l...
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| Format: | Dissertation |
| Language: | English |
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ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
01-01-2012
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| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Meltwaters reaching the ice-bedrock interface of the Greenland Ice Sheet acquire a geochemical signature that is based on their starting composition, residence time in the basal hydrologic system, bedrock lithology, and the nature of the weathering processes at work. Working at Isunguata Sermia, a land-terminating outlet glacier of the West Greenland Ice Sheet, we measured the chemical composition of subglacial waters that are both in situ and that issue from the terminus, as a means of investigating drainage organization and the nature of water-rock interaction. Utilizing both major and minor elements, we find that concentration increases as discharge increases and that hydrologic organization is dynamic over daily cycles. We experiment using short-lived isotopes of radon and radium to age-date water, and while time-series results are inconclusive, we find that water residence time is much less than 20 days. |
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| ISBN: | 9781267422538 126742253X |