R-channel laboratory experiment: data evaluation and numerical simulations

Englacial and subglacial drainage substantially controls glacier dynamics. However, because of the inaccessible glacier bed, few actual measurements exist and empirical relations in current models are either adopted from other research fields or based on theoretical arguments.

This study focuses on the channelized drainage system and determines the flow properties of R-channels: we evaluate a set of laboratory experiments and complementary computational fluid dynamics simulations of their final geometries. These experiments make use of channels with water flow in ice blocks and represent pressurized englacial R-channels. Simulation and measurements only partially agree on pressure gradients and the resulting hydraulic friction factor. However, the results are within the published range of variability.