Disentangling temporal and spatial calving dynamics using a multisensor approach

Mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet is a major contributor to sea level rise, driven primarily by increased surface melting and dynamic mass loss. Tidewater glaciers, which extend from the ice sheet to terminate in fjords, drive dynamic mass loss through frontal ablation at their termini by calving and oceanic melt. Calving rates and style vary substantially over time and between individual glaciers, making general parameterizations difficult. Capturing spatially and temporally high-resolution observations of calving is particularly challenging due to the harsh and remote environment. This limits our understanding of this critical process and reduces our ability to accurately predict the future evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Here, we present a unique in-situ dataset comprising terrestrial radar interferometry (TRI) acquisitions, time-lapse imagery, seismic measurements, infrasound recordings, wave height data, fiber-optic cable measurements and manual observations. While each technique has its own temporal or spatial limitations, their integration offers a comprehensive perspective on the calving process at the tidewater glacier Eqalorutsit Kangilliit Sermiat (EKaS) in South Greenland. The simultaneous recording, co-detection and subsequent synthesis of these diverse multi-week to annual datasets overcome current observational constraints, providing crucial insights into calving dynamics. These novel observations are critical for understanding and predicting the role of calving in the mass loss of the Greenland Ice Sheet.