Glacier hydrology and hydrometeorology

A detailed, system-scale characterisation of glacier hydrology is essential in order to understand the fluxes of nutrients from snow and ice reservoirs and their interaction with ice-marginal environments. Further, glacier hydrology tells us how ice mass dynamics respond to melt and thus climate change. Recent work suggests that high latitude glaciers do not conform to expectation, largely because these expectations were developed from the study of temperate glaciers at lower latitudes. Thus new models are required that better explain the passage of surface-derived meltwaters through such glaciers and particular attention should be given to their role in the decoupling of the glacier from its bed.

Aerial shot of one of our dye pulses upon Midtre Lovenbreen, Svalbard (courtesy of High Spy). Single dye injections can emerge from multiple subglacial outflows, suggesting that conventional models of glacial drainage structure may not apply here.

Relevant papers

• Rutter, N., Hodson, A.J., Irvine-Fynn, T.D.L. and Kristiansen-Solas, M. (2011). Hydrology and hydrochemistry of a deglaciating high-Arctic catchment, Svalbard. Journal of Hydrology, 410(1-2), 39-50.
  doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.09.001
• Irvine-Fynn, T.D.L., Hodson, A.J., Moorman, B.J., Vatne, G. and Hubbard, A.L. (2011). Polythermal glacier hydrology: a review. Reviews of Geophysics, 49, RG4002.
  doi:10.1029/2010RG000350
• Hodson, A.J., Kohler, J., Brinkhaus, M. and Wynn, P.M. (2005). Multi-year water budget of a high latitude polythermal glacier: evidence for over-winter water storage in a dynamic subglacial reservoir. Annals of Glaciology, 42(1), 42-46.
  doi:10.3189/172756405781812844
• Irvine-Fynn T.D.L., Hodson, A.J., Kohler J., Porter P.R., Vatne G. (2005). Dye tracing experiments at Midre Lovenbreen, Svalbard: preliminary results and interpretations. In: Glacier Caves and Glacial Karst in High Mountains and Polar Regions. Ed. B.R. Mavlyudov, 36-43. Proceedings 7th GLA CKIPR Conference, Sept 2005, Azau. Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
• Brown, L.E., Hannah, D.M., Milner, A.M., Soulsby, C., Hodson, A.J. and Brewer, M.J. (2006). Water source dynamics in a glacierized alpine river basin (Taillon-Gabiétous, French Pyrénées). Water Resources Research, 42(8), W08404.
  doi:10.1029/2005WR004268