What do glaciers tell us when they growl

WHAT DO GLACIERS TELL US WHEN THEY GROWL?

BY

Robert Denis

HOW OLD AM I?

FROM SNOW TO GLACIER ICE

Snow Ice Glacier ice

Glacier icecrystals

A continuum

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Features of a glaciated landscape (Gibbs Fjord, Baffin Is.)

HORN

SNOW FIELDCIRQUE

ARÊTES

ICE-FALLS

MEDIAL MORAINE

LATERAL MORAINE

AVALANCHE

Major Features:

Icecap Glacier

Moraine

U shaped valleys, and cirques Evighets Fjord, Greenland

Cirques in Hebron Fjord, Labrador

Bucchan Fjord, Truncated Spurs

1900 limit

Icecap

Glacier Bed

U shaped valley

A FEW MORE DETAILS!

GLACIAL DEBRIS ON OCEAN FLOOR ICEBERGS

Major Features of a glacier tongue:

U shaped valleys

Frontal moraine

Evidence of glacial retreat since ~1900

Glacier snout Evighets Fjord

BUCCHAN FJORD, BAFFIN ISLAND

Lateral Moraine

Snow line

Bucchan Gulf

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Sea level changes in the last ~500 years

Radstock Bay, Devon Island

As it was in the 14-15th century

Thule sites

Sea level changes in the last ~500 years

Thule sites

Radstock Bay, Devon Island

As it is now

An ARCHIVE of our PAST

Scientists at work on an Ellesmere Ice Cap

Playing in the snow

Ice core with layers

Vostock Core

An example of climate change

Where do icebergs come from?The Ilulissat Icefjord

WHY DID THE TITANIC SINK?

12%

“I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE, I AIN’T MOVING”

FROM ‘ICEBERG ALLEY’ EAST BAFFIN COAST

Magnificent sculptures to dream about

THE CASE OF GREENLAND

~3000 m. of ice

1992 2002

….and with no ice

1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

2080

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Maslowski et al. 2005

Holland et al. 2007

HOW OLD AM I?

KR =photo by Kerry Rodriguez 2003

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Merci beaucoup

Robert

et

Grand’papaKR

NAW KOH RAMI