Observing the subglacial hydrology network and its dynamics with a dense seismic array
Abstract
Significance Our understanding of when, where, and under which conditions subglacial water flow favors or impedes glacier flow remains uncertain mainly because of sparse field observations. This strongly limits our capability to assess the susceptibility of glaciers and ice sheets to a future increase in meltwater input due to climate warming. Here, we overcome classic observational difficulties by establishing an innovative seismic-based approach. From dense seismic array observations, we retrieve with unprecedented detail the two-dimensional map of a subglacial hydrology network. We observe its day-to-day evolution from a cavity-like system that favors glacier flow to a channel-like system that impedes glacier flow. Our method is easily adaptable and readily applicable to other settings than alpine glaciers such as Greenland or Antarctica. Subglacial water flow strongly modulates glacier basal motion, which itself strongly influences the contributions of glaciers and ice sheets to sea level rise. However, our understanding of when and where subglacial water flow enhances or impedes glacier flow is limited due to the paucity of direct observations of subglacial drainage characteristics. Here, we demonstrate that dense seismic array observations combined with an innovative systematic seismic source location technique allows the retrieval of a two-dimensional map of a subglacial drainage system, as well as its day-to-day temporal evolution. We observe with unprecedented…
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