Impact of icebergs on the seasonal submarine melt of Sermeq Kujalleq

Submarine iceberg melt significantly alters the vertical stratification of Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland, by cooling and freshening the water column while deepening the neutral buoyancy depth of subglacial discharge plumes. This process suppresses glacier melting in upper layers, leading to undercutting at the glacier front without requiring mechanical effects. The study used the MITgcm ocean circulation model with the IceBerg package to simulate fjord dynamics over a runoff season, comparing results with 2014 observations. Findings reveal that icebergs modify deep basins by mixing glacially modified waters and altering ambient water properties, highlighting their role in ice-ocean exchanges at marine-terminating glacier fronts.

Kajanto, K., Straneo, F., & Nisancioglu, K. (2023). Impact of icebergs on the seasonal submarine melt of Sermeq Kujalleq. The Cryosphere, 17(1), 371–390. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-371-2023