Formation, flow and break-up of ephemeral ice mélange at LeConte Glacier and Bay, Alaska

Ephemeral ice mélange at LeConte Glacier, Alaska, significantly impacts glacier dynamics by reducing frontal ablation rates and glacier velocities. Unlike previous observations, its break-up did not coincide with seasonal retreat but was driven by sub-ice-mélange plumes, tides, and calving events. The study, conducted from 2016 to 2017, used glaciological and oceanographic data to capture the formation, flow, and disintegration of this ice mélange, challenging existing models that simulate its mechanical and thermodynamic interactions with glaciers and fjords.

Amundson, J. M., Kienholz, C., Hager, A. O., Jackson, R. H., Motyka, R. J., Nash, J. D., & Sutherland, D. A. (2020). Formation, flow and break-up of ephemeral ice mélange at LeConte Glacier and Bay, Alaska. Journal of Glaciology, 66(258), 577–590. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.29