The impact of glacier meltwater on the underwater noise field in a glacial bay

Głowacki, Oskar; Moskalik, Mateusz; Deane, Grant B.

doi:10.1002/2016jc012355

Cited by 28 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Both glacial behavior and the propagation of sound are sensitive to temporal variability in thermohaline structure of water masses in the bay (Pętlicki et al, 2015;Glowacki et al, 2016). The calving activity of Hans Glacier is largely controlled by melt-driven undercutting of the ice cliff, driven by thermodynamic processes and wave erosion (Pętlicki et al, 2015).…”

Section: General Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An overview of the temperature and salinity structure in the study site and its influence on the propagation of sound throughout the bay has been provided by Glowacki et al (2016). In this study, temperature and salinity profiles were taken on August 1, 12, 30 and September 9, 2016 with an SAIV SD208 CTD probe at 11 stations located on transects perpendicular and parallel to the glacier terminus (red and blue dashed lines, respectively, in Fig.…”

Section: Hydrographic and Bathymetric Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the thermohaline structure of a glacial bay is complex and three-dimensional (e.g. Jackson et al, 2014), patterns of temperature and salinity that are sufficiently characteristic of prevailing conditions in the bay can be identified from limited field measurements and used for propagation model inputs (Glowacki et al, 2016). We anticipate that there is a high uncertainty associated with the conversion coefficient from exposed area to block volume, which likely varies between glaciers characterized by different surface velocity, thermal regime, hydrology, terminus height, etc.…”

Section: Estimation Of Ice Mass Loss From the Calving Noisementioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantifying iceberg calving fluxes with underwater noise

Głowacki¹,

Deane²

2019

Preprint

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Abstract. Accurate estimates of calving fluxes are essential to understand small-scale glacier dynamics and quantify the contribution of marine-terminating glaciers to both eustatic sea level rise and the freshwater budget of polar regions. Here we investigate the application of ambient noise oceanography to measure calving flux using the underwater sounds of iceberg-water impact. A combination of time-lapse photography and passive acoustics is used to determine the relationship between the mass and impact noise of 169 icebergs generated by subaerial calving events from Hans Glacier, Svalbard. The analysis includes three major factors affecting the observed noise: 1. fluctuation of the thermohaline structure, 2. variability of the ocean depth along the waveguide, and 3. reflection of impact noise from the glacier terminus. A correlation of 0.76 is found between the (log-transformed) kinetic energy of the falling iceberg and the corresponding acoustic energy. An error-in-variables linear regression is applied to estimate the coefficients of this relationship. Energy conversion coefficients for non-transformed variables are 8 × 10−7 and 0.92, respectively for the multiplication factor and exponent of the power law. As we demonstrate, this simple model can be used to measure solid ice discharge from Hans Glacier. Uncertainty in the estimate is a function of the number of calving events observed; 50 % is expected for 8 blocks dropping to 20 % and 10 %, respectively, for 40 and 135 calving events. It may be possible to lower these errors if the influence of different calving styles on the received noise spectra can be determined.

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Section: General Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hydrographic and Bathymetric Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Estimation Of Ice Mass Loss From the Calving Noisementioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantifying iceberg calving fluxes with underwater noise

Głowacki¹,

Deane²

2019

Preprint

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“…Very promising and interesting approach offers analysis of signals which are spread by calving glaciers. Głowacki et al (2016) discovered that due to analysis of underwater sounds associated with calving glacier, it is possible to estimate how much of ice was detached. This relatively simple method can say not only when the glacier is calving, but also allows to discriminate different types of this phenomenon.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

2020

Publs. Inst. Geophys. P.A.S.

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“…Both laboratory and field experiments reveal a peak in noise power spectra between 1 and 3 kHz related to bubble release events (Blondel et al, ; Lee et al, ; Pettit et al, ). The transmission of these acoustic signatures through the fjords depends on variable hydrographic conditions (Glowacki et al, ). These and other studies have provided important insight into ambient noise oceanography in polar regions, providing, for example, quantitative estimates of the mass of calved icebergs as they impact the sea surface (Glowacki, Deane, Moskalik, Blondel, et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Intensity, Directionality, and Statistics of Underwater Noise From Melting Icebergs

Głowacki

Deane

Moskalik

2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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Freshwater fluxes from melting icebergs and glaciers are important contributors to both sea level rise and anomalies of seawater salinity in polar regions. However, the hazards encountered close to icebergs and glaciers make it difficult to quantify their melt rates directly, motivating the development of cryoacoustics as a remote sensing technique. Recent studies have shown a qualitative link between ice melting and the accompanying underwater noise, but the properties of this signal remain poorly understood.Here we examine the intensity, directionality, and temporal statistics of the underwater noise radiated by melting icebergs in Hornsund Fjord, Svalbard, using a three-element acoustic array. We present the first estimate of noise energy per unit area associated with iceberg melt and demonstrate its qualitative dependence on exposure to surface current. Finally, we show that the analysis of noise directionality and statistics makes it possible to distinguish iceberg melt from the glacier terminus melt. Plain Language SummaryRecent studies have demonstrated that impulsive underwater noise produced by tiny air bubbles released from melting glacier ice is a spectacular signal of the changing planet. A direct link between the melt rate and related noise would provide a first tool to study subsurface melting in a direct way. However, to make it possible, at first we need to better understand the properties of these sounds. To address this issue, we investigate intensity, directionality, and statistics of the melt noise. The results prove that icebergs can be automatically detected and tracked using several acoustic receivers immersed in water. Moreover, we provide the first estimate of acoustic energy produced by melting icebergs.

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The impact of glacier meltwater on the underwater noise field in a glacial bay

Cited by 28 publications

References 41 publications

Quantifying iceberg calving fluxes with underwater noise

Quantifying iceberg calving fluxes with underwater noise

Untitled

The Intensity, Directionality, and Statistics of Underwater Noise From Melting Icebergs

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