A Reassessment of the Role of Atmospheric and Oceanic Forcing on Ice Dynamics at Jakobshavn Isbræ (Sermeq Kujalleq), Ilulissat Icefjord

Jakobshavn Isbræ, the largest contributor to Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss over the past three decades, has shown complex ice dynamics influenced by both atmospheric and oceanic factors. Recent research indicates that the glacier began re-accelerating in 2018, with near-terminus velocity increasing by 49% between 2018 and 2021, prior to significant ocean warming. This acceleration was likely driven by reductions in effective pressure due to ice surface lowering, caused by negative surface mass balance and dynamic thinning. Additionally, sustained thinning and iceberg calving during winter 2020/2021 corresponded with a decrease in rigid mélange extent, linked to increased ocean temperatures in Disko Bay and Ilulissat Icefjord. The study underscores the need to consider both atmospheric and oceanic forcing when projecting the future behavior of marine-terminating outlet glaciers like Jakobshavn Isbræ.

Picton, H. J., Nienow, P. W., Slater, D. A., & Chudley, T. R. (2025). A Reassessment of the Role of Atmospheric and Oceanic Forcing on Ice Dynamics at Jakobshavn Isbræ (Sermeq Kujalleq), Ilulissat Icefjord. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 130(4). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024jf008104