Chinese Journal of Polar Research

ADVANCES IN POLAR SCIENCE ›› 2015, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (4): 402-411.DOI: 10.13679/j.jdyj.2015.4.402

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SURFACE MOVEMENT ON THE AUSTRE LOVÉNBREEN AND PEDERSENBREEN GLACIERS, SVALBARD, THE ARCTIC

Li Peng1,2,4, Yan Ming1, Ai Songtao3, Xu Yuetong2, Liu Leibao1, Sun Weijun2   

  1. 1SOA Key Laboratory for Polar Science, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai 200136, China; 2College of Population, Resources and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China; 3Chinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping, SGG, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China; 4Tianjin Environment Monitoring Center, Tianjin 300191, China
  • Received:2014-10-29 Revised:2014-12-27 Online:2015-12-30 Published:2015-12-30

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Abstract: The glaciers Austre Lovénbreen and Pedersenbreen are located near Ny-?lesund, Svalbard, Arctic. The characteristics of surface movement are analyzed based on filed data from 2005 to 2011 on both glaciers. The results are as following: (1) The average horizontal velocities of Austre Lovénbreen and Pedersenbreen are 2.14 m?a-1 and 6.28 m?a-1 , respectively, and their corresponding variation coefficient are 0.24 and 0.14, respectively. The average horizontal velocity in summer of two glaciers is slightly higher than that in winter. There is a multinomial relationship between the glacial horizontal velocity and its elevation. The horizontal velocity is larger along glacial mainstream line than that on both sides, and its distribution is not symmetrical on both sides of Austre Lovénbreen glacier. Based on the glacial movement features, Austre Lovénbreen can be divided into three regions from its origin to terminal, and they are compressional region, stretching region and compressional region in order. (2)The average vertical velocities of Austre Lovénbreen and Pedersenbreen are 0.76 m?a-1 and 0.90 m?a-1 respectively, and their corresponding variation coefficient are 0.81 and 0.59, respectively. The vertical velocities are bigger in summer with a smaller variation coefficient than that in winter .There is a linear relationship between the glacial vertical velocity and its elevation. According to their contribution to the composition of vertical velocity on Austre Lovénbreen, height changes caused by surface mass balance makes the greatest part in 64%, followed by compensation flow (19%) and horizontal velocity components (16%). On Pedersenbreen, in contrast, height change caused by surface mass balance makes the greatest contribution in 40%，followed by horizontal velocity components (35%) and compensation flow (25%). (3) The surface strain rate decreases firstly and then increases along the mainstream line direction on Austre Lovénbreen and Pedersenbreen, and their corresponding average variation coefficient are 0.19 and 0.15, respectively.

Key words: Austre Lovénbreen, Pedersenbreen, glacial movement, surface velocity, surface strain rate