Time-Domain Reflectometry Measurements and Modeling of Firn Meltwater Infiltration at DYE-2, Greenland.

ABSTRACT: Surface meltwater can be retained in an ice sheet if it infiltrates the firn and refreezes. This is an important mass balance process for the Greenland Ice Sheet, reducing meltwater runoff and associated sea-level rise. The processes of meltwater infiltration and refreezing are not fully understood, however, and remain difficult to monitor remotely. We deployed vertical arrays of thermistors and time-domain reflectometry (TDR) probes to 4-m depth in the firn to continuously monitor meltwater infiltration and refreezing processes at DYE-2, Greenland. The observations provide a detailed picture of the coupled thermal and hydrological evolution of the firn through the 2016 melt season, including estimates of firn water content. The thaw and wetting fronts reached a maximum depth of 1.8 m, wit

SUBMITTER: Samimi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9285917 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature