Dr Jonathan Carrivick

Modelling Arctic Alpine glacier runoff and floodplain dynamics

(with Dr. Lee Brown and Dr Katherine Arrell)

The aim of this project is to link models of glacial meltwater discharge, sediment mobility and floodplain inundation dynamics in an arctic alpine system, namely that at Kårsavagge, near Abisko (68 degrees north), arctic Sweden.

This will be achieved through two objectives: (a) model melt on Kårsaglaciären, and (b) model discharge and sediment mobility of the Kårsavagge floodplain. Briefly, this will involve the following field measurements; (i) a topographic survey of Kårsaglaciären surface topography (dGPS) and snow-ice interface (snow probing), (ii) collation of existing mass balance (via Tarfala/Stockholm) and climate records (via Abisko), (iii) Kårsavagge weather parameters (for energy balance modelling validation), (iv) Kårsajåkka channel (bed substrate) and hydrology (discharge, sediment concentration). These field measurements will inform and subsequently validate a distributed energy balance model and a river evolution/stability model.

It is envisaged that through integration of the two models this project will ultimately provide the basis for understanding the hydrological implications of regional climate change by quantifying floodplain response to winter snow melt events and spring snowpack retreat. This will be achieved by modelling the effects of air temperature and precipitation on glacial runoff and river discharge (from glacial and groundwater sources), and the effects of these changing regimes on floodplain hydrology.

This project is funded by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences' Transnational Access Programme (ATANS).