Abstract
The North Greenland Icecore Project (NorthGRIP) drill site was chosen
in order to obtain a good Eemian record. At the present depth, 3001m, the Eemian interstadial
has yet to be seen. Clearly the flow in this area is poorly understood and needs
further investigation. After a review of specific features of the bottom topography, it is
believed that the geology changes along the flowline. In order to investigate whether this
explains the observed age-depth relationship at NorthGRIP, the inverse Monte Carlo
method has been applied to a simple model.The inversion reveals that the main reason no
Eemian is observed is a high basal melt rate (2.7mm/a). The melting is a consequence of a
higher geothermal heat flux than the expected 51mW/m^2 of the Precambrian shield. From
our analyses it is concluded that the geothermal heat flux at NorthGRIP is 98mW/m^2.The
high basalmelt rate also gives rise to sliding at the bed. In addition to these results, an accumulationmodel
has been established specifically forNorthGRIP.These results are essential
for further modelling of the NorthGRIP flow and depth-age relationship
in order to obtain a good Eemian record. At the present depth, 3001m, the Eemian interstadial
has yet to be seen. Clearly the flow in this area is poorly understood and needs
further investigation. After a review of specific features of the bottom topography, it is
believed that the geology changes along the flowline. In order to investigate whether this
explains the observed age-depth relationship at NorthGRIP, the inverse Monte Carlo
method has been applied to a simple model.The inversion reveals that the main reason no
Eemian is observed is a high basal melt rate (2.7mm/a). The melting is a consequence of a
higher geothermal heat flux than the expected 51mW/m^2 of the Precambrian shield. From
our analyses it is concluded that the geothermal heat flux at NorthGRIP is 98mW/m^2.The
high basalmelt rate also gives rise to sliding at the bed. In addition to these results, an accumulationmodel
has been established specifically forNorthGRIP.These results are essential
for further modelling of the NorthGRIP flow and depth-age relationship
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Annals of Glaciology |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Pages (from-to) | 527-530 |
| ISSN | 0260-3055 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2002 |