Meltwater Penetration Through Temperate Ice Layers in the Percolation Zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet | CU Experts

Meltwater retention in the firn layer of the Greenland Ice Sheet is has; the potential to buffer sea level rise due to ice sheet melt. The; capacity of the firn layer to store meltwater is unclear, however,; because refrozen ice layers can act as impermeable barriers to meltwater; percolation, promoting runoff rather than retention. We present; time-domain reflectometry and thermistor data which demonstrates that; meltwater successfully penetrates ice layers up to 12 cm thick in the; near-surface firn at Dye2, Greenland. Our observations indicate that ice; layers within polar firn can become permeable when summer warming and; latent heat release from refreezing meltwater raise temperatures to the; melting point. This facilitates meltwater retention, and indicates that; the depth of penetration of the summer melting front (the 0°C isotherm); represents the primary control on meltwater infiltration in the; percolation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

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