Velocity
(km/yr)
Figure 6A.6: Landsat satellite image of Jakobshavn Isbrae and its 15
fjord, showing locations of the calving ice front in years from 1851
2006 (winter)
to 2006. The glacier extends through the Illulisat Icefjord, surround-
2004 (dec)
ed by mountains. Icebergs calve off from the main glacier, pile up
2003
2002
and block the fjord before being released into Qeqertarsuup Tunua
10
2001
(Disko) Bay and Davis Strait. The whiter areas in the fjord are piled- 2000
up icebergs and the “real” glacier ends where the greyish striped
1995
1994
section ends – showing that this image is from 2001.
1992
The graph shows glacier-velocity profiles for 1985 to 2006. During 1985
this period Jakobshavn Isbrae, already the world’s fastest glacier, 5
doubled its speed to almost 14 km per year
28,29
after rapid thinning
and break up of its floating ice tongue
31
.
Sources: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio.
Historic calving front locations courtesy of Anker Weidick and Ole Bennike
0
Source: based on Howatt and others 2007
30
0 102030405060
Distance inland from the 1964 ice front (km)
CHAPTER 6A ICE SHEETS 109