Proglacial streams runoff dynamics in Devil´s Bay, Vega Island, Antarctica

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Authors

KAVAN Jan HRBÁČEK Filip STRINGER Christopher D.

Year of publication 2023
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Hydrological Sciences Journal
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Web https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2023.2195559
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2023.2195559
Keywords runoff; water temperature; glaciers; eastern Antarctic Peninsula; atmospheric conditions
Description Increasing temperatures in Antarctica have resulted in the enlargement of proglacial regions on the Antarctic Peninsula, following glacier melt. This melt has increased river activity yet direct runoff measurements remain scarce in Antarctica, despite it acting as a proxy for glacial ablation. Here, we present discharge and water temperature data from 2013 for three streams on Vega Island and discuss their relationship with air tempera-ture. The average discharge at the largest stream was 0.523 m3s-1 with a maximum of 5.510 m3s-1 – among the highest recorded in Antarctica. The rivers continued to flow even when temperatures dropped to -7°C, indicating that a large proportion of the total runoff originated sub-glacially. This is supported by the one- day time lag between air and water temperatures. Using river discharge as a proxy, we measured 124.5 ± 14.4 mm w.e. of ablation. This indirect measurement proved an effective tool to complement classic glaciological observations.
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