Regional-scale response of glacier speed to seasonal runoff variations
on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Abstract
Subglacial hydrology directly impacts glacier motion, but few studies
have investigated the connections between ice speed and water input on
regional scales. Here, we analyze the correlation of glacier surface
speed and runoff for 77 glaciers ≥3 km2 (~3070 km2) on
the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, within and between seasons from 2015-2019.
Most correlations between monthly/seasonal mean ice speed and cumulative
runoff in preceding months/multi-month periods are significant
(p<0.05), while correlations for the same months or seasons
are generally insignificant or weak indicating seasonally delayed
responses of ice speed to runoff. In almost all cases lower-than-average
monthly/seasonal ice speeds are associated with higher-than-average
runoff in preceding months or multi-month periods. Overall, our results
show that runoff can influence ice speed with considerable (multi-month)
delays.