Scholarly Works, Geosciences

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10919/24267

Research articles, presentations, and other scholarship

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 368

Projections of multiple climate-related coastal hazards for the US Southeast Atlantic
Barnard, Patrick L.; Befus, Kevin M.; Danielson, Jeffrey J.; Engelstad, Anita C.; Erikson, Li H.; Foxgrover, Amy C.; Hayden, Maya K.; Hoover, Daniel J.; Leijnse, Tim W. B.; Massey, Chris; McCall, Robert; Nadal-Caraballo, Norberto C.; Nederhoff, Kees; O'Neill, Andrea C.; Parker, Kai A.; Shirzaei, Manoochehr; Ohenhen, Leonard O.; Swarzenski, Peter W.; Thomas, Jennifer A.; van Ormondt, Maarten; Vitousek, Sean; Vos, Kilian; Wood, Nathan J.; Jones, Jeanne M.; Jones, Jamie L. (Springer Nature, 2024-11-21)
Faced with accelerating sea level rise and changing ocean storm conditions, coastal communities require comprehensive assessments of climate-driven hazard impacts to inform adaptation measures. Previous studies have focused on flooding but rarely on other climate-related coastal hazards, such as subsidence, beach erosion and groundwater. Here, we project societal exposure to multiple hazards along the Southeast Atlantic coast of the United States. Assuming 1 m of sea level rise, more than 70% of the coastal residents and US$1 trillion in property are in areas projected to experience shallow and emerging groundwater, 15 times higher than daily flooding. Storms increase flooding exposure by an order of magnitude over daily flooding, which could impact up to ~50% of all coastal residents and US$770 billion in property value. The loss of up to ~80% of present-day beaches and high subsidence rates that currently affect over 1 million residents will exacerbate flooding and groundwater hazard risks.
Lithium isotope evidence for a plumeworld ocean in the aftermath of the Marinoan snowball Earth
Gan, Tian; Tian, Meng; Wang, Xi-Kai; Wang, Shijie; Liu, Xiao-Ming; Jiang, Ganqing; Gill, Benjamin C.; Nolan, Morrison; Kaufman, Alan J.; Luo, Taiyi; Xiao, Shuhai (National Academies of Science, 2024-11-05)
The snowball Earth hypothesis predicts that continental chemical weathering diminished substantially during, but rebounded strongly after, the Marinoan ice age some 635 Mya. Defrosting the planet would result in a plume of fresh glacial meltwater with a different chemical composition from underlying hypersaline seawater, generating both vertical and lateral salinity gradients. Here, we test the plumeworld hypothesis using lithium isotope compositions in the Ediacaran Doushantuo cap dolostone that accumulated in the aftermath of the Marinoan snowball Earth along a proximal–distal (nearshore–offshore) transect in South China. Our data show an overall decreasing δ⁷Li trend with distance from the shoreline, consistent with the variable mixing of a meltwater plume with high δ⁷Li (due to incongruent silicate weathering on the continent) and hypersaline seawater with low δ⁷Li (due to synglacial distillation). The evolution of low δ⁷Li of synglacial seawater, as opposed to the modern oceans with high δ⁷Li, was likely driven by weak continental chemical weathering coupled with strong reverse weathering on the seafloor underneath silica-rich oceans. The spatial pattern of δ⁷Li is also consistent with the development and then collapse of the meltwater plume that occurred at the time scale of cap dolostone accumulation. Therefore, the δ7Li data are consistent with the plumeworld hypothesis, considerably reduced chemical weathering on the continent during the Marinoan snowball Earth, and enhanced reverse weathering on the seafloor of Precambrian oceans.
Amplification of downstream flood stage due to damming of fine-grained rivers
Ma, Hongbo; Nittrouer, Jeffrey A.; Fu, Xudong; Parker, Gary; Zhang, Yuanfeng; Wang, Yuanjian; Wang, Yanjun; Lamb, Michael P.; Cisneros, Julia; Best, Jim; Parsons, Daniel R.; Wu, Baosheng (Nature Portfolio, 2022-06)
River dams provide many benefits, including flood control. However, due to constantly evolving channel morphology, downstream conveyance of floodwaters following dam closure is difficult to predict. Here, we test the hypothesis that the incised, enlarged channel downstream of dams provides enhanced water conveyance, using a case study from the lower Yellow River, China. We find that, although flood stage is lowered for small floods, counterintuitively, flood stage downstream of a dam can be amplified for moderate and large floods. This arises because bed incision is accompanied by sediment coarsening, which facilitates development of large dunes that increase flow resistance and reduce velocity relative to pre-dam conditions. Our findings indicate the underlying mechanism for such flood amplification may occur in >80% of fine-grained rivers, and suggest the need to reconsider flood control strategies in such rivers worldwide.
A framework for addressing the lack of diversity in the Geosciences through evaluating the current structure of institutional efforts
Guhlincozzi, Aída; Cisneros, Julia (Springer, 2021-07-02)
How can universities build institutional partnerships through supporting community geography projects? This paper details the case of university members seeking to achieve a community goal of expanding Geosciences education opportunities, while also targeting a long-range goal of improving diversity within the university Geosciences. Over the course of one year, two Ph.D students collaborated with community members affiliated with a local middle school to design and organize the School of Earth, Society, and Environment (SESE) Geosciences Camp for Middle School Girls, held in August 2019. This paper deconstructs and critiques the camp organizing process and its outcomes. The conclusion addresses what worked and what did not as a model for future attempts at more sustainable institutional partnerships serving community geography projects.
Grappling with barriers in geosciences from the lens of two Latina geoscientists
Cisneros, Julia; Guhlincozzi, Aída (Routledge, 2022-10-18)
This article reviews our shared experience as two minoritized graduate students, encapsulating what the barriers we encountered were, and identifies the impacts of a personal disinterest by geoscientists and institutional disinvestment in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues in the geosciences. Specifically, in this article we advance the concept of disinvestment in the academy, and how disinvestment and disinterest reveal themselves in the ways the geosciences as a field interact with service and outreach to impact the abilities of minoritized geoscientists to create and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Through evaluating the case of our creation of a geosciences camp for problems with disinvestment and disinterest by the academy, we identify barriers we faced and solutions created to address them through the framework of navigating a road, and typologizing them as roadblocks, detours, and alternate routes. The multiple barriers we experienced cumulatively amount to considerable time and effort lost, resulting in harm against us and our careers. We find the disinterest and disinvestment we experienced disincentivizes service and outreach work that is pivotal in improving DEI in geosciences. Our current systems and expectations need modification so we can move away from disinvestment and create engaged support structures.
The influence of dune lee side shape on time-averaged velocities and turbulence
Lefebvre, Alice; Cisneros, Julia (Copernicus, 2023-07-11)
Underwater dunes are found in various environments with strong hydrodynamics and movable sediment such as rivers, estuaries and continental shelves. They have a diversity of morphology, ranging from low- to high-angle lee sides and sharp or rounded crests. Here, we investigate the influence of lee side morphology on flow properties (time-averaged velocities and turbulence). To do so, we carried out a large number of numerical simulations of flow over dunes with a variety of morphologies using Delft3D. Our results show that the value of the mean lee side angle in addition to the value and position of the maximum lee side angle have an influence on the flow properties investigated. We propose a classification with the following three types of dunes: (1) low-angle dunes (mean lee side < 10°), over which there is generally no flow separation and over which only little turbulence is created; (2) intermediate-angle dunes (mean lee side 10-17° ), over which an intermittent flow separation is likely over the trough; and (3) high-angle dunes (mean lee side > 17° ), over which the flow separates at the brink point and reattaches shortly after the trough and over which turbulence is high. The influence of maximum lee side slope value and position on flow characteristics depends on the dune type. We discuss the implications of the proposed dune classification on the interaction between dune morphology and flow.
Automated Bedform Identification-A Meta-Analysis of Current Methods and the Heterogeneity of Their Outputs
Scheiber, Leon; Zomer, Judith; Wang, Li; Cisneros, Julia; Gutierrez, Ronald R.; Lefebvre, Alice (American Geophysical Union, 2024-03-25)
Ongoing efforts to characterize underwater dunes have led to a considerable number of freely available tools that identify these bedforms in a (semi-)automated way. However, these tools differ with regard to their research focus and appear to produce results that are far from unequivocal. We scrutinize this assumption by comparing the results of five recently published dune identification tools in a comprehensive meta-analysis. Specifically, we analyze dune populations identified in three bathymetries under diverse flow conditions and compare the resulting dune characteristics in a quantitative manner. Besides the impact of underlying definitions, it is shown that the main heterogeneity arises from the consideration of a secondary dune scale, which has a significant influence on statistical distributions. Based on the quantitative results, we discuss the individual strengths and limitations of each algorithm, with the aim of outlining adequate fields of application. However, the concerted bedform analysis and subsequent combination of results have another benefit: the creation of a benchmarking data set which is inherently less biased by individual focus and therefore a valuable instrument for future validations. Nevertheless, it is apparent that the available tools are still very specific and that end-users would profit by their merging into a universal and modular toolbox.
Forest catchment structure mediates shallow subsurface flow and soil base cation fluxes
Pennino, Amanda; Strahm, Brian D.; McGuire, Kevin J.; Bower, Jennifer A.; Bailey, Scott W.; Schreiber, Madeline E.; Ross, Donald S.; Duston, Stephanie A.; Benton, Joshua R. (Elsevier, 2024-10)
Hydrologic behavior and soil properties across forested landscapes with complex topography exhibit high variability. The interaction of groundwater with spatially distinct soils produces and transports solutes across catchments, however, the spatiotemporal relationships between groundwater dynamics and soil solute fluxes are difficult to directly evaluate. While whole-catchment export of solutes by shallow subsurface flow represents an integration of soil environments and conditions but many studies compartmentalize soil solute fluxes as hillslope vs. riparian, deep vs. shallow, or as individual soil horizon contributions. This potentially obscures and underestimates the hillslope variation and magnitude of solute fluxes and soil development across the landscape. This study determined the spatial variation and of shallow soil base cation fluxes associated with weathering reactions (Ca, Mg, and Na), soil elemental depletion, and soil saturation dynamics in upland soils within a small, forested watershed at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH. Base cation fluxes were calculated using a combination of ion-exchange resins placed in shallow groundwater wells (0.3 – 1 m depth) located across hillslope transects (ridges to lower backslopes) and measurements of groundwater levels. Groundwater levels were also used to create metrics of annual soil saturation. Base cation fluxes were positively correlated with soil saturation frequency and were greatest in soil profiles where primary minerals were most depleted of base cations (i.e., highly weathered). Spatial differences in soil saturation across the catchment were strongly related to topographic properties of the upslope drainage area and are interpreted to result from spatial variations in transient groundwater dynamics. Results from this work suggest that the structure of a catchment defines the spatial architecture of base cation fluxes, likely reflecting the mediation of subsurface stormflow dynamics on soil development. Furthermore, this work highlights the importance of further compartmentalizing solute fluxes along hillslopes, where certain areas may disproportionately contribute solutes to the whole catchment. Refining catchment controls on base cation generation and transport could be an important tool for opening the black box of catchment elemental cycling.
Detecting Transient Uplift at the Active Volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai in Tanzania With the TZVOLCANO Network
Daud, Ntambila; Stamps, D. Sarah; Ji, Kang-Hyeun; Saria, Elifuraha; Huang, Mong-Han; Adams, Aubreya (American Geophysical Union, 2024-07)
Over the last 7 years, geodetic data have detected periods of uplift and subsidence of the active volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai in Tanzania. Although numerous eruptions of the volcano have occurred historically, a systematic investigation of transient deformation using continuous Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data has not been undertaken. We use the Targeted Projection Operator (TPO) to assess 7 years of continuous GNSS data from the TZVOLCANO network for transient signals and find rapid uplift spanning March 2022–December 2022 and then steady-state uplift through August 2023. We conduct a nonlinear inversion of the GNSS velocities associated with the transient signal using dMODELS and find consistency with an inflating spheroidal source located 2.3 ± 0.6 km beneath the crater. Prior to March 2022, geodetic data indicated quiescence just below Ol Doinyo Lengai, thus detecting transient deformation with TPO allows for tracking changes in the magmatic system over time in the Natron Rift.
Geochemical drivers of manganese removal in drinking water reservoirs under hypolimnetic oxygenation
Ming, Cissy L.; Breef-Pilz, Adrienne; Howard, Dexter W.; Schreiber, Madeline E. (Elsevier, 2024-07)
Manganese (Mn) is a naturally occurring contaminant commonly found in drinking water supplies. In lakes and reservoirs, water authorities increasingly use in situ treatment by hypolimnetic oxygenation (HOx) systems to remove metals such as Mn from the water column. HOx systems introduce dissolved oxygen (DO) to the bottom waters (hypolimnion) to promote oxidation and subsequent removal of metals from the water column. Previous laboratory studies have shown the importance of individual geochemical drivers (pH, alkalinity, mineral surfaces) on Mn oxidation, but few studies have examined the influence of these drivers of Mn removal in concert. In this study, we conducted field monitoring and laboratory experiments to examine how pH, alkalinity and the presence of mineral particles influence Mn removal at two drinking water reservoirs in southwest Virginia, both with HOx systems: Falling Creek Reservoir (FCR) and Carvins Cove Reservoir (CCR). Both reservoirs have had historical issues with elevated (>0.05 mg/L) Mn concentrations during seasonal stratification (May–October). Watershed geology contributes to differences in pH and alkalinity between the reservoirs, with FCR having lower historical medians of hypolimnetic pH and alkalinity (6.6 and 18 mg/L CaCO₃, respectively) than CCR (7.2 and 62 mg/L CaCO₃, respectively). Results of laboratory experiments examining the influence of pH on Mn removal showed substantial Mn loss within 14 days only under high pH (10) conditions. Mn removal did not occur at pH 6 or 8 over the same 14-day period. In experiments with pH 10 and alkalinity >70 mg/L CaCO₃, near-total Mn removal occurred within 2 h. Mn removal occurred concurrently with precipitation of microscopic (<5 μm) particles, followed by formation of macroscopic (>100 μm) particles. Particles of both size classes were identified as Mn oxides (MnOx). These observations suggest that increasing pH and alkalinity promotes Mn oxidation and subsequent removal from solution. Results of experiments with pH 10 and alkalinity >70 mg/L CaCO₃ suggest that heterogeneous oxidation by MnOx partially drives rapid Mn removal. Thus, initial formation of MnOx creates a positive feedback loop that can enhance additional Mn loss. In experiments using water collected from FCR and CCR, we observed rapid Mn removal in unfiltered water (0.002–0.05 d⁻¹) but no significant removal of Mn in filtered water. These results, in combination with results of analysis of particles collected from reservoir water, suggest that minerals present in the water column likely catalyze MnOx formation. Together, our experimental results suggest that heterogenous oxidation is an important process of Mn removal, while pH and alkalinity variations of the range expected in natural freshwaters contribute less to differential Mn removal. The formation of MnOx particles during in situ oxygenation, as well as the presence of suspended minerals that occur naturally in water columns, play an important role in promoting Mn oxidation and should be accounted for in Mn removal treatment strategies.
Open Access GNSS Data for Studies of the Lithosphere
Stamps, D. Sarah; Kreemer, Corné (Wiley, 2024-07-01)
Various types of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data are used for a wide range of applications. When modeled correctly, millimeter precision daily GNSS position time‐series yield velocities and other derived products that can be used for investigations of lithospheric processes and properties. In this review paper, we describe the specific types of GNSS data and data products that are valuable for studies of the lithosphere, such as coseismic offsets, post‐seismic decay in time‐series, seasonal signals, secular velocities, and strain rates, and how those data are derived. We also discuss the applications of several types of GNSS data and data products. We provide open access resources for precision GNSS daily position time‐series, quality secular velocity solutions, and daily GNSS RINEX files for researchers interested in processing their own data.
Repeated Coseismic Uplift of Coastal Lagoons Above the Patton Bay Splay Fault System, Montague Island, Alaska, USA
DePaolis, Jessica M.; Dura, Tina; Witter, Robert C.; Haeussler, Peter J.; Bender, Adrian; Curran, Janet H.; Corbett, D. Reide (American Geophysical Union, 2024-05)
Coseismic slip on the Patton Bay splay fault system during the 1964 Mw 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake contributed to local tsunami generation and vertically uplifted shorelines as much as 11 m on Montague Island in Prince William Sound (PWS). Sudden uplift of 3.7–4.3 m caused coastal lagoons along the island's northwestern coast to gradually drain. The resulting change in depositional environment from marine lagoon to freshwater muskeg created a sharp, laterally continuous stratigraphic contact between silt and overlying peat. Here, we characterize the geomorphology, sedimentology, and diatom ecology across the 1964 earthquake contact and three similar prehistoric contacts within the stratigraphy of the Hidden Lagoons locality.We find that the contacts signal instances of abrupt coastal uplift that, within error, overlap the timing of independently constrained megathrust earthquakes in PWS—1964 Common Era, 760–870 yr BP, 2500–2700 yr BP, and 4120– 4500 yr BP. Changes in fossil diatom assemblages across the inferred prehistoric earthquake contacts reflect ecological shifts consistent with repeated draining of a lagoon system caused by >3 m of coseismic uplift. Our observations provide evidence for four instances of combined megathrust‐splay fault ruptures that have occurred in the past ∼4,200 years in PWS. The possibility that 1964‐style combined megathrust‐splay fault ruptures may have repeated in the past warrants their consideration in future seismic and tsunami hazards assessments.
Generative AI tools can enhance climate literacy but must be checked for biases and inaccuracies
Atkins, Carmen; Girgente, Gina; Shirzaei, Manoochehr; Kim, Junghwan (Springer Nature, 2024-04)
In the face of climate change, climate literacy is becoming increasingly important. With wide access to generative AI tools, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, we explore the potential of AI platforms for ordinary citizens asking climate literacy questions. Here, we focus on a global scale and collect responses from ChatGPT (GPT-3.5 and GPT-4) on climate change-related hazard prompts over multiple iterations by utilizing the OpenAI’s API and comparing the results with credible hazard risk indices.Wefind a general sense of agreement in comparisons and consistency in ChatGPT over the iterations. GPT-4 displayed fewer errors than GPT-3.5. Generative AI tools may be used in climate literacy, a timely topic of importance, but must be scrutinized for potential biases and inaccuracies moving forward and considered in a social context. Future work should identify and disseminate best practices for optimal use across various generative AI tools.
Using Water Quality as a Proxy to Estimate Microplastic Concentrations in the New River, VA, via Sentinel 2
Rodriguez Sequeira, Luisana; Allen, George H.; Gray, Austin D. (New River Symposium, 2024-04-12)
Microplastics (<5mm), are pervasive in Earth’s environments, and rivers are a major transport pathway. Microplastic detection methods that rely on counting individual particles are time consuming and require laborious field collection, inhibiting real-time insights over large spatial extents, which are needed in order to better understand the issue. Satellite remote sensing has been used to estimate water quality in rivers with relatively high spatial and temporal coverage. Finding a correlation between water quality and microplastics could allow us to estimate microplastics in rivers via satellite imagery using water quality as a proxy. Though a handful of these assessments have been done, a wide-variety of study sites are needed to form a coherent model. We focused our study in the New River near Blacksburg, VA, and collected weekly water quality measurements and surface-water microplastic samples. We combined these in situ measurements with cotemporal remotely-sensed water quality index observations from Sentinel-2 to develop a model estimating microplastic concentration. We validated the model using in-situ spectrometry and water quality measurements. By providing more observations than what can be done with in situ sampling alone, we can improve large-scale microplastic analyses and modeling leading to better assessments of mismanaged plastic waste in Earth’s rivers.
Disappearing cities on US coasts
Ohenhen, Leonard O.; Shirzaei, Manoochehr; Ojha, Chandrakanta; Sherpa, Sonam F.; Nicholls, Robert J. (Nature Research, 2024-03-06)
The sea level along the US coastlines is projected to rise by 0.25–0.3 m by 2050, increasing the probability of more destructive flooding and inundation in major cities. However, these impacts may be exacerbated by coastal subsidence— the sinking of coastal land areas—a factor that is often underrepresented in coastal-management policies and long-term urban planning. In this study, we combine high-resolution vertical land motion (that is, raising or lowering of land) and elevation datasets with projections of sea-level rise to quantify the potential inundated areas in 32 major US coastal cities. Here we show that, even when considering the current coastal-defence structures, further land area of between 1,006 and 1,389 km² is threatened by relative sea-level rise by 2050, posing a threat to a population of 55,000–273,000 people and 31,000–171,000 properties. Our analysis shows that not accounting for spatially variable land subsidence within the cities may lead to inaccurate projections of expected exposure. These potential consequences show the scale of the adaptation challenge, which is not appreciated in most US coastal cities.
Controls on the Leeside Angle of Dunes in Shallow Unidirectional Flows
Cisneros, Julia; Best, Jim (Wiley, 2024)
Dunes are ubiquitous features in alluvial channels, serve as major agents of sediment transport and contribute significantly to flow resistance. Research in the past decade has illustrated the complexity of dune geometry and widespread occurrence of dunes that have a low leeside angle. However, debate exists concerning the occurrence of such dunes and their formative processes. This paper seeks to further our understanding of low-angle dunes by utilizing data from a robust set of shallow flow laboratory experiments detailing equilibrium bedform morphology across a range of sediment transport conditions. Analysis of bedform morphology demonstrates that dunes with low-angle leesides are generated in shallow laboratory flows, and hence are not restricted to deep rivers. Of the possible processes that have been proposed to explain the formation of low-angle dunes, this finding unequivocally shows that liquefied leeside avalanches, which rely on deep flows for their generation, are not a controlling mechanism. In addition, dunes formed under suspension-dominated conditions possess lower leeside angles compared to those formed in bedload-dominated conditions. However, where bedload transport dominates and sediment suspension is likely of lesser importance, low-angle dunes are still present, and preliminary analysis shows that bedform superimposition can result in lowering of the dune leeside angle. Low and intermediate angle dunes formed in these various conditions also have a lower potential for large-scale, permanent, leeside flow separation compared to angle-of-repose dunes, confirming the need to account for these differences in predictions of flow resistance associated with dune form roughness.
High-Resolution Finite Fault Slip Inversion of the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Using 3D Finite Element Modeling
Barba-Sevilla, Magali; Glasscoe, Margaret T.; Parker, Jay; Lyzenga, Gregory A.; Willis, Michael J.; Tiampo, Kristy F. (American Geophysical Union, 2022-09-14)
The 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence manifested as one of the most complex fault surface ruptures observed in California in modern times. The M6.4 foreshock and M7.1 mainshock occurred on an intricate network of orthogonal and sub-parallel faults resulting in observable surface displacement and surface rupture captured by geodetic data. Here we present the application of a high-resolution 3D finite element model (FEM) approach to invert for the detailed fault slip of the entire sequence using complex rheology and fused coseismic Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data with Sentinel-1 differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar and pixel offset data. The heterogeneous FEM and the fused geodetic data set of pixel offsets, interferograms, and GNSS data results in our optimal inversion solution. This preferred solution is a complex, high-resolution non-planar slip model of both the M6.4 and M7.1 events that features three main regions of large slip (6.9+ m), with depths ranging from 2 to 10 km. The regions of slip are bounded by the mainshock hypocenter and the mainshock aftershocks and appear to be related to spatially varying rheological properties. We successfully reproduce a localized region of observed subsidence in the northern portion of the primary fault through the inclusion of a curved fault strand with a significant dip-slip component. The curved fault strand is the site of our maximum slip of 7.4 m at a depth of 4.2 km. The results demonstrate a robust fit from a more complete, detailed model for the entire seismogenic zone with reasonable computational cost, providing new insights into the governing rheologic and structural processes.
Characterization of large tsunamigenic landslides and their effects using digital surface models: A case study from Taan Fiord, Alaska
Corsa, Brianna D.; Jacquemart, Mylene; Willis, Michael J.; Tiampo, Kristy F. (Elsevier, 2022-03-01)
On 17 October 2015, a large landslide entered the marine waters of Taan Fiord, Alaska, and generated a displacement wave with a 193 m runup. The wave scoured the surrounding hillslopes of soil and vegetation and deposited significant volumes of material into the fjord, onto hillslopes on the opposite side of the fjord, and on top of Tyndall Glacier. For this study, we generated six, 2-m posting Digital Surface Models (DSMs) using DigitalGlobe/Maxar satellite imagery acquired near-annually between 2012 and 2019, and the Surface Extraction with TIN-based Search-space Minimization (SETSM) high-performance computing algorithm. We aligned the DSMs to exposed bedrock in the 01 March 2014 DSM acquisition, and then used them to characterize topographic and volumetric changes from before and after the 2015 Taan Fiord rock avalanche. We find that the landslide mobilized roughly 77. 0 ± 0.9 Mm3 of material, of which approximately 56.3 Mm3 were deposited in the fjord waters. Furthermore, we quantified an additional 27.2 ± 3.8 Mm3 of material scoured from fjord-adjacent hillslopes and deposited in the fjord waters, providing new constraints on the subaqueous deposition. This is the first time that DSMs have been used to estimate the volume of scour caused by a tsunami and the subsequent changes in extent and volume with time. Our results for the landslide and runout are consistent with field measurements published previously. This study offers improved estimates of both subaerial and subaqueous deposition for the 2015 Taan Fiord landslide and describes additional regional environmental conditions. We identify precursory motion prior to the 2015 landslide, characterize several smaller-scale landslides in the larger Taan Fiord region, delineate terminus positions and associated ice dynamics of the Tyndall Glacier, and detail seasonal changes in vegetation growth and snow melt/accumulation. This work provides important new insights into the geomorphic features and dynamics of this landslide and subsequent tsunami. The interdisciplinary applications associated with DSMs and the accuracy of the measurements presented here demonstrate that these methods are an effective tool to improve our understanding of the pre- and post-landslide processes, for monitoring areas at risk for landslides and other natural hazards, and for rapid response to catastrophic events.
Atypical landslide induces speedup, advance, and long-term slowdown of a tidewater glacier
de Vries, Maximillian Van Wyk; Wickert, Andrew D.; MacGregor, Kelly R.; Rada, Camilo; Willis, Michael J. (Geological Society of America, 2022-04-26)
Atmospheric and oceanic warming over the past century have driven rapid glacier thinning and retreat, destabilizing hillslopes and increasing the frequency of landslides. The impact of these landslides on glacier dynamics and resultant secondary landslide hazards are not fully understood. We investigated how a 262 ± 77 × 106 m3 landslide affected the flow of Amalia Glacier, Chilean Patagonia. Despite being one of the largest recorded landslides in a glaciated region, it emplaced little debris onto the glacier surface. Instead, it left a series of landslideperpendicular ridges, landslide-parallel fractures, and an apron of ice debris—with blocks as much as 25 m across. Our observations suggest that a deep-seated failure of the mountainside impacted the glacier flank, propagating brittle deformation through the ice and emplacing the bulk of the rock mass below the glacier. The landslide triggered a brief downglacier acceleration of Amalia Glacier followed by a slowdown of as much as 60% of the pre-landslide speed and increased suspended-sediment concentrations in the fjord. These results highlight that landslides may induce widespread and long-lasting disruptions to glacier dynamics.
Transient ice loss in the Patagonia Icefields during the 2015-2016 El Nino event
Gomez, Demian D.; Bevis, Michael G.; Smalley, Robert; Durand, Michael; Willis, Michael J.; Caccamise, Dana J.; Kendrick, Eric; Skvarca, Pedro; Sobrero, Franco S.; Parra, Hector; Casassa, Gino (Nature Portfolio, 2022-06-10)
The Patagonia Icefields (PIF) are the largest non-polar ice mass in the southern hemisphere. The icefields cover an area of approximately 16,500 km2 and are divided into the northern and southern icefields, which are ~ 4000 km2 and ~ 12,500 km2, respectively. While both icefields have been losing mass rapidly, their responsiveness to various climate drivers, such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, is not well understood. Using the elastic response of the earth to loading changes and continuous GPS data we separated and estimated ice mass changes observed during the strong El Niño that started in 2015 from the complex hydrological interactions occurring around the PIF. During this single event, our mass balance estimates show that the northern icefield lost ~ 28 Gt of mass while the southern icefield lost ~ 12 Gt. This is the largest ice loss event in the PIF observed to date using geodetic data.

Browse

Recent Submissions