Force balance modeling and calving dynamics of the Belcher Glacier, Devon Island, Nunavut

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Observed increases in global air and ocean temperature have resulted in reductions of the world's glacial ice mass. Melt from glaciers and ice caps outside Greenland and Antarctica currently contributes more to global sea level rise than melt from both these two large ice sheets combined. However, we do not know how much of this contribution is the result of direct transfer of ice from glaciers to the ocean in the form of icebergs; a process known as glacier calving. Although we know that glacier calving occurs, we do not know what controls iceberg production. Icebergs pose a hazard to shipping and offshore resource development. Knowing the volume and type of icebergs in Canadian waters is of considerable economic and political importance. This proposal aims to investigate the processes involved in iceberg production through a study of the Belcher Glacier, Devon Island, Nunavut. This study will use a variety of field measurements collected on the Belcher Glacier during the spring, summer and fall of 20012 - 2014. Field data including seismic recordings, global positioning systems, time-lapse photography and weather stations will assist in determining how changes in the physical characteristics and dynamics of the Belcher Glacier are related to variations in the amount and type of icebergs produced. This information will be supplemented with continuous monitoring from satellite imagery to determine the specific forces (stresses and strains) involved in individual calving events. Determining the processes leading to iceberg production is crucial in the development of models to predict how calving may change in the future. Icebergs that calve from the Belcher Glacier float directly into Baffin Bay, an important shipping lane in the Canadian North. Thus, knowing the size and shape of icebergs that calve from the Belcher Glacier and how their characteristics vary over time will aid in hazard assessments for shipping in Canada's Arctic.