{"id":{"repo_id":"ag-u-iceland","oai_identifier":"oai:skemman.is:1946/51491"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ag-u-iceland/oai:skemman.is:1946/51491","repository":{"repo_id":"ag-u-iceland","name":"Agricultural University of Iceland","base_url":"https://skemman.is/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The future of Narsap Sermia: Documenting the retreat of a tidewater glacier in Southwest Greenland","abstract":"The behaviour of Greenland’s tidewater glaciers is crucial for the understanding of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The retreat of those marine-terminating glaciers has far-reaching implications, impacting not only the regional hydrography but also the diverse fjord ecosystems. Here, this study investigated the rapid retreat of Narsap Sermia (NS), a tidewater glacier located in Southwest Greenland. Between 1987 and 2022, the volume of ice discharged from NS increased by 45%, a rate more than double the Greenlandic mean. This destabilization led to retreat events occurring in three distinct episodes: 2004-2005, 2010-2012, and 2019-2021. The study identified that changes in subglacial hydrology were pivotal in triggering and sustaining these retreats. Drainage of ice-dammed lakes or increased meltwater resulting from heatwaves over the ice sheet suddenly increased subglacial freshwater discharge, subsequently instigating these retreat events. Once initiated, exposure to elevated ocean temperatures or retreat into a glacial trough further sustained ice loss at the terminus, eventually resulting in a collapse of the glacial front. As of the summer of 2023, Narsap Sermia is still retreating, and the study anticipates that further retreat of approximately 3 kilometers is inevitable. Subsequently, should air and ocean temperatures continue to rise, Narsap Sermia is poised to retreat further for 30 km, dramatically transitioning into a land-terminating glacier. This drastic transformation could occur in as little as 30 years, with profound consequences for local eco-hydrology and nearby communities.","abstract_html":"The behaviour of Greenland’s tidewater glaciers is crucial for the understanding of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The retreat of those marine-terminating glaciers has far-reaching implications, impacting not only the regional hydrography but also the diverse fjord ecosystems. Here, this study investigated the rapid retreat of Narsap Sermia (NS), a tidewater glacier located in Southwest Greenland. Between 1987 and 2022, the volume of ice discharged from NS increased by 45%, a rate more than double the Greenlandic mean. This destabilization led to retreat events occurring in three distinct episodes: 2004-2005, 2010-2012, and 2019-2021. The study identified that changes in subglacial hydrology were pivotal in triggering and sustaining these retreats. Drainage of ice-dammed lakes or increased meltwater resulting from heatwaves over the ice sheet suddenly increased subglacial freshwater discharge, subsequently instigating these retreat events. Once initiated, exposure to elevated ocean temperatures or retreat into a glacial trough further sustained ice loss at the terminus, eventually resulting in a collapse of the glacial front. As of the summer of 2023, Narsap Sermia is still retreating, and the study anticipates that further retreat of approximately 3 kilometers is inevitable. Subsequently, should air and ocean temperatures continue to rise, Narsap Sermia is poised to retreat further for 30 km, dramatically transitioning into a land-terminating glacier. This drastic transformation could occur in as little as 30 years, with profound consequences for local eco-hydrology and nearby communities.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Samuel De Xun Chua 1995-"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-09-10T11:09:13Z","date_published":"2025-09-10T11:09:13Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:42:57Z","subjects":["Umhverfisbreytingar á norðurslóðum","Glacier dynamics","Subglacial hydrology","Fjord hydrography","Greenland"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1946/51491","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Samuel De Xun Chua 1995-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-09-10T11:09:13Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-09-10T11:09:13Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-09-10T11:09:13Z"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Umhverfisbreytingar á norðurslóðum","Glacier dynamics","Subglacial hydrology","Fjord hydrography","Greenland"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1946/51491"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis approved in partial fulfilment of a double Nordic Master MSc degree in environmental changes at higher latitudes (EnCHiL), from University of Helsinki and Agricultural University of Iceland."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The behaviour of Greenland’s tidewater glaciers is crucial for the understanding of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The retreat of those marine-terminating glaciers has far-reaching implications, impacting not only the regional hydrography but also the diverse fjord ecosystems. Here, this study investigated the rapid retreat of Narsap Sermia (NS), a tidewater glacier located in Southwest Greenland. Between 1987 and 2022, the volume of ice discharged from NS increased by 45%, a rate more than double the Greenlandic mean. This destabilization led to retreat events occurring in three distinct episodes: 2004-2005, 2010-2012, and 2019-2021. The study identified that changes in subglacial hydrology were pivotal in triggering and sustaining these retreats. Drainage of ice-dammed lakes or increased meltwater resulting from heatwaves over the ice sheet suddenly increased subglacial freshwater discharge, subsequently instigating these retreat events. Once initiated, exposure to elevated ocean temperatures or retreat into a glacial trough further sustained ice loss at the terminus, eventually resulting in a collapse of the glacial front. As of the summer of 2023, Narsap Sermia is still retreating, and the study anticipates that further retreat of approximately 3 kilometers is inevitable. Subsequently, should air and ocean temperatures continue to rise, Narsap Sermia is poised to retreat further for 30 km, dramatically transitioning into a land-terminating glacier. This drastic transformation could occur in as little as 30 years, with profound consequences for local eco-hydrology and nearby communities."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The future of Narsap Sermia: Documenting the retreat of a tidewater glacier in Southwest Greenland"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands"],"dc:creator":["Samuel De Xun Chua 1995-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-09-10T11:09:13Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-09-10T11:09:13Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-09-10T11:09:13Z"],"dc:description":["Thesis approved in partial fulfilment of a double Nordic Master MSc degree in environmental changes at higher latitudes (EnCHiL), from University of Helsinki and Agricultural University of Iceland."],"dc:description.abstract":["The behaviour of Greenland’s tidewater glaciers is crucial for the understanding of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The retreat of those marine-terminating glaciers has far-reaching implications, impacting not only the regional hydrography but also the diverse fjord ecosystems. Here, this study investigated the rapid retreat of Narsap Sermia (NS), a tidewater glacier located in Southwest Greenland. Between 1987 and 2022, the volume of ice discharged from NS increased by 45%, a rate more than double the Greenlandic mean. This destabilization led to retreat events occurring in three distinct episodes: 2004-2005, 2010-2012, and 2019-2021. The study identified that changes in subglacial hydrology were pivotal in triggering and sustaining these retreats. Drainage of ice-dammed lakes or increased meltwater resulting from heatwaves over the ice sheet suddenly increased subglacial freshwater discharge, subsequently instigating these retreat events. Once initiated, exposure to elevated ocean temperatures or retreat into a glacial trough further sustained ice loss at the terminus, eventually resulting in a collapse of the glacial front. As of the summer of 2023, Narsap Sermia is still retreating, and the study anticipates that further retreat of approximately 3 kilometers is inevitable. Subsequently, should air and ocean temperatures continue to rise, Narsap Sermia is poised to retreat further for 30 km, dramatically transitioning into a land-terminating glacier. This drastic transformation could occur in as little as 30 years, with profound consequences for local eco-hydrology and nearby communities."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1946/51491"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:subject":["Umhverfisbreytingar á norðurslóðum","Glacier dynamics","Subglacial hydrology","Fjord hydrography","Greenland"],"dc:title":["The future of Narsap Sermia: Documenting the retreat of a tidewater glacier in Southwest Greenland"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:42:57Z"}