Modeling the Dynamics of Supraglacial Rivers and Distributed Meltwater Flow With the Subaerial Drainage System (SaDS) Model

Meltwater produced at the surface of glaciers and ice sheets has important implications for basal sliding rates therefore flow velocities. In order to determine role supraglacial water in dynamics predict future changes, we first need understand be able accurately moulin input rates. To this end, present Subaerial Drainage System (SaDS) model. SaDS is a dynamic model that couples runoff bare-ice ablation zone distributed sheet with discrete channels. Flow drives melt through potential energy dissipation, allowing channel network form naturally no prior assumptions about locations. We apply synthetic margin carry out suite sensitivity tests. Modeled inputs show expected behaviors including large diurnal variability, multi-hour lags following peak melt, demonstrate complex diverse seasonal dynamics. The tests illustrate range possible constrain parameter values which predicts physically realistic inputs. also ∼20 × 27 km2 catchment on southwestern Greenland Ice Sheet using RACMO forcing previously mapped lake stream locations match those from Landsat 8 images, varied daily These results promising tool provide subglacial studies.