The Dynamics of Yelverton Glacier: An examination of glacier change over the last two decades

Abstract

Under climate change, the Arctic is warming at rates three times faster than the global average, ultimately resulting in widespread glacier mass losses. Within the Canadian High Arctic (CHA), changes in glacier geometry and dynamics have been observed as the climate regime shifts in this region. Marine-terminating glacier systems are particularly vulnerable to change as they experience impacts from warming air and ocean temperatures, and these changes have direct implications for global sea level rise. The Yelverton Bay region of Northern Ellesmere Island in Nunavut contains the only area of tidewater glaciers with floating ice tongues in the CHA. After the major collapse of ice tongues in this region in ~ 2009, it was previously predicted that these features would not be able to regrow as climate warming persists and sea ice concentrations decline within Yelverton Inlet. However, recent satellite imagery reveals a continual regrowth of a floating ice tongue for Yelverton Glacier, located at the southern end of Yelverton Inlet. This study evaluates the dynamic and geometric changes on this individual glacier system in more detail than previously explored, providing the most comprehensive study of Yelverton Glacier to date. The following objectives were completed: (1) determine the changes in ice tongue position for Yelverton Glacier since 1987; (2) produce the densest record of velocity for this glacier across 25 years of change; (3) examine surface elevation change since 2000; (4) map bed elevation and the position of the grounding line; and (5) analyze sea ice change in Yelverton Inlet and associated air temperature change. Yelverton Glacier’s floating ice tongue has indeed been regrowing since ~ 2015 at a rate of ~ 158 m a-1 along four transect lines contrary to previous expectations. Glacier centreline velocity exceeded 300 m a-1 across most of the study period, however, has transitioned into a slower regime of flow from 2021 to 2025 (~ 240 m a-1). This was accompanied by increasing levels of surface elevation lowering since ~ 2010 in the up-glacier extent and near-terminus thickening since ~ 2015. Sea ice concentration in Yelverton Inlet has been variable over time, but since ~ 2022 the presence of landfast ice has been increasing and stabilizing near Yelverton Glacier’s terminus. Despite the observed slowdown in glacier velocity, the ice tongue has continued to advance over the past ~ decade. Two mechanisms by which this is occurring have been proposed: (1) up-glacier controls and the potential for a slow surge; and (2) downglacier stability from grounding line position and sea ice concentrations. It is likely that these two mechanisms work in tandem to stabilize Yelverton Glacier and influence the advancing ice tongue as the climate continues to warm.