Geothermal heat source estimations through ice flow modelling at Mýrdalsjökull, Iceland

Abstract

Geothermal heat sources beneath glaciers and ice caps influence local ice-dynamics and mass balance but also control ice surface depression evolution as well as subglacial water reservoir dynamics. Resulting jökulhlaups (i.e., glacier lake outburst floods) impose danger to people and infrastructure, especially in Iceland, where they are closely monitored. Due to hundreds of meters of ice, direct measurements of heat source strength and extent are not possible. We present an indirect measurement method which utilizes ice flow simulations and glacier surface data, such as surface mass balance and surface depression evolution. Heat source locations can be inferred accurately to simulation grid scales; heat source strength and spatial distributions are also well quantified. Our methods are applied to the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap in Iceland, where we are able to refine previous heat source estimates.