Print Email Facebook Twitter Large-scale experiments into the tsunamigenic potential of different iceberg calving mechanisms Title Large-scale experiments into the tsunamigenic potential of different iceberg calving mechanisms Author Heller, Valentin (University of Nottingham) Chen, Fan (University of Nottingham) Brühl, Markus (Technical University of Braunschweig) Gabl, Roman (University of Edinburgh; University of Innsbruck) Chen, X. (TU Delft Hydraulic Structures and Flood Risk; Royal HaskoningDHV) Wolters, Guido (Deltares) Fuchs, Helge (ETH Zürich) Date 2019 Abstract Mass balance analysis of ice sheets is a key component to understand the effects of global warming. A significant component of ice sheet and shelf mass balance is iceberg calving, which can generate large tsunamis endangering human beings and coastal infrastructure. Such iceberg-tsunamis have reached amplitudes of 50 m and destroyed harbours. Calving icebergs interact with the surrounding water through different mechanisms and we investigate five; A: capsizing, B: gravity-dominated fall, C: buoyancy-dominated fall, D: gravity-dominated overturning and E: buoyancy-dominated overturning. Gravity-dominated icebergs essentially fall into the water body whereas buoyancy-dominated icebergs rise to the water surface. We find with unique large-scale laboratory experiments that iceberg-tsunami heights from gravity-dominated mechanisms (B and D) are roughly an order of magnitude larger than from A, C and E. A theoretical model for released iceberg energy supports this finding and the measured wave periods upscaled to Greenlandic outlet glaciers agree with field observations. Whilst existing empirical equations for landslide-tsunamis establish estimates of an upper envelope of the maximum iceberg-tsunami heights, they fail to capture the physics of most iceberg-tsunami mechanisms. To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:5ba8c128-10a4-4791-917f-6b75a8865f53 DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-36634-3 ISSN 2045-2322 Source Scientific Reports, 9 (1), 1-10 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2019 Valentin Heller, Fan Chen, Markus Brühl, Roman Gabl, X. Chen, Guido Wolters, Helge Fuchs Files PDF s41598_018_36634_3_1_.pdf 3.94 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:5ba8c128-10a4-4791-917f-6b75a8865f53/datastream/OBJ/view