A Tale of Two Fjords: The role of glaciers in the hydrographical, biogeochemical and ecological functioning of two fjords in southwest Greenland

Abstract

Glaciers exert a strong influence on the hydrography and biogeochemistry of arctic fjord environments through the export of large quantities of particles, freshwater and ice. In turn, they contribute to the shaping of the marine ecosystems upon which local communities are heavily reliant. Extensive glacial changes are occurring along the coasts of Greenland, and their effects on the surrounding fjord environments are becoming increasingly visible. Motivated by the question of what we can expect in terms of future fjord transformations under continued glacial retreat, this thesis examines seasonal patterns in two neighbouring fjords on the southwest coast of Greenland: Nuup Kangerlua (Godthåbsfjord), a predominately marine-terminating system, and Ameralik, which receives glacial meltwater only from a land-terminating glacier. Seasonal differences in hydrography, biogeochemistry and ecology are described, with an emphasis on the role of glaciers in these processes.