Perito Moreno Glacier dam rupture - A recurrent natural experiment to probe solid-earth elasticity

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Eric Rodolfo Marderwald - , Universidad Nacional de La Plata, National Scientific and Technical Research Council Argentina (CONICET) (Author)
  • Juan Manuel Aragón Paz - , National Scientific and Technical Research Council Argentina (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (Author)
  • Andreas Jörg Richter - , Chair of Geodetic Earth System Research, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, National Scientific and Technical Research Council Argentina (CONICET) (Author)
  • Peter Busch - , Chair of Geodetic Earth System Research (Author)
  • Philipp Malz - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Luciano Pedro Oscar Mendoza - , National Scientific and Technical Research Council Argentina (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (Author)
  • Abelardo Romero - , Universidad Nacional de La Plata (Author)
  • Luz Guerrero - , Universidad Nacional de La Plata (Author)
  • José Luis Hormaechea - , Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Estación Astronómica Río Grande (EARG) (Author)
  • Gerardo Connon - , National Scientific and Technical Research Council Argentina (CONICET), Estación Astronómica Río Grande (EARG) (Author)
  • Raúl Anibal Perdomo - , Universidad Nacional de La Plata (Author)
  • Matthias Braun - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Andreas Groh - , Chair of Geodetic Earth System Research (Author)
  • Martin Horwath - , Chair of Geodetic Earth System Research (Author)
  • Mirko Scheinert - , Chair of Geodetic Earth System Research (Author)
  • Reinhard Dietrich - , Chair of Geodetic Earth System Research (Author)

Abstract

The Southern Patagonian Icefield is located in an area with a complex tectonic-rheological structure and is affected by intense glacial-isostatic adjustment and rapid ice retreat. Geodetic observations of loading effects provide information on earth structure. Perito Moreno Glacier repeatedly dams the Brazo Rico and Brazo Sur branches of Lago Argentino. The rupture of the ice dam applies an intense hydrological load signal which results in an elastic response of the solid earth. We present a modelling procedure to predict loading effects in response to water-level changes in Brazo Rico. The output is compared with site displacements observed by GNSS during the 2016 rupture event. Our results show that water-level changes in Brazo Rico exceeding 5 m produce vertical deformations detectable with GNSS observations. A geodetic observation of loading effects at magnitudes similar to those of the maximum historic event in 1956 could provide meaningful constraints on elastic earth models. We discuss consequences for the determination of accurate deformation rates, implications for our understanding of the intense uplift observed at the Southern Patagonian Icefield, and requirements and prospects for obtaining geodetic observations of the loading effects of future rupture events.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number102904
JournalJournal of South American Earth Sciences
Volume104
Publication statusPublished - 29 Sept 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85091666822
ORCID /0000-0001-5797-244X/work/142246532
ORCID /0000-0002-0892-8941/work/142248897

Keywords

Library keywords