Abstract:

The state of the art on the missing link between cryosphere and groundwater in mountain catchments will be presented, as part of a collective review paper being written. The specificities of IceAq study site (from Breidamerkurjökull to Flàajökull) and its instrumentation, will be detailed. The conceptual model for the underground compartment has been better constrained (Vincent et al., 2023). However, the conceptual model of englacial and subglacial water pathways (glacio-hydrology) ; as well as the surface hydrology in the forefield are less understood. To get more observations and data, fieldwork has been conducted in June and September 2023, including : dye-tracing experiments on Skàlafellsjökull and Breidamerkurjökull ; installation of seismometers onto the glacier and on river banks to quantify discharge ; installation of time-lapse cameras to quantify torrential discharges and infiltration rates under the glacier. The piezometric measurement network (18 boreholes over the whole area) is being maintained and new temperature and water level data from lakes connected to the sandur aquifer in east Breidamerkurjökull forefield have been acquired. The first results will be presented.

The need for a fully coupled glacio-hydro-geology model to better understand the water cycle in glacierized valleys will also be shown through literature review; and the planed modeling strategy will be exposed (mathematical and numerical model).

All are welcome.