I am a big fan of the fiber optic cables for ice-ocean interactions. Unfortunately, with Helheim Glacier's ice melange, I think it would be nearly impossible to actually install them close to such an active glacier.

and a BIG thank you to the @heisingsimonsfdn.bsky.social for funding our work over the years 🧊

Equally as important, please check out the accompanying AWS public dataset for all the cloud-optimized point cloud files and COGs in this S3 bucket (s3://atlas-lidar-helheim/).

An 8-year record of daily and sub-daily ATLAS elevations and velocities when operational. The first of its kind!

I’m incredibly thankful for my co-authors who helped me wrestle with this massive dataset over the years: @leighstearns.bsky.social , C. J. van der Veen, David Finnegan, Adam LeWinter, Sarah Child, Shad O'Neel, and Howard Butler

Lastly, from ATLAS’s unique ability to capture 3D change, we were also able to map groundling line migration and grounding zone retreat. Between 2018 –2019, Helheim Glacier’s grounding zone retreated 3 km upflow!

However, we do not find sustained accelerations in velocity after most calving events, questioning previously held hypotheses that Helheim Glacier is sensitive to processes at the terminus. 🤔

We find a common area on Helheim Glacier’s surface where large surface depressions form. These surface depressions lead to rifts and eventually large calving events. This calving style is the primary source of mass loss at Helheim Glacier.

This comes on top of the quiet discontinuation of the NSF OPP program earlier this year. We are going to lose so many talented early career scientists as a result of these short-sighted decisions.