Increasing glacier runoff in northwestern Greenland simulated from 1950 to 2023

Kondo, Ken; Fujita, Koji

doi:10.5194/hess-30-1849-2026

Articles | Volume 30, issue 7

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1849-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1849-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 30, issue 7

Research article

|

08 Apr 2026

Research article |

| 08 Apr 2026

Increasing glacier runoff in northwestern Greenland simulated from 1950 to 2023

Ken Kondo and Koji Fujita

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1849-2026-supplement

Data sets

Modelling outputs of runoff and mass balance at Qaanaaq Glacier in northwestern Greenland (1950–2023) Ken Kondo and Koji Fujita https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18856829

Quality-controlled datasets of Automatic Weather Station (AWS) at SIGMA-B site from 2012 to 2020: Level 1.3, 2.00 M. Nishimura et al. https://doi.org/10.17592/001.2022041306

Discharge measurement at the outlet stream of Qaanaaq Glacier in the summer 2017−2019 K. Kondo https://doi.org/10.22008/hokkaido/data/meltwater_discharge/qaanaaq

Short summary

Increased runoff due to ice melt in Greenland contributes to sea-level rise and flooding in coastal settlements. We reconstructed glacier runoff in northwestern Greenland in 1950–2023. Long-term modeling shows a recent increase in runoff linked to changes in atmospheric circulation, characterized by enhanced northward transport of heat and moisture. The results highlight a strong influence of atmospheric variability on glacier runoff and its impacts on local communities in northern Greenland.