Subglacial discharge controls seasonal variations in the thermal structure of a glacial lake in Patagonia.

Water temperature in glacial lakes affects underwater melting and calving of glaciers terminating in lakes. Despite its importance, seasonal lake temperature variations are poorly understood because taking long-term measurements near the front of calving glaciers is challenging. To investigate the thermal structure and its seasonal variations, we performed year-around temperature and current measurement at depths of 58–392 m in Lago Grey, a 410-m-deep glacial lake in Patagonia. The measurement revealed critical impacts of subglacial discharge on the lake thermal condition. Water below a depth of ~100 m showed the coldest temperature in mid-summer, under the influence of glacial discharge, whereas temperature in the upper layer followed a seasonal variation of air temperature. The boundary of the lower and upper layers was controlled by the depth of a sill which blocks outflow of dense and cold glacial meltwater. Our data implies that subglacial discharge and bathymetry dictate mass loss and the retreat of lake-terminating glaciers. The cold lakewater hinders underwater melting and facilitates formation of a floating terminus. Thermal conditions and circulation near glacier fronts are important to understand the recent rapid retreat of calving glaciers. New observations from a glacial lake suggesting a feedback mechanism between atmospheric warming, glacier front melting and calving for freshwater-terminating glaciers.