Calving localization at Helheim Glacier using multiple local seismic stations

Abstract

A multiple-station technique for localizing glacier calving events is applied to Helheim Glacier in southeastern Greenland. The difference in seismic-wave arrival times between each pairing of four local seismometers is used to generate a locus of possible event origins in the shape of a hyperbola. The intersection of the hyperbolas provides an estimate of the calving location. This method is used as the P and S waves are not distinguishable due to the proximity of the local seismometers to the event and the emergent nature of calving signals. We find that the seismic waves that arrive at the seismometers are dominated by surface (Rayleigh) waves. The surface-wave velocity for Helheim Glacier is estimated using a grid search with 11 calving events identified at Helheim from August 2014 to August 2015. From this, a catalogue of 11 calving locations is generated, showing that calving preferentially happens at the northern end of Helheim Glacier.