Sea surface temperature reconstruction, ice-rafted debris measurements, and age model of core FOX12-02R

In recent years, several large outlet glaciers in Greenland have lost their floating ice tongue, but little is known about their stability over longer time-scales. Here, we compile historical documents to demonstrate a major ice tongue collapse of Kangerlussuaq Glacier between 1932- 1933.

This event resulted in nine kilometer retreat, which is more than during any of the glacier's recent major retreat events. Sediment cores from the fjord are used to reconstruct sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and to investigate a potential sedimentological trace of the collapse. Local SSTs increased during the 1920s, consistent with other regional air and ocean temperature records, suggesting a climatic trigger for the collapse.