Possible consequences of glacially induced groundwater flow

Groundwater flow induced by a glacier representative of the last and previous glaciations was modelled through a simplified geological section in the Barents Sea. A pervasive Jurassic sandstone was assumed to be a continuous aquifer sandwiched between older and younger aquicludes (claystones). Results show that the aquifer may have a capacity to drain up to several orders of magnitude more water than that which is produced locally at its subglacial outcrop, whereas the aquicludes can only drain an order of magnitude less water. This implies that drainage of water from beneath the glacier and subglacial springs may have an influence on glacier dynamics through control of the compaction and thereby the shear strength of subglacial tills. The numerical analyses show that the resultant groundwater flow through the aquifer may cause a tilting of an oil/water contact of up to about 1:10.