Sermeq Delta (Greenland) shorelines (1987-2022)

The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) delivers large volumes of sediment to the oceans and is the only Arctic region where deltas are advancing. However, understanding of the dynamics of sediment transfer from source to sink and the impact of variations in climate and ice sheet processes on sediment yields is uncertain. In Crick et al. (2025), we investigate controls governing the annual evolution of a proglacial fjord-head delta (Sermilik Delta) located on the southwest coast of Greenland from satellite-derived shorelines and modelled tides (1987-2022). These data include the Shapefile of mapped shorelines of Sermeq Delta, Greenland (1987-2022) using Landsat 5, 7, 8 and 9 (30-m resolution) and Sentinel-2 (10-m resolution) satellite imagery.

Delta shoreline extent was delineated by interpolating straight lines between mouth bars rather than tracing distributary channels. This was effective at reducing variability in the delta area between each observation. To reduce uncertainty in mapping, islands (mouth bars) were included as part of the delta. Mapping was restricted to June to September to encompass the melt season and minimise the impact of snow, sea ice, and shadows from fjord valley walls.

Based on the paper: Crick, R., Livingstone, S.J., Sole, A.J. Accelerating growth of Sermilik Delta, Greenland (1987-2022) driven by increasing runoff. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. In Review.