Measured Velocities of Interior East Antarctica and the State of Mass Balance Within the I.A.G.P. Area

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Author: Young, N. W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1979
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Antarctic; East Antarctica; Mirny; Antarc*; Antarctica; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000014660; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000014660

Abstract Recent measurements of accumulation and ice velocity made in the interior of East Antarctica indicate that a large sector between longitudes 80° E. and 135° E. and north of latitude 80° S. has close to a zero net mass budget. This sector is within the study area for the International Antarctic Glaciological Project (I.A.G.P.) and covers a major portion of the area indicated for projects of special emphasis. Velocity measurements were made at a number of points on a traverse route from Mirny (lat. 66° 33′ S., long. 93°00′ E.) on the coast Dome “C” (lat. 74° 40′ S., long. 124° 00′ E.), in the interior. Accumulation measurements were made along this and other traverse routes, extending as far as Vostok (lat. 78° 28′ S., long. 106° 50′ E.), by a number of methods. These included stake, stratigraphic, isotopic, and total β -decay observations. The better accumulation data have allowed a review of the total mass input to be made. The true mass budget has been estimated by comparing velocities, calculated assuming a zero net mass budget with measured velocities along the traverse routes and on a number of the outlet glaciers. For this purpose the area was divided into a number of drainage basins according to outlet at the coast. The area of about 10 6 km 2 and 150 Gt a −1 flux input is drained primarily by three glacier systems of which the Totten accounts for 40% of the flux from 55% of the area; the Vanderford 20% from 15%; and the Scott/Denman 20% from 20%.