Ice-thickness Patterns and the Dynamics of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica
Abstract As part of the Ross Ice Shelf Geophysical and Glaciological Survey, a detailed map of ice thickness has been produced from airborne radar measurements closely tied to the network of survey stations on the ice-shelf surface. The map, drawn with a 20 m contour interval, reveals a highly compl...
Published in: | Journal of Glaciology |
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1979
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000014805 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000014805 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0022143000014805 2024-03-03T08:38:54+00:00 Ice-thickness Patterns and the Dynamics of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica Bentley, Charles R. Glough, John W. Jezek, Kenneth C. Shabtaie, Sion 1979 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000014805 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000014805 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) Journal of Glaciology volume 24, issue 90, page 287-294 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 Earth-Surface Processes journal-article 1979 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000014805 2024-02-08T08:39:08Z Abstract As part of the Ross Ice Shelf Geophysical and Glaciological Survey, a detailed map of ice thickness has been produced from airborne radar measurements closely tied to the network of survey stations on the ice-shelf surface. The map, drawn with a 20 m contour interval, reveals a highly complex pattern of thickness variations reflecting presumably, at least in part, complex ice-shelf dynamics. Many features of the thickness variation pattern appear to be associated with zones of grounded ice, but not all. Features of interest include many ice thickness minima, with closures up to 120m; a narrow, greatly elongated ridge-trough system 450 km or more in length; a few ice thickness maxima; steep regional gradients of 10 m/km in freely floating ice; highly contorted contours suggesting a large-scale “turbulence”; and at least two remarkable step-like changes in ice thickness. The irregularity of many of these features suggests dynamic non-equilibrium, i.e. the existence of transients in the dynamic system, so that the ice shelf as a whole suggests a state of rather rapid change. Flow-bands constructed on the basis of the strengths of the echo from the ice-water interface clearly delineate the outflow from the main East Antarctic outlet glaciers in the grid eastern part of the shelf. A discontinuous flow band originating in a small mountain glacier (Robb Glacier) suggests a variable mesoclimate in the vicinity of the glacier within the last thousand years. Strong reflections near the ice front suggest bottom melting of saline ice previously frozen on to the underside of the ice. Several rifts or incipient rifts in the ice shelf characteristically show two lateral bands of strong reflections with a non-reflecting zone in between. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Shelf Journal of Glaciology Ross Ice Shelf Cambridge University Press Antarctic Ross Ice Shelf Robb Glacier ENVELOPE(165.000,165.000,-82.633,-82.633) Journal of Glaciology 24 90 287 294 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth-Surface Processes |
spellingShingle |
Earth-Surface Processes Bentley, Charles R. Glough, John W. Jezek, Kenneth C. Shabtaie, Sion Ice-thickness Patterns and the Dynamics of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Earth-Surface Processes |
description |
Abstract As part of the Ross Ice Shelf Geophysical and Glaciological Survey, a detailed map of ice thickness has been produced from airborne radar measurements closely tied to the network of survey stations on the ice-shelf surface. The map, drawn with a 20 m contour interval, reveals a highly complex pattern of thickness variations reflecting presumably, at least in part, complex ice-shelf dynamics. Many features of the thickness variation pattern appear to be associated with zones of grounded ice, but not all. Features of interest include many ice thickness minima, with closures up to 120m; a narrow, greatly elongated ridge-trough system 450 km or more in length; a few ice thickness maxima; steep regional gradients of 10 m/km in freely floating ice; highly contorted contours suggesting a large-scale “turbulence”; and at least two remarkable step-like changes in ice thickness. The irregularity of many of these features suggests dynamic non-equilibrium, i.e. the existence of transients in the dynamic system, so that the ice shelf as a whole suggests a state of rather rapid change. Flow-bands constructed on the basis of the strengths of the echo from the ice-water interface clearly delineate the outflow from the main East Antarctic outlet glaciers in the grid eastern part of the shelf. A discontinuous flow band originating in a small mountain glacier (Robb Glacier) suggests a variable mesoclimate in the vicinity of the glacier within the last thousand years. Strong reflections near the ice front suggest bottom melting of saline ice previously frozen on to the underside of the ice. Several rifts or incipient rifts in the ice shelf characteristically show two lateral bands of strong reflections with a non-reflecting zone in between. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bentley, Charles R. Glough, John W. Jezek, Kenneth C. Shabtaie, Sion |
author_facet |
Bentley, Charles R. Glough, John W. Jezek, Kenneth C. Shabtaie, Sion |
author_sort |
Bentley, Charles R. |
title |
Ice-thickness Patterns and the Dynamics of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica |
title_short |
Ice-thickness Patterns and the Dynamics of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica |
title_full |
Ice-thickness Patterns and the Dynamics of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Ice-thickness Patterns and the Dynamics of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ice-thickness Patterns and the Dynamics of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica |
title_sort |
ice-thickness patterns and the dynamics of the ross ice shelf, antarctica |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1979 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000014805 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000014805 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(165.000,165.000,-82.633,-82.633) |
geographic |
Antarctic Ross Ice Shelf Robb Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Ross Ice Shelf Robb Glacier |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Shelf Journal of Glaciology Ross Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Shelf Journal of Glaciology Ross Ice Shelf |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 24, issue 90, page 287-294 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000014805 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
24 |
container_issue |
90 |
container_start_page |
287 |
op_container_end_page |
294 |
_version_ |
1792507394535718912 |