Observations of Sediment–laden Icebergs in Antarctic Waters: Implications to Glacial Erosion and Transport

Abstract Sediment-laden icebergs are rarely sighted in Antarctic waters. However, during the recent Deep Freeze 79-USCGC Glacier expedition to the George V Coast and the south-western Ross Sea, nine sediment-laden icebergs and several pieces of pack ice with surficial sediment layers were observed....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Glaciology
Main Authors: Anderson, John B., Domack, Eugene W., Kurtz, Dennis D.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1980
Subjects:
Earth-Surface Processes
Antarc*
Antarctic
Iceberg*
Journal of Glaciology
Ross Sea
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000015240
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000015240
Description
Summary:Abstract Sediment-laden icebergs are rarely sighted in Antarctic waters. However, during the recent Deep Freeze 79-USCGC Glacier expedition to the George V Coast and the south-western Ross Sea, nine sediment-laden icebergs and several pieces of pack ice with surficial sediment layers were observed. These observations include basal debris zones, debris slumped on to glaciers and floating ice, and englacial debris believed to have been incorporated along shear zones. Sediment samples collected from icebergs were texturally and mineralogically variable. Some were unsorted mixtures consisting of a wide variety of angular minerals and rock fragments; others consisted primarily of slate clasts, quartz sand, and rock flour.

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