Seismic Evidence of a Wet Zone Under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

Abstract It appears to be possible to identify certain conditions of thermal regime at the base of a glacier through the seismic reflection method. In some cases layers of water or wet rock debris may be identifiable. The procedure is based upon the reversal of phase of reflected dilatational waves...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Glaciology
Main Author: Dewart, Gilbert
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1976
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000031439
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000031439
Description
Summary:Abstract It appears to be possible to identify certain conditions of thermal regime at the base of a glacier through the seismic reflection method. In some cases layers of water or wet rock debris may be identifiable. The procedure is based upon the reversal of phase of reflected dilatational waves at the interface between ice and a substratum of lower acoustic impedance. Illustrations of the method are given from the west Antarctic ice sheet, and suggestions are made for the improvement of the technique.