Shallow seismic surveys and ice thickness estimates of the Mullins Valley debris-covered glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Abstract Several debris-covered glaciers occupy tributaries of upper Beacon Valley, Antarctica. Understanding their flow dynamics and ice thickness is important for palaeoclimate studies and for understanding the origins of ancient ice elsewhere in the McMurdo Dry Valleys region. We present the resu...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102007000624 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102007000624 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0954102007000624 2024-04-28T07:58:13+00:00 Shallow seismic surveys and ice thickness estimates of the Mullins Valley debris-covered glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica Shean, David E. Head, James W. Marchant, David R. 2007 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102007000624 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102007000624 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Antarctic Science volume 19, issue 4, page 485-496 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography journal-article 2007 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102007000624 2024-04-09T06:55:10Z Abstract Several debris-covered glaciers occupy tributaries of upper Beacon Valley, Antarctica. Understanding their flow dynamics and ice thickness is important for palaeoclimate studies and for understanding the origins of ancient ice elsewhere in the McMurdo Dry Valleys region. We present the results of several shallow seismic surveys in Mullins Valley, where the largest of these debris-covered glaciers is located. Our results suggest that beneath a thin sublimation till and near-surface horizon of dirty glacier ice, lies relatively pure glacier ice (P-wave velocity ~3700–3800 m s -1 ), with total thickness estimates of ~90–95 m towards the valley head, and ~40–65 m near the entrance to Beacon Valley, ~2.5 km downglacier. P-wave velocities decrease downvalley, suggesting that the material properties of the ice change with increasing distance from the ice-accumulation zone. These new data are used to calibrate an ice thickness profile for the active portion of the Mullins Valley debris-covered glacier (upper ~3.5 km) and to shed light on the origin and spatial distribution of enclosed debris. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Science Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys Cambridge University Press Antarctic Science 19 4 485 496 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
spellingShingle |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography Shean, David E. Head, James W. Marchant, David R. Shallow seismic surveys and ice thickness estimates of the Mullins Valley debris-covered glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
description |
Abstract Several debris-covered glaciers occupy tributaries of upper Beacon Valley, Antarctica. Understanding their flow dynamics and ice thickness is important for palaeoclimate studies and for understanding the origins of ancient ice elsewhere in the McMurdo Dry Valleys region. We present the results of several shallow seismic surveys in Mullins Valley, where the largest of these debris-covered glaciers is located. Our results suggest that beneath a thin sublimation till and near-surface horizon of dirty glacier ice, lies relatively pure glacier ice (P-wave velocity ~3700–3800 m s -1 ), with total thickness estimates of ~90–95 m towards the valley head, and ~40–65 m near the entrance to Beacon Valley, ~2.5 km downglacier. P-wave velocities decrease downvalley, suggesting that the material properties of the ice change with increasing distance from the ice-accumulation zone. These new data are used to calibrate an ice thickness profile for the active portion of the Mullins Valley debris-covered glacier (upper ~3.5 km) and to shed light on the origin and spatial distribution of enclosed debris. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Shean, David E. Head, James W. Marchant, David R. |
author_facet |
Shean, David E. Head, James W. Marchant, David R. |
author_sort |
Shean, David E. |
title |
Shallow seismic surveys and ice thickness estimates of the Mullins Valley debris-covered glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_short |
Shallow seismic surveys and ice thickness estimates of the Mullins Valley debris-covered glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_full |
Shallow seismic surveys and ice thickness estimates of the Mullins Valley debris-covered glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Shallow seismic surveys and ice thickness estimates of the Mullins Valley debris-covered glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Shallow seismic surveys and ice thickness estimates of the Mullins Valley debris-covered glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_sort |
shallow seismic surveys and ice thickness estimates of the mullins valley debris-covered glacier, mcmurdo dry valleys, antarctica |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102007000624 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102007000624 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Science Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Science Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys |
op_source |
Antarctic Science volume 19, issue 4, page 485-496 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102007000624 |
container_title |
Antarctic Science |
container_volume |
19 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
485 |
op_container_end_page |
496 |
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1797568316160606208 |