Observation of submarine tectonic activities using long term passive ocean bottom seismometers in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

• Main Authors: Lee, W.S., Hong, J.K., Park, Y., Schmidt-Aursch, Mechita C., Geissler, W.H., Lee, J., Kim, Y., Jokat, Wilfried, Gohl, Karsten
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Ross Sea; Bogo; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Sheet; Korea Polar Research Institute
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/30391/; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.39336

A prominent continental rift is underlying the western part of the Antarctic continent. The current stretching is accompanied by active volcanism at the rim of the Ross Sea as well as underneath the thick ice sheet. Airborne radar measurements have detected active volcanoes south of the Ross Sea. Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) and Alfred Wegener Insitute have deployed 4 long-term broadband Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBSs) in the Ross Sea near the Jang Bogo Antarctic station during 2011-2012 KOPRI’s Antarctic expedition. It is a pilot research project aiming to better understanding the current seismicity of the West Antarctic Rift System. To accomplish it, we are going to investigate local seismicity and ambient noise around Frankin Island to estimate possible magmatic activity around a seamount. Acoustic noise from glaciers nearby and T-phase propagation study would be conducted in parallel. In addition, we will observe teleseismic events to deteremine the lithospheric structure, and examine shear wave splitting using the OBS data.