Missing evidence of widespread subglacial lakes at Recovery Glacier, Antarctica

Recovery Glacier reaches far into the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Recent projections point out that its dynamic behavior has a considerable impact on future Antarctic ice loss (Golledge et al., 2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072422). Subglacial lakes are thought to play a major role in the initia...

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Published in:Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
Main Authors: Humbert, Angelika, Steinhage, Daniel, Helm, Veit, Beyer, Sebastian, Kleiner, Thomas
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: Wiley 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/48359/
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/48359/1/humbert2018jgr.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.2cfa7ae5-c211-47d2-9a82-f9e136d64478
https://hdl.handle.net/
id ftawi:oai:epic.awi.de:48359
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spelling ftawi:oai:epic.awi.de:48359 2023-05-15T13:45:21+02:00 Missing evidence of widespread subglacial lakes at Recovery Glacier, Antarctica Humbert, Angelika Steinhage, Daniel Helm, Veit Beyer, Sebastian Kleiner, Thomas 2018-11-07 application/pdf https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/48359/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/48359/1/humbert2018jgr.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.2cfa7ae5-c211-47d2-9a82-f9e136d64478 https://hdl.handle.net/ unknown Wiley https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/48359/1/humbert2018jgr.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/ Humbert, A. , Steinhage, D. orcid:0000-0003-4737-9751 , Helm, V. orcid:0000-0001-7788-9328 , Beyer, S. orcid:0000-0002-3731-0278 and Kleiner, T. orcid:0000-0001-7825-5765 (2018) Missing evidence of widespread subglacial lakes at Recovery Glacier, Antarctica , Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 123 , pp. 2802-2826 . doi:10.1029/2017JF004591 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JF004591> , hdl:10013/epic.2cfa7ae5-c211-47d2-9a82-f9e136d64478 EPIC3Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, Wiley, 123, pp. 2802-2826 Article isiRev 2018 ftawi https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JF004591 2021-12-24T15:44:17Z Recovery Glacier reaches far into the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Recent projections point out that its dynamic behavior has a considerable impact on future Antarctic ice loss (Golledge et al., 2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072422). Subglacial lakes are thought to play a major role in the initiation of the rapid ice flow (Bell et al., 2007, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05554). Satellite altimetry observations have even suggested several actively filling and draining subglacial lakes beneath the main trunk (B. E. Smith et al., 2009, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214309789470879). We present new data of the geometry of this glacier and investigate its basal properties employing radio-echo sounding. Using ice sheet modeling, we were able to constrain estimates of radar absorption in the ice, but uncertainties remain large. The magnitude of the basal reflection coefficient is thus still poorly known. However, its spatial variability, in conjunction with additional indicators, can be used to infer the presence of subglacial water. We find no clear evidence of water at most of the previously proposed lake sites. Especially, locations, where altimetry detected active lakes, do not exhibit lake characteristics in radio-echo sounding. We argue that lakes far upstream the main trunk are not triggering enhanced ice flow, which is also supported by modeled subglacial hydrology. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Antarctica Journal Ice Sheet Recovery Glacier Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) Antarctic East Antarctic Ice Sheet Recovery Glacier ENVELOPE(-25.500,-25.500,-81.166,-81.166) Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 123 11 2802 2826
institution Open Polar
collection Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center)
op_collection_id ftawi
language unknown
description Recovery Glacier reaches far into the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Recent projections point out that its dynamic behavior has a considerable impact on future Antarctic ice loss (Golledge et al., 2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072422). Subglacial lakes are thought to play a major role in the initiation of the rapid ice flow (Bell et al., 2007, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05554). Satellite altimetry observations have even suggested several actively filling and draining subglacial lakes beneath the main trunk (B. E. Smith et al., 2009, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214309789470879). We present new data of the geometry of this glacier and investigate its basal properties employing radio-echo sounding. Using ice sheet modeling, we were able to constrain estimates of radar absorption in the ice, but uncertainties remain large. The magnitude of the basal reflection coefficient is thus still poorly known. However, its spatial variability, in conjunction with additional indicators, can be used to infer the presence of subglacial water. We find no clear evidence of water at most of the previously proposed lake sites. Especially, locations, where altimetry detected active lakes, do not exhibit lake characteristics in radio-echo sounding. We argue that lakes far upstream the main trunk are not triggering enhanced ice flow, which is also supported by modeled subglacial hydrology.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Humbert, Angelika
Steinhage, Daniel
Helm, Veit
Beyer, Sebastian
Kleiner, Thomas
spellingShingle Humbert, Angelika
Steinhage, Daniel
Helm, Veit
Beyer, Sebastian
Kleiner, Thomas
Missing evidence of widespread subglacial lakes at Recovery Glacier, Antarctica
author_facet Humbert, Angelika
Steinhage, Daniel
Helm, Veit
Beyer, Sebastian
Kleiner, Thomas
author_sort Humbert, Angelika
title Missing evidence of widespread subglacial lakes at Recovery Glacier, Antarctica
title_short Missing evidence of widespread subglacial lakes at Recovery Glacier, Antarctica
title_full Missing evidence of widespread subglacial lakes at Recovery Glacier, Antarctica
title_fullStr Missing evidence of widespread subglacial lakes at Recovery Glacier, Antarctica
title_full_unstemmed Missing evidence of widespread subglacial lakes at Recovery Glacier, Antarctica
title_sort missing evidence of widespread subglacial lakes at recovery glacier, antarctica
publisher Wiley
publishDate 2018
url https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/48359/
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/48359/1/humbert2018jgr.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.2cfa7ae5-c211-47d2-9a82-f9e136d64478
https://hdl.handle.net/
long_lat ENVELOPE(-25.500,-25.500,-81.166,-81.166)
geographic Antarctic
East Antarctic Ice Sheet
Recovery Glacier
geographic_facet Antarctic
East Antarctic Ice Sheet
Recovery Glacier
genre Antarc*
Antarctic
Antarctica
Antarctica Journal
Ice Sheet
Recovery Glacier
genre_facet Antarc*
Antarctic
Antarctica
Antarctica Journal
Ice Sheet
Recovery Glacier
op_source EPIC3Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, Wiley, 123, pp. 2802-2826
op_relation https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/48359/1/humbert2018jgr.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/
Humbert, A. , Steinhage, D. orcid:0000-0003-4737-9751 , Helm, V. orcid:0000-0001-7788-9328 , Beyer, S. orcid:0000-0002-3731-0278 and Kleiner, T. orcid:0000-0001-7825-5765 (2018) Missing evidence of widespread subglacial lakes at Recovery Glacier, Antarctica , Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 123 , pp. 2802-2826 . doi:10.1029/2017JF004591 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JF004591> , hdl:10013/epic.2cfa7ae5-c211-47d2-9a82-f9e136d64478
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JF004591
container_title Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
container_volume 123
container_issue 11
container_start_page 2802
op_container_end_page 2826
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