Locations and thickness of sediment-laden basal ice zones at Jutulstraumen Glacier onset (East Antarctica) ...

• Main Authors: Franke, Steven, Wolovick, Michael
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: PANGAEA 2024
• Subjects: Antarctica; basal freeze-on; basal ice; Jutulstraumen; radio-echo sounding; Subglacial sediments; Event label; Season; Profile ID; Trace Number; LONGITUDE; LATITUDE; High backscatter zone, thickness; Radio-echo sounding; Aircraft; P6-215_UWB_2018; POLAR 6; Antarctic; East Antarctica; Jutulstraumen Glacier; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.963889; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.963889

Understanding the material properties and physical conditions of basal ice is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of Antarctic ice-sheet dynamics. Yet, direct data are sparse and difficult to acquire, necessitating geophysical data for analysis. Here, we employed high-resolution ultra-wideband radar to map high-backscatter zones near the glacier bed within East Antarctica's Jutulstraumen drainage basin. Our results revealed that the basal ice in an area of ~ 10,000 square kilometers is composed of along-flow oriented sediment-laden basal ice units connected to the basal substrate, extending up to several hundred meters of thickness. Three-dimensional thermomechanical modeling suggests these units formed via basal freeze-on of subglacial water originating further upstream. Our findings suggest that basal freeze-on, and the entrainment and transport of subglacial material play a significant role for an accurate representation of material, physical, and rheological properties of the Antarctic ice sheet's ...