Discrete and tremor seismicity near a microseismic stick-slip asperity at the base of an Alpine glacier ...

Frictional resistance at the base of glacial ice controls ice sheet dynamics but is still incompletely understood. While basal sliding theories are traditionally based on slow and smooth sliding on a friction-less bed caused by viscous creep and regelation, frictional sliding at distinct patches of...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Köpfli, Manuela
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: ETH Zurich 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000544060
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/544060
Description
Summary:Frictional resistance at the base of glacial ice controls ice sheet dynamics but is still incompletely understood. While basal sliding theories are traditionally based on slow and smooth sliding on a friction-less bed caused by viscous creep and regelation, frictional sliding at distinct patches of the glacier bed ('asperities') may also play a significant role. With the help of a dense borehole seismometer network within 30\,m of an active microseismic stick-slip asperity at the glacier bed of Rhonegletscher, I collected a novel data set. This data set makes it possible to gain a detailed view on frictional processes, that resist smooth sliding and lead to episodic stress release at the glacier bed. The high spatial and temporal resolution of the seismic array helps to investigate basal sliding from a new perspective. I locate distinct basal stick-slip events with phase arrivals and successive events (basal stick-slip sliding tremor) with amplitude source location. Location with the double-difference method ...