Inversion of Geothermal Heat Flux under the Ice Sheet of Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica

Antarctic geothermal heat flux is a basic input variable for ice sheet dynamics simulation. It greatly affects the temperature and mechanical properties at the bottom of the ice sheet, influencing sliding, melting, and internal deformation. Due to the fact that the Antarctica is covered by a thick i...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Remote Sensing
Main Authors: Lin Li, Xueyuan Tang, Jingxue Guo, Xiangbin Cui, Enzhao Xiao, Khalid Latif, Bo Sun, Qiao Zhang, Xiaosong Shi
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021
Subjects:
Q
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13142760
https://doaj.org/article/8f408049fc9f42378161efff040f9b29
Description
Summary:Antarctic geothermal heat flux is a basic input variable for ice sheet dynamics simulation. It greatly affects the temperature and mechanical properties at the bottom of the ice sheet, influencing sliding, melting, and internal deformation. Due to the fact that the Antarctica is covered by a thick ice sheet, direct measurements of heat flux are very limited. This study was carried out to estimate the regional heat flux in the Antarctic continent through geophysical inversion. Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica is one of the areas in which we have a weak understanding of geothermal heat flux. Through the latest airborne geomagnetic data, we inverted the Curie depth, obtaining the heat flux of bedrock based on the one-dimensional steady-state heat conduction equation. The results indicated that the Curie depth of the Princess Elizabeth Land is shallower than previously estimated, and the heat flux is consequently higher. Thus, the contribution of subglacial heat flux to the melting at the bottom of the ice sheet is likely greater than previously expected in this region. It further provides research clues for the formation of the developed subglacial water system in Princess Elizabeth Land.