The "tipping" temperature within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, West Antarctica and its implications for lake access
We present results from new geophysical data allowing modelling of the water flow within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth (SLE), West Antarctica. Our simulations indicate that this lake has a novel temperature distribution due to significantly thinner ice than other surveyed subglacial lakes. The critical...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:9f69f30c418a45e8a919d8147e113aec 2023-05-15T14:01:12+02:00 The "tipping" temperature within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, West Antarctica and its implications for lake access M. Thoma K. Grosfeld C. Mayer A. M. Smith J. Woodward N. Ross 2011-07-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-561-2011 https://doaj.org/article/9f69f30c418a45e8a919d8147e113aec EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/561/2011/tc-5-561-2011.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-5-561-2011 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/9f69f30c418a45e8a919d8147e113aec The Cryosphere, Vol 5, Iss 3, Pp 561-567 (2011) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2011 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-561-2011 2022-12-31T01:37:38Z We present results from new geophysical data allowing modelling of the water flow within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth (SLE), West Antarctica. Our simulations indicate that this lake has a novel temperature distribution due to significantly thinner ice than other surveyed subglacial lakes. The critical pressure boundary (tipping depth), established from the semi-empirical Equation of State, defines whether the lake's flow regime is convective or stratified. It passes through SLE and separates different temperature (and flow) regimes on either side of the lake. Our results have implications for the location of proposed access holes into SLE, the choice of which will depend on scientific or operational priorities. If an understanding of subglacial lake water properties and dynamics is the priority, holes are required in a basal freezing area at the North end of the lake. This would be the preferred priority suggested by this paper, requiring temperature and salinity profiles in the water column. A location near the Southern end, where bottom currents are lowest, is optimum for detecting the record of life in the bed sediments; to minimise operational risk and maximise the time span of a bed sediment core, a location close to the middle of the lake, where the basal interface is melting and the lake bed is at its deepest, remains the best choice. Considering potential lake-water salinity and ice-density variations, we estimate the critical tipping depth, separating different temperature regimes within subglacial lakes, to be in about 2900 to 3045 m depth. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica The Cryosphere West Antarctica Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles West Antarctica The Cryosphere 5 3 561 567 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 M. Thoma K. Grosfeld C. Mayer A. M. Smith J. Woodward N. Ross The "tipping" temperature within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, West Antarctica and its implications for lake access |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
We present results from new geophysical data allowing modelling of the water flow within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth (SLE), West Antarctica. Our simulations indicate that this lake has a novel temperature distribution due to significantly thinner ice than other surveyed subglacial lakes. The critical pressure boundary (tipping depth), established from the semi-empirical Equation of State, defines whether the lake's flow regime is convective or stratified. It passes through SLE and separates different temperature (and flow) regimes on either side of the lake. Our results have implications for the location of proposed access holes into SLE, the choice of which will depend on scientific or operational priorities. If an understanding of subglacial lake water properties and dynamics is the priority, holes are required in a basal freezing area at the North end of the lake. This would be the preferred priority suggested by this paper, requiring temperature and salinity profiles in the water column. A location near the Southern end, where bottom currents are lowest, is optimum for detecting the record of life in the bed sediments; to minimise operational risk and maximise the time span of a bed sediment core, a location close to the middle of the lake, where the basal interface is melting and the lake bed is at its deepest, remains the best choice. Considering potential lake-water salinity and ice-density variations, we estimate the critical tipping depth, separating different temperature regimes within subglacial lakes, to be in about 2900 to 3045 m depth. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
M. Thoma K. Grosfeld C. Mayer A. M. Smith J. Woodward N. Ross |
author_facet |
M. Thoma K. Grosfeld C. Mayer A. M. Smith J. Woodward N. Ross |
author_sort |
M. Thoma |
title |
The "tipping" temperature within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, West Antarctica and its implications for lake access |
title_short |
The "tipping" temperature within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, West Antarctica and its implications for lake access |
title_full |
The "tipping" temperature within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, West Antarctica and its implications for lake access |
title_fullStr |
The "tipping" temperature within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, West Antarctica and its implications for lake access |
title_full_unstemmed |
The "tipping" temperature within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, West Antarctica and its implications for lake access |
title_sort |
"tipping" temperature within subglacial lake ellsworth, west antarctica and its implications for lake access |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-561-2011 https://doaj.org/article/9f69f30c418a45e8a919d8147e113aec |
geographic |
West Antarctica |
geographic_facet |
West Antarctica |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica The Cryosphere West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica The Cryosphere West Antarctica |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 5, Iss 3, Pp 561-567 (2011) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/561/2011/tc-5-561-2011.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-5-561-2011 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/9f69f30c418a45e8a919d8147e113aec |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-561-2011 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
561 |
op_container_end_page |
567 |
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1766270799700819968 |