The singing firn

• Published in: Annals of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Julien Chaput, Richard C. Aster, Marianne Karplus
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press 2022
• Subjects: Anisotropic ice; seismology; snow physics; Meteorology. Climatology; QC851-999; Antarctic; Annals of Glaciology; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2023.34; https://doaj.org/article/c33473de7631416fbc1e49001a59c846

Antarctic firn presents an exotic seismological environment in which the behaviors of propagating waves can be significantly at odds with those in other Earth media. We present a condensed view of the nascent field of ambient noise seismology in Antarctic firn-covered media, and highlight multiple unusual and information-rich observations framed through the lens of the firn's important role as a buffer for air temperature anomalies and a complex contributor to ice mass balance. We summarize key results from several recent papers depicting novel wind-excited firn resonances and point to the plethora of ways these observations could facilitate imaging and monitoring of glacial systems at single, isolated seismometers. Finally, we propose significant instrumental and computational objectives necessary to constrain resonance excitation mechanisms and broadly apply these observations as useful monitoring tools in Antarctica.