Geophysical survey at Talos Dome, East Antarctica: the search for a new deep-drilling site

• Main Authors: Frezzotti, M., Bitelli, G., De Michelis, P., Deponti, A., Forieri, A., Gandolfi, S., Maggi, V., Mancini, F., Remy, F., Tabacco, I. E., Urbini, S., Vittuari, L., Zirizzotti, A.
• Other Authors: Frezzotti, M.; ENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, P.O. Box 2400, I-00100 Rome, Italy, Bitelli, G.; DISTART, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, I-40136 Bologna, Italy, De Michelis, P.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia, Deponti, A.; Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Milano–Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, I-20126 Milan, Italy, Forieri, A.; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Milan, Via Cicognara 7, I-20129 Milan, Italy and Department of Earth Sciences, University of Siena, Via del Laterino 8, I-53100 Siena, Italy, Gandolfi, S.; DISTART, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, I-40136 Bologna, Italy, Maggi, V.; Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Milano–Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, I-20126 Milan, Italy, Mancini, F.; DISTART, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, I-40136 Bologna, Italy, Remy, F.; Legos, CNRS-CNES-UPS, 18 av. Edouard Belin, 31055 Toulouse Cedex, France, Tabacco, I. E.; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Milan, Via Cicognara 7, I-20129 Milan, Italy, Urbini, S.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia, Vittuari, L.; DISTART, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, I-40136 Bologna, Italy, Zirizzotti, A.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia, ENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, P.O. Box 2400, I-00100 Rome, Italy, DISTART, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, I-40136 Bologna, Italy, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Milano–Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, I-20126 Milan, Italy, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Milan, Via Cicognara 7, I-20129 Milan, Italy and Department of Earth Sciences, University of Siena, Via del Laterino 8, I-53100 Siena, Italy, Legos, CNRS-CNES-UPS, 18 av. Edouard Belin, 31055 Toulouse Cedex, France, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Milan, Via Cicognara 7, I-20129 Milan, Italy
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: International Glaciological Society 2004
• Subjects: East Antarctica; RES; GPS; palaeomorphology; 02. Cryosphere::02.02. Glaciers::02.02.03. Geomorphology; 02. Cryosphere::02.02. Glaciers::02.02.04. Ice; Antarctic; Talos Dome; Annals of Glaciology; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Research
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2122/4053

Talos Dome is an ice dome on the edge of the East Antarctic plateau; because accumulation is higher here than in other domes of East Antarctica, the ice preserves a good geochemical and palaeoclimatic record. A new map of the Talos Dome area locates the dome summit using the global positioning system (GPS) (72˚47’ 14’’S, 159˚04’ 2’’E; 2318.5m elevation (WGS84)). A surface strain network of nine stakes was measured using GPS. Data indicate that the stake closest to the summit moves south-southeast at a few cma–1. The other stakes, located 8 km away, move up to 0.33ma–1. Airborne radar measurements indicate that the bedrock at the Talos Dome summit is about 400m in elevation, and that it is covered by about 1900m of ice. Snow radar and GPS surveys show that internal layering is continuous and horizontal in the summit area (15 km radius). The depth distribution analysis of snow radar layers reveals that accumulation decreases downwind of the dome (north-northeast) and increases upwind (south-southwest). The palaeomorphology of the dome has changed during the past 500 years, probably due to variation in spatial distribution of snow accumulation, driven by wind sublimation. In order to calculate a preliminary age vs depth profile for Talos Dome, a simple one-dimensional steady-state model was formulated. This model predicts that the ice 100m above the bedrock may cover one glacial–interglacial period. Published 423-432 3.8. Geofisica per l'ambiente JCR Journal reserved