Refined broad-scale sub-glacial morphology of Aurora Subglacial Basin, East Antarctica derived by an ice-dynamics-based interpolation scheme

• Published in: The Cryosphere
• Main Authors: Roberts, J. L., Warner, R. C., Young, D., Wright, A., van Ommen, T. D., Blankenship, D. D., Siegert, M., Young, N. W., Tabacco, I. E., Forieri, A., Passerini, A., Zirizzotti, A., Frezzotti, M.
• Other Authors: Roberts, J. L.; Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Australian Antarctic Division, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, Private Bag 80, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia, Warner, R. C.; Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Australian Antarctic Division, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, Private Bag 80, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia, Young, D.; Institute of Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, Wright, A.; School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, van Ommen, T. D.; Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Australian Antarctic Division, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, Private Bag 80, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia, Blankenship, D. D.; Institute of Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, Siegert, M.; School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, Young, N. W.; Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Australian Antarctic Division, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, Private Bag 80, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia, Tabacco, I. E.; Geofisica, Universita di Milano, Milan, Italy, Forieri, A.; Geofisica, Universita di Milano, Milan, Italy, Passerini, A.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma1, Roma, Italia, Zirizzotti, A.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia, Frezzotti, M.; Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile, Rome, Italy, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Australian Antarctic Division, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, Private Bag 80, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia, Institute of Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, Geofisica, Universita di Milano, Milan, Italy, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma1, Roma, Italia, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia, Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile, Rome, Italy
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Gesellschaft GMBH 2011
• Subjects: Ice; Cryosphere; RES systems; Ice thickness; 02. Cryosphere::02.02. Glaciers::02.02.04. Ice; Antarc*; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Ice Sheet; The Cryosphere
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2122/7732; http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/551/2011/; https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-551-2011

Ice thickness data over much of East Antarctica are sparse and irregularly distributed. This poses difficulties for reconstructing the homogeneous coverage needed to properly assess underlying sub-glacial morphology and fundamental geometric constraints on sea level rise. Here we introduce a new physically-based ice thickness interpolation scheme and apply this to existing ice thickness data in the Aurora Subglacial Basin region. The skill and robustness of the new reconstruction is demonstrated by comparison with new data from the ICECAP project. The interpolated morphology shows an extensive marine-based ice sheet, with considerably more area below sea-level than shown by prior studies. It also shows deep features connecting the coastal grounding zone with the deepest regions in the interior. This has implications for ice sheet response to a warming ocean and underscores the importance of obtaining additional high resolution data in these marginal zones for modelling ice sheet evolution. Published 551-560 3.8. Geofisica per l'ambiente JCR Journal open