The basal roughness of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica
We assess basal roughness beneath Pine Island Glacier (PIG), West Antarctica, based on a recent airborne radio-echo sounding dataset. We identify a clear relationship between faster ice flow and decreased basal roughness in significant parts of PIG. The central portion and two of its tributaries are...
Published in: | Journal of Glaciology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
International Glaciological Society
2011
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/14501/ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-glaciology/article/basal-roughness-of-pine-island-glacier-west-antarctica/F70B356525110B95756E9F868C0C909D |
id |
ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:14501 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:14501 2023-05-15T13:45:11+02:00 The basal roughness of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica Rippin, D.M. Vaughan, David G. Corr, Hugh F.J. 2011 http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/14501/ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-glaciology/article/basal-roughness-of-pine-island-glacier-west-antarctica/F70B356525110B95756E9F868C0C909D unknown International Glaciological Society Rippin, D.M.; Vaughan, David G. orcid:0000-0002-9065-0570 Corr, Hugh F.J. 2011 The basal roughness of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica. Journal of Glaciology, 57 (201). 67-76. https://doi.org/10.3189/002214311795306574 <https://doi.org/10.3189/002214311795306574> Glaciology Physics Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2011 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.3189/002214311795306574 2023-02-04T19:29:14Z We assess basal roughness beneath Pine Island Glacier (PIG), West Antarctica, based on a recent airborne radio-echo sounding dataset. We identify a clear relationship between faster ice flow and decreased basal roughness in significant parts of PIG. The central portion and two of its tributaries are particularly smooth, but the majority of the tributaries feeding the main trunk are rougher. We interpret the presence of a smooth bed as being a consequence of the deposition of marine sediments following disappearance of the West Antarctic ice sheet in the Pliocene or Pleistocene, and, conversely, a lack of marine sedimentation where the bed is rough. Importantly, we also identify a patchy distribution of marine sediments, and thus a bed over which the controls on flow vary. While there is a notable correspondence between ice velocity and bed roughness, we do not assume a direct causal relationship, but find that an indirect one is likely. Where low basal roughness results in low basal resistance to flow, a lower driving stress is required to produce the flux required to achieve mass balance. This, in turn, means that the surface in that area will be lower than surrounding areas with a rougher bed, and this will tend to draw flow into the area with low bed roughness. Since our studies shows that bed roughness beneath the tributaries of the trunk varies substantially, there is a strong likelihood that these tributaries will differ in the rate at which they transmit current velocity changes on the main trunk into the interior of the glacier basin. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Antarctica Journal Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Pine Island Pine Island Glacier West Antarctica Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic Pine Island Glacier ENVELOPE(-101.000,-101.000,-75.000,-75.000) West Antarctic Ice Sheet West Antarctica Journal of Glaciology 57 201 67 76 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Glaciology Physics |
spellingShingle |
Glaciology Physics Rippin, D.M. Vaughan, David G. Corr, Hugh F.J. The basal roughness of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Glaciology Physics |
description |
We assess basal roughness beneath Pine Island Glacier (PIG), West Antarctica, based on a recent airborne radio-echo sounding dataset. We identify a clear relationship between faster ice flow and decreased basal roughness in significant parts of PIG. The central portion and two of its tributaries are particularly smooth, but the majority of the tributaries feeding the main trunk are rougher. We interpret the presence of a smooth bed as being a consequence of the deposition of marine sediments following disappearance of the West Antarctic ice sheet in the Pliocene or Pleistocene, and, conversely, a lack of marine sedimentation where the bed is rough. Importantly, we also identify a patchy distribution of marine sediments, and thus a bed over which the controls on flow vary. While there is a notable correspondence between ice velocity and bed roughness, we do not assume a direct causal relationship, but find that an indirect one is likely. Where low basal roughness results in low basal resistance to flow, a lower driving stress is required to produce the flux required to achieve mass balance. This, in turn, means that the surface in that area will be lower than surrounding areas with a rougher bed, and this will tend to draw flow into the area with low bed roughness. Since our studies shows that bed roughness beneath the tributaries of the trunk varies substantially, there is a strong likelihood that these tributaries will differ in the rate at which they transmit current velocity changes on the main trunk into the interior of the glacier basin. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rippin, D.M. Vaughan, David G. Corr, Hugh F.J. |
author_facet |
Rippin, D.M. Vaughan, David G. Corr, Hugh F.J. |
author_sort |
Rippin, D.M. |
title |
The basal roughness of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
title_short |
The basal roughness of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
title_full |
The basal roughness of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
The basal roughness of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
The basal roughness of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
title_sort |
basal roughness of pine island glacier, west antarctica |
publisher |
International Glaciological Society |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/14501/ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-glaciology/article/basal-roughness-of-pine-island-glacier-west-antarctica/F70B356525110B95756E9F868C0C909D |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-101.000,-101.000,-75.000,-75.000) |
geographic |
Antarctic Pine Island Glacier West Antarctic Ice Sheet West Antarctica |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Pine Island Glacier West Antarctic Ice Sheet West Antarctica |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Antarctica Journal Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Pine Island Pine Island Glacier West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Antarctica Journal Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Pine Island Pine Island Glacier West Antarctica |
op_relation |
Rippin, D.M.; Vaughan, David G. orcid:0000-0002-9065-0570 Corr, Hugh F.J. 2011 The basal roughness of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica. Journal of Glaciology, 57 (201). 67-76. https://doi.org/10.3189/002214311795306574 <https://doi.org/10.3189/002214311795306574> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3189/002214311795306574 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
57 |
container_issue |
201 |
container_start_page |
67 |
op_container_end_page |
76 |
_version_ |
1766215732825161728 |