Glaciological research in the Antarctic Peninsula
The Antarctic Peninsula is a good place for studies that take advantage of its wide range of latitude. Other worthwhile investigations are those that set in context the glacier/climate relationships and provide a framework of basic glaciological data. In order to speed reconnaissance mapping a serie...
Published in: | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:525437 2023-05-15T13:41:44+02:00 Glaciological research in the Antarctic Peninsula Swithinbank, C.W.M. 1977 http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/525437/ https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1977.0080 unknown Royal Society Swithinbank, C.W.M. 1977 Glaciological research in the Antarctic Peninsula. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 279 (963). 161-183. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1977.0080 <https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1977.0080> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 1977 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1977.0080 2023-02-04T19:49:25Z The Antarctic Peninsula is a good place for studies that take advantage of its wide range of latitude. Other worthwhile investigations are those that set in context the glacier/climate relationships and provide a framework of basic glaciological data. In order to speed reconnaissance mapping a series of seven 1:250 000 map sheets was published which used satellite imagery as the only source for planimetric detail. In preparation for intermediate depth ice core drilling for glaciological and palaeoclimatic investigations a wide-ranging programme of radio echo sounding has been pursued since 1963; flight tracks now total 80000 km. Experimental results are presented for an area at the base of the peninsula between latitudes 73° S and 80° S. Track plotting was controlled by relating observed subglacial topographic features with the surface expression of the same features revealed in a Landsat image mosaic. Thus navigation was not subject to the cumulative position errors generally encountered on long flights far from fixed points (nunataks). Redefinition of the earlier speculative boundary of the inland ice sheet added 38000 km2 to the land area of Antarctica while reducing the area of Ronne Ice Shelf by 11%. An unmapped nunatak was found 187 km from the nearest known outcrop. Three major inlets contained the thickest floating ice ever measured. Floating ice 1860 m thick was identified at a point only 17 km from the Ellsworth Mountains; thus within 60 km of the highest mountain in Antarctica (5140 m) there is a trench reaching 1600 m below sea level. Subglacially, there is potentially a channel well below sea level that connects the Bellingshausen Sea with the Weddell Sea. A radio echo sounder was adapted to measure the surface velocity of glaciers by reference to the spatial fading pattern of the bottom echo. Checks on Fleming Glacier with optical survey instruments showed that the true rate of movement was 44% faster than indicated by the fading pattern. It was concluded that the sounder had measured surface ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Bellingshausen Sea ice core Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ronne Ice Shelf Weddell Sea Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Weddell Sea Bellingshausen Sea Weddell Ronne Ice Shelf ENVELOPE(-61.000,-61.000,-78.500,-78.500) Ellsworth Mountains ENVELOPE(-85.000,-85.000,-78.750,-78.750) Fleming Glacier ENVELOPE(-66.183,-66.183,-69.467,-69.467) Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences 279 963 161 183 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
unknown |
description |
The Antarctic Peninsula is a good place for studies that take advantage of its wide range of latitude. Other worthwhile investigations are those that set in context the glacier/climate relationships and provide a framework of basic glaciological data. In order to speed reconnaissance mapping a series of seven 1:250 000 map sheets was published which used satellite imagery as the only source for planimetric detail. In preparation for intermediate depth ice core drilling for glaciological and palaeoclimatic investigations a wide-ranging programme of radio echo sounding has been pursued since 1963; flight tracks now total 80000 km. Experimental results are presented for an area at the base of the peninsula between latitudes 73° S and 80° S. Track plotting was controlled by relating observed subglacial topographic features with the surface expression of the same features revealed in a Landsat image mosaic. Thus navigation was not subject to the cumulative position errors generally encountered on long flights far from fixed points (nunataks). Redefinition of the earlier speculative boundary of the inland ice sheet added 38000 km2 to the land area of Antarctica while reducing the area of Ronne Ice Shelf by 11%. An unmapped nunatak was found 187 km from the nearest known outcrop. Three major inlets contained the thickest floating ice ever measured. Floating ice 1860 m thick was identified at a point only 17 km from the Ellsworth Mountains; thus within 60 km of the highest mountain in Antarctica (5140 m) there is a trench reaching 1600 m below sea level. Subglacially, there is potentially a channel well below sea level that connects the Bellingshausen Sea with the Weddell Sea. A radio echo sounder was adapted to measure the surface velocity of glaciers by reference to the spatial fading pattern of the bottom echo. Checks on Fleming Glacier with optical survey instruments showed that the true rate of movement was 44% faster than indicated by the fading pattern. It was concluded that the sounder had measured surface ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Swithinbank, C.W.M. |
spellingShingle |
Swithinbank, C.W.M. Glaciological research in the Antarctic Peninsula |
author_facet |
Swithinbank, C.W.M. |
author_sort |
Swithinbank, C.W.M. |
title |
Glaciological research in the Antarctic Peninsula |
title_short |
Glaciological research in the Antarctic Peninsula |
title_full |
Glaciological research in the Antarctic Peninsula |
title_fullStr |
Glaciological research in the Antarctic Peninsula |
title_full_unstemmed |
Glaciological research in the Antarctic Peninsula |
title_sort |
glaciological research in the antarctic peninsula |
publisher |
Royal Society |
publishDate |
1977 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/525437/ https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1977.0080 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-61.000,-61.000,-78.500,-78.500) ENVELOPE(-85.000,-85.000,-78.750,-78.750) ENVELOPE(-66.183,-66.183,-69.467,-69.467) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Weddell Sea Bellingshausen Sea Weddell Ronne Ice Shelf Ellsworth Mountains Fleming Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Weddell Sea Bellingshausen Sea Weddell Ronne Ice Shelf Ellsworth Mountains Fleming Glacier |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Bellingshausen Sea ice core Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ronne Ice Shelf Weddell Sea |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Bellingshausen Sea ice core Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ronne Ice Shelf Weddell Sea |
op_relation |
Swithinbank, C.W.M. 1977 Glaciological research in the Antarctic Peninsula. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 279 (963). 161-183. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1977.0080 <https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1977.0080> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1977.0080 |
container_title |
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
279 |
container_issue |
963 |
container_start_page |
161 |
op_container_end_page |
183 |
_version_ |
1766156014343684096 |