Ice dynamics of the Darwin-Hatherton glacial system, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica
The Darwin-Hatherton glacial system (DHGS) drains from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) and through the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) before entering the Ross Embayment. Large ice-free areas covered in glacial sediments surround the DHGS, and at least five glacial drift sheets mark the limits of...
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University of Canterbury. Geography
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ftunivcanter:oai:ir.canterbury.ac.nz:10092/6602 2023-05-15T13:59:52+02:00 Ice dynamics of the Darwin-Hatherton glacial system, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica Riger-Kusk, Mette 2011 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10092/6602 https://doi.org/10.26021/8928 en eng University of Canterbury. Geography NZCU http://hdl.handle.net/10092/6602 http://dx.doi.org/10.26021/8928 Copyright Mette Riger-Kusk https://canterbury.libguides.com/rights/theses Antarctica West Antarctic Ice Sheet East Antarctic Ice Sheet Ice Sheet glaciology Transantarctic Mountains Darwin Glacier Hatherton Glacier Ground Penetrating Radar glacier modelling ice dynamics glacier change Last Glacial Maximum glacial sediments mass balance grounding line blue ice areas Theses / Dissertations 2011 ftunivcanter https://doi.org/10.26021/8928 2022-09-08T13:41:55Z The Darwin-Hatherton glacial system (DHGS) drains from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) and through the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) before entering the Ross Embayment. Large ice-free areas covered in glacial sediments surround the DHGS, and at least five glacial drift sheets mark the limits of previous ice extent. The glacier belongs to a group of slow-moving EAIS outlet glaciers which are poorly understood. Despite this, an extrapolation of a glacial drift sheet boundary has been used to determine the thickness of the EAIS and the advanced West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). In order to accurately determine the past and present contributions of the Antarctic ice sheets to sea level changes, these uncertainties should be reduced. This study aims to examine the present and LGM ice dynamics of the DHGS by combining newly acquired field measurements with a 3-D numerical ice sheet-shelf model. The fieldwork included a ground penetrating radar survey of ice thickness and surface velocity measurements by GPS. In addition, an extensive dataset of airborne radar measurements and meteorological recordings from automatic weather stations were made available. The model setup involved nesting a high-resolution (1 km) model of the DHGS within a lower resolution (20 km) all-Antarctic simulation. The nested 3-D modelling procedure enables an examination of the impact of changes of the EAIS and WAIS on the DHGS behaviour, and accounts for a complex glacier morphology and surface mass balance within the glacial system. The findings of this study illustrate the difference in ice dynamics between the Darwin and Hatherton Glaciers. The Darwin Glacier is up to 1500 m thick, partially warm-based, has high driving stresses (~150 kPa), and measured ice velocities increase from 20-30 m yr⁻¹ in the upper parts to ~180 m yr⁻¹ in the lowermost steepest regions, where modelled flow velocities peak at 330 m yr⁻¹. In comparison, the Hatherton Glacier is relatively thin (<900 m), completely ... Other/Unknown Material Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Darwin Glacier Hatherton Glacier Ice Sheet University of Canterbury, Christchurch: UC Research Repository Antarctic Darwin Glacier ENVELOPE(159.000,159.000,-79.883,-79.883) East Antarctic Ice Sheet Hatherton Glacier ENVELOPE(157.583,157.583,-79.917,-79.917) The Antarctic Transantarctic Mountains West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Canterbury, Christchurch: UC Research Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcanter |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctica West Antarctic Ice Sheet East Antarctic Ice Sheet Ice Sheet glaciology Transantarctic Mountains Darwin Glacier Hatherton Glacier Ground Penetrating Radar glacier modelling ice dynamics glacier change Last Glacial Maximum glacial sediments mass balance grounding line blue ice areas |
spellingShingle |
Antarctica West Antarctic Ice Sheet East Antarctic Ice Sheet Ice Sheet glaciology Transantarctic Mountains Darwin Glacier Hatherton Glacier Ground Penetrating Radar glacier modelling ice dynamics glacier change Last Glacial Maximum glacial sediments mass balance grounding line blue ice areas Riger-Kusk, Mette Ice dynamics of the Darwin-Hatherton glacial system, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Antarctica West Antarctic Ice Sheet East Antarctic Ice Sheet Ice Sheet glaciology Transantarctic Mountains Darwin Glacier Hatherton Glacier Ground Penetrating Radar glacier modelling ice dynamics glacier change Last Glacial Maximum glacial sediments mass balance grounding line blue ice areas |
description |
The Darwin-Hatherton glacial system (DHGS) drains from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) and through the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) before entering the Ross Embayment. Large ice-free areas covered in glacial sediments surround the DHGS, and at least five glacial drift sheets mark the limits of previous ice extent. The glacier belongs to a group of slow-moving EAIS outlet glaciers which are poorly understood. Despite this, an extrapolation of a glacial drift sheet boundary has been used to determine the thickness of the EAIS and the advanced West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). In order to accurately determine the past and present contributions of the Antarctic ice sheets to sea level changes, these uncertainties should be reduced. This study aims to examine the present and LGM ice dynamics of the DHGS by combining newly acquired field measurements with a 3-D numerical ice sheet-shelf model. The fieldwork included a ground penetrating radar survey of ice thickness and surface velocity measurements by GPS. In addition, an extensive dataset of airborne radar measurements and meteorological recordings from automatic weather stations were made available. The model setup involved nesting a high-resolution (1 km) model of the DHGS within a lower resolution (20 km) all-Antarctic simulation. The nested 3-D modelling procedure enables an examination of the impact of changes of the EAIS and WAIS on the DHGS behaviour, and accounts for a complex glacier morphology and surface mass balance within the glacial system. The findings of this study illustrate the difference in ice dynamics between the Darwin and Hatherton Glaciers. The Darwin Glacier is up to 1500 m thick, partially warm-based, has high driving stresses (~150 kPa), and measured ice velocities increase from 20-30 m yr⁻¹ in the upper parts to ~180 m yr⁻¹ in the lowermost steepest regions, where modelled flow velocities peak at 330 m yr⁻¹. In comparison, the Hatherton Glacier is relatively thin (<900 m), completely ... |
format |
Other/Unknown Material |
author |
Riger-Kusk, Mette |
author_facet |
Riger-Kusk, Mette |
author_sort |
Riger-Kusk, Mette |
title |
Ice dynamics of the Darwin-Hatherton glacial system, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica |
title_short |
Ice dynamics of the Darwin-Hatherton glacial system, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica |
title_full |
Ice dynamics of the Darwin-Hatherton glacial system, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Ice dynamics of the Darwin-Hatherton glacial system, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ice dynamics of the Darwin-Hatherton glacial system, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica |
title_sort |
ice dynamics of the darwin-hatherton glacial system, transantarctic mountains, antarctica |
publisher |
University of Canterbury. Geography |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10092/6602 https://doi.org/10.26021/8928 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(159.000,159.000,-79.883,-79.883) ENVELOPE(157.583,157.583,-79.917,-79.917) |
geographic |
Antarctic Darwin Glacier East Antarctic Ice Sheet Hatherton Glacier The Antarctic Transantarctic Mountains West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Darwin Glacier East Antarctic Ice Sheet Hatherton Glacier The Antarctic Transantarctic Mountains West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Darwin Glacier Hatherton Glacier Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Darwin Glacier Hatherton Glacier Ice Sheet |
op_relation |
NZCU http://hdl.handle.net/10092/6602 http://dx.doi.org/10.26021/8928 |
op_rights |
Copyright Mette Riger-Kusk https://canterbury.libguides.com/rights/theses |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.26021/8928 |
_version_ |
1766268777424486400 |