Recent aerogeophysical exploration under the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in Wilkes Land

• Main Authors: BOZZO, EMANUELE, ARMADILLO, EGIDIO, Ferraccioli F., Jordan T. A., Corr H., Hill D. J.
• Other Authors: Bozzo, Emanuele, Ferraccioli, F., Armadillo, Egidio, Jordan, T. A., Corr, H., Hill, D. J.
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Antarctic; East Antarctica; Victoria Land; East Antarctic Ice Sheet; Transantarctic Mountains; Wilkes Land; Talos Dome; Mario Zucchelli; Wilkes Subglacial Basin; Mario Zucchelli Station; Antarc*; Antarctica; British Antarctic Survey; Ice Sheet; International Polar Year
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11567/393788

An extensive aerogeophysical survey was flown in Wilkes Land (East Antarctica) during the 2005/06 Antarctic field-campaign as part of a joint Italian-UK exploration project, WISE (Wilkes WIlkes Basin/Transantarctic Mountains System Exploration)/ ISODYN (Icehouse Earth: Stability Or DYNamism?). The Italian Antarctic programme provided major logistic support at Mario Zucchelli Station, at two remote field camps, Talos Dome and Sitry, and at Mid-Point. 68 survey flights led to the collection of over 60,000 line-km of new aerogeophysical data over a frontier region that had not been explored since the 70’s. Airborne radar, aeromagnetic and airborne gravity data were simultaneously collected on a British Antarctic Survey Twin Otter with the overarching aim of providing new basal boundary conditions for the dynamics and stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, and characterizing geological structures in the Wilkes Subglacial Basin (WSB) and adjacent Transantarctic Mountains (TAM). During the International Polar Year our efforts focused on data analysis and subsequent development of new interpretations. Here we review some of the results. Our new bedrock topography map derived from airborne radar reveals major subglacial basins with depths up to 2.1 km below sea-level within the WSB region. These sub-basins are in places up to 1.5 km deeper than imaged by BEDMAP, have different orientations, and are flanked by major bedrock plateaus that differ from alpine-type landscapes exposed over the adjacent TAM in northern Victoria Land. The new subglacial topography for the region is a critical boundary condition to develop next generation coupled ice sheet and climate models over East Antarctica. These models are targeting the contentious stability of this marine-based part of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet during warm periods in the geological past and may provide a tool for assessing its longer term future behaviour in a warmer climate. The airborne radar dataset significantly extends our knowledge of the subglacial ...