Thermal regime, isotopic and morphological characteristics of ice wedges in northern Victoria Land, Antarctica.

• Main Authors: RAFFI, Rossana, B. STENNI, L. GENONI, O. FLORA, S. SEGA
• Other Authors: A. Cooper, R. Carol, Raffi, Rossana, B., Stenni, L., Genoni, O., Flora, S., Sega
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES 2007
• Subjects: Ice wedge; polygon; thermal regime; petrofabric analysis; Terra Nova Bay; Victoria Land; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11573/214705; http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1047/ea204,1-4

The preliminary results of the research carried out on six ice wedges located in the vicinity of Terra Nova Bay, in northern Victoria Land utilized co-isotope analyses to show that sublimation processes contribute to the formation of the ice-wedge ice. Analysis of the thermal regime of one ice wedge over a period of one year shows that extreme gradients between the ground surface and the top of the ice wedge temperatures may trigger ice-wedge cracking.