Flow of the Amery Ice Shelf and Its Tributary Glaciers
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Glaciomarine Sedimentation at the Continental Margin of Prydz Bay, East Antarctica: Implications on Palaeoenvironmental Changes During the Quaternary
Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung Universität Potsdam, Institut für Erd- und Umweltwissenschaften Glaciomarine sedimentation at the continental margin of Prydz Bay, East Antarctica: implications on palaeoenvironmental changes during the Quaternary Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Doktor der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.) in der Wissenschaftsdisziplin “Geowissenschaften” eingereicht an der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Potsdam von Andreas Borchers Potsdam, 30. November 2010 Das Höchste, wozu der Mensch gelangen kann, ist das Erstaunen. J. W. von Goethe Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have been possible without the support and help of numerous people to whom I would like to express my gratitude. First, I am highly indebted to PD Dr. Bernhard Diekmann for the possibility to conduct this work under his supervision and for his constant support, whenever discussion or advice was needed. I appreciated his vast expertise and knowledge of marine geology, sedimentology and Quaternary Science that he so enthusiastically shared with me, adding considerably to my experience. Besides being a full-hearted geologist, he is also a great guitarist, which I enjoyed during the past years, especially during the expeditions I had the chance to participate. I would also like to thank Prof. Dr. Hans-Wolfgang Hubberten for his general support and understanding, giving me the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of marine geology in the field. Using the infrastructure of the institute in Potsdam, Bremerhaven and on the world’s oceans has made a major contribution realizing this work. I am deeply grateful to Prof. Dr. Ulrike Herzschuh and Dr. Gerhard Kuhn who provided a large part of assistance by discussions, constructive advices and moral support. -
History of Benthic Colonisation Beneath the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica
Vol. 344: 29–37, 2007 MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES Published August 23 doi: 10.3354/meps06966 Mar Ecol Prog Ser History of benthic colonisation beneath the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica Alexandra L. Post1,*, Mark A. Hemer1, Philip E. O’Brien1, Donna Roberts2, Mike Craven3 1Marine and Coastal Environment Group, Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia 2Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 77, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia 3Australian Antarctic Division and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Co-operative Research Centre, Private Bag 80, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia ABSTRACT: This study presents compelling evidence for a diverse and abundant seabed community that developed over the course of the Holocene beneath the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica. Fossil analysis of a 47 cm long sediment core revealed a rich modern fauna dominated by filter feeders (sponges and bryozoans). The down-core assemblage indicated a succession in the colonisation of this site. The lower portion of the core (before ~9600 yr BP) was completely devoid of preserved fauna. The first colonisers (at ~10 200 yr BP) were mobile benthic organisms. Their occurrence was matched by the first appearance of planktonic taxa, indicating a retreat of the ice shelf following the last glaciation to within sufficient distance to advect planktonic particles via bottom currents. The benthic infauna and filter feeders emerged during the peak abundance of the planktonic organisms, indicating their dependence on the food supply sourced from the open shelf waters of Prydz Bay. Understanding patterns of species succession in this environment has important implications for determining the potential significance of future ice shelf collapse. -
Ocean-Driven Thinning Enhances Iceberg Calving and Retreat of Antarctic Ice Shelves
Ocean-driven thinning enhances iceberg calving and retreat of Antarctic ice shelves Yan Liua,b, John C. Moorea,b,c,d,1, Xiao Chenga,b,1, Rupert M. Gladstonee,f, Jeremy N. Bassisg, Hongxing Liuh, Jiahong Weni, and Fengming Huia,b aState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; bJoint Center for Global Change Studies, Beijing 100875, China; cArctic Centre, University of Lapland, 96100 Rovaniemi, Finland; dDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75236, Sweden; eAntarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; fVersuchsanstalt für Wasserbau, Hydrologie und Glaziologie, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland; gDepartment of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143; hDepartment of Geography, McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, University of Cincinnati, OH 45221-0131; and iDepartment of Geography, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China Edited by Anny Cazenave, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Toulouse, France, and approved February 10, 2015 (received for review August 7, 2014) Iceberg calving from all Antarctic ice shelves has never been defined as the calving flux necessary to maintain a steady-state directly measured, despite playing a crucial role in ice sheet mass calving front for a given set of ice thicknesses and velocities along balance. Rapid changes to iceberg calving naturally arise from the the ice front gate (2, 3). Estimating the mass balance of ice sporadic detachment of large tabular bergs but can also be shelves out of steady state, however, requires additional in- triggered by climate forcing. -
Draft Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation of New Indian Research Base at Larsemann Hills, Antarctica
Draft Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation of New Indian Research Base at Larsemann Hills, Antarctica 4. ALTERNATIVES TO PROPOSED ACTIVITY A review of the Indian Antarctic Programme was undertaken by an Expert Committee (Rao, 1996), which recommended broadening of India’s scientific data base in Antarctica for having a regional spread of the data rather than a localized one. A Task Force was, therefore, constituted to go into the details and recommend a suitable site after considering all the pros and cons. This Task Force undertook reconnaissance traverses all along the eastern coast of Antarctica from India Bay at 11° E. longitude to 78°E longitude in Prydz Bay, to examine all possible alternatives suiting the scientific and logistic requirements set for the future station. 4.1 Alternative Locations at Regional Level Three alternatives were suggested in the Review Report, mentioned above, based on the scrutiny of published literature and feedback from different Indian and international expeditions to Antarctica. These were: a) Antarctic Peninsula, b) Filchner Ice shelf c) Amery Ice shelf – Prydz Bay area 4.1.1 Antarctic Peninsula Antarctic Peninsula is the most crowded place in Antarctica, so far as the stations of different nations and the visits of the tourists to the icy continent are concerned. The area is also very sensitive to the global warming as has been demonstrated by the international studies, which have shown that the Peninsula has warmed by 2° C since 1950 (Cook et al., 2005). 4.1.2 Filchner Ice Shelf The Filchner Ice Shelf poses serious logistic constraints in maintaining a research station as the sea ice condition in this area are very tough. -
Properties of a Marine Ice Layer Under the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica
Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 55, No. 192, 2009 717 Properties of a marine ice layer under the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica Mike CRAVEN,1 Ian ALLISON,1 Helen Amanda FRICKER,2 Roland WARNER1 1Australian Antarctic Division and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia E-mail: [email protected] 2Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California–San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0225, USA ABSTRACT. The Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica, undergoes high basal melt rates near the southern limit of its grounding line where 80% of the ice melts within 240 km of becoming afloat. A considerable portion of this later refreezes downstream as marine ice. This produces a marine ice layer up to 200 m thick in the northwest sector of the ice shelf concentrated in a pair of longitudinal bands that extend some 200 km all the way to the calving front. We drilled through the eastern marine ice band at two locations 70 km apart on the same flowline. We determine an average accretion rate of marine ice of 1.1 Æ 0.2 m a–1, at a reference density of 920 kg m–3 between borehole sites, and infer a similar average rate of 1.3 Æ 0.2 m a–1 upstream. The deeper marine ice was permeable enough that a hydraulic connection was made whilst the drill was still 70–100 m above the ice-shelf base. Below this marine close-off depth, borehole video imagery showed permeable ice with water-filled cavities and individual ice platelets fused together, while the upper marine ice was impermeable with small brine-cell inclusions. -
Investigation of Glacial Dynamics in Lambert Glacial Basin
INVESTIGATION OF GLACIAL DYNAMICS IN LAMBERT GLACIAL BASIN USING SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES A Dissertation by JAEHYUNG YU Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2005 Major Subject: Geography INVESTIGATION OF GLACIAL DYNAMICS IN LAMBERT GLACIAL BASIN USING SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES A Dissertation by JAEHYUNG YU Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Hongxing Liu Committee Members, Andrew G. Klein Vatche P. Tchakerian Mahlon Kennicutt Head of Department, Douglas Sherman December 2005 Major Subject: Geography iii ABSTRACT Investigation of Glacial Dynamics in Lambert Glacial Basin Using Satellite Remote Sensing Techniques. Jaehyung Yu, B.S., Chungnam National University; M.S., Chungnam National University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Hongxing Liu The Antarctic ice sheet mass budget is a very important factor for global sea level. An understanding of the glacial dynamics of the Antarctic ice sheet are essential for mass budget estimation. Utilizing a surface velocity field derived from Radarsat three-pass SAR interferometry, this study has investigated the strain rate, grounding line, balance velocity, and the mass balance of the entire Lambert Glacier – Amery Ice Shelf system, East Antarctica. The surface velocity increases abruptly from 350 m/year to 800 m/year at the main grounding line. It decreases as the main ice stream is floating, and increases to 1200 to 1500 m/year in the ice shelf front. -
Snow Eagle 601”
The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Volume XLIII-B3-2020, 2020 XXIV ISPRS Congress (2020 edition) FIELD OPERATIONS AND PROGRESS OF CHINESE AIRBORNE SURVEY IN EAST ANTARCTICA THROUGH THE “SNOW EAGLE 601” X. Cui 1,*, J. Guo 1, L. Li 1, X. Tang 1, B. Sun 1 1 Polar Research Institute of China, Jinqiao Road 451, Pudong New District, Shanghai, China - (cuixiangbin, guojingxue, lilin, tangxueyuan, sunbo) @pric.org.cn Commission III, WG III/9 KEY WORDS: Airborne Survey, “Snow Eagle 601”, Princess Elizabeth Land, Radio Echo Sounding, East Antarctica ABSTRACT: The Antarctic plays a vital role in the Earth system. However, our poor knowledge of the Antarctic limits predicting and projecting future climate changes and sea level rising due to rapid changing of the Antarctic. Airborne platforms can access most places of this hostile and remote continent and measure subice properties with high resolution and accuracy. China deployed the first fixed-wing airplane of “Snow Eagle 601” for Antarctic expeditions in 2015. Airborne scientific instruments, including radio-echo sounder, gravimeter, magnetometer, laser altimeter etc., were configured and integrated on the airplane. In the past four years, the airborne platform has been applied to survey the Princess Elizabeth Land, the largest data gap in Antarctica, Amery Ice Shelf and other critical areas in East Antarctica, and overall ~ 150,000 km flight lines have been completed. Here, we introduced the “Snow Eagle 601” airborne platform and base stations, as well as field operations of airborne survey, including aviation supports, daily cycle of the scientific flight, data processing and quality control, and finally summarized progress of airborne survey in the past four years. -
Coastal Change and Glaciological Map of The
Prepared in cooperation with the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom Coastal-Change and Glaciological Map of the Amery Ice Shelf Area, Antarctica: 1961–2004 By Kevin M. Foley, Jane G. Ferrigno, Charles Swithinbank, Richard S. Williams, Jr., and Audrey L. Orndorff Pamphlet to accompany Geologic Investigations Series Map I–2600–Q 2013 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2013 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Foley, K.M., Ferrigno, J.G., Swithinbank, Charles, Williams, R.S., Jr., and Orndorff, A.L., 2013, Coastal-change and glaciological map of the Amery Ice Shelf area, Antarctica: 1961–2004: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I–2600–Q, 1 map sheet, 8-p. -
Monitoring the Amery Ice Shelf Front During 2004−2012 Using ENVISAT ASAR Data
· Letter· Advances in Polar Science doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1085.2013.00133 June 2013 Vol. 24 No. 2: 133-137 Monitoring the Amery Ice Shelf front during 2004−2012 using ENVISAT ASAR data ZHAO Chen1,2*, CHENG Xiao1,2, HUI Fengming1,2, KANG Jing1,2, LIU Yan1,2, WANG Xianwei1,2, WANG Fang1,2, CHENG Cheng1,2, FENG Zhunzhun1,2, CI Tianyu1,2, ZHAO Tiancheng1,2 & ZHAI Mengxi1,2 1 State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Jointly Sponsored by Beijing Normal University and the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100875, China; 2 College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China Received 22 February 2013;accepted 17 April 2013 Abstract The Amery Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf in East Antarctica. It drains continental ice from an area of more than one million square kilometres through a section of coastline that represents approximately 2% of the total circumference of the Antarc- tic continent. In this study, we used a time series of ENVISAT ASAR images from 2004–2012 and flow lines derived from surface velocity data to monitor the changes in 12 tributaries of the Amery Ice Shelf front. The results show that the Amery Ice Shelf has been expanding and that the rates of expansion differ across the shelf. The highest average annual rate of advance from 2004–2012 was 3.36 m∙d-1 and the lowest rate was 1.65 m∙d-1. The rates in 2009 and 2010 were generally lower than those in other years. -
Modelling the Ocean Circulation Beneath the Ross Ice Shelf DAVID M
Antarctic Science 15 (1): 13–23 (2003) © Antarctic Science Ltd Printed in the UK DOI: 10.1017/S0954102003001019 Modelling the ocean circulation beneath the Ross Ice Shelf DAVID M. HOLLAND1, STANLEY S. JACOBS2 and ADRIAN JENKINS3 1Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA [email protected] 2Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York, NY 10964, USA 3British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Madingley Rd, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK Abstract: We applied a modified version of the Miami isopycnic coordinate ocean general circulation model (MICOM) to the ocean cavity beneath the Ross Ice Shelf to investigate the circulation of ocean waters in the sub-ice shelf cavity, along with the melting and freezing regimes at the base of the ice shelf. Model passive tracers are utilized to highlight the pathways of waters entering and exiting the cavity, and output is compared with data taken in the cavity and along the ice shelf front. High Salinity Shelf Water on the western Ross Sea continental shelf flows into the cavity along the sea floor and is transformed into Ice Shelf Water upon contact with the ice shelf base. Ice Shelf Water flows out of the cavity mainly around 180º, but also further east and on the western side of McMurdo Sound, as observed. Active ventilation of the region near the ice shelf front is forced by seasonal variations in the density structure of the water column to the north, driving rapid melting. Circulation in the more isolated interior is weaker, leading to melting at deeper ice and refreezing beneath shallower ice. -
Mapping Velocity of the Potsdam Glacier, East Antarctica Using Landsat-8 Data
The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Volume XLII-2/W13, 2019 ISPRS Geospatial Week 2019, 10–14 June 2019, Enschede, The Netherlands MAPPING VELOCITY OF THE POTSDAM GLACIER, EAST ANTARCTICA USING LANDSAT-8 DATA S. D. Jawak1, M. Joshi2,3,*, A. J. Luis4, P. H. Pandit5, S. Kumar6, S. F. Wankhede4, Anirudh T. Somadas7 1Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS), SIOS Knowledge Centre, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), P.O. Box 156, N-9171, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway; [email protected] 2Department of Geoinformatics, Mangalore University, Mangalore, Karnataka─574199, India 3Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka – 560012; [email protected] 4Earth System Science Organization - National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, Headland Sada, Vasco-da -Gama, Goa 403804, India; [email protected], [email protected] 5National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use planning (NBSS & LUP) - Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India; [email protected] 6Centre for Land Resource Management, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi – 835205, India; [email protected] 7University of Twente, Faculty ITC, P. O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, Netherlands; [email protected] KEY WORDS: Glacier velocity, image matching, pixel tracking, Landsat-8 OLI, Antarctic glacier ABSTRACT: Most of the glaciers have been retreating and thinning globally due to climate change. Glacier velocity is one such important parameter of glacier dynamics, which helps to understand the mass balance. The variations in velocity at different areas of the glacier can be used to identify the zones of ablation and accumulation. -
Australian Antarctic Magazine — Issue 19: 2010
AusTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ISSUE 19 2010 AusTRALIAN ANTARCTIC ISSUE 2010 MAGAZINE 19 The Australian Antarctic Division, a division of the Departmentof Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, leads Australia’s CONTENTS Antarctic program and seeks to advance Australia’s Antarctic interests in pursuit of its vision of having SCIENCE ‘Antarctica valued, protected and understood’. It does Aerial ‘OktoKopter’ to map Antarctic moss 1 this by managing Australian government activity in Whale poo fertilises oceans 4 Antarctica, providing transport and logistic support to Australia’s Antarctic research program, maintaining four Modelling interactions between Antarctica and the Southern Ocean 6 permanent Australian research stations, and conducting ICECAP returns to Casey 7 scientific research programs both on land and in the Southern Ocean. Seabed surveys for sewage solutions 8 Australia’s four Antarctic goals are: Dispersal and biodiversity of Antarctic marine species 10 • To maintain the Antarctic Treaty System and enhance Australia’s influence in it; MARINE MAmmAL RESEARCH • To protect the Antarctic environment; Surveying Pakistan’s whales and dolphins 12 • To understand the role of Antarctica in Fiji focuses on endangered humpback whales 13 the global climate system; and Capacity-building in Papua New Guinea 13 • To undertake scientific work of practical, Dolphin hotspot a conservation priority 14 economic and national significance. Unmanned aircraft count for conservation 15 Australian Antarctic Magazine seeks to inform the Australian and international Antarctic community AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE SEASON 2010-11 about the activities of the Australian Antarctic program. Opinions expressed in Australian Antarctic Magazine Science season overview 16 do not necessarily represent the position of the New 10-year science strategic plan 20 Australian Government.