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A Stratigraphic Link Across 1100 Km of the Antarctic Ice Sheet Between the Vostok Ice-Core Site and Titan Dome (Near South

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A Stratigraphic Link Across 1100 Km of the Antarctic Ice Sheet Between the Vostok Ice-Core Site and Titan Dome (Near South Edinburgh Research Explorer A stratigraphic link across 1100 km of the Antarctic Ice Sheet between the Vostok ice-core site and Titan Dome (near South Pole) Citation for published version: Siegert, MJ & Hodgkins, R 2000, 'A stratigraphic link across 1100 km of the Antarctic Ice Sheet between the Vostok ice-core site and Titan Dome (near South Pole)', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 27, no. 14, pp. 2133-2136. https://doi.org/10.1029/2000GL008479 Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1029/2000GL008479 Link: Link to publication record in Edinburgh Research Explorer Document Version: Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Published In: Geophysical Research Letters Publisher Rights Statement: Published in Geophysical Research Letters by the American Geophysical Union (2000) General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Edinburgh Research Explorer is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The University of Edinburgh has made every reasonable effort to ensure that Edinburgh Research Explorer content complies with UK legislation. If you believe that the public display of this file breaches copyright please contact [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 06. Oct. 2021 GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 27, NO. 14, PAGES 2133-2136, JULY 15, 2000 A stratigraphic link across1100 km of the Antarctic Ice Sheet between the Vostok ice-core site and Titan Dome (near South Pole) Martin J. Siegert BristolGlaciology Centre, School of GeographicalSciences, University of Bristol,Bristol, England RichardHodgkins Departmentof Geography,Royal Holloway, University of London,Egham, Surrey, England. Abstract. Isochronousinternal ice-sheet layering, (3) crystalorientation fabrics [Fujita et al., 1999]. Internal measuredfrom airborne 60 MHz radar, was traced between layersbelow 800 m observedin 60 MHz radarare believed Lake Vostok and the Titan Ice Dome (100 km from South to be isochronous, and traceable over several hundred Pole Station), Antarctica. Three layers were selected kilometers[Millar, 1981; Siegert et al., 1998; Fujita et al., betweenRidge B and Titan Dome, and betweenRidge B 1999]. Radar layers are readily identifiablein the archive andLake Vostok.This layeringcan be usedto correlatethe of radar data held at the Scott Polar Research Institute existing Vostok ice core across1100 km of the ice sheet (SPRI) in Cambridge.These data cover over 400,000 km of interior. Our correlation is also matched to the new EPICA track across 40% of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. ice-core site, by using an existing radar link between The Vostok ice core has already been matchedto the Vostok and Dome C stations.Thus, three East Antarctic ice EPICA ice-core site at Dome C through radar layering domesare linked stratigraphically for the first time through [Siegertet al., 1998]. Five internalradar layerswere traced internalice-sheet radar layering.Our resultsindicate that along a flightline between Vostok and Dome C. The the basal layers of ice at Titan Dome are around 165,000 internallayering showed that 300 m more ice was present yearsold suggestingthat this location and, by inference,the at Dome C for the last glacial-interglacialcycle than in the SouthPole Station,are prime sitesfor a high-resolutionice Vostok core. Moreover, the depth-ageprofile at Dome C corefrom the lastglacial-interglacial cycle. (adjusted from Vostok) supportedflow model results indicating that the base of the Dome C core would be significantlyolder thanthe Vostok ice core base[Siegert et Introduction al., 1998]. Thus, internal layer correlationbetween Vostok Deepice coresfrom the centresof largeice massesyield andDome C hasprovided a usefulguide for the EPICA ice detailedpaleoenvironmental information spanning several core and its relationshipto the Vostok core [Hodgkinset hundredthousand years of recent Earth history. For al., in press]. example,the Vostokice core holdsclimate data for the last Titan ice dome is located about 100 km from South Pole. 420,000 years [Petit et al., 1999]. In order to establishas In this paper, a new internal ice-sheetradar layer link is comprehensivea history of palaeoclimateas possible, made betweenTitan Dome and Vostok Station. In doing records from ice cores separatedby several hundred so, three major ice divides (Dome C, Ridge B and Titan kilometersneed to be correlated.To date, Be•ø markers, Dome) in Antarcticaare linked directlyfor the first time. volcanic horizons and dust layers within the ice have provided an effective means to compare ice-core Correlating internal radar layers acrossthe information.The use of radar layeringnot only links ice ice sheet coresstratigraphically, but detailsthe spatialbehaviour of Titan Dome is linked to the Vostok Station by radar the ice column across the ice sheet. flightlinesas follows (Fig. 1). One airborneradar flightline Internalice-sheet radar layering at 60 MHz is causedby betweenRidge B (200 km from Vostok Station) and South electromagnetic-wavereflections from boundaries of Pole was examinedto identify a radar link betweenthese dielectriccontrast. Such boundaries are causedby (1) ice sites(line 121). The radar line at Ridge B is crossedby a densityvariations to an ice depthof 800 m (2) horizonsof furtherradar line (line 009) which is alignedalong the line relativelyhigh acidityformed from the aerosolproduct of of ice flow from Ridge B to Vostok Stationand, therefore, large volcanic events containedwithin ancient snow and the ice core site. We also link an unnamed ice dome, referred to here as 'Dome X', located 100 km from South Pole, to the Vostok ice core by radar data alonglines 133 Copyright2000 by the AmericanGeophysical Union. and009 (Fig. 1). Papernumber 2000GL008479. Because the radar data are in the same format, the 0094-8276/00/2000GL008479505.00 methodused to traceinternal layers in this paperis detailed 2133 2134 SIEGERT AND HODGKINS' RADAR LAYERS BETWEEN VOSTOK & SOUTH POLE were difficult to trace across about 5% of the transect due to the apparentbreak-up of radar layeringbetween Titan Dome and South Pole Station. Radar-layerbuckling in Z- scope mode is an artefact that can be resolved using migration procedures.However, in the analogue data presentedhere, migrationtechniques cannot be used.The occurrenceof radar 'buckling' may be associatedwith a changein the flow of ice, from the slow-movingice sheet interior where layers are continuous,to the faster flowing ice drainagefeatures where the layersdeform [Bell et al., 1998]. Importantly,at South Pole, there is a significant enhancedice flow systemthat is locatedwhere layershave been observed to buckle [Bamber et al., 2000]. However, the bedrock elevation between Titan Dome and South Pole, and thereforethe ice thickness,can be measuredaccurately from our radardata (Fig. 2). Internalradar reflections are not causedby a singlelayer Figure 1. Airborneradar flightlinesbetween Dome C, of ice, but rather a numberof closelyspaced layers which Vostok and South Pole. The area covered by the may contain dielectric properties different to the investigationis indicatedin the inset.Line 136 is dashed 'background'value of the surroundingice. The resolution near to Vostok Station due to a lack of 60 MHz Z-scope data[$iegert et al., 1998],and lines 121 and 133 are dashed of our resultsis limited to the 250 ns pulse length of the nearto SouthPole dueto the breakup of internallayers. radar equipment,which equatesto about 40 m in the ice sheet[e.g. Siegertet al., 1998]. Our resultsmust therefore in $iegert et al. [1998]. Specifically,individual layers are be viewed in the context of these limitations. traced across 2 km sections of the ice sheet through separateanalysis of A-scope(single pulse radar data) and Z-scope(time-continuous pseudo-cross sections of the ice Linking Titan Ice Dome and the Vostok ice core site sheet)(Fig. 3). Three internallayers were tracedcontinuously along the The depths of internal layers, and from these the radar flightlines.However, it shouldbe noted that layers normaliseddepths (i.e. the depth of an internal layer as a South Pole Titan Dome .....,.• • :•..... ...........•...... -,.,? --•,• •-•,-•-,. •: . ...._,--• ..... .... - • •<,---•:•- , ß ,. <;•, ---, ....... ., ,•: ........ •...: :..'...-•-•-'-',,•,-•,.•:•'•-'•*-'---•"•'•'• .• _ -:.......... •,- ................ •-•--• ---:-::••• ...... .... .... : .. •-•-•••••'-•,•*:• .......-. .:-:.... -.... • ...... ,: x .........••• •••'•••••••' % "•' '•-"•':t'.:..... :-::,,•:•"•,7•.•:•:•%•½'•.,•------.•:,,,'-<.•::z*•: •..:..•&•%':%•:i•?-•'•-"-•'•]•Ei'J•'is•:" •5';t;'•'%"•::•"•'"'? T::'" .... '" ' •½,:• ':"',:,.:, ,'•:2:; :':"•'••;., •:-•'•-;•: •9:s•.., 8 ...•:4•*;-½'•, '•:•,•,•.•.•:.½:•2•>•:•-:.:•s.•-,*•; ,*•'•**• '-•:---*'•--'• •' ß '- - ... -'' .. .• ;•;.':•:• , .. -............. :;'.- :.:-. - .. ,: :....-...-: - . .: -..-;......... :....... ........ : , ..-:, .• %;.,.•:..f;-:::: E •.. :"..}•. 0 100 200 300 400 500 km Ridge B E 500 600 700 800 900 1000 km Figure2. 60 MHz Radardata from line 121between South Pole and Ridge B. Notehow the internal layersare traceable across the ice sheet even in thisheavily vertically-exaggerated image. SIEGERT AND HODGKINS: RADAR LAYERS BETWEEN VOSTOK & SOUTH POLE 2135 Ice depth, km .....:'::.•::.--:-:'-'"-•:• ;......•::•'"•7'•::':•:';E.".7.... .'t':•'..'...::
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