Geophysical exploration of a West Antarctic subglacial lake
Lead Research Organisation:
British Antarctic Survey
Department Name: Physical Sciences
Abstract
Antarctic subglacial lakes are liquid bodies of water located in topographic hollows beneath the ice sheets of Antarctica. They have attracted considerable scientific interest over the last ten years as they are expected to contain unique microbial lifeforms and detailed records of past climate change. Examination of these contents requires scientists to penetrate into a lake, and measure and sample the lake water and sediment. No lake has yet to be explored in this way, however. This form of direct analysis can only take place once a lake has been characterised fully by geophysical methods (to uncover the morphology of the ice base and the water depth of the lake). Of the 145 known subglacial lakes in Antarctica none have been measured to the level required for meaningful direct analysis to take place. We propose to undertake a comprehensive geophysical exploration of a 10 km long subglacial lake in West Antarctica, near the Ellsworth Mountains, named Subglacial Lake Ellsworth. The result of the project will be the first fully characterised subglacial lake environment and the establishment of a candidate for future direct exploration. Data analysis and modelling will be undertaken at the University of Bristol, the British Antarctic Survey and Northumbria University. Ice thickness will be determined from ice-penetrating radar, water depths will be found using seismic exploration, and ice flow and accumulation will be obtained from direct surface measurements. A series of numerical models will be used to understand the history of the lake, the flow of ice across the lake and the circulation of water within the lake. Data visualisation will be undertaken in conjunction with Dr. Martin Jakobsson (collaborator). Following this project, the next step will be to send a probe into Lake Ellsworth. A UK-led team has been assembled to plan such work (see www.ggy.bris.ac.uk/ellsworth), and take on what is arguably the most eagerly awaited and high-profile scientific project in the history of Antarctic science. Hence, the geophysical work we propose here will be thought of, in years to come, as a hugely important first step towards the understanding of one of the greatest unexplored habitats on Earth.
Organisations
Publications
Amils, Ricardo; Ellis-Evans, Cynan; Hinghofer-Szalkay, Helmut G.
(2007)
Life in Extreme Environments
Ross N
(2013)
The Ellsworth Subglacial Highlands: Inception and retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
in Geological Society of America Bulletin
Ross N
(2020)
Basal melting over Subglacial Lake Ellsworth and its catchment: insights from englacial layering
in Annals of Glaciology
Ross N
(2011)
Holocene stability of the Amundsen-Weddell ice divide, West Antarctica
in Geology
Siegert M
(2014)
Boundary conditions of an active West Antarctic subglacial lake: implications for storage of water beneath the ice sheet
in The Cryosphere
Siegert M
(2012)
Clean access, measurement, and sampling of Ellsworth Subglacial Lake: A method for exploring deep Antarctic subglacial lake environments
in Reviews of Geophysics
Siegert, Martin J.; Kennicutt, Mahlon C., II; Bindschadler, Robert A.
(2011)
Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments
Siegert, Martin J.; Kennicutt, Mahlon C., II; Bindschadler, Robert A.
(2011)
Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments
Siegert, Martin J.; Kennicutt, Mahlon C., II; Bindschadler, Robert A.
(2011)
Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments
Siegert, Martin J.; Kennicutt, Mahlon C., II; Bindschadler, Robert A.
(2011)
Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments
Siegert, Martin J.; Kennicutt, Mahlon C., II; Bindschadler, Robert A.
(2011)
Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments
Siegert, Martin J.; Kennicutt, Mahlon C., II; Bindschadler, Robert A.
(2011)
Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments
Siegert, Martin J.; Kennicutt, Mahlon C., II; Bindschadler, Robert A.
(2011)
Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments
Siegert, Martin J.; Kennicutt, Mahlon C., II; Bindschadler, Robert A.
(2011)
Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments
Siegert, Martin J.; Kennicutt, Mahlon C., II; Bindschadler, Robert A.
(2011)
Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments
Siegert, Martin J.; Kennicutt, Mahlon C., II; Bindschadler, Robert A.
(2011)
Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments
Smith A
(2018)
Evidence for the long-term sedimentary environment in an Antarctic subglacial lake
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Thoma M
(2011)
The "tipping" temperature within Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, West Antarctica and its implications for lake access
in The Cryosphere
Woodward J
(2010)
Location for direct access to subglacial Lake Ellsworth: An assessment of geophysical data and modeling
in Geophysical Research Letters
Woodward J
(2011)
Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers
Wright A
(2012)
A fourth inventory of Antarctic subglacial lakes
in Antarctic Science
Description | Sediments could record life in an Antarctic subglacial lake Sediments found at the bed of an Antarctic subglacial lake could contain a record of unique life-forms in the lake and a history of how the Antarctic Ice Sheet has changed in the past. Surveys carried out over Subglacial Lake Ellsworth confirm there is a thick pile of sediments at the lake bed, which have probably accumulated there slowly over thousands of years. In the search for unique life-forms in subglacial lakes, the presence, or absence of these sediments is important because this is where the evidence for both micro-organisms living in the lake, and changes in the ice sheet are believed to become trapped; if no sediments exist, then this evidence will be lost. Analysis of seismic data collected over Subglacial Lake Ellsworth has confirmed the presence of a layer of sediments up to 70 m thick at the lake bed. This was crucial information for the team who tried to drill into the lake in January 2013; it identified the best place to drill and also helped design the equipment built to capture sediment samples from the lake bed. |
Exploitation Route | Lake Exploration missions need to know the exact dimensions of the lake environment if they are to be planned properly. The results from this project allow such planning to take place. |
Sectors | Environment Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
Description | This research contributed to the SCAR code of conduct on Antarctic subglacial exploration, adopted by the Antarctic Treaty in 2012. |
First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
Sector | Environment |
Impact Types | Policy & public services |
Title | Ice surface, ice base and lake bed elevation data from seismic data acquired over Subglacial Lake Ellsworth 2007-08 |
Description | Point data measurements of ice surface, ice base and lake bed elevation are given from Subglacial Lake Ellsworth (SLE), West Antarctica. The data were acquired during the austral summer of 2007-2008. Five seismic reflection lines were acquired over SLE, with surface elevation determined by dual frequency GPS. Funding was provided by NERC AFI, award numbers NE/D009200/1, NE/D008638/1 and NE/D008751/1. Logistics support: British Antarctic Survey. Equipment support: NERC Geophysical Equipment Facility (loan numbers 838 and 870). |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Title | Subglacial lakes and hydrology across the Ellsworth Subglacial Highlands, West Antarctica, 1977-2017 |
Description | A new subglacial bed Digital Elevation Model (DEM) from Ellsworth Subglacial Highlands (ESH) was created from previously gridded bed elevation data and new unpublished radar data. The new DEM includes the upper reaches of Pine Island Glacier, Rutford and Institute Ice Streams and reveals new topographical features. The main findings on this new DEM are two linear deep throughs with a perpendicular transection valley near Subglacial Lake Ellsworth. Additionally, using the new DEM and ice surface elevation data from CryoSat2 ice surface DEM, a hydropotential model was built and used to create a detailed hydropotential model of ESH to simulate the subglacial hydrological network. This approach allowed us to characterize basal hydrology, subglacial water catchments and connections between them. In this characterization we noticed the mismatch between subglacial hydrological catchment and ice surfaces catchment of Rutford Ice Stream, Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier. Funding was provided by NERC Antarctic Funding Initiative (AFI) grants NE/D008751/1, NE/D009200/1, and NE/D008638/1, and NERC grant NE/G013071/1. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Description | DECC talk, why is Antarctica changing? |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | An invited talk to DECC on how Antarctica is changing and why we should care |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Inaugural Lecture |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Lots of questions from the public Emails and twitter questions |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AwrBT.E48QNWo04AaNhXNyoA;_ylc=X1MDMjc2NjY3OQRfcgMyBGZyA3lzZXRfY... |
Description | Pint of Science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Many questions from the public about my talk Emails, and social media contact, from the public about my talk |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://pintofscience.co.uk/event/undiscovered-origins/ |
Description | Royal Society Meeting on Subglacial Lake Exploration |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Type Of Presentation | workshop facilitator |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | International dialogue on the future of Antarctic subglacial lake exploration. Article in Eos on the findings of the workshop. A white paper detailing the 20 year future for subglacial lake exploration, fed to the Antarctic Roadmap Challenge to integrate with other long-term plans for exploration. A Royal Society book to document progress and plans. A high degree of community shared knowledge. A meeting with the Korean Antarctic Programme on subglacial exploration. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | https://royalsociety.org/events/2015/03/subglacial-antarctic-lakes/ |
Description | Science Uncovered 2016 - exploration of East Antarctica |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The ICECAP2 programme ran a exhibit at the Natural History Museum's Science Uncovered event, London, 30 September 2016. The audience was in the 1000s, and come from the public, academic, policy and businesses. The exhibit demonstrated how polar exploration is undertaken, what the results are and how they are important for understanding sea level change. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/whats-on/programs/nhm/science_uncovered_2016.html?date=30.09.2016 |