Airborne geophysical investigation targets basal boundary conditions for the Institute and Moller ice streams, West Antarctica
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Geosciences
Abstract
The Institute and Möller ice streams (IIS/MIS) drain about 20% of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) to the Ronne Ice Shelf, yet our knowledge of their current form and flow history is severely restricted compared with other fast flowing regions in West Antarctica. Data relating to the ice thickness and the ice-sheet bed is limited to reconnaissance transects acquired in the 1970s. Bingham and Siegert (2007) inspected these data, and showed the remarkably smooth and flat bed was similar to the Siple Coast ice streams that drain to the Ross Ice Shelf. As the Siple Coast region is thought to be underlain by marine sediments, deposited when the ice sheet size was smaller than today, Bingham and Siegert (2007) concluded a similar, probably simultaneous, history for the Institute/Möller region. The implications of this finding are significant for future changes in West Antarctica. Bingham and Siegert's (2007) analysis allows us to hypothesise substantial former ice-shelf loss and grounding line retreat in two of the three major drainage outlets of West Antarctica. An extensive airborne geophysical survey of the Institute and Möller ice streams is therefore clearly warranted, to test this hypothesis and better understand the risk of future change. The survey will also allow a better depiction of bed topography and geological boundary conditions in West Antarctica, which will allow us to better quantify the flow and form of the entire WAIS through numerical modelling. The project's objectives are as follows. 1. To undertake an airborne geophysical survey of the Institute and Möller ice streams of West Antarctica. 2. To quantify bed topography and measure bed roughness from radar data. 3. To map englacial structures (layering and crevasses). 4. To determine power reflection coefficients, forming an appreciation of basal water distribution. 5. To analyse magnetic and gravity anomalies to derive geological boundary conditions for ice flow. 6. To employ numerical modelling to quantify modern and ancient ice flow processes. 7. To use numerical modelling to predict the risk of former changes reoccurring. This project will result in the following deliverables: 1. The quantification of subglacial topography (and bed roughness) in a hitherto poorly known region of West Antarctica. This information will be made available to the BEDMAP II database, and will make a fundamental contribution as an ice sheet modelling boundary condition. We will analyse these data to determine landscape evolution and ice sheet history. 2. The classification of subglacial thermal conditions and locations of subglacial lakes. This will allow us to comprehend how ice stream flow and subglacial lake/hydrology evolution is both interrelated and affected by subglacial geology and thermal conditions. 3. The measurement of the englacial structure in the WAIS. We will analyse this information to calculate the flow history of the ice sheet and to delineate the margins of the IIS and MIS both now and in the recent past. 4. The definition of crustal structure and subglacial geology of the IIS and MIS catchments of the WAIS. The glacial history of the WAIS is of direct relevance to assessments of the present day risk of collapse and sea level rise. We aim to report our results directly to the international scientific community by linking to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research's (SCAR) scientific research programme entitled Antarctic Climate Evolution (ACE), which integrates geology and geophy sical datasets, forming hypotheses concerning past changes, which can be tested through modelling. The ACE link also allows us to disseminate results to the IPCC through SCAR's observer status in that organisation. We will also make results available to the SCAR programme named Subglacial Antarctic Lake Environments (SALE) and will contribute the new magnetic dataset to the international Antarctic Digital Magnetic Anomaly Project.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Martin Siegert (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Bingham R
(2015)
Ice-flow structure and ice dynamic changes in the Weddell Sea sector of West Antarctica from radar-imaged internal layering
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
Dow C
(2022)
Antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system
in Nature Geoscience
Jeofry H
(2018)
Hard rock landforms generate 130 km ice shelf channels through water focusing in basal corrugations.
in Nature communications
Jeofry H
(2018)
A new bed elevation model for the Weddell Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
in Earth System Science Data
Jordan T
(2013)
Inland extent of the Weddell Sea Rift imaged by new aerogeophysical data
in Tectonophysics
Le Brocq A
(2013)
Evidence from ice shelves for channelized meltwater flow beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet
in Nature Geoscience
Marrero S
(2018)
Controls on subaerial erosion rates in Antarctica
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Rippin D
(2014)
Basal roughness of the Institute and Möller Ice Streams, West Antarctica: Process determination and landscape interpretation
in Geomorphology
Description | New bed data for West Antarctica New radar data were collected over a region around the size of England, and imported into the new BEDMAP2 depiction of Antarctic topohraphy. The dataset is one of the largest built for West Antarctica in the last 10 years, and has provided a major change in our understanding of this region, including the identification of a major deep basin upstream of the ice sheet groudning line, that may make part of the ice sheet susceptible to change. Tectonics We have used airborne gravity and magnetics data to to reveal prevously unknown information on the tectonic structures in West Antarctica and how they relate to other known tectonics. Important, we have shown how ice sheet development is linked to and controlled by the geological legacy. Bed conditions We have discovered major new channels beneath the West Antarctic ice sheet, formed by former action of a temperate ice sheet (possibly 3 millions years ago). Similar discoveries have been made in other regions of the continent. Landscape A major planar surface (the size of wales) has been discovered, being an remnant of the preglacial land surface. |
Exploitation Route | We have received significant media and public interest, which we have been keen to service by appearenced on TV, radio and through interviews in magazines and newspapers. Our discovery of a major new subglacial basin was particularly of interest and received world-wide attention. Data put into globally accessible database All of our geophysical data are made available via BAS. While the exploitation of Antarctic resources is forbidden under the Antartic Treaty, the data may be of interest to a wide variety of users. |
Sectors | Environment |
URL | http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/research/institute/ |
Title | Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) processed airborne radio-echo sounding data from the Institute and Moller ice streams, West Antarctica, 2010-11 |
Description | SAR-processed two-dimensional radargram data in SEG-Y format acquired from the Institute and Moller ice streams, West Antarctica between mid-December 2010 and mid-January 2011. Data were collected using the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Polarimetric radar Airborne Science Instrument (PASIN) radar, operated at a centre frequency of 150 MHz, and installed on the BAS Twin Otter aircraft "Bravo Lima". In total, ~25,000km of aerogeophysical data were collected, with coverage extending from the ice stream grounding zone to the ice divide. A high-resolution grid, with a line-spacing of 7.5 x 25 km, was acquired over the central parts of the ice stream catchments. Data were acquired during twenty-eight survey flights (sixteen flown from remote field camp C110, ten from Patriot Hills and two "transit" flights). Funding for this data acquisition was provided by the UK NERC AFI grant NE/G013071/1. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
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 |