scholarly journals Remote Sensing of the Ross Ice Streams and Adjacent Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica

1987 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 20-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.R. Bentley ◽  
S. Shabtaie ◽  
D.D. Blankenship ◽  
S.T. Rooney ◽  
D.G. Schultz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Direction ◽  
Thick Layer ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Hydraulic Pressure ◽  
Activation Process ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Ice Streams ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Grounding Line ◽  
Ice Stream B

In the first few seasons of the Antarctic Siple Coast project, the University of Wisconsin has concentrated on radar and seismic studies. Highlights of the results to date include the delineation of ice streams A, B, and C and the ridges in between, determination of the surface elevations over the area, discovery of a much more advanced grounding line than previously recognized and recognition of a broad, flat, barely grounded “ice plain” just inside the grounding line. Complex zones between and adjoining some of the ice streams, characterized by an interspersal of undisturbed ice and crevassed patches, give the impression of being transformed from sheet flow into stream flow in a process of ice stream expansion. An indicated negative mass balance for ice stream B could be the result of this “activation” process. Ice stream C, currently stagnant, exhibits terraces and reversals of surface slope, associated with zones of strong, steady basal radar reflections. These features suggest that subglacial water has been trapped by reversals in the hydraulic pressure gradient. Low seismic P-wave and S-wave velocities in a meters-thick layer immediately below the ice strongly indicate a saturated sediment of such high porosity (~40%) and low effective (differential) pressure (~50 kPa, or 0.5% of the glaciostatic pressure) that it must be too weak not to be deforming. We presume this deforming layer to be a dilated till. Its base exhibits ridges and troughs parallel to the flow direction that resemble glacial megaflutes. We believe that at our site on the upper part of ice stream B the ice stream moves principally by deforming its bed. Analysis of seismographic recordings of micro-earthquakes that occur at the glacier bed shows that the micro-earthquakes are both small in energy and infrequent. This implies that virtually none of the energy of ice stream motion is dissipated by brittle fracture at the bed. If our models are correct, the subgiacial deforming till becomes increasingly soft down-glacier, and/or the ice becomes decoupled from the till by intervening water, until on the “ice plain” basal drag is less important than longitudinal stresses in the dynamic balance. Our models also imply that the “ice plains” rest on “till deltas” that have been formed by the deposition of till carried along beneath the ice streams, and that the till deltas, and the grounding lines that bound them, are currently advancing in front of the active ice streams.

scholarly journals Remote Sensing of the Ross Ice Streams and Adjacent Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica

1987 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 20-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.R. Bentley ◽  
S. Shabtaie ◽  
D.D. Blankenship ◽  
S.T. Rooney ◽  
D.G. Schultz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Direction ◽  
Thick Layer ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Hydraulic Pressure ◽  
Activation Process ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Ice Streams ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Grounding Line ◽  
Ice Stream B

In the first few seasons of the Antarctic Siple Coast project, the University of Wisconsin has concentrated on radar and seismic studies. Highlights of the results to date include the delineation of ice streams A, B, and C and the ridges in between, determination of the surface elevations over the area, discovery of a much more advanced grounding line than previously recognized and recognition of a broad, flat, barely grounded “ice plain” just inside the grounding line. Complex zones between and adjoining some of the ice streams, characterized by an interspersal of undisturbed ice and crevassed patches, give the impression of being transformed from sheet flow into stream flow in a process of ice stream expansion. An indicated negative mass balance for ice stream B could be the result of this “activation” process. Ice stream C, currently stagnant, exhibits terraces and reversals of surface slope, associated with zones of strong, steady basal radar reflections. These features suggest that subglacial water has been trapped by reversals in the hydraulic pressure gradient.Low seismic P-wave and S-wave velocities in a meters-thick layer immediately below the ice strongly indicate a saturated sediment of such high porosity (~40%) and low effective (differential) pressure (~50 kPa, or 0.5% of the glaciostatic pressure) that it must be too weak not to be deforming. We presume this deforming layer to be a dilated till. Its base exhibits ridges and troughs parallel to the flow direction that resemble glacial megaflutes. We believe that at our site on the upper part of ice stream B the ice stream moves principally by deforming its bed. Analysis of seismographic recordings of micro-earthquakes that occur at the glacier bed shows that the micro-earthquakes are both small in energy and infrequent. This implies that virtually none of the energy of ice stream motion is dissipated by brittle fracture at the bed. If our models are correct, the subgiacial deforming till becomes increasingly soft down-glacier, and/or the ice becomes decoupled from the till by intervening water, until on the “ice plain” basal drag is less important than longitudinal stresses in the dynamic balance. Our models also imply that the “ice plains” rest on “till deltas” that have been formed by the deposition of till carried along beneath the ice streams, and that the till deltas, and the grounding lines that bound them, are currently advancing in front of the active ice streams.

scholarly journals Remote Sensing of the Ross Ice Streams and Adjacent Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica

1987 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 20-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.R. Bentley ◽  
S. Shabtaie ◽  
D.D. Blankenship ◽  
S.T. Rooney ◽  
D.G. Schultz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Direction ◽  
Thick Layer ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Hydraulic Pressure ◽  
Activation Process ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Ice Streams ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Grounding Line ◽  
Ice Stream B

In the first few seasons of the Antarctic Siple Coast project, the University of Wisconsin has concentrated on radar and seismic studies. Highlights of the results to date include the delineation of ice streams A, B, and C and the ridges in between, determination of the surface elevations over the area, discovery of a much more advanced grounding line than previously recognized and recognition of a broad, flat, barely grounded “ice plain” just inside the grounding line. Complex zones between and adjoining some of the ice streams, characterized by an interspersal of undisturbed ice and crevassed patches, give the impression of being transformed from sheet flow into stream flow in a process of ice stream expansion. An indicated negative mass balance for ice stream B could be the result of this “activation” process. Ice stream C, currently stagnant, exhibits terraces and reversals of surface slope, associated with zones of strong, steady basal radar reflections. These features suggest that subglacial water has been trapped by reversals in the hydraulic pressure gradient.Low seismic P-wave and S-wave velocities in a meters-thick layer immediately below the ice strongly indicate a saturated sediment of such high porosity (~40%) and low effective (differential) pressure (~50 kPa, or 0.5% of the glaciostatic pressure) that it must be too weak not to be deforming. We presume this deforming layer to be a dilated till. Its base exhibits ridges and troughs parallel to the flow direction that resemble glacial megaflutes. We believe that at our site on the upper part of ice stream B the ice stream moves principally by deforming its bed. Analysis of seismographic recordings of micro-earthquakes that occur at the glacier bed shows that the micro-earthquakes are both small in energy and infrequent. This implies that virtually none of the energy of ice stream motion is dissipated by brittle fracture at the bed. If our models are correct, the subgiacial deforming till becomes increasingly soft down-glacier, and/or the ice becomes decoupled from the till by intervening water, until on the “ice plain” basal drag is less important than longitudinal stresses in the dynamic balance. Our models also imply that the “ice plains” rest on “till deltas” that have been formed by the deposition of till carried along beneath the ice streams, and that the till deltas, and the grounding lines that bound them, are currently advancing in front of the active ice streams.

scholarly journals Seismic-Reflection Profiling of a Widespread Till Beneath Ice Stream B, West Antarctica (Abstract)

1988 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean T. Rooney ◽  
D. D. Blankenship ◽  
R. B. Alley ◽  
C. R. Bentley
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Reflection ◽  
Ross Sea ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Ice Streams ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Seismic Reflection Profiling ◽  
Ice Stream B

Seismic-reflection profiling has previously shown that, at least at one location. Ice Stream Β in West Antarctica rests on a layer of till a few meters thick (Blankenship and others 1986). Analyses of both compressional- and shear-wave seismic reflections from the ice–till boundary confirm the results of those earlier studies, which showed that the till is water-saturated and has a high porosity and low differential pressure. We conclude that this till is basically homogeneous, at least on a scale of tens of kilometers, though some evidence that its properties vary laterally can be discerned in these data. We propose that the till is widespread beneath Ice Stream Β and probably also beneath the other West Antarctic ice streams. Our seismic profiling shows that the till is essentially continuous beneath Ice Stream Β over at least 12 km parallel to ice flow and 8 km transverse to flow. Beneath these profiles the till averages about 6.5 m thick and is present everywhere except possibly on isolated bedrock ridges parallel to ice flow. The till thickness on these bedrock ridges falls to less than 2 m, the limit of our seismic resolution, but there is evidence that the ridges do not impede ice flow substantially. The bedrock beneath the till is fluted parallel to flow, with flutes that are 10–13 m deep by 200–1000 m wide; we believe these flutes are formed by erosion beneath a deforming till. We also observe an angular unconformity at the base of the till, which is consistent with the idea that erosion is occurring there. The sedimentary record in the Ross Embayment looks very similar to that beneath Ice Stream B, i.e. a few meters of till resting unconformably (the Ross Sea unconformity) on lithified sedimentary rock, and we postulate that the Ross Sea unconformity was generated by erosion beneath a grounded ice sheet by a deforming till.

scholarly journals Seismic-Reflection Profiling of a Widespread Till Beneath Ice Stream B, West Antarctica (Abstract)

1988 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 210-210
Author(s):  
Sean T. Rooney ◽  
D. D. Blankenship ◽  
R. B. Alley ◽  
C. R. Bentley
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Reflection ◽  
Ross Sea ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Ice Streams ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Seismic Reflection Profiling ◽  
Ice Stream B

Seismic-reflection profiling has previously shown that, at least at one location. Ice Stream Β in West Antarctica rests on a layer of till a few meters thick (Blankenship and others 1986). Analyses of both compressional- and shear-wave seismic reflections from the ice–till boundary confirm the results of those earlier studies, which showed that the till is water-saturated and has a high porosity and low differential pressure. We conclude that this till is basically homogeneous, at least on a scale of tens of kilometers, though some evidence that its properties vary laterally can be discerned in these data. We propose that the till is widespread beneath Ice Stream Β and probably also beneath the other West Antarctic ice streams.Our seismic profiling shows that the till is essentially continuous beneath Ice Stream Β over at least 12 km parallel to ice flow and 8 km transverse to flow. Beneath these profiles the till averages about 6.5 m thick and is present everywhere except possibly on isolated bedrock ridges parallel to ice flow. The till thickness on these bedrock ridges falls to less than 2 m, the limit of our seismic resolution, but there is evidence that the ridges do not impede ice flow substantially. The bedrock beneath the till is fluted parallel to flow, with flutes that are 10–13 m deep by 200–1000 m wide; we believe these flutes are formed by erosion beneath a deforming till. We also observe an angular unconformity at the base of the till, which is consistent with the idea that erosion is occurring there. The sedimentary record in the Ross Embayment looks very similar to that beneath Ice Stream B, i.e. a few meters of till resting unconformably (the Ross Sea unconformity) on lithified sedimentary rock, and we postulate that the Ross Sea unconformity was generated by erosion beneath a grounded ice sheet by a deforming till.

scholarly journals Laterally varying basal conditions beneath ice Streams B and C, West Antarctica

1993 ◽  
Vol 39 (133) ◽  
pp. 507-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shashank R. Atre ◽  
Charles R. Bentley
Keyword(s):  
Wave Speed ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Ice Streams ◽  
Bed Porosity ◽  
High Impedance ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Ice Stream B ◽  
Lateral Variations

AbstractThe study of the phase of reflections of Ρ waves off the base of Ice Streams Β and C, and Ridge BC, indicates that acoustic impedances of the beds of both ice streams vary laterally. In some places, the impedance is higher than in the ice (a high-impedance bed) and in some places it is less (a low-impedance bed). The estimated impedances in a dilated bed (porosity 0.4) and in a model of the lowermost ice that takes into account the relatively low P-wave speed in ice at or very near the melting point are nearly the same. Whether the impedance in the bed is greater or less than in the ice could depend on minor changes in the nature of the sediments composing the bed, or the physical state of the bed (e.g. porosity) that could occur laterally. Lateral variations of this kind provide a ready explanation for the observations on Ice Stream B. The bed under a substantial part of Ice Stream C that exhibits a low-impedance bed also must be dilated. The evaluation of the state of the bed under the rest of Ice Stream C and on Ridge BC requires further analysis, which is in progress.

scholarly journals Laterally varying basal conditions beneath ice Streams B and C, West Antarctica

1993 ◽  
Vol 39 (133) ◽  
pp. 507-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shashank R. Atre ◽  
Charles R. Bentley
Keyword(s):  
Wave Speed ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Ice Streams ◽  
Bed Porosity ◽  
High Impedance ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Ice Stream B ◽  
Lateral Variations

AbstractThe study of the phase of reflections of Ρ waves off the base of Ice Streams Β and C, and Ridge BC, indicates that acoustic impedances of the beds of both ice streams vary laterally. In some places, the impedance is higher than in the ice (a high-impedance bed) and in some places it is less (a low-impedance bed). The estimated impedances in a dilated bed (porosity 0.4) and in a model of the lowermost ice that takes into account the relatively low P-wave speed in ice at or very near the melting point are nearly the same. Whether the impedance in the bed is greater or less than in the ice could depend on minor changes in the nature of the sediments composing the bed, or the physical state of the bed (e.g. porosity) that could occur laterally. Lateral variations of this kind provide a ready explanation for the observations on Ice Stream B. The bed under a substantial part of Ice Stream C that exhibits a low-impedance bed also must be dilated. The evaluation of the state of the bed under the rest of Ice Stream C and on Ridge BC requires further analysis, which is in progress.

scholarly journals Drivers of abrupt Holocene shifts in West Antarctic ice stream direction determined from combined ice sheet modelling and geologic signatures

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 674-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.J. Fogwill ◽  
C.S.M. Turney ◽  
N.R. Golledge ◽  
D.H. Rood ◽  
K. Hippe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Direction ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Weddell Sea ◽  
Last Deglaciation ◽  
Ice Streams ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Ice Sheet Modelling

AbstractDetermining the millennial-scale behaviour of marine-based sectors of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is critical to improve predictions of the future contribution of Antarctica to sea level rise. Here high-resolution ice sheet modelling was combined with new terrestrial geological constraints (in situ14C and 10Be analysis) to reconstruct the evolution of two major ice streams entering the Weddell Sea over 20 000 years. The results demonstrate how marked differences in ice flux at the marine margin of the expanded Antarctic ice sheet led to a major reorganization of ice streams in the Weddell Sea during the last deglaciation, resulting in the eastward migration of the Institute Ice Stream, triggering a significant regional change in ice sheet mass balance during the early to mid Holocene. The findings highlight how spatial variability in ice flow can cause marked changes in the pattern, flux and flow direction of ice streams on millennial timescales in this marine ice sheet setting. Given that this sector of the WAIS is assumed to be sensitive to ocean-forced instability and may be influenced by predicted twenty-first century ocean warming, our ability to model and predict abrupt and extensive ice stream diversions is key to a realistic assessment of future ice sheet sensitivity.

Ribbed bedforms, markers of palaeo-ice stream margins, basal meltwater drainage and ice flow dynamic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Vérité ◽  
Édouard Ravier ◽  
Olivier Bourgeois ◽  
Stéphane Pochat ◽  
Thomas Lelandais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Direction ◽  
Local Stress ◽  
Sediment Surface ◽  
Shear Stresses ◽  
Ice Streams ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Physical Experiments ◽  
Stream Beds ◽  
Ice Water

<p>Over the three last decades, great efforts have been undertaken by the glaciological community to characterize the behaviour of ice streams and better constrain the dynamics of ice sheets. Studies of modern ice stream beds reveal crucial information on ice-meltwater-till-bedrock interactions, but are restricted to punctual observations limiting the understanding of ice stream dynamics as a whole. Consequently, theoretical ice stream landsystems derived from geomorphological and sedimentological observations were developed to provide wider constraints on those interactions on palaeo-ice stream beds. Within these landsystems, the spatial distribution and formation processes of subglacial periodic bedforms transverse to the ice flow direction – ribbed bedforms – remain unclear. The purpose of this study is (i) to explore the conditions under which these ribbed bedforms develop and (ii) to constrain their spatial organisation along ice stream beds.  </p><p>We performed physical experiments with silicon putty (to simulate the ice), water (to simulate the meltwater) and sand (to simulate a soft sedimentary bed) to model the dynamics of ice streams and produce analog subglacial landsystems. We compare the results of these experiments with the distribution of ribbed bedforms on selected examples of palaeo-ice stream beds of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Based on this comparison, we can draw several conclusions regarding the significance of ribbed bedforms in ice stream contexts:</p><ul><li>Ribbed bedforms tend to form where the ice flow undergoes high velocity gradients and the ice-bed interface is unlubricated. Where the ribs initiate, we hypothesize that high driving stresses generate high basal shear stresses, accommodated through bed deformation of the active uppermost part of the bed.</li> <li>Ribbed bedforms can develop subglacially from a flat sediment surface beneath shear margins (i.e., lateral ribbed bedforms) and stagnant lobes (i.e., submarginal ribbed bedforms) of ice streams, while they do not develop beneath surging lobes.</li> <li>The orientation of ribbed bedforms reflects the local stress state along the ice-bed interface, with transverse bedforms formed by compression beneath ice lobes and oblique bedforms formed by transgression below lateral shear margins.</li> <li>The development of ribbed bedforms where the ice-bed interface is unlubricated reveals distinctive types of discontinuous basal drainage systems below shear and lobe margins: linked-cavities and efficient meltwater channels respectively.</li> </ul><p>Ribbed bedforms could thus constitute convenient geomorphic markers for the reconstruction of palaeo-ice stream margins, palaeo-ice flow dynamics and palaeo-meltwater drainage characteristics.</p>

scholarly journals Deformation in Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica: measuring shear-wave anisotropy from icequakes

2013 ◽  
Vol 54 (64) ◽  
pp. 105-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.R. Harland ◽  
J.-M. Kendall ◽  
G.W. Stuart ◽  
G.E. Lloyd ◽  
A.F. Baird ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shear Wave ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Transversely Isotropic ◽  
Shear Wave Splitting ◽  
Ice Crystal ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Ice Streams ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Wave Splitting

Abstract Ice streams provide major drainage pathways for the Antarctic ice sheet. The stress distribution and style of flow in such ice streams produce elastic and rheological anisotropy, which informs ice-flow modelling as to how ice masses respond to external changes such as global warming. Here we analyse elastic anisotropy in Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica, using observations of shear-wave splitting from three-component icequake seismograms to characterize ice deformation via crystal-preferred orientation. Over 110 high-quality measurements are made on 41 events recorded at five stations deployed temporarily near the ice-stream grounding line. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first well-documented observation of shear-wave splitting from Antarctic icequakes. The magnitude of the splitting ranges from 2 to 80 ms and suggests a maximum of 6% shear-wave splitting. The fast shear-wave polarization direction is roughly perpendicular to ice-flow direction. We consider three mechanisms for ice anisotropy: a cluster model (vertical transversely isotropic (VTI) model); a girdle model (horizontal transversely isotropic (HTI) model); and crack-induced anisotropy (HTI model). Based on the data, we can rule out a VTI mechanism as the sole cause of anisotropy – an HTI component is needed, which may be due to ice crystal a-axis alignment in the direction of flow or the alignment of cracks or ice films in the plane perpendicular to the flow direction. The results suggest a combination of mechanisms may be at play, which represent vertical variations in the symmetry of ice crystal anisotropy in an ice stream, as predicted by ice fabric models.

scholarly journals Surface Features of Ice Stream B, Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica

1986 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 168-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.L. Vornberger ◽  
I.M. Whillans
Keyword(s):  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Ice Streams ◽  
Longitudinal Compression ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Features ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Ice Stream B

Aerial photographs have been obtained of Ice Stream B, one of the active ice streams draining the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. A sketch map made from these photographs shows two tributaries. The margin of the active ice is marked by curved crevasses and intense crevassing occurs just inward of them. Transverse crevasses dominate the center of the ice streams and diagonal types appear at the lower end. A “suture zone” originates at the tributary convergence and longitudinal surface ridges occur at the downglacier end. The causes of these surface features are discussed and the relative importance of four stresses in resisting the driving stress is assessed. We conclude that basal drag may be important, longitudinal compression is probably important at the lower end, and longitudinal tension is probably most important near the head of the ice stream. Side drag leads to shearing at the margins, but does not restrain much of the ice stream.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document