Joint Inversion for Surface Accumulation Rate and Geothermal Heat Flow from Ice‐Penetrating Radar Observations at Dome A, East Antarctica. Part II: Ice Sheet State and Geophysical Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. Wolovick ◽  
J.C. Moore ◽  
L. Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flow ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Joint Inversion ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
East Antarctica ◽  
Dome A ◽  
Geothermal Heat ◽  
Radar Observations

Joint Inversion for Surface Accumulation and Geothermal Heat Flow from Ice-Penetrating Radar Observations at Dome A, East Antarctica. 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Wolovick ◽  
John Moore ◽  
Liyun Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flow ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Joint Inversion ◽  
Observational Constraints ◽  
Dome A ◽  
Glacial Cycles ◽  
Geothermal Heat ◽  
Hydrological System ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Best Fit

<p>Dome A is the summit of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS), underlain by the rugged Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains (GSM).  The rugged basal topography produces a complex hydrological system featuring basal melt, water transport and storage, and freeze-on.  Here, we present the results of an inverse model used to infer the spatial distributions of geothermal heat flow (GHF) and accumulation rate that best fit a variety of observational constraints.  Our model agrees well with the observed water bodies and freeze-on structures, while also predicting a significant amount of unobserved water and suggesting a change in stratigraphic interpretation that reduces the volume of the freeze-on units.  Our model stratigraphy agrees well with observations, and we predict that there will be two distinct patches of ice up to 1.5 Ma suitable for ice coring underneath the divide.  Past divide migration could have interrupted stratigraphic continuity at the old ice patches, but various indirect lines of evidence suggest that the divide has been stable for about the last one and a half glacial cycles, which is a hopeful but by no means definitive sign for stability in the longer term.  Finally, our GHF estimate is higher than previous estimates for this region, but consistent with possible heterogeneity in crustal heat production.     </p>

Implications for the lithospheric structure of Greenland by applying different heat flow models

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnes Wansing ◽  
Jörg Ebbing ◽  
Mareen Lösing ◽  
Sergei Lebedev ◽  
Nicolas Celli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flow ◽  
Heat Dissipation ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Magnetic Data ◽  
Similarity Function ◽  
Lithospheric Structure ◽  
Temperature Structure ◽  
Geothermal Heat ◽  
Flow Models ◽  
Ice Sheet Dynamics

<p>The lithospheric structure of Greenland is still poorly known due to its thick ice sheet, the sparseness of seismological stations, and the limitation of geological outcrops near coastal areas. As only a few geothermal measurements are available for Greenland, one must rely on geophysical models. Such models of Moho and LAB depths and sub-ice geothermal heat-flow vary largely.</p><p>Our approach is to model the lithospheric architecture by geophysical-petrological modelling with LitMod3D. The model is built to reproduce gravity observations, the observed elevation with isostasy assumptions and the velocities from a tomography model. Furthermore, we adjust the thermal parameters and the temperature structure of the model to agree with different geothermal heat flow models. We use three different heat flow models, one from machine learning, one from a spectral analysis of magnetic data and another one which is compiled from a similarity study with tomography data.</p><p>For the latter, a new shear wave tomography model of Greenland is used. Vs-depth profiles from Greenland are compared with velocity profiles from the US Array, where a statistical link between Vs profiles and surface heat flow has been established. A similarity function determines the most similar areas in the U.S. and assigns the mean heat-flow from these areas to the corresponding area in Greenland.</p><p>The geothermal heat flow models will be further used to discuss the influence on ice sheet dynamics by comparison to friction heat and viscous heat dissipation from surface meltwater.</p>

scholarly journals Nitrate deposition and preservation in the snowpack along a traverse from coast to the ice sheet summit (Dome A) in East Antarctica

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1177-1194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guitao Shi ◽  
Meredith G. Hastings ◽  
Jinhai Yu ◽  
Tianming Ma ◽  
Zhengyi Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Deposition ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
East Antarctica ◽  
Dome A ◽  
Surface Snow ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Coexisting Ions ◽  
Snow Samples

Abstract. Antarctic ice core nitrate (NO3-) can provide a unique record of the atmospheric reactive nitrogen cycle. However, the factors influencing the deposition and preservation of NO3- at the ice sheet surface must first be understood. Therefore, an intensive program of snow and atmospheric sampling was made on a traverse from the coast to the ice sheet summit, Dome A, East Antarctica. Snow samples in this observation include 120 surface snow samples (top ∼ 3 cm), 20 snow pits with depths of 150 to 300 cm, and 6 crystal ice samples (the topmost needle-like layer on Dome A plateau). The main purpose of this investigation is to characterize the distribution pattern and preservation of NO3- concentrations in the snow in different environments. Results show that an increasing trend of NO3- concentrations with distance inland is present in surface snow, and NO3- is extremely enriched in the topmost crystal ice (with a maximum of 16.1 µeq L−1). NO3- concentration profiles for snow pits vary between coastal and inland sites. On the coast, the deposited NO3- was largely preserved, and the archived NO3- fluxes are dominated by snow accumulation. The relationship between the archived NO3- and snow accumulation rate can be depicted well by a linear model, suggesting a homogeneity of atmospheric NO3- levels. It is estimated that dry deposition contributes 27–44 % of the archived NO3- fluxes, and the dry deposition velocity and scavenging ratio for NO3- were relatively constant near the coast. Compared to the coast, the inland snow shows a relatively weak correlation between archived NO3- and snow accumulation, and the archived NO3- fluxes were more dependent on concentration. The relationship between NO3- and coexisting ions (nssSO42-, Na+ and Cl−) was also investigated, and the results show a correlation between nssSO42- (fine aerosol particles) and NO3- in surface snow, while the correlation between NO3- and Na+ (mainly associated with coarse aerosol particles) is not significant. In inland snow, there were no significant relationships found between NO3- and the coexisting ions, suggesting a dominant role of NO3- recycling in determining the concentrations.

scholarly journals Crustal heat production and estimate of terrestrial heat flow in central East Antarctica, with implications for thermal input to the East Antarctic ice sheet

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 491-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Goodge
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flow ◽  
Heat Production ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Heat ◽  
East Antarctica ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Heat Flow ◽  
Terrestrial Heat Flow ◽  
Production Values ◽  
East Antarctic Ice Sheet

Abstract. Terrestrial heat flow is a critical first-order factor governing the thermal condition and, therefore, mechanical stability of Antarctic ice sheets, yet heat flow across Antarctica is poorly known. Previous estimates of terrestrial heat flow in East Antarctica come from inversion of seismic and magnetic geophysical data, by modeling temperature profiles in ice boreholes, and by calculation from heat production values reported for exposed bedrock. Although accurate estimates of surface heat flow are important as an input parameter for ice-sheet growth and stability models, there are no direct measurements of terrestrial heat flow in East Antarctica coupled to either subglacial sediment or bedrock. As has been done with bedrock exposed along coastal margins and in rare inland outcrops, valuable estimates of heat flow in central East Antarctica can be extrapolated from heat production determined by the geochemical composition of glacial rock clasts eroded from the continental interior. In this study, U, Th, and K concentrations in a suite of Proterozoic (1.2–2.0 Ga) granitoids sourced within the Byrd and Nimrod glacial drainages of central East Antarctica indicate average upper crustal heat production (Ho) of about 2.6  ±  1.9 µW m−3. Assuming typical mantle and lower crustal heat flux for stable continental shields, and a length scale for the distribution of heat production in the upper crust, the heat production values determined for individual samples yield estimates of surface heat flow (qo) ranging from 33 to 84 mW m−2 and an average of 48.0  ±  13.6 mW m−2. Estimates of heat production obtained for this suite of glacially sourced granitoids therefore indicate that the interior of the East Antarctic ice sheet is underlain in part by Proterozoic continental lithosphere with an average surface heat flow, providing constraints on both geodynamic history and ice-sheet stability. The ages and geothermal characteristics of the granites indicate that crust in central East Antarctica resembles that in the Proterozoic Arunta and Tennant Creek inliers of Australia but is dissimilar to other areas like the Central Australian Heat Flow Province that are characterized by anomalously high heat flow. Age variation within the sample suite indicates that central East Antarctic lithosphere is heterogeneous, yet the average heat production and heat flow of four age subgroups cluster around the group mean, indicating minor variation in the thermal contribution to the overlying ice sheet from upper crustal heat production. Despite these minor differences, ice-sheet models may favor a geologically realistic input of crustal heat flow represented by the distribution of ages and geothermal characteristics found in these glacial clasts.

scholarly journals Primary results of glaciological studies along an 1100 km transect from Zhongshan station to Dome A, East Antarctic ice sheet

2000 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 198-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qin Dahe ◽  
Ren Jiawen ◽  
Kang Jiancheng ◽  
Xiao Cunde ◽  
Li Zhongqin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Dome A ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Zhongshan Station ◽  
Inaccessible Area ◽  
East Antarctic Ice Sheet

AbstractThe Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (GHINARE) carried out three traverses from Zhongshan station to Dome A, Princess Elizabeth Land and Inaccessible Area, East Antarctic ice sheet, during the 1996/97 to 1998/99 Antarctic field seasons. The expeditions are part of the Chinese International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition program. In this project, glaciological investigations of mass balance, ice temperature, ice flow, stratigraphy in snow pits and snow/firn ice cores, as well as the glaciochemical study of surface snow and shallow ice cores, have been carried out. In the 1998/99 field season, CHINARE extended the traverse route to 1128 km inland from Zhongshan station. The density profiles show that firnification over Princess Elizabeth Land and Inaccessible Area (290–1100 km along the route) is fairly slow, and the accumulation rate recovered from snow pits along the initial 460 km of the route is 4.6–21 cm (46–210 kg m–2a–1 ) water equivalent. The initial 460 km of the route can be divided into four sections based on the differences of accumulation rate. This pattern approximately coincides with the study on the Lambert Glacier basin (LGB) by Australian scientists. During the past 50 years, the trends of both air temperature and accumulation rate show a slight increase in this area, in contrast to the west side of the LGB. Data on surface accumulation rates and their spatial and temporal variability over ice-drainage areas such as the LGB are essential for precise mass-balance calculation of the whole ice sheet, and are important for driving ice-sheet models and testing atmospheric models.

scholarly journals Crustal heat production and estimate of terrestrial heat flow in central East Antarctica, with implications for thermal input to the East Antarctic ice sheet

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Goodge
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flow ◽  
Heat Production ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Heat ◽  
East Antarctica ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Heat Flow ◽  
Terrestrial Heat Flow ◽  
Production Values ◽  
East Antarctic Ice Sheet

Abstract. Terrestrial heat flow is a critical first-order factor governing the thermal condition and, therefore, mechanical stability of Antarctic ice sheets, yet heat flow across Antarctica is poorly known. Previous estimates of terrestrial heat flow come from inversion of seismic and magnetic geophysical data, by modeling temperature profiles in ice boreholes, and by calculation from heat production values reported for exposed bedrock. Although accurate estimates of surface heat flow are important as an input parameter for ice-sheet growth and stability models, there are no direct measurements of terrestrial heat flow in East Antarctica coupled to either subglacial sediment or bedrock. Bedrock outcrop is limited to coastal margins and rare inland exposures, yet valuable estimates of heat flow in central East Antarctica can be extrapolated from heat production determined by the geochemical composition of glacial rock clasts eroded from the continental interior. In this study, U, Th and K concentrations in a suite of Proterozoic (1.2–2.0 Ga) granitoids sourced within the Byrd and Nimrod glacial drainages of central East Antarctica indicate average upper crustal heat production (Ho) of about 2.6 ± 1.9 μW m-3. Assuming typical mantle and lower crustal heat flux for stable continental shields, and a length scale for the distribution of heat production in the upper crust, the heat production values determined for individual samples yield estimates of surface heat flow (qo) ranging from 33–84 mW m-2 and an average of 48.0 ± 13.6 mW m-2. Estimates of heat production obtained for this suite of glacially-sourced granitoids therefore indicate that the interior of the East Antarctic ice sheet is underlain in part by Proterozoic continental lithosphere with average surface heat flow, providing constraints on both geodynamic history and ice-sheet stability. The ages and geothermal characteristics of the granites indicate that crust in central East Antarctica resembles that in the Proterozoic Arunta and Tenant Creek inliers of Australia, but is dissimilar to other areas characterized by anomalously high heat flow in the Central Australian Heat Flow Province. Age variation within the sample suite indicates that central East Antarctic lithosphere is heterogeneous, yet the average heat production and heat flow of four age subgroups cluster around the group mean, indicating minor variation in thermal contribution to the overlying ice sheet from upper crustal heat production. Despite their minor differences, ice-sheet models may favor a geologically realistic model of crustal heat flow represented by such a distribution of ages and geothermal characteristics.

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