scholarly journals Basal conditions beneath enhanced-flow tributaries of Slessor Glacier, East Antarctica

2006 ◽  
Vol 52 (179) ◽  
pp. 481-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.M. Rippin ◽  
J.L. Bamber ◽  
M.J. Siegert ◽  
D.G. Vaughan ◽  
H.F.J. Corr

AbstractRadio-echo sounding data are used to investigate bed roughness beneath the three enhanced-flow tributaries of Slessor Glacier, East Antarctica. Slow-moving inter-tributary areas are found to have rough beds, while the bed of the northernmost tributary is relatively smooth. A reconstruction of potential subglacial drainage routing indicates that water would be routed down this tributary, and investigations of basal topography following isostatic recovery reveal that the bed would have been below sea level in preglacial times, so marine sediments may have accumulated here. Together, these factors are further support for the dominance of basal motion in this tributary, reported elsewhere. Conversely, although the other two Slessor tributaries may have water routed beneath them, they would not have been below sea level before the growth of the ice sheet, so cannot be underlain by marine sediments. They are also found to be rough, and, within the range of uncertainties, it is likely that basal motion does not play a major role in the flow of these tributaries. Perhaps the most interesting area, however, is a deep trough where flow rates are currently low but the bed is as smooth as the northern Slessor trough. It is proposed that, although ice deformation currently dominates in this trough, basal motion may have occurred in the past, when the ice was thicker.

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
Sergey Popov

This study demonstrates the results of Russian airborne radio-echo sounding (RES) investigations and also seismic reflection soundings carried out in 1971–2020 over a vast area of coastal part of East Antarctica. It is the first comprehensive summary mapping of these data. Field research, equipment, errors of initial RES data, and methods of gridding are discussed. Ice thickness, ice base elevation, and bedrock topography are presented. The ice thickness across the research area varies from a few meters to 3620 m, and is greatest in the local subglacial depressions. The average thickness is about 1220 m. The total volume of the ice is about 710,500 km3. The bedrock heights vary from 2860 m below sea level in the ocean bathyal zone to 2040 m above sea level in the Grove Mountains area (4900 m relief). The main directions of the bedrock orographic forms are concentrated mostly in three intervals: 345∘–30∘, 45∘–70∘, and 70∘–100∘. The bottom melting rate was estimated on the basis of the simple Zotikov model. Total annual melting under the study area is about 0.633 cubic meters. The total annual melting in the study area is approximately 1.5 mm/yr.


2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (201) ◽  
pp. 67-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.M. Rippin ◽  
D.G. Vaughan ◽  
H.F.J. Corr

AbstractWe assess basal roughness beneath Pine Island Glacier (PIG), West Antarctica, based on a recent airborne radio-echo sounding dataset. We identify a clear relationship between faster ice flow and decreased basal roughness in significant parts of PIG. The central portion and two of its tributaries are particularly smooth, but the majority of the tributaries feeding the main trunk are rougher. We interpret the presence of a smooth bed as being a consequence of the deposition of marine sediments following disappearance of the West Antarctic ice sheet in the Pliocene or Pleistocene, and, conversely, a lack of marine sedimentation where the bed is rough. Importantly, we also identify a patchy distribution of marine sediments, and thus a bed over which the controls on flow vary. While there is a notable correspondence between ice velocity and bed roughness, we do not assume a direct causal relationship, but find that an indirect one is likely. Where low basal roughness results in low basal resistance to flow, a lower driving stress is required to produce the flux required to achieve mass balance. This, in turn, means that the surface in that area will be lower than surrounding areas with a rougher bed, and this will tend to draw flow into the area with low bed roughness. Since our studies shows that bed roughness beneath the tributaries of the trunk varies substantially, there is a strong likelihood that these tributaries will differ in the rate at which they transmit current velocity changes on the main trunk into the interior of the glacier basin.


2016 ◽  
Vol 57 (73) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiantian Wang ◽  
Bo Sun ◽  
Xueyuan Tang ◽  
Xiaoping Pang ◽  
Xiangbin Cui ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTStudies of palaeo-accumulation rates at Dome A, East Antarctica, are entirely absent. Here, spatio-temporal variations in ice accumulation rates for the past ~161 ka are calculated from isochronous internal layering, traced from radio-echo sounding (RES) data collected by the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC) during the 21st CHINARE. The layers are dated by linking them to the site of Vostok ice core along an RES profile, which was flown by the Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI) in the Dome Connection East Antarctica (DoCo) project. The Dansgaard-Johnsen model is used to determine the spatial and temporal pattern of ice accumulation in Dome A region. The results show that there is a slight increasing pattern of ice accumulation from south to north along the 216 km radar profile at Dome A. The lowest ice accumulation rates were calculated around the Dome A zone. In the past ~90 ka, there were relatively high accumulation rates during the time period 34–47 ka (Marine Isotope Stage 3) at Dome A.


2011 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 32-49
Author(s):  
R. M. Gogorev ◽  
Z. V. Pushina

The richest diatom complexes have revealed due to the study of glacial-marine sediments sampled in the Fisher Massif (Prince Charles Mountains, East Antarctica) during 52nd and 53rd Russian Antarctic Expeditions (Polar Marine Geol. Survey Expedition) in 2006/07 and 2007/08. Three diatom complexes are distinguished according to different palaeoecological conditions: the planktonic one is located in the basis of the outcrop, while mixed planktonic-benthic and benthic ones being located above. The planktonic diatom complexes are dominated by two oceanic species Actinocyclus ingens (up to 8%) and Denticulopsis simonseni (up to 80%). There are 15 planktonic algae, e. g. Eucampia аntarctica, Fragilariopsis spp., Rhizosolenia spp., Rouxia antarctica, Podosira antarctica sp. nov., Stellarima microtrias; and also unknown and non-described benthic diatoms Achnanthes sp., Cocconeis spp., Rhabdonema (s. l.) spp. and Synedra (s. l.) spp. Detailed data on morphology and taxonomy of 10 centric diatoms are presented, including 3 newly described species.


ORL ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Jingjing Liu ◽  
Tengfang Chen ◽  
Zhenggang Lv ◽  
Dezhong Wu

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> In China, nasal cannula oxygen therapy is typically humidified. However, it is difficult to decide whether to suspend nasal cannula oxygen inhalation after the nosebleed has temporarily stopped. Therefore, we conducted a preliminary investigation on whether the use of humidified nasal cannulas in our hospital increases the incidence of epistaxis. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We conducted a survey of 176,058 inpatients in our hospital and other city branches of our hospital over the past 3 years and obtained information concerning their use of humidified nasal cannulas for oxygen inhalation, nonhumidified nasal cannulas, anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, and oxygen inhalation flow rates. This information was compared with the data collected at consultation for epistaxis during these 3 years. <b><i>Results:</i></b> No significant difference was found between inpatients with humidified nasal cannulas and those without nasal cannula oxygen therapy in the incidence of consultations due to epistaxis (χ<sup>2</sup> = 1.007, <i>p</i> &#x3e; 0.05). The same trend was observed among hospitalized patients using anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs (χ<sup>2</sup> = 2.082, <i>p</i> &#x3e; 0.05). Among the patients with an inhaled oxygen flow rate ≥5 L/min, the incidence of ear-nose-throat (ENT) consultations due to epistaxis was 0. No statistically significant difference was found between inpatients with a humidified oxygen inhalation flow rate &#x3c;5 L/min and those without nasal cannula oxygen therapy in the incidence of ENT consultations due to epistaxis (χ<sup>2</sup> = 0.838, <i>p</i> &#x3e; 0.05). A statistically significant difference was observed in the incidence of ENT consultations due to epistaxis between the low-flow nonhumidified nasal cannula and nonnasal cannula oxygen inhalation groups (χ<sup>2</sup> = 18.428, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). The same trend was observed between the 2 groups of low-flow humidified and low-flow nonhumidified nasal cannula oxygen inhalation (χ<sup>2</sup> = 26.194, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> Neither high-flow humidified nasal cannula oxygen inhalation nor low-flow humidified nasal cannula oxygen inhalation will increase the incidence of recurrent or serious epistaxis complications; the same trend was observed for patients who use anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs. Humidification during low-flow nasal cannula oxygen inhalation can prevent severe and repeated epistaxis to a certain extent.


2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 551-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Roberts ◽  
R. C. Warner ◽  
D. Young ◽  
A. Wright ◽  
T. D. van Ommen ◽  
...  

Abstract. Ice thickness data over much of East Antarctica are sparse and irregularly distributed. This poses difficulties for reconstructing the homogeneous coverage needed to properly assess underlying sub-glacial morphology and fundamental geometric constraints on sea level rise. Here we introduce a new physically-based ice thickness interpolation scheme and apply this to existing ice thickness data in the Aurora Subglacial Basin region. The skill and robustness of the new reconstruction is demonstrated by comparison with new data from the ICECAP project. The interpolated morphology shows an extensive marine-based ice sheet, with considerably more area below sea-level than shown by prior studies. It also shows deep features connecting the coastal grounding zone with the deepest regions in the interior. This has implications for ice sheet response to a warming ocean and underscores the importance of obtaining additional high resolution data in these marginal zones for modelling ice sheet evolution.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Rita Carrasco ◽  
Katerina Kombiadou ◽  
Miguel Amado

&lt;p&gt;It is predictable that salt marshes in regions, where sediment loads are high, should be stable against a broader range of relative sea level scenarios than those in sediment-poor systems. Despite extensive theoretical and laboratory studies, additional syntheses of marsh &amp;#8216;persistence&amp;#8217; indicators under human interventions and accelerated sea-level rise rates are still needed. This study investigates the recent lateral changes occurring in lagoon-type marshes of the Ria Formosa lagoon (south Portugal) in the presence of human interventions and sea-level rise, to identify the major drivers for past marsh evolution and to estimate potential future trends. The conducted analysis assessed the past geomorphological adjustment based on imagery analysis and assessed its potential future adjustment to sea-level rise (~100 years) based on modelled land cover changes (by employing the SLAMM model within two sea-level rise scenarios).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Salt marshes in the Ria Formosa showed slow lateral growth rates over the last 70 years (&lt;1 mm&amp;#8729;yr&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;), with localized erosion along the main navigable channels associated with dredging activities. Higher change rates were noted near the inlets, with stronger progradation near the natural inlets of the system, fed by sediment influx pulses. Any potential influence of sea-level increase to an intensification of marsh-edge erosion in the past, could not be distinguished from human-induced pressures in the area. No significant sediment was exchanged between the salt marshes and tidal flats, and no self-organization pattern between them was observed in past. The related analysis showed that landcover changes in the salt marsh areas are likely to be more prominent in the future. The obtained results showed evidence of non-linearity in marsh response to high sea-level rise rates, which could indicate to the presence of critical thresholds and potential negative feedbacks within the system, with significant implications to marsh resilience.&lt;/p&gt;


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