scholarly journals Rapid and accurate polarimetric radar measurements of ice crystal fabric orientation at the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core site

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 4117-4133
Author(s):  
Tun Jan Young ◽  
Carlos Martín ◽  
Poul Christoffersen ◽  
Dustin M. Schroeder ◽  
Slawek M. Tulaczyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Past History ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Vertical Direction ◽  
Surface Strain ◽  
Polarimetric Radar ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Flow Models ◽  
Core Site

Abstract. The crystal orientation fabric (COF) of ice sheets records the past history of ice sheet deformation and influences present-day ice flow dynamics. Though not widely implemented, coherent ice-penetrating radar is able to detect bulk anisotropic fabric patterns by exploiting the birefringence of ice crystals at radar frequencies, with the assumption that one of the crystallographic axes is aligned in the vertical direction. In this study, we conduct a suite of quad-polarimetric measurements consisting of four orthogonal antenna orientation combinations near the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core site. From these measurements, we are able to quantify the azimuthal fabric asymmetry at this site to a depth of 1400 m at a bulk-averaged resolution of up to 15 m. Our estimates of fabric asymmetry closely match corresponding fabric estimates directly measured from the WAIS Divide ice core. While ice core studies are often unable to determine the absolute fabric orientation due to core rotation during extraction, we are able to identify and conclude that the fabric orientation is depth-invariant to at least 1400 m, equivalent to 6700 years BP (years before 1950) and aligns closely with the modern surface strain direction at WAIS Divide. Our results support the claim that the deformation regime at WAIS Divide has not changed substantially through the majority of the Holocene. Rapid polarimetric determination of bulk fabric asymmetry and orientation compares well with much more laborious sample-based COF measurements from thin ice sections. Because it is the bulk-averaged fabric that ultimately influences ice flow, polarimetric radar methods provide an opportunity for its accurate and widespread mapping and its incorporation into ice flow models.

scholarly journals Rapid and accurate polarimetric radar measurements of ice crystal fabric orientation at the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide deep ice core site

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tun Jan Young ◽  
Carlos Martín ◽  
Poul Christoffersen ◽  
Dustin M. Schroeder ◽  
Slawek M. Tulaczyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Past History ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Strain ◽  
Polarimetric Radar ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Flow Models ◽  
Core Site ◽  
Core Rotation

Abstract. The Crystal Orientation Fabric (COF) of ice sheets records the past history of ice sheet deformation and influences present-day ice flow dynamics. Though not widely implemented, coherent ice-penetrating radar is able to detect anisotropic COF patterns by exploiting the birefringence of ice crystals at radar frequencies. Most previous radar studies quantify COF at a coarse azimuthal resolution limited by the number of observations made with a pair of antennas along an acquisition plane that rotates around an azimuth centre. In this study, we instead conduct a suite of quad-polarimetric measurements consisting of four orthogonal antenna orientation combinations at the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide Deep Ice Core site. From these measurements, we are able to quantify COF at this site to a depth of 1500 m at azimuthal and depth resolutions of up to 1° and 15 m. Our estimates of fabric asymmetry closely match corresponding fabric estimates directly measured from the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core. While ice core studies are often unable to determine the absolute fabric orientation due to core rotation during extraction, we are able to unambiguously identify and conclude that the fabric orientation is depth-invariant to at least 1500 m, equivalent to 7400 years BP (years before 1950), and coincides exactly with the modern surface strain direction at WAIS Divide. Our results support the claim that the deformation regime at WAIS Divide has not changed substantially through the majority of the Holocene. Rapid polarimetric determination of bulk COF compares well with much more laborious sample-based COF measurements from thin ice sections. Because it is the former that ultimately influences ice flow, these polarimetric radar methods provide an opportunity for accurate and widespread mapping of bulk COF and its incorporation into ice flow models.

Polarimetric radar-sounding to infer and quantify shear margin ice fabric anisotropy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tun Jan Young ◽  
Thomas M Jordan ◽  
Carlos Martín ◽  
Dustin M Schroeder ◽  
Poul Christoffersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Orientation ◽  
Past History ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Polarimetric Radar ◽  
Fabric Anisotropy ◽  
Complex Flow ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Flow Models ◽  
Fabric Strength

<p>Glaciers and ice streams channel the majority of ice mass discharge into the ocean, and are modulated by basal slip at the ice-bed interface, deformation within the ice interior, and lateral shear at the margins separating fast- and slow-moving ice. The anisotropy of glacier ice (i.e. ice that deforms preferentially in certain modes and directions) at shear margins greatly facilitates streaming ice, however it is still poorly understood due to a lack of in-situ measurements and is usually incorporated into models as a simple scalar enhancement factor. The resurgence of polarimetric radar techniques to detect bulk fabric anisotropy through exploiting the birefringence of ice crystals has greatly aided quantification of the ice crystal orientation fabric (COF) across the Antarctic Ice Sheet. In our study, we invert these techniques to infer the azimuthal fabric strength at the Eastern Shear Margin of Thwaites Glacier from non-polarimetric airborne radargrams collected during the 2018-19 field season. From these results, we infer the evolution of the crystal orientation fabric across the shear margin, where ice is subjected to varying levels of both pure and simple shear. Our findings suggest the potential of the upper reaches of the ESM having undergone recent inward migration. Together with compatible ground-based polarimetric radar experiments, our study highlights the potential of radar sounding to observe and infer variations in fabric strength from regions of complex flow at multiple spatial scales. Because the bulk COF of ice sheets records the past history of ice sheet deformation and influences present-day ice flow dynamics, accurate measurements of ice fabric strength and orientation not only places constraints on present and past ice flow history, but also aids in the incorporation of anisotropic rheology in ice flow models.</p>

scholarly journals Holocene accumulation and ice flow near the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core site

2016 ◽  
Vol 121 (5) ◽  
pp. 907-924 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle R. Koutnik ◽  
T. J. Fudge ◽  
Howard Conway ◽  
Edwin D. Waddington ◽  
Thomas A. Neumann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
The West ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Core Site

scholarly journals Where to find 1.5 million yr old ice for the IPICS "Oldest-Ice" ice core

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 2489-2505 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Fischer ◽  
J. Severinghaus ◽  
E. Brook ◽  
E. Wolff ◽  
M. Albert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Geothermal Heat ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Quaternary Climate ◽  
Drill Site ◽  
Heat Flow Model

Abstract. The recovery of a 1.5 million yr long ice core from Antarctica represents a keystone of our understanding of Quaternary climate, the progression of glaciation over this time period and the role of greenhouse gas cycles in this progression. Here we tackle the question of where such ice may still be found in the Antarctic ice sheet. We can show that such old ice is most likely to exist in the plateau area of the East Antarctic ice sheet (EAIS) without stratigraphic disturbance and should be able to be recovered after careful pre-site selection studies. Based on a simple ice and heat flow model and glaciological observations, we conclude that positions in the vicinity of major domes and saddle position on the East Antarctic Plateau will most likely have such old ice in store and represent the best study areas for dedicated reconnaissance studies in the near future. In contrast to previous ice core drill site selections, however, we strongly suggest significantly reduced ice thickness to avoid bottom melting. For example for the geothermal heat flux and accumulation conditions at Dome C, an ice thickness lower than but close to about 2500 m would be required to find 1.5 Myr old ice (i.e., more than 700 m less than at the current EPICA Dome C drill site). Within this constraint, the resolution of an Oldest-Ice record and the distance of such old ice to the bedrock should be maximized to avoid ice flow disturbances, for example, by finding locations with minimum geothermal heat flux. As the geothermal heat flux is largely unknown for the EAIS, this parameter has to be carefully determined beforehand. In addition, detailed bedrock topography and ice flow history has to be reconstructed for candidates of an Oldest-Ice ice coring site. Finally, we argue strongly for rapid access drilling before any full, deep ice coring activity commences to bring datable samples to the surface and to allow an age check of the oldest ice.

scholarly journals Polarimetric radar reveals the spatial distribution of ice fabric at domes in East Antarctica

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Reza Ershadi ◽  
Reinhard Drews ◽  
Carlos Martín ◽  
Olaf Eisen ◽  
Catherine Ritz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Horizontal Distribution ◽  
Polarimetric Radar ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Orientation Tensor ◽  
Flow Models ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Almost All

Abstract. Ice crystals are mechanically and dielectrically anisotropic. They progressively align under cumulative deformation, forming an ice crystal orientation fabric that, in turn, impacts ice deformation. However, almost all the observations of fabric are from ice core analysis and its interplay with the flow is unclear. Here, we present a non-linear inverse approach that combines radar polarimetry with vertical changes in anisotropic reflection to extract, for the first time, the full orientation tensor. The orientation tensor is routinely used to synthesize fabric information and it is used in anisotropic ice flow models. We validate our approach at two Antarctic ice-core sites (EDC and EDML) in contrasting flow regimes. Spatial variability of ice-fabric characteristics in the dome-to-flank transition near Dome C is quantified with 20 more sites located along a 36 km long cross-section. Local horizontal anisotropy increases under the dome summit and decreases away from the dome summit. We suggest that this is a consequence of the non-linear rheology of ice also known as Raymond effect. On larger spatial scales, horizontal anisotropy increases with increasing distance from the dome. At most of the sites, the main driver of ice-fabric evolution is vertical compression, yet our data show that ice fabric horizontal distribution is consistent with the present horizontal flow. Our method, which uses co- and cross polarimetric radar data suitable for profiling radar applications, can constrain ice-fabric distribution on a spatial scale comparable to ice flow observations and models.

Three-dimensional ice sheet structure at Dome C, central East Antarctica: implications for the interpretation of the EPICA ice core

2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin J. Siegert ◽  
Richard D. Eyers ◽  
Ignazio E. Tabacco
Keyword(s):  
Ice Core ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Local Variation ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
East Antarctica ◽  
Airborne Radar ◽  
Internal Layers ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Core Site

Airborne radar data acquired in 1995 by the Italian Antarctic Programme over Dome C in central East Antarctica were processed to develop maps of internal isochronous ice sheet layering around the EPICA ice core site. Three internal layers were traced continuously across the radar-survey area at ice depths of 1–2 km. The maps reveal that the ice core site is located where internal layers are near horizontal to depths of at least 2 km. The Italian radar data do not resolve internal layers below 2 km. However, radar data collected over this part of East Antarctica in the 1970s show the internal layers to depths of up to 4 km. These internal layers reveal the regional structure of ice to the west of Dome C. Layers from both surveys are dated through an existing chronostratigraphic link between the Vostok ice core site and Dome C. The pattern of internal layering at Dome C reflects relatively steady conditions of ice flow and accumulation for the last 100 000 years. However, for ice older than this we show that there is significant local variation in the thickness between internal layers and the ice-sheet base. Our maps provide an indication of the structure of the ice sheet from which the EPICA deep ice core will be taken.

scholarly journals Site information and initial results from deep ice drilling on Law Dome, Antarctica

1997 ◽  
Vol 43 (143) ◽  
pp. 3-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.I. Morgan ◽  
C.W. Wookey ◽  
J. Li ◽  
T.D. van Ommen ◽  
W. Skinner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
High Accumulation ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Basal Ice ◽  
Inland Ice ◽  
The Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
Initial Results ◽  
The Last Glacial

AbstractThe aim of deep ice drilling on Law Dome, Antarctica, has been to exploit the special characteristics of Law Dome summit, i.e. low temperature and high accumulation near an ice divide, to obtain a high-resolution ice core for climatic/environmental studies of the Holocene and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Drilling was completed in February 1993, when basal ice containing small fragments of rock was reached at a depth of 1196 m. Accurate ice dating, obtained by counting annual layers revealed by fine-detail δ18О, peroxide and electrical-conductivity measurements, is continuous down to 399 m, corresponding to a date of AD 1304. Sulphate concentration measurements, made around depths where conductivity tracing indicates volcanic fallout, allow confirmation of the dating (for Agung in 1963 and Tambora in 1815) or estimates of the eruption date from the ice dating (for the Kuwae, Vanuatu, eruption ~1457). The lower part of the core is dated by extrapolating the layer-counting using a simple model of the ice flow. At the LGM, ice-fabric measurements show a large decrease (250 to 14 mm2) in crystal size and a narrow maximum in c-axis vertically. The main zone of strong single-pole fabrics however, is located higher up in a broad zone around 900 m. Oxygen-isotope (δ18O) measurements show Holocene ice down to 1113 m, the LGM at 1133 m and warm (δ18O) about the same as Holocene) ice near the base of the ice sheet. The LGM/Holocene δ18O shift of 7.0‰, only ~1‰ larger than for Vostok, indicates that Law Dome remained an independent ice cap and was not overridden by the inland ice sheet in the Glacial.

scholarly journals A 60-year ice-core record of regional climate from Adélie Land, coastal Antarctica

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 343-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sentia Goursaud ◽  
Valérie Masson-Delmotte ◽  
Vincent Favier ◽  
Susanne Preunkert ◽  
Michel Fily ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Sea Ice Extent ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Ice Core Record ◽  
Decadal Variations ◽  
The Mean

Abstract. A 22.4 m-long shallow firn core was extracted during the 2006/2007 field season from coastal Adélie Land. Annual layer counting based on subannual analyses of δ18O and major chemical components was combined with 5 reference years associated with nuclear tests and non-retreat of summer sea ice to build the initial ice-core chronology (1946–2006), stressing uncertain counting for 8 years. We focus here on the resulting δ18O and accumulation records. With an average value of 21.8 ± 6.9 cm w.e. yr−1, local accumulation shows multi-decadal variations peaking in the 1980s, but no long-term trend. Similar results are obtained for δ18O, also characterised by a remarkably low and variable amplitude of the seasonal cycle. The ice-core records are compared with regional records of temperature, stake area accumulation measurements and variations in sea-ice extent, and outputs from two models nudged to ERA (European Reanalysis) atmospheric reanalyses: the high-resolution atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM), including stable water isotopes ECHAM5-wiso (European Centre Hamburg model), and the regional atmospheric model Modèle Atmosphérique Régional (AR). A significant linear correlation is identified between decadal variations in δ18O and regional temperature. No significant relationship appears with regional sea-ice extent. A weak and significant correlation appears with Dumont d'Urville wind speed, increasing after 1979. The model-data comparison highlights the inadequacy of ECHAM5-wiso simulations prior to 1979, possibly due to the lack of data assimilation to constrain atmospheric reanalyses. Systematic biases are identified in the ECHAM5-wiso simulation, such as an overestimation of the mean accumulation rate and its interannual variability, a strong cold bias and an underestimation of the mean δ18O value and its interannual variability. As a result, relationships between simulated δ18O and temperature are weaker than observed. Such systematic precipitation and temperature biases are not displayed by MAR, suggesting that the model resolution plays a key role along the Antarctic ice sheet coastal topography. Interannual variations in ECHAM5-wiso temperature and precipitation accurately capture signals from meteorological data and stake observations and are used to refine the initial ice-core chronology within 2 years. After this adjustment, remarkable positive (negative) δ18O anomalies are identified in the ice-core record and the ECHAM5-wiso simulation in 1986 and 2002 (1998–1999), respectively. Despite uncertainties associated with post-deposition processes and signal-to-noise issues, in one single coastal ice-core record, we conclude that the S1C1 core can correctly capture major annual anomalies in δ18O as well as multi-decadal variations. These findings highlight the importance of improving the network of coastal high-resolution ice-core records, and stress the skills and limitations of atmospheric models for accumulation and δ18O in coastal Antarctic areas. This is particularly important for the overall East Antarctic ice sheet mass balance.

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