An extensive subglacial lake and canyon system in Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica
File(s)Jamieson_etal_Geology_2016.pdf (1.04 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The subglacial landscape of Princess Elizabeth Land (PEL) in East Antarctica is poorly known due to a paucity of ice thickness measurements. This is problematic given its importance for understanding ice sheet dynamics and landscape and climate evolution. To address this issue, we describe the topography beneath the ice sheet by assuming that ice surface expressions in satellite imagery relate to large-scale subglacial features. We find evidence that a large, previously undiscovered subglacial drainage network is hidden beneath the ice sheet in PEL. We interpret a discrete feature that is 140 × 20 km in plan form, and multiple narrow sinuous features that extend over a distance of ∼1100 km. We hypothesize that these are tectonically controlled and relate to a large subglacial basin containing a deep-water lake in the interior of PEL linked to a series of long, deep canyons. The presence of 1-km-deep canyons is confirmed at a few localities by radio-echo sounding data, and drainage analysis suggests that these canyons will direct subglacial meltwater to the coast between the Vestfold Hills and the West Ice Shelf.
Date Issued
2015-12-22
Date Acceptance
2015-11-29
Citation
Geology, 2015, 44 (2), pp.87-90
ISSN
1943-2682
Publisher
Geological Society of America
Start Page
87
End Page
90
Journal / Book Title
Geology
Volume
44
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2015 The Authors. Gold Open Access: This paper is published under the terms of the CC-BY license.
Sponsor
Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC)
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
British Council (UK)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000370075900004&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
ES/M500562/1
NE/K004956/2
NE/G00465X/3
GEOG.RE2356
ICECAP-2
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geology
ICE-SHEET
WILKES LAND
BENEATH
MODEL
FLOW
SHELVES
SURFACE
RADAR
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Earth Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
2016022