Englacial architecture and age‐depth constraints across the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
File(s)2019GL086663.pdf (24.37 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The englacial stratigraphic architecture of internal‐reflection horizons (IRHs) as imaged by ice‐penetrating radar (IPR) across ice sheets reflects the cumulative effects of surface mass balance, basal melt and ice flow. IRHs, considered isochrones, have typically been traced in interior, slow‐flowing regions. Here, we identify three distinctive IRHs spanning the Institute and Möller catchments that cover 50% of West Antarctica's Weddell Sea Sector and are characterised by a complex system of ice‐stream tributaries. We place age constraints on IRHs through their intersections with previous geophysical surveys tied to Byrd Ice Core, and by age‐depth modeling. We further show where the oldest ice likely exists within the region; and that Holocene ice‐dynamic changes were limited to the catchment's lower reaches. The traced IRHs from this study have clear potential to nucleate a wider continental‐scale IRH database for validating ice‐sheet models.
Date Issued
2020-03-28
Date Acceptance
2020-02-27
Citation
Geophysical Research Letters, 2020, 47 (6), pp.1-11
ISSN
0094-8276
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Start Page
1
End Page
11
Journal / Book Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
47
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2020. The Authors.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Sponsor
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Identifier
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019GL086663
Grant Number
NE/G00465X/3
Subjects
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-03-02