Articles | Volume 15, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3443-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3443-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
23 Jul 2021
Research article |
| 23 Jul 2021
| 23 Jul 2021
Downhole distributed acoustic seismic profiling at Skytrain Ice Rise, West Antarctica
IDP, NERC British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Michael Kendall
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
Sofia-Katerina Kufner
IDP, NERC British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Thomas S. Hudson
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
Andrew M. Smith
IDP, NERC British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Related authors
Thomas Samuel Hudson, Alex M. Brisbourne, Sofia-Katerina Kufner, J.-Michael Kendall, and Andy M. Smith
The Cryosphere, 17, 4979–4993, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4979-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4979-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Earthquakes (or icequakes) at glaciers can shed light on fundamental glacier processes. These include glacier slip, crevassing, and imaging ice structure. To date, most studies use networks of seismometers, primarily sensitive to icequakes within the spatial extent of the network. However, arrays of seismometers allow us to detect icequakes at far greater distances. Here, we investigate the potential of such array-processing methods for studying icequakes at glaciers.
Felipe Napoleoni, Stewart S. R. Jamieson, Neil Ross, Michael J. Bentley, Andrés Rivera, Andrew M. Smith, Martin J. Siegert, Guy J. G. Paxman, Guisella Gacitúa, José A. Uribe, Rodrigo Zamora, Alex M. Brisbourne, and David G. Vaughan
The Cryosphere, 14, 4507–4524, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4507-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4507-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Subglacial water is important for ice sheet dynamics and stability. Despite this, there is a lack of detailed subglacial-water characterisation in West Antarctica (WA). We report 33 new subglacial lakes. Additionally, a new digital elevation model of basal topography was built and used to simulate the subglacial hydrological network in WA. The simulated subglacial hydrological catchments of Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers do not match precisely with their ice surface catchments.
Alex Brisbourne, Bernd Kulessa, Thomas Hudson, Lianne Harrison, Paul Holland, Adrian Luckman, Suzanne Bevan, David Ashmore, Bryn Hubbard, Emma Pearce, James White, Adam Booth, Keith Nicholls, and Andrew Smith
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 887–896, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-887-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-887-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Melting of the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica may lead to its collapse. To help estimate its lifespan we need to understand how the ocean can circulate beneath. This requires knowledge of the geometry of the sub-shelf cavity. New and existing measurements of seabed depth are integrated to produce a map of the ocean cavity beneath the ice shelf. The observed deep seabed may provide a pathway for circulation of warm ocean water but at the same time reduce rapid tidal melt at a critical location.
Damon Davies, Robert G. Bingham, Edward C. King, Andrew M. Smith, Alex M. Brisbourne, Matteo Spagnolo, Alastair G. C. Graham, Anna E. Hogg, and David G. Vaughan
The Cryosphere, 12, 1615–1628, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1615-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1615-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This paper investigates the dynamics of ice stream beds using repeat geophysical surveys of the bed of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica; 60 km of the bed was surveyed, comprising the most extensive repeat ground-based geophysical surveys of an Antarctic ice stream; 90 % of the surveyed bed shows no significant change despite the glacier increasing in speed by up to 40 % over the last decade. This result suggests that ice stream beds are potentially more stable than previously suggested.
P. R. Holland, A. Brisbourne, H. F. J. Corr, D. McGrath, K. Purdon, J. Paden, H. A. Fricker, F. S. Paolo, and A. H. Fleming
The Cryosphere, 9, 1005–1024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves have collapsed in recent decades. The surface of Larsen C Ice Shelf is lowering, but the cause of this has not been understood. This study uses eight radar surveys to show that the lowering is caused by both ice loss and a loss of air from the ice shelf's snowpack. At least two different processes are causing the lowering. The stability of Larsen C may be at risk from an ungrounding of Bawden Ice Rise or ice-front retreat past a 'compressive arch' in strain rates.
A. M. Brisbourne, A. M. Smith, E. C. King, K. W. Nicholls, P. R. Holland, and K. Makinson
The Cryosphere, 8, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1-2014, 2014
Thomas Samuel Hudson, Alex M. Brisbourne, Sofia-Katerina Kufner, J.-Michael Kendall, and Andy M. Smith
The Cryosphere, 17, 4979–4993, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4979-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4979-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Earthquakes (or icequakes) at glaciers can shed light on fundamental glacier processes. These include glacier slip, crevassing, and imaging ice structure. To date, most studies use networks of seismometers, primarily sensitive to icequakes within the spatial extent of the network. However, arrays of seismometers allow us to detect icequakes at far greater distances. Here, we investigate the potential of such array-processing methods for studying icequakes at glaciers.
Alice C. Frémand, Peter Fretwell, Julien A. Bodart, Hamish D. Pritchard, Alan Aitken, Jonathan L. Bamber, Robin Bell, Cesidio Bianchi, Robert G. Bingham, Donald D. Blankenship, Gino Casassa, Ginny Catania, Knut Christianson, Howard Conway, Hugh F. J. Corr, Xiangbin Cui, Detlef Damaske, Volkmar Damm, Reinhard Drews, Graeme Eagles, Olaf Eisen, Hannes Eisermann, Fausto Ferraccioli, Elena Field, René Forsberg, Steven Franke, Shuji Fujita, Yonggyu Gim, Vikram Goel, Siva Prasad Gogineni, Jamin Greenbaum, Benjamin Hills, Richard C. A. Hindmarsh, Andrew O. Hoffman, Per Holmlund, Nicholas Holschuh, John W. Holt, Annika N. Horlings, Angelika Humbert, Robert W. Jacobel, Daniela Jansen, Adrian Jenkins, Wilfried Jokat, Tom Jordan, Edward King, Jack Kohler, William Krabill, Mette Kusk Gillespie, Kirsty Langley, Joohan Lee, German Leitchenkov, Carlton Leuschen, Bruce Luyendyk, Joseph MacGregor, Emma MacKie, Kenichi Matsuoka, Mathieu Morlighem, Jérémie Mouginot, Frank O. Nitsche, Yoshifumi Nogi, Ole A. Nost, John Paden, Frank Pattyn, Sergey V. Popov, Eric Rignot, David M. Rippin, Andrés Rivera, Jason Roberts, Neil Ross, Anotonia Ruppel, Dustin M. Schroeder, Martin J. Siegert, Andrew M. Smith, Daniel Steinhage, Michael Studinger, Bo Sun, Ignazio Tabacco, Kirsty Tinto, Stefano Urbini, David Vaughan, Brian C. Welch, Douglas S. Wilson, Duncan A. Young, and Achille Zirizzotti
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 2695–2710, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2695-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2695-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents the release of over 60 years of ice thickness, bed elevation, and surface elevation data acquired over Antarctica by the international community. These data are a crucial component of the Antarctic Bedmap initiative which aims to produce a new map and datasets of Antarctic ice thickness and bed topography for the international glaciology and geophysical community.
Jim S. Whiteley, Arnaud Watlet, J. Michael Kendall, and Jonathan E. Chambers
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 3863–3871, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-3863-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-3863-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This work summarises the contribution of geophysical imaging methods to establishing and operating local landslide early warning systems, demonstrated through a conceptual framework. We identify developments in geophysical monitoring equipment, the spatiotemporal resolutions of these approaches and methods to translate geophysical to geotechnical information as the primary benefits that geophysics brings to slope-scale early warning.
Felipe Napoleoni, Stewart S. R. Jamieson, Neil Ross, Michael J. Bentley, Andrés Rivera, Andrew M. Smith, Martin J. Siegert, Guy J. G. Paxman, Guisella Gacitúa, José A. Uribe, Rodrigo Zamora, Alex M. Brisbourne, and David G. Vaughan
The Cryosphere, 14, 4507–4524, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4507-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4507-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Subglacial water is important for ice sheet dynamics and stability. Despite this, there is a lack of detailed subglacial-water characterisation in West Antarctica (WA). We report 33 new subglacial lakes. Additionally, a new digital elevation model of basal topography was built and used to simulate the subglacial hydrological network in WA. The simulated subglacial hydrological catchments of Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers do not match precisely with their ice surface catchments.
Tamsin Badcoe, Ophelia Ann George, Lucy Donkin, Shirley Pegna, and John Michael Kendall
Geosci. Commun., 3, 303–327, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-3-303-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-3-303-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We explore how earthquakes affect everyday life through a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates historical, artistic and scientific perspectives. The effects of distant earthquakes are investigated using data collected on a seismometer located in the Wills Memorial Building tower in Bristol. We also explore historical accounts of earthquakes and their impact on society, and, finally, we use the data collected by the seismometer to communicate artistically the Earth's tectonic movements.
Catherine Reid, John Begg, Vasiliki Mouslopoulou, Onno Oncken, Andrew Nicol, and Sofia-Katerina Kufner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 351–366, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-351-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-351-2020, 2020
Alex Brisbourne, Bernd Kulessa, Thomas Hudson, Lianne Harrison, Paul Holland, Adrian Luckman, Suzanne Bevan, David Ashmore, Bryn Hubbard, Emma Pearce, James White, Adam Booth, Keith Nicholls, and Andrew Smith
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 887–896, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-887-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-887-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Melting of the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica may lead to its collapse. To help estimate its lifespan we need to understand how the ocean can circulate beneath. This requires knowledge of the geometry of the sub-shelf cavity. New and existing measurements of seabed depth are integrated to produce a map of the ocean cavity beneath the ice shelf. The observed deep seabed may provide a pathway for circulation of warm ocean water but at the same time reduce rapid tidal melt at a critical location.
Dominic A. Hodgson, Tom A. Jordan, Jan De Rydt, Peter T. Fretwell, Samuel A. Seddon, David Becker, Kelly A. Hogan, Andrew M. Smith, and David G. Vaughan
The Cryosphere, 13, 545–556, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-545-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-545-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica is home to Halley VIa, the latest in a series of six British research stations that have occupied the ice shelf since 1956. A recent rapid growth of rifts in the Brunt Ice Shelf signals the onset of its largest calving event since records began. Here we consider whether this calving event will lead to a new steady state for the ice shelf or an unpinning from the bed, which could predispose it to accelerated flow or collapse.
Dominic A. Hodgson, Kelly Hogan, James M. Smith, James A. Smith, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Alastair G. C. Graham, Peter Fretwell, Claire Allen, Vicky Peck, Jan-Erik Arndt, Boris Dorschel, Christian Hübscher, Andrew M. Smith, and Robert Larter
The Cryosphere, 12, 2383–2399, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2383-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2383-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We studied the Coats Land ice margin, Antarctica, providing a multi-disciplinary geophysical assessment of the ice sheet configuration through its last advance and retreat; a description of the physical constraints on the stability of the past and present ice and future margin based on its submarine geomorphology and ice-sheet geometry; and evidence that once detached from the bed, the ice shelves in this region were predisposed to rapid retreat back to coastal grounding lines.
Damon Davies, Robert G. Bingham, Edward C. King, Andrew M. Smith, Alex M. Brisbourne, Matteo Spagnolo, Alastair G. C. Graham, Anna E. Hogg, and David G. Vaughan
The Cryosphere, 12, 1615–1628, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1615-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1615-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This paper investigates the dynamics of ice stream beds using repeat geophysical surveys of the bed of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica; 60 km of the bed was surveyed, comprising the most extensive repeat ground-based geophysical surveys of an Antarctic ice stream; 90 % of the surveyed bed shows no significant change despite the glacier increasing in speed by up to 40 % over the last decade. This result suggests that ice stream beds are potentially more stable than previously suggested.
Edward C. King, Hamish D. Pritchard, and Andrew M. Smith
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 8, 151–158, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-151-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-151-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Large, fast-moving glaciers create long, linear mounds of sediments covering large areas. Understanding how these features form has been hampered by a lack of data from the bed of modern-day ice sheets. We give a detailed view of the landscape beneath an Antarctic glacier called Rutford Ice Stream. We towed a radar system back and forth across the glacier to measure the ice thickness every few metres. This is the first place such a highly detailed view of the sub-ice landscape has been created.
P. R. Holland, A. Brisbourne, H. F. J. Corr, D. McGrath, K. Purdon, J. Paden, H. A. Fricker, F. S. Paolo, and A. H. Fleming
The Cryosphere, 9, 1005–1024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves have collapsed in recent decades. The surface of Larsen C Ice Shelf is lowering, but the cause of this has not been understood. This study uses eight radar surveys to show that the lowering is caused by both ice loss and a loss of air from the ice shelf's snowpack. At least two different processes are causing the lowering. The stability of Larsen C may be at risk from an ungrounding of Bawden Ice Rise or ice-front retreat past a 'compressive arch' in strain rates.
A. M. Brisbourne, A. M. Smith, E. C. King, K. W. Nicholls, P. R. Holland, and K. Makinson
The Cryosphere, 8, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1-2014, 2014
P. Fretwell, H. D. Pritchard, D. G. Vaughan, J. L. Bamber, N. E. Barrand, R. Bell, C. Bianchi, R. G. Bingham, D. D. Blankenship, G. Casassa, G. Catania, D. Callens, H. Conway, A. J. Cook, H. F. J. Corr, D. Damaske, V. Damm, F. Ferraccioli, R. Forsberg, S. Fujita, Y. Gim, P. Gogineni, J. A. Griggs, R. C. A. Hindmarsh, P. Holmlund, J. W. Holt, R. W. Jacobel, A. Jenkins, W. Jokat, T. Jordan, E. C. King, J. Kohler, W. Krabill, M. Riger-Kusk, K. A. Langley, G. Leitchenkov, C. Leuschen, B. P. Luyendyk, K. Matsuoka, J. Mouginot, F. O. Nitsche, Y. Nogi, O. A. Nost, S. V. Popov, E. Rignot, D. M. Rippin, A. Rivera, J. Roberts, N. Ross, M. J. Siegert, A. M. Smith, D. Steinhage, M. Studinger, B. Sun, B. K. Tinto, B. C. Welch, D. Wilson, D. A. Young, C. Xiangbin, and A. Zirizzotti
The Cryosphere, 7, 375–393, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-375-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-375-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Discipline: Ice sheets | Subject: Field Studies
A field study on ice melting and breakup in a boreal lake, Pääjärvi, in Finland
Ice plate deformation and cracking revealed by an in-situ distributed acoustic sensing array
Rapid and accurate polarimetric radar measurements of ice crystal fabric orientation at the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core site
Glacier algae accelerate melt rates on the south-western Greenland Ice Sheet
Pore morphology of polar firn around closure revealed by X-ray tomography
Yaodan Zhang, Marta Fregona, John Loehr, Joonatan Ala-Könni, Shuang Song, Matti Leppäranta, and Zhijun Li
The Cryosphere, 17, 2045–2058, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2045-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2045-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
There are few detailed studies during the ice decay period, primarily because in situ observations during decay stages face enormous challenges due to safety issues. In the present work, ice monitoring was based on foot, hydrocopter, and boat to get a full time series of the evolution of ice structure and geochemical properties. We argue that the rapid changes in physical and geochemical properties of ice have an important influence on regional climate and the ecological environment under ice.
Jun Xie, Xiangfang Zeng, Chao Liang, Sidao Ni, Risheng Chu, Feng Bao, Rongbing Lin, Benxin Chi, and Hao Lv
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-26, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-26, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
Short summary
Short summary
Seismology can help study the mechanism of disintegration of floating ice plates. We conduct a seismic experiment on a frozen lake using a distributed acoustic sensing array. Icequakes and low frequency events are detected with an artificial intelligence method. Our study demonstrates the merit of distributed acoustic sensing array in illuminating the internal failure process and properties of ice shelf, which eventually contributes to understanding and prediction of ice shelf collapse.
Tun Jan Young, Carlos Martín, Poul Christoffersen, Dustin M. Schroeder, Slawek M. Tulaczyk, and Eliza J. Dawson
The Cryosphere, 15, 4117–4133, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4117-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4117-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
If the molecules that make up ice are oriented in specific ways, the ice becomes softer and enhances flow. We use radar to measure the orientation of ice molecules in the top 1400 m of the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide. Our results match those from an ice core extracted 10 years ago and conclude that the ice flow has not changed direction for the last 6700 years. Our methods are straightforward and accurate and can be applied in places across ice sheets unsuitable for ice coring.
Joseph M. Cook, Andrew J. Tedstone, Christopher Williamson, Jenine McCutcheon, Andrew J. Hodson, Archana Dayal, McKenzie Skiles, Stefan Hofer, Robert Bryant, Owen McAree, Andrew McGonigle, Jonathan Ryan, Alexandre M. Anesio, Tristram D. L. Irvine-Fynn, Alun Hubbard, Edward Hanna, Mark Flanner, Sathish Mayanna, Liane G. Benning, Dirk van As, Marian Yallop, James B. McQuaid, Thomas Gribbin, and Martyn Tranter
The Cryosphere, 14, 309–330, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-309-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-309-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is a major source of uncertainty for sea level rise projections. Ice-darkening due to the growth of algae has been recognized as a potential accelerator of melting. This paper measures and models the algae-driven ice melting and maps the algae over the ice sheet for the first time. We estimate that as much as 13 % total runoff from the south-western GrIS can be attributed to these algae, showing that they must be included in future mass balance models.
Alexis Burr, Clément Ballot, Pierre Lhuissier, Patricia Martinerie, Christophe L. Martin, and Armelle Philip
The Cryosphere, 12, 2481–2500, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2481-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2481-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Three-dimensional imaging of the pore network of polar firn from Antarctica was realized in order to relate the morphological evolution of pores with their progressive closure with depth. Evaluating the closed porosity was found to be very dependent on the size of samples and image reconstructions. A connectivity index, which is a parameter less dependent on such issues, was proposed and proved to accurately predict the close-off depths and densities of two polar sites.
Cited articles
Alley, R. B.: Fabrics in polar ice sheets: development and prediction,
Science, 240, 493–495, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.240.4851.493, 1988.
Azuma, N. and Higashi, A.: Formation Processes of Ice Fabric Pattern in Ice
Sheets, Ann. Glaciol., 6, 130–134, https://doi.org/10.3189/1985AoG6-1-130-134, 1985.
Azuma, N., Wang, Y., Mori, K., Narita, H., Hondoh, T., Shoji, H., and
Watanabe, O.: Textures and fabrics in the Dome F (Antarctica) ice core, Ann.
Glaciol., 29, 163–168, 1999.
Baird, A. F., Kendall, J. M., Fisher, Q. J., and Budge, J.: The Role of
Texture, Cracks, and Fractures in Highly Anisotropic Shales, J.
Geophys. Res.-Sol. Ea., 122, 10341–10351,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jb014710, 2017.
Bargmann, S., Seddik, H., and Greve, R.: Computational modeling of
flow-induced anisotropy of polar ice for the EDML deep drilling site,
Antarctica: The effect of rotation recrystallization and grain boundary
migration, Int. J. Numer. Anal. Met., 36, 892–917, https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.1034, 2012.
Barletta, V. R., Bevis, M., Smith, B. E., Wilson, T., Brown, A., Bordoni,
A., Willis, M., Khan, S. A., Rovira-Navarro, M., Dalziel, I., Smalley, R.,
Kendrick, E., Konfal, S., Caccamise, D. J., Aster, R. C., Nyblade, A., and
Wiens, D. A.: Observed rapid bedrock uplift in Amundsen Sea Embayment
promotes ice-sheet stability, Science, 360, 1335–1339,
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao1447, 2018.
Bath, M.: Spectral analysis in geophysics, in: Developments in Solid Earth
Geophysics, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 415 pp., 1974.
Bentley, C. R.: Seismic Evidence for Moraine within the Basal Antarctic Ice
Sheet, in: Antarctic snow and ice studies II, edited by: Crary, A. P., American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, 89–129, https://doi.org/10.1029/AR016p0089, 1971.
Bentley, C. R.: Seismic-Wave Velocities in Anisotropic Ice – Comparison of
Measured and Calculated Values in and around Deep Drill Hole at Byrd
Station, Antarctica, J. Geophys. Res., 77, 4406, https://doi.org/10.1029/Jb077i023p04406, 1972.
Bentley, C. R. and Kohnen, H.: Seismic refraction measurements of internal
friction in Antarctic ice, J. Geophys. Res., 81, 1519–1526,
https://doi.org/10.1029/JB081i008p01519, 1976.
Blankenship, D. D. and Bentley, C. R.: The crystalline fabric of polar ice
sheets inferred from seismic anisotropy, IAHS Publ., 170, 17–28, 1987.
Booth, A. D., Christoffersen, P., Schoonman, C., Clarke, A., Hubbard, B.,
Law, R., Doyle, S. H., Chudley, T. R., and Chalari, A.: Distributed Acoustic
Sensing of Seismic Properties in a Borehole Drilled on a Fast-Flowing
Greenlandic Outlet Glacier, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2020GL088148, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gl088148, 2020.
Bradley, S. L., Hindmarsh, R. C. A., Whitehouse, P. L., Bentley, M. J., and
King, M. A.: Low post-glacial rebound rates in the Weddell Sea due to Late
Holocene ice-sheet readvance, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 413, 79–89, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2014.12.039, 2015.
Brisbourne, A. M. and Kendall, K. M.: Downhole distributed acoustic seismic profiles at SkyTrain Ice Rise, West Antarctica, January 2020 (Version 1.0) [Data set], UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation, https://doi.org/10.5285/99F0D269-D8FA-48E0-89E6-358486D82330, 2021.
Brisbourne, A. M., Martín, C., Smith, A. M., Baird, A. F., Kendall, J.
M., and Kingslake, J.: Constraining Recent Ice Flow History at Korff Ice
Rise, West Antarctica, Using Radar and Seismic Measurements of Ice Fabric,
J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 124, 175–194, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jf004776, 2019.
Conway, H., Hall, B. L., Denton, G. H., Gades, A. M., and Waddington, E. D.:
Past and future grounding-line retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet,
Science, 286, 280–283, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.286.5438.280, 1999.
Dasgupta, R. and Clark, R. A.: Estimation of Q from surface seismic
reflection data, Geophysics, 63, 2120–2128, https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1444505, 1998.
Dean, T., Cuny, T., and Hartog, A. H.: The effect of gauge length on axially
incident P-waves measured using fibre optic distributed vibration sensing,
Geophys. Prospect., 65, 184–193, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2478.12419, 2017.
Diez, A., Eisen, O., Hofstede, C., Lambrecht, A., Mayer, C., Miller, H., Steinhage, D., Binder, T., and Weikusat, I.: Seismic wave propagation in anisotropic ice – Part 2: Effects of crystal anisotropy in geophysical data, The Cryosphere, 9, 385–398, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-385-2015, 2015.
Doake, C. S. M., Corr, H. F. J., and Jenkins, A.: Polarisation of radio
waves transmitted through Antarctic ice shelves., Ann. Glaciol., 34,
165–170, 2002.
Durand, G., Gillet-Chaulet, F., Svensson, A., Gagliardini, O., Kipfstuhl, S., Meyssonnier, J., Parrenin, F., Duval, P., and Dahl-Jensen, D.: Change in ice rheology during climate variations – implications for ice flow modelling and dating of the EPICA Dome C core, Clim. Past, 3, 155–167, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-3-155-2007, 2007.
Duval, P., Ashby, M., and Anderman, I.: Rate-controlling processes in the
creep of polycrystalline ice, J. Phys. Chem., 87, 4066–4074, 1983.
Fujita, S., Maeno, H., and Matsuoka, K.: Radio-wave depolarization and
scattering within ice sheets: a matrix-based model to link radar and
ice-core measurements and its application, J. Glaciol., 52, 407–424, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756506781828548, 2006.
Griffiths, L. J., Smolka, F. R., and Trembly, L. D.: Adaptive Deconvolution:
A New Technique for Processing Time-Varying Seismic Data, Geophysics, 42,
742–759, https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1440743, 1977.
Guest, W. S. and Kendall, J. M.: Modelling seismic waveforms in anisotropic
inhomogeneous media using ray and Maslov asymptotic theory: application to
exploration seismology, Can. J. Explor. Geophys., 29, 78–92, 1993.
Hargreaves, N. D.: The polarization of radio signals in the radio echo
sounding of ice sheets, J. Phys. D, 10, 1285–1304, https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/10/9/012,
1977.
Hartog, A. H.: An introduction to distributed optical fibre sensors, CRC
Press/Taylor and Francis, Boca Raton, Florida, 2017.
Hillenbrand, C. D., Bentley, M. J., Stolldorf, T. D., Hein, A. S., Kuhn, G.,
Graham, A. G. C., Fogwill, C. J., Kristoffersen, Y., Smith, J. A., Anderson,
J. B., Larter, R. D., Melles, M., Hodgson, D. A., Mulvaney, R., and Sugden,
D. E.: Reconstruction of changes in the Weddell Sea sector of the Antarctic
Ice Sheet since the Last Glacial Maximum, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 100, 111–136, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.07.020, 2014.
Horgan, H. J., Anandakrishnan, S., Alley, R. B., Peters, L. E., Tsoflias, G.
P., Voigt, D. E., and Winberry, J. P.: Complex fabric development revealed
by englacial seismic reflectivity: Jakobshavn Isbr ae, Greenland, Geophys.
Res. Lett., 35, L10501, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008gl033712, 2008.
Horgan, H. J., Anandakrishnan, S., Alley, R. B., Burkett, P. G., and Peters,
L. E.: Englacial seismic reflectivity: imaging crystal-orientation fabric in
West Antarctica, J. Glaciol., 57, 639–650, 2011.
Hubbard, B., Binley, A., Slater, L., Middleton, R., and Kulessa, B.:
Inter-borehole electrical resistivity imaging of englacial drainage, J.
Glaciol., 44, 429–435, 1998.
Hubbard, B., Philippe, M., Pattyn, F., Drews, R., Young, T. J., Bruyninx,
C., Bergeot, N., Fjøsne, K., and Tison, J.-L.: High-resolution
distributed vertical strain and velocity from repeat borehole logging by
optical televiewer: Derwael Ice Rise, Antarctica, J. Glaciol., 66, 523–529, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.18, 2020.
IPCC: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of
Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United
Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 1535 pp., 2013.
Kendall, J.-M. and Thomson, C. J.: A comment on the form of the geometrical
spreading equations, with some numerical examples of seismic ray tracing in
inhomogeneous, anisotropic media, Geophys. J. Int., 99, 401–413, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.1989.tb01697.x, 1989.
Kingslake, J., Martin, C., Arthern, R. J., Corr, H. F. J., and King, E. C.:
Ice-flow reorganization in West Antarctica 2.5 kyr ago dated using
radar-derived englacial flow velocities, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, 9103–9112, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gl070278, 2016.
Kingslake, J., Scherer, R. P., Albrecht, T., Coenen, J., Powell, R. D.,
Reese, R., Stansell, N. D., Tulaczyk, S., Wearing, M. G., and Whitehouse, P.
L.: Extensive retreat and re-advance of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during
the Holocene, Nature, 558, 430–434, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0208-x, 2018.
Kuroiwa, D.: Internal Friction of Ice. I; The Internal Friction of H2O and
D2O Ice, and the Influence of Chemical Impurities on Mechanical Damping,
Contributions from the Institute of Low Temperature Science, 18, 1–37, 1964.
Kuvshinov, B. N.: Interaction of helically wound fibre-optic cables with
plane seismic waves, Geophys. Prospect., 64, 671–688, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2478.12303,
2015.
Larour, E., Seroussi, H., Adhikari, S., Ivins, E., Caron, L., Morlighem, M.,
and Schlegel, N.: Slowdown in Antarctic mass loss from solid Earth and
sea-level feedbacks, Science, 364, eaav7908, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aav7908, 2019.
Lipenkov, V. Y., Barkov, N. I., Duval, P., and Pimienta, P.: Crystalline
Texture of the 2083-M Ice Core at Vostok Station, Antarctica, J. Glaciol.,
35, 392–398, 1989.
Lutz, F., Eccles, J., Prior, D. J., Craw, L., Fan, S., Hulbe, C., Forbes,
M., Still, H., Pyne, A., and Mandeno, D.: Constraining Ice Shelf Anisotropy
Using Shear Wave Splitting Measurements from Active-Source Borehole
Seismics, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 125, e2020JF005707, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JF005707, 2020.
Martin, C., Hindmarsh, R. C. A., and Navarro, F. J.: Dating ice flow change
near the flow divide at Roosevelt Island, Antarctica, by using a
thermomechanical model to predict radar stratigraphy, J. Geophys.
Res.-Earth, 111, F01011, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005jf000326, 2006.
Martin, C., Gudmundsson, G. H., Pritchard, H. D., and Gagliardini, O.: On
the effects of anisotropic rheology on ice flow, internal structure, and the
age-depth relationship at ice divides, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 114, F04001, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008jf001204, 2009.
Matsuoka, K., Hindmarsh, R. C. A., Moholdt, G., Bentley, M. J., Pritchard,
H. D., Brown, J., Conway, H., Drews, R., Durand, G., Goldberg, D.,
Hattermann, T., Kingslake, J., Lenaerts, J. T. M., Martin, C., Mulvaney, R.,
Nicholls, K. W., Pattyn, F., Ross, N., Scambos, T., and Whitehouse, P. L.:
Antarctic ice rises and rumples: Their properties and significance for
ice-sheet dynamics and evolution, Earth-Sci. Rev., 150, 724–745, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2015.09.004, 2015.
Mercer, J. H.: West Antarctic ice sheet and CO2 greenhouse effect: a threat
of disaster, Nature, 271, 321–325, 1978.
Montagnat, M., Buiron, D., Arnaud, L., Broquet, A., Schlitz, P., Jacob, R.,
and Kipfstuhl, S.: Measurements and numerical simulation of fabric evolution
along the Tabs Dome ice core, Antarctica, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 357,
168–178, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.09.025, 2012.
Mulvaney, R., Rix, J., Polfrey, S., Grieman, M., Martìn, C.,
Nehrbass-Ahles, C., Rowell, I., Tuckwell, R., and Wolff, E.: Ice drilling on
Skytrain Ice Rise and Sherman Island, Antarctica, Ann. Glaciol., 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2021.7, online first, 2021.
Nakamura, T. and Abe, O.: Internal friction of Antarctic Mizuho ice cores
at low frequency, Mem. Natl. Inst. Polar Res. (Jpn.), 10, 102–113, 1978.
Nereson, N. A., Raymond, C. F., Waddington, E. D., and Jacobel, R. W.:
Recent migration of Siple Dome ice divide, West Antarctica, J. Glaciol., 44,
643–652, 1998.
Obbard, R. W., Cassano, T., Aho, K., Troderman, G., and Baker, I.: Using
borehole logging and electron backscatter diffraction to orient an ice core
from Upper Fremont Glacier, Wyoming, USA, J. Glaciol., 57, 832–840,
https://doi.org/10.3189/002214311798043762, 2011.
Oguro, M., Hatano, K., and Kato, S.: Orientation dependence of internal
friction in artificial single crystals of ice, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 6,
29–35, https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-232X(82)90042-8, 1982.
Peters, L. E., Anandakrishnan, S., Alley, R. B., and Voigt, D. E.: Seismic
attenuation in glacial ice: A proxy for englacial temperature, J. Geophys.
Res.-Earth, 117, F02008, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jf002201, 2012.
Raymond, C. F.: Flow in a transverse section of Athabasca Glacier, Alberta,
Canada, J. Glaciol., 10, 55–84, 1971.
Raymond, C. F.: Deformation in the vicinity of ice divides, J. Glaciol., 29,
357–373, 1983.
Rignot, E., Mouginot, J., and Scheuchl, B.: Ice Flow of the Antarctic Ice
Sheet, Science, 333, 1427–1430, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1208336, 2011.
Rignot, E., Mouginot, J., Scheuchl, B., van den Broeke, M., van Wessem, M.
J., and Morlighem, M.: Four decades of Antarctic Ice Sheet mass balance from
1979–2017, P. Natl. Acad. Sci., 116, 1095–1103, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1812883116,
2019.
Rix, J., Mulvaney, R., Hong, J., and Ashurst, D. A. N.: Development of the
British Antarctic Survey Rapid Access Isotope Drill, J. Glaciol., 65,
288–298, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.9, 2019.
Roberson, S. and Hubbard, B.: Application of borehole optical televiewing
to investigating the 3-D structure of glaciers: implications for the
formation of longitudinal debris ridges, midre Lovénbreen, Svalbard, J.
Glaciol., 56, 143–156, 2010.
Ross, N., Bingham, R. G., Corr, H. F. J., Ferraccioli, F., Jordan, T. A., Le
Brocq, A., Rippin, D. M., Young, D., Blankenship, D. D., and Siegert, M. J.:
Steep reverse bed slope at the grounding line of the Weddell Sea sector in
West Antarctica, Nat. Geosci., 5, 393–396, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1468, 2012.
Savage, M. K.: Seismic anisotropy and mantle deformation: What have we
learned from shear wave splitting?, Rev. Geophys., 37, 65–106, https://doi.org/10.1029/98rg02075, 1999.
Scambos, T. A., Haran, T. M., Fahnestock, M. A., Painter, T. H., and
Bohlander, J.: MODIS-based Mosaic of Antarctica (MOA) data sets:
Continent-wide surface morphology and snow grain size, Remote Sens.
Environ., 111, 242–257, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2006.12.020, 2007.
Shepherd, A., Ivins, E., Rignot, E., Smith, B., van den Broeke, M.,
Velicogna, I., Whitehouse, P., Briggs, K., Joughin, I., Krinner, G.,
Nowicki, S., Payne, T., Scambos, T., Schlegel, N., A, G., Agosta, C.,
Ahlstrøm, A., Babonis, G., Barletta, V., Blazquez, A., Bonin, J., Csatho,
B., Cullather, R., Felikson, D., Fettweis, X., Forsberg, R., Gallee, H.,
Gardner, A., Gilbert, L., Groh, A., Gunter, B., Hanna, E., Harig, C., Helm,
V., Horvath, A., Horwath, M., Khan, S., Kjeldsen, K. K., Konrad, H., Langen,
P., Lecavalier, B., Loomis, B., Luthcke, S., McMillan, M., Melini, D.,
Mernild, S., Mohajerani, Y., Moore, P., Mouginot, J., Moyano, G., Muir, A.,
Nagler, T., Nield, G., Nilsson, J., Noel, B., Otosaka, I., Pattle, M. E.,
Peltier, W. R., Pie, N., Rietbroek, R., Rott, H., Sandberg-Sørensen, L.,
Sasgen, I., Save, H., Scheuchl, B., Schrama, E., Schröder, L., Seo,
K.-W., Simonsen, S., Slater, T., Spada, G., Sutterley, T., Talpe, M.,
Tarasov, L., van de Berg, W. J., van der Wal, W., van Wessem, M.,
Vishwakarma, B. D., Wiese, D., Wouters, B., and The, I. T.: Mass balance of
the Antarctic Ice Sheet from 1992 to 2017, Nature, 558, 219–222, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0179-y, 2018.
Siegert, M., Ross, N., Corr, H., Kingslake, J., and Hindmarsh, R.: Late
Holocene ice-flow reconfiguration in the Weddell Sea sector of West
Antarctica, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 78, 98–107, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.08.003,
2013.
Siegert, M. J., Kingslake, J., Ross, N., Whitehouse, P. L., Woodward, J.,
Jamieson, S. S. R., Bentley, M. J., Winter, K., Wearing, M., Hein, A. S.,
Jeofry, H., and Sugden, D. E.: Major Ice Sheet Change in the Weddell Sea
Sector of West Antarctica Over the Last 5,000 Years, Rev. Geophys., 57,
1197–1223, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019rg000651, 2019.
Smith, E. C., Baird, A. F., Kendall, J. M., Martín, C., White, R. S.,
Brisbourne, A. M., and Smith, A. M.: Ice fabric in an Antarctic ice stream
interpreted from seismic anisotropy, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 3710–3718, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gl072093, 2017.
Thorsteinsson, T., Kipfstuhl, J., and Miller, H.: Textures and fabrics in
the GRIP ice core, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 102, 26583–26599, https://doi.org/10.1029/97jc00161, 1997.
Tromp, J., Komattisch, D., and Liu, Q.: Spectral-Element and Adjoint Methods
in Seismology, Commun. Comput. Phys., 3, 1–32, 2008.
Ukil, A., Braendle, H., and Krippner, P.: Distributed Temperature Sensing:
Review of Technology and Applications, IEEE Sens. J., 12, 885–892, https://doi.org/10.1109/JSEN.2011.2162060, 2012.
Walter, F., Gräff, D., Lindner, F., Paitz, P., Köpfli, M., Chmiel,
M., and Fichtner, A.: Distributed acoustic sensing of microseismic sources
and wave propagation in glaciated terrain, Nat. Commun., 11, 2436, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15824-6, 2020.
Wang, Y., Kipfstuhl, S., Azuma, N., Thorsteinsson, T., and Miller, H.:
Ice-fabrics study in the upper 1500 m of the Dome C (East Antarctica) deep
ice core, Ann. Glaciol., 37, 97–104, 2003.
Wearing, M. G. and Kingslake, J.: Holocene Formation of Henry Ice Rise,
West Antarctica, Inferred From Ice-Penetrating Radar, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 124, 2224–2240, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jf004988, 2019.
Weikusat, I., Jansen, D., Binder, T., Eichler, J., Faria, S. H., Wilhelms,
F., Kipfstuhl, S., Sheldon, S., Miller, H., Dahl-Jensen, D., and Kleiner,
T.: Physical analysis of an Antarctic ice core-towards an integration of
micro- and macrodynamics of polar ice, Philos. T. R. Soc. A,
375, 20150347, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2015.0347, 2017.
Short summary
How ice sheets flowed in the past is written into the structure and texture of the ice sheet itself. Measuring this structure and properties of the ice can help us understand the recent behaviour of the ice sheets. We use a relatively new technique, not previously attempted in Antarctica, to measure the seismic vibrations of a fibre optic cable down a borehole. We demonstrate the potential of this technique to unravel past ice flow and see hints of these complex signals from the ice flow itself.
How ice sheets flowed in the past is written into the structure and texture of the ice sheet...
