Articles | Volume 17, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3461-2023
© Author(s) 2023. 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-17-3461-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
24 Aug 2023
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 24 Aug 2023
| 24 Aug 2023
Stagnant ice and age modelling in the Dome C region, Antarctica
Ailsa Chung
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE, 38000
Grenoble, France
Frédéric Parrenin
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE, 38000
Grenoble, France
Daniel Steinhage
Glaciology, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany
Robert Mulvaney
British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
Carlos Martín
British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
Marie G. P. Cavitte
Earth and Life Institute (ELI), Université catholique de Louvain-La-Neuve (UCLouvain), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
David A. Lilien
Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
Veit Helm
Glaciology, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany
Drew Taylor
Remote Sensing Center, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Prasad Gogineni
Remote Sensing Center, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Catherine Ritz
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE, 38000
Grenoble, France
Massimo Frezzotti
Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
Charles O'Neill
EH Group, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Heinrich Miller
Glaciology, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany
Dorthe Dahl-Jensen
Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
Olaf Eisen
Glaciology, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany
Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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Cited
19 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Potential to recover a record of Holocene climate and sea ice from Müller Ice Cap, Canada D. Lilien et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2024.75
- Age–depth distribution in western Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica, and Antarctic-wide comparisons of internal reflection horizons S. Franke et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1153-2025
- age_flow_line-1.0: a fast and accurate numerical age model for a pseudo-steady flow tube of an ice sheet F. Parrenin et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-8203-2025
- Evaluating marine dust records as templates for optical dating of Oldest Ice J. Ng et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1437-2024
- Mapping age and basal conditions of ice in the Dome Fuji region, Antarctica, by combining radar internal layer stratigraphy and flow modeling Z. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4297-2023
- Faster chemical mapping assisted by computer vision: insights from glass and ice core samples P. Larkman et al. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5AN00325C
- The impact of measurement precision on the resolvable resolution of ice core water isotope reconstructions F. Shaw et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4913-2025
- What does the impurity variability at the microscale represent in ice cores? Insights from a conceptual approach P. Larkman et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1373-2025
- Dated radar-stratigraphy between Dome A and South Pole, East Antarctica: old ice potential and ice sheet history R. Sanderson et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2024.60
- A new coastal ice-core site identified in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, for high-resolution climate reconstructions to the Last Glacial Maximum V. Goel et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1363-2026
- Review article: AntArchitecture – building an age–depth model from Antarctica's radiostratigraphy to explore ice-sheet evolution R. Bingham et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4611-2025
- Age, thinning and spatial origin of the Beyond EPICA ice from a 2.5D ice flow model A. Chung et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4125-2025
- Towards high-resolution water isotope analysis in ice cores using laser ablation – cavity ring-down spectroscopy E. Malegiannaki et al. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4AN01054J
- Basal unit radar characteristics at the southern flank of Dome A, East Antarctica S. Yan et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-453-2026
- Advancing interpretation of incoherent scattering in ice-penetrating radar data used for ice core site selection E. Mutter & N. Holschuh https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3159-2025
- Radar isochrones as constraints on paleo–ice-sheet model simulations in two off-divide regions of East Antarctica J. Bodart et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1379-2026
- Review article: 30 years of airborne radar surveys on the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets by the Alfred Wegener Institute S. Franke et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2485-2026
- Doomed descent? How fast sulphate signals diffuse in the EPICA Dome C ice column F. Ng et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5693-2025
- Ice core site considerations from modeling CO2 and O2 ∕ N2 ratio diffusion in interior East Antarctica M. Sailer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-2389-2025
19 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Potential to recover a record of Holocene climate and sea ice from Müller Ice Cap, Canada D. Lilien et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2024.75
- Age–depth distribution in western Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica, and Antarctic-wide comparisons of internal reflection horizons S. Franke et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1153-2025
- age_flow_line-1.0: a fast and accurate numerical age model for a pseudo-steady flow tube of an ice sheet F. Parrenin et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-8203-2025
- Evaluating marine dust records as templates for optical dating of Oldest Ice J. Ng et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1437-2024
- Mapping age and basal conditions of ice in the Dome Fuji region, Antarctica, by combining radar internal layer stratigraphy and flow modeling Z. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4297-2023
- Faster chemical mapping assisted by computer vision: insights from glass and ice core samples P. Larkman et al. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5AN00325C
- The impact of measurement precision on the resolvable resolution of ice core water isotope reconstructions F. Shaw et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4913-2025
- What does the impurity variability at the microscale represent in ice cores? Insights from a conceptual approach P. Larkman et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1373-2025
- Dated radar-stratigraphy between Dome A and South Pole, East Antarctica: old ice potential and ice sheet history R. Sanderson et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2024.60
- A new coastal ice-core site identified in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, for high-resolution climate reconstructions to the Last Glacial Maximum V. Goel et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1363-2026
- Review article: AntArchitecture – building an age–depth model from Antarctica's radiostratigraphy to explore ice-sheet evolution R. Bingham et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4611-2025
- Age, thinning and spatial origin of the Beyond EPICA ice from a 2.5D ice flow model A. Chung et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4125-2025
- Towards high-resolution water isotope analysis in ice cores using laser ablation – cavity ring-down spectroscopy E. Malegiannaki et al. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4AN01054J
- Basal unit radar characteristics at the southern flank of Dome A, East Antarctica S. Yan et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-453-2026
- Advancing interpretation of incoherent scattering in ice-penetrating radar data used for ice core site selection E. Mutter & N. Holschuh https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3159-2025
- Radar isochrones as constraints on paleo–ice-sheet model simulations in two off-divide regions of East Antarctica J. Bodart et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1379-2026
- Review article: 30 years of airborne radar surveys on the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets by the Alfred Wegener Institute S. Franke et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2485-2026
- Doomed descent? How fast sulphate signals diffuse in the EPICA Dome C ice column F. Ng et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5693-2025
- Ice core site considerations from modeling CO2 and O2 ∕ N2 ratio diffusion in interior East Antarctica M. Sailer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-2389-2025
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 07 Jun 2026
Editorial statement
Oldest Ice is a large project with broad interest and appealing targets. This study shows (i) that the current Beyond EPICA and Million Year Ice Core drilling projects at Little Dome C in Antarctica are expected to extract continuous ice core of almost 1.5 million years; and (ii) estimates the spatial extent of a stagnant ice layer in the Dome C region. This layer of ice could be millions of years old and could have large scale implications for the whole Antarctic ice sheet dynamics.
Oldest Ice is a large project with broad interest and appealing targets. This study shows (i)...
Short summary
We combined a numerical model with radar measurements in order to determine the age of ice in the Dome C region of Antarctica. Our results show that at the current ice core drilling sites on Little Dome C, the maximum age of the ice is almost 1.5 Ma. We also highlight a new potential drill site called North Patch with ice up to 2 Ma. Finally, we explore the nature of a stagnant ice layer at the base of the ice sheet which has been independently observed and modelled but is not well understood.
We combined a numerical model with radar measurements in order to determine the age of ice in...
