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Subglacial topography inferred from ice surface terrain analysis reveals a large un-surveyed basin below sea level in East Antarctica

Le Brocq, A.M.; Hubbard, A.; Bentley, M.J.; Bamer, J.L.

Subglacial topography inferred from ice surface terrain analysis reveals a large un-surveyed basin below sea level in East Antarctica Thumbnail


Authors

A.M. Le Brocq

A. Hubbard

J.L. Bamer



Abstract

A terrain analysis technique relating ice-surface plan curvature to basal topography is applied to the Antarctic Ice Sheet. The technique suggests complex bed topography and a large subglacial basin more than 1500 m below present day sea level under the Recovery Glacier and its catchment in East Antarctica. Despite the importance of accurate subglacial topography for understanding the nature of ice flow and for numerical modeling, available data in this region are sparse. The presence of a large area of ice grounded below sea level, flowing at elevated velocities could have significant implications for the potential stability of this region of East Antarctica, previously thought to contain only small areas of marine ice sheet. The catchment region alone contains an ice volume equivalent to 2.6 m of global sea level rise, therefore it is important that the nature of the basal conditions in this region are better understood.

Citation

Le Brocq, A., Hubbard, A., Bentley, M., & Bamer, J. (2008). Subglacial topography inferred from ice surface terrain analysis reveals a large un-surveyed basin below sea level in East Antarctica. Geophysical Research Letters, 35(16), Article L16503. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008gl034728

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Aug 29, 2008
Deposit Date Sep 11, 2009
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Geophysical Research Letters
Print ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 35
Issue 16
Article Number L16503
DOI https://doi.org/10.1029/2008gl034728
Keywords Antarctica, Basal topography, Terrain analysis.
Publisher URL http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/gl0816/2008GL034728/

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Copyright Statement
© 2008 American Geophysical Union.
Le Brocq, A. M. and Hubbard, A. and Bentley, M. J. and Bamer, J. L., (2008), 'Subglacial
topography inferred from ice surface terrain analysis reveals a large un-surveyed basin
below sea level in East Antarctica.', Geophysical research letters., 35, L16503, 10.1029/2008GL034728 (DOI). To view the published open abstract, go to http://dx.doi.org and enter the DOI.





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