bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improvement of radar ice-thickness measurements of Greenland outlet glaciers using SAR processing
Authors: Braaten David A. , Gogineni S. Prasad , Tammana Dilip , Namburi Saikiran , Paden John , Gurumoorthy Krishna K.
Published: November 2007

Extensive aircraft-based radar ice-thickness measurements over the interior and outlet-glacier regions of the Greenland ice sheet have been obtained by the University of Kansas since 1993, with the latest airborne surveys conducted in May 2001. the radar has evolved during this period to a highly versatile system capable of characterizing ice thickness over a wide variety of ice-sheet conditions. Before 1997, the digital system was limited, only capable of storing incoherent data or coherent data with a very large number of presumed signals at a low pulse-repetition frequency. In 1998, the radar was upgraded with modern components allowing coherent data to be stored with a small number of presumed returns for 1024 range cells at a high pulse-repetition frequency. the new data on ice thickness of Greenland outlet glaciers are archived and made available to the scientific community in the form of radar echograms and derived ice thickness at http://tornado.rsl.ukans.edu/Greenlanddata.htm. the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) also provides a link to these data, and NSIDC will eventually serve as the permanent archive of these data. Improvements in radar sensitivity in outlet-glacier regions have been achieved by collecting coherent radar data and applying various signal-processing techniques. Deep outlet-glacier channels that were previously unresolved with incoherent data can now be mapped using a coherent signal, signal conditioning and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing.
Atmospheric CO2, CH4 and N2O records over the past 60 000 years based on the comparison of different polar ice cores
Authors: Stauffer Bernard , Flückiger Jacqueline , Monnin Eric , Schwander Jakob , Barnola Jean-Marc , Chappellaz Jérôme
Published: November 2007

Analyses of air extracted from polar ice cores are the most straightforward method of reconstructing the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and their variations for past climatic epochs. These measurements show that the concentration of the three most important greenhouse gases (other than water vapour) CO2, CH4 and N2O have steadily increased during the past 250 years due to anthropogenic activities (Prather and others, 2001; Prentice and others, 2001). Ice-core results also provided the first evidence of a substantial increase in the concentration of the three gases during the transition from the last glacial epoch to the Holocene (Raynaud and others, 1993). However, results from different cores are not always in agreement concerning details and small, short-term variations. the composition of the air enclosed in bubbles can be slightly changed by fractionation during the enclosure process, by chemical reactions and/or biological activity in the ice and by fractionation during the air extraction. We compile here several records with short-term variations or anomalies and discuss possible causes, taking into account improved analytical techniques and new results.
Modelling of large-scale melt parameters with a regional climate model in south Greenland during the 1991 melt season
Authors: Lefebre Filip , Gallée Hubert , Van Ypersele Jean-Pascal , Huybrechts Philippe
Published: November 2007

Large-scale positive degree-day based melt parameterizations for the Greenland ice sheet are highly sensitive to their parameters (standard temperature deviation, snow and ice degree-day factors). In this paper, these parameters are simulated with a coupled atmosphere–snow regional climate model for southern Greenland during summer 1991, forced at the lateral boundaries with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts re-analyses at a high horizontal resolution of 20 km. the calculated (from net ablation, i.e. melt minus refreezing) snow and ice positive degree-day factors vary considerably over the ice sheet. At low elevations, the modelled snow degree-day factor closely approaches the generally accepted value of 3 mm w.e. d–1 ˚C–1.Higher up the ice sheet, large values up to 15 mm w.e. d– 1 ˚C– 1 are simulated. for ice melt, maximum values of 40 mm w.e. d–1 ˚C– 1 are found. the snow and ice positive degree-day factor distributions peak, respectively, at 3 and 8mm w.e. d–1 ˚C–1. Refreezing is of small importance close to the ice-sheet margin. Higher up the ice sheet, refreezing considerably lowers the amount of net ablation. the monthly simulated 2 m air-temperature standard deviation exhibits a strong seasonal cycle, with the highest (3.0–5.0˚C) values in May and June. July shows the lowest temperature fluctuations, due to the melting of the surface.
Distribution of oxygen isotope ratios and snow accumulation rates in Wilhelm II Land, East Antarctica
Authors: Smith Barbara T. , van Ommen Tas D. , Morgan Vin I.
Published: November 2007

Records of recent oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) and accumulation rates are presented for the region of Wilhelm II Land, East Antarctica, between 78˚ and 93˚E and from the coast to 2100m elevation. These records were derived from analysis of 21 shallow firn cores collected during the 1997/98 and 1998/99 Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions summer operations. the accumulation rates were determined using comparisons between detailed analyses of density, δ18O, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels and electrical conductivity. the δ18O distribution follows an approximately linear relationship with snow surface elevation, with values from –22‰ near the coast to –32‰ towards 2000m elevation. Accumulation-rate distribution does not display this simple relationship with topography. South of the West Ice Shelf the contours run parallel to lines of latitude (oblique to the coast and topography), with 400 kg m–2 a–1 towards the coast and 2000m elevation, and a lower zone of 300 kg m–2 a–1 along an axis of 68.4˚ S. This pattern of accumulation is also evident along the Mirny–Vostok traverse route. Southwest of the West Ice Shelf the rate of accumulation drops gradually from 300 to 200 kg m–2 a–1 towards Lambert Glacier basin. Surface-snow redistribution and variations in accumulation rate cause variability in the clarity of core records, but several sites show sufficient stratigraphic preservation to suggest potential for extraction of extended palaeoenvironmental records through further drilling.
60 years record of biogenic sulfur from Lambert Glacier basin firn core, East Antarctica
Authors: Junying Sun , Jiawen Ren , Dahe Qin
Published: November 2007

A 15.2 m deep firn core and a 2.7 m snow pit were drilled in the western side of Lambert Glacier basin, East Antarctica, in January 1993. the sampling site LGB16 (72.8˚ S, 57.3˚ E) is located about 650 km from the coast, at approximately 2690ma.s.l. the concentration of methanesulfonate (MSA) was determined in the firn core and snow pit. the continuous MSA record from LGB16, spanning about 60 years from 1933 to 1992, displays a decreasing trend in general, and sharp differences between the upper 10.2 m (corresponding to AD 1952) and the bottom part from 10.2 to 15.2 m. the mean MSA concentration for the whole core is 11.3±14.5 ng g–1; for the upper 10.2 m it is 9.3 ±6.3 ng g–1, compared to 15.4±23.0 ng g–1 for the bottom part. the bottom part has a greater number of high MSA peaks, which is consistent with the Cl– and, to a lesser extent, Na+ records for this core. A negative correlation was observed between sea-ice area for the South Indian Ocean sector (40–90˚E) and MSA concentration in LGB16. No significant link was observed between the high MSA concentration and El Niño events at this location.
Annual-layer determinations and 167 year records of past climate of H72 ice core in east Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica
Authors: Nishio Fumihiko , Furukawa Teruo , Hashida Gen , Igarashi Makoto , Kameda Takao , Kohno Mika , Motoyama Hideaki , Naoki Kazuhiro , Satow Kazuhide , Suzuki Keisuke , Takata Morimasa , Toyama Yoko , Yamada Tomomi , Watanabe Okitsugu
Published: November 2007

To determine annual layers for reconstructing the past environment at annual resolution from ice cores, we employed snow-stake data back to 1972, tritium content, solid electrical conductivity measurements (ECM) and stratigraphic properties for the 73m ice core at the H72 site, east Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. the average annual surface mass balance at H72 is 307 mma–1w.e. during the last 27 years from continuous accumulation data, 317 mma–1 w.e. according to the densification model and 311 mma–1 w.e. according to the average surface mass balance for 167 years based on annual-layer counting. the ECM age is closely coincident with tritium age, and corresponds with the snow-stake record back to AD 1972 from the surface to 15 m depth. the H72 ice core is dated as AD 1831by ECMat 73.16 mdepth.The time series of yearly surface mass balance at H72 shows an almost constant 311 mm a–1 w.e. for the last 167 years. the oxygen-isotope records indicate a significant trend to lower values, with negative gradient of 1.7% (100 years)–1.
The polar expression of ENSO and sea-ice variability as recorded in a South Pole ice core
Authors: Meyerson Eric A. , Mayewski Paul A. , Kreutz Karl J. , David Meeker L. , Whitlow Sallie I. , Twickler Mark S.
Published: November 2007

An annually dated ice core recovered from South Pole (2850 m a.s.l.) in 1995, that covers the period 1487–1992, was analyzed for the marine biogenic sulfur species methanesulfonate (MS). Empirical orthogonal function analysis is used to calibrate the high-resolution MS series with associated environmental series for the period of overlap (1973–92). Utilizing this calibration we present a ~500 year long proxy record of the polar expression of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and southeastern Pacific sea-ice extent variations. These records reveal short-term periods of increased (1800–50, 1900–40) and decreased sea-ice extent (1550–1610, 1660–1710, 1760–1800). In general, increased (decreased) sea-ice extent is associated with a higher (lower) frequency of El Niño events.
Effects of snow and firn ventilation on sublimation rates
Authors: Albert Mary R.
Published: November 2007

Vapor transport in snow and firn plays a key role in post-depositional changes of many reactive species, in mass and energy balance of large snow-covered areas, and in metamorphic changes of the crystal structure of the snow itself. While conventional estimates of vapor transport and sublimation rate are based on diffusion of water vapor from the snow surface to the atmosphere, ventilation (airflow through interstitial pore spaces) in snow and firn can affect the top several meters of firn, yet the effects of ventilation on sublimation rates in firn have not been previously investigated. In this paper we present the first calculations of sublimation rates due to advective/ diffusive airflow and vapor transport in the snow and firn. Airflow velocities, vapor transport and sublimation rates are calculated using a two-dimensional finite-element model. the airflow patterns induce regions of sublimation and regions of condensation within the snow and firn. Because small surface sastrugi move in time as the snow surface profile changes due to wind redeposition, the subsurface flow and regions of condensation and sublimation will also likely change on a time-scale of days to weeks. However, if the roughness features are such that they move very little over time, it is likely that the regions of condensation and sublimation will have a noticeable effect on the microstructure of the firn. While the highest mass-transfer rates occur near the surface, the depth of vapor transport and phase change depends on firn properties, wavelength of the snow surface roughness, and temperature.
A multiple-step deformation history of basal ice from the Dye 3 (Greenland) core: new insights from the CO2 and CH4 content
Authors: Verbeke Véronique , Lorrain Reginald , Johnsen Sigfús J. , Tison Jean-Louis
Published: November 2007

The ice depth–age relationship used for the Dye 3 (Greenland) core implies strong deformation of the silty ice present at the bottom. This paper focuses on the study of the relationship between carbon dioxide and methane concentration in the silty ice. In a CO2– CH4 diagram, sample points are well aligned along different straight lines with striking differences in slopes and concentration ranges, depending on their spatial location in the core. These slopes are interpreted as resulting from distinct mixing events between ice-sheet ice flowing from upstream and ice of local origin. Occurrence of these various mixing events suggests a complex deformation history for the basal part of the ice sheet. It involves a progressive build-up of the high-deformation layer along the basal flowline up-glacier from Dye 3, reaching 425 mthickness at the site.
Extracting the annual signal from Greenland ice-core chemistry and isotopic records
Authors: Rasmussen Sune Olander , Andersen Katrine Krogh , Siggaard-Andersen Marie-Louise , Clausen Henrik B.
Published: November 2007

Stratigraphic dating of ice cores by identification and counting of annual cycles in, for example, chemical measurements requires skill and experience. the work presented here investigates a method of data enhancement which is a first step towards an automated and more objective method of annual-layer counting. the method of dynamical decorrelation is briefly introduced and is applied to data from Site D and NorthGRIP in central Greenland. With this method the measured data series are decomposed into a number of independent source series, one of which exhibits a more pronounced annual variation than the input data themselves. the annual variation is more regular in that (1) some double and triple peaks in the measured series are replaced by single peaks in the extracted signal, and (2) the resulting annual peaks have a much more uniform height. A simple method of determining the number of annual peaks in a series is set up. Using this method, it is shown that it is easier to determine the number of annual peaks in the series produced by dynamical decorrelation than in the original data series. Dynamical decorrelation may thus be used to improve data series prior to dating.
Trends and patterns in the recent accumulation and oxygen isotopes in coastal Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica: interpretations from shallow ice cores
Authors: Isaksson Elisabeth , Melvold Kjetil
Published: November 2007

To investigate recent variability in accumulation and δ18O, we synthesize data from five snow cores, covering the period 1932–96, from the sector 16˚38’ W–4˚48’ E in coastal Dronning Maud Land (DML), Antarctica. the δ18O records from the different sites are remarkably similar and suggest a common stable moisture source for this coastal section of DML. While the accumulation pattern is local, and specific features restricted to the individual sites, the overall accumulation pattern is related to the temperature variability as indicated by coastal instrumental records. Accumulation and δ18O correlate between 1955 and 1985 but deviate thereafter, with the proxy-temperature record showing a positive trend while accumulation decreased. This occurs at the same time as an increase in sea-ice extent in the area, which may have resulted in circulation changes and more northerly storm paths. Both stacked accumulation and δ18O records show that large-scale atmospheric signals, as well as some pronounced individual events, are recorded in DML coastal ice cores.
Deriving sea-ice thickness and ice types in the Sea of Okhotsk using dual-frequency airborne SAR (Pi-SAR) data
Authors: Matsuoka Takeshi , Uratsuka Seiho , Satake Makoto , Nadai Akitsugu , Umehara Toshihiko , Maeno Hideo , Wakabayashi Hiroyuki , Nishio Fumihiko , Fukamachi Yasushi
Published: November 2007

Dual-frequency, multi-polarization airborne synthetic aperture radar (Pi-SAR; developed by the Communications Research Laboratory and National Space Development Agency of Japan) observations of the seasonal sea-ice region off the Okhotsk coast of Hokkaido, Japan, were carried out in February 1999 using X- and L-band radar frequencies with a resolution of 1.5 and 3.0 m. In conjunction with the SAR observations, the sea-ice thickness (draft) and velocity were measured by a moored Ice Profiling Sonar (IPS) and an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). Tracks of the sea ice passing over the IPS were estimated from the time series of the ADCP ice-velocity and -direction data. Along these tracks, the SAR backscattering coefficient profiles were compared with the IPS ice-draft profiles. The results showed that the L-band SAR backs cattering profiles correlated well with the IPS ice-draft data, particularly in the thicker part (a few meters thick) of the rim of first-year ice, which had a large backscattering coefficient. Although the X-band SAR backscattering profiles did not correlate well with the IPS data, thin ice (<10 cm thick) showed a large backscattering coefficient. The L-band SAR and IPS data did not distinguish thin ice from open water.
Remote sensing of snow grain-size and impurities from Airborne Multispectral Scanner data using a snow bidirectional reflectance distribution function model
Authors: Tanikawa Tomonori , Aoki Teruo , Nishio Fumihiko
Published: November 2007

Algorithms to retrieve the snow grain-size and the concentration of snow impurities were developed using a theoretical bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model of the snow surface. In this model, snow grains are assumed to be independent spherical ice particles, and the BRDF is calculated with multiple scattering by snow particles. Using these algorithms, the snow grain-size and snow impurities were retrieved from Airborne Multispectral Scanner (AMSS) images at the visible (λ = 0.545 μm) and near-infrared (λ =1.24,1.64 and 2.23 μm) wavelengths observed over the flat snowfield in eastern Hokkaido, Japan, in February 1998. The estimated snow grain-size and impurities were consistent with the results of in situ measurements on the snow surface. For snow grain-size, measured reflectances in the different near-infrared AMSS channels indicated grain-size differences in the vertical profile of the snowpack.
Aggregate-area radiative flux biases
Authors: Wang Xuanji , Key Jeffrey R.
Published: November 2007

Most climate models treat surface and atmospheric properties as being horizontally homogeneous and compute surface radiative fluxes with average gridcell properties. In this study it is found that large biases can occur if sub-gridcell variability is ignored, where bias is defined as the difference between the average of fluxes computed at high resolution within a model cell and the flux computed with the average surface and cloud properties within the cell. Data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer for the year-long Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) experiment are used to determine biases in aggregate-area fluxes. A simple regression approach to correct for biases that result from horizontal variability was found to reduce the average radiative flux bias to near zero. The correction can be easily implemented in numerical models.
Electromagnetic wave speed in polar ice: validation of the common-midpoint technique with high-resolution dielectric-profiling and γ-density measurements
Authors: Eisen O. , Nixdorf U. , Wilhelms F. , Miller H.
Published: November 2007

The accuracy of the travel-time–velocity and travel-time–depth profile derived from ground-penetrating radar (GPR) common-midpoint (CMP) surveys at different frequencies is investigated for the first time ever by direct comparison with the profile calculated from high-resolution dielectric-profiling (DEP) ice-core data. In addition, we compare two travel-time profiles calculated from ice-core density data by means of different dielectrical mixture models with the DEP-based profile. CMP surveys were carried out at frequencies of 25,50,100 and 200 MHz near the new European deep-drilling site DML05 in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, during the 1998/99 field season. An improved scanning capacitor for high-resolution DEP and a γ-densiometer for density measurements were used to determine the complex dielectric constant and the density at 5 mm increments along the ice core B32, retrieved in 1997/98 at DML05. The comparisons with DEP- and density-based velocity series show that the CMP velocity series are slightly higher but asymptotically approach the core-based velocities with depth. Root-mean-square differences of the DEP velocity series range between 8% for the 25 MHz CMP and 2% in the case of the 200 MHz survey. Density-based velocities differ from the DEP velocities by 51 %. The travel-time–depth series calculated from the interval velocities show a better agreement between all series than the velocity series. Differences are 5.7–1.4% for the 25 and 200 MHz CMP measurements, and <0.6% for the density data. Based on these comparisons, we evaluate the accuracy with which the depth of electromagnetic reflectors observed in common-offset profiles can be determined, and discuss reasons for the observed differences between CMP- and core-based profiles. Moreover, we compare the errors determined from the field measurements with those estimated from GPR system characteristics to provide a measure that can be used to estimate the accuracy of GPR analyses for the planning of GPR campaigns. Our results show that CMP surveys are a useful technique to determine the depth of radar reflectors in combination with common-offset measurements, especially on a region-wide basis.
ASTER measurement of supraglacial lakes in the Mount Everest region of the Himalaya
Authors: Wessels Rick L. , Kargel Jeffrey S. , Kieffer Hugh H.
Published: November 2007

We demonstrate an application of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images to detect and monitor supraglacial lakes on glaciers in the Mount Everest region in Tibet (Xizang) and Nepal. ASTER offers powerful capabilities to monitor supraglacial lakes in terms of (1) surface area, growth and disappearance (spatial resolution =15m), (2) turbidity (15m resolution), and (3) temperature (90m resolution). Preliminary results show an overall similarity of supraglacial lakes on three glaciers. Lakes have widely varying turbidity as indicated by color in visible/near-infrared bands 1–3, the largest lakes being bright blue (highly turbid), cold (near 0°C) and hydraulically connected with other lakes and supraglacial streams, while small lakes are mostly darkblue (relatively clear water), warmer (>4°C), and appear hydraulically isolated. High levels of turbidity in supraglacial lakes indicate high rates of meltwater input from streams or erosion of ice cliffs, and thus are an indirect measure relating to the activity and hydraulic integration of the lake with respect to other lakes and streams in the glacier.
Iceberg calving from the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica
Authors: Fricker Helen A. , Young Neal W. , Allison Ian , Coleman Richard
Published: November 2007

We investigate the iceberg-calving cycle of the Amery Ice Shelf (AIS), East Antarctica, using evidence acquired between 1936 and 2000. The most recent major iceberg-calving event occurred between late 1963 and early 1964, when a large berg totalling about 10 000 km2 in area broke from the ice front. The rate of forward advance of the ice front is presently 1300–1400ma–1. At this rate of advance, based on the present ice-front position from recent RADARSAT imagery, it would take 20–25 years to attain the 1963 (pre-calve) position, suggesting that the AIS calving cycle has a period of approximately 60–70 years. Two longitudinal (parallel-to-flow) rifts, approximately 25 km apart at the AIS front, are observed in satellite imagery acquired over the last 14+years. These rifts have formed at suture zones in the ice shelf, where neighbouring flow-bands have separated in association with transverse spreading. The rifts were 15 km (rift A) and 26 km (rift B) in length in September 2000, and will probably become the sides of a large tabular iceberg (25 km 625 km). Atransverse (perpendicular-to-flow) fracture, visible at the upstream end of rift A in 1996, had propagated 6 km towards rift B by September 2000; when it meets rift B the iceberg will calve. A satellite image acquired in 1962 shows an embayment of this size in the AIS front, hence we deduce that this calving pattern also occurred during the last calving cycle, and therefore that the calving behaviour of the AIS apparently follows a regular pattern.
Detection of superimposed ice on the glaciers Kongsvegen and midre Lovénbreen, Svalbard, using SAR satellite imagery
Authors: König Max , Wadham Jemma , Winther Jan-Gunnar , Kohler Jack , Nuttall Anne-Marie
Published: November 2007

Superimposed ice forms when meltwater refreezes onto a sub-freezing glacier surface. The accumulation zones of many Arctic glaciers include large areas of superimposed ice, which for mass-balance purposes have to be distinguished from the ablation zone consisting of glacier ice. We examine the ability of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite sensors to detect superimposed ice on the glaciers Kongsvegen and midre Lovénbreen on Svalbard. Structural analysis of ice cores as well as surface observations from these glaciers in 1999 and 2000 provide a spatial record of superimposed ice. Winter SAR images show three distinct zones, which correspond closely to areas of glacier ice, superimposed ice and firn. This is seen very clearly on Kongsvegen, but not as clearly on the much smaller midre Lovénbreen. One possible explanation for the contrasting SAR signal may relate to the differing air-bubble content of firn, superimposed ice and glacier ice. Thin layers of winter-formed superimposed ice (510 cm) in some places are not seen on the SAR images, indicating that a certain thickness is needed for detection. The equilibrium-line altitude cannot be detected since the SAR cannot differentiate old superimposed ice, superimposed ice formed currently in the accumulation area in summer and superimposed ice formed currently in the ablation zone in autumn and winter.
Modeling of ice flow and internal layers along a flowline through Swiss Camp, West Greenland
Authors: Wang W. L. , Zwally H. J. , Abdalati W. , Luo S.
Published: November 2007

An anisotropic-ice flowline model is applied to a flowline through Swiss Camp (69.57° N, 49.28° W), West Greenland, to estimate the dates of internal layers detected by radio-echo sounding measurements. The effect of an anisotropic-ice fabric on ice flow is incorporated into the steady-state flowline model. The stress–strain-rate relationship for anisotropic ice is characterized by an enhancement factor based on the laboratory observations of ice deformation under combined compression and shear stresses. By using present-day data of accumulation rate, surface temperature, surface elevation and ice thickness along the flowline as model inputs, a very close agreement is found between the isochrones generated from the model and the observed internal layers with confirmed dates. The results indicate that this part of the Greenland ice sheet is primarily in steady state.
Inventory of glaciers in isla Riesco, Patagonia, Chile, based on aerial photography and satellite imagery
Authors: Casassa Gino , Smith Katrine , Rivera Andrés , Araos José , Schnirch Michael , Schneider Christoph
Published: November 2007

A glacier inventory for península Córdova, isla Riesco, Chilean Patagonia (53°14’ S, 73°00’W), has been compiled based on stereoscopic interpretation of aerial photographs of March and December 1984 and 1:100 000 topographic maps. Three small icefields comprising 33 glacier outlets, in addition to 12 small separate glaciers, have been identified, with a total area of 57 km2. Glaciers are located on mountain peaks with a maximum altitude of 1183 mand a lowermost elevation of 100 m. All glaciers terminate on land, except for three glaciers calving into small fresh-water lakes. A Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) image of 6 October 1986 has been rectified and analyzed using a supervised classification to estimate snow- and glacier-covered surfaces. Glacier-area data derived from satellite-image analyses have been adjusted at península Córdova using photo-interpreted data, and extrapolated to estimate a glacier area of 215 ±40km2 for all of isla Riesco. The presence of trimlines and moraines beyond the present position of the glaciers indicates a generalized retreat from a maximum neoglacial position at península Córdova, most probably as a result of regional warming and precipitation decrease observed during the last century.
Northern Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica: further retreat after collapse
Authors: Rott Helmut , Rack Wolfgang , Skvarca Pedro , Angelis Hernán De
Published: November 2007

Changes of Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica, and the surrounding glaciers after its collapse in 1995 were investigated using satellite radar imagery, with emphasis on changes in the glaciers which previously nourished the ice shelf north of Seal Nunataks and now calve directly into the sea. The large glaciers retreated several kilometres inland of the previous grounding line. The velocity field of Drygalski Glacier, the largest glacier in this area, was mapped by means of interferograms derived from pairs of European Remote-sensing Satellite synthetic aperture radar images from 1995 and 1999. The main part of the glacier showed a significant acceleration of flow over these 4 years, with an increase of velocity up to three-fold at the terminus. Similar accelerations were observed by means of interferometry on several other grounded glaciers, suggesting that the removal of ice shelves could lead to an effect on eustatic sea level. For Larsen B, the northernmost surviving part of Larsen Ice Shelf, the retreat of the ice front to October 2000 is documented.
Determination of melt-onset and refreeze timing on southeast Alaskan icefields using SSM/I diurnal amplitude variations
Authors: Ramage Joan M. , Isacks Bryan L.
Published: November 2007

Timing of snowmelt and freeze-up was estimated for glaciers in the Coast and St Elias Ranges of Alaska, U.S.A., and British Columbia, Canada, using twice-daily brightness temperatures (Tb) from the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Programs Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I). Melt and freeze-up were determined for a 37 GHz vertically polarized time series using changes in the average daily Tb and high-amplitude Tb diurnal amplitude variations (DAV). DAV are the running difference between the early-morning (usually minimum) and late-afternoon (usually maximum) Tb observations. Year-round temperatures taken at 2 hour intervals on the Juneau Icefield (58°4N, 134°15 W) validated the microwave response to melt. A bimodal distribution of Tb corresponding to frozen or melting snow helped estimate the Tb at which the transition from frozen to melting snow occurred on pixels without ground observations. Thresholds of Tb (>246 K) and DAV (>±10 K) were used to refine the selection of melt and refreeze timing for southeast Alaska. Melt timing correlates with stream discharge. In general, melt onset occurred progressively earlier and refreeze later in the season between 1988 and 1998. It is not known whether this is related to regional warming or to one of the shorter decadal-scale oscillations in the Gulf of Alaska.
Long melt seasons on ice shelves of the Antarctic Peninsula: an analysis using satellite-based microwave emission measurements
Authors: Fahnestock Mark A. , Abdalati Waleed , Shuman Christopher A.
Published: November 2007

We have examined the record of melt-season duration on the Antarctic Peninsula using two techniques for detecting the presence of a melt signal in microwave-emission time series covering the period 1978–2000. We have obtained similar estimates of melt-season length using the cross-polarized gradient ratio (XPGR) technique and calibrations previously applied in Greenland and a technique which detects the jump in emission caused by melt without using a sensor- and frequency-dependent threshold value. The close correspondence between results from the two techniques on peninsula ice shelves suggests that the XPGR analysis can be used over the length of the time series. The results show that the long melt seasons of 1992/93 and several later years were exceptional occurrences on the northern parts of the Larsen Ice Shelf. These melt seasons were followed by disintegration events, supporting a possible cause-and-effect relationship.
Spectral snow-reflectance models for grain-size and liquid-water fraction in melting snow for the solar-reflected spectrum
Authors: Green Robert O. , Dozier Jeff , Roberts Dar , Painter Tom
Published: November 2007

Two spectral snow-reflectance models that account for the effects of grain-size and liquid-water fraction are described and initial validation results presented. The models are based upon the spectral complex refractive index of liquid water and ice in the region from 400 to 2500 nm. Mie scattering calculations are used to specify the essential optical properties of snow in the models. Two approaches are explored to model the effect of liquid water in the snow. The first accounts for the liquid water as separate spheres interspersed with ice spheres in the snow layer. The second accounts for the liquid water as coatings on ice grains in the snow layer. A discrete-ordinate radiative transfer code is used to model the spectral reflectance of the snow for the Mie-calculated optical properties. Both the interspersed- and coated-sphere models show that the snow-absorption feature at 1030 nm shifts to shorter wavelength as the liquid-water content increased. The expression of these shifts is different for the two models. A comparison of the models with a spectral measurement of frozen and melting snow shows better agreement with the coated-sphere model. A spectral fitting algorithm was developed and tested with the coated-sphere model to derive the grain-size and liquid-water fraction from snow spectral reflectance measurements. Consistent values of grain-size and liquid water were retrieved from the measured snow spectra. This research demonstrates the use of spectral models and spectral measurements to derive surface snow grain-size and liquid-water fraction. The results of this research may be extended to regional and greater scales using data acquired by airborne and spaceborne imaging spectrometers for contributions to energy balance and hydrological modeling.
Ice dolines on Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica
Authors: Bindschadler Robert , Scambos Ted A. , Rott Helmut , Skvarca Pedro , Vornberger Patricia
Published: November 2007

Ice dolines on the Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica, are observed to be elongated depressions a few hundred meters across and up to 19 m deep. One-meter resolution imagery is used to quantify these dimensions. Elevation profiles across five dolines are derived by photoclinometry. Landsat and radar imagery is also used to show that dolines can form in a single melt season and persist for years. Dolines occur in clusters and in direct proximity to surface meltwater lakes. Field observations suggest dolines form by collapse into a subsurface cavity. A direct hydraulic connection with the underlying ocean is believed necessary to drain water that would otherwise collect in dolines. A formation hypothesis is discussed consistent with these observations and with energy-and hydrostatic-imbalance considerations.
Tidal flexure along ice-sheet margins: comparison of InSAR with an elastic-plate model
Authors: Schmeltz Marjorie , Rignot Eric , MacAyeal Douglas
Published: November 2007

We compare interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) observations of tidal flexure on Antarctic and Greenland glaciers with a finite-element model simulation of tidal flexure on an elastic plate of ice. The results show that the elastic-plate model is able to reproduce with good fidelity the pattern of tidal flexure observed with InSAR. In the case of David Glacier, Antarctica, the model provides independent confirmation of its grounding-line position and unusual pattern of tidal flexure. A detailed analysis of temporal changes in tidal flexing on Petermann Gletscher, Greenland, and Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, however, reveals that Young’s elastic modulus of ice, E, employed in the simulations to match observations, needs to vary between 0.8 and 3.5 GPa. This time dependence of E is attributed to visco-plastic effects, not to a migration of the grounding line with tide, or measurement errors.
A mesoscopic approach for modelling texture evolution of polar ice including recrystallization phenomena
Authors: Gödert Günter
Published: November 2007

A material model for the simulation of anisotropic behaviour due to texture development in polar ice is presented. Emphasis is laid on the strain-induced texture development and its relaxation due to rotation recrystallization and grain boundary migration in the low-velocity regime. The model is based on two scales (mesoscopic approach). Kinematics, balance equations and constitutive assumptions are defined with respect to the grain level (mesoscale). Slip-system behaviour is assumed to be Newtonian. Recrystallization and grain boundary migration are taken into account via a diffusion-type evolution of the crystallites orientation. Due to the inextensibility of the ice crystallites along their c axes, the Sachs–Reuss assumption is adopted. Volume averaging yields associated macroscopic relations, where the internal structure is represented by a second-order structure tensor. The proposed approach is illustrated by applying it to initially isotropic material under homogeneous deformation, giving results qualitatively in agreement with experimental evidence. Finally, it is shown that the proposed model is, under some simplifying conditions, directly related to phenomenological internal variable models (e.g. Morland and Staroszczyk, 1998).
Using internal layers from the Greenland ice sheet, identified from radio-echo sounding data, with numerical models
Authors: Baldwin Duncan J. , Bamber Jonathan L. , Payne Antony J. , Layberry Russel L.
Published: November 2007

Spatially extensive internal layers have been traced in airborne radio-echo sounding (RES) data collected over Greenland during the late 1990s. By linking internal layers within individual flight-lines at crossover points, it is possible to identify spatially continuous layers that are interpreted as isochronous surfaces. Several of the survey lines pass over the GRIP core site, and this allows us to use the published GRIP age–depth relationship to accurately date these surfaces. Two layers, with ages of 3891 and 6956 years BP, have been traced over a large part of North Greenland. Accurately dated and spatially continuous isochrones are valuable for both assimilation within, and verification of, numerical models. For example, comparison of isochronous surfaces from a numerical simulation with those layers observed in RES data can be used to inform the choice of parameters (e.g. rheology) and climate history used to force a numerical model. To demonstrate the potential of the RES data, two layers for North Greenland were used to determine palaeo-accumulation rates. The inversion from layer depth to accumulation rate requires a three-dimensional velocity field. This velocity field is constructed by combining a two-dimensional balance-velocity field with an assumed vertical structure for the horizontal velocity. The isochronous-layer derived accumulation rates were compared with the Bales and others (2001) rates. A larger east–west gradient was found across the central ice divide for the derived accumulation rate, suggesting a trend in the Holocene accumulation rates for this region. The layers were also compared with isochronous surfaces derived from simulations of a three-dimensional thermodynamic ice-sheet model. Using the isochronous-layer derived accumulation rates to force the model improved the match between modelled and observed layers.
Radio-frequency attenuation beneath Siple Dome,West Antarctica, from wide-angle and profiling radar observations
Authors: Winebrenner Dale P. , Smith Benjamin E. , Catania Ginny A. , Conway Howard B. , Raymond Charles F.
Published: November 2007

Knowledge of the spatial distribution of bed lubrication regimes, i.e. frozen vs wet conditions, is crucial for understanding ice-sheet flow. Radar sounding can probe differing reflectivities between wet and frozen beds, but is limited by uncertainty in attenuation within the ice of bed echoes. Here we present two methods to estimate attenuation: (1) wide-angle radar sounding, in which source and receiver locations are varied so as to vary propagation path length, and thus echo amplitude; and (2) profiling, inwhich similar variations are obtained by sounding through varying ice thicknesses (assuming constant bed reflectivity). Siple Dome, West Antarctica, provides unusually favorable circumstances for application of these methods: the bed beneath Siple Dome is flat and uniform in its radar reflectivity, while ice thickness varies by several hundred meters. Wide-angle data 4 km from the summit yield an estimate for characteristic attenuation length of 124 m (35 dB km–1 loss), whereas profiling yields an estimate of 168 m.The difference between estimates is modest compared to the range of attenuation lengths reported in the literature. It may nonetheless prove informative by bounding effects of two ice properties to which the methods respond differently: (1) wide-angle sounding sampled relatively warm (lossy) ice beneath the summit, whereas the profiling method sampled relatively cold ice beneath the flanks as well; and (2) strain-induced crystal orientation fabrics and resulting dielectric anisotropy in the ice would vary from summit to flank, and may influence wide-angle sounding more strongly than profiling.
Observation of recent surges of Vatnajökull, Iceland, by means of ERS SAR interferometry
Authors: Fischer Andrea , Rott Helmut , Björnsson Helgi
Published: November 2007

Recent surges of two outlet glaciers of the Vatnajökull ice cap, Iceland, were observed using European Remote-sensing Satellite (ERS) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) tandem interferograms from12 different dates between December 1995 and January 2000. ERS SAR interferometry provided new information on the temporal and spatial variations in surface velocity during surges, after fieldwork became impossible. The area affected by the surge and therefore by increased basal sliding was delineated. Themigration of flow divides on the ice cap during a surge was described. At Sylgjujökull, a western outlet glacier covering an area of 175 km2, the fully developed surge and its abating phase were studied. Over a period of 4 2 years after December 1995, the ice motion decreased steadily, with initially the highest velocities and subsequently the most pronounced decrease in velocity at the glacier terminus. The surge of Dyngjujökull, a northern outlet glacier covering an area of 1040 km2, reached its maximum in 1999/2000. Slow acceleration over an area of about 200 km2 was first observed between March 1996 and January 1997. The interferogram from January 1999 shows a well-developed surge area, covering 210 km2. This area more than doubled by January 2000, with maximum velocities reaching >7 md–1. Between January 1997 and January 2000, the flow divide between Dyngju- and Skeiðararjökull shifted 16 km to the south. The investigations indicate that a surge cycle on these glaciers spans several years, with slowly increasing motion over an extended area in the beginning, and more pronounced velocity changes during the active surge phase lasting 1–2 years.
Numerical investigations of the slow-down of Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica: is it shutting down like Ice Stream C?
Authors: Bougamont Marion , Tulaczyk Slawek , Joughin Ian
Published: November 2007

We investigate whether the recent slow-down of Whillans Ice Stream (WIS), West Antarctica, may lead to its complete stoppage in the near future, using a numerical model. Basal resistance to ice-stream motion is represented by a continuous till layer whose strength changes in response to basal melting and freezing. We implement a basal drainage system, which acts to hinder ice-stream stoppage through supply of extra water to those parts of the bed that are experiencing freezing. The ice module is a standard flowline model with parameterized key out-of-plane effects (Raymond, 1996). The most important result of our modeling effort is that we never obtained a slow-down that would not be followed by a complete stoppage within <100 years. WIS slow-down can be avoided in the model if large basal water-input rates are assumed, to satisfy basal freezing. In comparison, the tested perturbations in WIS width and mass balance had a relatively small effect on the tendency of the simulated ice stream to slow down. These results underscore the need for more quantitative constraints on the efficiency of sub-ice-stream water drainage. We conjecture that the present-day slow-down of WIS will evolve to shut-down in the next few decades, unless an addition of basal water prevents freeze-on-driven bed strengthening.
Numerical simulation of three-dimensional velocity fields in pressurized and non-pressurized Nye channels
Authors: Bates Paul D. , Siegert Martin J. , Lee Victoria , Hubbard Bryn P. , Nienow Peter W.
Published: November 2007

Channels incised into bedrock, or Nye channels, often form an important component of subglacial drainage at temperate glaciers, and their structure exerts control over patterns and rates of (a) channel erosion, (b) water flow-velocity and (c) water pressure. The latter, in turn, exerts a strong control over basal traction and, thus, ice dynamics. In order to investigate these controls, it is necessary to quantify detailed flow processes in subglacial Nye channels. However, it is effectively impossible to acquire such measurements from fully pressurized, subglacial channels. To solve this problem, we here apply a three-dimensional, finite-volume solution of the Reynolds averaged Navier– Stokes (RANS) equations with a one-equation mixing-length turbulence closure to simulate flow in a 3 m long section of an active Nye channel located in the immediate foreground of Glacier de Tsanfleuron, Switzerland. Numerical model output permits high-resolution visualization of water flow through the channel reach, and enables evaluation of the experimental manipulation of the pressure field adopted across the overlying ice lid. This yields an increased theoretical understanding of the hydraulic behaviour of Nye channels, and, in the future, of their effect on glacier drainage, geomorphology and ice dynamics.
Numerical investigation of the effects of temporal variations in basal lubrication on englacial strain-rate distribution
Authors: Sugiyama Shin , Gudmundsson G. Hilmar , Helbing Jakob
Published: November 2007

The effects of spatial and temporal variations in basal lubrication on the englacial strain rate and surface velocity distribution are investigated with a numerical ice-flow model. General aspects of the solutions are compared to measurements made on Lauteraargletscher, Switzerland, in 2001, that showed diurnal fluctuations in both surface velocity and englacial vertical strain. We find that spatial gradients in basal lubrication can set up variations in the deviatoric stress field that increases with distance to the bed and has a maximum value near the glacier surface. This stress field produces a significant strain rate near the surface. The temporal evolution of a slippery zone is identified as a possible cause of the observed diurnal variations in the vertical strain rate. Although general aspects of the measurements can be explained in this way, the calculated vertical strain rates are too small, suggesting that the modeled effective viscosity values using Glen’s flow law are too large near the surface.