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Ice thickness, mass balance and dynamics of the ice sheet east of Davis, and of the Lambert Glacier

Entry ID: ASAC_2085

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Summary

Abstract: Metadata record for data from ASAC Project 2085
See the link below for public details on this project.

---- Public Summary from Project ----
Over the past 20 years, Australian glaciologists have measured the ice thickness, snow accumulation rate and ice surface movement rate around the Antarctic continent, approximately following the 2,000 m elevation contour. They have completed this survey for ... the entire Australian Antarctic sector, except for one section between Davis and the Russian station, Mirny. This project will carry out the measurements in this last section.

It will also carry out detailed measurements of ice thickness and ice movement rate on the Lambert Glacier and some of its tributaries. This glacier is the largest in the world and it drains about one eighth of the Antarctic ice mass into the sea.

From these measurements, calculations of the mass flux (i.e. the amount of ice flowing through the section) are made. Changes over time in the mass flux indicate whether the ice sheet is getting larger or smaller, and this in turn is related to climate and sea level change.

This project aims to determine the ice thickness, surface ice velocity and mass discharge of the region between Mirny and the Larsemann Hills. This is the remaining gap in the otherwise comprehensive ANARE measurements of mass discharge across the 2000 m elevation contour between 40E and 130E. Observations were conducted over three summer field seasons from Jan. 1998 to Jan. 2000, with the use two Sikorsky S76 long range helicopters based at Davis. Ice thickness was obtained with the ANARE 100 MHz ice radar mounted in one of the helicopters. The transmitter and receiver configurations are essentially the same as that used on the Lambert Glacier tractor traverse (see Higham et al.,1995). To accommodate speeds of up to 180 km/hr in airborne operations the slower digital oscilloscope system has been replaced by a high speed digital signal processor and a high speed analogue to digital converter. The airborne antenna used by the helicopter is smaller than that used by tractor traverses and the signal processing power of the DSP has been improved to compensate for reduced antenna gain. Ice velocity and surface elevation were measured at selected locations with dual frequency GPS instruments. Accumulation and gravity observations were also made at these sites. An automatic weather station (AWS) was installed at one of the survey sites 50 km south of Mt Brown. In addition to filling a major gap in the synoptic network, the AWS will be used to assist in the interpretation of a shallow snow core.

Related URL

Link: GET DATA

Description: Download point for the data

Link: VIEW PROJECT HOME PAGE

Description: Public information for ASAC project 2085

Link: VIEW RELATED INFORMATION

Description: Download point for the reports

Link: VIEW RELATED INFORMATION

Description: Citation reference for this metadata record and dataset

Geographic Coverage

(Click for Interactive Map)

Spatial coordinates

N: -67.0

S: -70.0

E: 80.0

W: 78.0

Data Set Citation

Dataset Title: ATSR - Along Track Scanning Radiometer

Data Presentation Form: electronic

Online Resource: http://www.atsr.rl.ac.uk

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 1995-09-01

Stop Date: 1995-12-22

Start Date: 1996-07-01

Location Keywords

GEOGRAPHIC REGION > GLOBAL

Data Resolution

Latitude Resolution: 1 KM
Longitude Resolution: 1 KM
Horizontal Resolution Range: 1 km - < 10 km or approximately .01 degree - < .09 degree

Science Keywords

ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA

ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC RADIATION > ABSORPTION

ISO Topic Category

GEOSCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

Project

PAGES > Past Global Changes, IGBP

Ancillary Keywords

Tropics

Age models

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Originating Center

NOAA/NCDC

Data Center

World Data Center for Paleoclimatology, Boulder

Data Center URL: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/

Data Center Personnel
Name: WDC/PALEOCLIMATOLOGY, BOULDER Phone: +1 (303) 497-6160 Fax: +1 (303) 497-6513 Email: paleo at noaa.gov Contact Address: World Data Center for Paleoclimatology NOAA/NCDC Code E/GCx3 325 Broadway City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80303 Country: USA

Distribution

Distribution Media: ftp

Distribution Format: text

Fees: none

Personnel

NICHOLAS J. SHACKLETON

Role: INVESTIGATOR

Contact Address:

University of Cambridge

City: Cambridge

Country: United Kingdom

A. BERGER

Role: INVESTIGATOR

W. R. PELTIER

Role: INVESTIGATOR

Phone: (416) 978-2938

Fax: (416) 978-8905

Email: peltier at rainbow.physics.utoronto.ca

Publications/References

Shackleton, N.J., A. Berger, and W.R. Peltier, 1990. An alternative
astronomical calibration of the lower Pleistocene timescale based on ODP Site
677. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences, 81,
251-261, 1990.

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2006-12-26

Last DIF Revision Date: 2007-07-02

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