Interior of an ice stream: 3-D geometry of distorted radar stratigraphy of upstream NEGIS and vicinity


Contact
daniela.jansen [ at ] awi.de

Abstract

The North East Greenland Ice Stream clearly stands out in the surface velocity field of the ice flow of Greenland, with its sharp and narrow shear margins visible in the flow field almost up to the central divide. While the current extent and strength of the streaming can be determined from remotely sensed velocities of the ice surface, it is less known how the ice stream is affecting the deeper layers of ice in its catchment area, and how it may have evolved over time. The deformation of the ice due to streaming can be made visible by mapping the distortion of the isochronous stratigraphy of the ice. This has been done by an airborne radar survey centering on the location of the EGRIP drilling camp, carried out with the ultra wide band radar system (AWI UWB). The dense grid of profiles arranged mainly perpendicular to the ice flow reveals the imprint that the strong shearing leaves within the layering of the ice. Although the layers are tightly folded and distorted within the shear zones, it is possible to continuously trace reflections within the upper half of the ice column throughout the entire survey area. It can be shown that the intensity of the folding is linked to the strain rate field derived from the surface velocities, and that the deformation history of the ice is preserved in the folded layers, even after it is no longer affected by high strain rates. The advection patterns of the mapped stratigraphic features reveal how the streaming of the ice and the resulting local changes of surface topography may have affected the inflow into the stream and the position of the shear margins over time.



Item Type
Conference (Talk)
Authors
Divisions
Primary Division
Programs
Primary Topic
Helmholtz Cross Cutting Activity (2021-2027)
N/A
Publication Status
Published
Event Details
EGU General Assembly 2021, 19 Apr 2021 - 30 Apr 2021, Online.
Eprint ID
54453
DOI 10.5194/egusphere-egu21-15382

Cite as
Jansen, D. , Franke, S. , Binder, T. , Bons, P. D. , Dahl-Jensen, D. , Eisen, O. , Miller, H. , Paden, J. and Weikusat, I. (2021): Interior of an ice stream: 3-D geometry of distorted radar stratigraphy of upstream NEGIS and vicinity , EGU General Assembly 2021, Online, 19 April 2021 - 30 April 2021 . doi: 10.5194/egusphere-egu21-15382


Download
[thumbnail of EGU21-15382_presentation.pdf]
Preview
PDF
EGU21-15382_presentation.pdf

Download (7MB) | Preview

Share
Add to AnyAdd to TwitterAdd to FacebookAdd to LinkedinAdd to PinterestAdd to Email


Citation

Geographical region

Research Platforms

Campaigns
POLAR 6 > P6_211_EGRIP_NOR_2018


Actions
Edit Item Edit Item