Abstract
Abstract. This paper studies the evolution of a zone in the Fimbul Ice Shelf that is characterised by large crevasses and rifts west of Jutulstraumen, an outlet glacier flowing into Fimbulisen. High-resolution radar imagery and radio echo sounding data were used to study the surface and internal structure of this rift area and to define zones of similar characteristics. The western rift area is dominated by two factors: a small ice rumple that leads to basal crevasses and disturbs the homogeneity of the ice, and a zone with fibre-like blocks. Downstream of the rumple we found down-welling of internal layers and local thinning, which we explain as a result of basal crevasses due to the basal drag at the ice rumple. North of Ahlmannryggen the ice loses its lateral constraint and forms individual blocks, which are deformed like fibres under shear, where the ice stream merges with slower moving ice masses of the western side. There, the ice loses its integrity, which initiates the western rift system. The velocity difference between the slow moving western part and the fast moving extension of Jutulstraumen produces shear stress that causes the rifts to form tails and expand them to the major rifts of up to 30 km length.
Subject
Earth-Surface Processes,Water Science and Technology
Reference20 articles.
1. Blindow, N.: The central part of the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, Antarctica: internal structures revealed by 40 MHz monopulse RES, Ann. Glaciol., 20, 365–371, 1994.
2. Campbell, I., Jacobel, R., Welch, B., and Pettersson, R.: The evolution of surface flow stripes and stratigraphic folds within Kamb Ice Stream: why don't they match, J. Glaciol., 54, 186, 421–427, 2008.
3. Davis, C. H. and Poznyak, V. I.: The depth of penetration in Antarctic firn at 10 GHz , Geosci. Rem. Sens., 31, 1107–1111, 1993.
4. Fritz, T. and Eineder, M.: TerraSAR-X Ground Segment Basic Product Specification Document, Tech. rep., DLR, 2009.
5. Holland, P. R., Corr, H. F. J., Vaughan, D.G., Jenkins, A., and Skvarca, P.: Marine ice in Larsen Ice Shelf, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L11604, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL038162, 2009.
Cited by
33 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献