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ASPI: Antarctic Subglacial Processes and Interactions

ASPI: Antarctic Subglacial Processes and Interactions. Frank PATTYN 1 , Marc DE BATIST 2 , Hugo DECLEIR 1 , Reginald LORRAIN 3 , Roland SOUCHEZ 3 1 Department of Geography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium 2 Renard Centre of Marine Geology, University of Ghent, Belgium

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ASPI: Antarctic Subglacial Processes and Interactions

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  1. ASPI: Antarctic Subglacial Processes and Interactions Frank PATTYN1, Marc DE BATIST2, Hugo DECLEIR1, Reginald LORRAIN3, Roland SOUCHEZ3 1 Department of Geography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium 2 Renard Centre of Marine Geology, University of Ghent, Belgium 3 Laboratoire de Glaciologie, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

  2. Background 1 • AMICS: Antarctic ice sheet dynamics and climate change: modelling and ice composition studies • AMICS = research project of the Belgian Antarctic Research Programme of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) • BELSPO coordinates all research activities with respect to the Antarctic • New call of proposals for Belgian Antarctic Programme in May 2005 = 4 year projects, i.e. last year coincides with IPY

  3. Background 2 • BNCAR: Belgian National Committee on Antarctic Research launched the call for Belgian researchers to participate in IPY • Projects endorsed at international level (IPY) might be receiving extra funding from BELSPO during IPY • Most research teams of the Antarctic Research programme sent in an IPY proposal (coordinated by BNCAR)

  4. ASPI: Antarctic Subglacial Processes and Interactions • ASPI = research proposal for next Belgian Antarctic Research Programme (2005-2009) • ASPI = IPY proposal at the end of the project • ASPI = not only about subglacial lakes, but also ice/bed interaction or ice/ocean interaction, e.g. grounding lines

  5. ASPI objectives • To clarify the interactions between the ice sheet and the subglacial environment; • To elucidate the effect of these interactions on the transient behaviour of the Antarctic ice sheet with changing climate; • To understand the ice flow complexity involved so that paleo-records (ice cores, erosional imprints and sedimentary remnants on the Antarctic shelves) can be better understood and interpreted more accurately.

  6. ASPI outline • Investigate subglacial processes and interactions with the ice sheet, through a multidisciplinary approach. • numerical ice-sheet modelling • ice-core analysis • continental shelf investigations

  7. ASPI Grounding line / zone = transition zone between high stress and low traction Subglacial processes Basal water Till deformation Ice stream Grounding line - Transition zone Ocean Ice sheet Ocean warming Grounding line retreat Origin Mechanisms Interactions Subglacial lake IMPACT Sea-level rise

  8. Grounding lines • Marine ice sheet instability

  9. Ice sheet: shear stress THEORY Ice stream; grounding line: mixture Ice shelf: normal stress Ub=0 0 < Ub < Us Ub = Us High basal traction ∞ Low basal traction β2 Zero basal traction 0

  10. Dynamics • Retreat – advance • Proglacial lake – subglacial lake • Stress transfer – width of transition zone • Influence on stress regime

  11. Possible grounding line research for IPY • Investigate grounding line of a small ice shelf to understand processes and interactions • Drill ice core at the grounding line (basal ice analysis) • Radio echo sounding • Operate ROV under the ice shelf and sample near grounding line • Modelling

  12. Belgian Partners (1) • Renard Centre of Marine Geology, University of Ghent • Development of (seismic) methods and techniques • Continental margin research • Sub-ice shelf processes and grounding line sampling

  13. Belgian Partners (2) • Laboratoire de Glaciologie, Université Libre de Bruxelles • Study of frozen lakes of the Dry Valleys • Interpretation of Vostok basal ice • Interpretation of the basal part of EPICA DC, i.e. possible traces of ice passage over one of the subglacial lakes in the vicinity of the drilling site... • Investigation of the basal part of the Berkner Island core (dirty ice / marine ice).

  14. Belgian Partners (3) • Department of Geography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel • Numerical modelling of the cryosphere • Development and refinement of ice sheet and ice stream models • Including subglacial processes at the ice / bed interface in numerical ice-sheet models • Numerical analysis of transition zones (contact ice – subglacial lakes; ice – ocean; grounding lines)

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