Mass balance of the antarctic ice sheet at Patriot Hills
Loading...
Date
1998
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Glaciological Society
Abstract
Glaciological data col lected at Patriot Hills, Antarctica (80°18' S,
81 ~2' W), are used to assess the local mass balance of the ice sheet. The data were collected
during two field campaigns conducted by the Instituto Antartico Chileno inJanuary and
November 1995. Measurements included surveying of stakes, and ice thickness derived
from discrete radar soundings with a ground-based high-frequency impulse system.
Ablation occurred on the bare-ice field at the base of Patriot Hills, with a maximum
value of 7 gem - 2 a- I. et accumulation was detected away from the mountains, over the
firn-covered area of the glacier, with a maximum rate of 10 g cm 2 a '. Ice thickens rapidly
away from the mountains, reaching a thickness of 383 m, the maximum range of the
radar system, near the center of the blue-ice field. No significant difference in surface
elevation of the ice was detected over the 305 d period, which indicates that the ice is in
near-equilibrium at Patriot Hills.
Description
Keywords
Ciencia, Hielo, Ice sheet
Citation
Annals of Glaciology 27 1998