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Geophysical Research Abstracts, EGU2014-1361
In:
EPIC3EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, 2014-04-27-2014-05-02Geophysical Research Abstracts, EGU2014-1361
Publication Date:
2014-05-20
Description:
The International Partnership for Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) identified the retrieve of an “Oldest-Ice” ice core as
one of the most important scientific challenges in ice core research for the near future. As the outcome of an
"Oldest-Ice" workshop a general approach was recently suggested how to combine geophysical reconnaissance,
numerical ice-flow modelling and sample drilling to identify the most promising sites where about 1.5 Ma old
ice could most likely be found (Fischer et al., CP, 2013). The most critical unknown parameter is the geothermal
heat flow underneath the ice, followed by bed topography and integrity of internal layering. Here, we propose the
combined application of geophysical methods in conjunction with existing ice-core data to improve the knowledge
on physical properties of the ice and the underlaying strata. It builds on (i) conventional application of potential field
geophysics (gravimetry and magnetics) to estimate subglacial geology; (ii) radar internal architecture to determine
layer integrity and bedrock topography; (iii) combination of ice-core profiles with radar to determine the origin -
and thus confirm isochronity and age - of internal radar layers, complemented by layer attributes; (iv) extrapolation
of ice-core impurities and the related attenuation of radar waves in space along internal layers; and (v) radar
and seismic wave attenuation analyses to determine the englacial temperature distribution. This approach has the
potential to improve our capabilities to estimate the spatial variation of geothermal heat flux and provide spatially
distributed age-depth constraints for ice-flow models.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Conference
,
notRev
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