HR: 08:00h
AN: C41C-01 INVITED    [Abstracts]
TI: The Role of Subglacial Water and Tectonics in the Onset of Fast Ice Flow
AU: * Bell, R E
EM: robinb@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Rt 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, United States
AU: Studinger, M
EM: mstuding@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Rt 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, United States
AB: Dramatic change in the polar regions is focused along the ice sheet margins and will be a direct result of ice dynamics and fast ice flow. As ice streams and outlet glaciers transport ice into the global oceans, water and sediments are key subglacial lubricants. In West Antarctic, the distribution of sediments is controlled both by the location of fault bounded rift basins and marine sediments. The production of water will be influenced by local variations in geothermal flux and the presence of active subglacial volcanism. In East Antarctica, large volumes of subglacial water was first identified in relatively stable lakes. The largest of these lakes appear to be rest along well defined tectonic boundaries. Recently water has been imaged actively flowing between lakes in the interior. Large tectonically controlled East Antarctic lakes have been linked to the onset of fast flow of the Recovery Ice Stream.
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting