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Investigating Antarctic Subglacial Processes and Their Impact on Ice Dynamics and Climate Change

The Antarctic Subglacial Processes and Interactions (ASPI) project aims to enhance our understanding of the complex interactions between the Antarctic ice sheet and its subglacial environment. This multidisciplinary initiative focuses on the dynamics of ice flow, interactions between ice, bed, and ocean, and their implications for sea-level rise amidst a changing climate. Key objectives include investigating subglacial lakes, grounding lines, and employing numerical ice-sheet modeling and ice-core analysis. The research is supported by Belgium's Antarctic Research Programme and aligns with the International Polar Year initiatives.

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Investigating Antarctic Subglacial Processes and Their Impact on Ice Dynamics and Climate Change

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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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