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Subglacial topography and thickness of ice caps on the Argentine Islands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2019

Jānis Karušs Open the ORCID record for Jānis Karušs [Opens in a new window] ,
Kristaps Lamsters Open the ORCID record for Kristaps Lamsters [Opens in a new window] ,
Anatolii Chernov Open the ORCID record for Anatolii Chernov [Opens in a new window] ,
Māris Krievāns Open the ORCID record for Māris Krievāns [Opens in a new window]  and
Jurijs Ješkins Open the ORCID record for Jurijs Ješkins [Opens in a new window]
Jānis Karušs*
Affiliation:
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, Jelgavas Street 1, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia
Kristaps Lamsters
Affiliation:
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, Jelgavas Street 1, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia
Anatolii Chernov
Affiliation:
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Geology, Vasylkivska Street 90, Kiev, 03022, Ukraine State Institution National Antarctic Scientific Center, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, 16 Taras Shevchenko Blvd, Kiev, 01601, Ukraine
Māris Krievāns
Affiliation:
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, Jelgavas Street 1, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia
Jurijs Ješkins
Affiliation:
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, Jelgavas Street 1, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia
*
janis.karuss@lu.lv
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Abstract

This study presents the first subglacial topography and ice thickness models of the largest ice caps of the Argentine Islands, Wilhelm Archipelago, West Antarctica. During this study, ground-penetrating radar was used to map the thickness and inner structure of the ice caps. Digital surface models of all studied islands were created from aerial images obtained with a small-sized unmanned aerial vehicle and used for the construction of subglacial topography models. Ice caps of the Argentine Islands cover ~50% of the land surface of the islands on average. The maximum thickness of only two islands (Galindez and Skua) exceeds 30 m, while the average thickness of all islands is only ~5 m. The maximum ice thickness reaches 35.3 m on Galindez Island. The ice thickness and glacier distribution are mainly governed by prevailing wind direction from the north. This has created the prominent narrow ice ridges on Uruguay and Irizar islands, which are not supported by topographic obstacles, as well as the elongated shape of other ice caps. The subglacial topography of the ice caps is undulated and mainly dependent on the geological structure and composition of magmatic rocks.

Keywords

Antarcticaground-penetrating radarpolar regionsunmanned aerial vehicleWilhelm Archipelago
Type
Physical Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 31 , Issue 6 , December 2019 , pp. 332 - 344
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2019 

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