Antarctic Glacier Monitoring

Abstract

Polar ice is an important component of the natural system, affecting global climate on large as well as small scale. The Antarctic ice sheet has undergone significant changes in the past and governed the earth's climatic system. This ice sheet appears to have been very dynamic and yet, not much is known about the processes involved for this dynamism.Glaciological studies in parts of Central Donning Maud Land (cDML) of East Antarctica include monitoring the changes of Antarctic ice sheet overriding the Schirmacher Oasis, measurement of snow accumulation on the ice sheet, study of subsurface topography and ice sheet dynamics. In the last three decades, Dakshin Gangotri (DG) glacier snout, which is a part of East Antarctic Ice sheet (EAIS) overriding Schirmacher Oasis shows continuous recession. There are major peaks of recession in every five year cycle. The higher average annual surface air temperature leads to the greater recession in the next year. Interestingly, this recessional trend of DG snout does not show perfect correlation with the meteorological parameters (such as surface air temperature, ground temperature, wind speed, etc.) of this area. This all reflect towards the existence of very complex equation for the recession of ice sheet and snow and ice characterization in this part of Antarctica. The vector component of ice sheet shows differential movement all along the southern edge of Schirmacher Oasis. The average annual recession of snout has shown positive correlation with the mean annual runoff and negative correlation with annual mass balance of the area.