Subglacial topography and landscape evolution from radio-echo sounding data in the Evans-Rutford Region, southern Antarctic Peninsula.

Abstract

<p>Understanding the subglacial bed topography of the Antarctic ice sheet is important for the boundary conditions of ice sheet modelling and the assessment of basal hydrological conditions. Moreover, inferring landscape evolution from the geomorphology can also provide insight into ice sheet inception and history. We utilise radio-echo sounding data from the BAS GRADES-IMAGE and TORUS radar surveys to geomorphologically interpret the bed topography in the Evans-Rutford Region of Antarctica, between the Ellsworth mountains and the southern Antarctic Peninsula. The GRADES-IMAGE survey is a legacy radar survey that has not yet been examined in detail in terms of subglacial bed topography and consists of 11,500 line kilometres of data along 22 lines. We have updated the subglacial bed picks to develop a new Digital Elevation Model of the region. Here we report preliminary results of the mapped subglacial landscape, with potential interpretations of the topographic patterns and landscape evolution. Geomorphological observations of the key features include identification of flat plateau surfaces at similar elevations, sitting between deep incised glacial troughs, some of which have potential tectonic controls.</p>