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Geologic controls on the West Antarctic Ice SheetThe stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is intertwined with its geologic history. The sub-ice geology and the possibility of active rifting and associated elevated heat-flux and volcanism might be determining factors in ice-sheet behavior. Seismic monitoring of natural events at the base of Ice Stream C reveals the presence of a young sedimentary basin beneath the ice stream. The sediments are presumed to be of glacio-marine origin, similar to those beneath Ice Stream B and in the Ross Sea. The young sediments are approximately 1/2 km thick at UpC camp, but thin abruptly southward to 100 m or less. We hypothesize the presence of a fault with a throw of 400 m to account for this (though we have not directly detected the fault), rather than invoking unrealistic basement dips. To extend these studies to critical inland regions, we suggest an expanded explosive-source seismic survey of the Byrd Subglacial Basin to determine the extent and character of the hypothesized rift basin. High-resolution seismic monitoring will detect layering in the sedimentary column, as well as possibly imaging faults directly.
Document ID
19930022711
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Anandakrishnan, Sridhar
(Pennsylvania State Univ. University Park, PA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Goddard Space Flight Center, The First Annual West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Science Workshop
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
93N31900
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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