Citation
Navarro Valero, Francisco Jose and Otero García, Jaime and Macheret, Yu and Vasilenko, Evgeniy and Lapazaran Izargain, Javier Jesús and Ahlstrom, L.P. and Machío, F.
(2009).
Radioglaciological studies on Hurd Peninsula glaciers, Livingston Island, Antarctica.
In: "International Symposium on Radioglaciology and its Applications, 2008", 09/06/2008-13/06/2008, Madrid, España.
Abstract
We present the results of several radio-echo sounding surveys carried out on Johnsons and Hurd Glaciers, Livingston Island, Antarctica, between the 1999/2000 and 2004/05 austral summer campaigns, which included both radar profiling and common-midpoint measurements with low (20- 25 MHz)- and high (200MHz)-frequency radars. The latter have allowed us to estimate the radio-wave velocity in ice and firn and the corresponding water contents in temperate ice, which vary between 0 and 1.6% depending on the zone. Maximum ice thickness is ~200 m, with a mean value of 93.6 ± 2.5 m. Total ice volume is 0.968 ± 0.026 km3, for an area of 10.34 ± 0.03 km2. The subglacial relief of Johnsons Glacier is quite smooth, while that of Hurd Glacier shows numerous overdeepenings and peaks. The radar records suggest that Hurd Glacier has a polythermal structure, contrary to the usual assumption that glaciers in Livingston Island are temperate. This is also supported by other dynamical and geomorphological evidence.
