Research progress in geophysical exploration of the Antarctic ice sheet

The Antarctic ice sheet is an important target of Antarctic research.Thickness and structure,including intraice and subice,are closely related to the mass balance of the ice sheet,and play an important role in the study of global sea level and climate change.Subglacial topography is an important basis for studying ice sheet dynamics and ice sheet evolution.This paper briefly reviews the geophysical detection methods and research status of the Antarctic ice sheet:(1)Conventional methods such as ice radar are the main methods for studying the ice sheet today,and passive source seismic methods such as the receiver function method,H/V method and P-wave coda autocorrelation method have good development prospects;(2)the high-resolution(1 km)ice thickness and subglacial topographic database BEDMAP2 established based on various data has greatly improved the ability to detect internal isochronous layers,anisotropic layers,and temperature changes within ice and has advanced research on ice sheet evolution;and(3)ice radar,numerical simulation and core drilling are the main methods to study subglacial lakes and sediments.More than 400 subglacial lakes have been confirmed,and more than 12000 simulation results have been obtained.Research on the Antarctic ice sheet faces enormous challenges and is of great urgency.Aiming at hot issues,such as Antarctic geological evolution,glacial retreat,ice sheet melting and their relationships with global climate change,it is the frontier and trend of future Antarctic ice sheet research to carry out multidisciplinary and multicountry comprehensive geophysical exploration based on the traditional ice radar method combined with passive seismic methods,especially new technologies such as short-period dense array technology,unmanned aerial vehicles and artificial intelligence.This is expected to further promote Antarctic research.

Chinese radioglaciological studies on the Antarctic ice sheet: progress and prospects

Chinese radioglaciological studies on the Antarctic ice sheet(AIS) began in 2004/05 when the 21 st Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition(CHINARE 21) team arrived at Dome A for the first time and radio echo sounding(RES) was conducted along the inland traverse and in the Dome A region. Subsequently, more field surveys were conducted along the traverse and in the Dome A region using different radar systems targeting different scientific purposes, such as revealing the landscape of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains by detailed grid RES, or locating a deep ice core drilling site by mapping and studying internal structures, bedrock topography and subglacial conditions in the Dome A region. Furthermore, the evolution of the AIS was inferred from the typical mountain glaciation topography beneath Dome A, and the age of the deep ice core at Kunlun Station was estimated through numerical modeling. Recently, the Snow Eagle 601 airplane was acquired and an airborne geophysical system was constructed to survey the AIS in Princess Elizabeth Land during CHINARE 32(2015/16) and CHINARE 33(2016/17) in order to fill the large data gap there. In this paper, we review both the recent progress of Chinese radioglaciological science in Antarctica and future proposed work.

Seasonal variations of the near surfacelayer parameters over the Antarctic ice sheet in Princess Elizabeth Land,East Antarctica

Analysis of sensible heat flux （ Qh ）, latent heat flux （ Qe ）, Richardson number （Ri） ,bulk transport coefficient （Cd） and katabatic windsare presented by using the meteorological data in the near surface layer from an automatic weather station （AWS） in Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica ice sheet and the data of corresponding period at Zhongshan station in 2002. It shows that annual mean air temperature at LGB69 is -25.6℃, which is 16.4℃ lower than that at Zhongshan, where the elevation is lower and located on the coast. The temperature lapse rate is about 1.0℃/110 m for the initial from coast to inland. The turbulence heat flux at LGB69 displays obvious seasonal variations with the average sensible heat flux -17.9 W/m^2 and latent heat flux -0.9 W/m^2. The intensity （Qh ＋ Qe ） of coolling source is - 18.8 W/m^2 meaning the snow surface layer obtains heat from atmosphere. The near surface atmosphere is near-neutral stratified with bulk transport coefficients （Cd） around 2.8 ×10^-3 ,and it is near constant when the wind speed higher than 8 m/s. The speed and the frequency of easterly Katabatic winds at LGB69 were higher than that at Zhongshan Station.

Mass change of the Antarctic ice sheet inferred from ICESat and CryoSat-2

This study examined the mass change of the Antarctic ice sheet(AIS) based on ICESat and CryoSat-2 observations. We estimated the AIS exhibited mass losses of-101±15 Gt·aduring the ICESat period(Sept–Nov 2003 to Sept–Oct 2009) and-186±55 Gt·aduring the CryoSat-2 period(Jan 2011 to Dec 2015). Mass losses occurred mainly in the sectors of the Amundsen and Bellingshausen seas. Benefitting from the 30-d subcycle of CryoSat-2, we obtained monthly estimates of mass evolution. Considerable annual variations were observed in the mass evolution sequences and the climatological monthly mass evolution. Seasonal mass evolutions in the sectors of the Bellingshausen and Amundsen seas were found most representative of the annual variation. The geographical distribution characteristics of interannual AIS mass evolution were revealed by the annual average mass evolution sequences. During Jan 2011 to Dec 2015, the ice sheets in the sectors of the Bellingshausen and Amundsen seas, and the Totten Glacier, experienced increasingly rapid areal mass loss. An area of mass gain with a moderate rate of increase was found between Dronning Maud Land and Enderby Land. Rapid mass accumulation has occurred in a limited area of the Kamb Ice Stream.

Preliminary research on the transmission path of nssSO_4^(2-) and NO_3^- in Antarctic ice sheet

The main sources of nssSO 2- 4 and NO - 3 were summarized in this paper. By analyzing the spatial distribution features of major ions in Antarctic ice sheet and studying on the different time of the same volcanic event recorded by different ice cores from different regions in Antarctica, this paper intends to study the transmission path of nssSO 2- 4 and NO - 3. Results show that nssSO 2- 4 and NO - 3 are transmitted to the ice sheet through long distance and high altitude. The procedure of the transmission is that nssSO 2- 4 and NO - 3 are transmitted to the level between the top of troposphere and the bottom of stratosphere, then subsided to the ice sheet surface and spread to other regions.

GLIMMER Antarctic Ice Sheet Model,an experimental research of moving boundary condition

A 3-D coupled ice sheet model, GLIMMER model is introduced, and an idealized ice sheet experiment under the EISMINT-1 criterion of moving boundary condition is presented. The results of the experiment reveal that for a steady-state ice sheet profile the characteristic curves describe the process of evolution which are accordant with theoretical estimates. By solving the coupled thermodynamics equations of ice sheet, one may find the characteristic curves which derived from the conservation of the mass, energy and momentum to the ice flow profile. At the same time, an agreement, approximate to the GLIMMER case and the confirmed theoretical results, is found. Present study is explorihg work to introduce and discuss the handicaps of EISMINT criterion and GLIMMER, and prospect a few directions of the GLIMMER model.

Migration and role of zinc in biogeochemical cycles in the Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Southern Ocean

Zinc(Zn),a widespread metal in the Earth’s crust,serves as a crucial nutrient in the Southern Ocean’s primary production.Studies on Zn in Antarctic snow and ice offer insights into the origins of this metal and its transport routes,as well as its impact on the biogeochemical processes within the Antarctic atmosphere–land–ocean system.This review examines research on the spatial and temporal distribution of Zn in Antarctic snow and ice,as well as in Southern Ocean waters.It includes an overview of advanced methods for sampling and analyzing Zn,along with explanations for the observed variations.The review also discusses various sources of Zn as a nutrient to the Southern Ocean.Finally,it addresses prospective issues related to the use of Zn isotopes in identifying atmospheric sources and their biogeochemical effects on the development of the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

Mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from 2013 to 2018 estimated using the input-output method with updated remote sensing products

The Antarctic Ice Sheet(AIS)has been losing ice mass and contributing to the rise in the global sea-level(GSL)for the last 4 decades,as quantified by using satellite observations.We developed a framework for implementing the state-of-the-art input-output(IO)method that has the advantage of explicit estimation of the mass balance of individual glaciers,basins and the continent.We estimated the mass balance of the AIS from 2013 to 2018 using improved observations and updated datasets recently made available,including annual ice flow velocity maps from the Inter-mission Time Series of Land Ice Velocity and Elevation(ITS_LIVE)dataset,the Bed Machine and the Princess Elizabeth Land(PEL)Earth System Science Data(ESSD)datasets,and the surface mass balance from the RACMO 2.3 system.For example,using the improved ice thickness data,the proposed method for ice discharge estimation enables a 10%reduction of uncertainty in ice discharge.During the period of 2013–2018,an ice discharge acceleration of 6.9±6.5 Gt yr^(–2)in West Antarctica(WA)was detected,which contributed significantly to the estimated mass loss of~1069 Gt(–178.2±108.9 Gt yr^(–1))in the AIS.On the other hand,Queen Maud Land,East Antarctica(EA),showed clearly a mass gain rate of 56.0±10.0 Gt yr^(–1)due to the regional increase in surface mass balance.Our results extended the estimation period by 3 years in comparison to the published study using the same annual velocity maps from the ITS_LIVE dataset.Furthermore,our results,along with those from other studies using the IO method,reassures the acceleration of recent mass loss in WA and Wilkes Land in EA,which are caused by glacier thinning and ice shelf basal melting.Compared with the long-term mass balance record since 1979,our results suggest that the mass loss in AIS accelerated in the last decade.The developed framework can be modified for mass balance estimation of the AIS or for other ice sheets by using velocity maps from other satellite data or from different periods.

Analyzing Antarctic ice sheet snowmelt with dynamic Big Earth Data

Big Earth Data—big data associated with Earth sciences—can potentially revolutionize research on climate change,sustainable development,and other issues of global concern.For example,analyzing massive amounts of satellite imagery of polar environments,which are sensitive to the effects of climate change,provides insights into global climate trends.This study proposes a method to use Big Earth Data to explore changes in snowmelt over the Antarctic ice sheet from 1979 to 2016.The method uses Zernike moments to observe melt area in Antarctica and uses the Mann-Kendall test to detect temporal changes and abnormal information about the continent’s melt area.The melting trend in the time-series data matched the changes in temperature and seasonal transitions.The results do not demonstrate significant change in the area of surface melt;however,abrupt changes in melt conditions linked to temperature changes over the Antarctic ice sheet were observed within the time series.The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method is robust,adaptive,and capable of extracting the core features of melting snow.

Impact of the formation and ablation of Antarctic ice sheet on the global geoid and sea level

It is convenient to investigate the gravimetry using a harmonic spheric function for the description of the distribution and thickness of the Antarctic ice sheet. The gravitational theory and the Stokes' harmonic spheric function formula were used to determine the impact of the Antarctic ice cap on the global geoid. The Antarctic ice cap is formed from the condensation of seawater vapour whose mass is equal to a layer of seawater 59 m thick of covering the earth's surface, i.e. 2.7×10 19 kg. This will cause the global averaged geoid to decrease for around 23 m. The authors' computations show that the Antractic ice cap has a great impact on the global geoid, which increases (+) in some regions, but decreases (-) in other reigions. The geoid is +115 m, -37 m and +8 m at the South Pole, the 25°S parallel and the North Pole, respectively. If the Antarctic ice cap melts completely, on the rigid Earth's surface the seawater and geoid will return to its original position (and height) due to the balancing force of the fluid. Since the crust is almost in a state of isostasy, assuming that the crust is an elastic solid and the mantle is an incompressible fluid, the load of seawater will deflect the crust and drive the mantle material to flow. The material above the isostatic surface compensates mutually. If the densities of the mantle and seawater are 3270 kg/m 3 and 1030 kg/m 3, respectively, then the variation in the elevation of the continent is only 2.8 m with respect to the sea level after the Antarctic ice cap melts;it is not larger than that estimated by some people.It is worth noting that the above results were derived from an ideal Earth model. In the real Earth, the mantle and crust are visco elastic.

The difference of atmospheric chemical loadings shown by electrical conductivity of snow and ice between Antarctica, Arctic and Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The relationship of ECM with ice acidity and impurities concentrations are much different between the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau and the polar regions. On the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau, ECM is dependent on the mineral ions (i.e., Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , SO 2- 4, etc.) mainly derived from crustal sources, thus displays a positive linear correlation between ECM and these ions. While in polar ice sheets, however, ECM of snow and ice is mainly dependent on the acidic roots such as Cl -, SO 2- 4 and NO - 3 that mostly come from ocean. Therefore, there is good relationship between ECM and concentration of H +. However, the relationship between ECM and major ions has complicated geographical differentiation in the whole Arctic. For instance, there no longer exits the same simple relationship in the central Arctic as that in the Greenland Ice Sheet, probably due to the disturbance of Arctic haze. In general, ECM of snow and ice is a potential indicator of atmospheirc envirmment of cold regions.

GPS-derived horizontal ice flow velocities along the traverse route from Zhongshan Station to Dome-A, East Antarctica

The traverse route from Zhongshan Station to Dome A is one of the most important expedition routes of ITASE Project. China carried out 3 inland traverses during the 1996/1997, 1997/1998, 1998/1999 austral summer field seasons. The field team reached inland 300 km, 500 km and 1100 km away from Zhongshan Station respectively. Some ice motion stakes were set up, occupied and reoccupied along the route by GPS technology. It showed that the ice along the traverse route flowed with an 8 25 ma -1 velocity to the northwest, the direction of the bottom of Lambert Glacier Basin. They coincide with the results along the eastern section from LGB59 70 of the LGB route deduced by Australia in both values and directions. Furthermore, the directions of the horizontal flow are perpendicular to the surface topography contour. The much larger velocity at the point of LT980 with an approximate value of 100 ma -1 was probed. It was caused by a 15 km wide trough on the bed beneath this point.

Dome Argus: Ideal site for deep ice drilling

Located on the centre of ice drainage range, the highest Dome Argus （Dome A） of East Antarctic Ice Sheet （EAIS）, could be represented as an ideal site for deep ice cores drilling containing oldest paleo-climate records. To select a suitable drilling site for deep ice core, it needs gather all information pertaining to the local meteorology, ice sheet landforms, ice thickness, subgla- cial topography of bed rocks, ice velocity, internal structures of ice sheet, etc. Based on the International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences （IPICS）, we present recent achievement of glaciological research and its perspective at Dome A in this paper. We system- atically discussed the merits and possible ventures of potential drilling sites around Dome A. Among all the candidates, we find that the Chinese Antarctic Kunlun Station is the best site for and assess further the possibility to obtain a replicate core for carrying out the first deep ice core drilling campaign. We emphasize studying dynamics and evolution of climate change.

Glaciological observations at Dome Argus, East Antarctica

Dome Argus （Dome A） in East Antarctica is a potentially likely site to meet one of the major objectives of the International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences （IPICS） on the oldest ice core, and thus has aroused wide public and scientific interest. Since 2004/2005, many glaciological investigations have been conducted in this region. These have included GPS and ground-penetrating radar surveys, snow pit and ice core drilling, stake network measurements, and meteorological observations. In this article, the main results of these glaciological investigations in the Dome A region are summarized. We present details of the surface mass balance on different timescales and its spatial variability, geochemical characteristics of the surface snow, and paleo-environment reconstruction of ice cores. Finally, perspectives on the prospects for future studies are suggested.

Last deglacial relative sea level variations in Antarctica derived from glacial isostatic adjustment modelling

We present relative sea level （RSL） curves in Antarctica derived from glacial isostatic adjustment （GIA）predictions based on the melting scenarios of the Antarctic ice sheet since the Last Glacial Maximum （LGM）given in previous works.Simultaneously,Holocene-age RSL observations obtained at the raised beaches along the coast of Antarctica are shown to be in agreement with the GIA predictions.The differences from previously published ice-loading models regarding the spatial distribution and total mass change of the melted ice are significant.These models were also derived from GIA modelling; the variations can be attributed to the lack of geological and geographical evidence regarding the history of crustal movement due to ice sheet evolution.Next,we summarise the previously published ice load models and demonstrate the RSL curves based on combinations of different ice and earth models.The RSL curves calculated by GIA models indicate that the model dependence of both the ice and earth models is significantly large at several sites where RSL observations were obtained.In particular,GIA predictions based on the thin lithospheric thickness show the spatial distributions that are dependent on the melted ice thickness at each sites.These characteristics result from the short-wavelength deformation of the Earth.However,our predictions strongly suggest that it is possible to find the average ice model despite the use of the different models of lithospheric thickness.By sea level and crustal movement observations,we can deduce the geometry of the post-LGM ice sheets in detail and remove the GIA contribution from the crustal deformation and gravity change observed by space geodetic techniques,such as GPS and GRACE,for the estimation of the Antarctic ice mass change associated with recent global warming.

250 years of accumulation, oxygen isotope and chemical records in a firn core from Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica

A 51.85-m tim core collected from site DT001 （accumulation rate 127 kgm^-2a^-1, mean annual temperature -33.1 ℃） on Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica, during the 1996-97 Chinese First Antarctic Inland Expedition has been analyzed for chemical composition and oxygen isotope ratio. A comparison between the seasonal variations of major ions was carried out in order to reduce the dating uncertainty, using the volcanic markers as time constrains. A deposition period of 251 years was determined. The calculated accumulation rates display an increasing trend before 1820, while after 1820, the trend of the accumulation is not obvious. Overall, temperature change in the region shows a slight increasing trend over the past 250 years. But, notably, a temperature decline of -2 ℃ is observed from 1860 to the present. This feature, at odds with the warming trend over the past century recorded in both hemispheres, likely reflects a regional characteristic related to the lack of a high latitude/low latitude link in the Southern Hemisphere circulation patterns. The results of the glaciochemical records of the firn core show that the mean concentrations of Cl^-, Na^＋ and Mg^2＋ are similar to those reported from other sites in East Antarctica. However, the mean concentration of Ca^2＋ is much higher than that reported from other regions, suggesting the influence of the strong local terrestrial sources in Princess Elizabeth Land. There is no evidence of a positive correlation between NO3^- concentrations and solar activity （11-year solar cycle and solar cycle length）, although solar proton events may account for some of the NO3^- peak values in the record.

Reconstructing the post-LGM deglacial history of Hollingsworth Glacier on Ricker Hills,Transantarctic Mountains,Antarctica

The Transantarctic Mountains are an important corridor between the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Western Ross Sea,where most current ice streams and outlet glaciers arise.We investigated Ricker Hills,the largest exposed mountainous region between Southern Victoria Land and Terra Nova Bay,and dated the glacial landforms using in-situ cosmogenic-nuclide 10 Be surface exposure dating to reconstruct the paleo-glacial dynamics.The surface of the Hollingsworth glacier lowered since the middle of Marine Isotope Stage(MIS)2(22.1 ka);therefore,the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM)occurred before that period.Cosmogenic,geomorphic,and climatic records constrained the glacial surface slope to be between 5.4°and 6.8°.The ice was 270-320 m thicker at the LGM(MIS 2)than presently but did not override the top surface of the Benson Knob.Moreover,previous glacial periods such as the local LGM(MIS 4)or Penultimate Glacial Maximum(MIS 6)maintained thicker ice than the LGM(MIS 2).The Ross Ice Shelf opening during the mid-Holocene(~6 ka)caused the rapid collapse of the terminal outlet glaciers and supplied notable snow accumulation upstream,which stagnated lowering.The greatest lowering and retreat occurred during the late Holocene(2.3~0.8 ka),when elephant seal colonies thrived in the Ross Embayment.

Towards an integrated study of subglacial conditions in Princess Elizabeth Land,East Antarctica

During the 21st century,the contribution of the Antarctic*Ice Sheet(AIS)to sea level rise has been increasing,affecting coastal regions and their large populations and economies(Moore et al.,2018).The ice loss from the AIS is driven primarily by increased melting of ice shelves by warm ocean waters and the subsequent acceleration,retreat and rapid thinning of the major outlet glaciers of the West Antarctic ice sheet(IPCC,2019).However,subglacial conditions(thermodynamics and hydrology)of AIS remain poorly understood,despite recent advances in satellite and ground-based observations,and this makes it difficult to project the amount of future ice loss.To better understand the most compelling scientific issues addressing subglacial conditions,and following several recent technical and operational advances,the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)launched a special program named the“Polar Basic Science Frontier”.

Micro-particle in surface snow at Princess Elizabeth Land,East Antarctic

During the Austral summer of 1996/1997, the First Chinese Antarctic Inland Expedition reached the inland area about 330 km along the direction around 76°E from Zhongshan Station, and collected 84 surface snow samples at an interval of 4 km . Micro particle analysis of the samples indicates that the micro particle concentration apparently decreases with the increasing of altitude, and the amplitudes of micro particle concentration is much larger in the lower altitude than in the higher altitude. Further analysis of grain size distributions of micro particle, percentage of micro particles from different sources and variations with altitude suggest that micro particles in this area are from a considerably dominant source. Although this area is controlled by polar easterly wind and katabatic wind, transportation and deposition of the micro particles are mainly influenced by marine transportation in coastal area.

Radar isochronic layer dating for a deep ice core at Kunlun Station, Antarctica

The ages and accumulation rates of ice are important boundary conditions for paleoclimatic ice models. Radardetected isochronic layers can be used to date the ice column beneath the ice surface and infer past accumulation rates. A Deep Ice-Core Drilling Project has been carried out at Kunlun station in the Dome A region, East Antarctica. Radio echo sounding data are collected during the 2004/2005 Chinese National Research Expedition and the 2007/2008 Dome Connection East Antarctica project of the Alfred Wegener Institute(Germany). Radar isochronic layers from the dataset were linked to compare a new deep ice core site from Kunlun station and the Vostok ice core site. Ten visible layers, accounting for ~50% ice thickness at the Kunlun station ice core site, were dated based on the Vostok ice core chronology. At 1,640 m depth below surface, an age of ~160,400 yr was determined, corresponding to a bright layer at Kunlun station. These layers provided geometric information on the past surface of the ice sheet around the ice core site through the Wisconsin glacial stage, Eemian interglacial and Marine Isotope Stage6. Based on a simple ice flow model and the age-depth relationship, we concluded that the region around the Kunlun ice core site had lower past accumulation rates, consistent with the present pattern. The age-depth relationship would thus be expected to correlate and constrain the chronology of the deep ice core at Kunlun station in the future.