Impacts of an accumulation hiatus on the physical properties of firn at a low-accumulation polar site

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dc.contributor.authorCourville, Z. R.
dc.contributor.authorAlbert, M. R.
dc.contributor.authorFahnestock, M. A.
dc.contributor.authorCathles, L. M. IV
dc.contributor.authorShuman, Christopher
dc.date.accessioned2022-02-16T15:57:12Z
dc.date.available2022-02-16T15:57:12Z
dc.date.issued2007-06-08
dc.description.abstractRecent field investigations of a megadune region of East Antarctica provide evidence that differences in grain size, thermal conductivity, and permeability across a megadune profile are due to spatial accumulation variability in the absence of significant microclimate variations. The megadunes are low-amplitude (2–8 m), long-wavelength (2–5 km) bands with perceptible but low accumulation (less than 40 mm water equivalent (weq) yr⁻¹) and accumulation hiatus within several kilometers proximity, as determined by remote sensing, surface feature classification, and ground-penetrating radar profiling. Our hypothesis that accumulation rate impacts the extent of temperature gradient–driven metamorphic growth in low accumulation rate sites is supported by measurements of various firn physical properties. Relatively small differences in accumulation rate (less than 40 mm weq yr⁻¹) result in large differences in physical properties, including grain size, thermal conductivity, and permeability, which are apparent in satellite-based microwave data from both passive and active sensors. The differences in physical snow structure between low-accumulation areas and accumulation hiatus areas in the near surface are sufficiently distinct that evidence of past accumulation hiatus should be observable in the physical and chemical properties of an ice core record.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThe authors would like to thank Ted Scambos for making his unpublished data available to support the discussion in this paper. There are several others whom we are indebted to in the collection of the data. Terry Haran (NSIDC) installed the AWS equipment used to collect the meteorological data. Rob Bauer (NSIDC) assisted Ted Scambos with the GPR effort as well as with our firn sample collection. The members of the Light Ground Traverse team helped set up the Megadunes camp. Tom Neumann and Dan Dixon collected surface cores as part of the traverse efforts. Sarah Das (WHOI) provided the beta core analyses. The 109th Air National Guard and Ken Borek Air provided superior air service in Antarctica. Raytheon Polar Services provided logistics and science support in Antarctica, and Ice Coring and Drilling Services provided coring devices and assistance. We would also like to acknowledge the helpful comments of several reviewers. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (grant NSF-OPP 0125276).en_US
dc.description.urihttps://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2005JF000429en_US
dc.format.extent11 pagesen_US
dc.genrejournal articlesen_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/m2ujqc-pizq
dc.identifier.citationCourville, Z. R., Albert, M. R., Fahnestock, M. A., Cathles, L. M., and Shuman, C. A. (2007), Impacts of an accumulation hiatus on the physical properties of firn at a low-accumulation polar site, J. Geophys. Res., 112, F02030, doi:10.1029/2005JF000429.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1029/2005JF000429
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/24278
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherAGUen_US
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology
dc.rightsThis work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.en_US
dc.rightsPublic Domain Mark 1.0*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/*
dc.titleImpacts of an accumulation hiatus on the physical properties of firn at a low-accumulation polar siteen_US
dc.typeTexten_US
dcterms.creatorhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9606-767Xen_US

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