Primary results of glaciological studies along an 1100 km transect from Zhongshan station to Dome A, East Antarctic ice sheet

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE)carried out three traverses from Zhongshan station to Dome A, Princess Elizabeth Land and Inaccessible Area, East Antarctic ice sheet, during the 1996/97 to 1998/99 Antarctic field seasons. The expeditions are part of the Chinese International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition program. In this project, glaciological investigations of mass balance, ice temperature, ice flow, stratigraphy in snow pits and snow/firn ice cores, as well as the glaciochemical study of surface snow and shallow ice cores, have been carried out. In the 1998/99 field season, CHINARE extended the traverse route to 1128 km inland from Zhongshan station. The density profiles show that firnification over Princess Elizabeth Land and Inaccessible Area (290^1100 km along the route) is fairly slow, and the accumulation rate recovered from snow pits along the initial 460 km of the route is 4.6^21cm (46^210 kg m^2a^1) water equivalent. The initial 460 km of the route can be divided into four sections based on the differences of accumulation rate. This pattern approximately coincides with the study on the Lambert Glacier basin (LGB) by Australian scientists. During the past 50 years, the trends of both air temperature and accumulation rate show a slight increase in this area, in contrast to the west side of the LGB. Data on surface accumulation rates and their spatial and temporal variability over ice-drainage areas such as the LGB are essential for precise mass-balance calculation of the whole ice sheet, and are important for driving ice-sheet models and testing atmospheric models.

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

“…38-40 m variations of major chemical species in the Antarctic snow and firn (Mosley-Thompson et al, 1993;Whitlow et al, 1992). In order to date the firn core accurately, we paid special attention to seasonal variations in major ions from snow and firn recovered from Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica (Li et al, 1999;Qin et al, 2000). Our results show that variations in sea-salt ions (Cl -and Na + ) and NO 3 -reasonably represent seasonal variations.…”

“…regional) interpretations should be avoided without additional supporting evidence. Fortunately, during 1997-98 and1998-99 Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition, three firn cores were drilled in Princess Elizabeth Land (Qin et al, 2000). Most of the laboratory analyses of the cores are still in progress, and the expected results may be helpful to explain for the overall climate and atmospheric environment in this region.…”

Optimal site selection for a high-resolution ice core record in East Antarctica

“…The model accumulation rate (Fig. 1b) underestimates the observed snow accumulation rates as well as the spatial variability (Ren and Qin Dahe, 1999;Dahe et al, 2000;Wen et al, 2006). Therefore, a combination of further analysis of existing data and modern radar site survey techniques would be required prior to drilling.…”

“…These were collected as part of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) Lambert Glacial basin traverse program (Higham and Craven, 1997) and the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE) inland traverses (Dahe et al, 2000). Accumulation rates from cores and stake measurements along the west Lambert Glacial basin traverse route 150 to 250 km inland are highly variable ranging from 0 to 500 kg m −2 a −1 and averaging ≈ 230 kg m −2 a −1 (Ren and Qin Dahe, 1999;Fig.…”

Optimal site selection for a high resolution ice core record in East Antarctica

“…Ice core and historical in situ measurements in the Law Promontory and Darnley regions west of the Amery Ice Shelf are limited to four records on the eastern boundary of the Law Promontory region. These were collected as part of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) Lambert Glacial basin traverse program (Higham and Craven, 1997) and the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE) inland traverses (Dahe et al, 2000). Accumulation rates from cores and stake measure-ments along the west Lambert Glacial basin traverse route 150 to 250 km inland are highly variable ranging from 0 to 500 kg m −2 a −1 and averaging ≈ 230 kg m −2 a −1 (Ren and Qin Dahe, 1999;Fig.…”