No Cover Image

Journal article 235 views 44 downloads

Imaging Brine Infiltration and Basal Marine Ice in Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula, From Borehole Measurements and Transient Electromagnetics

Siobhan Killingbeck, Bernd Kulessa Orcid Logo, Katie E. Miles Orcid Logo, Bryn Hubbard Orcid Logo, Adrian Luckman Orcid Logo, Sarah S. Thompson Orcid Logo, Glenn Jones, Benjamin K. Galton‐Fenzi

Geophysical Research Letters, Volume: 52, Issue: 17

Swansea University Authors: Siobhan Killingbeck, Bernd Kulessa Orcid Logo, Adrian Luckman Orcid Logo

  • 70133.VoR.pdf

    PDF | Version of Record

    © 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.

    Download (3.19MB)

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.1029/2025gl115908

Abstract

The presence and nature of marine ice in ice shelves is important, yet difficult to determine. We present transient electromagnetic results spanning 10 km across a suture zone of Larsen C Ice Shelf (LCIS), Antarctica, supported by central borehole measurements. Our results indicate the presence of t...

Full description

Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
ISSN: 0094-8276 1944-8007
Published: American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2025
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70133
Abstract: The presence and nature of marine ice in ice shelves is important, yet difficult to determine. We present transient electromagnetic results spanning 10 km across a suture zone of Larsen C Ice Shelf (LCIS), Antarctica, supported by central borehole measurements. Our results indicate the presence of two ice-shelf layers. The uppermost layer, ∼300 m thick, has resistivity 103−106 Ωm. We interpret this as meteoric ice, overlying a lower shelf layer 25–56 m thick with resistivity 3–20 Ωm, consistent with permeable basal marine ice. This reconstruction closely matches modeled marine-ice thicknesses in the area. The porosity of this layer is 0.18–0.40, higher than measured farther down-flow, suggesting the layer consolidates once formed. Within the upper layer at 78.5 m depth, we identify a 2.5 m thick layer, likely linked to brine infiltration. These heterogeneities in ice shelf properties should be accounted for in future LCIS stability assessments.
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Funders: NERC (Grant Number: NE/T008016/1)
Issue: 17