Basal crevasse formation on Byrd Glacier, East Antarctica, as proxy for
past subglacial flooding events
Abstract
Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) suggests that short-lived flow
accelerations, such as the one observed in the 2006 Byrd Glacier, East
Antarctica, subglacial flooding event, can initiate abnormally large
basal crevasses at the grounding line. Airborne radar measurements
acquired in 2011 reveal hundreds of basal crevasses ranging in height
~40—335 m. Particle tracking results show that the
formation of the largest basal crevasse occurred at the grounding line
during the 2006 flooding event. Very large basal crevasses form
distinctive surface depressions directly overhead, which are observed
along the Byrd Glacier flowline to the terminus of the Ross Ice Shelf.
By using these surface depressions as proxy for abnormally large basal
crevasses, we create a timeline of past subglacial flooding events on
Byrd Glacier. Understanding the frequency of flooding events and their
effect on glacier dynamics will help inform subglacial hydrology models
and models of ice sheet stability.