A challenge for future deep-ice coring in central Antarctica is to identify an appropriate inert drilling fluid with no undesirable physical or chemical characteristics. The drilling fluids currently in use (kerosene-based fluids with density-increasing additives, ethanol and n-butyl acetate) are not intelligent choices for the future from safety, environmental and some technological standpoints. Recently proposed drilling fluids based upon ESTISOL™ have high viscosity at low temperatures, which severely limits their application in cold environments. This paper presents our research into the application of low-molecular-weight, fatty-acid esters (FAEs), substances commonly used in the fragrance and flavoring industries. According to available data, selected FAEs are not hazardous to human health. Considering density requirements alone, ethyl butyrate and n-propyl propionate best meet our present needs. The viscosities of these two chemicals are also the lowest among studied FAEs, not exceeding 4 mPas at temperatures down to −60°C. Both compounds are highly volatile, and insoluble in water. Such properties are attractive, but the applicability of FAEs to deep, cold, ice drilling can be evaluated only after field-based, practical experiments in test boreholes.

An analysis is made of the steady-state width of an ice sheet whose base is below sea-level, whose basal temperatures are such that appreciable melting occurs at the base, and which is fringed by fastmoving ice streams that drain most of the outward ice flux. The fast ice velocities of the ice streams are considered to be a consequence of substantial subglacial water flow underneath the ice streams. The source of this water is the water melted from the base of the ice sheet which is diverted to flow beneath the ice streams. If the depth of the sea at the edge of the ice sheet is not a function of the width of the ice sheet, then an ice sheet with a steady-state width is in a situation of unstable equilibrium. Only if the sea-level depth at the edge of the ice sheet increases as a function of ice-sheet width at a rate greater than the 2/3rd power of the width can a stable, steady-state ice sheet exist. This condition (taking into account elastic rebound) is not satisfied for the West Antarctic ice sheet along an ice-flow path from the ice divide above Byrd station out to the Ross Sea. An increase of the mean precipitation, such as might occur under a C02-induced climatic warming, would cause growth of both stable or unstable steady-state ice sheets.

Fabric analysis of the upper 1300 m of the Dome C (East Antarctica) ice core reveals a slight clustering tendency of c axes towards the vertical, which gradually enhances with depth from an initially isotropic orientational distribution of c axes at the free surface. Such a strain-induced anisotropy is compatible with the expected macroscale stress state in a dome, i.e. dominated by vertical compression. Yet, when one analyzes the orientational distribution of the visible gliding layers of individual crystallites (slip bands), the evidence is quite contrasting. Direct observation of slip bands in samples from the Dome C ice core taken from different depths (204–1291 m) indicates a higher slip activity in nearly horizontal planes, in such a manner that >60% of the detected slip bands have an inclination of <30˚ with respect to the horizontal. Furthermore, the observed slip activity is not symmetric, i.e. the number of slip bands discerned at 20˚, say, is usually not comparable with the number found at 160˚. Such features are not consistent with the predicted slip activity induced by compression and/or extension. In this work, we present evidence for this unexpected orientational distribution of slip bands and discuss some of the possible causes. Natural and artificial agents are investigated, together with their respective consequences for ice-sheet modeling and ice-core processing. Additionally, we show the occurrence of bent slip bands in certain crystallites. Such a bending represents an early stage of polygonization, and highlights the strong inhomogeneity of deformation at the crystal level. Moreover, it indicates that polygonization might be mathematically interpreted as a continuous process of rotation, characterized by the divergence of c axes from a common direction.

Fourteen subglacial debris samples have been recovered from the margins of, or beneath, Haut Glacier d’Arolla, Switzerland. The grain-size distributions of these sediments are presented and compared with each other as bivariate plots of percentage weight against (sieve-defined) particle size and log number of particles against log particle diameter. All of the samples recovered are composed of a broad range of clast sizes and approach self-similarity over the four orders of magnitude of grain-sizes analysed. Fractal dimensions range from 2.47 to 2.77. Sample intercomparison reveals the operation of at least two processes of textural evolution: the production of fines by in-situ weathering, interpreted in terms of abrasion associated with subglacial sediment deformation, and the loss of fines, interpreted in terms of eluviation by percolating subglacial meltwaters. These interpretations are supported and refined through comparison of the grain-size fractions gained (in the case of deformation) and lost (in the case of eluviation) with those fractions respectively generated in a laboratory-based simulation of sediment deformation and exiting the glacier suspended in the proglacial meltwater stream. While sediment deformation has the effect of increasing the fine fraction between 0 and 10ϕ and of raising the fractal dimension of undeformed sediments from 2.47 to 2.77, eluviation removes particles between 2 and 100, driving the fractal dimension of deformed sediments down from 2.77 to 2.54. These fractal dimensions are generally lower than those recorded at other comparable glaciers, consistent with the relatively low rates of sediment deformation inferred from other studies at Haut Glacier d’Arolla.

The shallow-ice microstructure at Dome Concordia, Antarctica, has been studied between 100 m and 580 m. An original digital-image-processing technique has been specially developed to extract ice microstructure (grain boundaries) from thin sections prepared during the two first scientific EPICA field seasons (1997/98 and 1998/99). Using this, not only the mean crystal size, but also crystal-size distributions and shape anisotropy were determined. The mean crystal-size profile as well as crystal-size distributions reveal normal grain growth up to 430 m. Between 430 m and 500 m, a marked decrease of crystal size is observed and compared with a similar trend obtained in the "old" Dome C ice core formerly associated with the Holocene/Last Glacial transition (Duval and Lorius, 1980). This seems to indicate a slightly lower accumulation rate (by <10%) at Dome C. The shapes of the crystal-size distributions, though very similar, do evolve with depth and seem to be sensitive to climatic changes. An increasing flattening of crystal shape is observed with depth. This allowed estimation of the vertical strain rate in the shallow part of the ice sheet.

We investigate the differences in subglacial hydraulic properties between Bakaninbreen, a surge-type glacier in southern Svalbard, and midre Lovénbreen, a non-surge-type glacier in northwest Svalbard, using slug tests. At Bakaninbreen, underlain by fine-grained glacial till and marine sediments, slug-test responses were underdamped and are analyzed with the Van der Kamp method using a fully penetrating screen. At midre Lovénbreen, underlain by metres-thick permafrost consisting of coarse clasts, ice and water, slug-test responses were overdamped and are analyzed with the Butler–Garnett method using a partially penetrating screen. We calculate typical hydraulic conductivities of 8.2 ± 7.8 x 10–3 ms–1 for Bakaninbreen, and 1.9 ± 0.5 × 10–5 m s–1 for midre Lovénbreen, after correction for a high-conductivity skin. At Bakaninbreen, late surge-induced subglacial sediment dilation probably caused marked hydraulic conductivity enhancement, which could be widespread during times of peak ice flow. We argue that the flow pathways in the permafrost beneath midre Lovénbreen are present, though limited in terms of their discharge capacity, which in combination with drilling-based observations and independent evidence suggests that midre Lovénbreen is not capable of surging.

We present the results of low-frequency (20 MHz) radio-echo sounding (RES) carried out in December 2000 and December 2006 on the main ice divides of Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands (SSI), Antarctica, and Bowles Plateau, Antarctica, respectively, as well as high-frequency (200 MHz) RES on the latter, aimed at determining the ice thickness, internal structure and subglacial relief. Typical ice thickness along the main ice divides is ~150 m, reaching maxima of ~200 m. On Bowles Plateau the ice is much thicker, with an average of 265 m and maxima of ~500 m. The bed below the main ice divides is above sea level, while part of the outlet glaciers from Bowles Plateau lies significantly below sea level, down to –120 m. The strong scattering of the radio waves in the areas under study constitutes further evidence that the ice in the accumulation area of the ice masses of the SSI is temperate. Typical thickness of the firn layer in Bowles Plateau is 20–35 m, similar to that found in King George ice cap. A strong internal reflector within the firn layer, interpreted as a tephra layer from the 1970 eruption at Deception Island, has allowed a rough estimate of the specific mass balances for Bowles Plateau within 0.20–0.40ma–1w.e., as average values for the period 1970–2006.

Two inverse methods are proposed as a means of estimating the thermal diffusivity of snow and firn from continuous measurements of their temperature. The first method is applicable to shallow depths where temperature experiences diurnal variations, and is based on the fact that phase and amplitude of these diurnal variations are functions of the thermal diffusivity. The second method is applicable to the deeper part of the firn layer, and is based on a simple least-squares estimation technique. The methods applied here differ from various methods used for borehole paleothermometry in that observations are continuous in time and performance constraints on model/data misfit can be applied over a finite temporal period. Both methods are tested on temperature records from thermistor strings operating in the upper 2.5 m of firn on iceberg C16 (Ross Sea, Antarctica) from 2004 to 2007. Results of the analysis show promise in identifying melting events and the movement and refreezing of meltwater within the snow/firn layer.

In March and April 2010, we investigated the development of young landfast sea ice in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen, Svalbard. We sampled the vertical column, including sea ice, brine, frost flowers and sea water, to determine the CO2 system, nutrients, salinity and bacterial and ice algae production during a 13 day interval of ice growth. Apart from the changes due to salinity and brine rejection, the sea-ice concentrations of total inorganic carbon (CT), total alkalinity (AT), CO2 and carbonate ions (CO32–) in melted ice were influenced by dissolution of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitates (25–55 μmol kg-1) and played the largest role in the changes to the CO2 system. The CT values were also influenced by CO2 gas flux, bacterial carbon production and primary production, which had a small impact on the CT. The only exception was the uppermost ice layer. In the top 0.05 m of the ice, there was a CO2 loss of ∼20 μmol kg-1 melted ice (1 mmol m-2) from the ice to the atmosphere. Frost flowers on newly formed sea ice were important in promoting ice-air CO2 gas flux, causing a CO2 loss to the atmosphere of 140-800 μmol kg--1 d-1 melted frost flowers (7-40 mmol m-2 d–1).

One of the principal aims of avalanche warning is to prevent slab avalanches triggered by skiers. Other than explosives, the best practical tool for stability evaluation is the Rutschblock test. Whether the slab may be triggered by a skier depends on various slab characteristics. Important factors seem to be depth of the weak layer, slab hardness and sublayering of the slab. The stress distribution induced by a skier is calculated by the finite element method for typical snow-cover configurations. The additional shear stress is of the same order of magnitude as the shear strength of weak layers. Besides the critical weak layer — prerequisite for a slab avalanche — hard layers seem to be important. The analysis suggests that a shear failure is most probable at the transition from a hard to a soft layer. This corresponds well to observations of slab-avalanche profiles. The results may help to improve and quantify the analysis of snow profiles.

Interactions between Antarctic sea ice and synoptic activity in the circumpolar trough have been investigated using meteorological data from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Interim Re-analysis and sea-ice data from passive-microwave measurements. Total Antarctic sea-ice extent does not show large interannual variations. However, large differences are observed on a regional/monthly scale, depending on prevailing winds and currents, and thus on the prevailing synoptic situations. the sea-ice edge is also a preferred region for cyclogenesis due to the strong meridional temperature gradient (high baroclinicity) in that area. the motivation for this study was to gain a better understanding of the interaction between sea-ice extent and the general atmospheric flow, particularly the frequency of warm-air intrusions into the interior of the Antarctic continent, since this influences precipitation seasonality and must be taken into account for a correct climatic interpretation of ice cores. Two case studies of extraordinary sea-ice concentration anomalies in relation to the prevailing atmospheric conditions are presented. However, both strong positive and negative anomalies can be related to warm biases in ice cores (indicated by stable-isotope ratios), especially in connection with the negative phase of the Southern Annular Mode.

An acceleration of the katabatic winds during periods of blowing snow was observed in Adelie Land, Antarctica. Data collected by Automatic Weather Stations' (AWS) showed a change in the relationship between the katabatic term of the surface geostrophic wind (katabatic force) and the wind speed for periods of blowing snow. When measurements of the katabatic force were plotted against the cube of the wind speed, the slope was steeper for wind speeds at less than a threshold speed for blowing snow. The difference between these two slopes was partly explained by the effect of blowing snow entrained into the atmospheric boundary layer.

Glaciar Pio XI, the largest glacier in South America, has experienced an advance during the 20th century, unlike virtually all other glaciers in Patagonia, which are retreating rapidly. Climatological records of the last 80 years are analyzed together with ice-velocity and meteorological measurements collected during November 1995 near the tidewater front of Glaciar Pio XI. Ice speeds of up to 50 m d−1 were measured, the maximum occurring during a period when air temperatures were high.

In this paper, we extend the analysis of geometry and deformation of pack ice initiated in part I by considering random isotropic geometry using the Poisson line process. The model is used to estimate opening, ridging and sliding coefficients for more realistic geometry than the idealized simple and regular geometry considered in part I. We then derive the shape of yield curves by applying minimization of the maximum shear stress to a linear combination of the estimated ridging and sliding coefficients. It is found that isotropic crack geometry results in a sine-lens shape for the yield curve if sliding makes no contribution to the energy dissipation. By contrast, when sliding contributes, the shape of the yield curve becomes teardropped. These results suggest the presence of a consistent relationship between large-scale characterization of inter-floe interactions and small-scale (crack and lead) ridging processes.

Quaternary surface temperature and ice conditions have lowered today’s temperatures in the uppermost 1 to 2 km of the Earth’s crust in the Swiss plateau by about 5 to 6°C in regions of formerly temperate glacier beds, and these effects were even greater on temperatures in formerly periglacial regions. Effects of latent heat exchange during the formation and thawing of ice-rich permafrost in high-porosity sediments enhance the effects of heat diffusion in low-porosity rock. The influence of underground ice formation, however, seems to be limited. This is due both to the limited thickness of high-porosity sediments and to the fact that high post-glacial surface temperatures in the Swiss plateau shortened the thaw time of ice-rich permafrost which formed at the time of maximum glaciation (18 ka BP). The greatest effects of ice conditions in 18 ka BP may therefore be expected outside the plateau in Alpine valleys. Here, advection of cold ice through glacier flow may have cooled high-porosity sediments of considerable thickness well below 0°C.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in mountain glaciers is an important source of carbon for downstream aquatic systems, and its impact is expected to increase due to the increased melting rate of glaciers. We present a comprehensive study of Laohugou glacier no. 12 (LHG) at the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau to characterize the DOM composition and sources by analyzing surface fresh snow, granular ice samples, and snow pit samples which covered a whole year cycle of 2014/15. Excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy analysis of the DOM with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) identified four components, including a microbially humic-like component (C1), two protein-like components (C2 and C3) and a terrestrial humic-like component (C4). The use of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) showed that DOM from all these samples was dominated by CHO and CHON molecular formulas, mainly corresponding to lipids and aliphatic/proteins compounds, reflecting the presence of significant amounts of microbially derived and/or deposited biogenic DOM. The molecular compositions of DOM showed more CHON compounds in granular ice than in fresh snow, likely suggesting newly formed DOM from microbes during snowmelting.

The chemical composition of soluble impurities along the Dome C ice core covering approximately the last 30 000 years is reported and interpreted in terms of atmospheric contributions. Terrestrial and sea-salt inputs are known to have been much higher during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) than during the Holocene period. For this reason, the gas-derived compounds (mainly H2SO4 and HNO3) which dominate the chemistry of present-day snow are minor components in LGM snow. The exact calculation of each of the various contributions has been made possible by the determination of all major ions (H+, Na+, K+, NH4+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NO3−, SO42− and Cl−) in the samples. Three additional deep ice cores from other Antarctic areas have also been analyzed, but in a less comprehensive manner than the Dome C core. The differences observed at the four study sites increase the general understanding of the past atmospheric chemistry of the Southern Hemisphere.

The basic theory of crevasse formation suggests that crevasses initiate at or near the surface. However, due to variations in stress with depth, it has been suggested that it is possible for crevasses to initiate at depths of 10–30m. From December 2006 to January 2007, hot-water drilling on Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, was found to trigger crevasses. Satellite imagery and field investigations in 2008, including ice cores, radar and GPS, revealed that these formed a new band of arcuate (curvilinear) crevasses around 70 km long and 100 m deep. This new band is located 10 km upstream from the previous limit of the arcuate crevasse zone. The crevasses were triggered on drilling through an exceptional ice layer at >20m depth. Ice layers within the firn will change both the strength and stress intensity. As the firn changes spatially and temporally (e.g. with the burial of an ice layer), it is possible for the position of crevasse initiation to change whilst the along-stream strain-rate profile remains constant. However, the main cause of an upstream migration of the arcuate crevasse zone on Pine Island Glacier is still likely to be an increase in strain rate.

To evaluate the greatest impact that sea-ice anomalies around Antarctica could have on the global atmosphere, 15 year seasonal cycle simulations are conducted with the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model version 2.1. Sensitivity simulations are performed with the following conditions: (1) all sea ice in the Southern Hemisphere is replaced by year-round open water, but the permanent ice shelves are retained (NSIS); and (2) all sea ice in the Southern Hemisphere and the major ice shelves are removed and replaced by open water (NISH). The results are compared to a standard run (CNT) with boundary conditions set for the present climate. The comparison shows that trains of positive and negative anomalies in zonal-mean fields extend into the tropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Anomalies are largest during April-October. The additional removal of the ice shelves in NISH enhances the response, as zonally averaged anomalies are similar in pattern to those in NSIS but are roughly twice as large poleward of 50° S, and only slightly larger farther north. Anomalies in the eddy fields are found in both hemispheres. in NISH, and to a lesser degree in NSIS. these anomalies appear to be related to a delayed northern advance over China during June of the rain front associated with the summer monsoon. Consequently, precipitation is enhanced in middle and southern China and decreased in northern China. Observational analyses have also found links between Antarctic sea-ice variations and modulations of the East Asian monsoon.

We compute the eigenmodes (seiches) of the barotropic and baroclinic hydrodynamic equations for an idealized fjord having length and depth scales similar to those of Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland, into which Jakobshavn Isbræ (also known as Sermeq Kujalleq) discharges. The purpose of the computation is to determine the fjord’s seiche behavior when forced by iceberg calving, capsize and melange movement. Poorly constrained bathymetry and stratification details are an acknowledged obstacle. We are, nevertheless, able to make general statements about the spectra of external and internal seiches using numerical simulations of ideal one-dimensional channel geometry. Of particular significance in our computation is the role of weakly coupled ice melange, which we idealize as a simple array of 20 icebergs of uniform dimensions equally spaced within the fjord. We find that the presence of these icebergs acts to (1) slow down the propagation of both external and internal seiches and (2) introduce band gaps where energy propagation (group velocity) vanishes. If energy is introduced into the fjord within the period range covered by a band gap, it will remain trapped as an evanescent oscillatory mode near its source, thus contributing to localized energy dissipation and ice/melange fragmentation.