A plot-scale study of firn stratigraphy at Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard, using ice cores, borehole video and GPR surveys in 2012–14
Spatial heterogeneity of snow and firn properties on glaciers introduces uncertainty in interpretation of point and profile observations and complicates modelling of meltwater percolation and runoff. Here we present a study of the temporal and spatial dynamics of firn density and stratigraphy at the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2017-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143016001180/type/journal_article |
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| author | SERGEY MARCHENKO VEIJO A. POHJOLA RICKARD PETTERSSON WARD J. J. VAN PELT CARMEN P. VEGA HORST MACHGUTH CARL E. BØGGILD ELISABETH ISAKSSON |
| author_facet | SERGEY MARCHENKO VEIJO A. POHJOLA RICKARD PETTERSSON WARD J. J. VAN PELT CARMEN P. VEGA HORST MACHGUTH CARL E. BØGGILD ELISABETH ISAKSSON |
| author_sort | SERGEY MARCHENKO |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spatial heterogeneity of snow and firn properties on glaciers introduces uncertainty in interpretation of point and profile observations and complicates modelling of meltwater percolation and runoff. Here we present a study of the temporal and spatial dynamics of firn density and stratigraphy at the plot-scale (≈10 m × 10 m × 10 m) repeated annually during 2012–14 at the Lomonosovfonna icefield, Svalbard. Results from cores, video inspections in boreholes and radar grid surveys are compared. Ice layers 0.1–50 cm thick comprised ≈8% of the borehole length. Most of them are 1–3 cm thick and could not be traced between boreholes separated by 3 m. Large lateral variability of firn structure affects representativeness of observations in single holes and calls for repeated studies in multiple points to derive a representative stratigraphy signal. Radar reflections are poorly correlated with ice layers in individual boreholes. However, the match between the high amplitude peaks in the grid-averaged radar signal and horizons of preferential ice layer formation revealed by averaging the video surveys over multiple boreholes is higher. These horizons are interpreted as buried firn layers previously exposed to melt-freeze or wind-driven densification and several of them are consistently recovered throughout three field campaigns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:42:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-add2fbc298124c2fa7f053f10b5a071f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:42:03Z |
| publishDate | 2017-02-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj.art-add2fbc298124c2fa7f053f10b5a071f2023-03-09T12:40:19ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522017-02-0163677810.1017/jog.2016.118A plot-scale study of firn stratigraphy at Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard, using ice cores, borehole video and GPR surveys in 2012–14SERGEY MARCHENKO0VEIJO A. POHJOLA1RICKARD PETTERSSON2WARD J. J. VAN PELT3CARMEN P. VEGA4HORST MACHGUTH5CARL E. BØGGILD6ELISABETH ISAKSSON7Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden Department of Geophysics, The University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, NorwayDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Geography, University of Zürich, Zürich, SwitzerlandCentre for Arctic Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, DenmarkNorwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, NorwaySpatial heterogeneity of snow and firn properties on glaciers introduces uncertainty in interpretation of point and profile observations and complicates modelling of meltwater percolation and runoff. Here we present a study of the temporal and spatial dynamics of firn density and stratigraphy at the plot-scale (≈10 m × 10 m × 10 m) repeated annually during 2012–14 at the Lomonosovfonna icefield, Svalbard. Results from cores, video inspections in boreholes and radar grid surveys are compared. Ice layers 0.1–50 cm thick comprised ≈8% of the borehole length. Most of them are 1–3 cm thick and could not be traced between boreholes separated by 3 m. Large lateral variability of firn structure affects representativeness of observations in single holes and calls for repeated studies in multiple points to derive a representative stratigraphy signal. Radar reflections are poorly correlated with ice layers in individual boreholes. However, the match between the high amplitude peaks in the grid-averaged radar signal and horizons of preferential ice layer formation revealed by averaging the video surveys over multiple boreholes is higher. These horizons are interpreted as buried firn layers previously exposed to melt-freeze or wind-driven densification and several of them are consistently recovered throughout three field campaigns.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143016001180/type/journal_articleborehole videofirn coreradarstratigraphy |
| spellingShingle | SERGEY MARCHENKO VEIJO A. POHJOLA RICKARD PETTERSSON WARD J. J. VAN PELT CARMEN P. VEGA HORST MACHGUTH CARL E. BØGGILD ELISABETH ISAKSSON A plot-scale study of firn stratigraphy at Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard, using ice cores, borehole video and GPR surveys in 2012–14 Journal of Glaciology borehole video firn core radar stratigraphy |
| title | A plot-scale study of firn stratigraphy at Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard, using ice cores, borehole video and GPR surveys in 2012–14 |
| title_full | A plot-scale study of firn stratigraphy at Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard, using ice cores, borehole video and GPR surveys in 2012–14 |
| title_fullStr | A plot-scale study of firn stratigraphy at Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard, using ice cores, borehole video and GPR surveys in 2012–14 |
| title_full_unstemmed | A plot-scale study of firn stratigraphy at Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard, using ice cores, borehole video and GPR surveys in 2012–14 |
| title_short | A plot-scale study of firn stratigraphy at Lomonosovfonna, Svalbard, using ice cores, borehole video and GPR surveys in 2012–14 |
| title_sort | plot scale study of firn stratigraphy at lomonosovfonna svalbard using ice cores borehole video and gpr surveys in 2012 14 |
| topic | borehole video firn core radar stratigraphy |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143016001180/type/journal_article |
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