南极冰盖内部等时层研究进展综述

南极冰盖内部等时层记录了不同时期冰盖表面的特征及其演变,蕴含了丰富的冰下环境信息。目前,已成为研究大空间尺度与长时间尺度上南极冰盖演化及其底部环境的重要媒介。地球物理观测和数值模拟技术的综合使用,实现了南极冰盖内部等时层在大陆尺度上的可视化。通过这些内部等时层,冰川学研究将南极冰盖内部的古冰流与千年至百万年时间尺度的地貌及冰下环境的变化细节联系起来,得到了一系列数量化的结果。针对南极冰盖,综述产生内部等时层的冰盖动力学物理机理及其在冰川学上的应用,评估在五个方面的运用:(1)深冰芯断代与选址;(2)冰盖动力学过程;(3)冰盖物质平衡;(4)冰盖稳定性;(5)冰下环境。另外,基于对内部等时层的已有认识,对未来在内部等时层研究中可能需要强化的领域进行了归纳:(1)发展更精细描述并测试内部等时层结构时空变化的数值模拟技术框架面临的挑战;(2)如何从内部等时层蕴含的信息推断鉴别以目前南极冰盖作为初始条件的冰盖质量变化;(3)为获得更高分辨率的内部等时层结构图像,得到关于冰盖内部冰体形变与演化的更多数量化信息,如何强化冰盖冰下环境的重复观测。     

基于Elmer/Ice冰盖模型的南极Gamburtsev山脉Lambert冰川冰盖系统的数值模式模拟研究

在全球变暖的背景下, 东南极冰盖显著地出现降雪增多冰厚增大的现象, 然而由于有关东南极冰盖 的观测数据相对缺乏, 因而很难对东南极冰盖大范围的冰盖动力学、热力学状态细节进行整体性评估。 Dome A 到中山站断面是横穿南极冰盖计划的核心断面之一。该断面穿越的兰伯特(Lambert)冰川上游、甘 布尔采夫(Gamburtsev)冰下山脉和Dome A 区域是南极科学研究的热点区域, 因此具有重要的研究价值。本 研究使用已多次在南极冰盖有过成功模拟应用的三维有限元冰盖模式Elmer/Ice, 对该区域的内部温度场和 速度场进行了模拟, 得到了冰盖的流速场和温度场数据, 并将模拟数据与传统估测数据进行了对比, 发现 两者在总体趋势上吻合。研究表明, 该研究区域冰盖的底部温度大部分达到了压力熔点, 只有少部分靠近内 陆的冰盖底部未达到; 在冰盖内陆区域, 水平速度场非常小, 在靠近冰架区域时, 水平速度场突然增大, 而 垂直速度场只有在冰下地形发生显著波动时, 出现显著变化。在此基础上, 对Elmer/Ice 冰盖模式的应用前 景和需改进的方面进行了探讨。     

利用冰雷达诊断南极冰盖底部环境的研究综述

现今南极冰盖底部的环境对冰盖的动力演化有着重要的影响,准确的冰盖底部环境信息有利于更加准确地模拟南极冰盖的起源、发展以及未来的演化。采用无线电回波技术,可有效地对冰盖进行探测。通过定量地处理雷达波在冰盖内部的介电衰减,可以获取冰盖底部的反射率,从而对冰盖底部环境,特别是冰下水文环境进行诊断。综述了雷达波在冰盖内部衰减处理的三种方法,分析了它们的适用性及局限性,并对这些方法应用于诊断冰盖底部的环境以及方法本身可能的改进进行了讨论。     

基于Elmer/Ice对玛丽伯德地西部区域的冰盖数值模拟

西南极冰盖对全球气候变化和海平面升高有着重要的影响,其动力学和热力学过程是极地研究的重点之一。冰盖数值模式的模拟可以在缺乏观测数据的情况下获得研究区域的动力学和热力学过程,已经成为研究南极的一种重要手段。西南极玛丽伯德地靠近福特山脉和罗斯冰架,本文使用Elmer/Ice模拟了玛丽伯德地西部区域的冰流速场、温度场和应力场。研究发现,该区域冰盖底部温度场变化较小,大部分都达到了压力融点,只有小部分区域的冰盖底部仍处于压力融点以下。使用三个不同的地热通量(80 mW·m~(-2),100mW·m~(-2),120 mW·m~(-2))模拟得到的底部温度场无明显差异。冰盖表面流速较快,冰盖表面的冰总体上从地势较高的区域流向地势较低的区域,垂直方向对表面冰流速影响最大;冰盖底部应力场的大小大致和冰厚的变化相反。通过高程剖面图简要分析了冰流速和冰盖应力场的变化原因,认为冰下深谷的存在可能对冰盖流速场和应力场有很大的影响。     

南极冰盖地形数据库BEDMAP 2述评

南极冰盖物质收支与不稳定性对全球气候变化和海平面升高有着重要影响,而冰盖厚度和冰下地形则是研究南极冰盖的物质平衡、动力及不稳定性极为重要的参数。自20世纪50年代以来,国际上针对南极冰盖开展了大量的冰雷达以及重、磁测量,这些测量结果被汇集并形成冰厚和冰下地形数据库,进而服务于冰盖模式和地球系统研究,最新推出的成果便是BEDMAP 2(Bedrock Mapping Project 2)。首先介绍了BEDMAP 2的数据来源、结构以及数据处理,并讨论了数据的质量评价,然后分析了BEDMAP 2中展示的整个南极冰盖与冰下地形及其特点。最后,对于BEDMAP 2对中国在南极冰盖考察和研究方面的作用进行了一些讨论与展望。     

南极冰盖接地线研究综述

接地线是内陆固定冰盖和漂浮冰架的分界线,其位置的准确界定直接影响到南极冰盖物质平衡的计算。随着技术的发展,接地线的提取手段已经逐步从小范围的实地无线电回波测厚和GPS探测,发展到大范围的遥感观测。遥感观测主要包括4种技术手段,即流体静力学平衡、坡度分析、重复轨道分析以及差分干涉测量。以遥感观测为基础,国际上已发布5种全南极接地线产品,包括MOA、ASAID、ICESat、MEaSUREs以及Synthesized接地线产品。随着卫星数据源的丰富,改进接地线提取方法并高精度提取接地线,扩大接地线研究的时间尺度并对全南极进行长时序的接地线动态变化监测,结合冰架底部消融、冰底地形和海洋温度等参数,深入分析其变化原因和机制以及接地线变化与气候变化相互关系的建模等,将会成为南极接地线研究的新热点。     

南极冰盖表面微地貌研究进展与展望

南极冰盖表面微地貌是大气与冰盖相互作用的直接产物,微地貌的形态特征、结构性质及其发展变化对南极冰盖表面的物质平衡、能量平衡以及冰盖记录大气信息的过程具有重要的影响,冰盖表面微地貌的结构性质以及空间分布的确定是计算南极冰盖物质平衡与能量平衡的重要依据,同时在南极冰芯钻探选址以及冰芯解译古气候信息时具有重要的参考价值。根据微地貌的形成方式将南极冰盖表面微地貌分为沉积型、侵蚀型、沉积间断型三类,介绍了南极冰盖表面常见的微地貌形态雪丘、雪纹、雪垄、雪窝以及光洁区的形态特征与结构性质,并对冰盖表面微地貌的分布规律特征进行了总结,文中重点对不同微地貌区域内的物质平衡与能量平衡特征进行了介绍,最后探讨了冰盖表面光洁区对南极冰芯选址的影响,并对未来南极微地貌研究进行了展望。     

基于Elmer/Ice冰盖模式的南极Gamburtsev山脉Lambert冰流区域的数值模拟研究

在全球变暖的背景下,东南极冰盖显著地出现降雪增多冰厚增大的现象,然而由于有关东南极冰盖的观测数据相对缺乏,因而很难对东南极冰盖大范围的冰盖动力学、热力学状态细节进行整体性评估。Dome A到中山站断面是横穿南极冰盖计划的核心断面之一。该断面穿越的兰伯特(Lambert)冰川上游、甘布尔采夫(Gamburtsev)冰下山脉和Dome A区域是南极科学研究的热点区域,因此具有重要的研究价值。本研究使用已多次在南极冰盖有过成功模拟应用的三维有限元冰盖模式Elmer/Ice,对该区域的内部温度场和速度场进行了模拟,得到了冰盖的流速场和温度场数据,并将模拟数据与传统估测数据进行了对比,发现两者在总体趋势上吻合。研究表明,该研究区域冰盖的底部温度大部分达到了压力熔点,只有少部分靠近内陆的冰盖底部未达到;在冰盖内陆区域,水平速度场非常小,在靠近冰架区域时,水平速度场突然增大,而垂直速度场只有在冰下地形发生显著波动时,出现显著变化。在此基础上,对Elmer/Ice冰盖模式的应用前景和需改进的方面进行了探讨。     

基于Radarsat-2双极化数据的南极半岛冰盖冻融探测研究

南极冰盖的融化对全球海平面上升和气候环境变化具有重要影响,合成孔径雷达(SAR)用于划分南极冰盖冰川带及冻融探测具有不可替代的作用。本文以南极半岛地区为例,基于C波段星载SAR影像进行南极冰盖冻融探测方法研究。通过对于南极冰盖干雪带、渗浸带和湿雪带的后向散射特征的分析,采用基于后向散射因子阈值的决策树分类划分冰盖冰川带。统计分析表明,冰川带后向散射因子分布并不集中,尤其是融化强烈时的湿雪带受融化程度影响很大,与干雪带相近而不能仅从后向散射因子数值区分。为将冰盖的冰川带分类,引入干雪带分布和海拔高度作为辅助信息,分别发展了两种决策树分类方法并比较分析,同时利用微波辐射计冰盖冻融探测结果和自动气象站数据做验证。结果表明利用双极化SAR数据的后向散射因子基于两种决策树分类都能够有效地划分冰川带并区分冻融状态,实现高分辨率的冰盖冻融探测。     

南极冰川学与全球变化研究新进展

南极冰川学与全球变化是最近举行的“南极与全球变化：相互作用和影响”国际学术研讨会的主题。南极冰盖净物质平衡的观测和估算，冰盖物质平衡与气候变化的预测模型；南极冰雪大气、气候和环境化学；南极深冰芯分析，及其与其它古环境记录的对比研究，是目前南极冰川学研究的几个热点、关键问题。     

极地冰盖物质平衡的最新进展与未来挑战

准确地探明冰盖物质平衡状况,对于研究全球变暖背景下海平面变化具有重要的意义,自IPCC AR4(政府间气候变化专门委员会第四次报告)以来,极地冰盖物质平衡的研究取得了很大进展。本文总结并对比了用卫星测高(雷达测高和激光测高)、物质收支测量和重力测量等方法得到的冰盖物质平衡评估结果,综述了冰盖数值模拟研究在预测冰盖未来的变化趋势以及由此对海平面造成的影响等方面取得的进展,并立足于中国当前的极地冰盖物质平衡研究现状,提出了该研究所面临的挑战。     

东南极内陆格罗夫山地区新生代冰川活动和古气候演化记录

地处东南极内陆的格罗夫山地区是研究南极冰川进退和气候演化的理想场所。我国第22次南极考察(2005/2006)进行了该地区冰盖进退和古气候演化专题研究。笔者在野外考察过程中,对格罗夫山地区新生代冰川活动记录(包括冰川侵蚀地貌及冰川堆积物)进行了详细的观测,获得了很多有关该地区冰盖进退及古气候演化方面的第一手材料,同时系统回收了对反映该地区古冰川活动具有重要意义的新生代沉积岩漂砾。本文简要报道本次野外考察在冰盖进退和古气候演化方面所取得的主要成果。     

Convergent flow of ice within the Astrolabe subglacial basin, Trre Adélie, East Antarctica: an hypothesis derived from nummerical modelling experiments

The existence of a large subglacial lake beneath the antarctic Ice Sheet at Terre Adélie indicates the presence of basal ice at its pressure-melting temperature. A numerical model of the ice-sheet thermal regime is employed using the balance velocity of the ice sheet as an initial model input in order to calculate ice-sheet basal temperatures. However, the results from this model show the Terre Adélie area to be characterised by basal freezing. Heat in addition to that accounted for in the model is thus required at the ice-sheet base in order for pressure melting temperatures to be attained. The sources for such heat are (1) an enhanced geothermal heat flux and (2) an increase in frictional heating caused by the flow of ice. In this paper the latter possibility is expanded by hypothesising that subglacial topography induces convergent ice flow around Terre Adélie, causing enhanced basal ice velocities. Model experiments indicate that an increase in ice velocity (from 7 to at least 42 m yr⁻¹) is required to raise the temperature of the basal ice to the pressure melting value. Increased ice velocity, and consequent frictional heat production due to convergent ice flow, may therefore be important in explaining the location of the subglacial lake in this region. These results allow the process of convergent ice flow within a contemporary ice sheet to be quantified. A verification (or otherwise) of the model results may be possible if ice surface velocity measurements from modem GPS methods are made.     

Interpretation of the GRACE-derived mass trend in Enderby Land, Antarctica

Monthly gravity solutions of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) reveal three areas in Antarctica with striking interannual mass trends. The positive mass trend in Enderby Land, East Antarctica, is poorly understood because of uncertainties in the surface ice-sheet mass balance, post-glacial rebound (PGR), and processing of GRACE data. In this study, we compare the GRACE mass trends with values estimated from in situ snow-stake measurements, and Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) data. The mass trends estimated from ICESat data show a strong correlation with GRACE mass trends. In contrast, the snow-stake data show discrepancies with temporal variations in GRACE mass, especially in 2006. The discrepancies are probably associated with basal ice-sheet outflow, which is difficult to observe using snow stakes. We conclude that the bulk of the GRACE mass trend can be explained by snow accumulation and basal ice-sheet outflow.     

Reconstruction of the Ross Ice Drainage System, Antarctica, at the Last Glacial Maximum

We present here a revised reconstruction of the Ross ice drainage system of Antarctica at the last glacial maximum (LGM) based on a recent convergence of terrestrial and marine data. The Ross drainage system includes all ice flowlines that enter the marine Ross Embayment. Today, it encompasses one-fourth of the ice-sheet surface, extending far inland into both East and West Antarctica. Grounding lines now situated in the inner Ross Embayment advanced seaward at the LGM (radiocarbon chronology in Denton and Marchant 2000 and in Hall and Denton 2000a, b), resulting in a thick grounded ice sheet across the Ross continental shelf. In response to this grounding in the Ross (and Weddell) Embayment, ice-surface elevations of the marine-based West Antarctic Ice Sheet were somewhat higher at the LGM than at present (Steig and White 1997; Borns et al. 1998; Ackert et al. 1999). At the same time, surface elevations of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet inland of the Transantarctic Mountains were slightly lower than now, except near outlet glaciers that were dammed by grounded ice in the Ross Embayment. The probable reason for this contrasting behavior is that lowered global sea level at the LGM, from growth of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, caused widespread grounding of the marine portion of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, whereas decreased LGM accumulation led to slight surface lowering of the interior terrestrial ice sheet in East Antarctica. Rising sea level after the LGM tripped grounding-line recession in the Ross Embayment, which has probably continued to the present day (Conway et al. 1999). Hence, gravitational collapse of the grounded ice sheet from the Ross Embayment, accompanied by lowering of the interior West Antarctic ice surface and of outlet glaciers in the Transantarctic Mountains, occurred largely during the Holocene. At the same time, increased Holocene accumulation caused a slight rise of the inland East Antarctic ice surface.     

Glacial rebound of the British Isles—II. A high-resolution, high-precision model

Observations of ice movements across the British Isles and of sea-level changes around the shorelines during Late Devensian time (after about 25 000 yr BP) have been used to establish a high spatial and temporal resolution model for the rebound of Great Britain and associated sea-level change. The sea-level observations include sites within the margins of the former ice sheet as well as observations outside the glaciated regions such that it has been possible to separate unknown earth model parameters from some ice-sheet model parameters in the inversion of the glacio-hydro-isostatic equations. The mantle viscosity profile is approximated by a number of radially symmetric layers representing the lithosphere, the upper mantle as two layers from the base of the lithosphere to the phase transition boundary at 400 km, the transition zone down to 670 km depth, and the lower mantle. No evidence is found to support a strong layering in viscosity above 670 km other than the high-viscosity lithospheric layer. Models with a low-viscosity zone in the upper mantle or models with a marked higher viscosity in the transition zone are less satisfactory than models in which the viscosity is constant from the base of the lithosphere to the 670 km boundary. In contrast, a marked increase in viscosity is required across this latter boundary. The optimum effective parameters for the mantle beneath Great Britain are: a lithospheric thickness of about 65 km, a mantle viscosity above 670 km of about (4-5) 10²⁰ Pa s, and a viscosity below 670 km greater than 4 × 10²¹ Pa s.