geomorphology

Image of the Week – Vibrating Ice Shelf!

Emma C. Smith December 22, 2017

Fig. 1: Geophones in the evening on the Ekström Ice Shelf, Antarctica. These devices are used to record seismic waves that are sent into the ice and bound back [Credit: Emma Smith]

If you listen carefully to the Ekström ice shelf in Antarctica, a strange sound can be heard! The sound of a vibrating truck sending sounds waves into the ice. These sound waves are used to “look” through the ice and create a seismic profile of what lies beneath the ice surface. Read on to find out how the technique works and for a special Cryosphere Christmas message! What are we doing with this ...[Read More]

Image of the Week – It’s all a bit erratic in Yosemite!

Emma C. Smith January 13, 2017

Figure 1: Glacial erratic rocks in Yosemite National Park [Credit: Yuvak Sadeh via Imaggeo]

When you think of California, with its sun-soaked beaches and Hollywood glamour, glaciers may not be the first thing that spring to mind – even for ice nerds like us. However, Yosemite National Park in California’s Sierra Nevada is famous for its dramatic landscape, which was created by glacial action. With our latest image of the week we show you some of the features that were left behind b ...[Read More]

Image of the Week – Canyons Under The Greenland Ice Sheet!

Michael Cooper June 24, 2016

Figure 1: The calculated drainage network for southern Greenland (interpreted from airbourne ice penetrating radar data). It shows an extensive flow network of channels beneath the ice. Which can be interpreted as a possible configuration for water flow pre-glacially, as well as in an ice-free future. The main channel within the catchment area of Jakobshavn Isbræ is marked by the red line. Bed elevation (between 300 and 1300 m above sea level (asl)) is also shown. Inset: location of study area within Greenland.

The Greenland Ice Sheet contains enough water to raise sea level by 7.36 meters (Bamber, et. al. 2013) and much of this moves from the interior of the continent into the oceans via Jakobshavn Isbræ – Greenland’s fastest flowing outlet glacier. An ancient river basin hidden beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, discovered by researchers at the University of Bristol, may help explain the loca ...[Read More]

Image of the Week — Historical aerial imagery of Greenland

Mette Bendixen May 27, 2016

Aerial photo of the Zackenberg delta in North-East Greenland taken in 1932. (Credit: Danish Geodata Agency)

A few month ago, we were taking you on a trip back to Antarctic fieldwork 50 years ago, today we go back to Greenland during 1930s! When geopolitics serves cryospheric sciences The Permanent Court of International Justice in The Hague awarded Danish sovereignty over Greenland in 1933 and besides geopolitical interests, Denmark had a keen interest in searching for natural resources and new opportun ...[Read More]