Mass budget of the grounded ice in the Lambert Glacier-Amery Ice Shelf system

摘要

We used remote-sensing and in situ measurements of surface accumulation rate, ice surface velocity, thickness and elevation to evaluate the mass budgets of grounded ice-flow regimes that form the Lambert Glacier-Amery Ice Shelf system. Three distinct drainage regimes are considered: the western and eastern margins of the ice shelf, and the southern grounding line at the major outlet glacier confluence, which can be identified with drainage zones 9, 11 and 10 respectively of Giovinetto and Zwally (2000). Our findings show the entire grounded portion of the basin is approximately in balance, with a mass budget of -4.2±9.8 Gta-1. Drainages 9, 10 and 11 are within balance to the level of our measurement uncertainty, with mass budgets of -2.5±2.8 Gta-1, -2.6±7.8 Gta-1 and 0.9±2.3 Gta-1, respectively. The region upstream of the Australian Lambert Glacier basin (LGB) traverse has a net mass budget of 4.4±6.3 Gta-1, while the downstream region has -8.9±9.9 Gta-1. These results indicate that glacier drainages 9, 10 and 11, upstream and downstream of the Australian LGB traverse, are in balance to within our measurement error.