The Antarctic Ice Sheet is a complex of several ice domes, ice streams (outlet glaciers), ice shelves and ice rises. This exercise is designed to introduce you to the complexity of a continental ice sheet system.
Print out a copy of the AVHRR map of Antarctica and complete the following.
1. On the AVHRR map of Antarctica locate following glaciers:
2. Draw and label the physiographic feature separating the East and West Antartic Ice Sheets?
3. The West and East Antarctic Ice sheets are labeled as being either marine-based or land-based. What do these terms mean and how do they apply to these two regions of Antarctica. (Read The Ice Sheet Today )
4. When and if the Antarctic ice sheet disintegrates which part is predicted to go first? Why?
5. An ice rise is a where an ice shelf is grounded on an island and locally forms an ice dome. Locate at least two ice rises on your map.
7. What type of glacier would you classify Byrd and Lambert glaciers? How does the velocity of these glacies differ from that of interior regions? Why?
6. What is the difference between ice shelves and sea ice? What characteristics define ice shelves as glaciers?
8. A general definition of a divide is a region across which there is no flow (c.f. hydrologic divide). Different types of glacial divides are:
Using the ice flow map locate and label these different features on the mosaic?
9. Now look at the JPL map of Antarctic glaciers. How do they define the boundaries of each glacier on this map? Can you figure it out?
10. Ice Shelves are said to have a buttressing effect on ice streams fed by interior ice sheets. Can you suggest one or more scenarios that predicts how the ice sheet might respond to climatic warming?
Some useful websites
[Glacial
and Quaternary Geology] [extended GeoIndex][QkRef][Geological
Sciences] [Degree
Programs] [Salem State College]
Lindley
Hanson (email)
Last Modified 3/4/03
