Mapping of Massive Ground Ice Using Ground Penetrating Radar Data in Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica

Abstract: The distribution of massive ground ice in the ground in Taylor Valley of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, is quite unknown, and could provide answers to questions such as where the ice comes from, if it has been affected and removed by proglacial lakes and how landscapes underlain by massive ground ice responds to climate change. It could also be a source for atmospheric information in the past and hence a key in climate research. The main goal with this project was therefore to map the distribution of massive ground ice mainly in Taylor Valley, but also in the adjacent Salmon Valley and Wright Valley, using ground penetrating radar to see how the distribution varied and if there was any spatial patterns. The technical computing programme MATLAB was used for editing of the raw radar data, merging of GPR profiles and digitalization of reflectors for possible massive ground ice and several compilations of different files. The data obtained from MATLAB was imported and interpreted using the geographic information system ArcGIS. A series of histograms showing the distribution of massive ground ice depending on the parameters elevation, slope and aspect were made by using the spreadsheet application Microsoft Excel. The results showed that the distribution of massive ground ice was more common at elevations up to 200 m, at the mouth of the valleys and also more frequent in Taylor Valley than in Wright Valley. There was a slightly higher amount of massive ground ice at northeast-east aspects, probably due to different incoming solar radiation. The lack of, or not that prominent, differences for slope and aspect can be due to lack of data, a not enough detailed digital elevation model or that it have existed for a too short period of time to display big differences caused by effects from these parameters. The higher frequency of massive ground ice in Taylor Valley can be due to a thicker sediment cover when compared with the situation in Wright Valley. The distribution of massive ground ice at different slopes seems to follow the distribution of radar measurements, whereas the origin of the massive ground ice and sediment cover can be responsible for the distribution across different elevations. The reason why massive ground ice still occurs despite the existence of Glacial Lake Washburn that previously occupied Taylor Valley could be that the glacial lake did not remain for a sufficiently long time to melt all the massive ice. Massive ground ice is very common in a zone that is believed to be very susceptible for future warming, which means that changes that already have been observed in areas rich in massive ground ice can continue to happen and changes in other areas with massive ice can be enabled. The ice can thus play a major role in the development of the landscape in the McMurdo Dry Valleys depending on the amount of warming.