University of Tasmania
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Studies of the processes of fracturing, deformation and iceberg calving in Antarctica : a history of the Mertz Glacier = Etude des processus de fracturation, deformation et v‚àö‚Ñ¢lage d'iceberg en Antarctique : une histoire du glacier Mertz

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posted on 2023-05-26, 00:40 authored by Lescarmontier, LG
This thesis presents a study of the processes of fracturing of an outlet glacier leading to its calving. During the CRAC-ICE program, we studied the evolution of the Mertz outlet glacier, which is located on the George V coast in East Antarctica. Before the calving event of the Mertz glacier, which took place in February 2010 releasing an iceberg of 80 km long by 35 km wide, this glacier was characterized by a floating ice tongue. This ice tongue, separated by a fault which was initiated at the beginning of the 1990s, was 150 km long by 35 km wide. Using a set of in-situ GPS data, satellite images of both high and low resolution and the development of a numerical ocean model (TUGO-Mertz), we have followed the evolution of this glacier and the fate of its iceberg. The first part of this study was to develop a strategy for processing of the GPS data, thereby allowing us to obtain the best possible accuracy for our in-situ data. These data were processed using the GINS software and a processing technique based on absolute positioning (IPPP), allowing full integer ambiguity resolution of the GPS carrier phase data. The accuracy of these positioning results has allowed us to observe oscillations of the ice tongue at centimetric amplitudes and vibrational periods of a few minutes, which, when compared to an EulerBernoulli beam model, correspond to ice tongue vibration modes in three different configurations. These oscillation periods range from 5 minutes to a few hours. In this range of periods, the major oceanic forcings are swell and infra-gravity waves. In addition, we were able to demonstrate that the movements associated with the vibration of the glacier lead to bending effects on the ice tongue promoting its fracturing. On a larger scale, tidal currents and the height of the ocean surface (tidal amplitude) impact on the evolution of the ice tongue. The effects of ocean currents impact mainly on the opening of the main crevasse, whilst the tidal amplitudes tend to modulate the flow rate of the glacier. This modulation is approximately 5 cm per day or 14 per cent of the average speed of the ice tongue. In addition, we have followed the evolution of the main crevasse of the glacier; originally opening on the eastern side of the ice tongue, then opening on the western side. The ice tongue then continued its development until the glacier calving event. Finally, we were interested in the different mechanisms involved during the breakdown of the ice tongue leading to the calving event. The impact of the B09B iceberg with the ice tongue and the change in local ocean currents played a role during this calving event, despite the fact that the crevasse was already well developed. All of these results have allowed us to identify a broad spectrum of processes operating before and during a calving event. These processes are the major contributors in the evolution of the Mertz glacier, but such processes are not yet taken into account in the universal models of calving. Ces travaux de th‚àö¬Æse presentent les processus de fracturation des glaciers emissairesmenant au v‚àö‚Ñ¢lage. Dans le cadre du programme CRAC-ICE, nous nous sommes interessesn‚àö‚Ć l'evolution du glacier emissaire Mertz, situe sur la c‚àö¬•te George V en Antarctique de l'est. Avant son v‚àö‚Ñ¢lage qui a eu lieu en Fevrier 2010, liberant un iceberg de 80 km de longpar 35 km de large, ce glacier etait caracterise par une langue de glace se developpant sur l'eau. Cette langue de glace, separee par une faille depuis le debut des annees 1990, etait longue de 150 km par 35 km de large. Gr‚àö¬¢ce ‚àö‚Ć un ensemble de donnees in-situ et d'images satellite basse et haute resolution et le developpement d'un mod‚àö¬Æle oceanique (TUGO-Mertz), nous avons suivi l'evolution de ce glacier ainsi que le devenir de son iceberg. La premi‚àö¬Ære partie de ce travail a consiste ‚àö‚Ć developper une strategie de traitement de donnees GPS nous permettant ainsi d'obtenir la meilleure precision possible sur nos donnees in-situ. Ces donnees ont ete traitees via le logiciel GINS et une technique de traitement appelee IPPP basee sur le positionnement absolu et la resolution des ambiguities en valeurs enti‚àö¬Ære. La precision des resultats de positionnement nous a permis d'observer des oscillations d'amplitude centimetrique et de periode de quelques minutes, qui, comparees ‚àö‚Ć un mod‚àö¬Æle de poutre d'Euler- Bernoulli correspondent ‚àö‚Ć des modes de vibration de la langue de glace dans trois configurations differentes. Les periodes de ces oscillations s'echelonnent de 5 minutes ‚àö‚Ć quelques heures. Dans ces gammes de valeurs, les principaux for‚àövüages oceaniques sont la houle et les ondes d'Infra-Gravite. De plus, nous avons pu demontrer que les mouvements associes ‚àö‚Ć la vibration du glacier entra‚àövÜnent une torsion favorisant sa fracturation. A plus grande echelle, les courants de maree ainsi que la hauteur de surface impactent sur l'evolution de la langue de glace. Les effets des courants se concentrent principalement sur l'ouverture de la crevasse principale tandis que la hauteur de surface tend ‚àö‚Ć moduler la vitesse d'ecoulement du glacier. Cette modulation represente environ 5 cm/jour soit 14 % de la vitesse moyenne. Par ailleurs, nous avons suivi l'evolution de la crevasse principale du glacier ; une originellement ouverte sur la partie est de la langue de glace puis ouverte sur la partie ouest. Elle a ensuite continue son developpement jusqu'au v‚àö‚Ñ¢lage du glacier. Pour finir, nous nous sommes interesses aux differents acteurs en jeu lors de la rupture de la langue de glace menant au v‚àö‚Ñ¢lage. L'action de l'iceberg B09B et la modification des courants a joue un r‚àö¬•le lors de cet ev‚àö¬Ænement m‚àö‚Ñ¢me si la crevasse etait en cours de developpement. L'ensemble de ces resultats nous a permis d'identifier un large spectre de processus operant avant et pendant un episode de v‚àö‚Ñ¢lage. Ces processus sont majoritaires dans l'evolution du glacier Mertz, mais ne sont pas encore pris en compte dans les mod‚àö¬Æles universels de v‚àö‚Ñ¢lage.

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Copyright 2012 the author Chapter 4 appears to be the equivalent of a post-print version of an article published as: Lescarmontier, L., Legresy, B., Coleman, R., Perosanz, F., 2007. Vibrations of Mertz Glacier ice tongue, East Antarctica, Journal of glaciology, 58(210), 665-676 A reworked version of chapter 5 was published as: Lescarmontier, L., Legresy, B., Young, N. W., Coleman, R., Testut, L., Mayet, C., Lacroix, P., 2015. Rifting processes and ice-flow modulation observed on Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica, Journal of glaciology, 61(230), 1183-1193

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