Two British Antarctic Survey (BAS) glaciologist Edward King and geographer Chris Stokes from the University of Durham endured two months under canvas in temperatures as low as –30°C in their quest to understand how Antarctica’s vast glaciers will contribute to future sea-level rise. By towing sophisticated radar equipment some 1,200 kilometres back and forth across the Rutford Ice Stream, located on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, they were able to measure the thickness of the ice and build up an image of the intriguing landscape beneath.

A lubricating mixture of sediment and water under the ice assists it as it flows towards the ocean and is sculpted into a series of massive, drumlin-like ridges separated by deep furrows. According to the research, which is published in Nature Geoscience, these features ultimately control the flow of the ice stream.

‘Knowing the detailed shape of the bed of the Rutford Ice Stream allows us to improve our theories of the processes controlling how the ice slides across its bed,’ said King, the lead author of the research. ‘This will help us refine predictions of whether or not more ice will reach the ocean as the climate changes.’

November 2009