Glaciology: Subglacial lakes discovered in East Antarctica
Scientists identify large, subglacial lakes in East Antarctica, which are situated at the start of fast-flowing ice streams. The lakes cover an area similar to that of Lake Vostok - the largest of more than 140 lakes already discovered - and could be contributing significantly to the dynamics of the overlying ice sheet.Ice streams are large ‘rivers’ of fast-flowing ice within continental ice sheets that transport inland ice towards the sea. Previous studies have revealed several large bodies of water trapped under the East Antarctic ice sheet but, until now, all the lakes discovered in this region have been self-contained and isolated from the onset of rapid ice flow.Michael Studinger and colleagues used satellite radar imagery and ice-surface elevations to reveal four, flat, featureless regions of ice surface surrounded by troughs and ridges - typical ice surface morphology of subglacial lakes. The lakes are located right at the onset of the Recovery Glacier ice stream in East Antarctica and are apparently linked to rapid ice flow across a 280-km-wide region, adding 35 thousand million tons of ice per year into the sea. The authors suggest that these lakes should be taken into account when predicting the fate of ice sheets with the changing climate of the world.
CONTACT-Michael Studinger (Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA)Tel: +1 845 365 8598; E-mail: mstuding@ldeo.columbia.edu
The following co-author may also be available:Robin E. Bell (Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA)E-mail: robinb@ldeo.columbia.edu Jack Kohler (Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromso, Norway) N&V authorTel: +47 77 75 06 55; E-mail: jack.kohler@npolar.no