Wednesday 14 July 2010, 2:30 PM (AAD Theatrette)

Stefan Vogel

Northern Illinois University, Dept of Geology and Environmental Geosciences  [Presentation.pdf]

There is more to climate – ice sheet ocean interactions, subglacial environments and their role in the Earth's System

Global Climate Change, receding glaciers and the threat of global sea level rise has become centre stage in discussions and world politics. We all think about climate change when we experience an unusual hot or cold day, droughts or flooding, or read about increasing storm frequency and other extreme events. Everyone knows about greenhouse gas emissions and global carbon trade has become an upcoming growing economic market. There are however less well known processes contributing to global climate and global sea-level changes. The last IPCC report excluded an assessment of sea-level rise due to uncertainties in the future dynamic contribution of ice sheets. This is in large due to insufficient understanding of processes at the base of the ice sheet.

Largely hidden beneath kilometre thick ice processes in subglacial environments are difficult to study. Using remote sensing technology combined with numerical modelling and the limited direct observations the importance of subglacial environments in the Earths system has become clearer. Sediment beneath the ice hold clues to understanding past, present and future climate. Subglacial hydrology holds a key to the dynamic of ice sheets. Water below kilometre thick ice forms an extensive and diverse subglacial hydrological system providing not only lubrication, enhancing ice flow to the ocean, water also provides an habitat for life in extreme environments, drawing analogies to potential extraterrestrial life habitats. Chemical and biological processes within this system mobilise nutrients from freshly eroded rock and million year old sediment. Freshening of the ocean and nutrient transport, important for high ocean productivity are only two examples of subglacial processes influencing the Earth's ocean and climate system on a global scale.

In this talk we will explore these processes and discuss linkages between ice sheet processes and global process. We will also discuss the scientific and technological challenges studying micro & macros scale subglacial processes through kilometre thick ice beneath the vastness of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.