November 22, 2007 Journal article Open Access

Lakes and subglacial hydrological networks around Dome C, East Antarctica

Rémy, Frédérique; Testut, Laurent; Legrésy, Benoît; Forieri, Alessandro; Bianchi, Cesido; Tabacco, Ignazio E.

AbstractPrecise topography from European Remote-sensing Satellite radar altimetry and high density of airborne radio-echo sounding in the area surrounding Dome C, Antarctica, show a link between surface features and subglacial lakes. In this paper, we extend the study to fine structures by computing a curvature-based coefficient (cy) related to surface undulations. These coefficient variations reveal many surface undulations, and some elongated features of this parameter seem to link known subglacial lakes. A population of high values of this coefficient, assumed to correspond to transitions between sliding and non-sliding flow regime, strengthen the appearance of a network which would link most of the lakes in the area. The existence of such a network impacts on ice-flow dynamics and on subglacial-lake studies.