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Subglacial Hydrology
The location of subglacial lakes suggests that hydrologic processes at the basal interface of ice sheets are important.
The interconnectedness of these environments exerts a fundamental influence on subglacial physical, chemical, and ecological environments; the degree of isolation; and the evolution and maintenance of life. To answer scientific questions related to subglacial hydrology, studies at a continental-scale must be conducted. Studies must include:
- remote and field-based surveys;
- mapping and modeling of subglacial hydropotential;
- evaluation of former drainage events;
- mapping of subglacial water;
- quantification of subglacial discharges;
- recovery of geologic records of past hydrologic events; and
- assessment of the impact of hydrological events on sediment distribution, landscape evolution, and biological evolution.
These studies will improve our understanding of subglacial systems and their importance in a global context while discerning the implications for ice sheet stability and fast glacier flow. These studies will also inform reconstructions of the history of the Antarctic ice sheet and decipher the climatic history of the Antarctic interior.
Hydrology....The Long Version
Scientific questions related to the subglacial hydrology:
- How does subglacial hydrology influence the distribution and stability of subglacial environments?
- How does subglacial hydrology control or transform the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of subglacial habitats?
- Is interconnectedness a fundamental characteristic of subglacial environments and if so, how has this affected the origins and metabolic strategies of organisms living in these environments?
- What is the role of groundwater in subglacial systems?
For more details go to .... SALE Glaciohydrogeology and Paleoclimate
Selected publications ....... To be added