Pattern of Ice Surface Lowering for Rennick Glacier, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

Abstract

AbstractRennick Glacier is one of the major ice drainages in northern Victoria Land. Unlike glaciers farther south along the Transantarctic Mountains, Rennick Glacier does not drain into the Ross Ice Shelf but flows directly into a seasonally ice-covered ocean. Therefore, current fluctuations of this glacier are unhampered by the dampening effects of the Ross Ice Shelf. The primary controls on the activity of this glacier and others in this region are mass balance and sea-level.Two major glacial events are recorded in the upper Rennick Glacier region. The location of erratics and glacially scoured features suggest that during the oldest or Evans glaciation ice covered all but the highest peaks in the region. Following this glaciation a re-advance produced the Rennick glaciation. Drift produced during this glaciation has a surface cover of unweathered clasts and is commonly found in the form of recessional moraines with associated ice-marginal lakes. Rennick Glacier is currently in a recessional phase of the Rennick glaciation. The phase is characterized by physical re-adjustments of local ice masses including progressive inland migration of the Rennick Glacier grounding line. To date the grounding line has migrated up to the mid-point of the glacier. This trend may be expected to continue.