Relict flow stripes on the Ross Ice Shelf

Abstract

Analysis of AVHRR data collected during the summer and winter over the Ross Ice Shelf reveals complex patterns of curvilinear stripes. In particular, a large, looping pattern of stripes is observed west of Crary Ice Rise in an area where conventional glaciological data collected with surface and airborne methods have been interpreted to suggest uncomplicated flow. On the basis of previous work using radar data to study ice flow downstream of Crary Ice Rise, we conclude that the stripes represent relict flowlines. The mechanism that produces these stripes is unclear, but we hypothesize that they are associated with subtle topography. Based solely on the patterns of stripes and their location in the outflow of major ice streams, we propose that they are related to an ice raft torn from the grounded ice sheet about 400 km upstream from its present position.