Estimating the Salinity of Subglacial Lakes From Existing Aerogeophysical Data

Studinger/0636584该奖项支持一个项目，利用现有的机载透冰雷达和激光高度计数据估算冰下沃斯托克湖、康科迪亚湖和东经90度湖的盐度。选择这些湖泊是因为可以获得现代航空地球物理数据，并且它们足够大，可以使浮冰不受接地线附近边界应力的影响。所提出的方法基于这样的假设：大型冰下湖泊上方的冰盖处于流体静力学平衡，并且可以根据冰面海拔和浮冰的冰厚度之间的（线性）关系来估计湖水的密度和随后的盐度。 拟议工作的目标是估计沃斯托克湖的盐度并确定空间变化，并比较东南极洲 3 个大型冰下湖泊的盐度估计值。 该项目的智力优点在于，这项工作将有助于了解冰下湖环境中运行的物理和化学过程。由于冰下湖泊的交通不便，水循环的数值模拟是目前对冰下湖泊的循环、融化和冻结状况进行概念性理解的唯一途径。数值实验表明，湖水的盐度是 3-D 流体动力学模型的关键输入参数。改进的数值模型将有助于我们了解冰下湖泊的水循环、其对水和热预算、分层、融化和冻结的影响，以及在这种极端环境下支持生命的条件。 该项目更广泛的影响是冰下湖泊引起了许多人、科学家和外行人的兴趣。国内外媒体经常报道首席研究员的研究。他的东方湖插图已被用于数学和地球科学教科书。沃斯托克湖将用于 Earth2Class 项目的教育和推广。 Earth2Class 是为纽约大都市区的 K-12 学生、教师和管理人员提供的非常成功的科学/数学/技术学习资源。 Earth2Class 是由拉蒙特-多尔蒂地球观测站的研究科学家合作创建的；哥伦比亚大学师范学院课程和教育技术专家；以及纽约都会区的任课教师。

Studinger/0636584This award supports a project to estimate the salinity of subglacial Lake Vostok, Lake Concordia and the 90 deg.E lake using existing airborne ice-penetrating radar and laser altimeter data. These lakes have been selected because of the availability of modern aerogeophysical data and because they are large enough for the floating ice to be unaffected by boundary stresses near the grounding lines. The proposed approach is based on the assumption that the ice sheet above large subglacial lakes is in hydrostatic equilibrium and the density and subsequently salinity of the lake's water can be estimated from the (linear) relationship between ice surface elevation and ice thickness of the floating ice. The goal of the proposed work is to estimate the salinity of Lake Vostok and determine spatial changes and to compare the salinity estimates of 3 large subglacial lakes in East Antarctica. The intellectual merits of the project are that this work will contribute to the knowledge of the physical and chemical processes operating within subglacial lake environments. Due to the inaccessibility of subglacial lakes numerical modeling of the water circulation is currently the only way forward to develop a conceptual understanding of the circulation and melting and freezing regimes in subglacial lakes. Numerical experiments show that the salinity of the lake's water is a crucial input parameter for the 3-D fluid dynamic models. Improved numerical models will contribute to our knowledge of water circulation in subglacial lakes, its effects on water and heat budgets, stratification, melting and freezing, and the conditions that support life in such extreme environments. The broader impacts of the project are that subglacial lakes have captured the interest of many people, scientists and laymen. The national and international press frequently reports about the research of the Principal Investigator. His Lake Vostok illustrations have been used in math and earth science text books. Lake Vostok will be used for education and outreach in the Earth2Class project. Earth2Class is a highly successful science/math/technology learning resource for K-12 students, teachers, and administrators in the New York metropolitan area. Earth2Class is created through collaboration by research scientists at the Lamont- Doherty Earth Observatory; curriculum and educational technology specialists from Teachers College, Columbia University; and classroom teachers in the New York metropolitan area.