Fire and Ice: Examining the Potential for Sampling a West Antarctic Sub-Ice Volcano

This Small Grant for Exploratory Research utilizes data from remote sensing studies to determine whether a proposed active volcano beneath the West Antarctic ice sheet has a higher heat flux than surrounding areas. The characteristics of the ice sheet itself, especially the missing mass of ice downstream of the volcano, will be used as a geothermal probe. The approach unites potential field data, ice-penetrating radar, satellite images of the ice surface, and regional estimates of the structure of the Antarctic lithosphere. If successful, the work would improve our knowledge of the geodynamic history of the Antarctic continent, and demonstrate how ice sheets can be used as natural continental-scale heat flow probes. Given that many areas beneath West Antarctica have been identified as volcanic terrains, and the tectonic history of this area is so poorly constrained, these are key questions for understanding the geodynamic history of the Antarctic continent. Estimates of regional heat flux are also one of the key uncertainties in modeling the formation and evolution of the ice sheets. The broader impacts of this work include education of a postdoctoral student and improving understanding of the formation and evolution of the Antarctic ice sheets, which are key factors in global climate change and sea level rise.