Abstract:

Dome A is the highest dome summit in the East Antarctic ice sheet and may represent a potential site for drilling deep ice cores containing old climate records. None of the existing sites with site selection are discussed. In this review, based on International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS), we present a perspective on recent developments in glaciological research at Dome A. This involves testing ideas behind drilling and their related goals, which have been involved in many glaciological branches. To select a suitable drilling site with a deep ice core, information pertaining to meteorology, glacial landforms, ice thicknesses, subglacial topography, ice velocity, internal structures, and others has been gathered. Focusing on the drilling issues, we systematically discuss the merits and motivations of potential drilling sites around Dome A. Among the sites of interest, we find that the location of the Kunlun station is superior for carrying out the first deep ice core drilling campaign. We also emphasize and assess the need to obtain a replicate core for investigating the dynamics and evolution of climate change.

Key words: East Antarctic Ice Sheet, Dome A, glaciology, deep-ice-core