Abstract:

The effects of ice sheet structure and subglacial processes on ice sheet stability, climate change and global sea-level rise are becoming the frontiers of Antarctic scientific research. However, systematic research remains insufficient on the key physical processes and their effects on the stability of the Antarctic ice sheet at different time-space scales, which has led to wide controversy on the impacts of subglacial processes on global climate change in the international polar scientific community for many years. Based on the aerogeophysical exploration of the Princess Elizabeth Land of the East Antarctica ice sheet, carried out by Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition since 2015/2016, we summarize the recent research, and clarify the key scientific issues involved in understanding the deep structure and subglacial processes of the Antarctic ice sheet. We expound the obstacles and solutions encountered in the study of the physical mechanisms of the deep structure and processes of the Antarctic ice sheet, by combining intensive observations of the typical areas with the numerical simulations to explore ice sheet stability and its impact on sea level rise. This study contributes to the quantitative estimation of the mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet and its impact on the future sea level rise.

Key words: East Antarctic ice sheet, Princess Elizabeth Land, deep structure, subglacial processes, aerogeophysical observation