Project Overview
Discovering the CRUstal structure beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet and its Control of Ice mass loss And sea Level rise (CRUCIAL)
Basal slip is the dominant mechanism by which glaciers and ice-sheets flow, and is a major source of uncertainty in model simulations of mass loss and sea level rise from the Greenland Ice Sheet. Bedrock geology plays a significant role in the speed of ice flow; particularly basins of sedimentary rocks which are a prerequisite for fast ice streaming on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Thus far the subglacial geology of Greenland has received relatively little attention and as such we do not yet know whether large sedimentary basins are present.
Seismic methods are the tools of choice in probing the internal structure of the Earth with modern passive methodologies capable of generating 3D images of the subsurface. Additionally, rapid advancements in advanced processing techniques of the background noise of the Earth are allowing unprecedented high-resolution images of the upper crust to be generated. Using passive seismic methodologies, the aim of this project is to quantify the relationship between the Greenland Ice Sheet ice flow velocities and the nature of the subglacial geology.
