Force budget: III. Application to three-dimensional flow of Byrd Glacier, Antarctica

Abstract

Stresses at the surface and at depth are calculated for a stretch of Byrd Glacier, Antarctica. The calculations are based on photogrammetrically determined velocities and elevations, and on radio-echo-determined ice thicknesses. The results are maps of drags from each valley wall, of normal forces laterally and longitudinally, and of basal drag. Special challenges in the calculation are the numerical gridding of velocity, ensuring that unreasonable short-wavelength features do not develop in the calculation, and inference of ice thickness where there are no data. The results show important variations in basal drag. -from Authors