Victoria Lower Glacier S77°19.810′, E162°31.991′

In order to map bedrock topography and internal structures of Victoria Lower Glacier, we used ground penetrating radar, employing different antennae frequencies (35, 200, and 400MHz) for different resolution and penetration depths. The radar profiles are accurately located using differential, kinematic GPS, with a base station device deployed on the southern margin of the glacier. The radar profile displays a glacier depth of 240m at the proposed deep drilling site (VIC1), with a maximum depth of 350m further to the north and confirms the suitability of VIC1 for a long-term paleoclimate record. The internal structures indicate the possibility of an inverse flow to the west of the Wilson Piedmont Glacier during the last 18,000 years.

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Eight shallow firn and ice cores have been recovered from VLG. The sites are aligned along two transects perpendicular to each other. One from west to east along the glacier axis (glacier snout towards the future deep drilling site, located on the glacier dome) and one south to north, across the glacier with the deep drilling site in the middle (Map 1). The west-east sequence cuts across the assumed Pleistocene ice towards the active, Holocene part of Victoria Lower Glacier. Although no extended ice core could be recovered from the western snout, enough material was recovered to extract methane from the enclosed air bubbles to determine, whether this part of the glacier is in fact of Pleistocene age. The sequence of cores will allow us to test the results of the GPR and to quantify the variability of the climate record on the glacier.

Two snow profiles (5m and 1m depth at VIC1 and VIC2) have been investigated and sampled in 1cm resolution for major ion content, isotope ratios, and in 5cm resolution for dust flux and beta radioactivity. The samples were stored below 2m depth in a cave within the pit to secure temperatures below −17C. Temperature, crystal geometry, and density of the snow profile have been measured on site.

Mass balance measurements, deployed during season 1999/2000 season, have been continued using high precision, differential, static GPS. The device has been left at the site (VIC 1) for future measurements and a new system has been installed at VIC2 (Map 1). The setup allows to quantify total accumulation or ablation of the glacier.

A climate station, measuring temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, solar radiation and snow pack temperature had been installed for the duration of eight weeks in the proximity of Victoria Lower Glacier Camp (VIC1).

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The correlation of our observations with meteorological records from Marble Point, Lake Vida and Lake Vanda will determine the differences between local weather pattern. This will help us to establish transfer functions between the 40 year Marble Point record and our ice core parameter.

Furthermore temporary ablation stakes for mass balance measurements and dust/diatom traps have been employed for the same length of time. The ablation stakes were used to quantify weekly changes in snow cover due to precipitation and ablation. Dust mineralogy, grain size and relative quantity will be correlated with the VLG weather record to determine source areas and associated wind characteristics. Diatom analysis serves as a reference record for species found in the snow and ice samples.