PICE Talk by Rahul Dey

Title: Ice cores from Antarctic ice rises: archives of coastal climate variability

Abstract:
The Antarctic coast is characterised by distinct topographic features called Ice Rises, which have their specific local flow, climate regime, and surface mass-balance variability. They also have a significant buttressing effect on ice flow and thereby contribute to overall ice-sheet stability. Their well-preserved internal stratigraphy makes them excellent sites for ice-core drilling, providing continuous records of past climate. Owing to their proximity to the ocean, ice rises are particularly sensitive to the coastal atmospheric and oceanic variability, offering valuable insights into the highly dynamic maritime climate of coastal Antarctica. In this talk, I will outline the glaciological significance of ice rises, present ice-core records from sites studied during my PhD, and discuss the climate signals they preserve, including changes in snow accumulation, surface melting and sea ice variabilities. I will also highlight some of the major challenges of working with ice cores from such coastal sites.