Equipment used: 100 SmartSolo node seismometers
Project Overview
Comprehensive geophysical surveys including magnetotellurics, seismic and airborne gravity magnetism are necessary to understand the tectonic history of Antarctica. These geophysical methods yield relatively low resolution of the ice sheet and uppermost structures. Although ice-penetrating radar can provide high-resolution images of ice sheet reflectivity, it cannot provide constraints on the physical properties under the ice that are important for the geological understanding of the Antarctic continent. In order to obtain high-resolution images of the ice sheet and uppermost crustal structure under the Rathman Mountains in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica, scientists conducted an environmental noise seismic experiment with 100 SmartSolo short-period seismometers spaced every 0.2 kilometers.
The study, the first of its kind in Antarctica, may reveal a near-vertical ice-covered intrusion with a horizontal extent of up to 4 km. The results of this study will help deepen our understanding of the subglacial environment and geological evolution in the Rasman Hills area of Prydz Bay, East Antarctica.
