Vertical seismic profiling of glaciers: appraising multi-phase mixing models

We have investigated the speed of compressional waves in a polythermal glacier by, first, predicting them from a simple three-phase (ice, air, water) model derived from a published ground-penetrating radar study, and then comparing them with field data from four orthogonally orientated walkaway vertical seismic profiles (VSPs) acquired in an 80 m deep borehole drilled in the ablation area of Storglaciären, northern Sweden. The model predicts that the P-wave speed increases gradually with depth from 3700 m s-1 at the surface to 3760 m s-1 at 80 m depth, and this change is almost wholly caused by a reduction in air content from 3% at the surface to

Citation

Gusmeroli, A., T. Murray, R.A. Clark, B. Kulessa, P. Jansson. 2013. Vertical seismic profiling of glaciers: appraising multi-phase mixing models. Annals of Glaciology. 54: 115-123. DOI: doi:10.3189/2013AoG64A106 #sthash.nlDf56ai.dpuf.