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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 112, F02S19, doi:10.1029/2006JF000544, 2007

Geophysical identification of permafrost in Livingston Island, maritime Antarctica

Christian Hauck

Glaciology and Geomorphodynamics Group, Geographical Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, University of Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany


Gonçalo Vieira

Centre for Geographical Studies, Faculdade de Letras, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal


Stephan Gruber

Glaciology and Geomorphodynamics Group, Geographical Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Laboratoire Environnements, Dynamiques et Territoires de la Montagne, Centre Interdisciplinaire Scientifique de la Montagne, Universitéde Savoie, Savoie, France


Juanjo Blanco

Department of Physics, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain


Miguel Ramos

Department of Physics, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain


Abstract

The current permafrost distribution on Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic, was investigated using electrical resistivity tomography, refraction seismics, and shallow borehole temperatures. The field sites include different geological and geomorphological settings, including ice cored moraines and bedrock sites with debris covers of different thickness. Two-dimensional geophysical inversion schemes were used to analyze spatial heterogeneity at field sites and to detect isolated occurrences of ground ice. Results confirm that permafrost is widespread on Livingston Island, with high ice content in ice cored moraines and little in the cracks and fissures of frozen bedrock. Specific electrical resistivity values range from 10,000–40,000 ohm-m (frozen unconsolidated material) to 1500–10,000 ohm-m (frozen quartzite/shale). Combining seismic P wave velocities and specific electrical resistivities, a typical “roof-type” distribution was found with maximum resistivities coinciding with P wave velocities around 3000 m/s and decreasing resistivities for both increasing and decreasing velocities.

Received 2 May 2006; accepted 24 April 2007; published 21 June 2007.

Keywords: permafrost; geophysical surveys; electrical resistivity tomography; refraction seismics; maritime Antarctica; Livingston Island.

Index Terms: 0702 Cryosphere: Permafrost (0475); 0770 Cryosphere: Properties; 0925 Exploration Geophysics: Magnetic and electrical methods (5109); 0935 Exploration Geophysics: Seismic methods (3025, 7294); 9310 Geographic Location: Antarctica (4207).

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Citation: Hauck, C., G. Vieira, S. Gruber, J. Blanco, and M. Ramos (2007), Geophysical identification of permafrost in Livingston Island, maritime Antarctica, J. Geophys. Res., 112, F02S19, doi:10.1029/2006JF000544.