Home – Home – Jornals – Earth’s Cryosphere 2022 number 5

Conditions of the origin, existence, and melting of the superimposed ice are considered for Bellingshausen Ice Dome on Fildes Peninsula of King George (Waterloo) Island near Antarctic Peninsula. Every year, accumulation of superimposed ice on the ice dome reaches about 15 cm. In years with positive mass balance on the ice dome, the thickness of superimposed ice increases. The maximum measured thickness of perennial superimposed ice on the ice dome is equal 145-150 cm reaching 300 cm in some places. Significance of the superimposed ice in the ice mass balance of Bellingshausen Ice Dome in different years during the observation period from 2007 to 2021 is estimated. It is argued that regime field observations are necessary for finding seasonal boundary of the superimposed ice as the altitude of the equilibrium line.