Abstract:
18 holes were drilled through the floating ice of Lake Joyce. The position of the holes were surveyed, the ice thickness and water depths were measured and the coring of the bottom sediments was completed where it was possible. The permanent floating ice was described. The bathymetry of the lake was described. The sediments collected from the 18 holes were examined and described. Samples were returned to New Zealand for dating.
Quality
In the University of Waikato Antarctic Research Unit report to Antarctica New Zealand (held in their logistics reports) and written section make reference to Figures 1-3 (Figure 1: The permanent floating ice on Lake Joyce was found to be of two discrete thicknesses which makes Lake Joyce unique amongst Antarctic lakes, Figure 2 and 3: The bathymetry of lake Joyce was determined from the 18 holes ... drilled through the floating ice, and is given in Figure 2 and 3). However, there is only one figure with the report which is a hand drawn sketch of the bathymetry of the lake with measurement sites with thickness of ice in meters given and contour lines drawn which are very approximate. No contour lines >30m above the lake surface have been drawn. This map also shows the 7m ice thickness contour and this sketch may therefore be an amalgamation of all three mentioned figures.
The report states: The salient features of the lake are that: 1) There does not appear to be any morain walls within the lake and therefore the Taylor Glacier has probably not advanced beyond its present position since the present basin was formed. 2) There has been a considerable influx of deltaic sediments from the Nroth wall of the Taylor Valley, flwoing down from Catspaw and an adjacent unnamed glacier and filling about half of the original basin. This has resulted in the once round flat bottomed depression becoming an elongated trough. 3) The Taylor Glacier is in contact with the lake waters below the level of the floating ice for at least 300 m of its 700 m abutment of the lake. For the remainder of the distance, it appears to be separated from the lake by a moraine wall. The sediments collected from the 18 drilled holes showed a little stratigraphy which may be able to be correlated from core to core in the deeper protions of the lake.
Please contact the investigator for more information.
