Dr. John McBride, Department of Geology

Evaluation of how well the academic objectives of the proposal were met

The academic objectives of the proposal were to:
travel to the Gorner Glacier system in southern Switzerland;
set up a base camp on the glacier, operating out of the village of Zermatt, Switzerland;
acquire 2D and 3D ice-penetrating radar data after assessing the state of the glacier;
acquire drill cores into the ice;
devise a physical model explaining the scattering of electromagnetic energy within the glacier;
write and published a refereed scientific article on the results.

All objectives were realized, with a paper on the radar results published in late 2012 (see McBride et al., 2012 listed below). A paper dealing with the results of a related ice-coring project was submitted and is now in revision(see Quick et al., 2013 listed below). The results of achieving the objectives is summarized in the section “Description of the results/findings of the project”.

Evaluation of the mentoring environment

Three undergraduate students worked at the field site with one BYU graduate student and three BYU Geological Sciences faculty (Profs. John McBride, Scott Ritter, and David Tingey). Our field program took place (including transit) July 3, 2011 to July 15, 2011. Upon arrival in Zermatt, Switzerland (our staging location for mounting the expedition to the glacier), students and faculty worked together to make final logistical and purchasing arrangements for setting up a base camp on the Gorner Glacier (Figs. 1 and 2). The entire party then traveled by train, helicopter (and/or hiking) to the base camp. Students participated in setting up the base camp (including erection of individual tents and main tent for cooking meals and examining data). Students worked with faculty under challenging physical conditions of cold and wet weather and moderately high altitude (up to 3000 m ASL). The field work consisted of towing radar antennas across the glacier surface, often up very steep slopes and by-passing crevasses and other hazards. Students also assisted in examining the results of the radar surveying back at base camp. The coring program was done by students and faculty working together, taking turns operating the coring device and packing the ice cores for shipment back to BYU.

After returning to BYU, students worked with faculty in studying the results of the data collection, including the production of a “3D” video of a portion of the radar data that was published online by the Geological Society of America. The video was produced in the Department’s Visualization Lab with the assistance of BYU part-time faculty member, R. William Keach, II. The video may be viewed online at http://geosphere.geoscienceworld.org/content/suppl/2012/09/28/GES00804.1.DC1/804_ani0 1.wmv

Students worked with faculty on the writing of the article published in late 2012 (please see below). All four BYU students who participated in the 2011 field work are included as co- authors on the published paper, along with three other BYU students (one graduate and two undergraduate students) who previously worked on this project.

List of students who participated and what academic deliverables they have produced or it is anticipated they will produce

The following BYU students participated in the field work and subsequent data interpretation and report writing:
Josh Maurer (undergraduate student) Jessica Williams (graduate student) Robert Windell (undergraduate student) Durban Keeler (undergraduate student)

The “academic deliverables” for the students is their participation in the article and inclusion as co-authors. The students benefited from participating in the design and execution of the field program, followed by assisting in the data analysis and the eventual formulation of a physical model for the scattering of electromagnetic energy (Figs. 3 and 4) in the glacial ice. The mentoring experience helped to prepare one undergraduate student (Josh Maurer) and one graduate student (Jessica Williams) for advanced graduate work studying ice physics. Durban Keeler recently graduated and is applying for admission to graduate school to study ice physics. Robert Windell graduated and began a career in mining geology.

Description of the results/findings of the project

The scientific results based on the radar data are summarized from the abstract to the McBride et al. (2012) article:

“Glacial ogives are transverse topographic, wave‐like surface features that form below ice falls on some alpine glaciers. Ground‐penetrating radar surveys from the Gorner Glacier system in the Swiss Alps reveal an along‐flow periodicity in scattering intensity that correlates with ogives. The scattering appears in the ablation zone and occurs at 5‐20 m depth. The geometry of the scattering mimics that of the ogives, although exaggerated in amplitude. We interpret the scattering to represent lateral variations in water content. We propose that as glacial ice accelerated and stretched through the ice fall, seasonal fluctuations occurred in water infiltration to crevasses during the summer and subsequent freezing of that water in the crevasses in the winter. This seasonally varying infilling and freezing locally altered the distribution of temperature, creating zones of temperate ice with water inclusions that preferentially scatter radar energy. In addition to the scattering pattern, highly reflective planar features associated with these periodic regions of temperate ice are interpreted as water‐filled fractures. A 3D rendering of the orientation of these planar features precludes a “fold and thrust” hypothesis for the formation of the ogives.”

The scientific results based on previously collected ice coring data are summarized from the abstract to the Quick et al. (2013) article:

“In order to obtain meaningful Paleoclimates and glacier dynamics information from alpine glacier ablation zones, it is important to understand sources of spatial and temporal variability of isotopic properties of ice. This study examines possible sources of variation in stable water isotopes in shallow ice from the ablation zone. In this study, shallow ice cores (~3m depth) and surface samples (

The results of the ice coring performed during the time period of the grant are currently being analyzed by Summer Rupper and BYU students.

Refereed Scientific Journal Articles Arising from the MEG

• McBride, J. H., Rupper, S. B., Ritter, S. M., Tingey, D. G., Koutnik, M. R., Quick‡, A. M., Morris, T. H., Keach, R. W., II, Burgener‡, L. K., McKean‡, A. P., Williams‡, J., Maurer‡, J. M., Keeler‡, D. G., and Windell‡, R., 2012, Relationship between wave ogives and radar scattering in an alpine glacier, Geosphere, 8, 1054-1077, doi:10.1130/GES00804.1. (‡ = BYU student author); to view article online: http://geosphere.geoscienceworld.org/content/8/5/1054.full.pdf+html
• Quick‡, A. M., Rupper, S. B., McBride, J. H., Ritter, S. M., Tingey, D. G., Nelson, S. T., McKean‡, A. P., Jones‡, N. B., 2013, Possible mechanisms for isotopic variations of ice and sampling considerations in the ablation zones of an alpine glacier system, Mountain Research, in revision. (‡ = BYU student author)

Description of how the budget was spent

The total award from ORCA was $19,970. The LDS Church Shipping Dept. provided financial assistance for shipping of equipment, which allowed us to include more student field participants, as well as an additional faculty member, and spend a little longer time working at the field site. Further, two faculty participants funded their own air travel.

The list below provides a detailed break-down of how expenses were partitioned.

• Billing Date March 31, 2011
• BYU Student Foreign-Business Travel Josh Maurer $1,504.80
  • Jessica Williams $1,504.80
  • Robert Windell $1,504.80
  • Durban Keeler ticket $1,504.90
  • subtotal = $6,019.3

• Billing Date May 31, 2011
• Camping Supplies
  • CABELAS RETAIL LEHI $169.99

• Billing Date June 30, 2011
• Camping and Dried Food Supplies
  • C-A-L RANCH STORES #7 $47.84
  • REAMS FOOD STORE $24.82
  • SPORTSMANS WAREHOUSE $289.86
  • RECREATION OUTLET AF $80.04
  • EMERGENCY ESSENTIALS $29.81
  • MISSIONARY MALL $70.52
  • C-A-L RANCH STORES #7 $34.88
  • KMART 03765 $72.54
  • REAMS FOOD STORE $165.94
  • THE HOME DEPOT 4416 $13.68
  • SPORTSMANS WAREHOUSE 102 $174.91
  • SPORTSMANS WAREHOUSE 102 $213.93
  • MCBRIDE, JOHN H. CCS0627B $2.88
  • subtotal =$1,221.65

• 6110 Supplies-Bookstore
  • Bookstore CHARGE Notebooks $9.36

• Billing Date July 31, 2011
• Camping/Fieldwork Supplies
  • CABELAS RETAIL LEHI $85.82
  • GUS*SPOT MESSENGER $162.93
  • John McBride 26/Jul/11 $49.99 EX00032687 274 EXP425
  • subtotal = $298.71

• Faculty Travel Expense (faculty member running the field camp and surveying)
  • Dave Tingey Air Travel $1,773.22
  • J. H. McBride Travel/lodging expenses for Zermatt, Switzerland= $1,836.44 EX00032689 274 EXP425

• Billing Date August 31, 2011
• Travel/Lodging Expenses while in Switzerland
  • $4,667.89 EX00032653 274 EXP429
  • Billing Date October 31, 2011 Helicopter Transportation
  • Air Zermatt Transport $3,912.98 634 GEOLJHM23

GRAND TOTAL=$19,909.54