Trapping of aeolian sediments and build‐up of the ice cover of a dry‐based Antarctic lake

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Abstract
Among the perennially frozen lakes of the Dry Valleys of South Victoria Land (Antarctica), some are dry‐based, i.e. frozen to the bottom. One of these is studied here by a multiparametric investigation (isotopic composition in δD and δ18O, ions, gas and ice texture analyses). A sediment layer about 10 cm thick appearing at a depth of 3·5 m is also studied by grain size, X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope analyses. The information retrieved indicates that this ice‐block lake results from a build‐up in two steps and explains how aeolian sediments were included as a layer into the ice. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.