Gravito-topographic signal of the Lake Vostok area, Antarctica, with the most recent data

Abstract

By using SatGravRET2014 gravito-topography model, based also on satellite GRACE and GOCE data, we cornputed and plotted the gravity disturbances, the Marussi tensor of the second derivatives of the disturbing potential, the gravity invariants and their specific ratio, the strike angle and the virtual deformations for the Lake Vostok (LV) area in Antarctica. This set of gravity "aspects" provides more detailed and clearer information than the traditional gravity anomalies. Maps with the bedrock topography from Bedmap 2 are added. Some of our estimates and results confirm independent findings of other specialists, some results presented here are new. LV is divided not only into its N and S parts by a ridge, but also to E and W parts. A tension across LV has a prevailing direction E-W. We identified at least three candidates for subglacial lakes south of the lakes 90 E and Sovetskaya. In the gravity aspects this area looks like a basin, where the mentioned lakes might be just a remnant of a large bowl; the orientation of this basin is the same as that of LV; the size comparable to LV. A subglacial connection between all the mentioned lakes is possible and documented via the gravity aspects, namely by the virtual deformations.