Seismograph data from the David Glacier region near Terra Nova Bay to determine the origins of low magnitude seismicity in the area: brittle ice failure, basal shearing beneath the glacier, or tectonic events?

Temporary seismograph stations placed in the Transantarctic Mountains have recorded regular, low magnitude seismicity. The origin of the quakes could not be uniquely discriminated among brittle ice failure, basal shearing beneath the glacier or tectonic events. A targeted passive seismic array was placed in the David Glacier region to directly investigate the seismicity of the region by distinguishing the nature of the seismic events and to enable discrimination and separation of events that are associated with surface crevassing or glacial basal shear rather than tectonics. A temporary array of 9 broadband seismograph stations were deployed between the coastline and about 100 km inland with about 30-40 km station spacing using available outcrops. The seismograph array was deployed at the beginning of November 2003 and retrieved at the end of January 2004.