Location
Taylor Valley, known as one of the Dry Valleys, is located on the Antarctica continent and is home to lakes Fryxell, Hoare, and Bonney. Although the receding glaciers that carved the valley are not quite as massive as they once were, glaciers are still present. The largest input of liquid water to the Fryxell, although still comparatively minimal, comes from the Canada and Commonwealth glaciers. The Canada Glacier is located west of Fryxell and the Commonwealth Glacier to the east.
The lakes in Taylor Valley are unique because of the stratification of the water column, and the chemoclines that proceed. With the ice measuring over 3 meters in most areas, the frequent valley winds do not contribute to mixing of the water column. This stratification is possible because ice ablates on these lakes; moisture is removed from the top of the ice layer while new ice is formed beneath the current layer of ice.
- 2311 reads