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Borehole geophysical studies in glaciers. Part II: Borehole in situ observatories
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DOI：10.1016/j.earscirev.2026.105643.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice play a major role in the global climate changes. They act as a natural laboratory, providing us with valuable insights into the processes that connect ice with the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. The inner processes and interactions between ice and the main spheres of the Earth are currently being studied using a variety of instruments, including remote sensing techniques and in situ geophysical observations. Remote sensing methods offer a non-invasive approach for continuous, large-scale, and long-term monitoring of ice, which is crucial for understanding its dynamics in the context of climate change. However, the validation of large-scale monitoring results and climate models requires the determination of ice physical parameters on-site. This is done through various ice core studies and geophysical investigations in boreholes, which can be broadly divided into logging methods and in-situ observatories. Borehole logging involves the use of specialized sondes, which take measurements while being lowered into or raised from a drilled borehole. In our previous paper, we provided an overview of current and emerging borehole logging techniques and their applications in glacier research. Unlike short-term logging, which creates a snapshot of data at a specific point in time, borehole in situ observatories are fixed systems that take usually long-term measurements over extended periods, often ranging from weeks to years. To study the ablation, inner physical and mechanical properties of glaciers and ice sheets in situ observatories use a variety of sensors. These include temperature sensors, borehole markers, strainmeters, pressure transducers, draw-wire sensors, tilt and inclinometer sensors, electrical resistivity detectors, expanding pressuremeters, and borehole jacks. Borehole in situ observatories can also detect natural inner and subglacial cryoseismic events and neutrinos from cosmological sources. Most in-situ observatories are installed in hot water-drilled holes and remain frozen until their task is completed or they fail. Usually, sensors are lowered to a predetermined depth or to the bottom of the borehole, and cables are used for power supply and data transmission to the surface. However, some progress has also been made in borehole wireless probes, which are powered by batteries and transmit data to the surface using radio signals, eliminating the need for cables. Through this review, we analyze each method of in situ borehole observatories in glaciers in terms of their working principles, applicability, measurement accuracy, and limitations, referring to the most significant examples.
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