At the upper reaches of the Jutulstraumen Glacier in central Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica, nunataks—exposed rock formations—are widely distributed. This image captures the summit of one such nunatak, named Nashornet. The exposed rock to the left consists of a mafic sill intruding into Proterozoic sedimentary sequences. Based on the surface exposure dating of bedrock and erratics on this nunatak, it is possible to reconstruct past changes in the elevation of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The author participated in the 57th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (2015-2016) and conducted extensive fieldwork based out of Norway's Troll Station. To reach the site, a helicopter was chartered from South Africa's SANAE Station. This image was taken while heading to the helicopter pickup point after completing glacial geomorphological surveys and collecting samples for surface exposure dating.
(Photograph & Explanation: Yusuke SUGANUMA)
