5 December, 2000
Where's the Dome?
I've had people ask me, "What's it like inside the dome?" I think some have
seen pictures of the dome at the South Pole and think that is what Siple
Dome is like. The dome at the Pole is a man-made structure that houses much
of Amundsen-Scott station.
Siple (SIGH-pull) Dome is a ridge of stable ice located between Ice Streams
C and D. It was named for Paul Siple, a scientific leader during the early
years of U.S. involvement in Antarctica.
![](../Images/tremblay/tremblay_rolf_SDHoles12-5a.jpg)
A. In this image you can see the ridgeline or divide that runs along the crest of Siple Dome. Even though this feature is evident in a satellite image, the surface looks absolutely flat from the perspective of the ground. Even when I traveled out to the J-hole at 32 km south, it was very difficult to detect any slope.
![](../Images/tremblay/tremblay_rolf_radar12-5b.gif.jpg)
Now this looks like a dome! However, the vertical dimension is exaggerated about fifty times. This image was produced from radio echo-soundings (RES). Both low frequency and high frequency radar were used to reflect off the bedrock and internal layers of ice. It shows a slice through Siple Dome that runs roughly north and south. It is the same line along which the drill sites are located. Notice that the bedrock beneath the ice is a few hundred meters below sea level. This is true for much of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Image credit: Both images are from Flow History of Siple Dome www.geophys.washington.edu/Surface/Glaciology/PROJECTS/SIPLE/siple.html
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