Seismic sources near Jang Bogo Station, Terra Nova Bay, East Antarctica

The Jang Bogo Research Station is the second Korean Antarctic base which was build in Terra Nova Bay, Victoria Land, in the southeastern part of Antarctica in 2014. For the purpose of monitoring various natural seismic signals as well as local earthquakes in and around the station, two broadband seismographs were installed within the station compound and were operated during the second overwintering period from December 2014 to November 2015. Seismic data were continuously recorded during the period, and thus they might deliver much of information on the natural and artificial phenomena in the vicinity of the station. From both the temporal and spectral analyses, it was revealed that the continuous data are consisted of various types of event waveforms which are strongly correlated with variety of seismic sources. Event waveforms are classified into major four categories in accordance with their origin: tectonic earthquakes, volcanic earthquakes, cryogenic events such as icequakes, and atmospheric perturbation. Besides typical waveforms from local and teleseismic earthquakes, local volcano-related signals are expected. A prime source of those signals is Mt. Melbourne which is the only active volcano on the Antarctic mainland and is located in about 30 km northeast of the Jang Bogo station. While no magma eruption occurred during the overwinter period, phreatic eruptions of gases at the summit of Mt. Melbourne were observed sporadically. Seismic sources of the ice-related signal are associated with the Campbell glacier which is originated from the end of Mesa Range in Victoria Land. The Campbell glacier flows into Terra Nova Bay in Ross Sea and forms Campbell ice tongue that is a seaward extension of the glacier. The fast-flowing movement of the glacier appears to generate seismic signals observed at the station. Sometimes katabatic winds, which are downslope winds transiently blowing from Mt. Browning during the Antarctic winter period, massaged the ground and thus left a trace of atmosphere-ground interaction in the seismic record. Characteristics of seismic event waveforms will be presented, and their causal sources will be discussed.