Dislocation density measurement in artificial polycrystalline ice by X-ray diffraction

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Wed. 4 Dec. / Entrance Hall (1st floor) , National Institute of Polar Researc

Spatial variation of surface mass balance and seasonal variation of dust deposition at EGRIP, Greenland

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Wed. 4 Dec. / Entrance Hall (1st floor) , National Institute of Polar Researc

Location, morphology and size distribution of solid particles in an ice core retrieved from NEEM, Greenland

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Thu. 5 Dec. / 2F Auditorium , National Institute of Polar Researc

Dual Targeting of Cell Wall Precursors by Teixobactin Leads to Cell Lysis

ABSTRACT Teixobactin represents the first member of a newly discovered class of antibiotics that act through inhibition of cell wall synthesis. Teixobactin binds multiple bactoprenol-coupled cell wall precursors, inhibiting both peptidoglycan and teichoic acid synthesis. Here, we show that the impressive bactericidal activity of teixobactin is due to the synergistic inhibition of both targets, resulting in cell wall damage, delocalization of autolysins, and subsequent cell lysis. We also find that teixobactin does not bind mature peptidoglycan, further increasing its activity at high cell densities and against vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) isolates with thickened peptidoglycan layers. These findings add to the attractiveness of teixobactin as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of infection caused by antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive pathogens

Microstructure in the EastGRIP ice core, Greenland

Behavior of Earth’s ice sheets is intensely monitored via surface and remote sensing techniques to improve predictions of sea level evolution. Radio echo sounding along with drilling ice cores are currently used to monitor the Earth’s ice sheets behaviour not only from the surface but in the 3rd dimension. Particularly the ice material properties can only be accessed via ice drilling. These properties control the deformation in general, and particularly strain localization such as observed in ice streams, which supply the major discharges into the oceans. Currently the first ice core on an active ice stream, the North-East Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) is being drilled. EastGRIP (East Greenland Ice-Core Project, http://eastgrip.org) drilling started in 2016 and will be ongoing until 2019. This is the first chance to study ice microstructure from a dynamically active region (www.awi.de/en/focus/eisschilde/eis-ist-ein-heisses-material.html), with a deformation regime differing from the usual locations of previous long ice cores. Those were usually placed on domes or on ice divides due to straightforward kinematics and deformation rates which is advantageous for paleo-climate reconstruction from ice core records. We present CPO (c-axes fabric) and the grain size measurements of the uppermost 350m, the depth to which the ice core has been processed for analysis so far (275 thin sections discontinuous with 10m depth resolution). The CPO patterns found in the upper 350m at EastGRIP show (1) a more rapid evolution of c-axes anisotropy with depth compared to other ice cores and (2) partly novel characteristics in the caxes distributions. (Remark: This is an invited poster.

Microstructural analysis of the NEEM ice core, Greenland by using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD)

Mass loss of the Greenland ice sheet is accelerating, which is attributed to increased ice stream discharge and changes in surface mass balance including increased runoff. Ice stream discharge is caused by both ice deformation and basal sliding. For better projection of future mass loss, it is important to understand deformation mechanisms of polycrystalline ice in ice sheet. Deformation properties of polycrystalline material are related to its microstructure (e.g. crystal grain orientation and size). As recrystallization and recovery are occurring together in ice sheet, analysis of microstructure of ice is essential. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) is a method for measuring crystal lattice orientation with high angular and spatial resolutions. Both c- and a-axes of ice can be measured. We analyzed Greenland NEEM ice core and the preliminary result shows that most subgrain boundaries (SGBs) observed by optical microscopy have lattice misorientations < 4°. This result is in accordance with analyses of Antarctic EDML ice core by X-ray diffractometry while it differs from threshold angle of SGB/GB estimated with a dislocation theory. The observation results from ice sheet ice could contribute to better estimations of strain rate by models based on microstructural processes

Physical properties of the NEGIS ice core - The upper 1700m in EGRIP

We will present the EGRIP CPO (c-axes fabric) dataset and give preliminary interpretations concerning the processes leading to its evolution. 120 bags were selected, with a minimum depth resolution of 15m. Bags were mostly measured continuously, and in total 778 thin sections were prepared, measured and pre-processed on site. Thus, c-axes distribution CPO data are already available, while other parameters on grain stereology are still to be processed at this stage. The CPO patterns found in the upper 1650m at EGRIP show (1) a rapid evolution of c-axes anisotropy compared to lower dynamics sites and (2) partly novel characteristics in the CPO patterns. (1) Starting the measurements at 118m of depth we find a very broad single maximum distribution. The c-axes align with depth in the upper 400m much more rapidly than seen in ice cores from divides or domes. Down to only 140m depth the almost random CPO develops into a very broad single maximum which is similar to those CPOs found in the shallowest samples of other ice cores. Possible interpretations of these distributions are deformation by vertical compression from overlying layers, or alternatively a temperature-gradient snow metamorphosis. This weak CPO pattern is, however, quickly overprinted in the depth zone below 140m where a progressive evolution towards a vertical girdle distribution is observed. As vertical girdles are produced by extension along flow, the observed distribution indicates that the ice at this depth is deforming rather than just being translated by rigid block movement. From approximately 600m of depth downward we observe crystal orientation anisotropy of a strength comparable to samples from ~1400m of depth at divides (NEEM and EDML). This strong girdle CPO remains rather stable down to approximately 1300m depth, where we reach the ice deposited during the last glacial period. A novel pattern, not observed before in natural ice, is a higher densities of c-axes horizontally oriented within the vertical girdle. (2) The early onset of deformation seems further supported by the observation of a broad “hourglass shaped” girdle, which seems to develop in some depths into a “butterfly shaped” cross girdle. Another characteristic deserves attention: the distribution density within the girdle. In contrast to observations in deep ice cores so far, the highest density seems to deviate from the vertical direction being (sub-)parallel to the horizontal. The origin of this may lay in the main deformation modes, e.g. a combination of along flow extension with additional deformation modes. Especially interesting is the cross girdle, which has not yet been observed in polar ice cores so far. We suggest three possible interpretations for its origin: a) In other materials, such as quartz, cross girdles can be interpreted as activation of multiple dislocation slip systems. b) Alternatively, the CPO pattern may reflect reminiscent features from previous deformation modes, which the ice experienced upstream or possibly even outside of the ice stream. This memory effect would point to a relevance of strain dependence of the CPO. c) The cross- /double-girdle might be caused by the early onset of dynamic migration recrystallization under horizontal uniaxial extension