[{"awards": "2317997 Keogh, Molly", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Climate change is disproportionately affecting polar regions, with the Arctic now warming nearly four times faster than the global average. Polar warming drives coastal erosion and increases sediment delivery to the coastal ocean, affecting ecosystem processes ranging from primary productivity to carbon sequestration. Tracking changes in sedimentation rate is urgently needed to determine current conditions and measure further change. In polar regions, however, two of the most globally reliable sediment tracers, the radioisotopes lead-210 (210Pb) and cesium-137 (137Cs), have yielded mixed results. To understand the distribution and usefulness of these radioisotopes at high latitudes, this research makes use of a wealth of polar sediment cores archived at the Oregon State University Marine and Geology Repository combined with data synthesized from the literature. Results provide the first systematic study of Arctic and Antarctic sediment accretion. Improving the tools we use to track changes in sedimentation will help coastal managers and decisionmakers understand how climate change is impacting polar coastlines and marine environments, and what local communities should expect in the future. Sediment cores will be subsampled and analyzed for the activities of 210Pb (half-life = 22.3 years) and 137Cs (half-life = 30.1 years) using alpha and gamma spectroscopy, respectively. To provide context related to depositional environment, select subsamples will also be analyzed for sediment bulk density, grain size distribution, and organic content. A subset of samples with no measurable 210Pb or 137Cs activity will be analyzed for 14C to determine whether the lack of radioisotopes in a sample is because the core is simply too old, the true surface layer is missing, or because the shorter-lived radioisotopes did not accumulate. By undertaking comprehensive spatial analysis of the distribution of 210Pb and 137Cs in Arctic and Antarctic sediments, this research will achieve three goals: first, measure the activity of short-lived radioisotopes in archived sediment cores, a service to the science community that is urgently needed before the isotopes decay beyond detection; second, produce a comprehensive pole-wide atlas of sediment accretion rates; and finally, conduct a temporal analysis of sedimentation rate changes over the last ~60 to 125 years along the Beaufort Sea coast of northern Alaska, an ecologically and economically important region experiencing environmental transformation due to climate warming. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Alpha Spectrometry; Sediment Dynamics; Polar; SEDIMENTATION; MARINE SEDIMENTS; Pb-210; Geochronology; SEDIMENTS", "locations": "Polar", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Post Doc/Travel", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Keogh, Molly", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Postdoctoral Fellowship: OPP-PRF: Tracing Polar Sediments with Short-lived Radioisotopes in 75 years of Arctic and Antarctic Sediment Cores", "uid": "p0010484", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2420219 Chignell, Stephen", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160 -76.5,160.45 -76.5,160.9 -76.5,161.35 -76.5,161.8 -76.5,162.25 -76.5,162.7 -76.5,163.15 -76.5,163.6 -76.5,164.05 -76.5,164.5 -76.5,164.5 -76.7,164.5 -76.9,164.5 -77.1,164.5 -77.3,164.5 -77.5,164.5 -77.7,164.5 -77.9,164.5 -78.1,164.5 -78.3,164.5 -78.5,164.05 -78.5,163.6 -78.5,163.15 -78.5,162.7 -78.5,162.25 -78.5,161.8 -78.5,161.35 -78.5,160.9 -78.5,160.45 -78.5,160 -78.5,160 -78.3,160 -78.1,160 -77.9,160 -77.7,160 -77.5,160 -77.3,160 -77.1,160 -76.9,160 -76.7,160 -76.5))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Geodiversity is the variety of non-living elements like rocks, landforms, and processes in a given area, and plays an especially critical role in Antarctica. Geodiversity provides the conditions in which life can develop and underpins all ecosystems on Earth. It also provides tangible services to people (like construction materials) as well as intangible benefits (such as scientific knowledge from ice cores and artistic inspiration from glaciers). Despite its importance, Antarctic geodiversity remains under-explored, under-described, and inadequately mapped. This knowledge gap is particularly concerning given the threats posed by increasing human activity and environmental and climate change. This project uses a variety of datasets to map Antarctic geodiversity, assess its benefits to people, and help identify priority locations for conservation. Through an interdisciplinary and mixed-method approach, this research will fill a major gap in the current understanding and representations of the Antarctic. Using the McMurdo Dry Valleys as a case study, the researcher will combine geospatial data on geology, geomorphology, pedology, and hydrology to map geodiversity of the region. This project will identify sites of key geosystem services by analyzing geospatial data on placenames, scientific samples, and a web-based participatory mapping survey. The geodiversity and geosystem services data will then be overlaid and combined to identify hotspots of geo-social diversity. The resulting maps will be compared with the region\u0027s protected area boundaries to assess the fit-for-purpose of current environmental management and identify priority locations for future research and conservation. The fellow will promote Antarctic geodiversity broadly, including at UNESCO International Geodiversity Day. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": 164.5, "geometry": "POINT(162.25 -77.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "McMurdo Dry Valleys; LANDSCAPE; ROCKS/MINERALS/CRYSTALS; LANDFORMS; GIS; GLACIAL LANDFORMS; RIVERS/STREAMS", "locations": "McMurdo Dry Valleys", "north": -76.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Chignell, Stephen", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -78.5, "title": "Postdoctoral Fellowship: OPP-PRF: Mapping Antarctic Geodiversity: Assessing People, Place, and Abiotic Nature in the McMurdo Dry Valleys", "uid": "p0010476", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "1939139 Scherer, Reed; 1939146 Siddoway, Christine", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-120 -66,-117.5 -66,-115 -66,-112.5 -66,-110 -66,-107.5 -66,-105 -66,-102.5 -66,-100 -66,-97.5 -66,-95 -66,-95 -67.1,-95 -68.2,-95 -69.3,-95 -70.4,-95 -71.5,-95 -72.6,-95 -73.7,-95 -74.8,-95 -75.9,-95 -77,-97.5 -77,-100 -77,-102.5 -77,-105 -77,-107.5 -77,-110 -77,-112.5 -77,-115 -77,-117.5 -77,-120 -77,-120 -75.9,-120 -74.8,-120 -73.7,-120 -72.6,-120 -71.5,-120 -70.4,-120 -69.3,-120 -68.2,-120 -67.1,-120 -66))", "dataset_titles": "Pliocene diatom abundance, IODP 379-U1532; Population morphometrics of the Southern Ocean diatom Fragilariopsis kerguelensis related to Sea Surface Temperature; U-Pb zircon and apatite fission track dates for IRD (ice-rafted cobbles and mineral grains) from IODP379 drill sites", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601828", "doi": "10.15784/601828", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Geochronology; Marie Byrd Land; Subglacial Bedrock; Thermochronology", "people": "Siddoway, Christine", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "U-Pb zircon and apatite fission track dates for IRD (ice-rafted cobbles and mineral grains) from IODP379 drill sites", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601828"}, {"dataset_uid": "601769", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Biogenic Silica; Diatom", "people": "Scherer, Reed Paul; Furlong, Heather", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Pliocene diatom abundance, IODP 379-U1532", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601769"}, {"dataset_uid": "601804", "doi": "10.15784/601804", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Oceanography; Sabrina Coast; Sea Surface Temperature; Southern Ocean", "people": "Ruggiero, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Population morphometrics of the Southern Ocean diatom Fragilariopsis kerguelensis related to Sea Surface Temperature", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601804"}], "date_created": "Tue, 20 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part I, Non-technical Abstract Concerns that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) might be susceptible to releasing its ice as giant icebergs into the Southern Ocean due to a warming climate, raising global sea level, were first expressed more than 40 years ago. To best-assess this threat, scientists need to know whether such events occurred in the geologically recent past, during warm intervals of past glacial-interglacial cycles. Ocean drilling near the most vulnerable sector of the WAIS, in 2019, yielded seafloor geologic records demonstrating times when icebergs dropped large volumes of sands and pebbles, called ice-rafted detritus (IRD) in deep water of the Amundsen Sea. Occurring together with IRD that was eroded from bedrock beneath the ice sheets, there are abundant microfossils of diatoms (algal plankton), which indicate high biological productivity in the open ocean. The new sediment cores provide a complete, uninterrupted record of a time of dramatic fluctuations of ice sheet extent that occurred over the last 3 million years. Therefore, they provide the means to obtain clear answers to the question whether ice sheet collapse occurred in the past and offering clues to its potential future. This project will investigate sediment intervals where IRD coincides with evidence of high diatom production, to test whether these two criteria indicate rapid ice sheet collapse. Geochemical analysis of IRD pebbles will help trace the source of the icebergs to likely on-land sites. By analyzing conditions of high diatom and IRD accumulation in deep ocean sediment, where local coastal influences can be avoided, we will assess oceanographic and climatic conditions associated with past ice sheet collapse events. Diatoms provide powerful evidence of temperature and ocean productivity changes in the past, that, when linked to time, can translate into rates of ice sheet drawdown. These results will provide critical data for designing, constraining and testing the next suite computer models that can determine the likelihood and timing of future ice sheet collapse in a warming world. The project will include training of undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds, and the public will be introduced to Antarctic science and engaged through several different outreach efforts. Part 2, Technical Abstract New drillcores from the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica (IODP Expedition 379) contain a continuous record of oceanographic changes and iceberg rafted debris (IRD) spanning the last 5 million years. This study aims to identify the signature of retreat/collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) in these continental margin, deep-sea sediments by quantitatively analyzing, in detail, diatom and IRD records across glacial-interglacial lithostratigraphic transitions to establish the timing and frequency of Late Pliocene and Pleistocene WAIS collapse events. The investigators will secure age constraints and diagnostic observations of marine paleoenvironmental conditions for selected interglacial intervals of cores from sites U1532 and U1533, using high resolution micropaleontology of diatom assemblages coupled with microstratigraphic analysis of IRD depositional events, while petrography, geochronology and thermochronology of iceberg rafted clasts will provide evidence of iceberg sources and pathways. Depositional paleotemperatures will be assessed via a new paleotemperature proxy based on quantitative assessment of morphologic changes in the dominant Southern Ocean diatom Fragilariopsis kerguelensis. Their results will contribute to parameterization of new ice sheet models that seek to reconstruct and forecast West Antarctic Ice Sheet behavior. This project will directly contribute to undergraduate education at an undergraduate-only college and at a public university that serves a demographic typified by first generation university students and underrepresented groups. Spanning geology, geochemistry, sedimentology, paleontology and paleoceanography, the proposed work will allow undergraduate students to develop diverse skills through hands-on research within a collaborative team that is dedicated to societally relevant research. The two graduate students will conduct original research and work alongside/mentor undergraduates, making for a well-rounded research experience that prepares them for success in future academic or employment sectors. The discoveries that come from this deep-sea record from West Antarctica will be communicated by students and investigators at national and international conferences and an array of public science outreach events. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": -95.0, "geometry": "POINT(-107.5 -71.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ICEBERGS; SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE; Amundsen Sea; MICROFOSSILS", "locations": "Amundsen Sea", "north": -66.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e NEOGENE \u003e PLIOCENE", "persons": "Scherer, Reed Paul; Siddoway, Christine", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Testing the Linchpin of WAIS Collapse with Diatoms and IRD in Pleistocene and Late Pliocene Strata of the Resolution Drift, Amundsen Sea, Antarctica", "uid": "p0010451", "west": -120.0}, {"awards": "2231558 Smith, Nathan; 2231559 Tinto, Kirsteen", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The unique Antarctic environment offers insight into processes and records not seen anywhere else on Earth, and is critical to understanding our planet\u2019s history and future. The remoteness and logistics of Antarctic science brings together researchers from diverse disciplines who otherwise wouldn\u2019t be presented with opportunities for collaboration, and often rarely attend the same academic conferences. The Interdisciplinary Antarctic Earth Science (IAES) conference is a biennial gathering that supports the collaboration of U.S. bio-, cryo-, geo-, and atmospheric science researchers working in the Antarctic. This proposal will support the next two IAES conferences to be held in 2022 and 2024, as well as a paired deep-field camp planning workshop. The IAES conference is important to the mission of the NSF in supporting interdisciplinary collaboration in the Antarctic Earth sciences, but also fulfills recommendations by the National Academy for improving cross-disciplinary awareness, data sharing, and early career researcher mentoring and development. The size and scope of the IAES conference allow it to serve as a hub for novel, interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as help develop the next generation of Antarctic Earth scientists. The goals of the IAES conference are to develop and deepen scientific collaborations across the Antarctic Earth science community, and create a framework for future deep-field, as well as non-field-based research. Across a 2.5 day hybrid conference, the IAES themes will include 1) connecting surficial processes, geology, and the deep earth; 2) landscape, ice sheet, ocean and atmospheric interactions; 3) exploring the hidden continent; and 4) evolution and ecology of ancient and modern organisms, ecosystems, and environments. The conference will share science through presentations of current research and keynote talks, broaden participation through welcoming new researchers from under-represented communities and disciplines, and deepen collaboration through interdisciplinary networking highlighting potential research connections, novel mentorship activities, and promoting data re-use, and application of remote sensing and modeling. Discussions resulting from the IAES conference will be used to develop white papers on future Antarctic collaborative research and deep-field camps based on community-driven research priorities. Community surveys and feedback will be solicited throughout the project to guide the future development of the IAES conference. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES; GEOCHEMISTRY; California; ICE CORE RECORDS; ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS", "locations": "California", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Smith, Nathan; Tinto, Kirsty", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Conference: Interdisciplinary Antarctic Earth Science Conference \u0026 Deep-Field Planning Workshop", "uid": "p0010432", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2224680 Prothro, Lindsay; 2224679 Miller, Lauren; 2224681 Venturelli, Ryan", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Sediments that collect on the seafloor provide a wealth of information about past and present environmental change. Around Antarctica, these seafloor sediments are influenced by an ice sheet that grinds and transports sediments from the continent\u2019s interior into the surrounding ocean. Since the Last Glacial Maximum (about 20,000 years ago) when the ice sheet extended hundreds to thousands of kilometers seaward, ice has retreated inland to the configuration we observe today and left behind signatures of its growth and decline, as well as indicators of ocean change, in the seafloor sediments. Ongoing glacial and ocean processes are reflected in the characteristics of contemporary sediments, whereas older sediments beneath the seafloor offer a longer temporal perspective of changes to the ice sheet and surrounding ocean. Using data generated from archived sediment cores that are predominantly housed in the Antarctic Core Collection at Oregon State University, we aim to confirm if recent sediments clearly reflect the specific instrumental and historical field-based observations of ocean and glacial change seen in different regions of Antarctica. These modern changes will be placed into context with those recorded by sediments deposited on the seafloor hundreds to thousands of years ago. This project will explore interlinked physical, biological, and geochemical properties of seafloor sediments to address the influence of glacial and oceanographic processes on ice-proximal marine sedimentation during the 20th and 21st centuries and since the Last Glacial Maximum, with a focus on sediment fluxes, meltwater drainage, ice-rafted debris deposition, and radiocarbon chronologies. We will integrate multi-proxy analyses to interrogate the seafloor sediment record around Antarctica, targeting regions offshore of relatively fast-flowing and fast-changing glacial systems today and regions offshore of slower flowing, more stable (i.e., unchanging or relatively minimally changing) parts of the ice sheet. This work will leverage the application of new techniques and knowledge to legacy sediment cores that NSF has invested greatly in collecting and archiving. This project is led by three early-career women project investigators who seek to foster collaborative and open research practices and professional growth of the project team which will include three graduate students, numerous undergraduate students, and a postdoctoral research associate. The project team will co-produce educational materials with Math4Science, an organization that connects STEM professionals with public secondary education students and their math and science teachers through curricula; and develop and implement best practices in working with marine sediment core data through a collaboration with the Oregon State University Marine and Geology Repository and the United States Antarctic Program - Data Center. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "MARINE SEDIMENTS; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; Antarctica; Geochemistry; Stratigraphy; Glacial Processes; SEDIMENTS; Last Glacial Maximum", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Prothro, Lindsay; Venturelli, Ryan A; Miller, Lauren", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Circum-Antarctic Processes from Archived Marine Sediment Cores (ANTS)", "uid": "p0010406", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1916982 Teyssier, Christian; 1917176 Siddoway, Christine; 1917009 Thomson, Stuart", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-160.16 -67.15,-154.572 -67.15,-148.984 -67.15,-143.39600000000002 -67.15,-137.808 -67.15,-132.22 -67.15,-126.632 -67.15,-121.04400000000001 -67.15,-115.456 -67.15,-109.868 -67.15,-104.28 -67.15,-104.28 -68.165,-104.28 -69.18,-104.28 -70.19500000000001,-104.28 -71.21000000000001,-104.28 -72.225,-104.28 -73.24,-104.28 -74.255,-104.28 -75.27,-104.28 -76.285,-104.28 -77.3,-109.868 -77.3,-115.456 -77.3,-121.044 -77.3,-126.632 -77.3,-132.22 -77.3,-137.808 -77.3,-143.396 -77.3,-148.98399999999998 -77.3,-154.572 -77.3,-160.16 -77.3,-160.16 -76.285,-160.16 -75.27,-160.16 -74.255,-160.16 -73.24,-160.16 -72.225,-160.16 -71.21000000000001,-160.16 -70.19500000000001,-160.16 -69.18,-160.16 -68.165,-160.16 -67.15))", "dataset_titles": "Apatite fission track thermochronology data for detrital minerals, offshore clasts, and bedrock; U-Pb detrital zircon geochronological data, obtained by LA-ICP-MS", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200333", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "in progress", "science_program": null, "title": "Apatite fission track thermochronology data for detrital minerals, offshore clasts, and bedrock", "url": ""}, {"dataset_uid": "200332", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "in progress", "science_program": null, "title": "U-Pb detrital zircon geochronological data, obtained by LA-ICP-MS", "url": ""}], "date_created": "Wed, 19 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Sediment records off the coast of Marie Byrd Land (MBL), Antarctica suggest frequent and dramatic changes in the size of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) over short (tens of thousands of years) and long (millions of years) time frames in the past. WAIS currently overrides much of MBL and covers the rugged and scoured bedrock landscape. The ice sheet carved narrow linear troughs that reach depths of two to three thousand meters below sea level as outlet glaciers flowed from the interior of the continent to the oceans. As a result, large volumes of fragmented continental bedrock were carried out to the seabed. The glaciers cut downward into a region of crystalline rocks (i.e. granite) whose temperature change as a function of rock depth happens to be significant. This strong geothermal gradient in the bedrock is favorable for determining when the bedrock experienced rapid exhumation or \"uncovering\". Analyzing the chemistry of minerals (zircon and apatite) within the eroded rocks will provide information about the rate and timing of the glacier removal of bedrock from the Antarctic continent. The research addresses the following questions: When did the land become high enough for a large ice sheet to form? What was the regional pre-glacial topography? Under what climate conditions, and at what point in the growth of an ice sheet, did glaciers begin to cut sharply into bedrock to form the narrow troughs that flow seaward? The research will lead to greater understanding of past Antarctic ice sheet fluctuations and identify precise timing of glacial incision. These results will refine ice sheet history and aid the international societal response to contemporary ice sheet change and its global consequences. The project will contribute to the training of two graduate and two undergraduate students in STEM. The objective is to clarify the onset of WAIS glacier incision and assess the evolution of Cenozoic paleo-topography. Low-temperature (T) thermochronology and Pecube 3-D thermo-kinematic modeling will be applied to date and characterize episodes of glacial erosional incision. Single-grain double- and triple-dating of zircon and apatite will reveal the detailed crustal thermal evolution of the region enabling the research team to determine the comparative topographic influences on glaciation versus bedrock uplift induced by Eocene to present tectonism/magmatism. High-T mineral thermochronometers across Marie Byrd Land (MBL) record rapid extension-related cooling at ~100 Ma from temperatures of \u003e800 degrees C to \u0026#8804; 300 degrees C. This signature forms a reference horizon, or paleogeotherm, through which the Cenozoic landscape history using low-T thermochronometers can be explored. MBL\u0027s elevated geothermal gradient, sustained during the Cenozoic, created favorable conditions for sensitive apatite and zircon low-T thermochronometers to record bedrock cooling related to glacial incision. Students will be trained to use state-of-the-art analytical facilities in Arizona and Minnesota, expanding the geo- and thermochronologic history of MBL from bedrock samples and offshore sedimentary deposits. The temperature and time data they acquire will provide constraints on paleotopography, isostasy, and the thermal evolution of MBL that will be modeled in 3D using Pecube model simulations. Within hot crust, less incision is required to expose bedrock containing the distinct thermochronometric profile; a prediction that will be tested with inverse Pecube 3-D models of the thermal field through which bedrock and detrital samples cooled. Using results from Pecube, the ICI-Hot team will examine time-varying topography formed in response to changes in erosion rates, topographic relief, geothermal gradient and/or flexural isostatic rigidity. These effects are manifestations of dynamic processes in the WAIS, including ice sheet loading, ice volume fluctuations, relative motion upon crustal faults, and magmatism-related elevation increase across the MBL dome. The project makes use of pre-existing sample collections housed at the US Polar Rock Repository, IODP\u0027s Gulf Coast Core Repository, and the Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": -104.28, "geometry": "POINT(-132.22 -72.225)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Marie Byrd Land; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; Zircon; Subglacial Topography; FIELD SURVEYS; TECTONICS; Ice Sheet; Thermochronology; Apatite; ROCKS/MINERALS/CRYSTALS; Erosion; United States Of America; LABORATORY", "locations": "United States Of America; Marie Byrd Land", "north": -67.15, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC", "persons": "Siddoway, Christine; Thomson, Stuart; Teyssier, Christian", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "in progress", "repositories": "in progress", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.3, "title": "Collaborative Research: Ice sheet erosional interaction with hot geotherm in West Antarctica", "uid": "p0010386", "west": -160.16}, {"awards": "1443557 Isbell, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -85,-177.1 -85,-174.2 -85,-171.3 -85,-168.4 -85,-165.5 -85,-162.6 -85,-159.7 -85,-156.8 -85,-153.9 -85,-151 -85,-151 -85.2,-151 -85.4,-151 -85.6,-151 -85.8,-151 -86,-151 -86.2,-151 -86.4,-151 -86.6,-151 -86.8,-151 -87,-153.9 -87,-156.8 -87,-159.7 -87,-162.6 -87,-165.5 -87,-168.4 -87,-171.3 -87,-174.2 -87,-177.1 -87,180 -87,179 -87,178 -87,177 -87,176 -87,175 -87,174 -87,173 -87,172 -87,171 -87,170 -87,170 -86.8,170 -86.6,170 -86.4,170 -86.2,170 -86,170 -85.8,170 -85.6,170 -85.4,170 -85.2,170 -85,171 -85,172 -85,173 -85,174 -85,175 -85,176 -85,177 -85,178 -85,179 -85,-180 -85))", "dataset_titles": "A LITHOFACIES ANALYSIS OF A SOUTH POLAR GLACIATION IN THE EARLY PERMIAN: PAGODA FORMATION, SHACKLETON GLACIER REGION, ANTARCTICA; A new stratigraphic framework built on U-Pb single-zircon TIMS agesand implications for the timing ofthe penultimate icehouse (Paran\u00e1 Basin, Brazil); Constraining late Paleozoic ice extent in the Paganzo Basin of western Argentina utilizing U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology for the lower Paganzo Group strata; Coupled stratigraphic and U-Pb zircon age constraints on the late Paleozoic icehouse-to-greenhouse turnover in south-central Gondwana; Isotopes to ice: Constraining provenance of glacial deposits and ice centers in west-central Gondwana; Late Permian soil-forming paleoenvironments on Gondwana: A review; Provenance of late Paleozoic glacial/post-glacial deposits in the eastern Chaco-Paran\u00e1 Basin, Uruguay and southernmost Paran\u00e1 Basin, Brazil; Supplemental material: Nitrogen-fixing symbiosis inferred from stable isotope analysis of fossil tree rings from the Oligocene of Ethiopia; When does large woody debris influence ancient rivers? Dendrochronology\r\napplications in the Permian and Triassic, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200266", "doi": "10.2110/jsr.2021.004", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": "A LITHOFACIES ANALYSIS OF A SOUTH POLAR GLACIATION IN THE EARLY PERMIAN: PAGODA FORMATION, SHACKLETON GLACIER REGION, ANTARCTICA", "url": "https://www.sepm.org/publications"}, {"dataset_uid": "200274", "doi": "10.1130/G39213.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": "Supplemental material: Nitrogen-fixing symbiosis inferred from stable isotope analysis of fossil tree rings from the Oligocene of Ethiopia", "url": "https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article-standard/45/8/687/207623/Nitrogen-fixing-symbiosis-inferred-from-stable"}, {"dataset_uid": "200273", "doi": "10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.04.020", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": "Isotopes to ice: Constraining provenance of glacial deposits and ice centers in west-central Gondwana", "url": "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018217309008?via%3Dihub"}, {"dataset_uid": "200272", "doi": "10.1016/j.jsames.2020.102899", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": "Constraining late Paleozoic ice extent in the Paganzo Basin of western Argentina utilizing U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology for the lower Paganzo Group strata", "url": "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895981120304429?via%3Dihub#mmc1"}, {"dataset_uid": "200271", "doi": "10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.109544", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": "When does large woody debris influence ancient rivers? Dendrochronology\r\napplications in the Permian and Triassic, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018219304006?via%3Dihub"}, {"dataset_uid": "200270", "doi": "10.1016/j.jsames.2020.102989", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": "Provenance of late Paleozoic glacial/post-glacial deposits in the eastern Chaco-Paran\u00e1 Basin, Uruguay and southernmost Paran\u00e1 Basin, Brazil", "url": "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895981120305320#mmc1"}, {"dataset_uid": "200269", "doi": "10.1130/G46740.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": "Coupled stratigraphic and U-Pb zircon age constraints on the late Paleozoic icehouse-to-greenhouse turnover in south-central Gondwana", "url": "https://gsapubs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Supplemental_material_Coupled_stratigraphic_and_U-Pb_zircon_age_constraints_on_the_late_Paleozoic_icehouse-to-greenhouse_turnover_in_south-central_Gondwana/12542069"}, {"dataset_uid": "200268", "doi": "10.1130/B31775.1.", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": "A new stratigraphic framework built on U-Pb single-zircon TIMS agesand implications for the timing ofthe penultimate icehouse (Paran\u00e1 Basin, Brazil)", "url": "https://gsapubs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Supplemental_material_A_new_stratigraphic_framework_built_on_U-Pb_single-zircon_TIMS_ages_and_implications_for_the_timing_of_the_penultimate_icehouse_Paran_Basin_Brazil_/12535916"}, {"dataset_uid": "200267", "doi": "10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110762", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": "Late Permian soil-forming paleoenvironments on Gondwana: A review", "url": "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018221005472?via%3Dihub"}], "date_created": "Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The focus of this collaborative project is to collect fossil plants, wood, and sedimentary and chemical information from rocks in the Shackleton Glacier (SHK) area of Antarctica. This information will be used to reconstruct plant life and environments during the Permian and Triassic (~295-205 million years ago) in Antarctica. This time interval is important to study as Antarctica experienced a large glaciation in the Permian followed by deglaciation and recovery of plant and animal life, only to be subjected to the largest extinction in Earth history at the end of the Permian. After the extinction events, the climate in Antarctica continued to warm extensively and there were forests growing close to the paleo-South Pole. These ancient environments provide a natural laboratory in which to study the effects of climate change on plant life. The results of this project will advance the field in the areas of changing sedimentary patterns during global cooling and warming, as well as plant evolution during times following glaciation and during global warmth. This project will study the extent of the Gondwana glaciation in the SHK area, the invasion and subsequent flourishing of life following glacial retreat, and the eventual recovery of plant life after Late Permian extinction events. Only in Antarctica does a complete polar-to-near-polar succession occur across this climatic and biologic transition. The SHK area is an important one as it is one of the few regions in the world where the Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) is exposed within terrestrial rocks. The field and lab work for this project is organized around three hypotheses that address fundamental issues in Earth history, including changes in the extent and diversity of flora during the Permian build up to the Late Paleozoic Ice Age, the possible diachronous nature of the PTB, and that poor fossil preservation during the Early Triassic has given a false impression that Antarctica was devoid of plants during this time. The hypotheses will be tested by integrating various types of paleobotanical approaches with detailed sedimentology, stratigraphy, and geochemistry. Compression floras and petrified wood will be collected (constrained by stratigraphy) both quantitatively and qualitatively in order to obtain biodiversity and abundance data, and as a data source for paleoecological analysis. Standard sedimentologic and stratigraphic analyses will be performed, as well as paleosol analyses, including mineralogic and major- and trace-element geochemistry. Collections will also be made for U-Pb zircon geochronology to better constrain geologic and biotic events through time. Results of the project will be incorporated into educational and outreach activities that are designed to include women and under-represented groups in the excitement of Antarctic earth sciences and paleontology, including workshops in Kansas and Wisconsin, as well as links to science classes during fieldwork.", "east": 170.0, "geometry": "POINT(-170.5 -86)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Shackleton Glacier; SEDIMENTARY ROCKS; GLACIATION", "locations": "Shackleton Glacier", "north": -85.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Isbell, John", "platforms": null, "repo": "Publication", "repositories": "Publication", "science_programs": null, "south": -87.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Permian and Triassic Icehouse to Greenhouse Paleoenvironments and Paleobotany in the Shackleton Glacier Area, Antarctica", "uid": "p0010287", "west": -151.0}, {"awards": "1847067 Levy, Joseph", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((161 -76,161.35 -76,161.7 -76,162.05 -76,162.4 -76,162.75 -76,163.1 -76,163.45 -76,163.8 -76,164.15 -76,164.5 -76,164.5 -76.2,164.5 -76.4,164.5 -76.6,164.5 -76.8,164.5 -77,164.5 -77.2,164.5 -77.4,164.5 -77.6,164.5 -77.8,164.5 -78,164.15 -78,163.8 -78,163.45 -78,163.1 -78,162.75 -78,162.4 -78,162.05 -78,161.7 -78,161.35 -78,161 -78,161 -77.8,161 -77.6,161 -77.4,161 -77.2,161 -77,161 -76.8,161 -76.6,161 -76.4,161 -76.2,161 -76))", "dataset_titles": "Biogeochemical measurements of water tracks and adjacent dry soils from the McMurdo Dry Valleys; Surface Water Geochemistry from the McMurdo Dry Valleys", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601684", "doi": "10.15784/601684", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cation Exchange; Chemistry:soil; Chemistry:Soil; Dry Valleys; Organic Matter; Salt; Soil", "people": "Levy, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Biogeochemical measurements of water tracks and adjacent dry soils from the McMurdo Dry Valleys", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601684"}, {"dataset_uid": "601703", "doi": "10.15784/601703", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dry Valleys", "people": "Levy, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Surface Water Geochemistry from the McMurdo Dry Valleys", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601703"}], "date_created": "Fri, 24 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Antarctic groundwater drives the regional carbon cycle and can accelerate permafrost thaw shaping Antarctic surface features. However, groundwater extent, flow, and processes on a continent virtually locked in ice are poorly understood. The proposed work investigates the interplay between groundwater, sediment, and ice in Antarctica\u0027s cold desert landscape to determine when, where, and why Antarctic groundwater is flowing, and how it may evolve Antarctic frozen deserts from dry and stable to wet and dynamic. Mapping the changing extent of Antarctic near-surface groundwater requires the ability to measure soil moisture rapidly and repeatedly over large areas. The research will capture changes in near-surface groundwater distribution through an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mapping approach. The project integrates a diverse range of sensors with new UAV technologies to provide a higher-resolution and more frequent assessment of Antarctic groundwater extent and composition than can be accomplished using satellite observations alone. To complement the research objectives, the PI will develop a new UAV summer field school, the Geosciences UAV Academy, focused on training undergraduate-level UAV pilots in conducting novel earth sciences research using cutting edge imaging tools. The integration of research and technology will prepare students for careers in UAV-related industries and research. The project will deliver new UAV tools and workflows for soil moisture mapping relevant to arid regions including Antarctica as well as temperate desert and dryland systems and will train student research pilots to tackle next generation airborne challenges. Water tracks are the basic hydrological unit that currently feeds the rapidly-changing permafrost and wetlands in the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV). Despite the importance of water tracks in the MDV hydrologic cycle and their influence on biogeochemistry, little is known about how these water tracks control the unique brine processes operating in Antarctic ice-free areas. Both groundwater availability and geochemistry shape Antarctic microbial communities, connecting soil geology and hydrology to carbon cycling and ecosystem functioning. The objectives of this CAREER proposal are to 1) map water tracks to determine the spatial distribution and seasonal magnitude of groundwater impacts on the MDV near-surface environment to determine how near-surface groundwater drives permafrost thaw and enhances chemical weathering and biogeochemical cycling; 2) establish a UAV academy training earth sciences students to answer geoscience questions using drone-based platforms and remote sensing techniques; and 3) provide a formative step in the development of the PI as a teacher-scholar. UAV-borne hyperspectral imaging complemented with field soil sampling will determine the aerial extent and timing of inundation, water level, and water budget of representative water tracks in the MDV. Soil moisture will be measured via near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy while bulk chemistry of soils and groundwater will be analyzed via ion chromatography and soil x-ray fluorescence. Sedimentological and hydrological properties will be determined via analysis of intact core samples. These data will be used to test competing hypotheses regarding the origin of water track solutions and water movement through seasonal wetlands. The work will provide a regional understanding of groundwater sources, shallow groundwater flux, and the influence of regional hydrogeology on solute export to the Southern Ocean and on soil/atmosphere linkages in earth\u0027s carbon budget. The UAV school will 1) provide comprehensive instruction at the undergraduate level in both how and why UAVs can advance geoscience research and learning; and 2) provide educational infrastructure for an eventual self-sustaining summer program for undergraduate UAV education. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": 164.5, "geometry": "POINT(162.75 -77)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS; Amd/Us; USA/NSF; AMD; USAP-DC; FROZEN GROUND; Taylor Valley", "locations": "Taylor Valley", "north": -76.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Levy, Joseph", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Linking Antarctic Cold Desert Groundwater to Thermokarst \u0026 Chemical Weathering in Partnership with the Geoscience UAV Academy", "uid": "p0010286", "west": 161.0}, {"awards": "1656126 Koppers, Anthony", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "OSU Marine and Geology Repository", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200245", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "OSU-MGR", "science_program": null, "title": "OSU Marine and Geology Repository", "url": "https://osu-mgr.org/"}], "date_created": "Fri, 10 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Nontechnical Description The Antarctic core collection, curated at Florida State University since 1963, is one of the world?s premier marine geology collections. Consisting of irreplaceable sediment cores, this archive has greatly advanced the understanding of the Earth system, past and present, and will remain critical to future studies of the Earth. Given Oregon State University?s (OSU) leadership in marine research and long track record providing state-of-the-art curatorial services through the OSU Marine and Geology Repository, this facility will provide world-class curatorial stewardship of the Antarctic core collection for decades to come. The Antarctic core collection will be co-located and co-managed with the current OSU collection in a single modern repository and analytical facility. The combined collection will contain more than 30 km of refrigerated sediment core from the world?s oceans and will be housed in a new 33,000 SFT facility purchased in 2009 by OSU and upgraded in 2016-17. The total refrigerated space can hold both collections comfortably and has at least five decades of expansion space. The co-location and co-management of these two collections, paired with a modern suite of analytical facilities, will lead to greater collaboration, cross-pollination of ideas, and availability of enhanced technical services and capabilities for a growing user group that increasingly relies on marine sediments. The facility will employ a comprehensive community interaction plan that takes advantage of the new OSU Marine and Geology Repository building with a 32-person seminar room, its large 1,044 square foot core lab, and ten adjoining analytical laboratories, which will provide scientific and experiential learning opportunities for students, the general public, and the Earth Sciences research community. The facility will organize small group meetings, sampling parties and summer schools that will complement ongoing support for teaching, training and learning through the use of the repository in graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 classes and Research Experience for Undergraduate programs. The repository is open to the general public for tours and presentations, and the data products derived from the facility will be disseminated via the repository website at http://osu-mgr.org/ and other national databases. Technical Description The Antarctic and the Southern Ocean National Collection of Rock and Sediment Cores currently housed at Florida State University will be relocated to Oregon State University (OSU) and housed along with the OSU Marine and Geology Repository. Oregon State University investigators will co-manage the Antarctic core collection and the Marine and Geology Repository as a single modern repository and analytical facility. The combined collection will be housed a new 33,000 square foot building with refrigerated space that can hold both collections with approximately five decades of expansion space. The co-location and co-management of these two collections offers unique curatorial synergies, cost savings, and improved capabilities to support both the research and educational needs of a wider marine and Antarctic communities. The facility will house a 32-person seminar room, a large 1,044 square foot core lab that allows layout, inspection and examination of cores, and adjoining analytical laboratories that will provide quantitative analysis as well as experiential learning opportunities for students.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SEDIMENT CORERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Dredge Samples; MARINE SEDIMENTS; Amd/Us; AMD; SHIPS; USAP-DC; Antarctica; USA/NSF; Sediment Core", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Koppers, Anthony; Stoner, Joseph", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e SHIPS", "repo": "OSU-MGR", "repositories": "OSU-MGR", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Curatorial Stewardship of the Antarctic and the Southern Ocean National Collection of Rock and Sediment Cores at the OSU Marine and Geology Repository", "uid": "p0010262", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2436582 Grunow, Anne; 1643713 Grunow, Anne; 1141906 Grunow, Anne; 0739480 Grunow, Anne; 2137467 Grunow, Anne; 0440695 Grunow, Anne; 9910267 Grunow, Anne", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "Marine Geoscience Data System - cruise links; Polar Rock Repository; SESAR sample registration", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200243", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PRR", "science_program": null, "title": "Polar Rock Repository", "url": "https://prr.osu.edu/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200359", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PRR", "science_program": null, "title": "Polar Rock Repository", "url": "http://research.bpcrc.osu.edu/rr/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200241", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "SESAR", "science_program": null, "title": "SESAR sample registration", "url": "https://www.geosamples.org/about/services#igsnregistration"}, {"dataset_uid": "200242", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "MGDS", "science_program": null, "title": "Marine Geoscience Data System - cruise links", "url": "https://www.marine-geo.org/"}], "date_created": "Thu, 09 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Non-Technical Abstract: The Polar Rock Repository (PRR) at The Ohio State University provides a unique resource for researchers studying the polar regions by offering free access to geological samples and data. This project seeks support to continue expanding and managing the collection, which is vital for scientific studies and planning fieldwork in Antarctica. Over the next five years, the repository plans to add tens of thousands of new samples and images, making it easier for researchers to study polar geology without the high cost and environmental impact of traveling to remote Antarctic locations. The PRR also supports education and outreach by providing hands-on resources for schools, colleges, and the public, including a \"Polar Rock Box\" program that brings real Antarctic samples into classrooms. This work ensures the preservation of important scientific materials and makes them accessible to a broad community, advancing understanding of our planet\u2019s polar regions. Technical Abstract: The Polar Rock Repository (PRR) at The Ohio State University serves as a critical resource for polar earth science research, offering no-cost loans of geological samples and comprehensive metadata to the scientific community. This proposal seeks funding to support the continued curation, expansion, and management of the PRR, alongside its educational and outreach initiatives. Over the next five years, the PRR anticipates acquiring approximately 15,000 new samples, including those from major drilling operations (RAID, Winkie drill cores) and polar cruises. The repository also aims to significantly grow its archives of images, petrographic thin sections, and mineral separates. By preserving these physical and digital assets in a discoverable online database, the PRR fosters transparency, reproducibility, and accessibility in polar research, fulfilling Antarctic data management mandates. The intellectual merit lies in enabling cutting-edge scientific analyses through freely available samples and metadata. Broader impacts include reduced environmental costs of Antarctic research, enhanced educational opportunities, and outreach to a diverse audience through initiatives like the \"Polar Rock Box\" program. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; FIELD SURVEYS; Pacific Ocean; ROCKS/MINERALS/CRYSTALS; GLACIATION; AMD; Weddell Sea; Scotia Sea; TECTONICS; Antarctica; Southern Ocean; Amd/Us; USA/NSF; Amundsen Sea", "locations": "Pacific Ocean; Amundsen Sea; Scotia Sea; Weddell Sea; Antarctica; Southern Ocean", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Grunow, Anne", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "PRR", "repositories": "MGDS; PRR; SESAR", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Continuing Operations Proposal: \r\nThe Polar Rock Repository as a Resource for Earth Systems Science\r\n", "uid": "p0010259", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2114839 Passchier, Sandra", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Argon thermochronological data on Pliocene ice-rafted detrital mineral grains from IODP Expedition 379 in the Amundsen Sea sector; Grain-size data for the Pliocene section at IODP Site U1533, Amundsen Sea", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601900", "doi": "10.15784/601900", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea Sector; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciation; Grain Size; Pliocene; Sediment Core Data; Sedimentology", "people": "Passchier, Sandra; Mino-Moreira, Lisbeth", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Grain-size data for the Pliocene section at IODP Site U1533, Amundsen Sea", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601900"}, {"dataset_uid": "601907", "doi": "10.15784/601907", "keywords": "40Ar/39Ar; Amundsen Sea; Amundsen Sea Sector; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Ice-Rafted Detritus; IODP; Paleoclimate; Pliocene; Provenance; Sedimentology", "people": "Hemming, Sidney R.; Passchier, Sandra", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Argon thermochronological data on Pliocene ice-rafted detrital mineral grains from IODP Expedition 379 in the Amundsen Sea sector", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601907"}], "date_created": "Wed, 25 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is the most vulnerable polar ice mass to warming and already a major contributor to global mean sea level rise. Its fate in the light of prolonged warming is a topic of major uncertainty. Accelerated sea level rise from ice mass loss in the polar regions is a major concern as a cause of increased coastal flooding affecting millions of people. This project will disclose a unique geological archive buried beneath the seafloor off the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica, which will reveal how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet behaved in a warmer climate in the past. The data and insights can be used to inform ice-sheet and ocean modeling used in coastal policy development. The project will also support the development of a competitive U.S. STEM workforce. Online class exercises for introductory geology classes will provide a gateway for qualified students into undergraduate research programs and this project will enhance the participation of women in science by funding the education of current female Ph.D. students. The project targets the long-term variability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet over several glacial-interglacial cycles in the early Pliocene sedimentary record drilled by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 379 in the Amundsen Sea. Data collection includes 1) the sand provenance of ice-rafted debris and shelf diamictites and its sources within the Amundsen Sea and Antarctic Peninsula region; 2) sedimentary structures and sortable silt calculations from particle size records and reconstructions of current intensities and interactions; and 3) the bulk provenance of continental rise sediments compared to existing data from the Amundsen Sea shelf with investigations into downslope currents as pathways for Antarctic Bottom Water formation. The results are analyzed within a cyclostratigraphic framework of reflectance spectroscopy and colorimetry (RSC) and X-ray fluorescence scanner (XRF) data to gain insight into orbital forcing of the high-latitude processes. The early Pliocene Climatic Optimum (PCO) ~4.5-4.1 Ma spans a major warm period recognized in deep-sea stable isotope and sea-surface temperature records. This period also coincides with a global mean sea level highstand of \u003e 20 m requiring contributions in ice mass loss from Antarctica. The following hypotheses will be tested: 1) that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreated from the continental shelf break through an increase in sub iceshelf melt and iceberg calving at the onset of the PCO ~4.5 Ma, and 2) that dense shelf water cascaded down through slope channels after ~4.5 Ma as the continental shelf became exposed during glacial terminations. The project will reveal for the first time how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet operated in a warmer climate state prior to the onset of the current \u201cicehouse\u201d period ~3.3 Ma. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USA/NSF; TERRIGENOUS SEDIMENTS; Amd/Us; SEDIMENTS; FIELD SURVEYS; Amundsen Sea; USAP-DC; AMD", "locations": "Amundsen Sea", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Passchier, Sandra", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "West Antarctic Ice-sheet Change and Paleoceanography in the Amundsen Sea Across the Pliocene Climatic Optimum", "uid": "p0010252", "west": null}, {"awards": "1445205 Putkonen, Jaakko", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((157.6 -83.2,157.62 -83.2,157.64 -83.2,157.66 -83.2,157.68 -83.2,157.7 -83.2,157.72 -83.2,157.74 -83.2,157.76 -83.2,157.78 -83.2,157.8 -83.2,157.8 -83.21,157.8 -83.22,157.8 -83.23,157.8 -83.24,157.8 -83.25,157.8 -83.26,157.8 -83.27,157.8 -83.28,157.8 -83.29,157.8 -83.3,157.78 -83.3,157.76 -83.3,157.74 -83.3,157.72 -83.3,157.7 -83.3,157.68 -83.3,157.66 -83.3,157.64 -83.3,157.62 -83.3,157.6 -83.3,157.6 -83.29,157.6 -83.28,157.6 -83.27,157.6 -83.26,157.6 -83.25,157.6 -83.24,157.6 -83.23,157.6 -83.22,157.6 -83.21,157.6 -83.2))", "dataset_titles": "Cosmogenic-Nuclide data at ICE-D; Old Ice, Ong Valley, Transantarctic Mountains", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601665", "doi": "10.15784/601665", "keywords": "Antarctica; Buried Ice; Cosmogenic Isotopes; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Old Ice; Ong Valley", "people": "Putkonen, Jaakko; Bergelin, Marie", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Old Ice, Ong Valley, Transantarctic Mountains", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601665"}, {"dataset_uid": "200295", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Cosmogenic-Nuclide data at ICE-D", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}], "date_created": "Fri, 16 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Putkonen/1445205 This award supports the study of a large body of ice that is buried beneath approximately a meter of debris in the Ong Valley of the Transantarctic Mountains of East Antarctica. Preliminary analyses of this material suggest that it could be over a million years old. Most glacial ice contains tiny air bubbles that have trapped the atmospheric gases and other atmospherically transported materials existing at the time that the ice was deposited such as plant pollen, microbes and mineral dust. Samples will be collected from this buried ice mass, down to a depth of 10 meters, and cosmogenic nuclide concentrations both in the overlying debris and in the till contained in the ice will be measured. This site could contain some of the oldest ice on Earth and studies of the material contained within it may help researchers to better understand the processes involved in its survival for such long periods of time. This work will also help inform scientists about the processes involved in the development of landforms here on earth as well as those on Mars where similar dirt covered glaciers are found today. Samples of the buried ice will be collected in Ong Valley and analyzed to determine the cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in both the overlying debris and in the mineral matter suspended in the ice. The combined analysis of the target cosmogenic nuclides (Beryllium-10, Aluminum-26, and Neon-21) will allow the age of the ice to be uniquely determined and will enable determination of the rate that the ice is sublimating. The intellectual merit of this research is to unequivocally determine the age of the ice and the sublimation rate of the ice in Ong Valley, Antarctica and to better understand if this an uniquely Antarctic process or whether it could exist elsewhere on earth or on other planets. The work may also lead to the recognition of the oldest buried ice ever found on Earth and would provide a source from which direct information about the atmospheric chemistry, ancient life forms, and geology of that time could be measured. The broader impacts of this work are that it will be relevant to researchers in a number of different fields including glaciology, paleoclimatology, planetary geology, and biology. Several students will also participate in the project, conducting Antarctic field work, making measurements in the lab, attending meetings, participating in outreach activities, and producing videos. A graduate student will also write a thesis on this research. The results will be published in scientific journals and presented at conferences. The project requires field work in Antarctica.", "east": 157.8, "geometry": "POINT(157.7 -83.25)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; USA/NSF; FIELD SURVEYS; Transantarctic Mountains; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; AMD; Amd/Us", "locations": "Transantarctic Mountains", "north": -83.2, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "putkonen, jaakko; Balco, Gregory; Morgan, Daniel", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "ICE-D; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -83.3, "title": "Collaborative Research: Long Term Sublimation/Preservation of Two Separate, Buried Glacier Ice Masses, Ong Valley, Southern Transantarctic Mountains", "uid": "p0010231", "west": 157.6}, {"awards": "1914668 Aschwanden, Andy; 1914698 Hansen, Samantha; 1914767 Winberry, Paul; 1914743 Becker, Thorsten", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((90 -65,99 -65,108 -65,117 -65,126 -65,135 -65,144 -65,153 -65,162 -65,171 -65,180 -65,180 -67.5,180 -70,180 -72.5,180 -75,180 -77.5,180 -80,180 -82.5,180 -85,180 -87.5,180 -90,171 -90,162 -90,153 -90,144 -90,135 -90,126 -90,117 -90,108 -90,99 -90,90 -90,90 -87.5,90 -85,90 -82.5,90 -80,90 -77.5,90 -75,90 -72.5,90 -70,90 -67.5,90 -65))", "dataset_titles": "East Antarctic Seismicity from different Automated Event Detection Algorithms; Full Waveform Ambient Noise Tomography for East Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601762", "doi": "10.15784/601762", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geoscientificinformation; Machine Learning; Seismic Event Detection; Seismology; Seismometer", "people": "Walter, Jacob; Hansen, Samantha; Ho, Long", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "East Antarctic Seismicity from different Automated Event Detection Algorithms", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601762"}, {"dataset_uid": "601763", "doi": "10.15784/601763", "keywords": "Ambient Noise; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Geoscientificinformation; Seismic Tomography; Seismology", "people": "Hansen, Samantha; Emry, Erica", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Full Waveform Ambient Noise Tomography for East Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601763"}], "date_created": "Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part I: Nontechnical Earths warming climate has the potential to drive widespread collapse of glaciers and ice sheets across the planet, driving global sea-level rise. Understanding both the rate and magnitude of such changes is essential for predicting future sea-level and how it will impact infrastructure and property. Collapse of the ice sheets of Antarctica has the potential to raise global sea-level by up to 60 meters. However, not all regions of Antarctica are equally suspectable to collapse. One area with potential for collapse is the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, a region twice the size of California\u0027s Central Valley. Geologic evidence indicates that the ice-sheet in this region has retreated significantly in response to past global warming events. While the geologic record clearly indicates ice-sheets in this area are vulnerable, the rate and magnitude of any future retreat will be influenced significantly by geology of the region. In particular, ice-sheets sitting above warm Earth will collapse more quickly during warming climate. Constraining the geologic controls on the stability of the ice-sheets of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin remains challenging since the ice-sheet hides the geology beneath kilometers of ice. As a step in understanding the potential for future ice loss in the Wilkes Subglacial Basin this project will conduct geophysical analysis of existing data to better constrain the geology of the region. These results will constrain new models designed to understand the tectonics that control the behavior of the ice-sheets in the region. These new models will highlight the geological properties that exert the most significant control on the future of the ice-sheets of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin. Such insights are critical to guide future efforts aimed at collecting in-situ observations needed to more fully constrain Antarctica\u0027s potential for future sea-level. Part II: Technical Description In polar environments, inward-sloping marine basins are susceptible to an effect known as the marine ice-sheet instability (MISI): run-away ice stream drainage caused by warm ocean water eroding the ice shelf from below. The magnitude and time-scale of the ice-sheet response strongly depend on the physical conditions along the ice-bed interface, which are, to a first order, controlled by the tectonic evolution of the basin. Topography, sedimentology, geothermal heat flux, and mantle viscosity all play critical roles in ice-sheet stability. However, in most cases, these solid-Earth parameters for regions susceptible to the MISI are largely unknown. One region with potential susceptibility to MISI is the Wilkes Subglacial Basin of East Antarctica. The project will provide an integrated investigation of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, combining geophysical analyses with both mantle flow and ice-sheet modeling to understand the stability of the ice sheet in this region, and the associated potential sea level rise. The work will be focused on four primary objectives: (1) to develop an improved tectonic model for the region based on existing seismic observations as well as existing geophysical and geological data; (2) to use the new tectonic model and seismic data to estimate the thermal, density, and viscosity structure of the upper mantle and to develop a heat flow map for the WSB; (3) to simulate mantle flow and to assess paleotopography based on our density and viscosity constraints; and (4) to assess ice-sheet behavior by modeling (a) past ice-sheet stability using our paleotopography estimates and (b) future ice-sheet stability using our heat flow and mantle viscosity estimates. Ultimately, the project will generate improved images of the geophysical structure beneath the WSB that will allow us to assess the geodynamic origin for this region and to assess the influence of geologic parameters on past, current, and future ice-sheet behavior. These efforts will then highlight areas and geophysical properties that should be the focus of future geophysical deployments. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(135 -77.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "TECTONICS; AMD; Wilkes Subglacial Basin; ICE SHEETS; USA/NSF; Amd/Us; SEISMOLOGICAL STATIONS; SEISMIC SURFACE WAVES; East Antarctica; USAP-DC", "locations": "East Antarctica; Wilkes Subglacial Basin", "north": -65.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Becker, Thorsten; Binder, April; Hansen, Samantha; Aschwanden, Andy; Winberry, Paul", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e SEISMOLOGICAL STATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Resolving earth structure influence on ice-sheet stability in the Wilkes\r\nSubglacial Basin (RESISSt)", "uid": "p0010204", "west": 90.0}, {"awards": "1443556 Thomson, Stuart; 1443342 Licht, Kathy", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Apatite (U-Th)/He and TREE Data Central Transantarctic Mountains", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601462", "doi": "10.15784/601462", "keywords": "Antarctica; Beardmore Glacier; Erosion; Landscape Evolution; Shackleton Glacier; Transantarctic Mountains; (U-Th)/He", "people": "Licht, Kathy; Thomson, Stuart; He, John; Reiners, Peter; Hemming, Sidney R.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Apatite (U-Th)/He and TREE Data Central Transantarctic Mountains", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601462"}], "date_created": "Wed, 09 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Antarctica is almost entirely covered by ice, in places over two miles thick. This ice hides a landscape that is less well known than the surface of Mars and represents one of Earth\u0027s last unexplored frontiers. Ice-penetrating radar images provide a remote glimpse of this landscape including ice-buried mountains larger than the European Alps and huge fjords twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. The goal of this project is to collect sediment samples derived from these landscapes to determine when and under what conditions these features formed. Specifically, the project seeks to understand the landscape in the context of the history and dynamics of the overlying ice sheet and past mountain-building episodes. This project accomplishes this goal by analyzing sand collected during previous sea-floor drilling expeditions off the coast of Antarctica. This sand was supplied from the continent interior by ancient rivers when it was ice-free over 34 million year ago, and later by glaciers. The project will also study bedrock samples from rare ice-free parts of the Transantarctic Mountains. The primary activity is to apply multiple advanced dating techniques to single mineral grains contained within this sand and rock. Different methods and minerals yield different dates that provide insight into how Antarctica?s landscape has eroded over the many tens of millions of years during which sand was deposited offshore. The dating techniques that are being developed and enhanced for this study have broad application in many branches of geoscience research and industry. The project makes cost-effective use of pre-existing sample collections housed at NSF facilities including the US Polar Rock Repository, the Gulf Coast Core Repository, and the Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility. The project will contribute to the STEM training of two graduate and two undergraduate students, and includes collaboration among four US universities as well as international collaboration between the US and France. The project also supports outreach in the form of a two-week open workshop giving ten students the opportunity to visit the University of Arizona to conduct STEM-based analytical work and training on Antarctic-based projects. Results from both the project and workshop will be disseminated through presentations at professional meetings, peer-reviewed publications, and through public outreach and media. The main objective of this project is to reconstruct a chronology of East Antarctic subglacial landscape evolution to understand the tectonic and climatic forcing behind landscape modification, and how it has influenced past ice sheet inception and dynamics. Our approach focuses on acquiring a record of the cooling and erosion history contained in East Antarctic-derived detrital mineral grains and clasts in offshore sediments deposited both before and after the onset of Antarctic glaciation. Samples will be taken from existing drill core and marine sediment core material from offshore Wilkes Land (100\u00b0E-160\u00b0E) and the Ross Sea. Multiple geo- and thermo-chronometers will be employed to reconstruct source region cooling history including U-Pb, fission-track, and (U-Th)/He dating of zircon and apatite, and 40Ar/39Ar dating of hornblende, mica, and feldspar. This offshore record will be augmented and tested by applying the same methods to onshore bedrock samples in the Transantarctic Mountains obtained from the US Polar Rock Repository and through fieldwork. The onshore work will additionally address the debated incision history of the large glacial troughs that cut the range, now occupied by glaciers draining the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. This includes collection of samples from several age-elevation transects, apatite 4He/3He thermochronometry, and Pecube thermo-kinematic modeling. Acquiring an extensive geo- and thermo-chronologic database will also provide valuable new information on the poorly known ice-hidden geology and tectonics of subglacial East Antarctica that has implications for improving supercontinent reconstructions and understanding continental break-up.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "LABORATORY; LANDSCAPE; AGE DETERMINATIONS; FIELD INVESTIGATION; GLACIAL PROCESSES; Transantarctic Mountains; USA/NSF; Thermochronology; Amd/Us; USAP-DC; TRACE ELEMENTS; Provenance Analysis; AMD; LANDFORMS; GLACIAL LANDFORMS", "locations": "Transantarctic Mountains", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Thomson, Stuart; Reiners, Peter; Licht, Kathy", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: East Antarctic Glacial Landscape Evolution (EAGLE): A Study using Combined Thermochronology, Geochronology and Provenance Analysis", "uid": "p0010188", "west": null}, {"awards": "1745135 Walter, Jacob; 1543286 Walter, Jacob; 1543399 Peng, Zhigang", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 19 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The continent of Antarctica has approximately the same surface area as the continental United States, though we know significantly less about its underlying geology and seismic activity. Multinational investments in geophysical infrastructure over the last few decades, especially broadband seismometers operating for several years, are allowing us to observe many interesting natural phenomena, including iceberg calving, ice stream slip, and tectonic earthquakes. To specifically leverage those past investments, we will analyze past and current data to gain a better understanding of Antarctic seismicity. Our recent research revealed that certain large earthquakes occurring elsewhere in the world triggered ice movement near various stations throughout Antarctica. We plan to conduct an exhaustive search of the terabytes of available data, using cutting-edge computational techniques, to uncover additional evidence for ice crevassing, ice stream slip, and earth movement during earthquakes. One specific focus of our research will include investigating whether some of these phenomena may be triggered by external influences, including passing surface waves from distant earthquakes, ocean tides, or seasonal melt. We plan to produce a catalog of the identified activity and share it publicly, so the public and researchers can easily access it. To reach a broader audience, we will present talks to high school classes, including Advanced Placement classes, in the Austin, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan areas with emphasis on general aspects of seismic hazard, climate variability, and the geographies of Antarctica. This project will provide research opportunities for undergraduates, training for graduate students, and support for an early-career scientist. In recent years, a new generation of geodetic and seismic instrumentation has been deployed as permanent stations throughout Antarctica (POLENET), in addition to stations deployed for shorter duration (less than 3 years) experiments (e.g. AGAP/TAMSEIS). These efforts are providing critical infrastructure needed to address fundamental questions about both crustal-scale tectonic structures and ice sheets, and their interactions. We plan to conduct a systematic detection of tectonic and icequake activities in Antarctica, focusing primarily on background seismicity, remotely-triggered seismicity, and glacier slip events. Our proposed tasks include: (1) Identification of seismicity throughout the Antarctic continent for both tectonic and ice sources. (2) An exhaustive search for additional triggered events in Antarctica during the last ~15 years of global significant earthquakes. (3) Determination of triggered source mechanisms and whether those triggered events also occur at other times, by analyzing years of data using a matched-filter analysis (where the triggered local event is used to detect similar events). (4) Further analysis of GPS measurements over a ~5.5 year period from Whillans Ice Plain, which suggests that triggering of stick-slip events occurred after the largest earthquakes. An improved knowledge of how the Antarctic ice sheet responds to external perturbations such as dynamic stresses from large distant earthquakes and recent ice unloading could lead to a better understanding of ice failure and related dynamic processes. By leveraging the vast logistical investment to install seismometers in Antarctica over the last decade, our project will build an exhaustive catalog of tectonic earthquakes, icequakes, calving events, and any other detectable near-surface seismic phenomena.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; USA/NSF; TECTONICS; Amd/Us; AMD; USAP-DC; SEISMOLOGICAL STATIONS", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Walter, Jacob; Peng, Zhigang", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e SEISMOLOGICAL STATIONS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Triggering of Antarctic Icequakes, Slip Events, and other Tectonic Phenomena by Distant Earthquakes", "uid": "p0010182", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2001714 Muto, Atsuhiro; 2002346 Tinto, Kirsteen", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-115 -70,-113 -70,-111 -70,-109 -70,-107 -70,-105 -70,-103 -70,-101 -70,-99 -70,-97 -70,-95 -70,-95 -70.8,-95 -71.6,-95 -72.4,-95 -73.2,-95 -74,-95 -74.8,-95 -75.6,-95 -76.4,-95 -77.2,-95 -78,-97 -78,-99 -78,-101 -78,-103 -78,-105 -78,-107 -78,-109 -78,-111 -78,-113 -78,-115 -78,-115 -77.2,-115 -76.4,-115 -75.6,-115 -74.8,-115 -74,-115 -73.2,-115 -72.4,-115 -71.6,-115 -70.8,-115 -70))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Predictions of future changes of the Antarctic ice sheet are essential for understanding changes in the global sea level expected for the coming centuries. These predictions rely on models of ice-sheet flow that in turn rely on knowledge of the physical conditions of the Antarctic continent beneath the ice. Exploration of Antarctica by land, sea, and air has advanced our understanding of the geological material under the Antarctic ice sheet, but this information has not yet been fully integrated into ice-sheet models. This project will take advantage of existing data from decades of US and international investment in geophysical surveys to create a new understanding of the geology underlying the Amundsen Sea and the adjacent areas of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet\u2014a portion of Antarctica that is considered particularly vulnerable to collapse. A series of new datasets called \u201cBed Classes\u201d will be developed that will translate the geological properties of the Antarctic continent in ways that can be incorporated into ice-sheet models. This project will develop a new regional geologic/tectonic framework for the Amundsen Sea Embayment and its ice catchments using extensive marine and airborne geophysical data together with ground-based onshore geophysical and geological constraints to delineate sedimentary basins, bedrock ridges, faults, and volcanic structures. Using this new geologic interpretation of the region, several key issues regarding the geologic influence on ice-sheet stability will be addressed: whether the regional heat flow is dominated by localization along the faults or lithology; the role of geology on the sources, sinks, and flow-paths of subglacial water; the distribution of sediments that determine bed-character variability; and the extent of geologic control on the current Thwaites Glacier grounding line. The impact of improved geological knowledge on ice-sheet models will be tested with the development of a set of \u201cBed Class\u201d grids to capture these new insights for use in the models. Bed Classes will be tested within the Parallel Ice Sheet Model framework with initial experiments to identify the sensitivity of model simulations to geological parameterizations. Through a series of workshops with ice-sheet modelers, the Bed Classes will be refined and made accessible to the broader modelling community. This work aims to ensure that the Bed-Class concept can be applied more broadly to ice-sheet models working in different geographic areas and on different timescales. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": -95.0, "geometry": "POINT(-105 -74)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; COMPUTERS; GRAVITY ANOMALIES; Amd/Us; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; AMD; USA/NSF; USAP-DC", "locations": "Amundsen Sea", "north": -70.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Tinto, Kirsty; Bell, Robin; Porter, David; Muto, Atsu", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e COMPUTERS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Building Geologically Informed Bed Classes to Improve Projections of Ice Sheet Change", "uid": "p0010164", "west": -115.0}, {"awards": "1643798 Emry, Erica; 1643873 Hansen, Samantha", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "GEOSCOPE Network; IU: Global Seismograph Network; Shear Wave Velocity of the Antarctic Upper Mantle from Full Waveform Inversion and Long Period Ambient Seismic Noise; XP (2000-2004): A Broadband Seismic Investigation of Deep Continental Structure Across the East-West Antarctic Boundary ; YT (2007-2023): IPY POLENET-Antarctica: Investigating links between geodynamics and ice sheets; ZJ (2012-2015): Transantarctic Mountains Northern Network ; ZM (2007-2013): A Broadband Seismic Experiment to Image the Lithosphere beneath the Gamburtsev Mountains, East Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200168", "doi": "10.18715/GEOSCOPE.G", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "GEOSCOPE Network", "url": "http://geoscope.ipgp.fr/networks/detail/G/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200172", "doi": "10.7914/SN/ZM_2007", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": " ZM (2007-2013): A Broadband Seismic Experiment to Image the Lithosphere beneath the Gamburtsev Mountains, East Antarctica", "url": "http://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/ZM_2007/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200169", "doi": "10.7914/SN/IU", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "IU: Global Seismograph Network", "url": "http://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/IU/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200171", "doi": "10.7914/SN/YT_2007", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "YT (2007-2023): IPY POLENET-Antarctica: Investigating links between geodynamics and ice sheets", "url": "http://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/YT_2007/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601909", "doi": "10.15784/601909", "keywords": "Ambient Seismic Noise; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Full-Waveform Inversion; Seismic Tomography; Shear Wave Velocity", "people": "Emry, Erica; Hansen, Samantha", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Shear Wave Velocity of the Antarctic Upper Mantle from Full Waveform Inversion and Long Period Ambient Seismic Noise", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601909"}, {"dataset_uid": "200170", "doi": "10.7914/SN/XP_2000", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "XP (2000-2004): A Broadband Seismic Investigation of Deep Continental Structure Across the East-West Antarctic Boundary ", "url": "http://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/XP_2000/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200173", "doi": "10.7914/SN/ZJ_2012", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "ZJ (2012-2015): Transantarctic Mountains Northern Network ", "url": "http://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/ZJ_2012/"}], "date_created": "Thu, 15 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Nontechnical description of proposed research: This project will apply cutting-edge seismic imaging methods to existing seismic data to study the three-dimensional structure of the Earth beneath the ice-covered Antarctic continent. The study will improve understanding of Earth structure and hotspots and geologically recent and ancient rift systems. The results will be useful for models of ice movement and bedrock elevation changes due to variation in ice sheet thickness. The results will also help guide future seismic data collection. The researchers will transfer existing software from the high-performance computers at The University of Rhode Island to the Alabama supercomputer facilities. The project will also broaden public understanding of scientific research in Antarctica by engaging with the students and teachers in Socorro County, New Mexico to discuss career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the Earth Sciences, and the importance of computers in scientific research. Project personnel from Alabama will visit Socorro and share research with students at New Mexico Tech and at the Socorro High School. The project will also train undergraduate and graduate students in the expanding field of computational seismology, by applying these approaches to study Antarctic geology. Technical description of proposed research: The project seeks to better resolve the three-dimensional Antarctic mantle structure and viscosity and to identify locations of ancient rifts within the stable East Antarctic lithosphere. To accomplish this, the researchers will utilize full-waveform tomographic inversion techniques that combine long-period ambient noise data with earthquake constraints to more accurately resolve structure than traditional tomographic approaches. The proposed research will be completed using the Alabama supercomputer facilities and the programs and methodology developed at The University of Rhode Island. The new tomographic results will be useful in assessing lithospheric structure beneath Dronning Maud Land as well as the Wilkes and Aurora Subglacial Basins in East Antarctica, where previous rifting episodes and mid-lithospheric discontinuities will be explored. In West Antarctica, the work will elucidate the easternmost extent of the West Antarctic Rift System as well as rifted structure and possible compositional variations within the Weddell Sea. The accuracy of existing Antarctic seismic models will be quantified through model validation approaches. The researchers will highlight regions of Antarctica where tomographic resolution is still lacking and where future deployments would improve resolution.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e SEISMOMETERS \u003e SEISMOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "SEISMIC SURFACE WAVES; USA/NSF; USAP-DC; SEISMOLOGICAL STATIONS; Amd/Us; AMD; POLNET; TECTONICS; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Emry, Erica; Hansen, Samantha", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e SEISMOLOGICAL STATIONS", "repo": "IRIS", "repositories": "IRIS; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Imaging Seismic Heterogeneity within the Antarctic Mantle with Full Waveform Ambient Noise Tomography", "uid": "p0010139", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1443433 Licht, Kathy; 1443213 Kaplan, Michael", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((159 -83.8,159.5 -83.8,160 -83.8,160.5 -83.8,161 -83.8,161.5 -83.8,162 -83.8,162.5 -83.8,163 -83.8,163.5 -83.8,164 -83.8,164 -83.87,164 -83.94,164 -84.01,164 -84.08,164 -84.15,164 -84.22,164 -84.29,164 -84.36,164 -84.43,164 -84.5,163.5 -84.5,163 -84.5,162.5 -84.5,162 -84.5,161.5 -84.5,161 -84.5,160.5 -84.5,160 -84.5,159.5 -84.5,159 -84.5,159 -84.43,159 -84.36,159 -84.29,159 -84.22,159 -84.15,159 -84.08,159 -84.01,159 -83.94,159 -83.87,159 -83.8))", "dataset_titles": "10Be and 26Al cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure data; 3He input data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601375", "doi": "10.15784/601375", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cosmogenic Dating; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Winckler, Gisela; Schaefer, Joerg; Kaplan, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "10Be and 26Al cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601375"}, {"dataset_uid": "601376", "doi": "10.15784/601376", "keywords": "Antarctica; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Schaefer, Joerg; Winckler, Gisela; Kaplan, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "3He input data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601376"}], "date_created": "Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Licht/1443433 Sediments deposited by the Antarctic ice sheet are an archive of its history with time and help geologists to determine how the remote interior of the ice sheet has changed over the past several hundred thousand years. This project will focus on the formation and dynamics of moraines (accumulations of dirt and rocks that are incorporated in the glacier surface or have been pushed along by the glacier as it moves) near the blue ice area of Mt. Achernar in the central Transantarctic Mountains in Antarctica.. The study will improve basic understanding of the formation of these moraines. Fieldwork at the site will focus on imaging the internal structure of the moraine to determine the processes by which it, and others like it, form over time. Additional analyses will include measurements of ice flow and collection of rock samples to determine the timing of debris deposition and the changes in the sources of sediments from deep within the Antarctic continent. The project will provide both graduate and undergraduate students training in paleoclimate studies, geology, and numerical modeling approaches. The broader impacts of the proposed work include hands on training in the Earth Sciences for graduate and undergraduate students, collaboration with colleagues in New Zealand and Sweden to provide an international research experience for students from the US, and three educational modules to be delivered by student researchers regarding Antarctica\u0027s role in global environments. The research is societally relevant and multidisciplinary and the topics are ideal for sharing with the public. All research findings will be made publicly available to others via timely publication in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and all data will be submitted to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, and excess samples will be provided to the U.S. Polar Rock Repository. Direct observations of ice sheet history from the margins of Antarctica\u0027s polar plateau are essential for testing numerical ice sheet models, and the laterally extensive, blue-ice moraines of the Mt. Achernar Moraine complex in the central Transantarctic Mountains contain a unique and nearly untapped direct, quasi-continuous record of ice sheet change over multiple glacial cycles. The project objectives include improved understanding of processes and rates of blue ice moraine formation, as well as identifying the topographic, glaciological, and climatic controls on their evolution. Data to be collected with fieldwork in Antarctica include: imaging of internal ice structure with ground-penetrating radar, measurement of ice flow velocity and direction with a global positioning system (GPS) array, analysis of debris concentration and composition in glacier ice, state-of-the-art cosmogenic multi-nuclide analyses to determine exposure ages of moraine debris, mapping of trimlines and provenance analysis. Numerical model simulations, constrained by field data, will be used to evaluate the factors influencing changes in glacier flow that potentially impact the accumulation of the moraine debris. All together, the new data and modeling efforts will improve conceptual models of blue ice moraine formation, and thereby make them a more valuable proxy for developing a better understanding of the history of the ice sheet.", "east": 164.0, "geometry": "POINT(161.5 -84.15)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "SEDIMENTS; GLACIAL PROCESSES; Mt. Achernar; ABLATION ZONES/ACCUMULATION ZONES; GLACIER ELEVATION/ICE SHEET ELEVATION; Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Transantarctic Mountains; GLACIATION; USAP-DC; ICE MOTION; AMD; LABORATORY; Amd/Us", "locations": "Transantarctic Mountains; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Mt. Achernar; Antarctica", "north": -83.8, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kaplan, Michael; Schaefer, Joerg; Winckler, Gisela; Licht, Kathy", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -84.5, "title": "Collaborative Research: Multidisciplinary Analysis of Antarctic Blue Ice Moraine Formation and their Potential as Climate Archives over Multiple Glacial Cycles", "uid": "p0010131", "west": 159.0}, {"awards": "1543347 Rosenheim, Brad; 1543396 Christner, Brent; 1543405 Leventer, Amy; 1543453 Lyons, W. Berry; 1543537 Priscu, John; 1543441 Fricker, Helen", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-163.611 -84.33543,-162.200034 -84.33543,-160.789068 -84.33543,-159.378102 -84.33543,-157.967136 -84.33543,-156.55617 -84.33543,-155.145204 -84.33543,-153.734238 -84.33543,-152.323272 -84.33543,-150.912306 -84.33543,-149.50134 -84.33543,-149.50134 -84.3659157,-149.50134 -84.3964014,-149.50134 -84.4268871,-149.50134 -84.4573728,-149.50134 -84.4878585,-149.50134 -84.5183442,-149.50134 -84.5488299,-149.50134 -84.5793156,-149.50134 -84.6098013,-149.50134 -84.640287,-150.912306 -84.640287,-152.323272 -84.640287,-153.734238 -84.640287,-155.145204 -84.640287,-156.55617 -84.640287,-157.967136 -84.640287,-159.378102 -84.640287,-160.789068 -84.640287,-162.200034 -84.640287,-163.611 -84.640287,-163.611 -84.6098013,-163.611 -84.5793156,-163.611 -84.5488299,-163.611 -84.5183442,-163.611 -84.4878585,-163.611 -84.4573728,-163.611 -84.4268871,-163.611 -84.3964014,-163.611 -84.3659157,-163.611 -84.33543))", "dataset_titles": "Antarctica - PI Continuous - GZ01-WIS_GroundingZone_01 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset; Antarctica - PI Continuous - GZ13-WIS_GroundingZone_13 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset; Antarctica - PI Continuous - LA02-WIS_LAKES_02 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset; Antarctica - PI Continuous - LA06-WIS_LAKES_06 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset; Antarctica - PI Continuous - LA07-WIS_LAKES_07 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset; Antarctica - PI Continuous - LA09-WIS_LAKES_09 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset; Bistatic Radar Sounding of Whillans Ice Stream, Antarctica and Store Glacier, Greenland; CTD data from Mercer Subglacial Lake and access borehole; Discrete bulk sediment properties data from Mercer Subglacial Lake; Isotopic data from Whillans Ice Stream grounding zone, West Antarctica; Mercer Subglacial Lake radiocarbon and stable isotope data ; Mercer Subglacial Lake (SLM) microbial composition: 16S rRNA genes (Sequence Read Archive; BioProject: PRJNA790995); Mercer Subglacial Lake (SLM) noble gas and isotopic data; Mercer Subglacial Lake water column viral metagenomic sequencing; Salsa sediment cores; Sediment porewater properties data from Mercer Subglacial Lake; Water column biogeochemical data from Mercer Subglacial Lake", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200342", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Mercer Subglacial Lake water column viral metagenomic sequencing", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/biosample/32811410"}, {"dataset_uid": "200214", "doi": "10.7283/YW8Z-TK03", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctica - PI Continuous - LA02-WIS_LAKES_02 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset", "url": "https://www.unavco.org/data/doi/10.7283/YW8Z-TK03"}, {"dataset_uid": "200246", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "OSU-MGR", "science_program": null, "title": "Salsa sediment cores", "url": "https://osu-mgr.org"}, {"dataset_uid": "200215", "doi": "10.7283/C503-KS23", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctica - PI Continuous - LA06-WIS_LAKES_06 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset", "url": "https://www.unavco.org/data/doi/10.7283/C503-KS23"}, {"dataset_uid": "601663", "doi": "10.15784/601663", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon; Cell Counts; Geochemistry; Glacier; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Mercer Subglacial Lake; Microbes; Nutrients; SALSA; Stable Isotopes; Trace Elements; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Priscu, John; Dore, John; Skidmore, Mark; Hawkings, Jon; Steigmeyer, August; Li, Wei; Barker, Joel; Tranter, Martyn; Science Team, SALSA", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Water column biogeochemical data from Mercer Subglacial Lake", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601663"}, {"dataset_uid": "200216", "doi": "10.7283/F8NH-CV04", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctica - PI Continuous - LA07-WIS_LAKES_07 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset", "url": "https://www.unavco.org/data/doi/10.7283/F8NH-CV04"}, {"dataset_uid": "601672", "doi": "10.15784/601672", "keywords": "Antarctica; Isotope; Mercer Subglacial Lake; Radiocarbon; Subglacial Lake", "people": "Rosenheim, Brad; Venturelli, Ryan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Mercer Subglacial Lake radiocarbon and stable isotope data ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601672"}, {"dataset_uid": "200213", "doi": "10.7283/F7BB-JH05", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctica - PI Continuous - GZ13-WIS_GroundingZone_13 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset", "url": "https://www.unavco.org/data/doi/10.7283/F7BB-JH05"}, {"dataset_uid": "200282", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Mercer Subglacial Lake (SLM) microbial composition: 16S rRNA genes (Sequence Read Archive; BioProject: PRJNA790995)", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/?term=PRJNA790995"}, {"dataset_uid": "601661", "doi": "10.15784/601661", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon; Glacier; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Iron; Mercer Subglacial Lake; Mineralogy; Particle Size; Physical Properties; SALSA; Sediment Core; Sulfur; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Campbell, Timothy; Michaud, Alexander; Hawkings, Jon; Skidmore, Mark; Tranter, Martyn; Venturelli, Ryan A; Dore, John; Science Team, SALSA", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Discrete bulk sediment properties data from Mercer Subglacial Lake", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601661"}, {"dataset_uid": "200212", "doi": "10.7283/PT0Q-JB95", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctica - PI Continuous - GZ01-WIS_GroundingZone_01 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset", "url": "https://www.unavco.org/data/doi/10.7283/PT0Q-JB95"}, {"dataset_uid": "601360", "doi": "10.15784/601360", "keywords": "Antarctica; Radiocarbon; Sediment; Whillans Ice Stream", "people": "Venturelli, Ryan A", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WISSARD", "title": "Isotopic data from Whillans Ice Stream grounding zone, West Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601360"}, {"dataset_uid": "601472", "doi": "10.15784/601472", "keywords": "Antarctica; Bistatic Radar; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPS Data; Greenland; Lake Whillans; Radar; Store Glacier; Whillans Ice Stream; WISSARD", "people": "Schroeder, Dustin; Siegfried, Matthew; Peters, Sean; MacKie, Emma; Dawson, Eliza; Christoffersen, Poul; Bienert, Nicole", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WISSARD", "title": "Bistatic Radar Sounding of Whillans Ice Stream, Antarctica and Store Glacier, Greenland", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601472"}, {"dataset_uid": "601498", "doi": "10.15784/601498", "keywords": "Antarctica; Mercer Subglacial Lake; Noble Gas", "people": "Lyons, W. Berry; Gardner, Christopher B.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Mercer Subglacial Lake (SLM) noble gas and isotopic data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601498"}, {"dataset_uid": "601657", "doi": "10.15784/601657", "keywords": "Antarctica; Conductivity; CTD; Depth; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Hot Water Drill; Mercer Subglacial Lake; Physical Properties; SALSA; Subglacial Lake; Temperature", "people": "Leventer, Amy; Dore, John; Priscu, John; Rosenheim, Brad", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "CTD data from Mercer Subglacial Lake and access borehole", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601657"}, {"dataset_uid": "200217", "doi": "10.7283/3JMY-Y504", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctica - PI Continuous - LA09-WIS_LAKES_09 P.S. - GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset", "url": "https://www.unavco.org/data/doi/10.7283/3JMY-Y504"}, {"dataset_uid": "601664", "doi": "10.15784/601664", "keywords": "Antarctica; Gas; Geochemistry; Glacier; Glaciology; Mercer Subglacial Lake; Methane; SALSA; Sediment Core; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Skidmore, Mark; Science Team, SALSA; Steigmeyer, August; Tranter, Martyn; Michaud, Alexander; Dore, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Sediment porewater properties data from Mercer Subglacial Lake", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601664"}], "date_created": "Thu, 16 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Antarctic subglacial environment remains one of the least explored regions on Earth. This project will examine the physical and biological characteristics of Subglacial Lake Mercer, a lake that lies 1200m beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This study will address key questions relating to the stability of the ice sheet, the subglacial hydrological system, and the deep-cold subglacial biosphere. The education and outreach component aims to widely disseminate results to the scientific community and to the general public through short films, a blog, and a website. Subglacial Lake Mercer is one of the larger hydrologically active lakes in the southern basin of the Whillans Ice Plain, West Antarctica. It receives about 25 percent of its water from East Antarctica with the remainder originating from West Antarctica, is influenced by drain/fill cycles in a lake immediately upstream (Subglacial Lake Conway), and lies about 100 km upstream of the present grounding line of the Ross Ice Shelf. This site will yield information on the history of the Whillans and Mercer Ice Streams, and on grounding line migration. The integrated study will include direct sampling of basal ice, water, and sediment from the lake in concert with surface geophysical surveys over a three-year period to define the hydrological connectivity among lakes on the Whillans Ice Plain and their flow paths to the sea. The geophysical surveys will furnish information on subglacial hydrology, aid the site selection for hot-water drilling, and provide spatial context for interpreting findings. The hot-water-drilled boreholes will be used to collect basal ice samples, provide access for direct measurement of subglacial physical, chemical, and biological conditions in the water column and sediments, and to explore the subglacial water cavities using a remotely operated vehicle equipped with sensors, cameras, and sampling equipment. Data collected from this study will address the overarching hypothesis \"Contemporary biodiversity and carbon cycling in hydrologically-active subglacial environments associated with the Mercer and Whillans ice streams are regulated by the mineralization and cycling of relict marine organic matter and through interactions among ice, rock, water, and sediments\". The project will be undertaken by a collaborative team of scientists, with expertise in microbiology, biogeochemistry, hydrology, geophysics, glaciology, marine geology, paleoceanography, and science communication.", "east": -149.50134, "geometry": "POINT(-156.55617 -84.4878585)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "SEDIMENTS; Antarctica; ISOTOPES; Subglacial Lake; USAP-DC; VIRUSES; PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS; BACTERIA/ARCHAEA; LABORATORY; Radiocarbon; Whillans Ice Stream; AMD; SALSA; ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS; RADIOCARBON; FIELD INVESTIGATION; ICE MOTION; Mercer Ice Stream; Amd/Us; USA/NSF; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS", "locations": "Antarctica; Mercer Ice Stream; Whillans Ice Stream", "north": -84.33543, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Rosenheim, Brad; Fricker, Helen; Priscu, John; Leventer, Amy; Dore, John; Lyons, W. Berry; Christner, Brent", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "GenBank", "repositories": "GenBank; NCBI GenBank; OSU-MGR; UNAVCO; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -84.640287, "title": "Collaborative Research: Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access (SALSA): Integrated Study of Carbon Cycling in Hydrologically-active Subglacial Environments", "uid": "p0010119", "west": -163.611}, {"awards": "1443690 Young, Duncan", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((95 -68,100.5 -68,106 -68,111.5 -68,117 -68,122.5 -68,128 -68,133.5 -68,139 -68,144.5 -68,150 -68,150 -70.2,150 -72.4,150 -74.6,150 -76.8,150 -79,150 -81.2,150 -83.4,150 -85.6,150 -87.8,150 -90,144.5 -90,139 -90,133.5 -90,128 -90,122.5 -90,117 -90,111.5 -90,106 -90,100.5 -90,95 -90,95 -87.8,95 -85.6,95 -83.4,95 -81.2,95 -79,95 -76.8,95 -74.6,95 -72.4,95 -70.2,95 -68))", "dataset_titles": "Airborne potential fields data from Titan Dome, Antarctica; ICECAP Basal Interface Specularity Content Profiles: IPY and OIB; ICECAP: Gridded boundary conditions for Little Dome C, Antarctica, and extracted subglacial lake locations; ICECAP: High resolution survey of the Little Dome C region in support of the IPICS Old Ice goal; ICECAP radargrams in support of the international old ice search at Dome C - 2016; Ice-penetrating radar internal stratigraphy over Dome C and the wider East Antarctic Plateau; SPICECAP/ICECAP II Instrument Measurements (LASER, MAGNETICS and POSITIONING); Titan Dome, East Antarctica, Aerogeophysical Survey", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601411", "doi": "10.15784/601411", "keywords": "Antarctica; East Antarctic Plateau; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; ICECAP; Ice Penetrating Radar; Internal Reflecting Horizons", "people": "Tozer, Carly; Ritz, Catherine; Blankenship, Donald D.; Schroeder, Dustin; Mulvaney, Robert; Roberts, Jason; Frezzotti, Massimo; Paden, John; Muldoon, Gail R.; Quartini, Enrica; Kempf, Scott D.; Ng, Gregory; Greenbaum, Jamin; Cavitte, Marie G. P; Young, Duncan A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Dome C Ice Core", "title": "Ice-penetrating radar internal stratigraphy over Dome C and the wider East Antarctic Plateau", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601411"}, {"dataset_uid": "601461", "doi": "10.15784/601461", "keywords": "Antarctica; ICECAP; Titan Dome", "people": "Greenbaum, Jamin; Jingxue, Guo; Blankenship, Donald D.; Young, Duncan A.; Bo, Sun", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Airborne potential fields data from Titan Dome, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601461"}, {"dataset_uid": "601463", "doi": "10.15784/601463", "keywords": "Antarctica; Epica Dome C; ICECAP; Ice Penetrating Radar; Subglacial Lake", "people": "Young, Duncan A.; Roberts, Jason; Ritz, Catherine; Frezzotti, Massimo; Quartini, Enrica; Cavitte, Marie G. P; Van Ommen, Tas; Blankenship, Donald D.; Steinhage, Daniel; Tozer, Carly; Urbini, Stefano; Corr, Hugh F. J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Dome C Ice Core", "title": "ICECAP: Gridded boundary conditions for Little Dome C, Antarctica, and extracted subglacial lake locations", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601463"}, {"dataset_uid": "200233", "doi": "http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.26179/5wkf-7361", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AADC", "science_program": null, "title": "ICECAP radargrams in support of the international old ice search at Dome C - 2016", "url": "https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/AAS_4346_ICECAP_OIA_RADARGRAMS"}, {"dataset_uid": "601371", "doi": "10.15784/601371", "keywords": "Antarctica; East Antarctica; ICECAP; Ice Penetrating Radar; Radar Echo Sounder; Radar Echo Sounding; Subglacial Hydrology", "people": "Young, Duncan A.; Roberts, Jason; Greenbaum, Jamin; Blankenship, Donald D.; Schroeder, Dustin; Siegert, Martin; van Ommen, Tas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "ICECAP Basal Interface Specularity Content Profiles: IPY and OIB", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601371"}, {"dataset_uid": "601437", "doi": "10.15784/601437", "keywords": "Airborne Laser Altimetry; Airborne Radar; Airplane; Antarctica; Bedrock Elevation; East Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Thickness; Radar Echo Sounder; Surface Elevation; Titan Dome", "people": "Young, Duncan; Beem, Lucas H.; Young, Duncan A.; Greenbaum, Jamin; Ng, Gregory; Blankenship, Donald D.; Cavitte, Marie G. P; Jingxue, Guo; Bo, Sun", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Titan Dome, East Antarctica, Aerogeophysical Survey", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601437"}, {"dataset_uid": "601355", "doi": "10.15784/601355", "keywords": "Aerogeophysics; Antarctica; Bed Elevation; Bed Reflectivity; Epica Dome C; Ice Thickness", "people": "Ng, Gregory; Young, Duncan A.; Roberts, Jason; Blankenship, Donald D.; van Ommen, Tas; Richter, Thomas; Greenbaum, Jamin; Cavitte, Marie G. P; Beem, Lucas H.; Quartini, Enrica; Tozer, Carly; Habbal, Feras; Kempf, Scott D.; Ritz, Catherine", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Dome C Ice Core", "title": "ICECAP: High resolution survey of the Little Dome C region in support of the IPICS Old Ice goal", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601355"}, {"dataset_uid": "200235", "doi": "10.26179/jydx-yz69", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AADC", "science_program": null, "title": "SPICECAP/ICECAP II Instrument Measurements (LASER, MAGNETICS and POSITIONING)", "url": "https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/AAS_4346_ICECAP_OIA_Level1B_AEROGEOPHYSICS"}], "date_created": "Tue, 07 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Non-technical description: East Antarctica holds a vast, ancient ice sheet. The bedrock hidden beneath this ice sheet may provide clues to how today\u0027s continents formed, while the ice itself contains records of Earth\u0027s atmosphere from distant eras. New drilling technologies are now available to allow for direct sampling of these materials from more than two kilometers below the ice surface. However, getting this material will require knowing where to look. The Southern Plateau Ice-sheet Characterization and Evolution of the Central Antarctic Plate (SPICECAP) project will use internationally collected airborne survey data to search East Antarctica near the South Pole for key locations that will provide insight into Antarctica\u0027s geology and for locating the oldest intact ice on Earth. Ultimately, scientists are interested in obtaining samples of the oldest ice to address fundamental questions about the causes of changes in the timing of ice-age conditions from 40,000 to 100,000 year cycles. SPICECAP data analysis will provide site survey data for future drilling and will increase the overall understanding of Antarctica\u0027s hidden ice and geologic records. The project involves international collaboration and leveraging of internationally collected data. The SPICECAP project will train new interdisciplinary scientists at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. Technical description: This study focuses on processing and interpretation of internationally collected aerogeophysical data from the Southern Plateau of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The data include ice penetrating radar data, laser altimetry, gravity and magnetics.\u00a0 The project will provide information on geological trends under the ice, the topography and character of the ice/rock interface, and the stratigraphy of the ice. The project will also provide baseline site characterization for future drilling. Future drilling sites and deep ice cores for old ice require that the base of the ice sheet be frozen to the bed (i.e. no free water at the interface between rock and ice) and the assessment will map the extent of frozen vs. thawed areas. Specifically, three main outcomes are anticipated for this project. First, the study will provide an assessment of the viability of Titan Dome, a subglacial highland region located near South Pole, as a potential old ice drilling prospect. The assessment will include determining the\u00a0hydraulic context of the bed by processing and interpreting the radar data,\u00a0ice sheet mass balance through time by mapping englacial reflectors in the ice and connecting them to ice stratigraphy in the recent South Pole,\u00a0and ice sheet geometry using laser altimetry. Second, the study will provide an assessment of the geological context of the Titan Dome region with respect to understanding regional geologic boundaries and the potential for bedrock sampling. For these two goals, we will use data opportunistically collected by China, and the recent PolarGAP dataset. Third, the study will provide an assessment of the risk posture for RAID site targeting in the Titan Dome region, and the Dome C region. This will use a high-resolution dataset the team collected previously at Dome C, an area similar to the coarser resolution data collected at Titan Dome, and will enable an understanding of what is missed by the wide lines spacing at Titan Dome. Specifically, we will model subglacial hydrology with and without the high resolution data, and statistically examine the detection of subglacial mountains (which could preserve old ice) and subglacial lakes (which could destroy old ice), as a function of line spacing.", "east": 150.0, "geometry": "POINT(122.5 -79)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e ALTIMETERS \u003e LIDAR/LASER ALTIMETERS \u003e LIDAR ALTIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e MAGNETIC FIELD/ELECTRIC FIELD INSTRUMENTS \u003e NUCLEAR PRECESSION MAGNETOMETER", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "BT-67; MAGNETIC ANOMALIES; Epica Dome C; GRAVITY ANOMALIES; GLACIER ELEVATION/ICE SHEET ELEVATION; GLACIER THICKNESS/ICE SHEET THICKNESS", "locations": "Epica Dome C", "north": -68.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Young, Duncan A.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Roberts, Jason; Bo, Sun", "platforms": "AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PROPELLER \u003e BT-67", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "AADC; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Dome C Ice Core", "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Southern Plateau Ice-sheet Characterization and Evolution of the Central Antarctic Plate (SPICECAP)", "uid": "p0010115", "west": 95.0}, {"awards": "1419979 Severinghaus, Jeffrey", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((166.65 -78.62,166.654 -78.62,166.658 -78.62,166.662 -78.62,166.666 -78.62,166.67 -78.62,166.674 -78.62,166.678 -78.62,166.682 -78.62,166.686 -78.62,166.69 -78.62,166.69 -78.6205,166.69 -78.621,166.69 -78.6215,166.69 -78.622,166.69 -78.6225,166.69 -78.623,166.69 -78.6235,166.69 -78.624,166.69 -78.6245,166.69 -78.625,166.686 -78.625,166.682 -78.625,166.678 -78.625,166.674 -78.625,166.67 -78.625,166.666 -78.625,166.662 -78.625,166.658 -78.625,166.654 -78.625,166.65 -78.625,166.65 -78.6245,166.65 -78.624,166.65 -78.6235,166.65 -78.623,166.65 -78.6225,166.65 -78.622,166.65 -78.6215,166.65 -78.621,166.65 -78.6205,166.65 -78.62))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 18 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The PIs will design and build a new rapid access ice drill (RAID) for use in Antarctica. This drill will have the ability to rapidly drill through ice up to 3300 m thick and then collect samples of the ice, ice-sheet bed interface, and bedrock substrate below. This drilling technology will provide a new way to obtain in situ measurements and samples for interdisciplinary studies in geology, glaciology, paleoclimatology, microbiology, and astrophysics. The RAID drilling platform will give the scientific community access to records of geologic and climatic change on a variety of timescales, from the billion-year rock record to thousand-year ice and climate histories. Successful development of the RAID system will provide a research tool that is currently unavailable. Development of this platform will enable scientists to address critical questions about the deep interface between the Antarctic ice sheets and the substrate below. Development of RAID will provide a way to address many of the unknowns associated with general stability of the Antarctic ice sheets in the face of changing climate and sea level rise. The scientific rationale for RAID was reviewed in a previous proposal (Goodge 1242027). The PIs were granted ?Phase I? funding to develop a more detailed conceptual design for the RAID drill that would provide a better understanding of construction costs as well as operation and maintenance costs for RAID once it is constructed. Phase I support also allowed the PIs to work with the research community to develop more detailed science requirements for the drill. This proposal requests continued funding (Phase II) to construct, assemble and test the RAID drilling platform, through to staging it in Antarctic for future scientific operations.", "east": 166.69, "geometry": "POINT(166.67 -78.6225)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "WAIS Divide Ice Core; ICE CORE AIR BUBBLES; FIELD INVESTIGATION; USAP-DC; Minna Bluff", "locations": "Minna Bluff", "north": -78.62, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -78.625, "title": "Collaborative Research: Phase 2 Development of A Rapid Access Ice Drilling (RAID) Platform for Research in Antarctica", "uid": "p0010099", "west": 166.65}, {"awards": "9319877 Finn, Carol; 9319854 Bell, Robin; 9319369 Blankenship, Donald", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-155 -77.5,-150 -77.5,-145 -77.5,-140 -77.5,-135 -77.5,-130 -77.5,-125 -77.5,-120 -77.5,-115 -77.5,-110 -77.5,-105 -77.5,-105 -78.2,-105 -78.9,-105 -79.6,-105 -80.3,-105 -81,-105 -81.7,-105 -82.4,-105 -83.1,-105 -83.8,-105 -84.5,-110 -84.5,-115 -84.5,-120 -84.5,-125 -84.5,-130 -84.5,-135 -84.5,-140 -84.5,-145 -84.5,-150 -84.5,-155 -84.5,-155 -83.8,-155 -83.1,-155 -82.4,-155 -81.7,-155 -81,-155 -80.3,-155 -79.6,-155 -78.9,-155 -78.2,-155 -77.5))", "dataset_titles": "SOAR-BSB Airborne gravity data for the CASERTZ/WAIS project; SOAR-IRE airborne gravity data for the CASERTZ/WAIS project; SOAR-TKD airborne gravity data for the CASERTZ/WAIS project; SOAR-WAZ Airborne gravity data for the CASERTZ/WAIS project", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601288", "doi": "10.15784/601288", "keywords": "Aerogeophysics; Airborne Gravity; Airplane; Antarctica; Free Air Gravity; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Gravimeter; Gravity; Gravity Data; Marie Byrd Land; Solid Earth; WAIS", "people": "Bell, Robin; Arko, Robert A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-BSB Airborne gravity data for the CASERTZ/WAIS project", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601288"}, {"dataset_uid": "601289", "doi": "10.15784/601289", "keywords": "Aerogeophysics; Airborne Gravity; Airplane; Antarctica; Free Air Gravity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Gravimeter; Gravity; Gravity Data; Marie Byrd Land; Potential Field; Solid Earth; WAIS", "people": "Bell, Robin; Arko, Robert A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-TKD airborne gravity data for the CASERTZ/WAIS project", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601289"}, {"dataset_uid": "601290", "doi": "10.15784/601290", "keywords": "Aerogeophysics; Airborne Gravity; Airplane; Antarctica; Free Air Gravity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Gravimeter; Gravity; Gravity Data; Marie Byrd Land; Potential Field; Solid Earth; WAIS", "people": "Bell, Robin; Arko, Robert A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-IRE airborne gravity data for the CASERTZ/WAIS project", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601290"}, {"dataset_uid": "601291", "doi": "10.15784/601291", "keywords": "Aerogeophysics; Airborne Gravity; Airplane; Antarctica; Free Air Gravity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Gravimeter; Gravity; Gravity Data; Marie Byrd Land; Potential Field; Solid Earth; WAIS", "people": "Arko, Robert A.; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-WAZ Airborne gravity data for the CASERTZ/WAIS project", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601291"}], "date_created": "Fri, 24 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Blankenship: 9319369 Bell: 9319854 Behrendt: 9319877 This award supports a project to conduct an integrated geophysical survey over a large portion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) toward an understanding of the dynamic behavior of the ice sheet and the nature of the lithosphere beneath the ice sheet. West Antarctica is characterized by two kinds of the Earth s most dynamic systems, a continental rift (the West Antarctic Rift System) and a marine based ice sheet (the WAIS). Active continental rift systems, caused by divergent plate motions, result in thinned continental crust. Associated with the thin crust are fault-bounded sedimentary basins, active volcanism, and elevated heat flow. Marine ice sheets are characterized by rapidly moving streams of ice, penetrating and draining a slowly moving ice reservoir. Evidence left by past marine ice sheets indicates that they may have a strongly non- linear response to long-term climate change which results in massive and rapid discharges of ice. Understanding the evolution of the ice stream system and its interaction with the interior ice is the key to understanding this non-linear response. Subglacial geology and ice dynamics are generally studied in isolation, but evidence is mounting that the behavior of the West Antarctic ice streams may be closely linked to the nature of the underlying West Antarctic rift system. The fast moving ice streams appear to glide on a lubricating layer of water-saturated till. This till requires easily eroded sediment and a source of water, both of which may be controlled by the geology of the rift system; the sediments from the fault-bounded basins and the water from the elevated heat flux associated with active lithospheric extension. This project represents an interdisciplinary aerogeophysical study to characterize the lithosphere of the West Antarctic rift system beneath critical regions of the WAIS. The objective is to determine the effects of the rift architect ure, as manifested by the distribution of sedimentary basins and volcanic constructs, on the ice stream system. The research tool is a unique geophysical aircraft with laser altimetry, ice penetrating radar, aerogravity, and aeromagnetic systems integrated with a high precision kinematic GPS navigation system. It is capable of imaging both the surface and bed of the ice sheet while simultaneously measuring the gravity and magnetic signature of the subglacial lithosphere. Work to be done under this award will build on work already completed in the southern sector of central West Antarctica and it will focus on the region of the Byrd Subglacial Basin and Ice Stream D. The ice sheet in these regions is completely covered by satellite imagery and so this project will be integrated with remote sensing studies of the ice stream. The changing dynamics of Ice Stream D, as with other West Antarctic ice streams, seem to be correlated with changes in the morphological provinces of the underlying rift system. The experimental targets proceed from the divide of the interior ice, downstream through the onset of streaming to the trunk of Ice Stream D. This study will be coordinated with surface glaciological investigations of Ice Stream D and will be used to guide cooperative over-snow seismic investigations of the central West Antarctic rift system. The data will also be used to select a site for future deep ice coring along the crest of the WAIS. These data represent baseline data for long term global change monitoring work and represent crucial boundary conditions for ice sheet modeling efforts.", "east": -105.0, "geometry": "POINT(-130 -81)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; MAGNETIC FIELD; GRAVITY FIELD; Antarctica; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; Marie Byrd Land; Airborne Gravity", "locations": "Marie Byrd Land; Antarctica", "north": -77.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bell, Robin; Blankenship, Donald D.; Finn, C. A.", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -84.5, "title": "Collaborative Research: Lithospheric Controls on the Behavior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet: Corridor Aerogeophysics of Eastern Ross Transect Zone", "uid": "p0010094", "west": -155.0}, {"awards": "9615282 Siddoway, Christine; 9615281 Luyendyk, Bruce", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-170 -76,-166.5 -76,-163 -76,-159.5 -76,-156 -76,-152.5 -76,-149 -76,-145.5 -76,-142 -76,-138.5 -76,-135 -76,-135 -76.8,-135 -77.6,-135 -78.4,-135 -79.2,-135 -80,-135 -80.8,-135 -81.6,-135 -82.4,-135 -83.2,-135 -84,-138.5 -84,-142 -84,-145.5 -84,-149 -84,-152.5 -84,-156 -84,-159.5 -84,-163 -84,-166.5 -84,-170 -84,-170 -83.2,-170 -82.4,-170 -81.6,-170 -80.8,-170 -80,-170 -79.2,-170 -78.4,-170 -77.6,-170 -76.8,-170 -76))", "dataset_titles": "Bedrock sample data, Ford Ranges region (Marie Byrd Land); SOAR-WMB Airborne gravity data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601829", "doi": "10.15784/601829", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Gondwana; Marie Byrd Land; Migmatite", "people": "Siddoway, Christine", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Bedrock sample data, Ford Ranges region (Marie Byrd Land)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601829"}, {"dataset_uid": "601294", "doi": "10.15784/601294", "keywords": "Aerogeophysics; Airborne Gravity; Airplane; Antarctica; Free Air Gravity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Gravimeter; Gravity; Gravity Data; Marie Byrd Land; Potential Field; Ross Sea; Solid Earth", "people": "Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-WMB Airborne gravity data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601294"}], "date_created": "Fri, 24 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "OPP 9615281 Luyendyk OPP 9615282 Siddoway Abstract This award supports a collaborative project that combines air and ground geological-geophysical investigations to understand the tectonic and geological development of the boundary between the Ross Sea Rift and the Marie Byrd Land (MBL) volcanic province. The project will determine the Cenozoic tectonic history of the region and whether Neogene structures that localized outlet glacier flow developed within the context of Cenozoic rifting on the eastern Ross Embayment margin, or within the volcanic province in MBL. The geological structure at the boundary between the Ross Embayment and western MBL may be a result of: 1) Cenozoic extension on the eastern shoulder of the Ross Sea rift; 2) uplift and crustal extension related to Neogene mantle plume activity in western MBL; or a combination of the two. Faulting and volcanism, mountain uplift, and glacier downcutting appear to now be active in western MBL, where generally East-to-West-flowing outlet glaciers incise Paleozoic and Mesozoic bedrock, and deglaciated summits indicate a previous North-South glacial flow direction. This study requires data collection using SOAR (Support Office for Aerogeophysical Research, a facility supported by Office of Polar Programs which utilizes high precision differential GPS to support a laser altimeter, ice-penetrating radar, a towed proton magnetometer, and a Bell BGM-3 gravimeter). This survey requires data for 37,000 square kilometers using 5.3 kilometer line spacing with 15.6 kilometer tie lines, and 86,000 square kilometers using a grid of 10.6 by 10.6 kilometer spacing. Data will be acquired over several key features in the region including, among other, the eastern edge of the Ross Sea rift, over ice stream OEO, the transition from the Edward VII Peninsula plateau to the Ford Ranges, the continuation to the east of a gravity high known from previous reconnaissance mapping over the Fosdick Metamorphic Complex, an d the extent of the high-amplitude magnetic anomalies (volcanic centers?) detected southeast of the northern Ford Ranges by other investigators. SOAR products will include glaciology data useful for studying driving stresses, glacial flow and mass balance in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The ground program is centered on the southern Ford Ranges. Geologic field mapping will focus on small scale brittle structures for regional kinematic interpretation, on glaciated surfaces and deposits, and on datable volcanic rocks for geochronologic control. The relative significance of fault and joint sets, the timing relationships between them, and the probable context of their formation will also be determined. Exposure ages will be determined for erosion surfaces and moraines. Interpretation of potential field data will be aided by on ground sampling for magnetic properties and density as well as ground based gravity measurements. Oriented samples will be taken for paleomagnetic studies. Combined airborne and ground investigations will obtain basic data for describing the geology and structure at the eastern boundary of the Ross Embayment both in outcrop and ice covered areas, and may be used to distinguish between Ross Sea rift- related structural activity from uplift and faulting on the perimeter of the MBL dome and volcanic province. Outcrop geology and structure will be extrapolated with the aerogeophysical data to infer the geology that resides beneath the WAIS. The new knowledge of Neogene tectonics in western MBL will contribute to a comprehensive model for the Cenozoic Ross rift and to understanding of the extent of plume activity in MBL. Both are important for determining the influence of Neogene tectonics on the ice streams and WAIS.", "east": -135.0, "geometry": "POINT(-152.5 -80)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e LGS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GRAVITY; USAP-DC; Ross Sea; TECTONICS; Marie Byrd Land", "locations": "Ross Sea; Marie Byrd Land", "north": -76.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Luyendyk, Bruce P.; Siddoway, Christine", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -84.0, "title": "Air-Ground Study of Tectonics at the Boundary Between the Eastern Ross Embayment and Western Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica: Basement Geology and Structure", "uid": "p0010096", "west": -170.0}, {"awards": "9978236 Bell, Robin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((101 -75.5,101.9 -75.5,102.8 -75.5,103.7 -75.5,104.6 -75.5,105.5 -75.5,106.4 -75.5,107.3 -75.5,108.2 -75.5,109.1 -75.5,110 -75.5,110 -75.85,110 -76.2,110 -76.55,110 -76.9,110 -77.25,110 -77.6,110 -77.95,110 -78.3,110 -78.65,110 -79,109.1 -79,108.2 -79,107.3 -79,106.4 -79,105.5 -79,104.6 -79,103.7 -79,102.8 -79,101.9 -79,101 -79,101 -78.65,101 -78.3,101 -77.95,101 -77.6,101 -77.25,101 -76.9,101 -76.55,101 -76.2,101 -75.85,101 -75.5))", "dataset_titles": "SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey airborne radar data; SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey bed elevation data; SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey Gravity data; SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey ice thickness data; SOAR-Lake Vostok survey magnetic anomaly data; SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey surface elevation data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601296", "doi": " 10.1594/IEDA/306564", "keywords": "Airborne Magnetic; Airplane; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Lake Vostok; Magnetic; Magnetic Anomaly; Magnetometer; Potential Field; SOAR; Solid Earth", "people": "Studinger, Michael S.; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok survey magnetic anomaly data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601296"}, {"dataset_uid": "601299", "doi": "10.1594/IEDA/306565", "keywords": "Airborne Laser Altimeters; Airborne Laser Altimetry; Airborne Radar; Airplane; Antarctica; Bed Elevation; Bedrock Elevation; Digital Elevation Model; East Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Sheet; Lake Vostok; Radar; Radar Echo Sounder; SOAR", "people": "Studinger, Michael S.; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey bed elevation data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601299"}, {"dataset_uid": "601300", "doi": "10.1594/IEDA/306568", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Airplane; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Lake Vostok; Navigation; Radar; SOAR; Subglacial Lakes", "people": "Bell, Robin; Studinger, Michael S.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey airborne radar data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601300"}, {"dataset_uid": "601295", "doi": "10.1594/IEDA/306563", "keywords": "Airborne Gravity; Airplane; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Free Air Gravity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Gravimeter; Gravity; Lake Vostok; Potential Field; Solid Earth", "people": "Bell, Robin; Studinger, Michael S.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey Gravity data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601295"}, {"dataset_uid": "601298", "doi": "10.1594/IEDA/306566", "keywords": "Airborne Altimetry; Airborne Laser Altimeters; Airborne Radar; Airplane; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Sheet; Ice Sheet Elevation; Ice Surface; Lake Vostok; Radar Echo Sounder; SOAR; Surface Elevation", "people": "Studinger, Michael S.; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey surface elevation data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601298"}, {"dataset_uid": "601297", "doi": "10.1594/IEDA/306567", "keywords": "Airborne Laser Altimeters; Airborne Radar; Airplane; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Sheet; Ice Stratigraphy; Ice Thickness; Ice Thickness Distribution; Lake Vostok; Radar; Radar Altimetry; Radar Echo Sounder; SOAR; Subglacial Lake", "people": "Studinger, Michael S.; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey ice thickness data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601297"}], "date_created": "Fri, 24 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9978236 Bell Abstract This award, provided by the Office of Polar Programs under the Life in Extreme Environments (LExEn) Program, supports a geophysical study of Lake Vostok, a large lake beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Subglacial ecosystems, in particular subglacial lake ecosystems are extreme oligotrophic environments. These environments, and the ecosystems which may exist within them, should provide key insights into a range of fundamental questions about the development of Earth and other bodies in the Solar System including: 1) the processes associated with rapid evolutionary radiation after the extensive Neoproterozoic glaciations; 2) the overall carbon cycle through glacial and interglacial periods; and 3) the possible adaptations organisms may require to thrive in environments such as on Europa, the ice covered moon of Jupiter. Over 70 subglacial lakes have been identified beneath the 3-4 kilometer thick ice of Antarctica. One lake, Lake Vostok, is sufficiently large to be clearly identified from space with satellite altimetry. Lake Vostok is similar to Lake Ontario in area but with a much larger volume including measured water depths of 600 meters. The overlying ice sheet is acting as a conveyer belt continually delivering new water, nutrients, gas hydrates, sediments and microbes as the ice sheet flows across the lake. The goal of this program is to determine the fundamental boundary conditions for this subglacial lake as an essential first step toward understanding the physical processes within the lake. An aerogeophysical survey over the lake and into the surrounding regions will be acquired to meet this goal. This data set includes gravity, magnetic, laser altimetry and ice penetrating radar data and will be used to compile a basic set of ice surface elevation, subglacial topography, gravity and magnetic anomaly maps. Potential field methods widely used in the oil industry will be modified to estimate the subglacial topography from gravity data where the ice penetrating radar will be unable to recover the depth of the lake. A similar method can be modified to estimate the thickness of the sediments beneath the lake from magnetic data. These methods will be tested and applied to subglacial lakes near South Pole prior to the Lake Vostok field campaign and will provide valuable comparisons to the planned survey. Once the methods have been adjusted for the Lake Vostok application, maps of the water cavity and sediment thickness beneath the lake will be produced. These maps will become tools to explore the geologic origin of the lake. The two endmember models are, first, that the lake is an active tectonic rift such as Lake Baikal and, second, the lake is the result of glacial scouring. The distinct characteristics of an extensional rift can be easily identified with our aerogeophysical survey. The geological interpretation of the airborne geophysical survey will provide the first geological constraints of the interior of the East Antarctic continent based on modern data. In addition, the underlying geology will influence the ecosystem within the lake. One of the critical issues for the ecosystem within the lake will be the flux of nutrients. A preliminary estimation of the regions of freezing and melting based on the distance between distinctive internal layers observed on the radar data will be made. These basic boundary conditions will provide guidance for a potential international effort aimed at in situ exploration of the lake and improve the understanding of East Antarctic geologic structures.", "east": 110.0, "geometry": "POINT(105.5 -77.25)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR ECHO SOUNDERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e MAGNETIC FIELD/ELECTRIC FIELD INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETOMETERS \u003e MGF; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e AIRGRAV", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Gravity; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; East Antarctica; USAP-DC; Lake Vostok; Airborne Radar; Subglacial Lake; MAGNETIC FIELD; GRAVITY", "locations": "East Antarctica; Lake Vostok", "north": -75.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bell, Robin; Studinger, Michael S.", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -79.0, "title": "Understanding the Boundary Conditions of the Lake Vostok Environment: A Site Survey for Future Work\r\n", "uid": "p0010097", "west": 101.0}, {"awards": "9725374 Bell, Robin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "AWI processed ship-based Gravimeter Data from the Antarctica assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990); BGR processed Gravimeter data from the Antarctica assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990); CNES processed Gravimeter Data from the Antarctica (Continent) assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990); Japanese processed Gravimeter Data from the Antarctica assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990); Norwegian Processed ship-based Gravimeter data from the Antarctica assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990); Russian processed Gravimeter data from the Antarctica assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601277", "doi": null, "keywords": "ADGRAV; Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Gravimeter; Gravity; Marine Geoscience; R/v Polarstern; Weddell Sea", "people": "Bell, Robin; Jokat, Wilfred", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "AWI processed ship-based Gravimeter Data from the Antarctica assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601277"}, {"dataset_uid": "601282", "doi": null, "keywords": "ADGRAV; Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Gravimeter; Gravity; Marine Geoscience; Ship", "people": "Bell, Robin; Nogi, Yasufumi", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Japanese processed Gravimeter Data from the Antarctica assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601282"}, {"dataset_uid": "601281", "doi": null, "keywords": "ADGRAV; Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Gravimeter; Gravity; Marine Geoscience; Ship", "people": "Damaske, Detlef; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "BGR processed Gravimeter data from the Antarctica assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601281"}, {"dataset_uid": "601280", "doi": null, "keywords": "ADGRAV; Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Gravimeter; Gravity; PMGRE Il-38", "people": "Andrianov, Sergei; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Russian processed Gravimeter data from the Antarctica assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601280"}, {"dataset_uid": "601279", "doi": null, "keywords": "ADGRAV; Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Gravimeter; Gravity", "people": "Bell, Robin; Tronstad, Stein", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Norwegian Processed ship-based Gravimeter data from the Antarctica assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601279"}, {"dataset_uid": "601278", "doi": null, "keywords": "ADGRAV; Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Gravimeter; Gravity; Marine Geoscience", "people": "Biancale, Richard; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "CNES processed Gravimeter Data from the Antarctica (Continent) assembled as part of the ADGRAV Data Compilation (1990)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601278"}], "date_created": "Mon, 13 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9725374 Bell The goal of this project is to develop a Web-based Antarctic gravity database to globally facilitate scientific use of gravity data in Antarctic studies. This compilation will provide an important new tool to the Antarctic Earth science community from the geologist placing field observations in a regional context to the seismologist studying continental scale mantle structure. The gravity database will complement the parallel projects underway to develop new continental bedrock (BEDMAP) and magnetic (ADMAP) maps of Antarctica. An international effort will parallel these ongoing projects in contacting the Antarctic geophysical community, identifying existing data sets, agreeing upon protocols for the use of data contributed to the database and finally assembling a new continental scale gravity map. The project has three principal stages. The first stage will be to investigate the accuracy and resolution of currently available high resolution satellite derived gravity data and quantify spatial variations in both accuracy and resolution. The second stage of this project will be to develop an interactive method of accessing existing satellite, shipboard, land based, and airborne gravity data via a Web based interface. The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory RIDGE Multi-beam bathymetry database will be used as a template for this project. The existing online RIDGE database allows users to access the raw data, the gridded data and raster images of the seafloor topography. A similar structure will be produced for the existing Antarctic gravity data. The third stage of this project will be to develop an international program to compile existing gravity data south of 60 S. This project will be discussed with leaders of both the ADMAP and BEDMAP efforts and the appropriate working groups of SCAR. A preliminary map of existing gravity data will be presented at the Antarctic Earth Science meeting in Wellington in 1999. A gravity working group meeting will be held in conjunction with the Wellington meeting to reach a consensus on the protocols for placing data into the database. By the completion of the project, existing gravity data will be identified and international protocols for placing this data in the on-line database will have been defined. The process of archiving the gravity data into the database will be an ongoing project as additional data become available.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; Antarctica; USAP-DC; GRAVITY FIELD", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bell, Robin; Small, Christopher", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "The Development of a New Generation Gravity Map of Antarctica", "uid": "p0010092", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1341680 Sletten, Ronald", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160 -77,160.2 -77,160.4 -77,160.6 -77,160.8 -77,161 -77,161.2 -77,161.4 -77,161.6 -77,161.8 -77,162 -77,162 -77.1,162 -77.2,162 -77.3,162 -77.4,162 -77.5,162 -77.6,162 -77.7,162 -77.8,162 -77.9,162 -78,161.8 -78,161.6 -78,161.4 -78,161.2 -78,161 -78,160.8 -78,160.6 -78,160.4 -78,160.2 -78,160 -78,160 -77.9,160 -77.8,160 -77.7,160 -77.6,160 -77.5,160 -77.4,160 -77.3,160 -77.2,160 -77.1,160 -77))", "dataset_titles": "Chemical and physical characterization of Beacon Valley and Victoria Valley permafrost cores", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601247", "doi": "10.15784/601247", "keywords": "Aluminum-26; Antarctica; Be-10; Cosmogenic; Dry Valleys; Geochemistry; Permafrost", "people": "Sletten, Ronald S.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Chemical and physical characterization of Beacon Valley and Victoria Valley permafrost cores", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601247"}], "date_created": "Thu, 21 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: This project will yield new information on the long term Antarctic climate and landscape evolution from measurements of cosmogenic nuclides in quartz sand from two unique permafrost cores collected in Beacon Valley, Antarctica. The two cores have already been drilled in ice-cemented, sand-rich permafrost at 5.5 and 30.6 meters depth, and are currently in cold storage at the University of Washington. The cores are believed to record the monotonic accumulation of sand that has been blown into lower Beacon Valley and inflated the surface over time. The rate of accumulation and any hiatus in the accumulation are believed to reflect in part the advance and retreat of the Taylor Glacier. Preliminary measurements of cosmogenically-produced beryllium (10Be) and aluminum (26Al) in quartz sand in the 5.5 meter depth core reveal that it has been accreting at a rate of 2.5 meter/Myr for the past million years. Furthermore, prior to that time, lower Beacon Valley was most likely covered (shielded from the atmosphere thereby having no or very low production of cosmogenic nuclides in quartz) by Taylor Glacier from 1 to 3.5 Myr BP. These preliminary measurements also suggest that the 30.6 meter core may provide a record of over 10 million years. The emphasis is the full characterization of the core and analysis of cosmogenic nuclides (including cosmogenic neon) in the 30.6 meter permafrost core to develop a burial history of the sands and potentially a record the waxing and waning of the Taylor Glacier. This will allow new tests of our current understanding of surface dynamics and climate history in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) based on the dated stratigraphy of eolian sand that has been accumulating and inflating the surface for millions of years. This is a new process of surface inflation whose extent has not been well documented, and holds the potential to develop a continuous history of surface burial and glacial expansion. This project will provide a new proxy for understanding the climatic history of the Dry Valleys and will test models for the evolution of permafrost in Beacon Valley. Broader impacts: The landscape history of the McMurdo Dry Valleys is important because geological deposits there comprise the richest terrestrial record available from Antarctica. By testing the current age model for these deposits, we will improve understanding of Antarctica?s role in global climate change. This project will train one graduate and one undergraduate student in geochemistry, geochronology, and glacial and periglacial geology. They will participate substantively in the research and are expected to develop their own original ideas. Results from this work will be incorporated into undergraduate and graduate teaching curricula, will be published in the peer reviewed literature, and the data will be made public.", "east": 162.0, "geometry": "POINT(161 -77.5)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; NOT APPLICABLE; BOREHOLES; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -77.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Sletten, Ronald S.; Stone, John", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Ancient landscape-active Surfaces: Periglacial Hyperinflation in soils of Beacon Valley, Antarctica", "uid": "p0010068", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "1758224 Salvatore, Mark", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -83,-178 -83,-176 -83,-174 -83,-172 -83,-170 -83,-168 -83,-166 -83,-164 -83,-162 -83,-160 -83,-160 -83.4,-160 -83.8,-160 -84.2,-160 -84.6,-160 -85,-160 -85.4,-160 -85.8,-160 -86.2,-160 -86.6,-160 -87,-162 -87,-164 -87,-166 -87,-168 -87,-170 -87,-172 -87,-174 -87,-176 -87,-178 -87,180 -87,178 -87,176 -87,174 -87,172 -87,170 -87,168 -87,166 -87,164 -87,162 -87,160 -87,160 -86.6,160 -86.2,160 -85.8,160 -85.4,160 -85,160 -84.6,160 -84.2,160 -83.8,160 -83.4,160 -83,162 -83,164 -83,166 -83,168 -83,170 -83,172 -83,174 -83,176 -83,178 -83,-180 -83))", "dataset_titles": "Laboratory Hyperspectral Reflectance Data of Central Transantarctic Mountain Rocks and Sediments; Orbital imagery used for SpecMap project", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002735", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PGC", "science_program": null, "title": "Orbital imagery used for SpecMap project", "url": "https://www.pgc.umn.edu/projects/specmap/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601163", "doi": "10.15784/601163", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Remote Sensing; Rocks; Solid Earth; Spectroscopy; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Salvatore, Mark", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Laboratory Hyperspectral Reflectance Data of Central Transantarctic Mountain Rocks and Sediments", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601163"}], "date_created": "Thu, 14 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: Ice free rock outcrops in the Transantarctic Mountains provide the only accessible windows into the interior of the ice covered Antarctic continent; they are extremely remote and difficult to study. This region also hosts the highest latitude ice-free valley systems on the planet. Based on two interdisciplinary workshops, the Transantarctic region near the Shackleton Glacier has been identified as a high priority site for further studies, with a field camp proposed for the 2015-2016 Antarctic field season. The geology of this region has been studied since the heroic era of Antarctic exploration, in the early 1900s, but geologic mapping has not been updated in more than forty years, and existing maps are at poor resolution (typically 1:250,000). This project would utilize the WorldView-2 multispectral orbital dataset to supplement original geologic mapping efforts near the proposed 2015-2016 Shackleton Glacier camp. The WorldView-2 satellite is the only multispectral orbiting sensor capable of imaging the entirety of the Transantarctic Mountains, and all necessary data are currently available to the Polar Geospatial Center. High-latitude atmospheric correction of multispectral data for geologic investigations has only recently been tested, but has never been applied to WorldView-2 data, and never for observations of this type. Therefore, this research will require technique refinements and methodological developements to accomplish the goals. Atmospheric correction refinements and spectral validation will be made possible by laboratory spectroscopic measurements of rock samples currently stored at the U.S. Polar Rock Repository, at the Ohio State University. This project will result in spectral unit identification and boundary mapping at a factor of four higher resolution (1:62,500) than previous geologic mapping efforts, and more detailed investigations (1:5,123) are possible at resolutions more than a factor of forty-eight improved over previous geologic maps. Validated spectral mapping at these improved resolutions will allow for detailed lithologic, and potentially biologic, mapping using existing satellite imagery. This will greatly enhance planning capabilities, thus maximizing the efficiency of the scientific research and support logistics associated with the Shackleton Glacier deep field camp. Broader impacts: The proposed work will have multiple impacts on the broader scientific community. First, the refinement of existing atmospheric correction methodologies, and the development of new spectral mapping techniques, may substantially improve our ability to remotely investigate geologic surfaces throughout Antarctica. The ability to validate this orbital dataset will be of use to both current and future geologic, environmental, and biologic studies, potentially across the entire continent. The project will yield a specific spectral mapping product (at a scale of 1:62,500) to the scientific community by a targeted date of 01 March 2014, in order to support proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation for the proposed 2015/2016 Shackleton Glacier camp. High-resolution spectral mapping products (up to a maximum resolution of 2 meters per pixel) will also be generated for regions of particular scientific interest. The use of community based resources, such as Polar Geospatial Center (PGC) imagery and U.S. Polar Rock Repository rock samples, will generate new synergistic and collaborative research possibilities within the Antarctic research community. In addition, the lead PI (Salvatore) is an early career scientist who is active in both Antarctic and planetary remote sensing. There are overlaps in the calibration, correction, and validation of remote spectral datasets for Antarctic and planetary applications which can lead to benefits and insights to an early career PI, as well as the two communities.", "east": -160.0, "geometry": "POINT(180 -85)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; Antarctica; GEOCHEMISTRY; LANDSCAPE; REFLECTED INFRARED; USAP-DC", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -83.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Salvatore, Mark", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "PGC", "repositories": "PGC; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -87.0, "title": "EAGER: Surface Variability and Spectral Analyses of the Central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica", "uid": "p0010020", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "1457577 Wise, Sherwood", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Thu, 21 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This proposal would provide funding for continued operation of the Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility (AMGRF) at Florida State University. This facility is the NSF repository of sediment cores from the ocean floor surrounding Antarctica, and makes sediment cores available to the entire scientific community, providing the equipment and knowledge necessary for scientists to collect samples for specialized measurements. The sediments provide a record of past climate, ocean circulation, and ice sheet history, and were recovered at great cost using piston cores deployed from research vessels and rotary coring from drilling platforms. The funding supports a curator, an assistant curator, and a student work force from FSU. This staff supports visiting scientists, manages the collections and the equipment used for core characterization and sampling, and maintain data bases. The AMGRF houses a unique collection of sediment cores from the Southern Oceans and has served in this role for the past 50 years. The Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility (AMGRF) at Florida State University, the NSF repository of Southern Ocean piston- and drill-cores, has been conducting marine geological research and providing numerous services to the Antarctic and Earth Science Community in its present building for the past 50 years. This proposal requests operating funds to (a) continue provide these services, (b) manage archives and databases, (c) complete necessary upgrades of the AMGRF Cold-Room, and (d) continue our education and outreach programs for students and the general public. The AMGRF archives and curates more than 23,000 m of cored sediment (over 7,000 cores) collected by United States Antarctic Program (USAP) vessels. The Facility also archives and curates some 5,500 m of rotary-cored material from international programs such as ANDRILL. The standard core processing services include core splitting, Multi-Sensor Track analyses, core photography, whole-core x-rays, etc., core description publications (macroscopic and microscopic), and core sampling. Facility personnel also provide curatorial support services to field-based projects upon request. Analytical equipment at the AMGRF serves the research needs of Facility personnel (for the generation of detailed core descriptions), NSF Principal Investigators involved with the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), and qualified users from the scientific community in the U.S. and beyond. This equipment provides users of the Facility with the necessary tools to rapidly and objectively analyze the piston cores and drill cores sent to the Facility each year. The AMGRF maintains a core and sample database with the latest map-sample search capabilities that can be accessed through the continuously upgraded Facility website. This searchable database contains basic information about all the cores stored at the facility, as well as information on samples taken from 1964 to the present. In addition to the sediment core archives the AMGRF also keeps archives of ship and deck-logs, a collection of ca. 862,000 microscope slides, and a library of AMGRF related publications. Facility personnel routinely provide tours and lectures for students and the general public.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "MARINE SEDIMENTS; USAP-DC; NOT APPLICABLE; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Salters, Vincent", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Curation of National Antarctic Sediment Collections", "uid": "p0010014", "west": null}, {"awards": "1245915 Ray, Laura", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Ground Penetrating Radar Grid Survey of the McMurdo Shear Zone", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601102", "doi": "10.15784/601102", "keywords": "Antarctica; Firn; Folds; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPR; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Ray, Laura; Arcone, Steven; Kaluzienski, Lynn; Koons, Peter; Lever, Jim; Walker, Ben", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ground Penetrating Radar Grid Survey of the McMurdo Shear Zone", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601102"}], "date_created": "Thu, 27 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Hamilton/1246400 This award supports an integrated field observation, remote sensing and numerical modeling study of the McMurdo Shear Zone (SZ). The SZ is a 5-10 km wide strip of heavily crevassed ice that separates the McMurdo and Ross ice shelves, and is an important region of lateral support for the Ross Ice Shelf. Previous radar and remote sensing studies reveal an enigmatic picture of the SZ in which crevasses detected at depth have no apparent surface expression, and have orientations which are possibly inconsistent with the observed flow field. In the proposed work, we seek to test the hypothesis that the SZ is a zone of chaotic Lagrangian mixing with (intersecting) buried crevasses which leads to rheological instability, potentially allowing large scale velocity discontinuities. The work will involve detailed field-based observations of crevasse distributions and structure using ground-penetrating radar, and GPS and remote sensing observations of the flow and stress field in the SZ. Because of the hazardous nature of the SZ, the radar surveys will be conducted largely with the aid of a lightweight robotic vehicle. Observations will be used to develop a finite element model of ice shelf shear margin behavior. The intellectual merit of this project is an increased understanding of ice shelf shear margin dynamics. Shear margins play a key role in ice shelf stability, and ice shelves in turn modulate the flux of ice from the ice sheet across the grounding line to the ocean. Insights from this project will improve large-scale models being developed to predict ice sheet evolution and future rates of sea level rise, which are topics of enormous societal concern. The broader impacts of the project include an improved basis for US Antarctic Program logistics planning as well as numerous opportunities to engage K-12 students in scientific discovery. Intensified crevassing in the shear zone between the Ross and McMurdo ice shelves would preclude surface crossing by heavy traverse vehicles which would lead to increased costs of delivering fuel to South Pole and a concomitant loss of flight time provided by heavy-lift aircraft for science missions on the continent. Our multidisciplinary research combining glaciology, numerical modeling, and robotics engineering is an engaging way to show how robotics can assist scientists in collecting hazardous field measurements. Our outreach activities will leverage Dartmouth\u0027s current NSF GK-12 program, build on faculty-educator relationships established during University of Maine\u0027s recent GK-12 program, and incorporate project results into University of Maine\u0027s IDEAS initiative, which integrates computational modeling with the existing science curriculum at the middle school level. This award has field work in Antarctica.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; USAP-DC", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Ray, Laura", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Flow and Fracture Dynamics in an Ice Shelf Lateral Margin: Observations and Modeling of the McMurdo Shear Zone", "uid": "p0000701", "west": null}, {"awards": "1341585 Sorlien, Christopher", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -73.33,-179.1 -73.33,-178.2 -73.33,-177.3 -73.33,-176.4 -73.33,-175.5 -73.33,-174.6 -73.33,-173.7 -73.33,-172.8 -73.33,-171.9 -73.33,-171 -73.33,-171 -73.864,-171 -74.398,-171 -74.932,-171 -75.466,-171 -76,-171 -76.534,-171 -77.068,-171 -77.602,-171 -78.136,-171 -78.67,-171.9 -78.67,-172.8 -78.67,-173.7 -78.67,-174.6 -78.67,-175.5 -78.67,-176.4 -78.67,-177.3 -78.67,-178.2 -78.67,-179.1 -78.67,180 -78.67,178.5 -78.67,177 -78.67,175.5 -78.67,174 -78.67,172.5 -78.67,171 -78.67,169.5 -78.67,168 -78.67,166.5 -78.67,165 -78.67,165 -78.136,165 -77.602,165 -77.068,165 -76.534,165 -76,165 -75.466,165 -74.932,165 -74.398,165 -73.864,165 -73.33,166.5 -73.33,168 -73.33,169.5 -73.33,171 -73.33,172.5 -73.33,174 -73.33,175.5 -73.33,177 -73.33,178.5 -73.33,-180 -73.33))", "dataset_titles": "Ross Sea unconformities digital grids in depth and two-way time", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601098", "doi": "10.15784/601098", "keywords": "Antarctica; Continental Margin; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Marine Geoscience; Miocene; Oligocene; Seismic Reflection", "people": "Wilson, Douglas S.; Sorlien, Christopher", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ross Sea unconformities digital grids in depth and two-way time", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601098"}], "date_created": "Fri, 25 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: This project will produce a new compilation of Ross Sea seismic stratigraphy, including new interpretations, that can be used to provide boundary conditions on the tectonic and glacial evolution of West Antarctica and the Ross Sea. The principal goals include compilation of, and interpretation of, all available existing seismic reflection data for the Western Ross Sea, coupled with geophysical modeling to produce paleo-bathymetric reconstructions for the entire 800 km-wide Ross Sea. Specific tasks will include: extending existing work on mapping travel time to reflectors, identifying relations in the seismic data that indicate subsidence through sea level, constructing velocity models for converting travel time to thickness, and using the velocity models to estimate density and porosity of sediments for backstripping analysis. Modeling/backstripping efforts will be used to constrain past bathymetry. Digital interpretations and stratigraphic grids will be provided as supplements to publications. In that way the results of this study can be used in thermal subsidence modeling and restoration of eroded rock to other parts of Ross Embayment and Marie Byrd Land by others. Digital products may be provided in advance of publication to modelers in a way that will not hurt publication chances. Broader impacts: The results of this work will be important for paleo-geographic reconstructions of Antarctica and will therefore be of use to a broad range of researchers, particularly those working in the Ross Sea region. The digital products can be used to test models for the past fluctuations of West Antarctic ice sheets, and in planning for future sediment drilling projects. Two undergraduates to be chosen from applicants will be involved in summer internships held at the University of Rhode Island. Outreach will also include a new website and one or more Wikipedia entries related to Ross Sea sub-sea floor characteristics. The project includes an international collaboration with Dr. Chiara Sauli and others at Instituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS) in Italy.", "east": -171.0, "geometry": "POINT(177 -76)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; USAP-DC", "locations": null, "north": -73.33, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Sorlien, Christopher; Luyendyk, Bruce P.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.67, "title": "Subsidence, Tilting, Sedimentation, and Oligocene-middle Miocene paleo-depth of Ross Sea", "uid": "p0000271", "west": 165.0}, {"awards": "1341729 Kirschvink, Joseph", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-58.9 -63.5,-58.63 -63.5,-58.36 -63.5,-58.09 -63.5,-57.82 -63.5,-57.55 -63.5,-57.28 -63.5,-57.01 -63.5,-56.74 -63.5,-56.47 -63.5,-56.2 -63.5,-56.2 -63.62,-56.2 -63.74,-56.2 -63.86,-56.2 -63.98,-56.2 -64.1,-56.2 -64.22,-56.2 -64.34,-56.2 -64.46,-56.2 -64.58,-56.2 -64.7,-56.47 -64.7,-56.74 -64.7,-57.01 -64.7,-57.28 -64.7,-57.55 -64.7,-57.82 -64.7,-58.09 -64.7,-58.36 -64.7,-58.63 -64.7,-58.9 -64.7,-58.9 -64.58,-58.9 -64.46,-58.9 -64.34,-58.9 -64.22,-58.9 -64.1,-58.9 -63.98,-58.9 -63.86,-58.9 -63.74,-58.9 -63.62,-58.9 -63.5))", "dataset_titles": "2016 Paleomagnetic samples from the James Ross Basin, Antarctica; Expedition data of NBP1601", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002665", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP1601", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1601"}, {"dataset_uid": "601094", "doi": "10.15784/601094", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geochronology; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciology; James Ross Basin; Marine Geoscience; Marine Sediments", "people": "Kirschvink, Joseph; Skinner, Steven", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "2016 Paleomagnetic samples from the James Ross Basin, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601094"}], "date_created": "Fri, 27 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Non-Technical Summary: About 80 million years ago, the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the vicinity of what is now James Ross Island experienced an episode of rapid subsidence, creating a broad depositional basin that collected sediments eroding from the high mountains to the West. This depression accumulated a thick sequence of fossil-rich, organic-rich sediments of the sort that are known to preserve hydrocarbons, and for which Argentina, Chile, and the United Kingdom have overlapping territorial claims. The rocks preserve one of the highest resolution records of the biological and climatic events that led to the eventual death of the dinosaurs at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (about 66 million years ago). A previous collaboration between scientists from the Instituto Ant\u00e1rtico Argentino (IAA) and NSF-supported teams from Caltech and the University of Washington were able to show that this mass extinction event started nearly 50,000 years before the sudden impact of an asteroid. The asteroid obviously hit the biosphere hard, but something else knocked it off balance well before the asteroid hit. A critical component of the previous work was the use of reversals in the polarity of the Earth?s magnetic field as a dating tool ? magnetostratigraphy. This allowed the teams to correlate the pattern of magnetic reversals from Antarctica with elsewhere on the planet. This includes data from a major volcanic eruption (a flood basalt province) that covered much of India 65 million years ago. The magnetic patterns indicate that the Antarctic extinction started with the first pulse of this massive eruption, which was also coincident with a rapid spike in polar temperature. The Argentinian and US collaborative teams will extend this magnetic polarity record back another ~ 20 million years in time, and expand it laterally to provide magnetic reversal time lines across the depositional basin. They hope to recover the end of the Cretaceous Long Normal interval, which is one of the most distinctive events in the history of Earth?s magnetic field. The new data should refine depositional models of the basin, allow better estimates of potential hydrocarbon reserves, and allow biotic events in the Southern hemisphere to be compared more precisely with those elsewhere on Earth. Other potential benefits of this work include exposing several US students and postdoctoral fellows to field based research in Antarctica, expanding the international aspects of this collaborative work via joint IAA/US field deployments, and follow-up laboratory investigations and personnel exchange of the Junior scientists. Technical Description of Project The proposed research will extend the stratigraphic record in the late Cretaceous and early Tertiary sediments (~ 83 to 65 Ma before present) of the James Ross Basin, Antarctica, using paleo-magnetic methods. Recent efforts provided new methods to analyze these rocks, yielding their primary magnetization, and producing both magnetic polarity patterns and paleomagnetic pole positions. This provided the first reliable age constraints for the younger sediments on Seymour Island, and quantified the sedimentation rate in this part of the basin. The new data will allow resolution of the stable, remnant magnetization of the sediments from the high deposition rate James Ross basin (Tobin et al., 2012), yielding precise chronology/stratigraphy. This approach will be extended to the re-maining portions of this sedimentary basin, and will allow quantitative estimates for tectonic and sedimentary processes between Cretaceous and Early Tertiary time. The proposed field work will refine the position of several geomagnetic reversals that occurred be-tween the end of the Cretaceous long normal period (Chron 34N, ~ 83 Ma), and the lower portion of Chron 31R (~ 71 Ma). Brandy Bay provides the best locality for calibrating the stratigraphic position of the top of the Cretaceous Long Normal Chron, C34N. Although the top of the Cretaceous long normal Chron is one of the most important correlation horizons in the entire geological timescale, it is not properly correlated to the southern hemisphere biostratigraphy. Locating this event, as well as the other reversals, will be a major addition to understanding of the geological history of the Antarctic Peninsula. These data will also help refine tectonic models for the evolution of the Southern continents, which will be of use across the board for workers in Cretaceous stratigraphy (including those involved in oil exploration). This research is a collaborative effort with Dr. Edward Olivero of the Centro Austral de Investigaciones Cientificas (CADIC/CONICET) and Prof. Augusto Rapalini of the University of Buenos Aires. The collaboration will include collection of samples on their future field excursions to important targets on and around James Ross Island, supported by the Argentinian Antarctic Program (IAA). Argentinian scientists and students will also be involved in the US Antarctic program deployments, proposed here for the R/V Laurence Gould, and will continue the pattern of joint international publication of the results.", "east": -56.2, "geometry": "POINT(-57.55 -64.1)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FLUOROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ECHO SOUNDERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e THERMOSALINOGRAPHS; NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; R/V NBP; USAP-DC", "locations": null, "north": -63.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kirschvink, Joseph; Christensen, John", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.7, "title": "Paleomagnetism and Magnetostratigraphy of the James Ross Basin, Antarctica", "uid": "p0000276", "west": -58.9}, {"awards": "0732711 Smith, Craig; 0732655 Mosley-Thompson, Ellen; 0732983 Vernet, Maria; 0732651 Gordon, Arnold; 0732625 Leventer, Amy; 0732602 Truffer, Martin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-68 -57.8,-66.78 -57.8,-65.56 -57.8,-64.34 -57.8,-63.12 -57.8,-61.9 -57.8,-60.68 -57.8,-59.46 -57.8,-58.24 -57.8,-57.02 -57.8,-55.8 -57.8,-55.8 -58.8,-55.8 -59.8,-55.8 -60.8,-55.8 -61.8,-55.8 -62.8,-55.8 -63.8,-55.8 -64.8,-55.8 -65.8,-55.8 -66.8,-55.8 -67.8,-57.02 -67.8,-58.24 -67.8,-59.46 -67.8,-60.68 -67.8,-61.9 -67.8,-63.12 -67.8,-64.34 -67.8,-65.56 -67.8,-66.78 -67.8,-68 -67.8,-68 -66.8,-68 -65.8,-68 -64.8,-68 -63.8,-68 -62.8,-68 -61.8,-68 -60.8,-68 -59.8,-68 -58.8,-68 -57.8))", "dataset_titles": "Abrupt Environmental Change in the Larsen Ice Shelf System (LARISSA) - Marine Ecosystems; Biology Species Abundance from the Larsen Ice Shelf acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expeditions NBP1001 and NBP1203; Bruce Plateau Accumulation O18 2009-1900; Easten Antarctic Peninsula Surface Sediment Diatom Data; LMG13-11 JKC-1 Paleoceanographic data; Macrofauna Species Abundance Raw Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001; Megafauna Species Abundance Raw Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001; NBP1001 cruise data; NBP1203 cruise data; Processed CTD Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001; Processed CTD Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf near Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1203; Processed ship-based LADCP Sonar Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001; Processed ship-based LADCP Sonar Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf near Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1203; Radioisotope data (C-14 and Pb-210) from bulk sediments, Larsen A Ice Shelf; Sediment samples (full data link not provided)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601345", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; CTD; CTD Data; LARISSA; Larsen Ice Shelf; NBP1001; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Salinity; Temperature", "people": "Gordon, Arnold; Huber, Bruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Processed CTD Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601345"}, {"dataset_uid": "601347", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Current Measurements; LADCP; LARISSA; Larsen Ice Shelf; NBP1203; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer", "people": "Gordon, Arnold; Huber, Bruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Processed ship-based LADCP Sonar Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf near Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1203", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601347"}, {"dataset_uid": "000142", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1001 cruise data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1001"}, {"dataset_uid": "601348", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; CTD; CTD Data; LARISSA; Larsen Ice Shelf; NBP1203; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Salinity; Temperature", "people": "Gordon, Arnold; Huber, Bruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Processed CTD Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf near Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1203", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601348"}, {"dataset_uid": "000143", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1203 cruise data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1203"}, {"dataset_uid": "000145", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AMGRF", "science_program": null, "title": "Sediment samples (full data link not provided)", "url": "http://arf.fsu.edu/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601336", "doi": "10.15784/601336", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon-14; Larsen Ice Shelf; Lead-210; Marine Sediments; Radioisotope Analysis", "people": "Taylor, Richard; DeMaster, David", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Radioisotope data (C-14 and Pb-210) from bulk sediments, Larsen A Ice Shelf", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601336"}, {"dataset_uid": "601485", "doi": "10.15784/601485", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Delta 13C; Delta 18O; Paleoceanography; Temperature", "people": "Shevenell, Amelia", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "LMG13-11 JKC-1 Paleoceanographic data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601485"}, {"dataset_uid": "600073", "doi": "10.15784/600073", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Araon1304; Biota; LARISSA; Larsen B Ice Shelf; NBP1001; NBP1203; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Southern Ocean; Weddell Sea", "people": "Vernet, Maria", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Abrupt Environmental Change in the Larsen Ice Shelf System (LARISSA) - Marine Ecosystems", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600073"}, {"dataset_uid": "000226", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "MGDS", "science_program": null, "title": "Biology Species Abundance from the Larsen Ice Shelf acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expeditions NBP1001 and NBP1203", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1594/ieda/320821"}, {"dataset_uid": "601306", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Box Corer; LARISSA; Larsen Ice Shelf; Macrofauna; NBP1001; Oceans; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Seafloor Sampling; Species Abundance", "people": "Smith, Craig", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Macrofauna Species Abundance Raw Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601306"}, {"dataset_uid": "601305", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Box Corer; LARISSA; Larsen Ice Shelf; Macrofauna; Megafauna; NBP1001; Oceans; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Seafloor Sampling; Species Abundance", "people": "Smith, Craig", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Megafauna Species Abundance Raw Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601305"}, {"dataset_uid": "601211", "doi": "10.15784/601211", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Benthos; Biota; Diatom; Geology/Geophysics - Other; LMG0502; Marine Geoscience; Marine Sediments; Microscope; NBP0003; NBP0107; NBP0603; NBP1203; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Surface Sediment", "people": "Leventer, Amy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Easten Antarctic Peninsula Surface Sediment Diatom Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601211"}, {"dataset_uid": "600167", "doi": "10.15784/600167", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Bruce Plateau; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope; LARISSA; Paleoclimate; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Snow Accumulation", "people": "Mosley-Thompson, Ellen; Thompson, Lonnie G.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Bruce Plateau Accumulation O18 2009-1900", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600167"}, {"dataset_uid": "601346", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Current Measurements; LADCP; Larsen Ice Shelf; NBP1001; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer", "people": "Huber, Bruce; Gordon, Arnold", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Processed ship-based LADCP Sonar Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601346"}], "date_created": "Thu, 01 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Like no other region on Earth, the northern Antarctic Peninsula represents a spectacular natural laboratory of climate change and provides the opportunity to study the record of past climate and ecological shifts alongside the present-day changes in one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth. This award supports the cryospheric and oceano-graphic components of an integrated multi-disciplinary program to address these rapid and fundamental changes now taking place in Antarctic Peninsula (AP). By making use of a marine research platform (the RV NB Palmer and on-board helicopters) and additional logistical support from the Argentine Antarctic program, the project will bring glaciologists, oceanographers, marine geologists and biologists together, working collaboratively to address fundamentally interdisciplinary questions regarding climate change. The project will include gathering a new, high-resolution paleoclimate record from the Bruce Plateau of Graham Land, and using it to compare Holocene- and possibly glacial-epoch climate to the modern period; investigating the stability of the remaining Larsen Ice Shelf and rapid post-breakup glacier response ? in particular, the roles of surface melt and ice-ocean interactions in the speed-up and retreat; observing the contribution of, and response of, oceanographic systems to ice shelf disintegration and ice-glacier interactions. Helicopter support on board will allow access to a wide range of glacial and geological areas of interest adjacent to the Larsen embayment. At these locations, long-term in situ glacial monitoring, isostatic uplift, and ice flow GPS sites will be established, and high-resolution ice core records will be obtained using previously tested lightweight drilling equipment. Long-term monitoring of deep water outflow will, for the first time, be integrated into changes in ice shelf extent and thickness, bottom water formation, and multi-level circulation by linking near-source observations to distal sites of concentrated outflow. The broader impacts of this international, multidisciplinary effort are that it will significantly advance our understanding of linkages amongst the earth\u0027s systems in the Polar Regions, and are proposed with international participation (UK, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Argentina) and interdisciplinary engagement in the true spirit of the International Polar Year (IPY). It will also provide a means of engaging and educating the public in virtually all aspects of polar science and the effects of ongoing climate change. The research team has a long record of involving undergraduates in research, educating high-performing graduate students, and providing innovative and engaging outreach products to the K-12 education and public media forums. Moreover, forging the new links both in science and international Antarctic programs will provide a continuing legacy, beyond IPY, of improved understanding and cooperation in Antarctica.", "east": -55.8, "geometry": "POINT(-61.9 -62.8)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e BOX CORE; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e ICE AUGERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SNOW DENSITY CUTTER", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Paleoclimate; Megafauna; USAP-DC; AMD; Amd/Us; Antarctica; Climate Change; LABORATORY; Climate Variability; Multi-Disciplinary; Cryosphere; NBP1001; FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; Antarctic Peninsula; R/V NBP; FIELD INVESTIGATION; USA/NSF; Ice Core; Holocene", "locations": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula", "north": -57.8, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Truffer, Martin; Gordon, Arnold; Huber, Bruce; Mosley-Thompson, Ellen; Leventer, Amy; Vernet, Maria; Smith, Craig; Thompson, Lonnie G.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "AMGRF; MGDS; R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "LARISSA", "south": -67.8, "title": "Collaborative Research in IPY: Abrupt Environmental Change in the Larsen Ice Shelf System, a Multidisciplinary Approach -- Cryosphere and Oceans", "uid": "p0000101", "west": -68.0}, {"awards": "1143833 Orsi, Alejandro; 1143836 Leventer, Amy; 1143834 Huber, Bruce; 1430550 Domack, Eugene", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((116 -65.2,116.5 -65.2,117 -65.2,117.5 -65.2,118 -65.2,118.5 -65.2,119 -65.2,119.5 -65.2,120 -65.2,120.5 -65.2,121 -65.2,121 -65.38,121 -65.56,121 -65.74,121 -65.92,121 -66.1,121 -66.28,121 -66.46,121 -66.64,121 -66.82,121 -67,120.5 -67,120 -67,119.5 -67,119 -67,118.5 -67,118 -67,117.5 -67,117 -67,116.5 -67,116 -67,116 -66.82,116 -66.64,116 -66.46,116 -66.28,116 -66.1,116 -65.92,116 -65.74,116 -65.56,116 -65.38,116 -65.2))", "dataset_titles": "AU1402 Final UCTD data; AU1402 mooring data; Bottom photos from the Southern Ocean acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1402 ; NBP1402 diatom data; NBP1402 Final CTD data; NBP1402 Final UCTD data; NBP1402 JPC43 Diatom Data; NBP14-02 JPC-54 and JPC-55 Pollen Assemblage data; NBP14-02 JPC-55 Bulk Sediment Carbon and Nitrogen data; NBP14-02 JPC-55 foraminifer assemblage data; NBP1402 Lowered ADCP data; Near-bottom Videos from the Southern Ocean acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1402; Sabrina Coast mooring data - sediment trap mooring 2014", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601310", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Benthic Images; Benthos; East Antarctica; Marine Geoscience; NBP1402; Photo; Photo/video; Photo/Video; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Totten Glacier; Yoyo Camera", "people": "Orsi, Alejandro; Huber, Bruce; Domack, Eugene Walter; Leventer, Amy; Post, Alexandra; Gulick, Sean; Shevenell, Amelia", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Bottom photos from the Southern Ocean acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1402 ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601310"}, {"dataset_uid": "601845", "doi": "10.15784/601845", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Diatom; NBP1402; Totten Glacier", "people": "Leventer, Amy; NBP1402 science party, ", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1402 diatom data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601845"}, {"dataset_uid": "601068", "doi": "10.15784/601068", "keywords": "ADCP Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler; Antarctica; NBP1402; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Sabrina Coast; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean", "people": "Huber, Bruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1402 Lowered ADCP data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601068"}, {"dataset_uid": "601440", "doi": "10.15784/601440", "keywords": "Antarctica; Diatom; Holocene; Jumbo Piston Corer; NBP1402; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sabrina Coast; Sediment Core Data; Species Abundance; Totten Glacier", "people": "Leventer, Amy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1402 JPC43 Diatom Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601440"}, {"dataset_uid": "601147", "doi": "10.15784/601147", "keywords": "Antarctica; CTD Data; NBP1402; Ocean Temperature; Physical Oceanography; Sabrina Coast; Salinity; Southern Ocean; Temperature; Underway CTD", "people": "Orsi, Alejandro", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "AU1402 Final UCTD data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601147"}, {"dataset_uid": "601148", "doi": "10.15784/601148", "keywords": "Antarctica; Au1402; Mooring; NBP1402; Oceans; Ocean Temperature; Physical Oceanography; R/v Aurora Australis; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sabrina Coast; Salinity; Southern Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Orsi, Alejandro", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "AU1402 mooring data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601148"}, {"dataset_uid": "601312", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Benthic Images; Camera; East Antarctica; Marine Geoscience; NBP1402; Photo/video; Photo/Video; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sabrina Coast; Totten Glacier; Video Data; Yoyo Camera", "people": "Huber, Bruce; Leventer, Amy; Shevenell, Amelia; Gulick, Sean; Blankenship, Donald D.; Domack, Eugene Walter; Orsi, Alejandro; Post, Alexandra", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Near-bottom Videos from the Southern Ocean acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1402", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601312"}, {"dataset_uid": "601067", "doi": "10.15784/601067", "keywords": "Antarctica; CTD Data; NBP1402; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Sabrina Coast; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean", "people": "Huber, Bruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1402 Final CTD data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601067"}, {"dataset_uid": "601069", "doi": "10.15784/601069", "keywords": "Antarctica; Mooring; NBP1402; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Sabrina Coast; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean", "people": "Huber, Bruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Sabrina Coast mooring data - sediment trap mooring 2014", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601069"}, {"dataset_uid": "601146", "doi": "10.15784/601146", "keywords": "Antarctica; CTD Data; NBP1402; Oceans; Ocean Temperature; Physical Oceanography; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sabrina Coast; Salinity; Southern Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Orsi, Alejandro", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1402 Final UCTD data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601146"}, {"dataset_uid": "601042", "doi": "10.15784/601042", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Continental Margin; Foraminifera; NBP1402; Oceans; Paleoclimate; Sabrina Coast; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean; Totten Glacier", "people": "Leventer, Amy; Shevenell, Amelia", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP14-02 JPC-55 foraminifer assemblage data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601042"}, {"dataset_uid": "601044", "doi": "10.15784/601044", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon; Chemistry:sediment; Chemistry:Sediment; Geochemistry; Marine Sediments; NBP1402; Nitrogen; Oceans; Sabrina Coast; Sediment Core; Southern Ocean; Totten Glacier", "people": "Smith, Catherine; Shevenell, Amelia; Domack, Eugene Walter", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP14-02 JPC-55 Bulk Sediment Carbon and Nitrogen data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601044"}, {"dataset_uid": "601046", "doi": "10.15784/601046", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Marine Sediments; NBP1402; Oceans; Paleoclimate; Pollen; Sabrina Coast; Sediment Core; Southern Ocean; Totten Glacier", "people": "Shevenell, Amelia; Smith, Catherine; Domack, Eugene Walter", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP14-02 JPC-54 and JPC-55 Pollen Assemblage data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601046"}], "date_created": "Fri, 26 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project will investigate the marine component of the Totten Glacier and Moscow University Ice Shelf, East Antarctica. This system is of critical importance because it drains one-eighth of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and contains a volume equivalent to nearly 7 meters of potential sea level rise, greater than the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This nearly completely unexplored region is the single largest and least understood marine glacial system that is potentially unstable. Despite intense scrutiny of marine based systems in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, little is known about the Totten Glacier system. This study will add substantially to the meager oceanographic and marine geology and geophysics data available in this region, and will significantly advance understanding of this poorly understood glacial system and its potentially sensitive response to environmental change. Independent, space-based platforms indicate accelerating mass loss of the Totten system. Recent aerogeophysical surveys of the Aurora Subglacial Basin, which contains the deepest ice in Antarctica and drains into the Totten system, have provided the subglacial context for measured surface changes and show that the Totten Glacier has been the most significant drainage pathway for at least two previous ice flow regimes. However, the offshore context is far less understood. Limited physical oceanographic data from the nearby shelf/slope break indicate the presence of Modified Circumpolar Deep Water within a thick bottom layer at the mouth of a trough with apparent access to Totten Glacier, suggesting the possibility of sub-glacial bottom inflow of relatively warm water, a process considered to be responsible for West Antarctic Ice Sheet grounding line retreat. This project will conduct a ship-based marine geologic and geophysical survey of the region, combined with a physical oceanographic study, in order to evaluate both the recent and longer-term behavior of the glacial system and its relationship to the adjacent oceanographic system. This endeavor will complement studies of other Antarctic ice shelves, oceanographic studies near the Antarctic Peninsula, and ongoing development of ice sheet and other ocean models.", "east": 121.0, "geometry": "POINT(118.5 -66.1)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Totten Glacier; NBP1402; Sabrina Coast; LABORATORY; Diatom; R/V NBP; Amd/Us; Bottom Photos; R/V AA; Not provided; USAP-DC; AMD; USA/NSF", "locations": "Sabrina Coast; Totten Glacier", "north": -65.2, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Orsi, Alejandro; Huber, Bruce; Leventer, Amy; Domack, Eugene Walter", "platforms": "Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V AA; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -67.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Totten Glacier System and the Marine Record of Cryosphere - Ocean Dynamics", "uid": "p0000008", "west": 116.0}, {"awards": "1344349 Tulaczyk, Slawek; 1344348 Mikucki, Jill", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "2011 Time-domain ElectroMagnetics data for McMurdo Dry Valleys; Marinobacter lipolyticus BF04_CF-4 genomic scaffold, whole genome shotgun sequence; Marinobacter sp. BF14_3D 16S ribosomal RNA gene, partial sequence", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000196", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Marinobacter sp. BF14_3D 16S ribosomal RNA gene, partial sequence", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/KX364066"}, {"dataset_uid": "601071", "doi": "10.15784/601071", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dry Valleys; Electromagnetic Data; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; McMurdo", "people": "Tulaczyk, Slawek", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "2011 Time-domain ElectroMagnetics data for McMurdo Dry Valleys", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601071"}, {"dataset_uid": "000197", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Marinobacter lipolyticus BF04_CF-4 genomic scaffold, whole genome shotgun sequence", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore?term=PRJNA165567"}], "date_created": "Wed, 08 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: The MCM-SkyTEM project mapped resistivity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys and at Cape Barne on the Ross Island during the 2011-12 austral season using an airborne transient electromagnetic method. The SkyTEM system is mounted to a helicopter enabling a broad geophysical survey of subsurface resistivity structure over terrain that is inaccessible to traditional ground-based methods. Resistivity measurements obtained distinguish between highly resistive geologic materials such as glacier ice, bedrock and permafrost, and conductive materials such as unfrozen sediments or permafrost with liquid brine to depths of about 300 m. The PIs request funding to derive data products relevant to physical and chemical conditions in potential subsurface microbial habitats of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, similar cold regions on Earth and other planetary bodies. They will use these data products to characterize the hydrologic history of McMurdo Dry Valleys as well as the subsurface hydrologic connectivity in the region to investigate the implications for nutrient and microbial transport. The PIs will make these data products accessible to the research community. Broader impacts: Polar microbial habitats are of high societal and scientific interest because they represent important testing grounds for the limits of life on Earth and other planetary bodies. Project deliverables will include teaching aids for undergraduate and graduate students. Two Ph.D. students will obtain advanced research training as part of this project. The PIs and students on this project will also engage in informal public outreach opportunities by presenting at local K-12 schools and reaching out to local media outlets on stories relating to SkyTEM research.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Tulaczyk, Slawek; Mikucki, Jill", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "NCBI GenBank", "repositories": "NCBI GenBank; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: EAGER: Processing, Interpretation and Dissemination of the Proof-of-Concept Transient Electromagnetic Survey of the McMurdo Dry Valleys Region", "uid": "p0000329", "west": null}, {"awards": "1141906 Grunow, Anne", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "Rock Samples", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000224", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PRR", "science_program": null, "title": "Rock Samples", "url": "http://research.bpcrc.osu.edu/rr/"}], "date_created": "Tue, 07 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Project Summary Intellectual Merit: The United States Polar Rock Repository (USPRR) was established to curate and loan geologic samples from polar regions to researchers and educators. OPP established the USPRR in part to avoid redundant sample collection and thus reduce the environmental impact of polar research. The USPRR also provides the research community with an important resource for developing new research projects. The USPRR acquires rock collections through donations from institutions and scientists and makes these samples available as no-cost loans for research, education and museum exhibits. Sample metadata is available in an on-line database. The database also includes rock property information, such as magnetic susceptibility and specific gravity, which are useful for geophysical studies. Researchers may request samples for analysis using an online request form. The USPRR fulfills several data management directives, including the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Antarctic Data Management directive of providing free, full and open access to both metadata and the samples. The intellectual merit of the USPRR lies in the global dissemination of scientific information to researchers. Broader impacts: The broader impacts of the USPRR include lessening environmental impacts resulting from redundant fieldwork in Polar Regions. The USPRR provides educational information about Antarctica via the website, by visiting the repository or borrowing a \"USPRR rock box\". Working at the repository provides students with opportunities to learn about the geology of Antarctica as well as doing research, learning new skills in digital imaging, curation and database management.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Grunow, Anne", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "PRR", "repositories": "PRR", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Continuing Operations Proposal: The United States Polar Rock Repository as a Research Tool for Understanding Antarctica\u0027s Geological Evolution", "uid": "p0000387", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1043471 Kaplan, Michael", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-112.5 -79.468,-112.4586 -79.468,-112.4172 -79.468,-112.3758 -79.468,-112.3344 -79.468,-112.293 -79.468,-112.2516 -79.468,-112.2102 -79.468,-112.1688 -79.468,-112.1274 -79.468,-112.086 -79.468,-112.086 -79.4712,-112.086 -79.4744,-112.086 -79.4776,-112.086 -79.4808,-112.086 -79.484,-112.086 -79.4872,-112.086 -79.4904,-112.086 -79.4936,-112.086 -79.4968,-112.086 -79.5,-112.1274 -79.5,-112.1688 -79.5,-112.2102 -79.5,-112.2516 -79.5,-112.293 -79.5,-112.3344 -79.5,-112.3758 -79.5,-112.4172 -79.5,-112.4586 -79.5,-112.5 -79.5,-112.5 -79.4968,-112.5 -79.4936,-112.5 -79.4904,-112.5 -79.4872,-112.5 -79.484,-112.5 -79.4808,-112.5 -79.4776,-112.5 -79.4744,-112.5 -79.4712,-112.5 -79.468))", "dataset_titles": "List of samples of WAIS Divide and Byrd (deep) ice that were analyzed for radiogenic isotopes at LDEO", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601065", "doi": "10.15784/601065", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dust; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Kaplan, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "List of samples of WAIS Divide and Byrd (deep) ice that were analyzed for radiogenic isotopes at LDEO", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601065"}], "date_created": "Sun, 29 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "1043471/Kaplan This award supports a project to obtain the first set of isotopic-based provenance data from the WAIS divide ice core. A lack of data from the WAIS prevents even a basic knowledge of whether different sources of dust blew around the Pacific and Atlantic sectors of the southern latitudes. Precise isotopic measurements on dust in the new WAIS ice divide core are specifically warranted because the data will be synergistically integrated with other high frequency proxies, such as dust concentration and flux, and carbon dioxide, for example. Higher resolution proxies will bridge gaps between our observations on the same well-dated, well-preserved core. The intellectual merit of the project is that the proposed analyses will contribute to the WAIS Divide Project science themes. Whether an active driver or passive recorder, dust is one of the most important but least understood components of regional and global climate. Collaborative and expert discussion with dust-climate modelers will lead to an important progression in understanding of dust and past atmospheric circulation patterns and climate around the southern latitudes, and help to exclude unlikely air trajectories to the ice sheets. The project will provide data to help evaluate models that simulate the dust patterns and cycle and the relative importance of changes in the sources, air trajectories and transport processes, and deposition to the ice sheet under different climate states. The results will be of broad interest to a range of disciplines beyond those directly associated with the WAIS ice core project, including the paleoceanography and dust- paleoclimatology communities. The broader impacts of the project include infrastructure and professional development, as the proposed research will initiate collaborations between LDEO and other WAIS scientists and modelers with expertise in climate and dust. Most of the researchers are still in the early phase of their careers and hence the project will facilitate long-term relationships. This includes a graduate student from UMaine, an undergraduate student from Columbia University who will be involved in lab work, in addition to a LDEO Postdoctoral scientist, and possibly an additional student involved in the international project PIRE-ICETRICS. The proposed research will broaden the scientific outlooks of three PIs, who come to Antarctic ice core science from a variety of other terrestrial and marine geology perspectives. Outreach activities include interaction with the science writers of the Columbia\u0027s Earth Institute for news releases and associated blog websites, public speaking, and involvement in an arts/science initiative between New York City\u0027s arts and science communities to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and public perception.", "east": -112.086, "geometry": "POINT(-112.293 -79.484)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -79.468, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kaplan, Michael; Winckler, Gisela; Goldstein, Steven L.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.5, "title": "A Study of Atmospheric Dust in the WAIS Divide Ice Core Based on Sr-Nd-Pb-He Isotopes", "uid": "p0000081", "west": -112.5}, {"awards": "1246170 Hall, Brenda; 1246110 Stone, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((154 -79.75,154.7 -79.75,155.4 -79.75,156.1 -79.75,156.8 -79.75,157.5 -79.75,158.2 -79.75,158.9 -79.75,159.6 -79.75,160.3 -79.75,161 -79.75,161 -79.8,161 -79.85,161 -79.9,161 -79.95,161 -80,161 -80.05,161 -80.1,161 -80.15,161 -80.2,161 -80.25,160.3 -80.25,159.6 -80.25,158.9 -80.25,158.2 -80.25,157.5 -80.25,156.8 -80.25,156.1 -80.25,155.4 -80.25,154.7 -80.25,154 -80.25,154 -80.2,154 -80.15,154 -80.1,154 -80.05,154 -80,154 -79.95,154 -79.9,154 -79.85,154 -79.8,154 -79.75))", "dataset_titles": "Darwin and Hatherton Glaciers; Hatherton Glacier Radiocarbon Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601063", "doi": "10.15784/601063", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geochronology; Hatherton Glacier; Radiocarbon; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Hall, Brenda", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Hatherton Glacier Radiocarbon Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601063"}, {"dataset_uid": "200038", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Darwin and Hatherton Glaciers", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}], "date_created": "Mon, 23 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Hall/1246170 This award supports a project to reconstruct past ice-surface elevations from detailed glacial mapping and dating of moraines (using 14C dates of algae from former ice-marginal ponds and 10Be surface exposure ages) in the region of the Darwin-Hatherton Glaciers in Antarctica in order to try and resolve very different interpretations that currently exist about the glacial history in the region. The results will be integrated with existing climate and geophysical data into a flow-line model to gain insight into glacier response to climate and ice-dynamics perturbations during the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM) in Antarctica. The work will contribute to a better understanding of both LGM ice thickness and whether or not there is any evidence that Antarctica contributed to Meltwater Pulse (MWP)-1A a very controversial topic in Antarctic glacial geology. The intellectual merit of the work relates to the fact that reconstructing past fluctuations of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) is critical for understanding the sensitivity of ice volume to sea-level and climatic change. Constraints on past behavior help put ongoing changes into context and provide a basis for predicting future sea-level rise. Broader impacts include the support of two graduate and two undergraduate students, as well as a female early-career investigator. Graduate students will be involved in all stages of the project from planning and field mapping to geochronological analyses, interpretation, synthesis and reporting. Two undergraduates will work on lab-based research from the project. The project also will include visits to K-12 classrooms to talk about glaciers and climate change, correspondence with teachers and students from the field, and web-based outreach. This award has field work in Antarctica.", "east": 161.0, "geometry": "POINT(157.5 -80)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -79.75, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hall, Brenda; Stone, John; Conway, Howard", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "ICE-D; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -80.25, "title": "Collaborative Research: Assessing the Antarctic Contribution to Sea-level Changes during the Last Deglaciation: Constraints from Darwin Glacier", "uid": "p0000304", "west": 154.0}, {"awards": "1341712 Hallet, Bernard", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160.9 -76.7,161.08 -76.7,161.26 -76.7,161.44 -76.7,161.62 -76.7,161.8 -76.7,161.98 -76.7,162.16 -76.7,162.34 -76.7,162.52 -76.7,162.7 -76.7,162.7 -76.79,162.7 -76.88,162.7 -76.97,162.7 -77.06,162.7 -77.15,162.7 -77.24,162.7 -77.33,162.7 -77.42,162.7 -77.51,162.7 -77.6,162.52 -77.6,162.34 -77.6,162.16 -77.6,161.98 -77.6,161.8 -77.6,161.62 -77.6,161.44 -77.6,161.26 -77.6,161.08 -77.6,160.9 -77.6,160.9 -77.51,160.9 -77.42,160.9 -77.33,160.9 -77.24,160.9 -77.15,160.9 -77.06,160.9 -76.97,160.9 -76.88,160.9 -76.79,160.9 -76.7))", "dataset_titles": "Long-term rock abrasion study in the Dry Valleys", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601060", "doi": "10.15784/601060", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dry Valleys; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Rocks", "people": "Sletten, Ronald S.; Hallet, Bernard; Malin, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Long-term rock abrasion study in the Dry Valleys", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601060"}], "date_created": "Fri, 13 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Paragraph for Public Audiences: Many of the natural processes that modify the landscape inhabited by humans occur over very long timescales, making them difficult to observe. Exceptions include rare catastrophic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods that occur on short timescales. Many significant processes that affect the land and landscape that we inhabit operate on time scales imperceptible to humans. One of these processes is wind transport of sand, with related impacts to exposed rock surfaces and man-made objects, including buildings, windshields, solar panels and wind-farm turbine blades. The goal of this project is to gain an understanding of wind erosion processes over long timescales, in the Antarctic Dry Valleys, a cold desert environment where there were no competing processes (such as rain and vegetation) that might mask the effects. The main objective is recovery of rock samples that were deployed in 1983/1984 at 11 locations in the Antarctic Dry Valleys, along with measurements on the rock samples and characterization of the sites. In the late 1980\u0027s and early 1990\u0027s some of these samples were returned and indicated more time was needed to accumulate information about the timescales and impacts of the wind erosion processes. This project will allow collection of the remaining samples from this experiment after 30 to 31 years of exposure. The field work will be carried out during the 2014/15 Austral summer. The results will allow direct measurement of the abrasion rate and hence the volumes and timescales of sand transport; this will conclude the longest direct examination of such processes ever conducted. Appropriate scaling of the results may be applied to buildings, vegetation (crops), and other aspects of human presence in sandy and windy locations, in order to better determine the impact of these processes and possible mitigation of the impacts. The project is a collaborative effort between a small business, Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS), and the University of Washington (UW). MSSS will highlight this Antarctic research on its web site, by developing thematic presentations describing our research and providing a broad range of visual materials. The public will be engaged through daily updates on a website and through links to material prepared for viewing in Google Earth. UW students will be involved in the laboratory work and in the interpretation of the results. Technical Description of Project: The goal of this project is to study the role of wind abrasion by entrained particles in the evolution of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in the Transantarctic Mountains. During the 1983 to 1984 field seasons, over 5000 rock targets were installed at five heights facing the 4 cardinal directions at 10 locations (with an additional site containing fewer targets) to study rates of physical weathering due primarily to eolian abrasion. In addition, rock cubes and cylinders were deployed at each site to examine effects of chemical weathering. The initial examination of samples returned after 1, 5, and 10 years of exposure, showed average contemporary abrasion rates consistent with those determined by cosmogenic isotope studies, but further stress that \"average\" should not be interpreted as meaning \"uniform.\" The samples will be characterized using mass measurements wtih 0.01 mg precision balances, digital microphotography to compare the evolution of their surface features and textures, SEM imaging to examine the micro textures of abraded rock surfaces, and optical microscopy of thin sections of a few samples to examine the consequences of particle impacts extending below the abraded surfaces. As much as 60-80% of the abrasion measured in samples from 1984-1994 appears to have occurred during a few brief hours in 1984. This is consistent with theoretical models that suggest abrasion scales as the 5th power of wind velocity. The field work will allow return of multiple samples after three decades of exposure, which will provide a statistical sampling (beyond what is acquired by studying a single sample), and will yield the mass loss data in light of complementary environmental and sand kinetic energy flux data from other sources (e.g. LTER meteorology stations). This study promises to improve insights into one of the principal active geomorphic process in the Dry Valleys, an important cold desert environment, and the solid empirical database will provide general constraints on eolian abrasion under natural conditions.", "east": 162.7, "geometry": "POINT(161.8 -77.15)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -76.7, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hallet, Bernard; Sletten, Ronald S.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.6, "title": "Collaborative Proposal: Decades-long Experiment on Wind-Driven Rock Abrasion in the Ice-Free Valleys, Antarctica", "uid": "p0000074", "west": 160.9}, {"awards": "1341390 Frank, Tracy", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Stable carbon and oxygen isotope data from drill cores from McMurdo Sound, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000195", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "EarthChem", "science_program": null, "title": "Stable carbon and oxygen isotope data from drill cores from McMurdo Sound, Antarctica", "url": "http://dx.doi.org/10.1594/IEDA/100718"}], "date_created": "Fri, 06 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: This project will use sediment cores from the Victoria Land Basin (VLB), Antarctica, to study secondary (diagenetic) carbonate minerals, as indicators of the basin?s fluid-flow history, within the well-constrained tectonic, depositional, and climatic context provided by sediment cores. This study will provide insights into subsurface processes in Victoria Land Basin, Antarctica and their relationships with the region?s climatic, cryospheric, and tectonic history. The work will utilize cores previously recovered by US-sponsored stratigraphic drilling projects (CIROS, CRP, and ANDRILL projects). This work is motivated by the unexpected discovery of dense brine in the subsurface of Southern McMurdo Sound during drilling by the ANDRILL Southern McMurdo Sound project. The presence of the brine is intriguing because it contradicts previous models for the origin of subsurface fluids that called upon large contributions from glacial melt water. Project objectives involve documenting the distribution of the brine (and potentially other fluids) via characterization of diagenetic precipitates. The approach will involve integration of petrographic and geochemical data (including conventional carbon, oxygen, and ?clumped? isotopes) to fully characterize diagenetic phases and allow development of a robust paragenetic history. This work will provide novel insights into the Cenozoic evolution of the VLB and, more broadly, the role of glacial processes in generating subsurface fluids. Broader impacts: Results from this project will help understand the origins of brines, groundwater and hydrocarbon reservoirs in analogous modern and ancient deposits elsewhere, which is of broad interest. This project will support the training of one graduate and one undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) providing learning opportunities in sedimentary geology and diagenesis, fields with wide applicability. This proposal emphasizes rapid dissemination of results to the scientific community via conference presentations and contributions to peer-reviewed publications. The results will be integrated into education activities designed to develop skills in petrography and diagenesis, which are highly sought after in the energy sector. The project will generate a well-constrained dataset that allows direct linkage of diagenetic phases to environmental and tectonic change across a large sedimentary basin which will provide the basis for a comprehensive case study in an upper-level course (Sedimentary Petrography and Diagenesis) at UNL. In addition, online exercises will be developed and submitted to an open-access site (SEPM Stratigraphy Web) dedicated to sedimentary geology.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Frank, Tracy; Fielding, Christopher", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "EarthChem", "repositories": "EarthChem", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Insights into the Burial, Tectonic, and Hydrologic History of the Cenozoic Succession in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica through Analysis of Diagenetic Phases", "uid": "p0000256", "west": null}, {"awards": "1148982 Hansen, Samantha", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((153.327 -73.032547,154.5063012 -73.032547,155.6856024 -73.032547,156.8649036 -73.032547,158.0442048 -73.032547,159.223506 -73.032547,160.4028072 -73.032547,161.5821084 -73.032547,162.7614096 -73.032547,163.9407108 -73.032547,165.120012 -73.032547,165.120012 -73.3530275,165.120012 -73.673508,165.120012 -73.9939885,165.120012 -74.314469,165.120012 -74.6349495,165.120012 -74.95543,165.120012 -75.2759105,165.120012 -75.596391,165.120012 -75.9168715,165.120012 -76.237352,163.9407108 -76.237352,162.7614096 -76.237352,161.5821084 -76.237352,160.4028072 -76.237352,159.223506 -76.237352,158.0442048 -76.237352,156.8649036 -76.237352,155.6856024 -76.237352,154.5063012 -76.237352,153.327 -76.237352,153.327 -75.9168715,153.327 -75.596391,153.327 -75.2759105,153.327 -74.95543,153.327 -74.6349495,153.327 -74.314469,153.327 -73.9939885,153.327 -73.673508,153.327 -73.3530275,153.327 -73.032547))", "dataset_titles": "Crustal Structure beneath the Northern Transantarctic Mountains and Wilkes Subglacial Basin: Implications for Tectonic Origins; Shear Wave Splitting Analysis and Seismic Anisotropy beneath the Northern Transantarctic Mountains; Upper Mantle Seismic Structure beneath the Northern Transantarctic Mountains from Regional P- and S-wave Tomography; Upper Mantle Shear Wave Velocity Structure beneath the Northern Transantarctic Mountains", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601019", "doi": "10.15784/601019", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; GPS; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Seismology; Shearwave Spitting; Solid Earth; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Hansen, Samantha", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Shear Wave Splitting Analysis and Seismic Anisotropy beneath the Northern Transantarctic Mountains", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601019"}, {"dataset_uid": "601017", "doi": "10.15784/601017", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Model; Seismology; Solid Earth; Tomography; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Hansen, Samantha", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Upper Mantle Seismic Structure beneath the Northern Transantarctic Mountains from Regional P- and S-wave Tomography", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601017"}, {"dataset_uid": "601018", "doi": "10.15784/601018", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Model; Seismology; Solid Earth; Tomography; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Hansen, Samantha", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Upper Mantle Shear Wave Velocity Structure beneath the Northern Transantarctic Mountains", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601018"}, {"dataset_uid": "601194", "doi": "10.15784/601194", "keywords": "Antarctica; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Hansen, Samantha", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Crustal Structure beneath the Northern Transantarctic Mountains and Wilkes Subglacial Basin: Implications for Tectonic Origins", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601194"}], "date_created": "Sun, 04 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: To understand Antarctica\u0027s geodynamic development, origin of the Transantarctic Mountains (TAMs) and the Wilkes Subglacial Basin (WSB) must be determined. Current constraints on the crustal thickness and seismic velocity structure beneath the TAMs and the WSB are limited, leading to uncertainties over competing geologic models that have been suggested to explain their formation. The PI proposes to broaden the investigation of this region with a new seismic deployment, the Transantarctic Mountains Northern Network (TAMNNET), a 15-station array across the northern TAMs and the WSB that will fill a major gap in seismic coverage. Data from TAMNNET will be combined with that from other previous and ongoing seismic initiatives and will be analyzed using proven modeling techniques to generate a detailed image of the seismic structure beneath the TAMs and the WSB. These data will be used to test three fundamental hypotheses: the TAMs are underlain by thickened crust, the WSB is characterized by thin crust and thick sedimentary layers, and slow seismic velocities are prevalent along strike beneath the TAMs. Results from the proposed study will provide new information about the nature and formation of the Antarctic continent and will help to advance our understanding of important global processes, such as mountain building and basin formation. The proposed research also has important implications for other fields of Antarctic science. Constraints on the origin of the TAMs uplift are critical for climate and ice sheet models, and new information acquired about variations in the thermal and lithospheric structure beneath the TAMs and the WSB will be used to estimate critical ice sheet boundary conditions. Broader impacts: This project incorporates three educational strategies to promote the integration of teaching and research. Graduate students will be trained in Antarctic tectonics and seismic processing through hands-on fieldwork and data analysis techniques. Through NSF\u0027s PolarTREC program, the PI will work with K-12 educators. The PI will develop a three-week summer field program for recent high school graduates and early-career undergraduate students from Minority-Serving Institutions in Alabama. Teaching materials and participant experiences will be shared with individuals outside the program via a course website. Following the summer program, participants who were particularly engaged will be offered internship opportunities to analyze TAMNNET data. In successive years, the students could assist with fieldwork and could be recruited into the graduate program under the PI\u0027s supervision. Ultimately, this program would not only serve to educate undergraduates but would also generate a pipeline of underrepresented students into the geosciences.", "east": 165.120012, "geometry": "POINT(159.223506 -74.6349495)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; USAP-DC", "locations": null, "north": -73.032547, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hansen, Samantha", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -76.237352, "title": "CAREER: Deciphering the Tectonic History of the Transantarctic Mountains and the Wilkes Subglacial Basin", "uid": "p0000300", "west": 153.327}, {"awards": "1142162 Stone, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-104.14 -81.07,-102.24 -81.07,-100.34 -81.07,-98.44 -81.07,-96.54 -81.07,-94.64 -81.07,-92.74 -81.07,-90.84 -81.07,-88.94 -81.07,-87.04 -81.07,-85.14 -81.07,-85.14 -81.207,-85.14 -81.344,-85.14 -81.481,-85.14 -81.618,-85.14 -81.755,-85.14 -81.892,-85.14 -82.029,-85.14 -82.166,-85.14 -82.303,-85.14 -82.44,-87.04 -82.44,-88.94 -82.44,-90.84 -82.44,-92.74 -82.44,-94.64 -82.44,-96.54 -82.44,-98.44 -82.44,-100.34 -82.44,-102.24 -82.44,-104.14 -82.44,-104.14 -82.303,-104.14 -82.166,-104.14 -82.029,-104.14 -81.892,-104.14 -81.755,-104.14 -81.618,-104.14 -81.481,-104.14 -81.344,-104.14 -81.207,-104.14 -81.07))", "dataset_titles": "Cosmogenic nuclide data at ICE-D; Glacial-interglacial History of West Antarctic Nunataks and Site Reconnaissance for Subglacial Bedrock Sampling", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200299", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Cosmogenic nuclide data at ICE-D", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}, {"dataset_uid": "600162", "doi": "10.15784/600162", "keywords": "Antarctica; Be-10; Chemistry:rock; Chemistry:Rock; Cosmogenic Dating; Glaciology; Nunataks; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Solid Earth; Whitmore Mountains", "people": "Stone, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Glacial-interglacial History of West Antarctic Nunataks and Site Reconnaissance for Subglacial Bedrock Sampling", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600162"}], "date_created": "Wed, 16 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "1142162/Stone This award supports a project to conduct a reconnaissance geological and radar-sounding study of promising sites in West Antarctica as a prelude to a future project to conduct subglacial cosmogenic nuclide measurements. Field work will take place in the Whitmore Mountains, close to the WAIS divide, and on the Nash and Pirrit Hills, downflow from the divide in the Weddell Sea drainage. At each site geological indicators of higher (and lower) ice levels in the past will be mapped and evidence of subglacial erosion or its absence will be documented. Elevation transects of both glacial erratics and adjacent bedrock samples will be collected to establish the timing of recent deglaciation at the sites and provide a complement to similar measurements on material from depth transects obtained by future subglacial drilling. At each site, bedrock ridges will be traced into the subsurface with closely-spaced ice-penetrating radar surveys, using a combination of instruments and frequencies to obtain meter-scale surface detail, using synthetic aperture techniques. Collectively the results will define prospective sites for subglacial sampling, and maximize the potential information to be obtained from such samples in future studies. The intellectual merit of this project is that measurements of cosmogenic nuclides in subglacial bedrock hold promise for resolving the questions of whether the West Antarctic ice sheet collapsed completely in the past, whether it is prone to repeated large deglaciations, and if so, what is their magnitude and frequency. Such studies will require careful choice of targets, to locate sites where bedrock geology is favorable, cosmogenic nuclide records are likely to have been protected from subglacial erosion, and the local ice-surface response is indicative of large-scale ice sheet behavior. The broader impacts of this work include helping to determine whether subglacial surfaces in West Antarctica were ever exposed to cosmic rays, which will provide unambiguous evidence for or against a smaller ice sheet in the past. This is an important step towards establishing whether the WAIS is vulnerable to collapse in future, and will ultimately help to address uncertainty in forecasting sea level change. The results will also provide ground truth for models of ice-sheet dynamics and long-term ice sheet evolution, and will help researchers use these models to identify paleoclimate conditions responsible for WAIS deglaciation. The education and training of students (both undergraduate and graduate students) will play an important role in the project, which will involve Antarctic fieldwork, technically challenging labwork, data collection and interpretation, and communication of the outcome to scientists and the general public.", "east": -85.14, "geometry": "POINT(-94.64 -81.755)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided; Antarctica; ICE SHEETS", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -81.07, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Stone, John; Conway, Howard; Winebrenner, Dale", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "ICE-D", "repositories": "ICE-D; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -82.44, "title": "Glacial-interglacial History of West Antarctic Nunataks and Site Reconnaissance for Subglacial Bedrock Sampling", "uid": "p0000335", "west": -104.14}, {"awards": "1043649 Hock, Regine", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "King George and Livingston Islands: Velocities and Digital Elevation Model", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609667", "doi": "10.7265/N5R49NR1", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Digital Elevation Model; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Thickness; Ice Velocity", "people": "Hock, Regine; Osmanoglu, Batuhan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "King George and Livingston Islands: Velocities and Digital Elevation Model", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609667"}], "date_created": "Wed, 17 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "1043649/Braun This award supports a project to determine the current mass balance of selected glaciers of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) and adjacent islands, including King George Island and Livingston Island. A major goal is to discriminate the climatic and dynamic components of the current mass budget. The dynamic component will be assessed using a flux gate approach. Glacier velocity fields will be derived by offset tracking on repeat SAR satellite imagery, and ice thicknesses across grounding lines or near terminus will be approximated from a new methods based on mass continuity. The surface mass balance will be computed from a spatially distributed temperature-index mass-balance model forced by temperature and precipitation data from regional climate models. Our results will provide improved mass budget estimates of Western Antarctic Peninsula glaciers and a more thorough understanding of the ratio between the climatic and dynamic components. The techniques to be developed will be applicable to other glaciers in the region allowing regional scale mass budgets to be derived. The broader impacts of this work are that glacier wastage is currently the most important contributor to global sea level rise and the Antarctic Peninsula has been identified as one of the largest single contributors. Future sea-level rise has major societal, economic and ecological implications. The activity will foster new partnerships through collaboration with European and South American colleagues. The project will form the base of of a postdoctoral research fellowship. It will also provide training of undergraduate and graduate students through inclusion of data and results in course curriculums.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e IMAGING RADARS \u003e PALSAR", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ALOS; Digital Elevation Model", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hock, Regine; Osmanoglu, Batuhan", "platforms": "SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e ADVANCED LAND OBSERVING SATELLITE (ALOS) \u003e ALOS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Contribution of Western Antarctic Peninsula glaciers to sea level rise: Separation of the dynamic and climatic components", "uid": "p0000054", "west": null}, {"awards": "0944653 Forster, Richard", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-119.4 -78.1,-118.46000000000001 -78.1,-117.52000000000001 -78.1,-116.58 -78.1,-115.64 -78.1,-114.7 -78.1,-113.76 -78.1,-112.82000000000001 -78.1,-111.88 -78.1,-110.94 -78.1,-110 -78.1,-110 -78.28999999999999,-110 -78.47999999999999,-110 -78.67,-110 -78.86,-110 -79.05,-110 -79.24,-110 -79.42999999999999,-110 -79.62,-110 -79.81,-110 -80,-110.94 -80,-111.88 -80,-112.82000000000001 -80,-113.76 -80,-114.7 -80,-115.64 -80,-116.58 -80,-117.52000000000001 -80,-118.46000000000001 -80,-119.4 -80,-119.4 -79.81,-119.4 -79.62,-119.4 -79.42999999999999,-119.4 -79.24,-119.4 -79.05,-119.4 -78.86,-119.4 -78.67,-119.4 -78.47999999999999,-119.4 -78.28999999999999,-119.4 -78.1))", "dataset_titles": "Annual Satellite Era Accumulation Patterns Over WAIS Divide: A Study Using Shallow Ice Cores, Near-Surface Radars and Satellites", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600146", "doi": "10.15784/600146", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Radar; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Forster, Richard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Annual Satellite Era Accumulation Patterns Over WAIS Divide: A Study Using Shallow Ice Cores, Near-Surface Radars and Satellites", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600146"}], "date_created": "Fri, 20 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to broaden the knowledge of annual accumulation patterns over the West Antarctic Ice Sheet by processing existing near-surface radar data taken on the US ITASE traverse in 2000 and by gathering and validating new ultra/super-high-frequency (UHF) radar images of near surface layers (to depths of ~15 m), expanding abilities to monitor recent annual accumulation patterns from point source ice cores to radar lines. Shallow (15 m) ice cores will be collected in conjunction with UHF radar images to confirm that radar echoed returns correspond with annual layers, and/or sub-annual density changes in the near-surface snow, as determined from ice core stable isotopes. This project will additionally improve accumulation monitoring from space-borne instruments by comparing the spatial-radar-derived-annual accumulation time series to the passive microwave time series dating back over 3 decades and covering most of Antarctica. The intellectual merit of this project is that mapping the spatial and temporal variations in accumulation rates over the Antarctic ice sheet is essential for understanding ice sheet responses to climate forcing. Antarctic precipitation rate is projected to increase up to 20% in the coming century from the predicted warming. Accumulation is a key component for determining ice sheet mass balance and, hence, sea level rise, yet our ability to measure annual accumulation variability over the past 5 decades (satellite era) is mostly limited to point-source ice cores. Developing a radar and ice core derived annual accumulation dataset will provide validation data for space-born remote sensing algorithms, climate models and, additionally, establish accumulation trends. The broader impacts of the project are that it will advance discovery and understanding within the climatology, glaciology and remote sensing communities by verifying the use of UHF radars to monitor annual layers as determined by visual, chemical and isotopic analysis from corresponding shallow ice cores and will provide a dataset of annual to near-annual accumulation measurements over the past ~5 decades across WAIS divide from existing radar data and proposed radar data. By determining if temporal changes in the passive microwave signal are correlated with temporal changes in accumulation will help assess the utility of passive microwave remote sensing to monitor accumulation rates over ice sheets for future decades. The project will promote teaching, training and learning, and increase representation of underrepresented groups by becoming involved in the NASA History of Winter project and Thermochron Mission and by providing K-12 teachers with training to monitor snow accumulation and temperature here in the US, linking polar research to the student?s backyard. The project will train both undergraduate and graduate students in polar research and will encouraging young investigators to become involved in careers in science. In particular, two REU students will participate in original research projects as part of this larger project, from development of a hypothesis to presentation and publication of the results. The support of a new, young woman scientist will help to increase gender diversity in polar research.", "east": -110.0, "geometry": "POINT(-114.7 -79.05)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -78.1, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Forster, Richard", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -80.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Annual satellite era accumulation patterns over WAIS Divide: A study using shallow ice cores, near-surface radars and satellites", "uid": "p0000079", "west": -119.4}, {"awards": "1141936 Foreman, Christine", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(112.085 -79.467)", "dataset_titles": "Molecular Level Characterization of Dissolved Organic Carbon and Microbial Diversity in the WAIS Divide Replicate Core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600133", "doi": "10.15784/600133", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Genetic Sequences; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Foreman, Christine", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Molecular Level Characterization of Dissolved Organic Carbon and Microbial Diversity in the WAIS Divide Replicate Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600133"}], "date_created": "Thu, 05 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a detailed, molecular level characterization of dissolved organic carbon and microbes in Antarctic ice cores. Using the most modern biological (genomic), geochemical techniques, and advanced chemical instrumentation researchers will 1) optimize protocols for collecting, extracting and amplifying DNA from deep ice cores suitable for use in next generation pyrosequencing; 2) determine the microbial diversity within the ice core; and 3) obtain and analyze detailed molecular characterizations of the carbon in the ice by ultrahigh resolution Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). With this pilot study investigators will be able to quantify the amount of material (microbial biomass and carbon) required to perform these characterizations, which is needed to inform future ice coring projects. The ultimate goal will be to develop protocols that maximize the yield, while minimizing the amount of ice required. The broader impacts include education and outreach at both the local and national levels. As a faculty mentor with the American Indian Research Opportunities and BRIDGES programs at Montana State University, Foreman will serve as a mentor to a Native American student in the lab during the summer months. Susan Kelly is an Education and Outreach Coordinator with a MS degree in Geology and over 10 years of experience in science outreach. She will coordinate efforts for comprehensive educational collaboration with the Hardin School District on the Crow Indian Reservation in South-central Montana.", "east": 112.085, "geometry": "POINT(112.085 -79.467)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e ADS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Dissolved Organic Carbon; Microbes; Ice Core; Not provided; Pyrosequencing; Microbial Diversity; Molecular; WAIS Divide; LABORATORY; FIELD SURVEYS; Antarctic; FIELD INVESTIGATION; DNA", "locations": "Antarctic; WAIS Divide", "north": -79.467, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Foreman, Christine", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.467, "title": "Molecular Level Characterization of Dissolved Organic Carbon and Microbial Diversity in the WAIS Divide Replicate Core", "uid": "p0000342", "west": 112.085}, {"awards": "1142156 Marschall, Horst", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-6.44 -71.93,-5.378 -71.93,-4.316 -71.93,-3.254 -71.93,-2.192 -71.93,-1.13 -71.93,-0.068 -71.93,0.994 -71.93,2.056 -71.93,3.118 -71.93,4.18 -71.93,4.18 -71.998,4.18 -72.066,4.18 -72.134,4.18 -72.202,4.18 -72.27,4.18 -72.338,4.18 -72.406,4.18 -72.474,4.18 -72.542,4.18 -72.61,3.118 -72.61,2.056 -72.61,0.994 -72.61,-0.068 -72.61,-1.13 -72.61,-2.192 -72.61,-3.254 -72.61,-4.316 -72.61,-5.378 -72.61,-6.44 -72.61,-6.44 -72.542,-6.44 -72.474,-6.44 -72.406,-6.44 -72.338,-6.44 -72.27,-6.44 -72.202,-6.44 -72.134,-6.44 -72.066,-6.44 -71.998,-6.44 -71.93))", "dataset_titles": "Zircon Hf Isotopes and the Continental Evolution of Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600135", "doi": "10.15784/600135", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:rock; Chemistry:Rock; Dronning Maud Land; Geochemistry; Geochronology; Solid Earth", "people": "Marschall, Horst", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Zircon Hf Isotopes and the Continental Evolution of Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600135"}], "date_created": "Fri, 23 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Geochemical studies of single mineral grains in rocks can be probed to reconstruct the history of our planet. The mineral zircon (ZrSiO4) is of unique importance in that respect because of its reliability as a geologic clock due to its strong persistence against weathering, transport and changes in temperature and pressure. Uranium-Lead (U-Pb) dating of zircon grains is, perhaps, the most frequently employed method of extracting time information on geologic processes that shaped the continental crust, and has been used to constrain the evolution of continents and mountain belts through time. In addition, the isotopic composition of the element Hafnium (Hf) in zircon is used to date when the continental crust was generated by extraction of magma from the underlying mantle. Melting of rocks in the mantle and deep in the continental crust are key processes in the evolution of the continents, and they are recorded in the Hf isotopic signatures of zircon. Although the analytical procedures for U-Pb dating and Hf isotope analyses of zircon are robust now, our understanding of zircon growth and its exchange of elements and isotopes with its surrounding rock or magma are still underdeveloped. The focus of the proposed study, therefore, is to unravel the evolution of zircon Hf isotopes in rocks that were formed deep in the Earth?s crust, and more specifically, to apply these isotopic methods to rocks collected in Dronning Maud Land (DML), East Antarctica. Dronning Maud Land (DML) occupied a central location during the formation of supercontinents ? large landmasses made up of all the continents that exist today - more than 500 million years ago. It is currently thought that supercontinents were formed and dismembered five or six times throughout Earth?s history. The area of DML is key for understanding the formation history of the last two supercontinents. The boundaries of continents that were merged to form those supercontinents are most likely hidden in DML. In this study, the isotopic composition of zircon grains recovered from DML rocks will be employed to identify these boundaries across an extensive section through the area. The rock samples were collected by the investigator during a two-month expedition to Antarctica in the austral summer of 2007?2008. The results of dating and isotope analyses of zircon of the different DML crustal domains will deliver significant insight into the regional geology of East Antarctica and its previous northern extension into Africa. This has significance for the reconstruction of the supercontinents and defining the continental boundaries in DML.", "east": 4.18, "geometry": "POINT(-1.13 -72.27)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -71.93, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Marschall, Horst", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -72.61, "title": "Zircon Hf Isotopes and the Continental Evolution of Dronning Maud Land, East Antacrtica", "uid": "p0000448", "west": -6.44}, {"awards": "0739575 Emslie, Steven", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "Egg membrane and chick feather THg concentration and stable isotope composition; Stable Isotope Analyses of Pygoscelid Penguin remains from Active and Abandoned Colonies in Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600145", "doi": "10.15784/600145", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Geochronology; Global; Penguin; Ross Sea; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Scotia Sea; Southern Ocean", "people": "Emslie, Steven D.; Patterson, William; Polito, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Stable Isotope Analyses of Pygoscelid Penguin remains from Active and Abandoned Colonies in Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600145"}, {"dataset_uid": "601459", "doi": "10.15784/601459", "keywords": "Adelie Penguin; Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Mercury; Penguin", "people": "McKenzie, Ashley", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Egg membrane and chick feather THg concentration and stable isotope composition", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601459"}], "date_created": "Fri, 25 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The research combines interdisciplinary study in geology, paleontology, and biology, using stable isotope and radiocarbon analyses, to examine how climate change and resource utilization have influenced population distribution, movement, and diet in penguins during the mid-to-late Holocene. Previous investigations have demonstrated that abandoned colonies contain well-preserved remains that can be used to examine differential responses of penguins to climate change in various sectors of Antarctica. As such, the research team will investigate abandoned and active pygoscelid penguin (Adelie, Chinstrap, and Gentoo) colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula and Ross Sea regions, and possibly Prydz Bay, in collaboration with Chinese scientists during four field seasons. Stable isotope analyses will be conducted on recovered penguin tissues and prey remains in guano to address hypotheses on penguin occupation history, population movement, and diet in relation to climate change since the late Pleistocene. The study will include one Ph.D., two Masters and 16 undergraduate students in advanced research over the project period. Students will be exposed to a variety of fields, the scientific method, and international scientific research. They will complete field and lab research for individual projects or Honor\u0027s theses for academic credit. The project also will include web-based outreach, lectures to middle school students, and the development of interactive exercises that highlight hypothesis-driven research and the ecology of Antarctica. Two undergraduate students in French and Spanish languages at UNCW will be hired to assist in translating the Web page postings for broader access to this information.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USA/NSF; AMD; USAP-DC; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Amd/Us", "locations": null, "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Polito, Michael; Patterson, William", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Stable Isotope Analyses of Pygoscelid Penguin remains from Active and Abandoned Colonies in Antarctica", "uid": "p0000317", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1146554 Rack, Frank", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((153.694 -77.89028,155.025433 -77.89028,156.356866 -77.89028,157.688299 -77.89028,159.019732 -77.89028,160.351165 -77.89028,161.682598 -77.89028,163.014031 -77.89028,164.345464 -77.89028,165.676897 -77.89028,167.00833 -77.89028,167.00833 -78.525252,167.00833 -79.160224,167.00833 -79.795196,167.00833 -80.430168,167.00833 -81.06514,167.00833 -81.700112,167.00833 -82.335084,167.00833 -82.970056,167.00833 -83.605028,167.00833 -84.24,165.676897 -84.24,164.345464 -84.24,163.014031 -84.24,161.682598 -84.24,160.351165 -84.24,159.019732 -84.24,157.688299 -84.24,156.356866 -84.24,155.025433 -84.24,153.694 -84.24,153.694 -83.605028,153.694 -82.970056,153.694 -82.335084,153.694 -81.700112,153.694 -81.06514,153.694 -80.430168,153.694 -79.795196,153.694 -79.160224,153.694 -78.525252,153.694 -77.89028))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 27 Apr 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award provides support for \"EAGER: Handbook of Hot Water Drill System (HWDS) Design Considerations and Best Practices\" from the Antarctic Integrated System Science within the Office of Polar Programs. More and more science projects are proposing to use hot-water drilling systems (HWDS) to rapidly and/or cleanly access glacial and subglacial systems. To date the hot-water drill systems have been developed in isolation, and no attempt has been made to gather information about the different systems in one place. This proposal requests funds to document existing HWDS, and to then assess the design, testing, and development of a hot-water drill system that will be integrated with the evolving over-ice traverse capability of the USAP program. Intellectual Merit: A working handbook of best practices for hot-water drill design systems, including safety considerations, is long overdue, and will 1) provide suggestions for optimizing current systems; 2) contribute in the very near term to already funded projects such as WISSARD (Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access and Research Drilling); and 3) fit the long-term needs of the Antarctic science community who have identified rapid and clean access to glacial and subglaical environments as a top priority for the next decades. The collected information will be used for community education and training, will discuss potential design and operational trade-offs, and will identify ways to optimize the capabilities of an integrated USAP traverse and HWDS infrastructure. EAGER funding for this project is warranted because such a handbook has not been tried before, and needs to be shown to be doable prior to larger investments in such compilations. It fits the AISS (Antarctic Integrated System Science) program as an optimized HWDS will meet the needs of many different Antarctic research disciplines including biology, geology, glaciology, and oceanography. Broader Impacts: The proposed work is being done on behalf of the Antarctic research community, and will seek to capture the knowledge of experienced hot-water drill engineers who are nearing retirement, and to educate the next generation of hot-water drillers and engineers. The PI indicates he will work with the owners of such systems both within the US and abroad. Identification of best practices in hot-water drilling will save several different Antarctic research communities significant time, effort, and funding in the future.", "east": 167.00833, "geometry": "POINT(160.351165 -81.06514)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e GRAVITY CORER; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SEDIMENT CORERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SAMPLERS \u003e BOTTLES/FLASKS/JARS \u003e NISKIN BOTTLES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SAMPLERS \u003e FSI; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMISTORS \u003e THERMISTORS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Hot Water Drill; Subglacial Lake; Ross Ice Shelf; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; FIELD SURVEYS; TRAVERSE; Clean Access Drilling; Drilling Parameters; FIELD INVESTIGATION; DRILLING PLATFORMS; Not provided; Antarctica; WISSARD; Whillans Ice Stream; FIXED OBSERVATION STATIONS", "locations": "Antarctica; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Whillans Ice Stream; Ross Ice Shelf", "north": -77.89028, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Rack, Frank", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e FIXED OBSERVATION STATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VEHICLES \u003e TRAVERSE; Not provided; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIXED PLATFORMS \u003e SURFACE \u003e DRILLING PLATFORMS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -84.24, "title": "EAGER: Handbook of Hot Water Drill System (HWDS) Design Considerations and Best Practices.", "uid": "p0000729", "west": 153.694}, {"awards": "0944645 Goodge, John", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 11 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: \u003cbr/\u003eBecause of extensive ice cover and sparse remote-sensing data, the geology of the Precambrian East Antarctic Shield (EAS) remains largely unexplored with information limited to coastal outcrops from the African, Indian and Australian sectors. The East Antarctic lithosphere is globally important: as one of the largest coherent Precambrian shields, including rocks as old as ~3.8 Ga, it played an important role in global crustal growth; it is a key piece in assembly of the Rodinia and Gondwana supercontinents; it is the substrate to Earth?s major ice cap, including numerous sub-glacial lakes, and influences its thermal state and mechanical stability; and its geotectonic association with formerly adjacent continental blocks in South Africa, India and Australia suggest that it might harbor important mineral resources. This project will increase understanding of the age and composition of the western EAS lithosphere underlying and adjacent to the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) using U-Pb ages, and Hf- and O-isotope analysis of zircon in early Paleozoic granitoids and Pleistocene glacial tills. TAM granites of the early Paleozoic Ross Orogen represent an areally extensive continental-margin arc suite that can provide direct information about the EAS crust from which it melted and/or through which it passed. Large rock clasts of igneous and metamorphic lithologies entrained in glacial tills at the head of major outlet glaciers traversing the TAM provide eroded samples of the proximal EAS basement. Zircons in these materials will provide data about age and inheritance (U-Pb), crustal vs. mantle origin (O isotopes), and crustal sources and evolution (Hf isotopes). Integrated along a significant part of the TAM, these data will help define broader crustal provinces that can be correlated with geophysical data and used to test models of crustal assembly. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eBroader impacts: \u003cbr/\u003eThis project will provide a research opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates will be involved as Research Assistants in sample preparation, imaging, and analytical procedures, and conducting their own independent research. The two main elements of this project will form the basis of MS thesis projects for two graduate students at UMD. Through this project they will gain a good understanding of petrology, isotope geochemistry, and analytical methods. The broader scientific impacts of this work are that it will help develop a better understanding of the origin and evolution of East Antarctic lithosphere underlying and adjacent to the TAM, which will be of value to the broader earth science and glaciological community. Furthermore, knowledge of East Antarctic geology is of continuing interest to the general public because of strong curiosity about past supercontinents, what?s under the ice, and the impact of global warming on ice-sheet stability.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Transantarctic Mountains; Not provided", "locations": "Transantarctic Mountains", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Goodge, John", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Age and Composition of the East Antarctic Shield by Isotopic Analysis of Granite and Glacial Till", "uid": "p0000258", "west": null}, {"awards": "0632136 Nyblade, Andrew; 0632322 Wilson, Terry", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-20 -70,-1 -70,18 -70,37 -70,56 -70,75 -70,94 -70,113 -70,132 -70,151 -70,170 -70,170 -72,170 -74,170 -76,170 -78,170 -80,170 -82,170 -84,170 -86,170 -88,170 -90,151 -90,132 -90,113 -90,94 -90,75 -90,56 -90,37 -90,18 -90,-1 -90,-20 -90,-20 -88,-20 -86,-20 -84,-20 -82,-20 -80,-20 -78,-20 -76,-20 -74,-20 -72,-20 -70))", "dataset_titles": "Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS); University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000132", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)", "url": "http://www.iris.edu/mda/YT?timewindow=2007-2018"}, {"dataset_uid": "000131", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO)", "url": "http://www.unavco.org/data/gps-gnss/data-access-methods/dai2/app/dai2.html#groupingMod=contains;grouping=POLENET%20-%20ANET;scope=Station;sampleRate=normal"}], "date_created": "Thu, 22 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project constructs POLENET a network of GPS and seismic stations in West Antarctica to understand how the mass of the West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS) changes with time. The information is ultimately used to predict sea level rise accompanying global warming and interpret climate change records. The GPS (global positioning system) stations measure vertical and horizontal movements of bedrock, while the seismic stations characterize physical properties of the ice/rock interface, lithosphere, and mantle. Combined with satellite data, this project offers a more complete picture of the ice sheet\u0027s current state, its likely change in the near future, and its overall size during the last glacial maximum. This data will also be used to infer sub-ice sheet geology and the terrestrial heat flux, critical inputs to models of glacier movement. As well, this project improves tomographic models of the earth\u0027s deep interior and core through its location in the Earth\u0027s poorly instrumented southern hemisphere. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eBroader impacts of this project are varied. The work is relevant to society for improving our understanding of the impacts of global warming on sea level rise. It also supports education at the postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate levels, and outreach to groups underrepresented in the sciences. As an International Polar Year contribution, this project establishes a legacy of infrastructure for polar measurements. It also involves an international collaboration of twenty four countries. For more information see IPY Project #185 at IPY.org. NSF is supporting a complementary Arctic POLENET array being constructed in Greenland under NSF Award #0632320.", "east": 170.0, "geometry": "POINT(75 -80)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS RECEIVERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; Bedrock; Ice/Rock Interface; Climate Change; Seismic; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; FIELD SURVEYS; LABORATORY; Not provided; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Mass Balance; COMPUTERS; Sub-Ice Sheet Geology; Sea Level; Terrestrial Heat Flux", "locations": "Antarctica; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -70.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Wilson, Terry; Bevis, Michael; Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; Wiens, Douglas; Aster, Richard; Smalley, Robert; Nyblade, Andrew; Winberry, Paul; Hothem, Larry; Dalziel, Ian W.; Huerta, Audrey D.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e COMPUTERS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "IRIS", "repositories": "IRIS; UNAVCO", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: IPY: POLENET-Antarctica: Investigating Links Between Geodynamics and Ice Sheets", "uid": "p0000315", "west": -20.0}, {"awards": "0944615 Brown, Michael; 0944600 Siddoway, Christine", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-146.5 -76,-145.95 -76,-145.4 -76,-144.85 -76,-144.3 -76,-143.75 -76,-143.2 -76,-142.65 -76,-142.1 -76,-141.55 -76,-141 -76,-141 -76.15,-141 -76.3,-141 -76.45,-141 -76.6,-141 -76.75,-141 -76.9,-141 -77.05,-141 -77.2,-141 -77.35,-141 -77.5,-141.55 -77.5,-142.1 -77.5,-142.65 -77.5,-143.2 -77.5,-143.75 -77.5,-144.3 -77.5,-144.85 -77.5,-145.4 -77.5,-145.95 -77.5,-146.5 -77.5,-146.5 -77.35,-146.5 -77.2,-146.5 -77.05,-146.5 -76.9,-146.5 -76.75,-146.5 -76.6,-146.5 -76.45,-146.5 -76.3,-146.5 -76.15,-146.5 -76))", "dataset_titles": "Rock Samples collected from bedrock exposures, Ford Ranges, MBL", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200415", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Polar Rock Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "Rock Samples collected from bedrock exposures, Ford Ranges, MBL", "url": "http://bprc.osu.edu/rr/"}], "date_created": "Thu, 09 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: \u003cbr/\u003eThe northern Ford ranges in Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica, record events and processes that transformed a voluminous succession of Lower Paleozoic turbidites intruded by calc-alkaline plutonic rocks into differentiated continental crust along the margin of Gondwana. In this study the Fosdick migmatite?granite complex will be used to investigate crustal evolution through an integrated program of fieldwork, structural geology, petrology, mineral equilibria modeling, geochronology and geochemistry. The PIs propose detailed traverses at four sites within the complex to investigate Paleozoic and Mesozoic orogenic cycles. They will use petrological associations, structural geometry, and microstructures of host gneisses and leucogranites to distinguish the migration and coalescence patterns for remnant melt flow networks, and carry out detailed sampling for geochronology, geochemistry and isotope research. Mafic plutonic phases will be sampled to acquire information about mantle contributions at the source. Mineral equilibria modeling of source rocks and granite products, combined with in situ mineral dating, will be employed to resolve the P?T?t trajectories arising from thickening/thinning of crust during orogenic cycles and to investigate melting and melt loss history. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eBroader impacts: \u003cbr/\u003eThis work involves research and educational initiatives for an early career female scientist, as well as Ph.D. and undergraduate students. Educational programs for high school audiences and undergraduate courses on interdisciplinary Antarctic science will be developed.", "east": -141.0, "geometry": "POINT(-143.75 -76.75)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Tectonic; TECTONICS; Transcurrent Faults; MAJOR ELEMENTS; Migmatite; Structural Geology; Gneiss Dome; Geochronology; AGE DETERMINATIONS; Detachment Faults; Marie Byrd Land", "locations": "Marie Byrd Land", "north": -76.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Siddoway, Christine; Brown, Mike", "platforms": null, "repo": "Polar Rock Repository", "repositories": "Polar Rock Repository", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.5, "title": "Collaborative research: Polyphase Orogenesis and Crustal Differentiation in West Antarctica", "uid": "p0000259", "west": -146.5}, {"awards": "1043700 Harry, Dennis", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -70,-176.5 -70,-173 -70,-169.5 -70,-166 -70,-162.5 -70,-159 -70,-155.5 -70,-152 -70,-148.5 -70,-145 -70,-145 -71,-145 -72,-145 -73,-145 -74,-145 -75,-145 -76,-145 -77,-145 -78,-145 -79,-145 -80,-148.5 -80,-152 -80,-155.5 -80,-159 -80,-162.5 -80,-166 -80,-169.5 -80,-173 -80,-176.5 -80,180 -80,177.5 -80,175 -80,172.5 -80,170 -80,167.5 -80,165 -80,162.5 -80,160 -80,157.5 -80,155 -80,155 -79,155 -78,155 -77,155 -76,155 -75,155 -74,155 -73,155 -72,155 -71,155 -70,157.5 -70,160 -70,162.5 -70,165 -70,167.5 -70,170 -70,172.5 -70,175 -70,177.5 -70,-180 -70))", "dataset_titles": "Geodynamic Models of Subsidence and Lithospheric Flexure at the ANDRILL Drill Sites: Implications for Cenozoic Tectonics and Ice Sheet History; Ross Sea post-middle Miocene seismic interpretation", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600128", "doi": "10.15784/600128", "keywords": "Andrill; Antarctica; Continental Rift; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Lithosphere; Model; Ross Sea; Solid Earth; Tectonic; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Harry, Dennis L.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "ANDRILL", "title": "Geodynamic Models of Subsidence and Lithospheric Flexure at the ANDRILL Drill Sites: Implications for Cenozoic Tectonics and Ice Sheet History", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600128"}, {"dataset_uid": "601227", "doi": "10.15784/601227", "keywords": "Andrill; Antarctica; Marine Geoscience; Ross Sea; Seismic Interpretation; Seismic Reflection; Stratigraphy; Subsidence; Victoria Land Basin", "people": "Harry, Dennis L.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "ANDRILL", "title": "Ross Sea post-middle Miocene seismic interpretation", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601227"}], "date_created": "Sun, 31 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: This research will place the subsidence history of the southern Victoria Land Basin into a quantitative geodynamic context and will assess the influence of flexure associated with late Neogene volcanic loading of the crust by the Erebus Volcanic Group. This will be done by extending geodynamic models of extension in the West Antarctic Rift System to include extensional hiatuses hypothesized to have occurred during the Late Paleogene and Miocene, and by developing a new geodynamic model of volcanic loading and associated lithosphere flexure. Finite element and finite difference modeling methods will be used. In the first phase of the project, a series of extensional geodynamic models will be developed to examine the effect that proposed extensional hiatuses have on the style of extension, with emphasis placed on developing a process based understanding of the change in rift style from diffuse during the Late Cretaceous to more focused during the Cenozoic. The models will test the hypotheses that extensional hiatuses led to the change in rifting style, and will place constraints on the timing and duration of the hiatuses. The second phase of the project will use the thermal and rheological properties of the previous models to constrain the flexural rigidity of the lithosphere in order to model the flexural response to volcanic loading to test the hypotheses that flexural subsidence contributed to cyclic changes between grounded and floating ice at the ANDRILL AND-1A site, complicating interpretations of the climatic record from this core, and that flexure contributes to the stress orientation at the AND-2B site, which is inconsistent with the expected regional extensional stress orientation. Broader impacts: The project will train an undergraduate student and an M.S. student. Outreach activities include a planned series of talks at regional high schools, junior colleges, and 4-year colleges that have geology programs.", "east": -145.0, "geometry": "POINT(-175 -75)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; MARINE GEOPHYSICS; Antarctica; NOT APPLICABLE", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -70.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Harry, Dennis L.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "ANDRILL", "south": -80.0, "title": "Geodynamic Models of Subsidence and Lithospheric Flexure at the ANDRILL Drill Sites: Implications for Cenozoic Tectonics and Ice Sheet History", "uid": "p0000467", "west": 155.0}, {"awards": "1139739 Hansen, Samantha", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "A New Approach to Investigate the Seismic Velocity Structure beneath Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600132", "doi": "10.15784/600132", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Lithosphere; Seismic Tomography; Solid Earth", "people": "Hansen, Samantha", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "A New Approach to Investigate the Seismic Velocity Structure beneath Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600132"}], "date_created": "Mon, 14 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: Numerous candidate models for the geologic processes that have shaped the Antarctic continent have been proposed. To discriminate between them, detailed images of the upper mantle structure are required; however, the only existing continental-scale images of seismic structure beneath Antarctica lack sufficient resolution to delineate important, diagnostic features. Using newly available data from various Antarctic seismic networks, the PI will employ the adaptively parameterized tomography method to develop a high-resolution, continental-scale seismic velocity model for all of Antarctica. The proposed tomography method combines regional seismic travel-time datasets in the context of a global model to create a composite continental-scale model of upper mantle structure. The proposed method allows for imaging of finer structure in areas with better seismic ray coverage while simultaneously limiting the resolution of features in regions with less coverage. This research will help advance understanding of important global processes, such as craton formation, mountain building, continental rifting and associated magmatism. Additionally, the proposed research will have important impacts on other fields of Antarctic science. Constraints provided by tomographic results can be used to develop thermal models of the lithosphere needed to characterize the history and dynamics of ice sheets. Also, further constraints on lithospheric structure are required by climate-ice models, which are focused on understanding the cooling history of the Antarctic continent. Broader impacts: The PI is a new faculty member at the University of Alabama after having been funded as a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Polar Regions Research. The graduate student supported by this project is new to polar research. Through the UA-Tuscaloosa Magnet School partnership program, the PI will educate K-12 students about the Antarctic environment and associated career opportunities through various online and hands-on activities. University of Alabama dedicates a significant percentage of its enrollment space to underrepresented groups.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hansen, Samantha", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "New Approach to Investigate the Seismic Velocity Structure beneath Antarctica", "uid": "p0000354", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1142083 Kyle, Philip", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(167.15334 -77.529724)", "dataset_titles": "Database of Erebus cave field seasons; Icequakes at Erebus volcano, Antarctica; Mount Erebus Observatory GPS data; Mount Erebus Seismic Data; Mount Erebus Thermodynamic model code; Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory: Operations, Science and Outreach (MEVO-OSO); Seismic data used for high-resolution active-source seismic tomography", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200027", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "Mount Erebus Observatory GPS data", "url": "https://www.unavco.org/data/gps-gnss/data-access-methods/dai1/monument.php?mid=22083\u0026parent_link=Permanent\u0026pview=original"}, {"dataset_uid": "200033", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "Icequakes at Erebus volcano, Antarctica", "url": "http://ds.iris.edu/mda/ZW/?timewindow=2007-2009http://ds.iris.edu/mda/Y4?timewindow=2008-2009http://ds.iris.edu/mda/ZO?timewindow=2011-2012"}, {"dataset_uid": "200032", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "Mount Erebus Seismic Data", "url": "http://ds.iris.edu/mda/ER/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200031", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GitHub", "science_program": null, "title": "Mount Erebus Thermodynamic model code", "url": "https://github.com/kaylai/Iacovino2015_thermodynamic_model"}, {"dataset_uid": "200034", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "Seismic data used for high-resolution active-source seismic tomography", "url": "http://ds.iris.edu/mda/ZW/?timewindow=2007-2009http://ds.iris.edu/mda/Y4?timewindow=2008-2009http://ds.iris.edu/ds/nodes/dmc/forms/assembled-data/?dataset_report_number=09-015"}, {"dataset_uid": "600381", "doi": "10.15784/600381", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cable Observatory; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Infrared Imagery; Intracontinental Magmatism; IntraContinental Magmatism; MEVO; Mount Erebus; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Ross Island; Solid Earth; Thermal Camera; Volcano", "people": "Oppenheimer, Clive; Kyle, Philip", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "MEVO", "title": "Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory: Operations, Science and Outreach (MEVO-OSO)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600381"}, {"dataset_uid": "200030", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GitHub", "science_program": null, "title": "Database of Erebus cave field seasons", "url": "https://github.com/foobarbecue/troggle"}], "date_created": "Tue, 03 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: Mt. Erebus is one of only a handful of volcanoes worldwide that have lava lakes with readily observable and nearly continuous Strombolian explosive activity. Erebus is also unique in having a permanent convecting lava lake of anorthoclase phonolite magma. Over the years significant infrastructure has been established at the summit of Mt. Erebus as part of the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory (MEVO), which serves as a natural laboratory to study a wide range of volcanic processes, especially magma degassing associated with an open convecting magma conduit. The PI proposes to continue operating MEVO for a further five years. The fundamental fundamental research objectives are: to understand diffuse flank degassing by using distributed temperature sensing and gas measurements in ice caves, to understand conduit processes, and to examine the environmental impact of volcanic emissions from Erebus on atmospheric and cryospheric environments. To examine conduit processes the PI will make simultaneous observations with video records, thermal imaging, measurements of gas emission rates and gas compositions, seismic, and infrasound data. Broader impacts: An important aspect of Erebus research is the education and training of students. Both graduate and undergraduate students will have the opportunity to work on MEVO data and deploy to the field site. In addition, this proposal will support a middle or high school science teacher for two field seasons. The PI will also continue working with various media organizations and filmmakers.", "east": 167.15334, "geometry": "POINT(167.15334 -77.529724)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e IMAGING SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e TIRS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e SPECTROMETERS \u003e FTIR SPECTROMETER; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e SPECTROMETERS \u003e DOAS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e LASER RANGING \u003e MOBLAS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROBES \u003e ELECTRON MICROPROBES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e PETROGRAPHIC MICROSCOPES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e SEISMOMETERS \u003e SEISMOMETERS; NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e IMAGING SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e HRDI; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e IMAGING SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e TIRS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e INFRASONIC MICROPHONES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e AMS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e XRF; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e ICP-MS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e ICP-ES; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e LASER RANGING \u003e MOBLAS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e IRGA; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e PRESSURE CHAMBERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e SPECTROMETERS \u003e FTIR SPECTROMETER; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e MICROTOMOGRAPHY; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e SIMS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Earthquakes; Vesuvius; Cosmogenic Radionuclides; Infrasonic Signals; Icequakes; Magma Shells; Phase Equilibria; Passcal; Correlation; Backscattering; Eruptive History; Degassing; Volatiles; Magma Convection; Thermodynamics; Tremors; Optech; Uv Doas; Energy Partitioning; Erebus; Cronus; Holocene; Lava Lake; Phonolite; Vagrant; Thermal Infrared Camera; Flir; USA/NSF; Mount Erebus; Active Source Seismic; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Interferometry; Volatile Solubility; Redox State; Viscosity; Hydrogen Emission; Seismicity; Eruptions; Explosion Energy; FIELD SURVEYS; Radar Spectra; OBSERVATION BASED; Seismic Events; Strombolian Eruptions; Anorthoclase; Ice Caves; Iris; VOLCANO OBSERVATORY; Melt Inclusions; Ftir; Alkaline Volcanism; Tomography; TLS; Volcanic Gases; ANALYTICAL LAB", "locations": "Vesuvius; Cronus; Vagrant; Mount Erebus; Passcal", "north": -77.529724, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Kyle, Philip; Oppenheimer, Clive; Chaput, Julien; Jones, Laura; Fischer, Tobias", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e VOLCANO OBSERVATORY; OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e OBSERVATION BASED; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e ANALYTICAL LAB", "repo": "UNAVCO", "repositories": "GitHub; IRIS; UNAVCO; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "MEVO", "south": -77.529724, "title": "Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory: Operations, Science and Outreach (MEVO-OSO)", "uid": "p0000383", "west": 167.15334}, {"awards": null, "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Depths to Ice-cemented Soils in High-elevation Quartermain Mountains, Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609529", "doi": "10.7265/N5VX0DFJ", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Depths to Ice-cemented Soils in High-elevation Quartermain Mountains, Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "url": "http://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609529"}], "date_created": "Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT", "description": null, "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; Critical Zone; Dry Valleys; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Permafrost; Soil", "locations": "Antarctica; Dry Valleys", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Marinova, Margarita M.; McKay, Christopher P.", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": null, "uid": null, "west": null}, {"awards": "0739444 Rice, James", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Rice 0739444\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to study the mode of formation and causes of glacial earthquakes. The paradigm for glacial flow has been that glaciers flow in a viscous manner, with major changes in the force balance occurring on the decade timescale or longer. The recent discovery of a number of even shorter timescale events has challenged this paradigm. In 2003, it was discovered that Whillans Ice Stream in West Antarctica displays stick-slip behavior on the 10-30 minute timescale, with ice stream speed increasing by a factor of 30 from already high speeds. In the past year, the minimum timescale has been pushed shorter by recognition that a class of recently discovered 50-second-long, magnitude-5 earthquakes are closely associated with changes in the force balance near the calving fronts of large outlet glaciers in both Greenland and East Antarctica. With no adequate theory existing to explain these relatively large earthquakes associated with outlet glaciers, we have begun to investigate the physical mechanisms that must be involved in allowing such a response in a system traditionally not thought capable of generating large variations in forces over timescales less than 100 seconds. The intellectual merit of the work is that large-amplitude, short-timescale variability of glaciers is an important mode of glacier dynamics that has not yet been understood from a first-principles physics perspective. The proposed research addresses this gap in understanding, tying together knowledge from numerous disciplines including glaciology, seismology and fault rupture dynamics, laboratory rock physics, granular flow, fracture mechanics, and hydrogeology. The broader impacts of the work are that there is societal as well as general scientific interest in the stability of the major ice sheets. However, without an understanding of the physical processes governing short time scale variability, it is unlikely that we will be able accurately predict the future of these ice sheets and their impact on sea level changes. The project will also contribute to the development and education of young scientists.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Rapid Glacial Motions; Not provided; Hydrogeology; Fracture Mechanics; Glacier Dynamics; Glacial Earthquakes; Granular Flow; Glacial Underflooding; Glaciology; Ice Stream Margins; Outlet Glaciers", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Rice, James; Platt, John; Suckale, Jenny; Perol, Thibaut; Tsai, Victor", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Transient and Rapid Glacial Motions, including Glacial Earthquakes", "uid": "p0000709", "west": null}, {"awards": "0739781 Blythe, Ann", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((155.77667 -79.793335,156.208836 -79.793335,156.641002 -79.793335,157.073168 -79.793335,157.505334 -79.793335,157.9375 -79.793335,158.369666 -79.793335,158.801832 -79.793335,159.233998 -79.793335,159.666164 -79.793335,160.09833 -79.793335,160.09833 -79.8578345,160.09833 -79.922334,160.09833 -79.9868335,160.09833 -80.051333,160.09833 -80.1158325,160.09833 -80.180332,160.09833 -80.2448315,160.09833 -80.309331,160.09833 -80.3738305,160.09833 -80.43833,159.666164 -80.43833,159.233998 -80.43833,158.801832 -80.43833,158.369666 -80.43833,157.9375 -80.43833,157.505334 -80.43833,157.073168 -80.43833,156.641002 -80.43833,156.208836 -80.43833,155.77667 -80.43833,155.77667 -80.3738305,155.77667 -80.309331,155.77667 -80.2448315,155.77667 -80.180332,155.77667 -80.1158325,155.77667 -80.051333,155.77667 -79.9868335,155.77667 -79.922334,155.77667 -79.8578345,155.77667 -79.793335))", "dataset_titles": "Thermochronologic and modelling test for a Mesozoic West Antarctic Plateau", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600082", "doi": "10.15784/600082", "keywords": "Antarctica; Fission Track Thermochronology; Geochemistry; Solid Earth; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Huerta, Audrey D.; Blythe, Ann Elizabeth", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Thermochronologic and modelling test for a Mesozoic West Antarctic Plateau", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600082"}], "date_created": "Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project studies formation of the TransAntarctic Mountains (TAM) through numerical modeling based on cooling histories of apatite mineral grains. The TAM are the highest and longest rift-related mountain range in the world. Various models for their uplift have been proposed, the most provocative of which is that they are not uplifted, but instead are the eroded remnant of a plateau. This project evaluates that hypothesis by collecting apatites from around Byrd Glacier for fission track thermochronology. Results will be combined with a kinematic and thermal model to determine the TAM?s structural evolution. The plateau model, if correct, implies that the Byrd Glacier originated not as a glacier-carved valley through the TAM, but as a river system flowing in the opposite direction. Given that the Byrd Glacier is a key drainage for the East Antarctic ice sheet, this result has important implications for ice sheet models and interpretation of both regional geology and sediment records.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe main broader impacts are undergraduate research and a new collaboration between a primarily undergraduate and a research institution. Students will be involved in the field program, sample analyses, and numerical modeling.", "east": 160.09833, "geometry": "POINT(157.9375 -80.1158325)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -79.793335, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Blythe, Ann Elizabeth; Huerta, Audrey D.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -80.43833, "title": "Collaborative Research: Thermochronologic and modelling test for a Mesozoic West Antarctic Plateau", "uid": "p0000677", "west": 155.77667}, {"awards": "0733025 Blankenship, Donald", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((95 -65,103.5 -65,112 -65,120.5 -65,129 -65,137.5 -65,146 -65,154.5 -65,163 -65,171.5 -65,180 -65,180 -66.7,180 -68.4,180 -70.1,180 -71.8,180 -73.5,180 -75.2,180 -76.9,180 -78.6,180 -80.3,180 -82,171.5 -82,163 -82,154.5 -82,146 -82,137.5 -82,129 -82,120.5 -82,112 -82,103.5 -82,95 -82,95 -80.3,95 -78.6,95 -76.9,95 -75.2,95 -73.5,95 -71.8,95 -70.1,95 -68.4,95 -66.7,95 -65))", "dataset_titles": "Gravity anomaly data; Gravity raw data; ICECAP Basal Interface Specularity Content Profiles: IPY and OIB; ICECAP flight reports; ICECAP ice thickness data over the Darwin and Hatherton Glaciers, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica; ICECAP radargrams (HiCARS 1); ICECAP radargrams (HiCARS 2); Ice-penetrating radar internal stratigraphy over Dome C and the wider East Antarctic Plateau; Ice thickness and bed reflectivity data (HiCARS 1); Ice thickness and bed reflectivity data (HiCARS 2); Laser altimetry raw data; Laser surface elevation data; Magnetic anomaly data; Magnetic raw data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601411", "doi": "10.15784/601411", "keywords": "Antarctica; East Antarctic Plateau; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; ICECAP; Ice Penetrating Radar; Internal Reflecting Horizons", "people": "Tozer, Carly; Ritz, Catherine; Blankenship, Donald D.; Schroeder, Dustin; Mulvaney, Robert; Roberts, Jason; Frezzotti, Massimo; Paden, John; Muldoon, Gail R.; Quartini, Enrica; Kempf, Scott D.; Ng, Gregory; Greenbaum, Jamin; Cavitte, Marie G. P; Young, Duncan A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Dome C Ice Core", "title": "Ice-penetrating radar internal stratigraphy over Dome C and the wider East Antarctic Plateau", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601411"}, {"dataset_uid": "601605", "doi": "10.15784/601605", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Basler; Darwin Glacier; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Hatherton Glacier; Hicars; ICECAP; Ice Penetrating Radar; Ice Thickness; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Young, Duncan A.; Holt, John W.; Greenbaum, Jamin; Schroeder, Dustin; Gillespie, Mette; Blankenship, Donald D.; Siegert, Martin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "ICECAP ice thickness data over the Darwin and Hatherton Glaciers, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601605"}, {"dataset_uid": "200114", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice thickness and bed reflectivity data (HiCARS 2)", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/IR2HI2/versions/1"}, {"dataset_uid": "200115", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Magnetic raw data", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/imgeo1b"}, {"dataset_uid": "200116", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Magnetic anomaly data", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/imgeo2"}, {"dataset_uid": "200117", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Gravity raw data", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/igbgm1b/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200118", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Gravity anomaly data", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/igbgm2/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200119", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Laser altimetry raw data", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/ilutp1b"}, {"dataset_uid": "200120", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Laser surface elevation data", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/ilutp2"}, {"dataset_uid": "200121", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "ICECAP flight reports", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/ifltrpt"}, {"dataset_uid": "200111", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "ICECAP radargrams (HiCARS 1)", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/IR1HI1B/versions/1"}, {"dataset_uid": "601371", "doi": "10.15784/601371", "keywords": "Antarctica; East Antarctica; ICECAP; Ice Penetrating Radar; Radar Echo Sounder; Radar Echo Sounding; Subglacial Hydrology", "people": "Young, Duncan A.; Roberts, Jason; Greenbaum, Jamin; Blankenship, Donald D.; Schroeder, Dustin; Siegert, Martin; van Ommen, Tas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "ICECAP Basal Interface Specularity Content Profiles: IPY and OIB", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601371"}, {"dataset_uid": "200112", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "ICECAP radargrams (HiCARS 2)", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/IR2HI1B/versions/1"}, {"dataset_uid": "200113", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice thickness and bed reflectivity data (HiCARS 1)", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/IR1HI2/versions/1"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project is an aerogeophysical survey to explore unknown terrain in East Antarctica to answer questions of climate change and earth science. The methods include ice-penetrating radar, gravity, and magnetic measurements. The project?s main goal is to investigate the stability and migration of ice divides that guide flow of the East Antarctic ice sheet, the world?s largest. The project also maps ice accumulation over the last interglacial, identifies subglacial lakes, and characterizes the catchment basins of the very largest glacial basins, including Wilkes and Aurora. The outcomes contribute to ice sheet models relevant to understanding sea level rise in a warming world. The work will also help understand the regional geology. Buried beneath miles-thick ice, East Antarctica is virtually uncharacterized, but is considered a keystone for tectonic reconstructions and other geologic questions. The region also hosts subglacial lakes, whose geologic histories are unknown. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe broader impacts are extensive, and include societal relevance for understanding sea level rise, outreach in various forms, and education at the K12 through postdoctoral levels. The project contributes to the International Polar Year (2007-2009) by addressing key IPY themes on frontiers in polar exploration and climate change. It also includes extensive international collaboration with the United Kingdom, Australia, France and other nations; and offers explicit opportunities for early career scientists.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(137.5 -73.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "DOME C; Aurora Subglacial Basin; BT-67; East Antarctica; Wilkes Land; Totten Glacier; ICE SHEETS; Byrd Glacier; Wilkes Subglacial Basin", "locations": "East Antarctica; DOME C; Byrd Glacier; Totten Glacier; Aurora Subglacial Basin; Wilkes Subglacial Basin; Wilkes Land", "north": -65.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Siegert, Martin; Roberts, Jason; Van Ommen, Tas; Warner, Roland; Richter, Thomas; Greenbaum, Jamin; Holt, John W.; Young, Duncan A.; Blankenship, Donald D.", "platforms": "AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PROPELLER \u003e BT-67", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "NSIDC; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -82.0, "title": "IPY Research: Investigating the Cryospheric Evolution of the Central Antarctic Plate (ICECAP)", "uid": "p0000719", "west": 95.0}, {"awards": "0087521 Waddington, Edwin", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Annual Layers at Siple Dome, Antarctica, from Borehole Optical Stratigraphy", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609515", "doi": "10.7265/N5DB7ZRZ", "keywords": "Antarctica; Borehole Optical Stratigraphy; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Alley, Richard; Waddington, Edwin D.; Taylor, Kendrick C.; Hawley, Robert L.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Annual Layers at Siple Dome, Antarctica, from Borehole Optical Stratigraphy", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609515"}], "date_created": "Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a two year project to develop a new method for measuring vertical strain rates in polar firn. Vertical strain rate measurements in the firn are important because they can aid in the understanding of the dynamics of firn compaction, a key factor in determining ice age/gas age difference estimates for ice cores. Vertical strain rate measurements also determine ice advection for borehole paleothermometry models, and most importantly can be used to date the shallow sections of ice cores where ambiguities in chemical dating or counting of annual layers hinder dating by traditional methods. In this project a video logging tool will be used to create a unique \"optical fingerprint\" of variations in the optical properties of the firn with depth, and track the movement and deformation of the features of this fingerprint. Preliminary work at Siple Dome, Antarctica using an improvised logging system shows a series of optically bright and dark zones as the tool transits up or down the hole. Borehole fingerprinting has the potential to improve measurements of vertical strain in firn holes. This project represents a unique opportunity to interface with an existing field program where a borehole vertical strain rate project is already underway. A graduate student will be supported to conduct the work on this project as part of a PhD. dissertation on climate and physical processes in polar firn.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e CAMERAS \u003e CAMERAS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; Stratigraphy; Layers; Ice Core Stratigraphy; Siple Dome; Borehole; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Borehole Camera; Ice Stratigraphy", "locations": "Antarctica; Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Alley, Richard; Taylor, Kendrick C.; Waddington, Edwin D.; Hawley, Robert L.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Borehole Fingerprinting: Vertical Strain, Firn Compaction, and Firn Depth-Age Scales", "uid": "p0000173", "west": null}, {"awards": "9527571 Whillans, Ian", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((158.25 -76.66667,158.325 -76.66667,158.4 -76.66667,158.475 -76.66667,158.55 -76.66667,158.625 -76.66667,158.7 -76.66667,158.775 -76.66667,158.85 -76.66667,158.925 -76.66667,159 -76.66667,159 -76.683336,159 -76.700002,159 -76.716668,159 -76.733334,159 -76.75,159 -76.766666,159 -76.783332,159 -76.799998,159 -76.816664,159 -76.83333,158.925 -76.83333,158.85 -76.83333,158.775 -76.83333,158.7 -76.83333,158.625 -76.83333,158.55 -76.83333,158.475 -76.83333,158.4 -76.83333,158.325 -76.83333,158.25 -76.83333,158.25 -76.816664,158.25 -76.799998,158.25 -76.783332,158.25 -76.766666,158.25 -76.75,158.25 -76.733334,158.25 -76.716668,158.25 -76.700002,158.25 -76.683336,158.25 -76.66667))", "dataset_titles": "GPS Ice Flow Measurements, Allan Hills, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609507", "doi": "10.7265/N5NS0RSX", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPS; Ice Flow Velocity", "people": "Hamilton, Gordon S.; Spikes, Vandy Blue; Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Spaulding, Nicole", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "GPS Ice Flow Measurements, Allan Hills, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609507"}], "date_created": "Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Whillans, Wilson, Goad OPP 9527571 Abstract This award supports a project to initiate Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements for rock motions in South Victoria Land and vicinity. The results will be used to test some of the leading models for ice-sheet change and tectonism, in particular, whether the continent is rebounding due to reduced ice load from East or West Antarctica and whether there is tectonic motion due to Terror Rift or uplift of the Transantarctic Mountains. A modest program to measure ice motion will be conducted as well. The motive is to test models for ice flow in the Allan Hills meteorite concentration region and to determine whether small glaciers in the Dry Valleys are thickening or thinning. Monuments will be set into rock and ice and GPS receivers used to determine their locations. Repeats in later years will determine motion. Field activities will involve close cooperation with the USGS.", "east": 159.0, "geometry": "POINT(158.625 -76.75)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS; LABORATORY; Not provided; Ice Movement; GPS Data; Vertical Motions; GPS; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": null, "north": -76.66667, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Whillans, Ian; Spaulding, Nicole; Hamilton, Gordon S.; Spikes, Vandy Blue; Kurbatov, Andrei V.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Allan Hills", "south": -76.83333, "title": "GPS Measurements of Rock and Ice Motions in South Victoria Land", "uid": "p0000523", "west": 158.25}, {"awards": "0537609 Gee, Jeffrey", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "An Integrated Geomagnetic and Petrologic Study of the Dufek Complex", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600053", "doi": "10.15784/600053", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dufek Complex; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Paleomagnetism; Solid Earth", "people": "Gee, Jeffrey", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "An Integrated Geomagnetic and Petrologic Study of the Dufek Complex", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600053"}], "date_created": "Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project studies remnant magnetization in igneous rocks from the Dufek igneous complex, Antarctica. Its primary goal is to understand variations in the Earth\u0027s magnetic field during the Mesozoic Dipole Low (MDL), a period when the Earth\u0027s magnetic field underwent dramatic weakening and rapid reversals. This work will resolve the MDL\u0027s timing and nature, and assess connections between reversal rate, geomagnetic intensity and directional variability, and large-scale geodynamic processes. The project also includes petrologic studies to determine cooling rate effects on magnetic signatures, and understand assembly of the Dufek as an igneous body. Poorly studied, the Dufek is amongst the world\u0027s largest intrusions and its formation is connected to the break-up of Gondwana. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe broader impacts of this project include graduate and undergraduate education and international collaboration with a German and Chilean IPY project.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS", "locations": null, "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Gee, Jeffrey", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: An Integrated Geomagnetic and Petrologic Study of the Dufek Complex", "uid": "p0000510", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0440847 Raymond, Charles", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "GPS-Measured Ice Velocities and Strain Data from the Ross and Amundsen Sea Ice Flow Divide, West Antarctica; Polarimetric Radar Data from the Ross and Amundsen Sea Ice Flow Divide, West Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609503", "doi": "10.7265/N5222RQ8", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPS; Ice Flow Velocity; Ross-Amundsen Divide; Strain", "people": "Matsuoka, Kenichi; Power, Donovan; Rasmussen, Al", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "GPS-Measured Ice Velocities and Strain Data from the Ross and Amundsen Sea Ice Flow Divide, West Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609503"}, {"dataset_uid": "609496", "doi": "10.7265/N5TH8JNG", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPR; Radar; Ross-Amundsen Divide", "people": "Power, Donovan; Fujita, Shuji; Raymond, Charles; Matsuoka, Kenichi", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Polarimetric Radar Data from the Ross and Amundsen Sea Ice Flow Divide, West Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609496"}], "date_created": "Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to investigate fabrics with ground-based radar measurements near the Ross/Amundsen Sea ice-flow divide where a deep ice core will be drilled. The alignment of crystals in ice (crystal-orientation fabric) has an important effect on ice deformation. As ice deforms, anisotropic fabrics are produced, which, in turn, influence further deformation. Measurement of ice fabric variations can help reveal the deformation history of the ice and indicate how the ice will deform in the future. Ice cores provide opportunities to determine a vertical fabric profile, but horizontal variations of fabrics remain unknown. Remote sensing with ice-penetrating radar is the only way to do that over large areas. Preliminary results show that well-established polarimetric methods can detect the degree of horizontal anisotropy of fabrics and their orientation, even when they are nearly vertical-symmetric fabrics. In conjunction with ice deformation history, our first mapping of ice fabrics will contribute to modeling ice flow near the future ice core site. The project will train a graduate student and provide research experiences for two under graduate students both in field and laboratory. The project will contribute to ongoing West Antarctic ice sheet program efforts to better understand the impact of the ice sheet on global sea level rise. This project also supports an international collaboration between US and Japanese scientists.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GPS; FIELD SURVEYS; Antarctic; Radar; Antarctica; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Ice Sheet; Not provided; Ross-Amundsen Divide; West Antarctica; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "locations": "Antarctica; Ross-Amundsen Divide; West Antarctica; Antarctic; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Matsuoka, Kenichi; Power, Donovan; Fujita, Shuji; Raymond, Charles; Rasmussen, Al", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e NAVIGATION SATELLITES \u003e GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) \u003e GPS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Detection of Crystal Orientation Fabrics near the Ross/Amundsen Sea Ice-flow Divide and at the Siple Dome Ice Core Site using Polarimetric Radar Methods", "uid": "p0000024", "west": null}, {"awards": "0538120 Catania, Ginny; 0538015 Hulbe, Christina", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((154.71 -82.78,154.79000000000002 -82.78,154.87 -82.78,154.95 -82.78,155.03 -82.78,155.11 -82.78,155.19 -82.78,155.26999999999998 -82.78,155.35 -82.78,155.43 -82.78,155.51 -82.78,155.51 -82.788,155.51 -82.796,155.51 -82.804,155.51 -82.812,155.51 -82.82,155.51 -82.828,155.51 -82.836,155.51 -82.844,155.51 -82.852,155.51 -82.86,155.43 -82.86,155.35 -82.86,155.26999999999998 -82.86,155.19 -82.86,155.11 -82.86,155.03 -82.86,154.95 -82.86,154.87 -82.86,154.79000000000002 -82.86,154.71 -82.86,154.71 -82.852,154.71 -82.844,154.71 -82.836,154.71 -82.828,154.71 -82.82,154.71 -82.812,154.71 -82.804,154.71 -82.796,154.71 -82.788,154.71 -82.78))", "dataset_titles": "Grounding Line Strain Grid Surveys, Kamb Ice Stream, Antarctica; Ice-Penetrating Radar Data Across Siple Coast Grounding Lines", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609474", "doi": "10.7265/N5M043BH", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; GPR; Grounding Line; Radar; Siple Coast", "people": "Catania, Ginny; Hulbe, Christina", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice-Penetrating Radar Data Across Siple Coast Grounding Lines", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609474"}, {"dataset_uid": "609494", "doi": "10.7265/N5Z899C6", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geodesy; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPS; Grounding Line; Kamb Ice Stream; Strain", "people": "Hulbe, Christina", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Grounding Line Strain Grid Surveys, Kamb Ice Stream, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609494"}], "date_created": "Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0538120\u003cbr/\u003eCatania\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to identify and map ice surface and internal features that chronicle the sequence of events leading to the shut-down of Kamb ice stream. In particular, the project will study past grounding line migration and the relationship between that process and ice stream shutdown. The intellectual merits of the project include the fact that an understanding of such processes has important implications for our ability to accurately predict mass balance changes in this region. Currently, one of the five major West Antarctic ice streams, Kamb, is quiescent, and another, Whillans, is slowing in its downstream reaches. The Kamb shutdown appears to have begun at its downstream end but beyond that simple observation, it is not possible, yet, to draw meaningful comparisons between the two adjacent streams. We do not know if current events on Whillans Ice Stream are similar to what transpired during the Kamb shut-down. The work proposed here intends to bridge that gap. It is expected that this effort will yield useful insights into the influence of grounding line dynamics on ice stream flow. The work will involve a combination of field investigations using radio-echo sounding and GPS combined with computational efforts involving the interpretation of ice-surface features such as relict flow traces and crevasses. The broader impacts of the project will be in addressing a global environmental problem with critical societal implications, training the next generation of scientists and engineers to serve the nation, and encouraging women to pursue scientific or engineering careers. Participants from both institutions are involved in a range of public outreach activities.", "east": 155.51, "geometry": "POINT(155.11 -82.82)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS RECEIVERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e GPR; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided; Ice Sheet Elevation; West Antarctic Ice Stream; MODELS; Ice Sheet Thickness; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Kamb Ice Stream; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Ice Sheet; Ice Stream Motion; Antarctica; Siple Dome; Grounding Line; FIELD INVESTIGATION; GPS; FIELD SURVEYS; West Antarctica; Ice Stream; Radar", "locations": "Antarctica; Kamb Ice Stream; West Antarctic Ice Stream; Antarctic Ice Sheet; West Antarctica; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Siple Dome", "north": -82.78, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hulbe, Christina; Catania, Ginny", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e MODELS; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e NAVIGATION SATELLITES \u003e GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) \u003e GPS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -82.86, "title": "Collaborative Research: Grounding Line Forensics: The History of Grounding Line Retreat in the Kamb Ice Stream Outlet Region", "uid": "p0000019", "west": 154.71}, {"awards": "9909734 Anderson, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-73.80311 -52.35021,-71.817373 -52.35021,-69.831636 -52.35021,-67.845899 -52.35021,-65.860162 -52.35021,-63.874425 -52.35021,-61.888688 -52.35021,-59.902951 -52.35021,-57.917214 -52.35021,-55.931477 -52.35021,-53.94574 -52.35021,-53.94574 -53.954842,-53.94574 -55.559474,-53.94574 -57.164106,-53.94574 -58.768738,-53.94574 -60.37337,-53.94574 -61.978002,-53.94574 -63.582634,-53.94574 -65.187266,-53.94574 -66.791898,-53.94574 -68.39653,-55.931477 -68.39653,-57.917214 -68.39653,-59.902951 -68.39653,-61.888688 -68.39653,-63.874425 -68.39653,-65.860162 -68.39653,-67.845899 -68.39653,-69.831636 -68.39653,-71.817373 -68.39653,-73.80311 -68.39653,-73.80311 -66.791898,-73.80311 -65.187266,-73.80311 -63.582634,-73.80311 -61.978002,-73.80311 -60.37337,-73.80311 -58.768738,-73.80311 -57.164106,-73.80311 -55.559474,-73.80311 -53.954842,-73.80311 -52.35021))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001803", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0201"}], "date_created": "Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9909734 Anderson This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research on the glaciomarine geology of the continental shelves of West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula. It is hypothesized that the different glacial systems of the Antarctic Peninsula region have been more responsive to climate change and sea-level rise than either the West Antarctic or East Antarctic ice sheets. This is due mainly to the smaller size of these ice masses and the higher latitude location of the peninsula. Indeed, ice shelves of the Antarctic Peninsula are currently retreating at rates of up to a kilometer per year. But are these changes due to recent atmospheric warming in the region or are they simply the final phase of retreat since the last glacial maximum? This project hypothesizes that the deglacial history of the Antarctic Peninsula region has been quite complex, with different glacial systems retreating at different rates and at different times. This complex recessional history reflects the different sizes as well as different climatic and physiographic settings of glacial systems in the region. An understanding of the Late Pleistocene to Holocene glacial history of the Antarctic Peninsula glacial systems is needed to address how these systems responded to sea-level and climate change during that time interval. This investigation acquire new marine geological and geophysical data from the continental shelf to determine if and when different glacial systems were grounded on the shelf, to establish the extent of grounded ice, and to examine the history of glacial retreat. The project will build on an extensive seismic data set and hundreds of sediment cores collected along the Peninsula during earlier (1980\u0027s) cruises. Key to this investigation is the acquisition of swath bathymetry, side-scan sonar and very high-resolution sub-bottom (chirp) profiles from key drainage outlets. These new data will provide the necessary geomorphologic and stratigraphic framework for reconstructing the Antarctic Peninsula glacial record. Anticipated results will help constrain models for future glacier and ice sheet activity.", "east": -53.94574, "geometry": "POINT(-63.874425 -60.37337)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.35021, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Anderson, John; Anderson, Jason", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -68.39653, "title": "LGM Late Pleistocene to Holocene Glacial History of West Antarctica", "uid": "p0000600", "west": -73.80311}, {"awards": "0732467 Domack, Eugene", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Cosmogenic-Nuclide Data at ICe-D; Expedition data of LMG0903; Expedition data of NBP1001; NBP1001 cruise data; Processed CTD Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001; Processed ship-based LADCP Sonar Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000142", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1001 cruise data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1001"}, {"dataset_uid": "002651", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP1001", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1001"}, {"dataset_uid": "200297", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Cosmogenic-Nuclide Data at ICe-D", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601346", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Current Measurements; LADCP; Larsen Ice Shelf; NBP1001; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer", "people": "Huber, Bruce; Gordon, Arnold", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Processed ship-based LADCP Sonar Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601346"}, {"dataset_uid": "601345", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; CTD; CTD Data; LARISSA; Larsen Ice Shelf; NBP1001; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Salinity; Temperature", "people": "Gordon, Arnold; Huber, Bruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Processed CTD Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1001", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601345"}, {"dataset_uid": "002715", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0903", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0903"}], "date_created": "Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a research cruise to perform geologic studies in the area under and surrounding the former Larsen B ice shelf, on the Antarctic Peninsula. The ice shelf\u0027s disintegration in 2002 coupled with the unique marine geology of the area make it possible to understand the conditions leading to ice shelf collapse. Bellwethers of climate change that reflect both oceanographic and atmospheric conditions, ice shelves also hold back glacial flow in key areas of the polar regions. Their collapse results in glacial surging and could cause rapid rise in global sea levels. This project characterizes the Larsen ice shelf\u0027s history and conditions leading to its collapse by determining: 1) the size of the Larsen B during warmer climates and higher sea levels back to the Eemian interglacial, 125,000 years ago; 2) the configuration of the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet during the LGM and its subsequent retreat; 3) the causes of the Larsen B\u0027s stability through the Holocene, during which other shelves have come and gone; 4) the controls on the dynamics of ice shelf margins, especially the roles of surface melting and oceanic processes, and 5) the changes in sediment flux, both biogenic and lithogenic, after large ice shelf breakup. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe broader impacts include graduate and undergraduate education through research projects and workshops; outreach to the general public through a television documentary and websites, and international collaboration with scientists from Belgium, Spain, Argentina, Canada, Germany and the UK. The work also has important societal relevance. Improving our understanding of how ice shelves behave in a warming world will improve models of sea level rise.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe project is supported under NSF\u0027s International Polar Year (IPY) research emphasis area on \"Understanding Environmental Change in Polar Regions\".", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V LMG; Larsen Ice Shelf; R/V NBP; Antarctic Peninsula; ICE SHEETS", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula; Larsen Ice Shelf", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Domack, Eugene Walter; Blanchette, Robert", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "ICE-D; R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research in IPY: Abrupt Environmental Change in the Larsen Ice Shelf System, a Multidisciplinary Approach - Marine and Quaternary Geosciences", "uid": "p0000841", "west": null}, {"awards": "9909367 Leventer, Amy", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((26.27227 -42.81742,38.414467 -42.81742,50.556664 -42.81742,62.698861 -42.81742,74.841058 -42.81742,86.983255 -42.81742,99.125452 -42.81742,111.267649 -42.81742,123.409846 -42.81742,135.552043 -42.81742,147.69424 -42.81742,147.69424 -45.454494,147.69424 -48.091568,147.69424 -50.728642,147.69424 -53.365716,147.69424 -56.00279,147.69424 -58.639864,147.69424 -61.276938,147.69424 -63.914012,147.69424 -66.551086,147.69424 -69.18816,135.552043 -69.18816,123.409846 -69.18816,111.267649 -69.18816,99.125452 -69.18816,86.983255 -69.18816,74.841058 -69.18816,62.698861 -69.18816,50.556664 -69.18816,38.414467 -69.18816,26.27227 -69.18816,26.27227 -66.551086,26.27227 -63.914012,26.27227 -61.276938,26.27227 -58.639864,26.27227 -56.00279,26.27227 -53.365716,26.27227 -50.728642,26.27227 -48.091568,26.27227 -45.454494,26.27227 -42.81742))", "dataset_titles": "Diatom assemblages from Edward VIII Gulf, Kemp Coast, East Antarctica; NB0101 Expedition Data; Quantitative Diatom Assemblage Data from Iceberg Alley, Mac. Robertson Shelf, East Antarctica acquired during expedition NBP0101", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601177", "doi": "10.15784/601177", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Diatom; East Antarctica; Microscopy; NBP0101; Oceans; Paleoceanography; Paleoclimate; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sediment Corer", "people": "Leventer, Amy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Diatom assemblages from Edward VIII Gulf, Kemp Coast, East Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601177"}, {"dataset_uid": "601307", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Diatom; East Antarctica; Mac. Robertson Shelf; Marine Geoscience; Microscope; NBP0101; Paleoclimate; Piston Corer; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sediment Core; Species Abundance", "people": "Leventer, Amy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Quantitative Diatom Assemblage Data from Iceberg Alley, Mac. Robertson Shelf, East Antarctica acquired during expedition NBP0101", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601307"}, {"dataset_uid": "001879", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NB0101 Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0101"}], "date_created": "Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9909367 Leventer This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a multi-institutional, international (US - Australia) marine geologic and geophysical investigation of Prydz Bay and the MacRobertson Shelf, to be completed during an approximately 60-day cruise aboard the RVIB N.B. Palmer. The primary objective is to develop a record of climate and oceanographic change during the Quaternary, using sediment cores collected via kasten and jumbo piston coring. Core sites will be selected based on seismic profiling (Seabeam 2112 and Bathy2000). Recognition of the central role of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to global oceanic and atmospheric systems is based primarily on data collected along the West Antarctic margin, while similar extensive and high resolution data sets from the much more extensive East Antarctic margin are sparse. Goals of this project include (1) development of a century- to millennial-scale record of Holocene paleoenvironments, and (2) testing of hypotheses concerning the sedimentary record of previous glacial and interglacial events on the shelf, and evaluation of the timing and extent of maximum glaciation along this 500 km stretch of the East Antarctic margin. High-resolution seismic mapping and coring of sediments deposited in inner shelf depressions will be used to reconstruct Holocene paleoenvironments. In similar depositional settings in the Antarctic Peninsula and Ross Sea, sedimentary records demonstrate millennial- and century- scale variability in primary production and sea-ice extent during the Holocene, which have been linked to chronological periodicities in radiocarbon distribution, suggesting the possible role of solar variability in driving some changes in Holocene climate. Similar high-resolution Holocene records from the East Antarctic margin will be used to develop a circum-Antarctic suite of data regarding the response of southern glacial and oceanographic systems to late Quaternary climate change. In addition, these data will help us to evaluate the response of the East Antarctic margin to global warming. Initial surveys of the Prydz Channel - Amery Depression region reveal sequences deposited during previous Pleistocene interglacials. The upper Holocene and lower (undated) siliceous units can be traced over 15,000 km2 of the Prydz Channel, but more sub-bottom seismic reflection profiling in conjunction with dense coring over this region is needed to define the spatial distribution and extent of the units. Chronological work will determine the timing and duration of previous periods of glacial marine sedimentation on the East Antarctic margin during the late Pleistocene. Analyses will focus on detailed sedimentologic, geochemical, micropaleontological, and paleomagnetic techniques. This multi-parameter approach is the most effective way to extract a valuable paleoenvironmental signal in these glacial marine sediments. These results are expected to lead to a significant advance in understanding of the behavior of the Antarctic ice-sheet and ocean system in the recent geologic past. The combination of investigators, all with many years of experience working in high latitude marine settings, will provide an effective team to complete the project. University and College faculty (Principal Investigators on this project) will supervise a combination of undergraduate and post-graduate students involved in all stages of the project so that educational objectives will be met in tandem with the research goals of the project.", "east": 147.69424, "geometry": "POINT(86.983255 -56.00279)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SEDIMENT CORERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP; USAP-DC", "locations": null, "north": -42.81742, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Leventer, Amy", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -69.18816, "title": "Quaternary Glacial History and Paleoenvironments of the East Antarctic Margin", "uid": "p0000609", "west": 26.27227}, {"awards": "0737168 Prentice, Michael; 0541054 Sletten, Ronald", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((162.2335 -77.5047,162.3803 -77.5047,162.5271 -77.5047,162.6739 -77.5047,162.8207 -77.5047,162.9675 -77.5047,163.1143 -77.5047,163.2611 -77.5047,163.4079 -77.5047,163.5547 -77.5047,163.7015 -77.5047,163.7015 -77.52814,163.7015 -77.55158,163.7015 -77.57502,163.7015 -77.59846,163.7015 -77.6219,163.7015 -77.64534,163.7015 -77.66878,163.7015 -77.69222,163.7015 -77.71566,163.7015 -77.7391,163.5547 -77.7391,163.4079 -77.7391,163.2611 -77.7391,163.1143 -77.7391,162.9675 -77.7391,162.8207 -77.7391,162.6739 -77.7391,162.5271 -77.7391,162.3803 -77.7391,162.2335 -77.7391,162.2335 -77.71566,162.2335 -77.69222,162.2335 -77.66878,162.2335 -77.64534,162.2335 -77.6219,162.2335 -77.59846,162.2335 -77.57502,162.2335 -77.55158,162.2335 -77.52814,162.2335 -77.5047))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to examine the stratigraphy of near-surface sediments in Taylor Valley, Antarctica. Two contrasting hypotheses have been proposed for surface sediments in lower Taylor Valley, which have important and very different implications for how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) responded to the sea-level rise of the last deglaciation and Holocene environmental changes. One hypothesis holds that the sediments, designated Ross I drift, directly reflect \u003e10,000 14C-years of WAIS shrinkage in the Ross Sea during and perhaps driven by deglacial sea-level rise. The other hypothesis, holds that the Taylor sediments have little significance for WAIS change during the deglaciation. These two hypotheses reflect fundamentally different interpretations of the sediment record. Over the course of two field seasons and a third year at the home institutions, the project will test these two hypotheses using glacial geology, geochemistry, ground penetrating radar (GPR) at both 100 MHz and 400 MHz, and portable sediment coring. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is that it will test these two hypotheses and make novel use of the subsurface record that may result in new insights into WAIS sensitivity during the deglaciation. The study will also directly test the conclusion that Glacial Lake Washburn was much larger than previously proposed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This occurrence, if real, represents a stunning climate anomaly. Answers to these local ice sheet and lake questions directly pertain to larger scale issues concerning the influences of sea-level rise, climate change, and internal ice-sheet dynamics on the recession of the WAIS since the LGM. There are numerous broader impacts to this project. Understanding the glacial and lake history in the McMurdo Sound region has important implications for the role that the WAIS will play in future sea-level and global climate change. Moreover, the history of Taylor Valley has significance for the ecosystem studies currently being conducted by the LTER group. Lastly, during the course of the proposed research, the project will train two graduate and undergraduate students and the research will be featured prominently in the teaching of students.", "east": 163.7015, "geometry": "POINT(162.9675 -77.6219)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided; Salt", "locations": null, "north": -77.5047, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY", "persons": "Prentice, Michael; Sletten, Ronald S.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -77.7391, "title": "Collaborative Research: Fluctuations of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in Relation to Lake History in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, Since the Last Glacial Maximum", "uid": "p0000656", "west": 162.2335}, {"awards": "0538097 Anandakrishnan, Sridhar", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((140 -89.8,144 -89.8,148 -89.8,152 -89.8,156 -89.8,160 -89.8,164 -89.8,168 -89.8,172 -89.8,176 -89.8,180 -89.8,180 -89.82,180 -89.84,180 -89.86,180 -89.88,180 -89.9,180 -89.92,180 -89.94,180 -89.96,180 -89.98,180 -90,176 -90,172 -90,168 -90,164 -90,160 -90,156 -90,152 -90,148 -90,144 -90,140 -90,140 -89.98,140 -89.96,140 -89.94,140 -89.92,140 -89.9,140 -89.88,140 -89.86,140 -89.84,140 -89.82,140 -89.8))", "dataset_titles": "IRIS Data Management Center (DMC) holds the full resolution seismic data. Keyword: POLELAKE. Dataset ID: 10-019; seismic data. Keyword: POLELAKE. Dataset ID: 10-019", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001466", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "IRIS Data Management Center (DMC) holds the full resolution seismic data. Keyword: POLELAKE. Dataset ID: 10-019", "url": "http://www.iris.edu/dms/dmc"}, {"dataset_uid": "000102", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "seismic data. Keyword: POLELAKE. Dataset ID: 10-019", "url": "http://ds.iris.edu/ds/nodes/dmc/"}], "date_created": "Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0538097\u003cbr/\u003eAnandakrishnan\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to intensively study a subglacial Antarctic lake near the geographic South Pole using seismic and radar methods. These ground-based experiments are better suited to determine the presence of water and its thickness than are airborne methods. We hypothesize that there are two end-member explanations for this feature: either the lake is thawed, but freezing on (and likely to have been freezing on through much of the current interglacial period), or it is a frozen, relict lake for which the high basal radar reflectivity is due to intergranular water in a permafrost-like layer beneath the ice. The seismic experiment we propose is ideally suited to examine these alternatives. Intermediate cases of, e.g., a thawed saturated sedimentary base or a smooth crystalline basement layer would also be resolved by this experiment. Seismic reflections are sensitive to changes in acoustic impedance which is strongly variable with fluid content, porosity, and lithology. Water has low density relative to most rocks and low seismic velocity (and nil shear wave velocity) relative to both ice and rock. Thus, discriminating between subglacial water and subglacial rock is a task ideally suited to the seismic reflection technique. This project has significant impacts outside the directly affected fields of Antarctic glaciology and geology. The lake (either thawed or sediments with thin liquid layers around the matrix particles) will have the potential for harboring novel life forms. The experiment has the potential for expanding our information about the newest frontier in life on Earth. The collaboration between PIs in the seismic community and the marine acoustics community will foster cross-disciplinary pollination of ideas, techniques, and tools. In addition to traditional seismic techniques, new methods of data analysis that have been developed by acousticians will be applied to this problem as an independent measure of lake properties. We will train students who will have a wider view of seismology than would be possible in a traditional ocean acoustics or traditional geoscience seismology program of study.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(160 -89.9)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e SEISMIC REFLECTION PROFILERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e SEISMOMETERS \u003e SEISMOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e SEISMOMETERS \u003e SEISMOMETERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Antarctica; South Pole; Porosity; Not provided; Seismic; Lithology; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Subglacial; Subglacial Lake; FIELD SURVEYS; LABORATORY; Fluid Content; Acoustic Impedance", "locations": "Antarctica; South Pole", "north": -89.8, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; Holland, Charles", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "IRIS", "repositories": "IRIS", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Characterization of Lake Amundsen-Scott, S. Pole: A Ground Geophysical Program", "uid": "p0000693", "west": 140.0}, {"awards": "0003060 Domack, Eugene", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition data of NBP0107", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002656", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0107", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0107"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports project to test and develop approaches for using thermoluminescence techniques to determine the age of Antarctic marine sediments. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eQuaternary (last 2 million yrs) marine sediments surrounding Antarctica record the waxing and waning of ice shelves and ice sheets, and also other paleoclimatic information, yet accurate chronologies of these sediments are difficult to obtain. Such chronologies provide the essential foundation for study of geological processes in the past. Within the range of radiocarbon (14C) dating (less than 30-40 thousand yrs, note - \"ka\" below means 1000 yrs) 14C dates can be inaccurate because of a variable 14C reservoir effect, and beyond 30-40 ka few methods are applicable. Photon-stimulated-luminescence sediment dating (photonic dating) of eolian and waterlain deposits in temperate latitudes spans the range from decades to hundreds of ka, but marine sediments in and around Antarctica pose special difficulty because of the potentially restricted exposure to daylight (the clock-zeroing process) of most detrital grains before deposition. This proposal will test the clock-zeroing assumption in representative Antarctic glaciomarine depositional settings, and thereby determine the potential reliability of photonic dating of Antarctic marine sediments.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eLimited luminescence dating and signal-zeroing tests using glaciomarine and marine deposits have been conducted in the northern temperate and polar latitudes, but the effects on luminescence of the different glaciomarine depositional processes have never been studied in detail. Furthermore, the depositional settings around Antarctica are almost entirely polar, with consequent specific processes operating there. For example, transport of terrigenous suspensions by neutrally buoyant \"cold-tongue\" (mid-water) plumes may be common around Antarctica, yet the effect of such transport on luminescence zeroing is unknown. Typical marine cores near Antarctica may contain an unknown fraction of detrital grains from cold-tongue and near-bottom suspensions. Thus the extent to which the polar glaciomarine depositional processes around Antarctica may limit the potential accuracy of photonic dating of marine cores is unknown (age overestimates would result if grains are not exposed to daylight before deposition).\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis project will collect detrital grains from a variety of \"zero-age\" (modern) marine depositional settings within the Antarctic Peninsula, where representative Antarctic depositional processes have been documented and where logistics permit access. Suspensions will be collected from four fjords representing a transect from polar through subpolar conditions. Suspensions will be collected from two stations and from up to 3 depths (surface and 2 deep plumes) at each station. Sediment traps will be deployed at two of these fjord settings. As well, core-top sediments will be collected from several sites. All samples will be shielded from light and transported to Reno, Nevada, for luminescence analyses.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eSystematic study of the effectiveness of luminescence-clock-zeroing in Antarctic glaciomarine settings will determine if photonic dating can be reliable for future applications to Antarctic marine sediments. Refined sedimentological criteria for the selection of future samples for photonic dating are expected from this project. A photonic-dating capability would provide a numeric geochronometer extending well beyond the age range of 14C dating. Such a capability would permit answering a number of broader questions about the timing and extent of past glaciations near and on the Antarctic shelves.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Palmer Deep; Hugo Island; R/V NBP", "locations": "Hugo Island", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Domack, Eugene Walter", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Development of a Luminescence Dating Capability for Antarctic Glaciomarine Sediments: Tests of Signal Zeroing at the Antarctic Peninsula", "uid": "p0000845", "west": null}, {"awards": "0125562 Zachos, James", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP0602A", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001571", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0602A"}, {"dataset_uid": "002617", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0602A", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0602A"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a demonstration project to prove the viability of shallow ship-based geological drilling while simultaneously collecting useful cores for assessing the early history of the Antarctic ice sheets. For over three decades, U.S. scientists and their international colleagues exploring the shallow shelves and seas along the margins of Antarctic have been consistently frustrated by their inability to penetrate through the over-compacted glacial diamictons encountered at shallow sub bottom depths (within the upper 10 m) over these terrains. This is particularly frustrating because advanced high resolution seismic reflection techniques clearly show in many areas the presence of older successions of Neogene and even Paleogene sequences lying just beneath this thin veneer of diamictons. Until the means are developed to recover these sequences, a detailed history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is an essential prerequisite to understanding Cenozoic paleoclimate and future climate change on a global scale, will remain an elusive and unobtainable goal. After four years of study and evaluation with the aid of a professional engineer (and over the course of two workshops), the SHALDRIL Committee, an interested group of U.S. scientists, has identified at least two diamond-coring systems deemed suitable for use on existing ice-breaking U.S. Antarctic Research Program vessels. The goal of this project is to employ diamond-coring technology on the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer in order to test out and demonstrate the feasibility of both ship-based diamond coring and down-hole logging. For this \"demonstration cruise\" coring will be attempted along a high-resolution seismic reflection profile on the continental shelf adjacent to Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, an area of high scientific interest in its own right. Here the well-defined geologic section is estimated to range from Eocene to Quaternary in age, effectively spanning the \"Greenhouse-Icehouse\" transition in the evolution of Antarctic/global climate. A complete record of this transition has yet to be obtained anywhere along the Antarctic margin. Following core recovery, this project will result in correlation of the paleoclimate records from the new cores with detailed fluctuations of the ice margin recorded at higher latitudes in the eastern Ross Sea by the recently concluded, fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project. If successful, this mobile and flexible drilling system will then be available to the broader scientific community for further research in paleoenvironmental conditions and other areas of science that are currently hindered by the present gap that exists in the US Antarctic Program\u0027s technical capability to explore the Antarctic shelves between the shore-line/fast-ice margin and the continental slope. SHALDRIL will be able to operate effectively in the \"no man\u0027s land\" that presently exists between the near shore (where the fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project was successful) and the upper slope (where the Ocean Drilling Program\u0027s vessel JOIDES Resolution becomes most efficient). This technological breakthrough will not only allow major outstanding scientific problems of the last three decades to be addressed, but will also favorably impact many current U.S. and SCAR (ICSU Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Antarctic or drilling-related initiatives, such as WAIS, ANTIME, ANDRILL, ANTEC, IMAGES, PAGES, GLOCHANT (including PICE), MARGINS, ODP, and STRATAFORM.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e ROCK CORERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SEDIMENT CORERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Anderson, John", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Proposal: SHALDRIL - A Demonstration Drilling Cruise to the James Ross Basin", "uid": "p0000829", "west": null}, {"awards": "9814383 Domack, Eugene", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-70.90625 -52.35392,-69.456459 -52.35392,-68.006668 -52.35392,-66.556877 -52.35392,-65.107086 -52.35392,-63.657295 -52.35392,-62.207504 -52.35392,-60.757713 -52.35392,-59.307922 -52.35392,-57.858131 -52.35392,-56.40834 -52.35392,-56.40834 -53.615031,-56.40834 -54.876142,-56.40834 -56.137253,-56.40834 -57.398364,-56.40834 -58.659475,-56.40834 -59.920586,-56.40834 -61.181697,-56.40834 -62.442808,-56.40834 -63.703919,-56.40834 -64.96503,-57.858131 -64.96503,-59.307922 -64.96503,-60.757713 -64.96503,-62.207504 -64.96503,-63.657295 -64.96503,-65.107086 -64.96503,-66.556877 -64.96503,-68.006668 -64.96503,-69.456459 -64.96503,-70.90625 -64.96503,-70.90625 -63.703919,-70.90625 -62.442808,-70.90625 -61.181697,-70.90625 -59.920586,-70.90625 -58.659475,-70.90625 -57.398364,-70.90625 -56.137253,-70.90625 -54.876142,-70.90625 -53.615031,-70.90625 -52.35392))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001985", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0003"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research to study the region recently occupied by the Larsen Ice Shelf in the Antarctic Peninsula. Over the last 10 years, scientists have observed a dramatic decay and disintegration of floating ice shelves along the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula. Meteorological records and satellite observations indicate that this catastrophic decay is related to regional warming of nearly 3 degrees C in the last 50 years. While such retreat of floating ice shelves is unprecedented in historic records, current understanding of the natural variability of ice shelf systems over the last few thousand years is not understood well. This award supports a program of marine geologic research directed at filling this knowledge gap by developing an understanding of the dynamics of the northern Larsen Ice Shelf during the Holocene epoch (the last 10,000 years). The Larsen Ice Shelf is located in the NW Weddell Sea along the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula and is currently undergoing a rapid, catastrophic retreat as documented by satellite imagery over the past five years. While the region of the northern Antarctic Peninsula has experienced a pronounced warming trend over the last 40 years, the links between this warming and global change (i.e. greenhouse warming) are not obvious. Yet the ice shelf is clearly receding at a rate unprecedented in historic time, leaving vast areas of the seafloor uncovered and in an open marine setting. This project will collect a series of short sediment cores within the Larsen Inlet and in areas that were at one time covered by the Larsen Ice Shelf. By applying established sediment and fossil criteria to the cores we hope to demonstrate whether the Larsen Ice Shelf has experienced similar periods of retreat and subsequent advance within the last 10,000 years. Past work in various regions of the Antarctic has focused on depositional models for ice shelves that allow one to discern the timing of ice shelf retreat/advance in areas of the Ross Sea, Antarctic Peninsula, and Prydz Bay. This research will lead to a much improved understanding of the dynamics of ice shelf systems and their role in past and future climate oscillations.", "east": -56.40834, "geometry": "POINT(-63.657295 -58.659475)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.35392, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Domack, Eugene Walter", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.96503, "title": "Paleohistory of the Larsen Ice Shelf: Evidence from the Marine Record", "uid": "p0000619", "west": -70.90625}, {"awards": "0125624 Wilson, Terry; 0126279 Lawver, Lawrence", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((163.69456 -75.04911,164.525266 -75.04911,165.355972 -75.04911,166.186678 -75.04911,167.017384 -75.04911,167.84809 -75.04911,168.678796 -75.04911,169.509502 -75.04911,170.340208 -75.04911,171.170914 -75.04911,172.00162 -75.04911,172.00162 -75.3293,172.00162 -75.60949,172.00162 -75.88968,172.00162 -76.16987,172.00162 -76.45006,172.00162 -76.73025,172.00162 -77.01044,172.00162 -77.29063,172.00162 -77.57082,172.00162 -77.85101,171.170914 -77.85101,170.340208 -77.85101,169.509502 -77.85101,168.678796 -77.85101,167.84809 -77.85101,167.017384 -77.85101,166.186678 -77.85101,165.355972 -77.85101,164.525266 -77.85101,163.69456 -77.85101,163.69456 -77.57082,163.69456 -77.29063,163.69456 -77.01044,163.69456 -76.73025,163.69456 -76.45006,163.69456 -76.16987,163.69456 -75.88968,163.69456 -75.60949,163.69456 -75.3293,163.69456 -75.04911))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; NBP0401 data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000106", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP0401 data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0401"}, {"dataset_uid": "001664", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0401"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a study to investigate the tectonic development of the southwestern Ross Sea region. Displacements between East and West Antarctica have long been proposed based on global plate circuits, apparent hot spot motions, interpretations of seafloor magnetic anomalies, paleomagnetism, and on geologic grounds. Such motions require plate boundaries crossing Antarctica, yet these boundaries have never been explicitly defined. This project will attempt to delineate the late Cenozoic - active boundary between East and West Antarctica along the Terror Rift in the western Ross Sea, where young structures have been identified, continuity between active extension and intracontinental structures can be established, and where accessibility via ship will allow new key data sets to be acquired. We will use multi-source marine and airborne geophysical data to map the fault patterns and volcanic structure along the eastern margin of the Terror Rift. The orientations of volcanic fissures and seamount alignments on the seafloor will be mapped using multibeam bathymetry. The volcanic alignments will show the regional extension or shear directions across the Terror Rift and the orientations of associated crustal stresses. Swath bathymetry and single channel seismic data will be used to document neotectonic fault patterns and the eastern limit of recent faulting. Delineation of neotectonic fault patterns will demonstrate whether the eastern margin of the Terror Rift forms a continuous boundary and whether the rift itself can be linked with postulated strike-slip faults in the northwestern Ross Sea. Seafloor findings from this project will be combined with fault kinematic and stress field determinations from the surrounding volcanic islands and the Transantarctic Mountains. The integrated results will test the propositions that the eastern boundary of the Terror Rift forms the limit of the major, late Cenozoic -active structures through the Ross Sea and that Terror Rift kinematics involve dextral transtension linked to the right-lateral strike-slip faulting to the north. These results will help constrain the kinematic and dynamic links between the West Antarctic rift system and Southern Ocean structures and any related motions between East and West Antarctica. In the first year, a collaborative structural analysis of existing multichannel and single channel seismic profiles and aeromagnetic data over the Terror Rift will be conducted. The location of volcanic vents or fissures and any fault scarps on the sea floor will be identified and a preliminary interpretation of the age and kinematics of deformation in the Terror Rift will be produced. Late in the second year, a one-month cruise on RVIB N.B. Palmer will carry out multibeam bathymetric and sidescan sonar mapping of selected portions of the seafloor of Terror Rift. Gravity, magnetics, seismic reflection and Bathy2000 3.5 kHz sub-bottom profile data will also be collected across the rift. In the third year, we will use these multisource data to map the orientations and forms of volcanic bodies and the extent and geometry of neotectonic faulting associated with the Terror Rift. The project will: 1) complete a map of neotectonic faults and volcanic structures in the Terror Rift; 2) interpret the structural pattern to derive the motions and stresses associated with development of the rift; 3) compare Terror Rift structures with faults and lineaments mapped in the Transantarctic Mountains to improve age constraints on the structures; and 4) integrate the late Cenozoic structural interpretations from the western Ross Sea with Southern Ocean plate boundary kinematics.", "east": 172.00162, "geometry": "POINT(167.84809 -76.45006)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -75.04911, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Wilson, Terry", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.85101, "title": "Collaborative Research: Neotectonic Structure of Terror Rift, Western Ross Sea", "uid": "p0000111", "west": 163.69456}, {"awards": "0126472 Taylor, Frederick", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG0209", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001743", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0209"}, {"dataset_uid": "002672", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0209", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0209"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds and field support to continue a study of plate motions in the Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Sea region. The principal aim of the original \"Scotia Arc GPS Project (SCARP)\" was to determine motions of the Scotia Plate relative to adjacent plates and to measure crustal deformation along its margins with special attention to the South Sandwich microplate and Bransfield Strait extension. The focus of the present proposal is confined to the part of the SCARP project that includes GPS sites at Elephant Island, the South Shetland Islands and on the Antarctic Peninsula. The British Antarctic Survey provides data from two sites on the Scotia arc for this project. The northern margin of the Scotia Plate is not included herein because that region is not covered under Polar Programs. A separate proposal will request support for re-measuring SCARP GPS stations in South America. With regard to the Antarctic Peninsula area, continuously operating GPS stations were established at Frei Base, King George Island (in 1996) and at the Argentine Base, South Orkney Islands (in 1998). A number of monumented sites were established in the Antarctic Peninsula region in 1997 to support campaign-style GPS work in December 1997 and December 1998. Because of the expected slow crustal motion in the Bransfield Strait and expiration of the initial grant, no further data collection will be done until enough time has passed so that new measurements can be expected to yield precise results.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe primary aim of this work is to complete the measurements required to quantify crustal deformation related to opening of the Bransfield Strait, the South Shetland microplate, and to identify any other independent tectonic blocks that the GPS data may reveal. The measurements to be completed under this award will be done using ship support during the 2002-2003 season. This would be five years after the first measurements and would provide quite precise horizontal velocities. This project will complete the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of a single data set to continue this initial phase of the NSF-funded project to measure crustal motions along the southern margin of the Scotia plate. A principal investigator and one graduate student from the University of Texas will perform fieldwork. A graduate student from the University of Hawaii will process the new data consistent with previous data, and all of the SCARP investigators (Bevis, Dalziel, Smalley, Taylor: from U. Texas, U. Hawaii, and U. Memphis) will participate in interpreting the data. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) also recognized the importance of the Scotia plate and the Bransfield system in both global and local plate tectonic frameworks. They, too, have used GPS to measure crustal motions in this region and duplicate a number of our sites. They began earlier than we, have taken data more recently, presumably will continue taking data, and they have published some results. The collaboration between SCARP, BAS, and AWI begun earlier, will continue into this new work. Joint and separate publications are anticipated. The existing SCARP network has several advantages that justify collection and analysis of another set of data. One is that SCARP has established and measured GPS sites on Smith, Low, and Livingston Islands, where other groups have not. These sites significantly extend the dimensions of the South Shetland microplate so that we can determine a more precise pole of rotation and recognize any sub-blocks within the South Shetland arc. Smith and Low Islands are near the end of the Bransfield Basin where relative motion between the South Shetland Microplate must somehow terminate, perhaps by faulting along an extension of the Hero fracture zone. Another advantage is that measurements under SCARP were made using fixed-height masts that eliminate all but a fraction of a millimeter of vertical error in exactly re-occupying each site. Vertical motion associated with postglacial rebound should be on the order of several mm/yr, which will eventually be measurable. Mid-Holocene shorelines that emerged to more than 20m on some South Shetland arc islands suggest that vertical motion is significant. Thus, this work will contribute to understanding both plate motions and post-glacial rebound from ice mass loss in the region.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V LMG", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Taylor, Frederick", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "The Scotia Arc GPS Project: Focus on the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands", "uid": "p0000855", "west": null}, {"awards": "0125922 Anderson, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-69.84264 -52.35215,-68.086508 -52.35215,-66.330376 -52.35215,-64.574244 -52.35215,-62.818112 -52.35215,-61.06198 -52.35215,-59.305848 -52.35215,-57.549716 -52.35215,-55.793584 -52.35215,-54.037452 -52.35215,-52.28132 -52.35215,-52.28132 -53.546701,-52.28132 -54.741252,-52.28132 -55.935803,-52.28132 -57.130354,-52.28132 -58.324905,-52.28132 -59.519456,-52.28132 -60.714007,-52.28132 -61.908558,-52.28132 -63.103109,-52.28132 -64.29766,-54.037452 -64.29766,-55.793584 -64.29766,-57.549716 -64.29766,-59.305848 -64.29766,-61.06198 -64.29766,-62.818112 -64.29766,-64.574244 -64.29766,-66.330376 -64.29766,-68.086508 -64.29766,-69.84264 -64.29766,-69.84264 -63.103109,-69.84264 -61.908558,-69.84264 -60.714007,-69.84264 -59.519456,-69.84264 -58.324905,-69.84264 -57.130354,-69.84264 -55.935803,-69.84264 -54.741252,-69.84264 -53.546701,-69.84264 -52.35215))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001602", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0502"}, {"dataset_uid": "001571", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0602A"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a demonstration project to prove the viability of shallow ship-based geological drilling while simultaneously collecting useful cores for assessing the early history of the Antarctic ice sheets. For over three decades, U.S. scientists and their international colleagues exploring the shallow shelves and seas along the margins of Antarctic have been consistently frustrated by their inability to penetrate through the over-compacted glacial diamictons encountered at shallow sub bottom depths (within the upper 10 m) over these terrains. This is particularly frustrating because advanced high resolution seismic reflection techniques clearly show in many areas the presence of older successions of Neogene and even Paleogene sequences lying just beneath this thin veneer of diamictons. Until the means are developed to recover these sequences, a detailed history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is an essential prerequisite to understanding Cenozoic paleoclimate and future climate change on a global scale, will remain an elusive and unobtainable goal. After four years of study and evaluation with the aid of a professional engineer (and over the course of two workshops), the SHALDRIL Committee, an interested group of U.S. scientists, has identified at least two diamond-coring systems deemed suitable for use on existing ice-breaking U.S. Antarctic Research Program vessels. The goal of this project is to employ diamond-coring technology on the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer in order to test out and demonstrate the feasibility of both ship-based diamond coring and down-hole logging. For this \"demonstration cruise\" coring will be attempted along a high-resolution seismic reflection profile on the continental shelf adjacent to Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, an area of high scientific interest in its own right. Here the well-defined geologic section is estimated to range from Eocene to Quaternary in age, effectively spanning the \"Greenhouse-Icehouse\" transition in the evolution of Antarctic/global climate. A complete record of this transition has yet to be obtained anywhere along the Antarctic margin. Following core recovery, this project will result in correlation of the paleoclimate records from the new cores with detailed fluctuations of the ice margin recorded at higher latitudes in the eastern Ross Sea by the recently concluded, fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project. If successful, this mobile and flexible drilling system will then be available to the broader scientific community for further research in paleoenvironmental conditions and other areas of science that are currently hindered by the present gap that exists in the US Antarctic Program\u0027s technical capability to explore the Antarctic shelves between the shore-line/fast-ice margin and the continental slope. SHALDRIL will be able to operate effectively in the \"no man\u0027s land\" that presently exists between the near shore (where the fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project was successful) and the upper slope (where the Ocean Drilling Program\u0027s vessel JOIDES Resolution becomes most efficient). This technological breakthrough will not only allow major outstanding scientific problems of the last three decades to be addressed, but will also favorably impact many current U.S. and SCAR (ICSU Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Antarctic or drilling-related initiatives, such as WAIS, ANTIME, ANDRILL, ANTEC, IMAGES, PAGES, GLOCHANT (including PICE), MARGINS, ODP, and STRATAFORM.", "east": -52.28132, "geometry": "POINT(-61.06198 -58.324905)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e ROCK CORERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SEDIMENT CORERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.35215, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Anderson, John; Wellner, Julia", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.29766, "title": "Collaborative Research: SHALDRIL - A Demonstration Drilling Cruise to the James Ross Basin", "uid": "p0000571", "west": -69.84264}, {"awards": "9908828 Aronson, Richard", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-70.906 -52.350166,-69.4494 -52.350166,-67.9928 -52.350166,-66.5362 -52.350166,-65.0796 -52.350166,-63.623 -52.350166,-62.1664 -52.350166,-60.7098 -52.350166,-59.2532 -52.350166,-57.7966 -52.350166,-56.34 -52.350166,-56.34 -53.6028324,-56.34 -54.8554988,-56.34 -56.1081652,-56.34 -57.3608316,-56.34 -58.613498,-56.34 -59.8661644,-56.34 -61.1188308,-56.34 -62.3714972,-56.34 -63.6241636,-56.34 -64.87683,-57.7966 -64.87683,-59.2532 -64.87683,-60.7098 -64.87683,-62.1664 -64.87683,-63.623 -64.87683,-65.0796 -64.87683,-66.5362 -64.87683,-67.9928 -64.87683,-69.4494 -64.87683,-70.906 -64.87683,-70.906 -63.6241636,-70.906 -62.3714972,-70.906 -61.1188308,-70.906 -59.8661644,-70.906 -58.613498,-70.906 -57.3608316,-70.906 -56.1081652,-70.906 -54.8554988,-70.906 -53.6028324,-70.906 -52.350166))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP0107", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001962", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0011"}, {"dataset_uid": "002656", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0107", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0107"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9908828 Aronson This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a paleoecological and paleoenvironmental study of Seymour Island. Global climate change late in the Eocene epoch had an important influence in Antarctica. This was the beginning of the transition from a cool-temperate climate in Antarctica to the polar climate that exists there today. The cooling trend strongly influenced the structure of shallow-water, Antarctic marine communities, and these effects are still evident in the peculiar ecological relationships among species living in modern Antarctic communities. Cooling late in the Eocene reduced the abundance of fish and crabs, which in turn reduced skeleton-crushing predation on invertebrates. Reduced predation allowed dense populations of ophiuroids (brittlestars) and crinoids (sea lilies) to appear in shallow-water settings at the end of the Eocene. These low-predation communities appear as dense fossil echinoderm assemblages in the upper portion of the late Eocene La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island, off the Antarctic Peninsula. Today, dense ophiuroid and crinoid populations are common in shallow-water habitats in Antarctica but generally have been eliminated by predators from similar habitats at temperate and tropical latitudes; their persistence in Antarctica to this day is an important ecological legacy of climatic cooling in the Eocene. Although the influence of declining predation on Antarctic ophiuroids and crinoids is now well documented, the effects of cooling on the more abundant mollusks have not been investigated. This study will examine the evolutionary ecology of gastropods (snails) and bivalves (clams) in the late Eocene. A series of hypotheses will be tested in the La Meseta Formation, based on the predicted responses of mollusks to declining temperature and changing levels of predation. The shapes of gastropod shells, the activities of gastropods that prey on other mollusks by drilling holes in their shells, and the effects of predation on the thickness of mollusk shells should have changed significantly through late Eocene time. First, defensive features of gastropod shells, such as spines and ribbing, should decline as temperature and, therefore, the activity of skeleton-crushing predators declined. Second, drilling of bivalve prey by predatory gastropods should increase with time since the drillers should themselves have been subject to lower predation pressure as temperature declined. Drilled shells, therefore, should become more common through time. Third, patterns in the thickness of shells through time will make it possible to separate the direct, physiological effects of declining temperature (shells are more difficult to produce at cooler temperatures, and so should be thinner) from the indirect effects of temperature on evolving biological interactions (increased drilling predation should result in thicker shells). Seymour Island contains the only fossil outcrops readily accessible in Antarctica from this crucial period in Earth history. The La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island thus provides a unique opportunity to learn how climate change affected Antarctic marine communities. In practical terms, global climate change will probably increase upwelling over the next few decades to centuries in some temperate coastal regions. Recent ecological evidence suggests that the resultant lowering of sea temperatures could lower predation in those areas. Understanding the response of the La Meseta faunas to global cooling in the late Eocene will provide direct insight into the rapidly changing structure of modern benthic communities.", "east": -56.34, "geometry": "POINT(-63.623 -58.613498)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP; Hugo Island; R/V LMG; Palmer Deep", "locations": "Hugo Island", "north": -52.350166, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Aronson, Richard; Domack, Eugene Walter", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.87683, "title": "Global Climate Change and the Evolutionary Ecology of Antarctic Mollusks in the Late Eocene", "uid": "p0000617", "west": -70.906}, {"awards": "0126340 Cande, Steven", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP0304B; Expedition data of NBP0304C; Expedition data of NBP0304D; Expedition data of NBP0403; Expedition data of NBP0406; Expedition data of NBP0501; Expedition data of NBP0501B", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002634", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0304C", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304C"}, {"dataset_uid": "001692", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304D"}, {"dataset_uid": "002627", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0501", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0501"}, {"dataset_uid": "002612", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0406", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0406"}, {"dataset_uid": "001609", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0501B"}, {"dataset_uid": "002613", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0406", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0406"}, {"dataset_uid": "002626", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0403", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0403"}, {"dataset_uid": "001690", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304B"}, {"dataset_uid": "001691", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304C"}, {"dataset_uid": "002630", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0501B", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0501B"}, {"dataset_uid": "002635", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0304D", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304D"}, {"dataset_uid": "002632", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0304B", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304B"}, {"dataset_uid": "001660", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0403"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a project to make use of ship-repositioning transit cruises to gather geophysical information relating to plate tectonics of the Southern Ocean and to support student training activities. Well-constrained Cenozoic plate reconstructions of the circum-Antarctic region are critical for examining a number of problems of global geophysical importance. These problems include, e.g., relating the plate kinematics to its geological consequences in various plate circuits (Pacific-North America, Australia-Pacific); a dynamical understanding of what drives plate tectonics (which requires well-constrained kinematic information in order to distinguish between different geodynamic hypotheses); and an understanding of the rheology of the plates themselves, including the amount of internal deformation they can support, and the conditions leading to the formation of new plate boundaries through breakup of existing plates. By obtaining better constraints on the motion of the Antarctica plate with respect to these other plates, and by better quantifying the internal deformation within Antarctica (between East and West Antarctica), contributions will be made to solving these other fundamental problems.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIn this project, existing data will be analyzed to address several specific issues related to plate motions involving the Antarctic plate. First, work will be done on four-plate solutions of Australia-Pacific-West Antarctica-East Antarctica motion, in order to most tightly constrain the rotation parameters for separation between East and West Antarctica for the time period from about 45 to 28 Ma (Adare Basin spreading system). This will be done by imposing closure on the four-plate circuit and using relevant marine geophysical data from all four of the boundaries. The uncertainties in the resulting rotation parameters will be determined based on the uncertainties in the data points. These uncertainties can then be propagated in the plate circuit for use in addressing the various global geodynamic problems mentioned above. Second, rotation parameters for Pacific-West Antarctica during Tertiary time will be determined using recently acquired well-navigated Palmer transit data and any additional data that can be acquired during the course of this project. These parameters and their uncertainties will be used in assessments of plate rigidity and included in the plate circuit studies.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIn the framework of this project, new collection of marine geophysical data will be accomplished on a very flexible schedule. This will be done by collecting underway gravity, magnetics, and swath bathymetric data on Palmer transit cruises of geological importance. This has been successfully done on eight previous Palmer cruises since 1997, the most recent four of which were funded under a collaborative OPP grant to CalTech and Scripps which is now expiring. On one of the suitable transits, a formal class in marine geophysics will be conducted that will afford an opportunity to 12 or more graduate and undergraduate students, from CalTech and Scripps as well as other institutions. In this way, educational activities will be integrated with the usual scientific data collection objectives of the research project.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e PRESSURE SENSORS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SAMPLERS \u003e BOTTLES/FLASKS/JARS \u003e WATER BOTTLES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Cande, Steven; Gordon, Arnold; Miller, Alisa", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Improved Cenozoic Plate Reconstructions of the Circum-Antarctic Region", "uid": "p0000825", "west": null}, {"awards": "0125526 Wise, Sherwood", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP0602A", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002616", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0602A", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0602A"}, {"dataset_uid": "001571", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0602A"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a demonstration project to prove the viability of shallow ship-based geological drilling while simultaneously collecting useful cores for assessing the early history of the Antarctic ice sheets. For over three decades, U.S. scientists and their international colleagues exploring the shallow shelves and seas along the margins of Antarctic have been consistently frustrated by their inability to penetrate through the over-compacted glacial diamictons encountered at shallow sub bottom depths (within the upper 10 m) over these terrains. This is particularly frustrating because advanced high resolution seismic reflection techniques clearly show in many areas the presence of older successions of Neogene and even Paleogene sequences lying just beneath this thin veneer of diamictons. Until the means are developed to recover these sequences, a detailed history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is an essential prerequisite to understanding Cenozoic paleoclimate and future climate change on a global scale, will remain an elusive and unobtainable goal. After four years of study and evaluation with the aid of a professional engineer (and over the course of two workshops), the SHALDRIL Committee, an interested group of U.S. scientists, has identified at least two diamond-coring systems deemed suitable for use on existing ice-breaking U.S. Antarctic Research Program vessels. The goal of this project is to employ diamond-coring technology on the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer in order to test out and demonstrate the feasibility of both ship-based diamond coring and down-hole logging. For this \"demonstration cruise\" coring will be attempted along a high-resolution seismic reflection profile on the continental shelf adjacent to Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, an area of high scientific interest in its own right. Here the well-defined geologic section is estimated to range from Eocene to Quaternary in age, effectively spanning the \"Greenhouse-Icehouse\" transition in the evolution of Antarctic/global climate. A complete record of this transition has yet to be obtained anywhere along the Antarctic margin. Following core recovery, this project will result in correlation of the paleoclimate records from the new cores with detailed fluctuations of the ice margin recorded at higher latitudes in the eastern Ross Sea by the recently concluded, fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project. If successful, this mobile and flexible drilling system will then be available to the broader scientific community for further research in paleoenvironmental conditions and other areas of science that are currently hindered by the present gap that exists in the US Antarctic Program\u0027s technical capability to explore the Antarctic shelves between the shore-line/fast-ice margin and the continental slope. SHALDRIL will be able to operate effectively in the \"no man\u0027s land\" that presently exists between the near shore (where the fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project was successful) and the upper slope (where the Ocean Drilling Program\u0027s vessel JOIDES Resolution becomes most efficient). This technological breakthrough will not only allow major outstanding scientific problems of the last three decades to be addressed, but will also favorably impact many current U.S. and SCAR (ICSU Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Antarctic or drilling-related initiatives, such as WAIS, ANTIME, ANDRILL, ANTEC, IMAGES, PAGES, GLOCHANT (including PICE), MARGINS, ODP, and STRATAFORM.This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a demonstration project to prove the viability of shallow ship-based geological drilling while simultaneously collecting useful cores for assessing the early history of the Antarctic ice sheets. For over three decades, U.S. scientists and their international colleagues exploring the shallow shelves and seas along the margins of Antarctic have been consistently frustrated by their inability to penetrate through the over-compacted glacial diamictons encountered at shallow sub bottom depths (within the upper 10 m) over these terrains. This is particularly frustrating because advanced high resolution seismic reflection techniques clearly show in many areas the presence of older successions of Neogene and even Paleogene sequences lying just beneath this thin veneer of diamictons. Until the means are developed to recover these sequences, a detailed history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is an essential prerequisite to understanding Cenozoic paleoclimate and future climate change on a global scale, will remain an elusive and unobtainable goal. After four years of study and evaluation with the aid of a professional engineer (and over the course of two workshops), the SHALDRIL Committee, an interested group of U.S. scientists, has identified at least two diamond-coring systems deemed suitable for use on existing ice-breaking U.S. Antarctic Research Program vessels. The goal of this project is to employ diamond-coring technology on the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer in order to test out and demonstrate the feasibility of both ship-based diamond coring and down-hole logging. For this \"demonstration cruise\" coring will be attempted along a high-resolution seismic reflection profile on the continental shelf adjacent to Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, an area of high scientific interest in its own right. Here the well-defined geologic section is estimated to range from Eocene to Quaternary in age, effectively spanning the \"Greenhouse-Icehouse\" transition in the evolution of Antarctic/global climate. A complete record of this transition has yet to be obtained anywhere along the Antarctic margin. Following core recovery, this project will result in correlation of the paleoclimate records from the new cores with detailed fluctuations of the ice margin recorded at higher latitudes in the eastern Ross Sea by the recently concluded, fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project. If successful, this mobile and flexible drilling system will then be available to the broader scientific community for further research in paleoenvironmental conditions and other areas of science that are currently hindered by the present gap that exists in the US Antarctic Program\u0027s technical capability to explore the Antarctic shelves between the shore-line/fast-ice margin and the continental slope. SHALDRIL will be able to operate effectively in the \"no man\u0027s land\" that presently exists between the near shore (where the fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project was successful) and the upper slope (where the Ocean Drilling Program\u0027s vessel JOIDES Resolution becomes most efficient). This technological breakthrough will not only allow major outstanding scientific problems of the last three decades to be addressed, but will also favorably impact many current U.S. and SCAR (ICSU Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Antarctic or drilling-related initiatives, such as WAIS, ANTIME, ANDRILL, ANTEC, IMAGES, PAGES, GLOCHANT (including PICE), MARGINS, ODP, and STRATAFORM.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e ROCK CORERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SEDIMENT CORERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Anderson, John", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Proposal: SHALDRIL - A Demonstration Drilling Cruise to the James Ross Basin", "uid": "p0000828", "west": null}, {"awards": "9814579 Stock, Joann; 9815283 Cande, Steven", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-57.56218 -33.87102,-49.979095 -33.87102,-42.39601 -33.87102,-34.812925 -33.87102,-27.22984 -33.87102,-19.646755 -33.87102,-12.06367 -33.87102,-4.480585 -33.87102,3.1025 -33.87102,10.685585 -33.87102,18.26867 -33.87102,18.26867 -35.4505,18.26867 -37.02998,18.26867 -38.60946,18.26867 -40.18894,18.26867 -41.76842,18.26867 -43.3479,18.26867 -44.92738,18.26867 -46.50686,18.26867 -48.08634,18.26867 -49.66582,10.685585 -49.66582,3.1025 -49.66582,-4.480585 -49.66582,-12.06367 -49.66582,-19.646755 -49.66582,-27.22984 -49.66582,-34.812925 -49.66582,-42.39601 -49.66582,-49.979095 -49.66582,-57.56218 -49.66582,-57.56218 -48.08634,-57.56218 -46.50686,-57.56218 -44.92738,-57.56218 -43.3479,-57.56218 -41.76842,-57.56218 -40.18894,-57.56218 -38.60946,-57.56218 -37.02998,-57.56218 -35.4505,-57.56218 -33.87102))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001742", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0209"}, {"dataset_uid": "001873", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0102"}, {"dataset_uid": "001699", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304"}, {"dataset_uid": "001746", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0207"}, {"dataset_uid": "001963", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0007B"}, {"dataset_uid": "002042", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9908"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided jointly by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs and the Marine Geology and Geophysics Program of the Division of Ocean Sciences, supports research to develop improved plate rotation models for the Southwest Pacific region (between the Pacific, Antarctic, and Australian plates, and the continental fragments of New Zealand, West Antarctica, Iselin Bank, East Antarctica, and Australia). The improved rotation parameters will be used to address tectonic problems related to motion between East and West Antarctica, and in particular, the questions of relative drift between major hotspot groups and the controversy regarding a possible missing plate boundary in this region. Previous work has documented NNW-striking mid-Tertiary seafloor spreading magnetic anomalies between East and West Antarctica, representing about 150 km of opening of the Adare Trough, north of the Ross Sea. This is not enough motion to resolve the apparent discrepancy between the plate motions and motions inferred from assuming hotspot fixity. Because this motion between East and West Antarctica corresponds to a very small rotation, it points to the need for determination of finite rotations describing motions of the various plates here with a high degree of accuracy, particularly for older times. This is now possible with the datasets that will be used in this project. The work will be accomplished by integrating existing data with analysis and interpretation of other data sets recently made available by Japanese and Italian scientists from their cruises in the region. It will be further augmented by acquisition of new marine geophysical data on selected transits of the R/VIB Nathaniel B. Palmer. Specific objectives of the project include the following: 1) improve the rotation model for mid-Tertiary extension between East and West Antarctica by including the plate boundary between the Pacific and Australia plates directly when calculating Australia-West Antarctica motion, 2) improve the reconstructions for the Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary times by including new constraints on several boundaries not previously used in the reconstructions, 3) address the implications of new rotation models for the question of the fixity of global hotspots, 4) re-examine the geophysical data from the Western Ross Sea embayment in light of a model for substantial mid-Cenozoic extension.", "east": 18.26867, "geometry": "POINT(-19.646755 -41.76842)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -33.87102, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Cande, Steven; Stock, Joann", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -49.66582, "title": "Collaborative Research: Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic Reconstructions of the Southwest Pacific", "uid": "p0000590", "west": -57.56218}, {"awards": "0003619 Dalziel, Ian", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG9810", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002092", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG9810"}, {"dataset_uid": "002678", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG9810", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG9810"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a collaborative research program to initiate a Global Positioning System (GPS) network to measure crustal motions in the bedrock surrounding and underlying the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). Evaluation of the role of both tectonic and ice-induced crustal motions of the WAIS bedrock is a critical goal for understanding past, present, and future dynamics of WAIS and its potential role in future global change scenarios, as well as improving our understanding of the role of Antarctica in global plate motions. The extent of active tectonism in West Antarctica is largely speculative, as few data exist that constrain its geographic distribution, directions, or rates of deformation. Active tectonism and the influence of bedrock on the WAIS have been highlighted recently by geophysical data indicating active subglacial volcanism and control of ice streaming by the presence of sedimentary basins. The influence of bedrock crustal motion on the WAIS and its future dynamics is a fundamental issue. Existing GPS projects are located only on the fringe of the ice sheet and do not address the regional picture. It is important that baseline GPS measurements on the bedrock around and within the WAIS be started so that a basis is established for detecting change.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eTo measure crustal motions, this project will build a West Antarctica GPS Network (WAGN) of at least 15 GPS sites across the interior of West Antarctica (approximately the size of the contiguous United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast) over a two-year period beginning in the Antarctic field season 2001-2002. The planned network is designed using the Multi-modal Occupation Strategy (MOST), in which a small number of independent GPS \"roving\" receivers make differential measurements against a network of continuous GPS stations for comparatively short periods at each site. This experimental strategy, successfully implemented by a number of projects in California, S America, the SW Pacific and Central Asia, minimizes logistical requirements, an essential element of application of GPS geodesy in the scattered and remote outcrops of the WAIS bedrock.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe WAGN program will be integrated with the GPS network that has been established linking the Antarctic Peninsula with South America through the Scotia arc (Scotia Arc GPS Project (SCARP)). It will also interface with stations currently measuring motion across the Ross Embayment, and with the continent-wide GIANT program of the Working Group on Geodesy and Geographic Information Systems of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). The GPS network will be based on permanent monuments set in solid rock outcrops that will have near-zero set-up error for roving GPS occupations, and that can be directly converted to a continuous GPS site when future technology makes autonomous operation and satellite data linkage throughout West Antarctica both reliable and economical. The planned network both depends on and complements the existing and planned continuous networks. It is presently not practical, for reasons of cost and logistics, to accomplish the measurements proposed herein with either a network of continuous stations or traditional campaigns.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe proposed WAGN will complement existing GPS projects by filling a major gap in coverage among several discrete crustal blocks that make up West Antarctica, a critical area of potential bedrock movements. If crustal motions are relatively slow, meaningful results will only begin to emerge within the five-year maximum period of time for an individual funded project. Hence this proposal is only to initiate the network and test precision and velocities at the most critical sites. Once built, however, the network will yield increasingly meaningful results with the passage of time. Indeed, the slower the rates turn out to be, the more important an early start to measuring. It is anticipated that the results of this project will initiate an iterative process that will gradually resolve into an understanding of the contributions from plate rotations and viscoelastic and elastic motions resulting from deglaciation and ice mass changes. Velocities obtained from initial reoccupation of the most critical sites will dictate the timing of a follow-up proposal for reoccupation of the entire network when detectable motions have occurred.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V LMG", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Dalziel, Ian W.", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: A GPS Network to Determine Crustal Motions in the Bedrock of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet: Phase I - Installation", "uid": "p0000859", "west": null}, {"awards": "9814692 Kellogg, Thomas", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-179.99342 -58.74225,-143.994734 -58.74225,-107.996048 -58.74225,-71.997362 -58.74225,-35.998676 -58.74225,0.000010000000003 -58.74225,35.998696 -58.74225,71.997382 -58.74225,107.996068 -58.74225,143.994754 -58.74225,179.99344 -58.74225,179.99344 -60.716231,179.99344 -62.690212,179.99344 -64.664193,179.99344 -66.638174,179.99344 -68.612155,179.99344 -70.586136,179.99344 -72.560117,179.99344 -74.534098,179.99344 -76.508079,179.99344 -78.48206,143.994754 -78.48206,107.996068 -78.48206,71.997382 -78.48206,35.998696 -78.48206,0.000010000000003 -78.48206,-35.998676 -78.48206,-71.997362 -78.48206,-107.996048 -78.48206,-143.994734 -78.48206,-179.99342 -78.48206,-179.99342 -76.508079,-179.99342 -74.534098,-179.99342 -72.560117,-179.99342 -70.586136,-179.99342 -68.612155,-179.99342 -66.638174,-179.99342 -64.664193,-179.99342 -62.690212,-179.99342 -60.716231,-179.99342 -58.74225))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001992", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0001"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a marine geological investigation of the Amundsen Sea region toward a better understanding of the deglaciation history of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The WAIS may be inherently unstable because it is the last marine-based ice sheet in the world. Unlike other embayments in West Antarctica, major ice streams draining into the Amundsen Sea from the interior of the WAIS lack buttressing ice shelves. Mass balance data for the distal portions of these ice streams (Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers) appear to be in balance or may be becoming negative. Because both ice streams have beds that slope downward toward the center of the ice sheet, grounding-line recession resulting from either continued thinning or sea-level rise could trigger irreversible grounding-line retreat, leading to ice-sheet disintegration and consequent global sea-level rise. The limited marine geological and geophysical data available from the Amundsen Sea suggest that grounded ice or an ice shelf occupied the inner Amundsen Sea embayment until perhaps as recently as 1000 to 2000 years ago, and this ice may have retreated rapidly in historic time. This project, a study of the marine geology and geophysics of the Amundsen Sea continental shelf from 100 degrees W to 130 degrees W, is designed to address the Amundsen Sea part of WAIS Science Plan Priority Goal H2: \"What is the deglaciation history in the eastern Ross, the Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas?\" This project will examine bathymetric data of the Amundsen Sea continental shelf to determine the positions of former ice-steam channels, and to aid in choosing sites for sediment coring. Single-channel seismic reflection studies will be conducted in order to determine sediment-thickness patterns, to aid in choice of coring sites, and to locate and identify morphologic features indicative of former grounded ice (e.g., moraines, scours, flutes, striations, till wedges and deltas, etc.). Coring will be concentrated along former ice flow-lines. Core samples will be analyzed in the laboratory for sedimentology, to determine whether of not basal tills are present (indicating former grounded ice and its former extent), and for calcareous and siliceous microfossils. The chronology of grounding-line and ice-shelf retreat from a presumed Last Glacial Maximum position near the shelf break will be established using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) carbon-14 dates of acid-insoluble particulate organic carbon. This project will share ship time in the Amundsen Sea with a physical oceanographic project. Marine geologic data and samples collected will be integrated with findings of other investigators toward developing a comprehensive interpretation of the history of the WAIS.", "east": 179.99344, "geometry": "POINT(0.000010000000003 -68.612155)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -58.74225, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kellogg, Thomas; Jacobs, Stanley", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.48206, "title": "Glacial History of the Amundsen Sea Shelf", "uid": "p0000620", "west": -179.99342}, {"awards": "0088143 Luyendyk, Bruce; 0087392 Bartek, Louis", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-179.99786 -75.91667,-143.99852 -75.91667,-107.99918 -75.91667,-71.99984 -75.91667,-36.0005 -75.91667,-0.00115999999997 -75.91667,35.99818 -75.91667,71.99752 -75.91667,107.99686 -75.91667,143.9962 -75.91667,179.99554 -75.91667,179.99554 -76.183531,179.99554 -76.450392,179.99554 -76.717253,179.99554 -76.984114,179.99554 -77.250975,179.99554 -77.517836,179.99554 -77.784697,179.99554 -78.051558,179.99554 -78.318419,179.99554 -78.58528,143.9962 -78.58528,107.99686 -78.58528,71.99752 -78.58528,35.99818 -78.58528,-0.00116000000003 -78.58528,-36.0005 -78.58528,-71.99984 -78.58528,-107.99918 -78.58528,-143.99852 -78.58528,-179.99786 -78.58528,-179.99786 -78.318419,-179.99786 -78.051558,-179.99786 -77.784697,-179.99786 -77.517836,-179.99786 -77.250975,-179.99786 -76.984114,-179.99786 -76.717253,-179.99786 -76.450392,-179.99786 -76.183531,-179.99786 -75.91667))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; NBP0301 data; NBP0306 data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000105", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP0306 data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0306"}, {"dataset_uid": "001724", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0301"}, {"dataset_uid": "001668", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0306"}, {"dataset_uid": "000104", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP0301 data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0301"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Luyendyk et.al.: OPP 0088143\u003cbr/\u003eBartek: OPP 0087392\u003cbr/\u003eDiebold: OPP 0087983\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a collaborative research program in marine geology and geophysics in the southern central and eastern Ross Sea. The project will conduct sites surveys for drilling from the Ross Ice Shelf into the seafloor beneath it. Many of the outstanding problems concerning the evolution of the East and West Antarctic Ice Sheets, Antarctic climate, global sea level, and the tectonic history of the West Antarctic Rift System can be addressed by drilling into the seafloor of the Ross Sea. Climate data for Cretaceous and Early Cenozoic time are lacking for this sector of Antarctica. Climate questions include: Was there any ice in Late Cretaceous time? What was the Antarctic climate during the Paleocene-Eocene global warming? When was the Cenozoic onset of Antarctic glaciation, when did glaciers reach the coast and when did they advance out onto the margin? Was the Ross Sea shelf non-marine in Late Cretaceous time; when did it become marine? Tectonic questions include: What was the timing of the Cretaceous extension in the Ross Sea rift; where was it located? What is the basement composition and structure? Where are the time and space limits of the effects of Adare Trough spreading? Another drilling objective is to sample and date the sedimentary section bounding the mapped RSU6 unconformity in the Eastern Basin and Central Trough to resolve questions about its age and regional extent. Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Leg 28 completed sampling at four drill sites in the early 1970\u0027s but had low recovery and did not sample the Early Cenozoic. Other drilling has been restricted to the McMurdo Sound area of the western Ross Sea and results can be correlated into the Victoria Land Basin but not eastward across basement highs. Further, Early Cenozoic and Cretaceous rocks have not been sampled. A new opportunity is developing to drill from the Ross Ice Shelf. This is a successor program to the Cape Roberts Drilling Project. One overriding difficulty is the need for site surveys at drilling locations under the ice shelf. This project will overcome this impediment by conducting marine geophysical drill site surveys at the front of the Ross Ice Shelf in the Central Trough and Eastern Basin. The surveys will be conducted a kilometer or two north of the ice shelf front where recent calving events have resulted in a southerly position of the ice shelf edge. In several years the northward advance of the ice shelf will override the surveyed locations and drilling could be accomplished. Systems to be used include swath bathymetry, gravity, magnetics, chirp sonar, high resolution seismic profiling, and 48 fold seismics. Cores will be collected to obtain samples for geotechnical properties, to study sub-ice shelf modern sedimentary processes, and at locations where deeper section is exposed.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis survey will include long profiles and detailed grids over potential drill sites. Survey lines will be tied to existing geophysical profiles and DSDP 270. A recent event that makes this plan timely is the calving of giant iceberg B-15 (in March, 2000) and others from the ice front in the eastern Ross Sea. This new calving event and one in 1987 have exposed 16,000 square kilometers of seafloor that had been covered by ice shelf for decades and is not explored. Newly exposed territory can now be mapped by modern geophysical methods. This project will map geological structure and stratigraphy below unconformity RSU6 farther south and east, study the place of Roosevelt Island in the Ross Sea rifting history, and determine subsidence history during Late Cenozoic time (post RSU6) in the far south and east. Finally the project will observe present day sedimentary processes beneath the ice shelf in the newly exposed areas.", "east": 179.99554, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -75.91667, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bartek, Louis; Luyendyk, Bruce P.", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.58528, "title": "Collaborative Research: Antarctic Cretaceous-Cenozoic Climate, Glaciation, and Tectonics: Site surveys for drilling from the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf", "uid": "p0000425", "west": -179.99786}, {"awards": "9814622 Wiens, Douglas", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-70.90604 -52.35474,-69.307306 -52.35474,-67.708572 -52.35474,-66.109838 -52.35474,-64.511104 -52.35474,-62.91237 -52.35474,-61.313636 -52.35474,-59.714902 -52.35474,-58.116168 -52.35474,-56.517434 -52.35474,-54.9187 -52.35474,-54.9187 -53.658393,-54.9187 -54.962046,-54.9187 -56.265699,-54.9187 -57.569352,-54.9187 -58.873005,-54.9187 -60.176658,-54.9187 -61.480311,-54.9187 -62.783964,-54.9187 -64.087617,-54.9187 -65.39127,-56.517434 -65.39127,-58.116168 -65.39127,-59.714902 -65.39127,-61.313636 -65.39127,-62.91237 -65.39127,-64.511104 -65.39127,-66.109838 -65.39127,-67.708572 -65.39127,-69.307306 -65.39127,-70.90604 -65.39127,-70.90604 -64.087617,-70.90604 -62.783964,-70.90604 -61.480311,-70.90604 -60.176658,-70.90604 -58.873005,-70.90604 -57.569352,-70.90604 -56.265699,-70.90604 -54.962046,-70.90604 -53.658393,-70.90604 -52.35474))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG0003A", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002059", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9905"}, {"dataset_uid": "002688", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0003A", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0003A"}, {"dataset_uid": "001854", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0106"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided jointly by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research to transform three temporary seismometers in the Antarctic Peninsula into semi-permanent stations and to continue basic research using these data. During 1997 and 1998, a network of 11 broadband seismographs in the Antarctic Peninsula region and southernmost Chilean Patagonia were installed and maintained. Data return from this project has been excellent and interesting initial results have been produced. The continued operation of these instruments over a longer time period would be highly beneficial because the number of larger magnitude regional earthquakes is small and so a longer time is needed to acquire data. However, instruments from this project are borrowed from the IRIS-PASSCAL instrument pool and must be returned to PASSCAL in April, 1999. This award provides funds to convert three stations at permanent Chilean bases in the Antarctic to permanent stations, and to continue the seismological investigation of the region for a period of four years. As part of this project, a fourth station, in Chilean Patagonia, will continue to be operated using Washington University equipment. The funding of this project will enable continued collaboration between Washington University and the Universidad de Chile in the operation of these stations, and the data will be forwarded to the IRIS data center as well as to other international seismological collaborators. Mutual data exchanges with other national groups with Antarctic seismology research programs will provide access to broadband data from a variety of other proprietary broadband stations in the region. The data will be used to study the seismicity and upper mantle velocity structure of several complicated tectonic regions in the area, including the South Shetland subduction zone, the Bransfield backarc rift, and diffuse plate boundaries in Patagonia, Drake Passage, and along the South Scotia Ridge. In particular, the operation of these stations over a longer time period will allow a better understanding of the seismicity of the South Shetland Trench, an unusual subduction zone showing very slow subduction of young lithosphere. These seismometers will also be used to record airgun shots during a geophysical cruise in the Bransfield Strait that is being planned by the University of Texas for April, 2000. These data will provide important constraints on the crustal structure beneath the stations, and the improved structural models will enable implementation of more precise earthquake location procedures in support of a seismological understanding of the region.", "east": -54.9187, "geometry": "POINT(-62.91237 -58.873005)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V LMG; R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.35474, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Wiens, Douglas; Visbeck, Martin", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -65.39127, "title": "Acquisition and Operation of Broadband Seismograph Equipment at Chilean Bases in the Antarctic Peninsula Region", "uid": "p0000604", "west": -70.90604}, {"awards": "0125480 Manley, Patricia", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP0602A", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001571", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0602A"}, {"dataset_uid": "002618", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0602A", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0602A"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a demonstration project to prove the viability of shallow ship-based geological drilling while simultaneously collecting useful cores for assessing the early history of the Antarctic ice sheets. For over three decades, U.S. scientists and their international colleagues exploring the shallow shelves and seas along the margins of Antarctic have been consistently frustrated by their inability to penetrate through the over-compacted glacial diamictons encountered at shallow sub bottom depths (within the upper 10 m) over these terrains. This is particularly frustrating because advanced high resolution seismic reflection techniques clearly show in many areas the presence of older successions of Neogene and even Paleogene sequences lying just beneath this thin veneer of diamictons. Until the means are developed to recover these sequences, a detailed history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is an essential prerequisite to understanding Cenozoic paleoclimate and future climate change on a global scale, will remain an elusive and unobtainable goal. After four years of study and evaluation with the aid of a professional engineer (and over the course of two workshops), the SHALDRIL Committee, an interested group of U.S. scientists, has identified at least two diamond-coring systems deemed suitable for use on existing ice-breaking U.S. Antarctic Research Program vessels. The goal of this project is to employ diamond-coring technology on the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer in order to test out and demonstrate the feasibility of both ship-based diamond coring and down-hole logging. For this \"demonstration cruise\" coring will be attempted along a high-resolution seismic reflection profile on the continental shelf adjacent to Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, an area of high scientific interest in its own right. Here the well-defined geologic section is estimated to range from Eocene to Quaternary in age, effectively spanning the \"Greenhouse-Icehouse\" transition in the evolution of Antarctic/global climate. A complete record of this transition has yet to be obtained anywhere along the Antarctic margin. Following core recovery, this project will result in correlation of the paleoclimate records from the new cores with detailed fluctuations of the ice margin recorded at higher latitudes in the eastern Ross Sea by the recently concluded, fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project. If successful, this mobile and flexible drilling system will then be available to the broader scientific community for further research in paleoenvironmental conditions and other areas of science that are currently hindered by the present gap that exists in the US Antarctic Program\u0027s technical capability to explore the Antarctic shelves between the shore-line/fast-ice margin and the continental slope. SHALDRIL will be able to operate effectively in the \"no man\u0027s land\" that presently exists between the near shore (where the fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project was successful) and the upper slope (where the Ocean Drilling Program\u0027s vessel JOIDES Resolution becomes most efficient). This technological breakthrough will not only allow major outstanding scientific problems of the last three decades to be addressed, but will also favorably impact many current U.S. and SCAR (ICSU Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Antarctic or drilling-related initiatives, such as WAIS, ANTIME, ANDRILL, ANTEC, IMAGES, PAGES, GLOCHANT (including PICE), MARGINS, ODP, and STRATAFORM.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e ROCK CORERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SEDIMENT CORERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Anderson, John", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: SHALDRIL - A Demonstration Drilling Cruise to the James Ross Basin", "uid": "p0000830", "west": null}, {"awards": "0126334 Stock, Joann", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP0304B; Expedition data of NBP0304C; Expedition data of NBP0304D; Expedition data of NBP0403; Expedition data of NBP0406; Expedition data of NBP0501; Expedition data of NBP0501B", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002636", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0304C", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304C"}, {"dataset_uid": "002612", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0406", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0406"}, {"dataset_uid": "001692", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304D"}, {"dataset_uid": "001691", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304C"}, {"dataset_uid": "001690", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304B"}, {"dataset_uid": "002627", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0501", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0501"}, {"dataset_uid": "001660", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0403"}, {"dataset_uid": "001609", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0501B"}, {"dataset_uid": "002628", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0501", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0501"}, {"dataset_uid": "002631", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0501B", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0501B"}, {"dataset_uid": "002633", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0304B", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304B"}, {"dataset_uid": "002637", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0304D", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304D"}, {"dataset_uid": "002639", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0403", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0403"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a project to make use of ship-repositioning transit cruises to gather geophysical information relating to plate tectonics of the Southern Ocean and to support student training activities. Well-constrained Cenozoic plate reconstructions of the circum-Antarctic region are critical for examining a number of problems of global geophysical importance. These problems include, e.g., relating the plate kinematics to its geological consequences in various plate circuits (Pacific-North America, Australia-Pacific); a dynamical understanding of what drives plate tectonics (which requires well-constrained kinematic information in order to distinguish between different geodynamic hypotheses); and an understanding of the rheology of the plates themselves, including the amount of internal deformation they can support, and the conditions leading to the formation of new plate boundaries through breakup of existing plates. By obtaining better constraints on the motion of the Antarctica plate with respect to these other plates, and by better quantifying the internal deformation within Antarctica (between East and West Antarctica), contributions will be made to solving these other fundamental problems.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIn this project, existing data will be analyzed to address several specific issues related to plate motions involving the Antarctic plate. First, work will be done on four-plate solutions of Australia-Pacific-West Antarctica-East Antarctica motion, in order to most tightly constrain the rotation parameters for separation between East and West Antarctica for the time period from about 45 to 28 Ma (Adare Basin spreading system). This will be done by imposing closure on the four-plate circuit and using relevant marine geophysical data from all four of the boundaries. The uncertainties in the resulting rotation parameters will be determined based on the uncertainties in the data points. These uncertainties can then be propagated in the plate circuit for use in addressing the various global geodynamic problems mentioned above. Second, rotation parameters for Pacific-West Antarctica during Tertiary time will be determined using recently acquired well-navigated Palmer transit data and any additional data that can be acquired during the course of this project. These parameters and their uncertainties will be used in assessments of plate rigidity and included in the plate circuit studies.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIn the framework of this project, new collection of marine geophysical data will be accomplished on a very flexible schedule. This will be done by collecting underway gravity, magnetics, and swath bathymetric data on Palmer transit cruises of geological importance. This has been successfully done on eight previous Palmer cruises since 1997, the most recent four of which were funded under a collaborative OPP grant to CalTech and Scripps which is now expiring. On one of the suitable transits, a formal class in marine geophysics will be conducted that will afford an opportunity to 12 or more graduate and undergraduate students, from CalTech and Scripps as well as other institutions. In this way, educational activities will be integrated with the usual scientific data collection objectives of the research project.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Cande, Steven", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Improved Cenozoic Plate Reconstructions of the Circum-Antarctic Region", "uid": "p0000824", "west": null}, {"awards": "9908856 Blake, Daniel", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG0309", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001683", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0309"}, {"dataset_uid": "002675", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0309", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0309"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9908856 Blake This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a paleoecological and paleoenvironmental study of Seymour Island. Global climate change late in the Eocene epoch had an important influence in Antarctica. This was the beginning of the transition from a cool-temperate climate in Antarctica to the polar climate that exists there today. The cooling trend strongly influenced the structure of shallow-water, Antarctic marine communities, and these effects are still evident in the peculiar ecological relationships among species living in modern Antarctic communities. Cooling late in the Eocene reduced the abundance of fish and crabs, which in turn reduced skeleton-crushing predation on invertebrates. Reduced predation allowed dense populations of ophiuroids (brittlestars) and crinoids (sea lilies) to appear in shallow-water settings at the end of the Eocene. These low-predation communities appear as dense fossil echinoderm assemblages in the upper portion of the late Eocene La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island, off the Antarctic Peninsula. Today, dense ophiuroid and crinoid populations are common in shallow-water habitats in Antarctica but generally have been eliminated by predators from similar habitats at temperate and tropical latitudes; their persistence in Antarctica to this day is an important ecological legacy of climatic cooling in the Eocene. Although the influence of declining predation on Antarctic ophiuroids and crinoids is now well documented, the effects of cooling on the more abundant mollusks have not been investigated. This study will examine the evolutionary ecology of gastropods (snails) and bivalves (clams) in the late Eocene. A series of hypotheses will be tested in the La Meseta Formation, based on the predicted responses of mollusks to declining temperature and changing levels of predation. The shapes of gastropod shells, the activities of gastropods that prey on other mollusks by drilling holes in their shells, and the effects of predation on the thickness of mollusk shells should have changed significantly through late Eocene time. First, defensive features of gastropod shells, such as spines and ribbing, should decline as temperature and, therefore, the activity of skeleton-crushing predators declined. Second, drilling of bivalve prey by predatory gastropods should increase with time since the drillers should themselves have been subject to lower predation pressure as temperature declined. Drilled shells, therefore, should become more common through time. Third, patterns in the thickness of shells through time will make it possible to separate the direct, physiological effects of declining temperature (shells are more difficult to produce at cooler temperatures, and so should be thinner) from the indirect effects of temperature on evolving biological interactions (increased drilling predation should result in thicker shells). Seymour Island contains the only fossil outcrops readily accessible in Antarctica from this crucial period in Earth history. The La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island thus provides a unique opportunity to learn how climate change affected Antarctic marine communities. In practical terms, global climate change will probably increase upwelling over the next few decades to centuries in some temperate coastal regions. Recent ecological evidence suggests that the resultant lowering of sea temperatures could lower predation in those areas. Understanding the response of the La Meseta faunas to global cooling in the late Eocene will provide direct insight into the rapidly changing structure of modern benthic communities.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e PRESSURE SENSORS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V LMG", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Blake, Daniel", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Global Climate Change and the Evolutionary Ecology of Antarctic Mollusks in the Late Eocene.", "uid": "p0000857", "west": null}, {"awards": "9814041 Austin, Jr., James", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-70.90616 -52.35281,-69.390587 -52.35281,-67.875014 -52.35281,-66.359441 -52.35281,-64.843868 -52.35281,-63.328295 -52.35281,-61.812722 -52.35281,-60.297149 -52.35281,-58.781576 -52.35281,-57.266003 -52.35281,-55.75043 -52.35281,-55.75043 -53.463301,-55.75043 -54.573792,-55.75043 -55.684283,-55.75043 -56.794774,-55.75043 -57.905265,-55.75043 -59.015756,-55.75043 -60.126247,-55.75043 -61.236738,-55.75043 -62.347229,-55.75043 -63.45772,-57.266003 -63.45772,-58.781576 -63.45772,-60.297149 -63.45772,-61.812722 -63.45772,-63.328295 -63.45772,-64.843868 -63.45772,-66.359441 -63.45772,-67.875014 -63.45772,-69.390587 -63.45772,-70.90616 -63.45772,-70.90616 -62.347229,-70.90616 -61.236738,-70.90616 -60.126247,-70.90616 -59.015756,-70.90616 -57.905265,-70.90616 -56.794774,-70.90616 -55.684283,-70.90616 -54.573792,-70.90616 -53.463301,-70.90616 -52.35281))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001810", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0007A"}, {"dataset_uid": "001987", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0002"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research to study the deep crustal structure of the Bransfield Strait region. Bransfield Strait, in the northern Antarctic Peninsula, is one of a small number of modern basins that may be critical for understanding ancient mountain-building processes. The Strait is an actively-extending marginal basin in the far southeast Pacific, between the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, an inactive volcanic arc. Widespread crustal extension, accompanied by volcanism along the Strait\u0027s axis, may be associated with slow underthrusting of oceanic crust at the South Shetland Trench; similar \"back-arc\" extension occurred along the entire Pacific margin (now western South America/West Antarctica) of the supercontinent known as Gondwanaland during the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous. Mid-Cretaceous deformation of these basins some 100 million years ago initiated uplift of the Andes. By understanding the deep structure and evolution of Bransfield rift, it should be possible to evaluate the crustal precursor to the Andes, and thereby understand more fully the early evolution of this globally important mountain chain. Years of international earth sciences research in Bransfield Strait has produced consensus on important aspects of its geologic environment: (1) It is probably a young (probably ~4 million years old) rift in preexisting Antarctic Peninsula crust; continued stretching of this crust results in complex fault patterns and associated volcanism. The volcanism, high heat flow, and mapped crustal trends are all consistent with the basin\u0027s continuing evolution as a rift; (2) The volcanism, which is recent and continuing, occurs along a \"neovolcanic\" zone centralized along the basin\u0027s axis. Multichannel seismic data collected aboard R/V Maurice Ewing in 1991 illustrate the following basin-wide characteristics of Bransfield Strait - a) widespread extension and faulting, b) the rise of crustal diapirs or domes associated with flower-shaped normal-fault structures, and c) a complicated system of fault-bounded segments across strike. The geophysical evidence also suggests NE-to-SW propagation of the rift, with initial crustal inflation/doming followed by deflation/subsidence, volcanism, and extension along normal faults. Although Bransfield Strait exhibits geophysical and geologic evidence for extension and volcanism, continental crust fragmentation does not appear to have gone to completion in this \"back-arc\" basin and ocean crust is not yet being generated. Instead, Bransfield rift lies near the critical transition from intracontinental rifting to seafloor-spreading. The basin\u0027s asymmetry, and seismic evidence for shallow intracrustal detachment faulting, suggest that it may be near one end-member of the spectrum of models proposed for continental break-up. Therefore, this basin is a \"natural lab\" for studying diverse processes involved in forming continental margins. Understanding Bransfield rift\u0027s deep crustal structure is the key to resolving its stage of evolution, and should also provide a starting point for models of Andean mountain-building. This work will define the deep structure by collecting and analyzing high-quality, high-density ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) profiles both along and across the Strait\u0027s strike. Scientific objectives are as follows: (1) to develop a detailed seismic velocity model for this rift; (2) to calibrate velocity structure and crustal thickness changes associated with presumed NE-to-SW rift propagation, as deduced from the multichannel seismic interpretations; (3) to document the degree to which deep velocity structure corresponds to along- and across-strike crustal segmentation; and (4) to assess structural relationships between the South Shetland Islands \"arc\" and Bransfield rift. The proposed OBS data, integrated with interpretations of both Ewing profiles and those from other high-quality geophysical coverage in Bransfield Strait, will complement ongoing deep seismic analysis of Antarctic Peninsula crust to the southwest and additional OBS monitoring for deep earthquakes, in order to understand the complex plate tectonic evolution of this region.", "east": -55.75043, "geometry": "POINT(-63.328295 -57.905265)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.35281, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Austin, James; Austin, James Jr.", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -63.45772, "title": "The Young Marginal Basin as a Key to Understanding the Rift-Drift Transition and Andean Orogenesis: OBS Refraction Profiling for Crustal Structure in Bransfield Strait", "uid": "p0000615", "west": -70.90616}, {"awards": "9418153 Domack, Eugene", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-70.90663 -52.3574,-69.956557 -52.3574,-69.006484 -52.3574,-68.056411 -52.3574,-67.106338 -52.3574,-66.156265 -52.3574,-65.206192 -52.3574,-64.256119 -52.3574,-63.306046 -52.3574,-62.355973 -52.3574,-61.4059 -52.3574,-61.4059 -53.843373,-61.4059 -55.329346,-61.4059 -56.815319,-61.4059 -58.301292,-61.4059 -59.787265,-61.4059 -61.273238,-61.4059 -62.759211,-61.4059 -64.245184,-61.4059 -65.731157,-61.4059 -67.21713,-62.355973 -67.21713,-63.306046 -67.21713,-64.256119 -67.21713,-65.206192 -67.21713,-66.156265 -67.21713,-67.106338 -67.21713,-68.056411 -67.21713,-69.006484 -67.21713,-69.956557 -67.21713,-70.90663 -67.21713,-70.90663 -65.731157,-70.90663 -64.245184,-70.90663 -62.759211,-70.90663 -61.273238,-70.90663 -59.787265,-70.90663 -58.301292,-70.90663 -56.815319,-70.90663 -55.329346,-70.90663 -53.843373,-70.90663 -52.3574))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002066", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9903"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9418153 This award supports a program aimed at providing research experiences to a broad range of undergraduate students. The program sill allow for active participation by undergraduate students in ongoing marine geologic research in Antarctica. Students will be recruited from institutions across the United States and will participate in a preparatory seminar on Antarctic science prior to the field season. This program will integrate undergraduate participation with existing marine geology and geophysics projects aboard either of the two United States Antarctic Program research vessels, the RV Polar Duke and the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer. Research topics will be related to the stratigraphy and/or evolution of the Antarctic continental margin, topics of increasing importance to both Antarctic and global geology. Students will have a full year following their field experience to conduct follow-up research via a senior thesis. This program is intended to provide better educational experiences to promising undergraduate students and to stimulate those students to pursue advanced degrees in geology and geophysics. ***", "east": -61.4059, "geometry": "POINT(-66.156265 -59.787265)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.3574, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Domack, Eugene Walter", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -67.21713, "title": "Undergraduate Research Initiative: Antarctic Marine Geology and Geophysics", "uid": "p0000623", "west": -70.90663}, {"awards": "0230285 Wilson, Terry", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((152.833 -75.317,154.4897 -75.317,156.1464 -75.317,157.8031 -75.317,159.4598 -75.317,161.1165 -75.317,162.7732 -75.317,164.4299 -75.317,166.0866 -75.317,167.7433 -75.317,169.4 -75.317,169.4 -75.9186,169.4 -76.5202,169.4 -77.1218,169.4 -77.7234,169.4 -78.325,169.4 -78.9266,169.4 -79.5282,169.4 -80.1298,169.4 -80.7314,169.4 -81.333,167.7433 -81.333,166.0866 -81.333,164.4299 -81.333,162.7732 -81.333,161.1165 -81.333,159.4598 -81.333,157.8031 -81.333,156.1464 -81.333,154.4897 -81.333,152.833 -81.333,152.833 -80.7314,152.833 -80.1298,152.833 -79.5282,152.833 -78.9266,152.833 -78.325,152.833 -77.7234,152.833 -77.1218,152.833 -76.5202,152.833 -75.9186,152.833 -75.317))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "OPP-0230285/OPP-0230356\u003cbr/\u003ePIs: Wilson, Terry J./Hothem, Larry D.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to conduct GPS measurements of bedrock crustal motions in an extended Transantarctic Mountains Deformation network (TAMDEF) to document neotectonic displacements due to tectonic deformation within the West Antarctic rift and/or to mass change of the Antarctic ice sheets. Horizontal displacements related to active neotectonic rifting, strike-slip translations, and volcanism will be tightly constrained by monitoring the combined TAMDEF and Italian VLNDEF networks of bedrock GPS stations along the Transantarctic Mountains and on offshore islands in the Ross Sea. Glacio-isostatic adjustments due to deglaciation since the Last Glacial Maximum and to modern mass change of the ice sheets will be modeled from GPS-derived crustal motions together with new information from other programs on the configurations, thicknesses, deglaciation history and modern mass balance of the ice sheets. Tectonic and rheological information from ongoing structural and seismic investigations in the Victoria Land region will also be integrated in the modeling. The integrative and iterative modeling will yield a holistic interpretation of neotectonics and ice sheet history that will help us to discriminate tectonic crustal displacements from viscoelastic/elastic glacio-isostatic motions. These results will provide key information to interpret broad, continental-scale crustal motion patterns detected by sparse, regionally distributed GPS continuous trackers and by spaceborne instruments. This study will contribute to international programs focused on Antarctic neotectonic and global change issues.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eStrategies to meet these science objectives include repeat surveys of key sites in the existing TAMDEF network, extension of the array of TAMDEF sites southward about 250 km along the Transantarctic Mountains, linked measurements with the VLNDEF network, and integration of quasi-continuous trackers within the campaign network. By extending the array of bedrock sites southward, these measurements will cross gradients in predicted vertical motion due to viscoelastic rebound. The southward extension will also allow determination of the southern limit of the active Terror Rift and will provide a better baseline for constraints on any ongoing tectonic displacements across the West Antarctic rift system as a whole that might be possible using GPS data collected by the West Antarctic GPS Network. This project will also investigate unique aspects of GPS geodesy in Antarctica to determine how the error spectrum compares to mid-latitude regions and to identify the optimum measurement and data processing schemes for Antarctic conditions. The geodetic research will improve position accuracies within our network and will also yield general recommendations for deformation monitoring networks in polar regions.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eAn education and outreach program is planned and will be targeted at non-science-major undergraduate students taking Earth System Science at Ohio State University. The objective will be to illuminate the research process for nonscientists. This effort will educate students on the process of science and inform them about Antarctica and how it relates to global science issues.", "east": 169.4, "geometry": "POINT(161.1165 -78.325)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "GPS", "locations": null, "north": -75.317, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Wilson, Terry", "platforms": "SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e NAVIGATION SATELLITES \u003e GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) \u003e GPS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -81.333, "title": "Collaborative Research: Transantarctic Mountains Deformation Network: GPS Measurements of Neotectonic Motion in the Antarctic Interior", "uid": "p0000574", "west": 152.833}, {"awards": "0229403 Tauxe, Lisa", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "Paleomagnetism and40Ar/39Ar ages from volcanics extruded during the Matuyama and Brunhes Chrons near McMurdo Sound, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000116", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "EarthRef", "science_program": null, "title": "Paleomagnetism and40Ar/39Ar ages from volcanics extruded during the Matuyama and Brunhes Chrons near McMurdo Sound, Antarctica", "url": "http://dx.doi.org/10.7288/V4/MAGIC/12395"}], "date_created": "Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate Earth\u0027s magnetic field over the past 5 million years in order to test models of Earth\u0027s geomagnetic dynamo. Paleomagnetic data (directions of ancient geomagnetic fields obtained from rocks) play an important role in a variety of geophysical studies of the Earth, including plate tectonic reconstructions, magnetostratigraphy, and studies of the behavior of the ancient geomagnetic field (which is called paleo-geomagnetism). Over the past four decades the key assumption in many paleomagnetic studies has been that the average direction of the paleomagnetic field corresponds to one that would have been produced by a geocentric axial dipole (GAD) (analogous to a bar magnet at the center of the Earth), and that paleoinclinations (the dip of magnetic directions from rocks) provide data of sufficient accuracy to enable their use in plate reconstructions. A recent re-examination of the fundamental data underlying models of the time averaged field has shown that the most glaring deficiency in the existing data base is a dearth of high quality data, including paleointensity information, from high latitudes. This project will undertake a sampling and laboratory program on suitable sites from the Mt. Erebus Volcanic Province (Antarctica) that will produce the quality data from high southern latitudes that are essential to an enhanced understanding of the time averaged field and its long term variations.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Tauxe, Lisa; Staudigel, Hubertus; Constable, Catherine; Koppers, Anthony", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "EarthRef", "repositories": "EarthRef", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Geomagnetic Field as Recorded in the Mt Erebus Volcanic Province: Key to Field Structure at High Southern Latitudes", "uid": "p0000228", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0125794 Price, P. Buford", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Optical Logging for Dust and Microbes in Boreholes in Glacial Ice", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609403", "doi": "10.7265/N59P2ZKB", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dust; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Microbiology; Optical Backscatter", "people": "Bay, Ryan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Optical Logging for Dust and Microbes in Boreholes in Glacial Ice", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609403"}], "date_created": "Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0125794\u003cbr/\u003ePrice\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports research in climatology, geosciences, and life in extreme environments to be carried out with a newly developed optical borehole logger. The logger fits into a fluid-filled borehole in glacial ice. It emits light at 370 nm in a horizontal plane in order to probe optical properties of particles embedded in the ice out to several meters from the borehole. After leaving the borehole, the light is partially absorbed and scattered by dust, biomolecules, or microbes. A fraction of the light is scattered back into the borehole and is detected by a system of seven phototubes, each of which collects light with high efficiency in a separate wavelength band. One of them collects light that scatters off of dust and air bubbles without wavelength shift, and serves as a dust logger. The other six are covered with notch filters that measure six different wavelength bands and measure the shape of the fluorescence spectrum of microbes and biomolecules. Thus, the same instrument serves as both a dust logger and a microbe logger. Applications include: 1) Precise chronologies and long-period solar variability. With a resolution of 1 to 2 cm for both GISP2 and Siple Dome, the logger will record annual dust maxima and evaluate claims of modulations of dust concentration with periods ranging from 11 yrs (the solar cycle) to 2300 yrs; 2) Volcanism and age-depth markers. Dozens of volcanic ash bands will be detectable and will serve as primary age-depth markers for other boreholes; 3) Microorganisms and biomolecules. The vertical distribution of living, dormant, and dead microbes can be logged, and searches for archaea and aeolian polyaromatic hydrocarbons can be made. The logging experiments will be carried out at Siple Dome and Dome C in Antarctica and at GISP2 and GRIP in Greenland.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e OPTICAL DUST LOGGERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Core Data; Not provided; Climate Research; Climate; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Climate Change; FIELD SURVEYS; LABORATORY; Paleoclimate; Ice Core; Volcanic", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Arctic Natural Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bay, Ryan", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Optical Logging for Dust and Microbes in Boreholes in Glacial Ice", "uid": "p0000156", "west": null}, {"awards": "0619457 Bell, Robin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-51 72.5,-49.5 72.5,-48 72.5,-46.5 72.5,-45 72.5,-43.5 72.5,-42 72.5,-40.5 72.5,-39 72.5,-37.5 72.5,-36 72.5,-36 71.85,-36 71.2,-36 70.55,-36 69.9,-36 69.25,-36 68.6,-36 67.95,-36 67.3,-36 66.65,-36 66,-37.5 66,-39 66,-40.5 66,-42 66,-43.5 66,-45 66,-46.5 66,-48 66,-49.5 66,-51 66,-51 66.65,-51 67.3,-51 67.95,-51 68.6,-51 69.25,-51 69.9,-51 70.55,-51 71.2,-51 71.85,-51 72.5))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project develops a system of airborne instruments to explore the polar ice sheets and their underlying environments. The instrument suite includes an ice-penetrating radar, laser altimeter, gravimeter and magnetometer. Airborne geophysical measurements are key to understanding the 99% of Antarctica and 85% of Greenland covered by ice, which have thus far been studied at the postage stamp level. Projects linking ice sheet behavior to underlying geology will immediately benefit from this system, but even more exciting are the system\u0027s potential uses for work at the frontiers of polar science, such as: 1) exploring subglacial lakes, recently discovered and potentially the most unique sites on Earth for understanding life in extreme environments; 2) locating the deepest, oldest ice, which would offer million year and older samples of the atmosphere and 3) interpreting Antarctica\u0027s subglacial geology, which contains unique and unstudied volcanoes, mountains, and tectonic provinces. In terms of broader impacts, this project constructs research infrastructure critical to society\u0027s understanding of sea level rise, and supports a project involving domestic, international, and private sector collaborations.", "east": -36.0, "geometry": "POINT(-43.5 69.25)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": 72.5, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bell, Robin; Studinger, Michael S.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": 66.0, "title": "Development of a Polar Multidisciplinary Airborne Imaging System for the International Polar Year 2007-2009", "uid": "p0000205", "west": -51.0}, {"awards": "0739693 Ashworth, Allan; 0739700 Marchant, David", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160 -77,160.2 -77,160.4 -77,160.6 -77,160.8 -77,161 -77,161.2 -77,161.4 -77,161.6 -77,161.8 -77,162 -77,162 -77.1,162 -77.2,162 -77.3,162 -77.4,162 -77.5,162 -77.6,162 -77.7,162 -77.8,162 -77.9,162 -78,161.8 -78,161.6 -78,161.4 -78,161.2 -78,161 -78,160.8 -78,160.6 -78,160.4 -78,160.2 -78,160 -78,160 -77.9,160 -77.8,160 -77.7,160 -77.6,160 -77.5,160 -77.4,160 -77.3,160 -77.2,160 -77.1,160 -77))", "dataset_titles": "Integrating Geomorphological and Paleoecological Studies to Reconstruct Neogene Environments of the Transantarctic Mountains", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600081", "doi": "10.15784/600081", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geochronology; Geology/Geophysics - Other; GPS; Solid Earth", "people": "Ashworth, Allan; Lewis, Adam", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Integrating Geomorphological and Paleoecological Studies to Reconstruct Neogene Environments of the Transantarctic Mountains", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600081"}], "date_created": "Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project studies the last vestiges of life in Antarctica from exceptionally well-preserved fossils of tundra life--mosses, diatoms, ostracods, Nothofagus leaves, wood, and insect remains recently discovered in ancient lake sediments from the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The area will be studied by an interdisciplinary team to elucidate information about climate and biogeography. These deposits offer unique and direct information about the characteristics of Antarctica during a key period in its history, the time when it was freezing. This information is critical for correlation with indirect proxies, such as though obtained from drill cores, for climate and state of the ice sheet. The results will also help understand the origin and migration of similar organisms found in South America, India and Australia.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIn terms of broader impacts, this project supports an early career researcher, undergraduate and graduate student research, various forms of outreach to K12 students, and extensive international collaboration. The work also has societal relevance in that the outcomes will offer direct constraints on Antarctica\u0027s ice sheet during a time with atmospheric CO2 contents similar to those of the earth in the coming centuries, and thus may help predictive models of sea level rise.", "east": 162.0, "geometry": "POINT(161 -77.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided; Antarctica; Vegetation; Paleoclimate; Middle Miocene; Tundra; Bu/es Data Repository; McMurdo Dry Valleys; Lacustrine; Fossil", "locations": "Antarctica; McMurdo Dry Valleys", "north": -77.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Ashworth, Allan; Lewis, Adam", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Integrating Geomorphological and Paleoecological Studies to Reconstruct Neogene Environments of the Transantarctic Mountains", "uid": "p0000188", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "0538195 Marone, Chris", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-147.75896 -61.77943,-147.758362 -61.77943,-147.757764 -61.77943,-147.757166 -61.77943,-147.756568 -61.77943,-147.75597 -61.77943,-147.755372 -61.77943,-147.754774 -61.77943,-147.754176 -61.77943,-147.753578 -61.77943,-147.75298 -61.77943,-147.75298 -61.779665,-147.75298 -61.7799,-147.75298 -61.780135,-147.75298 -61.78037,-147.75298 -61.780605,-147.75298 -61.78084,-147.75298 -61.781075,-147.75298 -61.78131,-147.75298 -61.781545,-147.75298 -61.78178,-147.753578 -61.78178,-147.754176 -61.78178,-147.754774 -61.78178,-147.755372 -61.78178,-147.75597 -61.78178,-147.756568 -61.78178,-147.757166 -61.78178,-147.757764 -61.78178,-147.758362 -61.78178,-147.75896 -61.78178,-147.75896 -61.781545,-147.75896 -61.78131,-147.75896 -61.781075,-147.75896 -61.78084,-147.75896 -61.780605,-147.75896 -61.78037,-147.75896 -61.780135,-147.75896 -61.7799,-147.75896 -61.779665,-147.75896 -61.77943))", "dataset_titles": "Laboratory Study of Stick-Slip Behavior and Deformation Mechanics of Subglacial Till", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609460", "doi": "10.7265/N5WH2MX7", "keywords": "Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Shear Stress; Solid Earth; Strain", "people": "Marone, Chris; Anandakrishnan, Sridhar", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Laboratory Study of Stick-Slip Behavior and Deformation Mechanics of Subglacial Till", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609460"}, {"dataset_uid": "600054", "doi": "10.15784/600054", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glacial Till; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Lab Experiment; Marine Sediments; Physical Properties; Solid Earth", "people": "Marone, Chris; Anandakrishnan, Sridhar", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Laboratory Study of Stick-Slip Behavior and Deformation Mechanics of Subglacial Till", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600054"}], "date_created": "Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0538195\u003cbr/\u003eMarone\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to conduct laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to determine the constitutive properties of subglacial till under dynamic stressing and to test the hypothesis that granular properties of till are sufficient, when coupled elastically to a large ice stream, to reproduce the field observations of triggered slip and subglacial seismicity. Testing will be carried out in a servo-controlled biaxial shear device under controlled temperature and stress conditions, which will allow both sliding and microstructural processes to be studied in detail. The main focus of the work will be on laboratory measurements. In addition, we will construct continuum models to evaluate whether our results can predict complex ice sheet motions and observed characteristics of subglacial seismicity. In terms of broader impacts, the proposed work will encourage interactions between the rock-mechanics and glaciology communities and will bring together members of different scientific backgrounds and vocabularies, but similar problems and data. The project will train undergraduate and graduate students at Penn State University and the scientists involved plan to give presentations to grade school classes, scout groups, and at community open houses. Results will be presented at professional meetings and will be published in a timely manner. The work will result in a better understanding of glacial motion and the physics of earthquake slip, which is essential for understanding ice sheet dynamics and earthquake hazard.", "east": -147.75298, "geometry": "POINT(-147.75597 -61.780605)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Subglacial Observations; Laboratory Investigation; LABORATORY; Subglacial", "locations": null, "north": -61.77943, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Marone, Chris; Anandakrishnan, Sridhar", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -61.78178, "title": "Laboratory Study of Stick-Slip Behavior and Deformation Mechanics of Subglacial Till", "uid": "p0000554", "west": -147.75896}, {"awards": "0228842 Grew, Edward", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((76 -69.3,76.05 -69.3,76.1 -69.3,76.15 -69.3,76.2 -69.3,76.25 -69.3,76.3 -69.3,76.35 -69.3,76.4 -69.3,76.45 -69.3,76.5 -69.3,76.5 -69.32,76.5 -69.34,76.5 -69.36,76.5 -69.38,76.5 -69.4,76.5 -69.42,76.5 -69.44,76.5 -69.46,76.5 -69.48,76.5 -69.5,76.45 -69.5,76.4 -69.5,76.35 -69.5,76.3 -69.5,76.25 -69.5,76.2 -69.5,76.15 -69.5,76.1 -69.5,76.05 -69.5,76 -69.5,76 -69.48,76 -69.46,76 -69.44,76 -69.42,76 -69.4,76 -69.38,76 -69.36,76 -69.34,76 -69.32,76 -69.3))", "dataset_titles": "Boron in Antarctic granulite-facies rocks: under what conditions is boron retained in the middle crust?", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600030", "doi": "10.15784/600030", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:rock; Chemistry:Rock; Geochemistry; Geochronology; Solid Earth", "people": "Grew, Edward", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Boron in Antarctic granulite-facies rocks: under what conditions is boron retained in the middle crust?", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600030"}], "date_created": "Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate the role and fate of Boron in high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Larsemann Hills region of Antarctica. Trace elements provide valuable information on the changes sedimentary rocks undergo as temperature and pressure increase during burial. One such element, boron, is particularly sensitive to increasing temperature because of its affinity for aqueous fluids, which are lost as rocks are buried. Boron contents of unmetamorphosed pelitic sediments range from 20 to over 200 parts per million, but rarely exceed 5 parts per million in rocks subjected to conditions of the middle and lower crust, that is, temperatures of 700 degrees C or more in the granulite-facies, which is characterized by very low water activities at pressures of 5 to 10 kbar (18-35 km burial). Devolatization reactions with loss of aqueous fluid and partial melting with removal of melt have been cited as primary causes for boron depletion under granulite-facies conditions. Despite the pervasiveness of both these processes, rocks rich in boron are locally found in the granulite-facies, that is, there are mechanisms for retaining boron during the metamorphic process. The Larsemann Hills, Prydz Bay, Antarctica, are a prime example. More than 20 lenses and layered bodies containing four borosilicate mineral species crop out over a 50 square kilometer area, which thus would be well suited for research on boron-rich granulite-facies metamorphic rocks. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eWhile most investigators have focused on the causes for loss of boron, this work will investigate how boron is retained during high-grade metamorphism. Field observations and mapping in the Larsemann Hills, chemical analyses of minerals and their host rocks, and microprobe age dating will be used to identify possible precursors and deduce how the precursor materials recrystallized into borosilicate rocks under granulite-facies conditions. The working hypothesis is that high initial boron content facilitates retention of boron during metamorphism because above a certain threshold boron content, a mechanism \"kicks in\" that facilitates retention of boron in metamorphosed rocks. For example, in a rock with large amounts of the borosilicate tourmaline, such as stratabound tourmalinite, the breakdown of tourmaline to melt could result in the formation of prismatine and grandidierite, two borosilicates found in the Larsemann Hills. This situation is rarely observed in rocks with modest boron content, in which breakdown of tourmaline releases boron into partial melts, which in turn remove boron when they leave the system. Stratabound tourmalinite is associated with manganese-rich quartzite, phosphorus-rich rocks and sulfide concentrations that could be diagnostic for recognizing a tourmalinite protolith in a highly metamorphosed complex where sedimentary features have been destroyed by deformation. Because partial melting plays an important role in the fate of boron during metamorphism, our field and laboratory research will focus on the relationship between the borosilicate units, granite pegmatites and other granitic intrusives. The results of our study will provide information on cycling of boron at deeper levels in the Earth\u0027s crust and on possible sources of boron for granites originating from deep-seated rocks.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eAn undergraduate student will participate in the electron microprobe age-dating of monazite and xenotime as part of a senior project, thereby integrating the proposed research into the educational mission of the University of Maine. In response to a proposal for fieldwork, the Australian Antarctic Division, which maintains Davis station near the Larsemann Hills, has indicated that they will support the Antarctic fieldwork.", "east": 76.5, "geometry": "POINT(76.25 -69.4)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": null, "north": -69.3, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Grew, Edward", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -69.5, "title": "Boron in Antarctic granulite-facies rocks: under what conditions is boron retained in the middle crust?", "uid": "p0000431", "west": 76.0}, {"awards": "9911617 Blankenship, Donald; 9319379 Blankenship, Donald", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Antarctic Aerogeophysics Data; Antarctic Subglacial Lake Classification Inventory; RBG - Robb Glacier Survey; SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey airborne radar data; SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey bed elevation data; SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey Gravity data; SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey ice thickness data; SOAR-Lake Vostok survey magnetic anomaly data; SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey surface elevation data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601295", "doi": "10.1594/IEDA/306563", "keywords": "Airborne Gravity; Airplane; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Free Air Gravity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Gravimeter; Gravity; Lake Vostok; Potential Field; Solid Earth", "people": "Bell, Robin; Studinger, Michael S.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey Gravity data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601295"}, {"dataset_uid": "601296", "doi": " 10.1594/IEDA/306564", "keywords": "Airborne Magnetic; Airplane; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Lake Vostok; Magnetic; Magnetic Anomaly; Magnetometer; Potential Field; SOAR; Solid Earth", "people": "Studinger, Michael S.; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok survey magnetic anomaly data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601296"}, {"dataset_uid": "601300", "doi": "10.1594/IEDA/306568", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Airplane; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Lake Vostok; Navigation; Radar; SOAR; Subglacial Lakes", "people": "Bell, Robin; Studinger, Michael S.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey airborne radar data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601300"}, {"dataset_uid": "601604", "doi": "10.15784/601604", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Bed Elevation; Geophysics; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Surface Elevation; Ice Thickness; Robb Glacier; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Bell, Robin; Buck, W. Roger; Young, Duncan A.; Blankenship, Donald D.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "RBG - Robb Glacier Survey", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601604"}, {"dataset_uid": "601297", "doi": "10.1594/IEDA/306567", "keywords": "Airborne Laser Altimeters; Airborne Radar; Airplane; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Sheet; Ice Stratigraphy; Ice Thickness; Ice Thickness Distribution; Lake Vostok; Radar; Radar Altimetry; Radar Echo Sounder; SOAR; Subglacial Lake", "people": "Studinger, Michael S.; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey ice thickness data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601297"}, {"dataset_uid": "601298", "doi": "10.1594/IEDA/306566", "keywords": "Airborne Altimetry; Airborne Laser Altimeters; Airborne Radar; Airplane; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Sheet; Ice Sheet Elevation; Ice Surface; Lake Vostok; Radar Echo Sounder; SOAR; Surface Elevation", "people": "Studinger, Michael S.; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey surface elevation data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601298"}, {"dataset_uid": "609240", "doi": "", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Navigation; Potential Field; SOAR; Solid Earth", "people": "Morse, David L.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Holt, John W.; Dalziel, Ian W.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Aerogeophysics Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609240"}, {"dataset_uid": "601299", "doi": "10.1594/IEDA/306565", "keywords": "Airborne Laser Altimeters; Airborne Laser Altimetry; Airborne Radar; Airplane; Antarctica; Bed Elevation; Bedrock Elevation; Digital Elevation Model; East Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Sheet; Lake Vostok; Radar; Radar Echo Sounder; SOAR", "people": "Studinger, Michael S.; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-Lake Vostok Survey bed elevation data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601299"}, {"dataset_uid": "609336", "doi": "10.7265/N5CN71VX", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Subglacial Lake", "people": "Holt, John W.; Carter, Sasha P.; Blankenship, Donald D.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Subglacial Lake Classification Inventory", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609336"}], "date_created": "Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9911617 Blankenship This award, provided jointly by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program, the Antarctic Glaciology Program, and the Polar Research Support Section of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for continuation of the Support Office for Aerogeophysical Research (SOAR). From July 1994 to July 2000, SOAR served as a facility to accomplish aerogeophysical research in Antarctica under an agreement between the University of Texas at Austin and the National Science Foundation\u0027s Office of Polar Programs (NSF/OPP). SOAR operated and maintained an aerogeophysical instrument package that consists of an ice-penetrating radar sounder, a laser altimeter, a gravimeter and a magnetometer that are tightly integrated with each other as well as with the aircraft\u0027s avionics and power packages. An array of aircraft and ground-based GPS receivers supported kinematic differential positioning using carrier-phase observations. SOAR activities included: developing aerogeophysical research projects with NSF/OPP investigators; upgrading of the aerogeophysical instrumentation package to accommodate new science projects and advances in technology; fielding this instrument package to accomplish SOAR-developed projects; and management, reduction, and analysis of the acquired aerogeophysical data. In pursuit of 9 NSF-OPP funded aerogeophysical research projects (involving 14 investigators from 9 institutions), SOAR carried out six field campaigns over a six-year period and accomplished approximately 200,000 line kilometers of aerogeophysical surveying over both East and West Antarctica in 377 flights. This award supports SOAR to undertake a one year and 8 month program of aerogeophysical activities that are consistent with continuing U.S. support for geophysical research in Antarctica. - SOAR will conduct an aerogeophysical campaign during the 200/01 austral summer to accomplish surveys for two SOAR-developed projects: \"Understanding the Boundary Conditions of the Lake Vostok Environment: A Site Survey for Future Studies\" (Co-PI\u0027s Bell and Studinger, LDEO); and \"Collaborative Research: Seismic Investigation of the Deep Continental Structure Across the East-West Antarctic Boundary\" (Co-PI\u0027s Weins, Washington U. and Anandakrishnan, U. Alabama). After configuration and testing of the survey aircraft in McMurdo, SOAR will conduct survey flights from an NSF-supported base adjacent to the Russian Station above Lake Vostok and briefly occupy one or two remote bases on the East Antarctic ice sheet. - SOAR will reduce these aerogeophysical data and produce profiles and maps of surface elevation, bed elevation, gravity and magnetic field intensity. These results will be provided to the respective project investigators within nine months of conclusion of field activities. We will also submit a technical manuscript that describes these results to a refereed scientific journal and distribute these results to appropriate national geophysical data centers within approximately 24 months of completion of field activities. - SOAR will standardize all previously reduced SOAR data products and transfer them to the appropriate national geophysical data centers by the end of this grant. - SOAR will convene a workshop to establish a community consensus for future U.S. Antarctic aerogeophysical research. This workshop will be co-convened by Ian Dalziel and Richard Alley and will take place during the spring of 2001. - SOAR will upgrade the existing SOAR in-field quality control procedures to serve as a web-based interface for efficient browsing of many low-level SOAR data streams. - SOAR will repair and/or refurbish equipment that was used during the 2000/01 field campaign. Support for SOAR is essential for accomplishing major geophysical investigations in Antarctica. Following data interpretation by the science teams, these data will provide valuable insights to the structure and evolution of the Antarctic continent.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e IMAGING RADARS \u003e IMAGING RADAR SYSTEMS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e LIDAR/LASER SOUNDERS \u003e LIDAR; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e MAGNETIC FIELD/ELECTRIC FIELD INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROTON MAGNETOMETER", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Sheet; Ice Sheet Elevation; Surface Winds; Snow Temperature; Atmospheric Pressure; Antarctic; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Surface Temperature Measurements; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Surface Wind Speed Measurements; Subglacial Topography; Atmospheric Humidity Measurements; Not provided; Aerogeophysics; FIELD SURVEYS; GROUND STATIONS; Antarctica; SOAR; Snow Temperature Measurements; West Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet; East Antarctic Plateau", "locations": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet; West Antarctica; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; East Antarctic Plateau", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Carter, Sasha P.; Holt, John W.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Morse, David L.; Dalziel, Ian W.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Continuation of Activities for the Support Office for Aerogeophysical Research (SOAR)", "uid": "p0000125", "west": null}, {"awards": "0636629 Kurz, Mark", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160.7 -77.8,161.06 -77.8,161.42 -77.8,161.78 -77.8,162.14 -77.8,162.5 -77.8,162.86 -77.8,163.22 -77.8,163.58 -77.8,163.94 -77.8,164.3 -77.8,164.3 -77.86,164.3 -77.92,164.3 -77.98,164.3 -78.04,164.3 -78.1,164.3 -78.16,164.3 -78.22,164.3 -78.28,164.3 -78.34,164.3 -78.4,163.94 -78.4,163.58 -78.4,163.22 -78.4,162.86 -78.4,162.5 -78.4,162.14 -78.4,161.78 -78.4,161.42 -78.4,161.06 -78.4,160.7 -78.4,160.7 -78.34,160.7 -78.28,160.7 -78.22,160.7 -78.16,160.7 -78.1,160.7 -78.04,160.7 -77.98,160.7 -77.92,160.7 -77.86,160.7 -77.8))", "dataset_titles": "Periglacial Landscape Evolution in Antarctic Lava Flows and Glacial Tills", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600066", "doi": "10.15784/600066", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cosmogenic Radionuclides; Dry Valleys; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciology; LIDAR; Navigation; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description", "people": "Soule, S. Adam; Kurz, Mark D.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Periglacial Landscape Evolution in Antarctic Lava Flows and Glacial Tills", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600066"}], "date_created": "Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project uses cosmogenic nuclide dating and LIDAR studies of surface roughness to understand weathering and landscape evolution in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. The work focuses on two processes: cryoturbation of frozen soils and the development of patterned, frozen ground on ancient lava flows. The approach includes innovative uses of He3 profiling. Results will also be applied to understanding the glacial history of the Dry Valleys. There are potential applications to understanding the history of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and the formation of Martian landscapes. The broader impacts include graduate student education. As well, the work may contribute to our understanding of the history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is important to modeling their behavior during global climate change.", "east": 164.3, "geometry": "POINT(162.5 -78.1)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": null, "north": -77.8, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Soule, Samuel; Kurz, Mark D.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.4, "title": "Periglacial Landscape Evolution in Antarctic Lava Flows and Glacial Tills", "uid": "p0000559", "west": 160.7}, {"awards": "0230268 Anderson, Robert", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -50,-169 -50,-158 -50,-147 -50,-136 -50,-125 -50,-114 -50,-103 -50,-92 -50,-81 -50,-70 -50,-70 -51.5,-70 -53,-70 -54.5,-70 -56,-70 -57.5,-70 -59,-70 -60.5,-70 -62,-70 -63.5,-70 -65,-81 -65,-92 -65,-103 -65,-114 -65,-125 -65,-136 -65,-147 -65,-158 -65,-169 -65,180 -65,177 -65,174 -65,171 -65,168 -65,165 -65,162 -65,159 -65,156 -65,153 -65,150 -65,150 -63.5,150 -62,150 -60.5,150 -59,150 -57.5,150 -56,150 -54.5,150 -53,150 -51.5,150 -50,153 -50,156 -50,159 -50,162 -50,165 -50,168 -50,171 -50,174 -50,177 -50,-180 -50))", "dataset_titles": "Southern Ocean Deglacial Opal, Radionuclide, and Diatom Upwelling Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000199", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Southern Ocean Deglacial Opal, Radionuclide, and Diatom Upwelling Data", "url": "https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/8439"}], "date_created": "Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate the \"Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis\" as it relates to global carbon dioxide fluctuations during glacial-interglacial cycles.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIntellectual Merit\u003cbr/\u003eThis project will evaluate the burial rate of biogenic opal in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean, both during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and during the Holocene, as a critical test of the \"Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis\". \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe \"Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis\" has been proposed recently to explain the glacial reduction in the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere that has been reconstructed from Antarctic ice cores. Vast amounts of dissolved Si (silicic acid) are supplied to surface waters of the Southern Ocean by wind-driven upwelling of deep waters. Today, that dissolved Si is consumed almost quantitatively by diatoms who form skeletal structures composed of biogenic opal (a mineral form of silicon). According to the \"Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis\", environmental conditions in the Southern Ocean during glacial periods were unfavorable for diatom growth, leading to reduced (compared to interglacials) efficiency of dissolved Si utilization. Dissolved Si that was not consumed biologically in the glacial Southern ocean was then exported to the tropics in waters that sink in winter to depths of a few hundred meters along the northern fringes of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and return some decades later to the sunlit surface in tropical regions of wind-driven upwelling. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eAn increase in the amount of dissolved Si that \"leaks\" out of the Southern Ocean and later upwells at low latitudes could shift the global average composition of phytoplankton toward a greater abundance of diatoms and fewer CaCO3-secreting taxa (especially coccolithophorids). Consequences of such a taxonomic shift in the ocean\u0027s phytoplankton assemblage include:\u003cbr/\u003e a) an increase in the global average organic carbon/calcium carbonate ratio of particulate biogenic material sinking into the deep sea;\u003cbr/\u003e b) a reduction in the preservation and burial of calcium carbonate in marine sediments;\u003cbr/\u003e c) an increase in ocean alkalinity as a consequence of the first two changes mentioned above, and;\u003cbr/\u003e d) a lowering of atmospheric CO2 concentrations in response to increased alkalinity of ocean waters. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eA complete assessment of the Silicic acid leakage hypothesis will require an evaluation of: (1) Si utilization efficiencies using newly-developed stable isotopic techniques; (2) opal burial rates in low-latitude upwelling regions; and (3) opal burial rates in the Southern Ocean. This project addresses the last of these topics. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003ePrevious work has shown that there was little change in opal burial rate between the LGM and the Holocene in the Atlantic and Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean. Preliminary results (summarized in this proposal) suggest that the Pacific may have been different, however, in that opal burial rates in the Pacific sector seem to have been lower during the LGM than during the Holocene, allowing for the possibility of \"Si leakage\" from this region. However, available results are too sparse to make any quantitative conclusions at this time. For that reason, we propose to make a comprehensive evaluation of opal burial rates in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eSignificance and Broader Impacts\u003cbr/\u003eDetermining the mechanism(s) by which the ocean has regulated climate-related changes in the CO2 content of the atmosphere has been the focus of a substantial effort by paleoceanographers over the past two decades. The Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis is a viable new candidate mechanism that warrants further exploration and testing. Completion of the proposed work will contribute significantly to that effort. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eDuring the course of this work, several undergraduates will be exposed to paleoclimate research through their involvement in this project. Burckle and Anderson are both dedicated to the education and training of young scientists, and to the recruitment of women and under-represented minorities. To illustrate, two summer students (undergraduates) worked in Burckle\u0027s lab during the summer of 2002. One was a woman and the other (male) was a member of an under-represented minority. Anderson and Burckle will continue with similar recruitment efforts during the course of the proposed study. A minority student who has expressed an interest in working on this research during the summer of 2003 has already been identified.", "east": -70.0, "geometry": "POINT(-140 -57.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -50.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Anderson, Robert; Burckle, Lloyd", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "NCEI", "repositories": "NCEI", "science_programs": null, "south": -65.0, "title": "Opal Burial in the Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean: A Test of the \"Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis.\"", "uid": "p0000457", "west": 150.0}, {"awards": "0229546 MacAyeal, Douglas", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-178 -78)", "dataset_titles": "collection of nascent rift images and description of station deployment; Continuous GPS (static) Data from the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica; Giant Icebergs of the Ross Sea, in situ Drift and Weather Measurements, Antarctica; Iceberg Firn Temperatures, Antarctica; Iceberg Harmonic Tremor, Seismometer Data, Antarctica; Iceberg Satellite imagery from stations and ice shelves (full data link not provided); Iceberg Tiltmeter Measurements, Antarctica; Ice Shelf Rift Time-Lapse Photography, Antarctica; Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology; Nascent Iceberg Webcam Images available during the deployment period; Ross Ice Shelf Firn Temperature, Antarctica; The files contain a short header (number of data samples, sample rate, start time, stop time, channel title)The time series data then follow the header above.; This site mirrors the NSIDC website archive.", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609352", "doi": "10.7265/N5M61H55", "keywords": "Glaciology; Iceberg; Oceans; Ross Ice Shelf; Sea Ice; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Southern Ocean; Temperature", "people": "MacAyeal, Douglas; Sergienko, Olga; Thom, Jonathan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Iceberg Firn Temperatures, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609352"}, {"dataset_uid": "609350", "doi": "10.7265/N5VM496K", "keywords": "AWS; Glaciology; GPS; Iceberg; Meteorology; Oceans; Ross Sea; Sea Ice; Southern Ocean; Weatherstation", "people": "Bassis, Jeremy; Aster, Richard; Okal, Emile; MacAyeal, Douglas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Giant Icebergs of the Ross Sea, in situ Drift and Weather Measurements, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609350"}, {"dataset_uid": "609351", "doi": "10.7265/N5QV3JGV", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Ross Ice Shelf", "people": "Brunt, Kelly; MacAyeal, Douglas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice Shelf Rift Time-Lapse Photography, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609351"}, {"dataset_uid": "609347", "doi": "10.7265/N57W694M", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geodesy; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPS; Ross Ice Shelf; Southern Ocean", "people": "Brunt, Kelly; MacAyeal, Douglas; King, Matthew", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Continuous GPS (static) Data from the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609347"}, {"dataset_uid": "001684", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AMRDC", "science_program": null, "title": "This site mirrors the NSIDC website archive.", "url": "http://uwamrc.ssec.wisc.edu/"}, {"dataset_uid": "609353", "doi": "10.7265/N5GF0RFF", "keywords": "Glaciology; Iceberg; Oceans; Ross Ice Shelf; Sea Ice; Southern Ocean; Tiltmeter", "people": "Kim, Young-Jin; MacAyeal, Douglas; Bliss, Andrew", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Iceberg Tiltmeter Measurements, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609353"}, {"dataset_uid": "609354", "doi": "10.7265/N5BP00Q3", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ross Ice Shelf; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Temperature", "people": "Scambos, Ted; Sergienko, Olga; Muto, Atsu; MacAyeal, Douglas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ross Ice Shelf Firn Temperature, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609354"}, {"dataset_uid": "002568", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Project website", "science_program": null, "title": "Iceberg Satellite imagery from stations and ice shelves (full data link not provided)", "url": "http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/"}, {"dataset_uid": "001598", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "The files contain a short header (number of data samples, sample rate, start time, stop time, channel title)The time series data then follow the header above.", "url": "http://nsidc.org"}, {"dataset_uid": "002504", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Project website", "science_program": null, "title": "Nascent Iceberg Webcam Images available during the deployment period", "url": "https://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/data/iceberg.html"}, {"dataset_uid": "001639", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Project website", "science_program": null, "title": "collection of nascent rift images and description of station deployment", "url": "http://thistle.org/nascent/index.shtml"}, {"dataset_uid": "609349", "doi": "10.7265/N5445JD6", "keywords": "Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciology; Iceberg; Oceans; Ross Sea; Sea Ice; Seismometer; Southern Ocean", "people": "Bassis, Jeremy; Aster, Richard; Okal, Emile; MacAyeal, Douglas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Iceberg Harmonic Tremor, Seismometer Data, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609349"}, {"dataset_uid": "001685", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology", "url": "http://www.iris.edu/data/sources.htm"}], "date_created": "Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports the study of the drift and break-up of Earth\u0027s largest icebergs, which were recently released into the Ross Sea of Antarctica as a result of calving from the Ross Ice Shelf. The scientific goals of the study are to determine the physics of iceberg motion within the dynamic context of ocean currents, winds, and sea ice, which determine the forces that drive iceberg motion, and the relationship between the iceberg and geographically and topographically determined pinning points on which the iceberg can ground. In addition, the processes by which icebergs influence the local environments (e.g., sea ice conditions near Antarctica, access to penguin rookeries, air-sea heat exchange and upwelling at iceberg margins, nutrient fluxes) will be studied. The processes by which icebergs generate globally far-reaching ocean acoustic signals that are detected within the global seismic (earthquake) sensing networks will also be studied. A featured element of the scientific research activity will be a field effort to deploy automatic weather stations, seismometer arrays and GPS-tracking stations on several of the largest icebergs presently adrift, or about to be adrift, in the Ross Sea. Data generated and relayed via satellite to home institutions in the Midwest will motivate theoretical analysis and computer simulation; and will be archived on an \"iceberg\" website (http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/amrc/iceberg.html) for access by scientists and the general public. At the most broad level, the study is justified by the fact that icebergs released by the Antarctic ice sheet represent the largest movements of fresh water within the natural environment (e.g., several of the icebergs to be studied, B15, C19 and others calved since 2000 CE, represent over 6000 cubic kilometers of fresh water-an amount roughly equivalent to 100 years of the flow of the Nile River). A better understanding of the impact of iceberg drift through the environment, and particularly the impact on ocean stratification and mixing, is essential to the understanding of the abrupt global climate changes witnessed by proxy during the ice age and of concern under conditions of future greenhouse warming. On a more specific level, the study will generate a knowledge base useful for the better management of Antarctic logistical resources (e.g., the shipping lanes to McMurdo Station) that can occasionally be influenced by adverse effects icebergs have on sea ice conditions.", "east": -178.0, "geometry": "POINT(-178 -78)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMISTORS \u003e THERMISTORS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e HUMIDITY SENSORS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e TEMPERATURE SENSORS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS RECEIVERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e SEISMOMETERS \u003e SEISMOMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e MMS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e CAMERAS \u003e CAMERAS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e CAMERAS \u003e CAMERAS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e SEISMOMETERS \u003e SEISMOMETERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS RECEIVERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e TEMPERATURE LOGGERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e TEMPERATURE PROFILERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e TEMPERATURE SENSORS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "SEISMOLOGICAL STATIONS; Pressure; AWS; Velocity Measurements; Firn Temperature Measurements; Ice Velocity; Seismology; Ice Sheet Elevation; Harmonic Tremor; Ice Shelf Temperature; Wind Speed; Iceberg; Ice Surface Elevation; Non-Volcanic Tremor; Not provided; Antarctic; Iceberg Tremor; Solar Radiation; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Ross Ice Shelf; Elevation; GPS; Temperature Profiles; Ice Shelf Rift Camera; GROUND STATIONS; Latitude; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Ice Shelf Weather; FIELD INVESTIGATION; ARWS; Surface Elevation; Ice Shelf Flow; Antarctica; FIELD SURVEYS; Camera; Seismometer; Iceberg Weather (aws); Ice Movement; Photo; Wind Direction; Iceberg Snow Accumulation; Tremor And Slow Slip Events; AWS Climate Data; Location; Iceberg Drift; Iceberg Collisions; Iceberg Tilt; Atmospheric Pressure; Iceberg Seismicity; Firn Temperature", "locations": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Ross Ice Shelf", "north": -78.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Okal, Emile; Aster, Richard; Bassis, Jeremy; Kim, Young-Jin; Bliss, Andrew; Sergienko, Olga; Thom, Jonathan; Scambos, Ted; Muto, Atsu; Brunt, Kelly; King, Matthew; Parker, Tim; Okal, Marianne; Cathles, Mac; MacAyeal, Douglas", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e ARWS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e SEISMOLOGICAL STATIONS; Not provided; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e NAVIGATION SATELLITES \u003e GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) \u003e GPS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "AMRDC; IRIS; NSIDC; Project website; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Collaborative Research of Earth\u0027s Largest Icebergs", "uid": "p0000117", "west": -178.0}, {"awards": "0338279 Siddoway, Christine", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-157 -75,-155.3 -75,-153.6 -75,-151.9 -75,-150.2 -75,-148.5 -75,-146.8 -75,-145.1 -75,-143.4 -75,-141.7 -75,-140 -75,-140 -75.3,-140 -75.6,-140 -75.9,-140 -76.2,-140 -76.5,-140 -76.8,-140 -77.1,-140 -77.4,-140 -77.7,-140 -78,-141.7 -78,-143.4 -78,-145.1 -78,-146.8 -78,-148.5 -78,-150.2 -78,-151.9 -78,-153.6 -78,-155.3 -78,-157 -78,-157 -77.7,-157 -77.4,-157 -77.1,-157 -76.8,-157 -76.5,-157 -76.2,-157 -75.9,-157 -75.6,-157 -75.3,-157 -75))", "dataset_titles": "Bedrock sample data, Ford Ranges region (Marie Byrd Land)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601829", "doi": "10.15784/601829", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Gondwana; Marie Byrd Land; Migmatite", "people": "Siddoway, Christine", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Bedrock sample data, Ford Ranges region (Marie Byrd Land)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601829"}], "date_created": "Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project will study migmatite domes found in the Fosdick Mountains of the Ford Ranges, western Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. This area offers unique, three-dimensional exposures that may offer new insight into dome formation, which is a fundamental process of mountain building. These domes are derived from sedimentary and plutonic protoliths that are complexly interfolded at decimeter to kilometer scales. Preliminary findings from geobarometry and U-Pb monazite dating of anatexite suggest that peak metamorphism was underway at 105 Ma at crustal depths of ~25 km, followed by decompression as the Fosdick dome was emplaced to 16-17 km, or possibly as low as 8.5 km, in the crust by 99 Ma. Near-isothermal conditions were maintained during ascent, favorable for producing substantial volumes of melt through biotite-dehydration melting. This dome has been interpreted as a product of extensional exhumation. This is a viable interpretation from the regional standpoint, because the dome was emplaced in mid-Cretaceous time during the rapid onset of divergent tectonics along the proto- Pacific margin of Gondwana. However, the complex internal structures of the Fosdick Mountains have yet to be considered and may be more consistent with alternative intepretations such as upward extrusion within a contractional setting or lateral flow within a transcurrent attachment zone. This proposal is for detailed structural analysis, paired with geothermobarometry and geochronology, to determine the flow behavior and structural style that produced the internal architecture of the Fosdick dome. The results will improve our general understanding of the role of gneiss domes in transferring material and heat during mountain-building, and will characterize the behavior of the middle crust during a time of rapid transition from divergent to convergent tectonics along the active margin of Gondwana. In terms of broader impacts, this work will train undergraduate and graduate students, and involve them as collaborators in the development of curricular materials. It will also foster mentoring relationships between graduate and undergraduate students.", "east": -140.0, "geometry": "POINT(-148.5 -76.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Transcurrent Faults; Geochronology; Tectonic; Detachment Faults; Structural Geology; Not provided; Gneiss Dome; Migmatite", "locations": null, "north": -75.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Siddoway, Christine; Teyssier, Christian", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Gneiss Dome architecture: Investigation of Form and Process in the Fosdick Mountains, W. Antarctica", "uid": "p0000744", "west": -157.0}, {"awards": "9980452 Harvey, Ralph", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9980452 Harvey This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for continuation of the Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET). Since 1976, ANSMET has recovered more than 10,000 meteorite specimens from locations along the Transantarctic Mountains. This award supports continued recovery of Antarctic meteorites during six successive austral summer field seasons, starting with the 2000-2001 season and ending with the 2005-2006 season. Under this project, systematic searches for meteorite specimens will take place at previously discovered stranding surfaces, and reconnaissance work will be conducted to discover and explore the extent of new areas with meteorite concentrations. ANSMET recovery teams will deploy by air to locations in the deep field for periods of 5-7 weeks. While at the meteorite stranding surface, field team members will search the ice visually, traversing on foot or on snowmobile. Specimens will be collected under the most sterile conditions practical and samples will remain frozen until returned to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. At the JSC, initial characterization and sample distribution to all interested researchers takes place under the auspices of an interagency agreement between NSF, NASA, and the Smithsonian Institution. The impact of ANSMET has been substantial and this will continue under this award. The meteorites recovered by ANSMET are the best and most reliable source of new, non-microscopic extraterrestrial material, providing essential \"ground-truth\" concerning the materials that make up the asteroids, planets and other bodies of our solar system. The system for their characterization and distribution is unparalleled and their subsequent study has fundamentally changed our understanding of the solar system. ANSMET meteorites have helped researchers explore the conditions that were present in the nebula from which our solar system was born 4.556 billion years ago and provided samples of asteroids, ranging from primitive bodies unchanged since the formation of the solar system to complex, geologically active miniature planets. ANSMET samples proved, against the conventional wisdom, that some meteorites actually represent planetary materials, delivered to us from the Moon and Mars, completely changing our view of the geology of those bodies. ANSMET meteorites have even generated a new kind of inquiry into one of the most fundamental scientific questions possible; the question of biological activity in the universe as a whole. Over the past twenty years, ANSMET meteorites have economically provided a continuous and readily available supply of extraterrestrial materials for research, and should continue to do so in the future.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE; NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Harvey, Ralph", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "The Antarctic Search for Meteorites", "uid": "p0000118", "west": null}, {"awards": "9909665 Berger, Glenn", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-67.25 -62,-66.025 -62,-64.8 -62,-63.575 -62,-62.35 -62,-61.125 -62,-59.9 -62,-58.675 -62,-57.45 -62,-56.225 -62,-55 -62,-55 -62.525,-55 -63.05,-55 -63.575,-55 -64.1,-55 -64.625,-55 -65.15,-55 -65.675,-55 -66.2,-55 -66.725,-55 -67.25,-56.225 -67.25,-57.45 -67.25,-58.675 -67.25,-59.9 -67.25,-61.125 -67.25,-62.35 -67.25,-63.575 -67.25,-64.8 -67.25,-66.025 -67.25,-67.25 -67.25,-67.25 -66.725,-67.25 -66.2,-67.25 -65.675,-67.25 -65.15,-67.25 -64.625,-67.25 -64.1,-67.25 -63.575,-67.25 -63.05,-67.25 -62.525,-67.25 -62))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001707", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0303"}, {"dataset_uid": "001818", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0107"}], "date_created": "Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9909665 Berger This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports project to test and develop approaches for using thermoluminescence techniques to determine the age of Antarctic marine sediments. Quaternary (last 2 million yrs) marine sediments surrounding Antarctica record the waxing and waning of ice shelves and ice sheets, and also other paleoclimatic information, yet accurate chronologies of these sediments are difficult to obtain. Such chronologies provide the essential foundation for study of geological processes in the past. Within the range of radiocarbon (14C) dating (less than 30-40 thousand yrs, note - \"ka\" below means 1000 yrs) 14C dates can be inaccurate because of a variable 14C reservoir effect, and beyond 30-40 ka few methods are applicable. Photon-stimulated-luminescence sediment dating (photonic dating) of eolian and waterlain deposits in temperate latitudes spans the range from decades to hundreds of ka, but marine sediments in and around Antarctica pose special difficulty because of the potentially restricted exposure to daylight (the clock-zeroing process) of most detrital grains before deposition. This proposal will test the clock-zeroing assumption in representative Antarctic glaciomarine depositional settings, and thereby determine the potential reliability of photonic dating of Antarctic marine sediments. Limited luminescence dating and signal-zeroing tests using glaciomarine and marine deposits have been conducted in the northern temperate and polar latitudes, but the effects on luminescence of the different glaciomarine depositional processes have never been studied in detail. Furthermore, the depositional settings around Antarctica are almost entirely polar, with consequent specific processes operating there. For example, transport of terrigenous suspensions by neutrally buoyant \"cold-tongue\" (mid-water) plumes may be common around Antarctica, yet the effect of such transport on luminescence zeroing is unknown. Typical marine cores near Antarctica may contain an unknown fraction of detrital grains from cold-tongue and near-bottom suspensions. Thus the extent to which the polar glaciomarine depositional processes around Antarctica may limit the potential accuracy of photonic dating of marine cores is unknown (age overestimates would result if grains are not exposed to daylight before deposition). This project will collect detrital grains from a variety of \"zero-age\" (modern) marine depositional settings within the Antarctic Peninsula, where representative Antarctic depositional processes have been documented and where logistics permit access. Suspensions will be collected from four fjords representing a transect from polar through subpolar conditions. Suspensions will be collected from two stations and from up to 3 depths (surface and 2 deep plumes) at each station. Sediment traps will be deployed at two of these fjord settings. As well, core-top sediments will be collected from several sites. All samples will be shielded from light and transported to Reno, Nevada, for luminescence analyses. Systematic study of the effectiveness of luminescence-clock-zeroing in Antarctic glaciomarine settings will determine if photonic dating can be reliable for future applications to Antarctic marine sediments. Refined sedimentological criteria for the selection of future samples for photonic dating are expected from this project. A photonic-dating capability would provide a numeric geochronometer extending well beyond the age range of 14C dating. Such a capability would permit answering a number of broader questions about the timing and extent of past glaciations near and on the Antarctic shelves.", "east": -55.0, "geometry": "POINT(-61.125 -64.625)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e PRESSURE SENSORS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SEDIMENT CORERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V LMG; Not provided; Luminescence; Hugo Island; Geochronology; R/V NBP; Palmer Deep", "locations": "Hugo Island", "north": -62.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Berger, Glenn; Domack, Eugene Walter", "platforms": "Not provided; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -67.25, "title": "Collaborative Research: Development of a Luminescence Dating Capability for Antarctic Glaciomarine Sediments: Tests of Signal Zeroing at the Antarctic Pennisula", "uid": "p0000592", "west": -67.25}, {"awards": "0229698 Hammer, William", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate Triassic and Jurassic dinosaurs and other vertebrates from the central Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. A field program to search for Upper Triassic to Jurassic age fossil vertebrates in the Beardmore Glacier region will be carried out in the 2003-04 austral summer. Initially, field efforts will concentrate on the Hanson Formation that has produced the only Jurassic dinosaur fauna from Antarctica. Further excavation of the Hanson dinosaur locality on Mt. Kirkpatrick will occur, followed by an extensive search of other exposures of the Hanson, Falla and Upper Fremouw Formations in the Beardmore area. A field party of six persons will allow two smaller groups to work independently at different sites. This group will operate for 3-4 weeks out of a small helicopter camp located in the Beardmore area. In addition to collecting new specimens an interpretation of the depositional settings for each of the vertebrate sites will be made. The second and third years of this project will be dedicated to preparation and study of the vertebrates. Antarctic vertebrates provide a unique opportunity to study the evolutionary and biogeographic significance of high latitude Mesozoic faunas and this project should result in significant advances in knowledge in this field.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e MESOZOIC", "persons": "Hammer, William R.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Vertebrate Paleontology of the Triassic to Jurassic Sedimentary Sequence in the Beardmore Glacier Area, Antarctica", "uid": "p0000366", "west": null}, {"awards": "0230469 Wise, Sherwood", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports the development of a standardized diatom image catalog or database. Diatoms are considered by many to be the most important microfossil group used today in the study of Antarctic Cenozoic marine deposits south of the Polar Front, from the near shore to deep sea. These microfossils, with walls of silica called frustules, are produced by single-celled plants (algae of the Class Bacillariophyceae) in a great variety of forms. Consequently, they have great biostratigraphic importance in the Southern Ocean and elsewhere for determining the age of marine sediments. Also, paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic studies increasingly rely on fossil diatom data. Changing biogeographic distributions of given taxa indicate shifting paleoecological conditions and provide evidence of the surface productivity and temperatures of ancient oceans. The generality of conclusions, though, is limited by variation in species concepts among workers. The broad research community relies, directly or indirectly, on the accurate identification of diatom species. Current technology can be used to greatly improve upon the standard references that have been used in making these identifications.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis project will develop an interactive digital-image catalog of modern and Cenozoic fossil diatoms of the Southern Ocean called \"DiatomWare\" for use by specialists and educators as an aid in rapid, accurate, and consistent species identification. As such, this will be a researcher\u0027s resource. It will be especially useful where it is not possible to maintain standard library resources such as onboard research vessels or at remote stations such as McMurdo Station. Major Antarctic geological drilling initiatives such as the new SHALDRIL project and the pending ANDRILL project will benefit from this product because they will rely heavily on diatom biostratigraphy to achieve their research objectives. The DiatomWare image database will be modeled on NannoWare, which was released in October 2002 on CD-ROM as a publication of the International Nannoplankton Association. BugCam will be adapted and modified as necessary to run the DiatomWare database, which can then be run from desktop or laptop computers. Images and text for the database will be scanned from the literature or captured in digital form from light or scanning electron microscopes.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe software interface will include a number of data fields that can be accessed by the click of a mouse button. Primary information will be the images and descriptions of the holotypes. In addition, representative images of paratypes or hypotypes will be included whenever possible in plain transmitted, differential interference contrast light and, when available, as drawings and SEM images. Also included will be a 35-word or less English diagnosis (\"mini-description\"), the biostratigraphic range in terms of zones and linear time, bibliographic references, lists of species considered junior synonyms, and similar species. The list of similar species will be cross-referenced with their respective image files to enable quick access for direct visual comparison on the viewing screen. Multiple images can be brought to the viewing screen simultaneously, and a zoom feature will permit image examination at a wide range of magnifications. Buttons will allow range charts, a bibliography, and key public-domain publications from the literature to be called up from within the program. The DiatomWare/BugCam package will be distributed at a nominal cost through a major nonprofit society via CD-ROM and free to Internet users on the Worldwide Web. Quality control measures will include critical review of the finalized database by a network of qualified specialists. The completed database will include descriptions and images of between 350 and 400 species, including fossil as well as modern forms that have no fossil record.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe development of the proposed diatom image database will be important to all research fields that depend on accurate biostratigraphic dating and paleoenvironmental interpretation of Antarctic marine sediments and plankton. The database will also serve as a valuable teaching tool for micropaleontology students and their professors, will provide a rapid means of keying down species for micropaleontologists of varying experience and background, and will promote a uniformity of taxonomic concepts since it will be developed and continuously updated with the advice of a community of nannofossil fossil experts. Broad use of the database is anticipated since it will be widely available through the Internet and on CD-ROM for use on personal computers that do not require large amounts of memory, costly specialized programs, or additional hardware.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Wise, Sherwood", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "DiatomWare: An Interactive Digital Image Catalog for Antarctic Cenozoic Diatoms", "uid": "p0000062", "west": null}, {"awards": "9909436 Farley, Kenneth", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9909436 Farley This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports an investigation of the uplift history of the Dry Valleys segment of the Transantarctic Mountains. The overall goal is to further constrain the exhumation history of the Transantarctic Mountains by using the newly developed apatite (U-Th)/He dating method on samples collected in vertical profiles. This approach, combined with existing apatite fission track information will constrain the rate and patterns of exhumation across the Transantarctic Mountains since their inception as a rift-flank uplift in the early Cenozoic. This project will complement other projects and build on previous interpretations of the exhumation and tectonic history determined using apatite fission track thermochronology. It will bridge the gap between information on erosion rates determined from fission track thermochronology and from cosmogenic surface exposure dating and integrate the exhumation history of the mountains with their landscape evolution. As such, the results from this project will address an outstanding problem in Antarctic science; namely the stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, and the timing of the transition from a \"warm\" dynamic ice sheet to a cold polar ice sheet. Highly relevant to this issue is the landscape evolution of the Transantarctic Mountains because many diverse lines of evidence for the rate of landscape evolution have been used to argue for a dynamic ice sheet up until either the Pliocene (the \"dynamic\" ice sheet model) or the middle Miocene (the \"stable\" ice sheet model). Understanding the past stability or dynamic fluctuations of the East Antarctic ice sheet with respect to the climate record is, of course, important for understanding how the present ice sheet may respond to global warming. The specific objective of this project is to determine apatite (U-Th)/He age versus elevation trends for a number of vertical profiles from locations within the Transantarctic Mountain front and across the structural grain of the range. Fission track data already exist for all of these profiles, with apatite fission track ages ranging from 150-30 Ma. The greater precision of the (U-Th)/He technique and the fact it records information at lower temperatures (closure temperature of ~70 degrees Celsius; limits of 40-85 degrees Celsius for the He partial retention zone) will allow examination of the exhumation history of the TAM in more detail from ca 130 Ma to ~20 Ma. Another facet is to examine areas where Cretaceous exhumation is recorded and areas where the fission track profiles indicate periods of thermal and tectonic stability and minimal erosion throughout the Cretaceous. The variation of timing of the onset of more rapid exhumation accompanying uplift and formation of the Transantarctic Mountains in the early Cenozoic will also be examined.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Farley, Kenneth", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Exhumation of the Transantarctic Mountains: Constraints from (U-Th)/He Dating of Apatites", "uid": "p0000281", "west": null}, {"awards": "0126146 Miller, Molly", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(171 -83.75)", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a study to investigate paleoenvironmental conditions during the late Paleozoic and Mesozoic in central interior Antarctica. The 4 km thick sequence of sedimentary rocks, known as the Beacon Supergroup, in the Beardmore Glacier area records 90 million years of Permian through Jurassic history of this high-paleolatitude sector of Gondwana. It accumulated in a foreland basin with a rate of subsidence approximately equal to the rate of deposition. The deposits have yielded diverse vertebrate fossils, in situ fossil forests, and exceptionally well preserved plant fossils. They give a unique glimpse of glacial, lake, and stream/river environments and ecosystems and preserve an unparalleled record of the depositional, paleoclimatic, and tectonic history of the area. The excellent work done to date provides a solid base of information on which to build understanding of conditions and processes.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis project is a collaborative study of this stratigraphic section that will integrate sedimentologic, paleontologic, and ichnologic observations to answer focused questions, including: (1) What are the stratigraphic architecture and alluvial facies of Upper Permian to Jurassic rocks in the Beardmore area?; (2) In what tectonostratigraphic setting were these rocks deposited?; (3) Did vertebrates inhabit the cold, near-polar, Permian floodplains, as indicated by vertebrate burrows, and can these burrows be used to identify, for the first time, the presence of small early mammals in Mesozoic deposits?; and (4) How did bottom-dwelling animals in lakes and streams use substrate ecospace, how did ecospace use at these high paleolatitudes differ from ecospace use in equivalent environments at low paleolatitudes, and what does burrow distribution reveal about seasonality of river flow and thus about paleoclimate? Answers to these questions will (1) clarify the paleoclimatic, basinal, and tectonic history of this part of Gondwana, (2) elucidate the colonization of near-polar ecosystems by vertebrates, (3) provide new information on the environmental and paleolatitudinal distributions of early mammals, and (4) allow semi-quantitative assessment of the activity and abundance of bottom-dwelling animals in different freshwater environments at high and low latitudes. In summary, this project will contribute significantly to an understanding of paleobiology and paleoecology at a high latitude floodplain setting during a time in Earth history when the climate was much different than today.", "east": 171.0, "geometry": "POINT(171 -83.75)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Beardmore Glacier; FIELD SURVEYS; Paleoclimate; Permian; Paleontology; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Sedimentologic; Ichnologic; Stratigraphic; Gondwana", "locations": "Beardmore Glacier", "north": -83.75, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e MESOZOIC \u003e JURASSIC; PHANEROZOIC \u003e PALEOZOIC \u003e PERMIAN; PHANEROZOIC \u003e MESOZOIC \u003e TRIASSIC", "persons": "Miller, Molly", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -83.75, "title": "Collaborative Research: Late Paleozoic-Mesozoic Fauna, Environment, Climate and Basinal History: Beardmore Glacier Area, Transantarctic Mountains", "uid": "p0000736", "west": 171.0}, {"awards": "0548918 van de Flierdt, Christina-Maria", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This Small Grant for Exploratory Research supports development of a geochemical technique to time the onset of glacial erosion from Antarctica\u0027s continental ice sheets. The technique pairs neodymium (Nd) and hafnium (Hf) isotope proxies from the authigenic (seawater-derived) ferromanganese phase precipitated in marine sediments. This technique promises to be a sensitive indicator of glacial erosion. Non-radiogenic Hf is contained in the mineral zircon, which can only be released by the abrasive grinding that accompanies glacial erosion. Previous attempts to develop this technique encountered difficulty due to the minute amounts of Hf involved and the difficulty in its extraction. The PIs have developed a new chemical protocol that should allow them to selectively extract authigenic Hf from bulk sediments. If successful, studies of the Eocene-Oligocene boundary from two drill cores the Weddell Sea and Kerguelen Plateau will be carried out. This boundary is considered the initiation point for formation of Antarctica\u0027s current ice sheets. If successful, this method will benefit scientists with interests as diverse as continental weathering, ocean circulation, Cenozoic paleoceanography and paleoclimate, and Antarctic geology. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe broader impacts of this work are development of a new analytical technique that may improve society\u0027s understanding of the potential for global climate change from the perspective of the deep time record.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Van De Flierdt, Christina-Maria", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "SGER: Development of the Paired Authigenic Neodymium-Hafnium Isotope Weathering Tracer From Marine Sediments in the Circum Antarctic Realm", "uid": "p0000130", "west": null}, {"awards": "0003844 Case, Judd", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG0309", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001683", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0309"}, {"dataset_uid": "002676", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0309", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0309"}], "date_created": "Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a collaborative research project between the Saint Mary\u0027s College of California, the South Dakota School of Mines and technology, and the Argentine Antarctic Institute (Instituto Antartico Argentino or IAA) to investigate the Late Mesozoic vertebrate paleontology of the James Ross Basin in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The Campanian through the Maastrichtian ages (80 to 65 million years ago) is an important time interval concerning vertebrate biogeography (i.e. dispersals and separations due to moving landmasses) and evolution between Antarctica and other Southern Hemisphere continents (including India, i.e. Gondwana). Moreover, the dispersal of terrestrial vertebrates (i.e. dinosaurs and marsupial mammals) from North America to Antarctica and beyond (e.g. Australia) via Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula, as well as the dispersal of modern birds from Antarctica northward are important unresolved questions in paleontology. These dispersal events include vertebrates not only in the terrestrial realms, but also in marine settings. Both widely distributed and localized marine reptile species have been identified in Antarctica, creating questions concerning their dispersal in conjunction with the terrestrial animals.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe Antarctic Peninsula and Patagonia represent the western-most portion of the Weddellian Paleobiogeographic Province, a region that extends from Patagonia through the Antarctic Peninsula and western Antarctica to Australia and New Zealand. Within this province lie the dispersal routes for interchanges of vertebrates between South America and: 1) Madagascar and India, and 2) Australia. As the result of previous work by the principal investigators, it is postulated that an isthmus between more northern South America and the Antarctic craton has served to bring typical North American dinosaurs, such as hadrosaurs (duck-billed dinosaurs) and presumably marsupials traveling overland, while marine reptiles swam along coastal waters, to Antarctica in the latest Cretaceous. Finally, this region has served as the cradle for the evolution, if not the origin, for groups of modern birds, and evolution of a suite of typical southern hemisphere plants.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIn order to confirm and expand upon these hypotheses, investigations into the latest Cretaceous deposits of the James Ross Basin, Antarctica Peninsula must be continued. The Cape Lamb and Sandwich Bluff geological units, of the Lopez de Bertodano Formation in the James Ross Basin along the eastern Antarctic Peninsula, exhibit a mixture of marine and terrestrial deposits. The following vertebrates have been recovered from these sedimentary deposits during previous field seasons: plesiosaur and mosasaur marine reptiles; plant eating dinosaurs; a meat eating dinosaur; and a variety of modern bird groups, including shorebirds, wading birds and lagoonal birds.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis project will undertake new fieldwork to recover new specimens in order to test biogeographic and evolutionary hypotheses concerning Late Cretaceous vertebrates in Gondwana. Fieldwork is planned in January 2002 and 2003 to explore the eastern slopes of Cape Lamb, Sandwich Bluff and False Island Point on Vega Island, and the Santa Marta Cove area of James Ross Island.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis research will result in important new insights about the evolution and geographic dispersal of several vertebrate species. The results are important to understanding the development and evolution of life on Earth.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis is a collaborative research project with Argentinean scientists from the IAA and it continues a productive collaboration that began in 1995. In addition, collaboration with vertebrate paleontologists from the Museo de La Plata, both in the field and at our respective institutions in Argentina and in the United States, will continue.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e PRESSURE SENSORS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided; R/V LMG", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e MESOZOIC \u003e CRETACEOUS", "persons": "Case, Judd; Blake, Daniel", "platforms": "Not provided; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Evolution and Biogeography of Late Cretaceous Vertebrates from the James Ross Basin, Antarctic Peninsula", "uid": "p0000129", "west": null}, {"awards": "0408475 Harry, Dennis", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-175 -85)", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research to apply numerical modeling to constrain the uplift and exhumation history of the Transantarctic Mountains. The Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) are an anomalously high (\u003e4500 m) and relatively broad (up to 200 km) rift-flank uplift demarcating the boundary between East and West Antarctica. Dynamics of the East Antarctic ice-sheet and the climate are affected by the mountain range, and an understanding of the uplift history of the mountain range is critical to understanding these processes. This project will constrain the uplift and denudation history of the Transantarctic Mountains based on thermo-mechanical modeling held faithful to thermochronological, geological, and geophysical data. The research will be the primary responsibility of post-doctoral researcher Audrey Huerta, working in collaboration with Dennis Harry, 1 undergraduate student, and 1 graduate student.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThermochronologic evidence of episodic Cretaceous through Cenozoic rapid cooling within the TAM indicates distinct periods of uplift and exhumation. However, a more detailed interpretation of the uplift history is difficult without an understanding of the evolving thermal structure and topography of the TAM prior to and during uplift. These aspects of the mountain range can best be constrained by an understanding of the evolving regional tectonic setting. Proximity of the TAM to the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS) suggests a link between uplift of the TAM and extension within the WARS.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe project will integrate two techniques: lithospheric-scale geodynamic modeling and crustal-scale thermal modeling. The lithospheric-scale deformational and thermal evolution of TAM will be modeled by a finite element model designed to track the thermal and deformational response of the Antarctic lithosphere to a protracted extensional environment. Previous investigators have linked the high elevation and broad width of the TAM to a deep level of necking in which mantle thinning is offset from the location of crustal extension. In this study, a three-dimensional dynamic model will be used to track the uplift and thermal evolution of the TAM in a setting in which necking is at a deep level, and in which extension within the crust and extension within the mantle are offset. Velocity boundary conditions applied to the edges of the model will vary through time to simulate the extensional and transtensional evolution of the WARS. Because the model is dynamic, the thermal structure, strength, and strain field, evolve naturally in response to these initial and boundary conditions.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eDynamic models are uniquely suited to understanding lithospheric deformational and thermal evolution, however kinematic models are best suited for addressing the detailed thermal and exhumation history of crustal uplifts. Thus, a 2-dimensional kinematic-thermal model will be designed to simulate the uplift history of the TAM and the resulting erosional, topographic, and thermal evolution. Uplift will be modeled as normal-fault movement on a set of discrete fault planes with uplift rate varying through time. Erosion will be modeled as a diffusive process in which erosion rates can be varied through time (simulating climate changes), and vary spatially as a linear function of gradient and distance from the drainage divide. Synthetic time-temperature (t-T) histories will be calculated to compare model results to thermochronologic data.", "east": -175.0, "geometry": "POINT(-175 -85)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -85.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC; PHANEROZOIC \u003e MESOZOIC \u003e CRETACEOUS; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e PALEOGENE", "persons": "Huerta, Audrey D.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -85.0, "title": "Uplift and Exhumation of the Transantarctic Mountains and Relation to Rifting in West Antarctica", "uid": "p0000728", "west": -175.0}, {"awards": "9615502 Harrison, William", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-148.822 -81.655)", "dataset_titles": "Vertical Strain at Siple Dome, Antarctica, 1999-2002", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609214", "doi": "10.7265/N5HH6H00", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geodesy; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; Strain; WAISCORES", "people": "Harrison, William; Elsberg, Daniel; Zumberge, Mark; Pettit, Erin; Waddington, Edwin D.; Morack, James", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Vertical Strain at Siple Dome, Antarctica, 1999-2002", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609214"}], "date_created": "Thu, 22 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for support for a three year project to measure the vertical strain rate as a function of depth at two sites on Siple Dome Antarctica. Ice flow near a divide such as Siple Dome is unique in that it is predominantly vertical. As a consequence, the component of ice deformation in the vertical direction, the \"vertical strain rate\" is dominant. Its measurement is therefore important for the calibration of dynamic models of ice flow. Two different, relatively new, high resolution systems for its measurement in hot water drilled holes will be employed. The ice flow model resulting from the measurements and flow law determination will be used to interpret the shapes of radar internal layering in terms of the dynamic history and accumulation patterns of Siple Dome over the past 10,000 years. The resulting improved model will also be applied to the interpretation of annual layers thicknesses (to produce annual accumulation rates) and borehole temperatures from the ice core to be drilled at Siple Dome during the 1997/98 field season. The results should permit an improved analysis of the ice core, relative to what was possible at recent coring sites in central Greenland. This is a collaborative project between the University of Alaska, the University of California, San Diego and the University of Washington.", "east": -148.822, "geometry": "POINT(-148.822 -81.655)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e GAUGES \u003e STRAIN GAUGE WHEATSTONE BRIDGE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Core Data; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Antarctica; USAP-DC; Ice Core; Ice Analysis; Ice Flow; Ice Deformation; Antarctic Ice Sheet; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Vertical Strain Rate; Ice Sheet; Glaciology; West Antarctica; Ice; Ice Movement", "locations": "Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet; West Antarctica; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -81.655, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Harrison, William; Morack, James; Pettit, Erin; Zumberge, Mark; Elsberg, Daniel; Waddington, Edwin D.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": -81.655, "title": "Ice Dynamics, the Flow Law, and Vertical Strain at Siple Dome", "uid": "p0000601", "west": -148.822}, {"awards": "0125579 Cuffey, Kurt; 0126202 Blankenship, Donald", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160 -77.6,160.25 -77.6,160.5 -77.6,160.75 -77.6,161 -77.6,161.25 -77.6,161.5 -77.6,161.75 -77.6,162 -77.6,162.25 -77.6,162.5 -77.6,162.5 -77.63,162.5 -77.66,162.5 -77.69,162.5 -77.72,162.5 -77.75,162.5 -77.78,162.5 -77.81,162.5 -77.84,162.5 -77.87,162.5 -77.9,162.25 -77.9,162 -77.9,161.75 -77.9,161.5 -77.9,161.25 -77.9,161 -77.9,160.75 -77.9,160.5 -77.9,160.25 -77.9,160 -77.9,160 -77.87,160 -77.84,160 -77.81,160 -77.78,160 -77.75,160 -77.72,160 -77.69,160 -77.66,160 -77.63,160 -77.6))", "dataset_titles": "Ablation Rates of Taylor Glacier, Antarctica; Stable Isotopes of Ice on the Surface of Taylor Glacier, Antarctica; Surface Velocities of Taylor Glacier, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609324", "doi": "10.7265/N5RV0KM7", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Velocity; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Kavanaugh, Jeffrey; Cuffey, Kurt M.; Bliss, Andrew; Aciego, Sarah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Surface Velocities of Taylor Glacier, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609324"}, {"dataset_uid": "609326", "doi": "10.7265/N5N29TW8", "keywords": "Ablation Poles; Ablation Rates; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Cuffey, Kurt M.; Kavanaugh, Jeffrey; Bliss, Andrew", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ablation Rates of Taylor Glacier, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609326"}, {"dataset_uid": "609323", "doi": "10.7265/N5WM1BBZ", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Isotope; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Cuffey, Kurt M.; Bliss, Andrew; Kavanaugh, Jeffrey; Aciego, Sarah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Stable Isotopes of Ice on the Surface of Taylor Glacier, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609323"}], "date_created": "Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to significantly improve our understanding of how Taylor Glacier flows and responds to climate changes. Taylor Glacier drains the Taylor Dome region of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and terminates in Taylor Valley, one of the Dry Valleys of Victoria Land. It provides a crucial and unique link between two intensively studied Antarctic environments: the Taylor Dome, from which a 130 kyr ice core paleoclimate record has recently been extracted, and the Dry Valleys, a pivotal Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site and a focus of research on geomorphology and glacial geology. The proposed work will thus make an important contribution to ongoing efforts to exploit the Taylor Dome - Dry Valleys system to build a uniquely comprehensive view of regional long-term environmental changes. The proposed work has two complementary components: field research and numerical modelling. Two field seasons will be used to measure velocity, surface strain rate, mass balance, ice thickness, glacier bed reflectance, and subglacial topography, along a nearly complete longitudinal transect of the Taylor Glacier, and along select cross-valley transects. This information will be used to constrain numerical models of ice and heat flow for the Taylor Dome - Taylor Glacier system. These calibrated models will be used to analyze the time-dependent response of the Taylor Glacier to climate changes. The synthesis of results will be aimed to improve understanding of the glacial geomorphology of Taylor Valley, and to illuminate impacts on the Taylor Valley lakes ecosystem. The project will have a major role in furthering the careers of a doctoral-level graduate student and a post-doctoral researcher.", "east": 162.5, "geometry": "POINT(161.25 -77.75)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS RECEIVERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Glacier; Glacier Surface; Glacier Surface Ablation; Ice Velocity; Velocity Measurements; Taylor Glacier; Isotope; GPS; Ice Sheet Elevation; Not provided; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Ice Surface Elevation; Ablation; Oxygen Isotope; Elevation; Deuterium; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Glacier Surface Ablation Rate; Surface Elevation", "locations": "Taylor Glacier", "north": -77.6, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bliss, Andrew; Kavanaugh, Jeffrey; Aciego, Sarah; Cuffey, Kurt M.; Morse, David L.; Blankenship, Donald D.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e NAVIGATION SATELLITES \u003e GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) \u003e GPS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.9, "title": "Collaborative Research: Dynamics and Climatic Response of the Taylor Glacier System", "uid": "p0000084", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "0229917 Becker, Luann", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports an interdisciplinary study of fluvial sediments in Antarctica for evidence of what caused the greatest of all mass extinctions in the history of life at the Permian-Triassic boundary. This boundary was, until recently, difficult to locate and thought to be unequivocally disconformable in Antarctica. New studies, particularly of carbon isotopic chemostratigraphy and of paleosols and root traces as paleoecosystem indicators, together with improved fossil plant, reptile and pollen biostratigraphy, now suggest that the precise location of the boundary might be identified and have led to local discovery of iridium anomalies, shocked quartz, and fullerenes with extraterrestrial noble gases. These anomalies are associated with a distinctive claystone breccia bed, similar to strata known in South Africa and Australia, and taken as evidence of deforestation. There is already much evidence from Antarctica and elsewhere that the mass extinction on land was abrupt and synchronous with extinction in the ocean. The problem now is what led to such death and destruction. Carbon isotopic values are so low in these and other Permian-Triassic boundary sections that there was likely to have been some role for catastrophic destabilization of methane clathrates. Getting the modeled amount of methane out of likely reservoirs would require such catastrophic events as bolide impact, flood-basalt eruption or continental-shelf collapse, which have all independently been implicated in the mass extinction and for which there is independent evidence. Teasing apart these various hypotheses requires careful re-examination of beds that appear to represent the Permian-Triassic boundary, and search for more informative sequences, as was the case for the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. This collaborative research on geochemistry and petrography of boundary beds and paleosols (by Retallack), on carbon isotopic variation through the boundary interval (by Jahren), and on fullerenes, iridium and helium (by Becker) is designed to test these ideas about the Permian-Triassic boundary in Antarctica and to shed light on processes which contributed to this largest of mass extinctions on Earth. Fieldwork for this research will be conducted in the central Transantarctic Mountains and in Southern Victoria Land with an initial objective of examining the stratigraphic sequences for continuity across the boundary. Stratigraphic continuity is a critical element that must exist for the work to be successful. If fieldwork indicates sufficiently continuous sections, the full analytical program will follow fieldwork.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROBES \u003e PROBES; SOLAR/SPACE OBSERVING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PARTICLE DETECTORS \u003e SEM", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Becker, Luann", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction in Antarctica", "uid": "p0000718", "west": null}, {"awards": "0232042 Finn, Carol", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((139.27539 -82.35733,142.369695 -82.35733,145.464 -82.35733,148.558305 -82.35733,151.65261 -82.35733,154.746915 -82.35733,157.84122 -82.35733,160.935525 -82.35733,164.02983 -82.35733,167.124135 -82.35733,170.21844 -82.35733,170.21844 -82.516831,170.21844 -82.676332,170.21844 -82.835833,170.21844 -82.995334,170.21844 -83.154835,170.21844 -83.314336,170.21844 -83.473837,170.21844 -83.633338,170.21844 -83.792839,170.21844 -83.95234,167.124135 -83.95234,164.02983 -83.95234,160.935525 -83.95234,157.84122 -83.95234,154.746915 -83.95234,151.65261 -83.95234,148.558305 -83.95234,145.464 -83.95234,142.369695 -83.95234,139.27539 -83.95234,139.27539 -83.792839,139.27539 -83.633338,139.27539 -83.473837,139.27539 -83.314336,139.27539 -83.154835,139.27539 -82.995334,139.27539 -82.835833,139.27539 -82.676332,139.27539 -82.516831,139.27539 -82.35733))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 16 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate the Transantarctic Mountains and an adjacent region of East Antarctica. The East Antarctic shield is one of Earth\u0027s oldest and largest cratonic assemblies, with a long-lived Archean to early Paleozoic history. Long-standing interest in the geologic evolution of this shield has been rekindled over the past decade by tectonic models linking East Antarctica with other Precambrian crustal elements in the Rodinia and Gondwanaland supercontinents. It is postulated that the Pacific margin of East Antarctica was rifted from Laurentia during late Neoproterozoic breakup of Rodinia, and it then developed as an active plate boundary during subsequent amalgamation of Gondwanaland in the earliest Paleozoic. If true, the East Antarctic shield played a key role in supercontinent transformation at a time of global changes in plate configuration, terrestrial surficial process, sea level, and marine geochemistry and biota. A better understanding of the geological evolution of the East Antarctic shield is therefore critical for studying Precambrian crustal evolution in general, as well as resource distribution, biosphere evolution, and glacial and climate history during later periods of Earth history. Because of nearly complete coverage by the polar ice cap, however, Antarctica remains the single most geologically unexplored continent. Exposures of cratonic basement are largely limited to coastal outcrops in George V Land and Terre Adelie (Australian sector), the Prince Charles Mountains and Enderby Land (Indian sector), and Queen Maud Land (African sector), where the geology is reasonably well-known. By contrast, little is known about the composition and structure of the shield interior. Given the extensive ice cover, collection of airborne geophysical data is the most cost-effective method to characterize broad areas of sub-ice basement and expand our knowledge of the East Antarctic shield interior. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis project will conduct an airborne magnetic survey (coupled with ground-based gravity measurements) across an important window into the shield where it is exposed in the Nimrod Glacier area of the central Transantarctic Mountains. Specific goals are to:\u003cbr/\u003e1. Characterize the magnetic and gravity signature of East Antarctic crustal basement exposed at the Ross margin (Nimrod Group),\u003cbr/\u003e2. Extend the magnetic data westward along a corridor across the polar ice cap in order to image the crust in ice-covered areas,\u003cbr/\u003e3. Obtain magnetic data over the Ross Orogen in order to image the ice-covered boundary between basement and supracrustal rocks, allowing us to better constrain the geometry of fundamental Ross structures, and\u003cbr/\u003e4. Use the shape, trends, wavelengths, and amplitudes of magnetic anomalies to define magnetic domains in the shield, common building blocks for continent-scale studies of Precambrian geologic structure and evolution.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eHigh-resolution airborne magnetic data will be collected along a transect extending from exposed rocks of the Nimrod Group across the adjacent polar ice cap. The Nimrod Group represents the only bona fide Archean-Proterozoic shield basement exposed for over 2500 km of the Pacific margin of Antarctica. This survey will characterize the geologically well-known shield terrain in this sector using geophysical methods for the first time. This baseline over the exposed shield will allow for better interpretation of geophysical patterns in other ice-covered regions and can be used to target future investigations. In collaboration with colleagues from the BGR (Germany), a tightly-spaced, \"draped\" helicopter magnetic survey will be flown during the 2003-04 austral summer, to be complemented by ground measurements of gravity over the exposed basement. Data reduction, interpretation and geological correlation will be completed in the second year. This project will enhance the education of students, the advancement of under-represented groups, the research instrumentation of the U.S. Antarctic Program, partnerships between the federal government and institutions of higher education, and cooperation between national research programs. It will benefit society through the creation of new basic knowledge about the Antarctic continent, which in turn may help with applied research in other fields such as the glacial history of Antarctica.", "east": 170.21844, "geometry": "POINT(154.746915 -83.154835)", "instruments": "SOLAR/SPACE OBSERVING INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC FIELD/ELECTRIC FIELD INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAM", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Central Transantarctic Mountains; Aeromagnetic Data; HELICOPTER; DHC-6; Not provided", "locations": "Central Transantarctic Mountains", "north": -82.35733, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Finn, C. A.; FINN, CAROL", "platforms": "AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PROPELLER \u003e DHC-6; AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e ROTORCRAFT/HELICOPTER \u003e HELICOPTER; Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -83.95234, "title": "Collaborative Research: Geophysical Mapping of the East Antarctic Shield Adjacent to the Transantarctic Mountains", "uid": "p0000249", "west": 139.27539}, {"awards": "0088054 Goldstein, Steven", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -39.57,-144 -39.57,-108 -39.57,-72 -39.57,-36 -39.57,0 -39.57,36 -39.57,72 -39.57,108 -39.57,144 -39.57,180 -39.57,180 -42.967,180 -46.364,180 -49.761,180 -53.158,180 -56.555,180 -59.952,180 -63.349,180 -66.746,180 -70.143,180 -73.54,144 -73.54,108 -73.54,72 -73.54,36 -73.54,0 -73.54,-36 -73.54,-72 -73.54,-108 -73.54,-144 -73.54,-180 -73.54,-180 -70.143,-180 -66.746,-180 -63.349,-180 -59.952,-180 -56.555,-180 -53.158,-180 -49.761,-180 -46.364,-180 -42.967,-180 -39.57))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 26 Apr 2005 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate the sediment core from the Southern Ocean for paleoenvironmental research. The polar regions are susceptible to the largest changes in climate and are among the least accessible places on Earth. Current concern about the instability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has heightened awareness of the vulnerability of polar regions. This proposal seeks to gain a basic understanding of the isotopic characteristics of terrigenous sediment sources derived from Antarctica in the Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum, and their dispersal into the Southern Ocean. Terrigenous clastic sediments are brought to the ocean from continental sources via rivers, ice and wind, and distributed within the ocean by surface and deep currents. At present there are virtually no isotopic data on circumpolar detritus, save a few strontium (Sr) isotopic ratios in the Atlantic sector. This project will fill part of this gap. From the large range in geological ages of crustal provinces of Antarctica, we would predict that there are large isotopic differences in detritus around the continent. The main objectives are to (1) characterize the strontium-neodymium-lead-argon (Sr-Nd-Pb-Ar) isotope compositions of sediment sources derived from Antarctica, (2) to identify the composition and source ages of major ice rafted detritus (IRD) contributions by analyzing individual grains of hornblende and feldspar in conjunction with bulk isotopic analysis, and (3) track sediment dispersal into the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) during the Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eBecause of the paucity of circumpolar data, this research necessarily has a large exploratory component. Consequently, it will provide a basic database for future studies. Nevertheless there are important hypothesis-driven questions that will be addressed in this primary pass. Can lessons learned in North Atlantic IRD studies be applied toward understanding the history of Antarctic ice sheets? Can the large geological variability around the Antarctic margin be treated as a series of natural tracer injections into the ACC, and thus characterize its trajectory, speed, and interaction with other current systems today and in the past? The proposed study is motivated by an exciting set of results from the South Atlantic, showing that detrital Sr isotope ratios are a sensitive current tracer in that region. This research should serve a basic need across many Earth Science disciplines if the use of long-lived radiogenic isotopes (Sr-Nd-Pb-Ar) as tracers of marine sediment sources is successful in elucidating processes related to changing climatic conditions. The results of this study will fill a basic gap in our knowledge of an important region of the Earth. At the same time, it will provide an essential basis for attempting reconstruction of the ACC during the LGM, as well as for future studies of Antarctic geology, ice sheet history, and the Southern Ocean circulation.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -39.57, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Roy, Martin; Hemming, Sidney R.; Goldstein, Steven L.; Van De Flierdt, Christina-Maria", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -73.54, "title": "Establishing the Pattern of Holocene-LGM Changes in Sediment Contributions from Antarctica to the Southern Ocean", "uid": "p0000724", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0087390 Grunow, Anne", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-170 -79,-164 -79,-158 -79,-152 -79,-146 -79,-140 -79,-134 -79,-128 -79,-122 -79,-116 -79,-110 -79,-110 -79.5,-110 -80,-110 -80.5,-110 -81,-110 -81.5,-110 -82,-110 -82.5,-110 -83,-110 -83.5,-110 -84,-116 -84,-122 -84,-128 -84,-134 -84,-140 -84,-146 -84,-152 -84,-158 -84,-164 -84,-170 -84,-170 -83.5,-170 -83,-170 -82.5,-170 -82,-170 -81.5,-170 -81,-170 -80.5,-170 -80,-170 -79.5,-170 -79))", "dataset_titles": "Polar Rock Repository; Rock Magnetic Clast data are at this website", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001970", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PI website", "science_program": null, "title": "Rock Magnetic Clast data are at this website", "url": "http://bprc.osu.edu/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200243", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PRR", "science_program": null, "title": "Polar Rock Repository", "url": "https://prr.osu.edu/"}], "date_created": "Mon, 23 Aug 2004 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a collaborative research project between the University of California-Santa Cruz, the University of Texas-Austin, and the Ohio State University to investigate sediment samples recovered from the base of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). West Antarctica is a remote polar region but its dynamic ice sheet, complicated tectonic history, and the sedimentary record of Cenozoic glaciation make it of particular interest to glaciologists and geologists. Glaciologists are concerned with the possibility of significant near-future changes in mass balance of the WAIS that may contribute to the ongoing global sea level rise. Geologists are investigating in West Antarctica the fundamental process of continental extension and are constructing models of a polar marine depositional system using this region as the prime modern example. The subglacial part of West Antarctica has escaped direct geological investigations and all that is known about subglacial geology comes from geophysical remote sensing. Recent acquisitions of new, high-quality geophysical data have led to generation of several enticing models. For instance, subglacial presence of high-magnitude, short-wavelength magnetic anomalies has prompted the proposition that there may be voluminous (\u003e1 million cubic km), Late Cenozoic flood basalts beneath the ice sheet. Another important model suggests that the patterns of fast ice streaming (~100 meters/year) and slow ice motion (~1-10 meters/year) observed within the WAIS are controlled by subglacial distribution of sedimentary basins and resistant bedrock. These new geophysics-based models should be tested with direct observations because they are of such great importance to our understanding of the West Antarctic tectonic history and to our ability to predict the future behavior of the WAIS.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis research is designed as a pilot study to provide new geologic data, which may help to test the recent models inferred from geophysical observations. The new constraints on subglacial geology and on its interactions with the WAIS will be obtained through petrological and geochemical analyses of basal and subglacial sediments collected previously from seven localities. This investigation will take place in the context of testing the following three hypotheses: (A) the provenance of bedrock clasts in the glacial sediment samples is primarily from West Antarctica, (B) some clasts and muds from the West Antarctic subglacial sediments have been derived by erosion of the (inferred) subglacial Late Cenozoic flood basalts, and (C) the sediments underlying the West Antarctic ice streams were generated by glacial erosion of preglacial sedimentary basins but the sediments recovered from beneath the slow-moving parts of the WAIS were produced through erosion of resistant bedrock.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe individual hypotheses will be tested by collecting data on: (A) petrology, geochemistry and age of granitoid clasts, (B) petrology, geochemistry and age of basaltic clasts combined with mud geochemistry, and (C) clay mineralogy/paragenesis combined with textural maturity of sand and silt grains. The results of these tests will help evaluate the interesting possibility that subglacial geology may have first-order control on the patterns of fast ice flow within the WAIS. The new data will also help to determine whether the subglacial portion of West Antarctica is a Late Cenozoic flood basalt province. By combining glaciological and geological aspects of West Antarctic research the proposed collaborative project will add to the ongoing U.S. effort to create a multidisciplinary understanding of this polar region.", "east": -110.0, "geometry": "POINT(-140 -81.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Till; Subglacial; Clasts; Magnetic Properties; Rock Magnetics; FIELD INVESTIGATION; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "locations": "West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -79.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e PLEISTOCENE", "persons": "Grunow, Anne; Vogel, Stefan", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "PI website", "repositories": "PI website; PRR", "science_programs": null, "south": -84.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Relationship Between Subglacial Geology and Glacial Processes in West Antarctica: Petrological and Geochemical Analyses of Subglacial and Basal Sediments", "uid": "p0000740", "west": -170.0}, {"awards": "0087235 Grew, Edward", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((42 -64,43.2 -64,44.4 -64,45.6 -64,46.8 -64,48 -64,49.2 -64,50.4 -64,51.6 -64,52.8 -64,54 -64,54 -64.4,54 -64.8,54 -65.2,54 -65.6,54 -66,54 -66.4,54 -66.8,54 -67.2,54 -67.6,54 -68,52.8 -68,51.6 -68,50.4 -68,49.2 -68,48 -68,46.8 -68,45.6 -68,44.4 -68,43.2 -68,42 -68,42 -67.6,42 -67.2,42 -66.8,42 -66.4,42 -66,42 -65.6,42 -65.2,42 -64.8,42 -64.4,42 -64))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 09 Aug 2004 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0087235\u003cbr/\u003eGrew\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate the role of beryllium in lower crustal partial melting events. The formation of granitic liquids by partial melting deep in the Earth\u0027s crust is one of the major topics of research in igneous and metamorphic petrology today. One aspect of this sphere of research is the beginning of the process, specifically, the geochemical interaction between melts and source rocks before the melt has left the source area. One example of anatexis in metamorphic rocks affected by conditions found deep in the Earth\u0027s crust is pegmatite in the Archean ultrahigh temperature granulite-facies Napier Complex of Enderby Land, East Antarctica. Peak conditions for this granulite-facies metamorphism are estimated to have reached nearly 1100 Degrees Celsius and 11 kilobar, that is, conditions in the Earth\u0027s lower crust in Archean time. The proposed research is a study of the Napier Complex pegmatites with an emphasis on the minerals and geochemistry of beryllium. This element, which is estimated to constitute 3 ppm of the Earth\u0027s upper crust, is very rarely found in any significant concentrations in metamorphic rocks subjected to conditions of the Earth\u0027s lower crust. Structural, geochronological, and mineralogical studies will be carried out to test the hypothesis that the beryllium pegmatites resulted from anatexis of their metapelitic host rocks during the ultrahigh-temperature metamorphic event in the late Archean. Host rocks will be analyzed for major and trace elements. Minerals will be analyzed by the electron microprobe for major constituents including fluorine and by the ion microprobe for lithium, beryllium and boron. The analytical data will be used to determine how beryllium and other trace constituents were extracted from host rocks under ultrahigh-temperature conditions and subsequently concentrated in the granitic melt, eventually to crystallize out in a pegmatite as beryllian sapphirine and khmaralite, minerals not found in pegmatites elsewhere. Mineral compositions and assemblages will be used to determine the evolution and conditions of crystallization and recrystallization of the pegmatites and their host rocks during metamorphic episodes following the ultrahigh-temperature event. Monazite will be analyzed for lead, thorium and uranium to date the ages of these events. Because fluorine is instrumental in mobilizing beryllium, an undergraduate student will study the magnesium fluorphosphate wagnerite in the pegmatites in order to estimate fluorine activity in the melt as part of a senior project. The results of the present project will provide important insights on the melting process in general and on the geochemical behavior of beryllium in particular under the high temperatures and low water activities characteristic of the Earth\u0027s lower crust.", "east": 54.0, "geometry": "POINT(48 -66)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROBES \u003e ELECTRON MICROPROBES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROBES \u003e ION MICROPROBES", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Metamorphism; Li; Be; Pegmatitic Leucosomes; Partial Melting; Lithium; Granulites; Napier Complex; Boron; Beryllium; Mineralogy; Not provided; Continental Crust", "locations": "Napier Complex", "north": -64.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Grew, Edward", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -68.0, "title": "Beryllium in Antarctic Ultrahigh-Temperature Granulite-Facies Rocks and its Role in Partial Melting of the Lower Continental Crust", "uid": "p0000370", "west": 42.0}, {"awards": "XXXXXXX Palais, Julie", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Antarctic Ice Velocity Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609070", "doi": "10.7265/N5KS6PH5", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Ice Velocity Data", "url": "http://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609070"}], "date_created": "Tue, 23 Mar 2004 00:00:00 GMT", "description": null, "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Velocity; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description", "locations": "Antarctica; Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bindschadler, Robert; Raymond, Charles", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": null, "uid": null, "west": null}, {"awards": "9909469 Scambos, Ted", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Ice Motion and Topography Near Margin Areas of Kamb Ice Stream, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609141", "doi": "10.7265/N5WS8R52", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geodesy; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Kamb Ice Stream", "people": "Scambos, Ted; Raymond, Charles; Gades, Anthony; Conway, Howard; Catania, Ginny", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice Motion and Topography Near Margin Areas of Kamb Ice Stream, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609141"}], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Aug 2003 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9909469 Scambos This award provides support for three years of funding to study the scar-like features that are well-known from the Siple Coast ice stream system in West Antarctica. The objective of the proposed field work is to identify the nature of several as yet unvisited scars, and to further characterize previously-identified margin scars that are poorly dated. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Radarsat image data will be used to locate and map the features, and place them in a regional context. The study seeks to describe the recent history of the Siple Coast glaciers and investigate the causes of their changes in configuration. The main investigative tools will be low-frequency RES and high-frequency ground penetrating radar (GPR) profiles to image internal layers and measure depths to buried crevasses or disrupted layering. This, coupled with accumulation rates determined from shallow ice cores, will provide \"shutdown\" ages for the margin features. The field data will provide input parameters for simple models of ice flow for margins and inter-ice stream ridges during active shearing and after shutdown. This modeling will estimate the initial elevation of a scar at the time of shut down and the corresponding ice stream elevation at that time.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS RECEIVERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR ECHO SOUNDERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Velocity; Ice Acceleration; Ice Sheet Elevation; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Ice Stream; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Ice Sheet; Ice Surface Elevation; Ice Position; Ice Surface; Ice Stream C Velocities; Ice Movement; Ice; Cryosphere", "locations": "Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Scambos, Ted; Catania, Ginny; Conway, Howard; Gades, Anthony; Raymond, Charles", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: History and Evolution of the Siple Coast Ice Stream System as Recorded by Former Shear-Margin Scars", "uid": "p0000165", "west": null}, {"awards": "9222121 Dalziel, Ian", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Concentration and Isotopic Composition of O2 and N2 in Trapped Gases of the Vostok Ice Core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609107", "doi": "10.7265/N5862DCW", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Lake Vostok; Paleoclimate; UPLC-Q-TOF; Vostok Ice Core", "people": "Bender, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Concentration and Isotopic Composition of O2 and N2 in Trapped Gases of the Vostok Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609107"}], "date_created": "Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports an in situ and short traverse seismic reflection/refraction and magnetotelluric experiment in West Antarctica. This collaborative experiment involves four awards at four institutions. The four-fold purpose is 1) to investigate part of the Byrd Subglacial Basin, 2) to test techniques for this work that could be done in a long traverse, 3) to determine the viability of the magnetotelluric method on a thick (electrically resistive) ice sheet, and 4) to evaluate the relative merits of refraction with wide reflection versus reflection with narrow refraction seismic studies in imaging the lithosphere. The geophysical techniques that will be employed are capable of imaging the ice sheet, the continental lithosphere, and the upper mantle, as well as determining physical properties of parts of the lithosphere and mantle. Investigations of outcrop geology over the last thirty years in West Antarctica and the Transantarctic Mountains have lead to recent interpretations that the crust is made up of many different lithospheric blocks. Seismic reflection work is the only way to image the crust in detail and the refraction work is the only way to determine physical properties of the layers and blocks defined by the reflection work. The magnetotelluric work is scientifically risky because it may not yield useful information when used over the electrically resistive ice sheet; however, if it works it has the potential to image molten rock in the crust and upper mantle. In a continental rift region such as West Antarctica, the presence of melt in the lithosphere is likely and, if documented, has very important ramifications to ice sheet dynamics. Research work supported by this award is expected to provide constraints to models of a range of crustal processes from models of ice sheet dynamics to tectonic and kinematic models of lithospheric thinning and rifting.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Isotope; Vostok; USAP-DC; Antarctica; Trapped Gases; Ice Core; Glaciology; Nitrogen; GROUND STATIONS", "locations": "Antarctica; Vostok", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bender, Michael; Dalziel, Ian W.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Seismic Traverse of the Byrd Subglacial Basin-Field Test", "uid": "p0000150", "west": null}, {"awards": "9318121 Anandakrishnan, Sridhar", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Ice Velocity Data from Ice Stream C, West Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609106", "doi": "10.7265/N5CZ3539", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geodesy; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPS; WAIS", "people": "Anandakrishnan, Sridhar", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice Velocity Data from Ice Stream C, West Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609106"}], "date_created": "Sat, 01 Dec 2001 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9318121 Anandakrishnan This award is for support for a three year project to test the hypothesis that a controlling parameter of fast ice-stream flow is the hydrologic state of discrete zones of high friction (\"sticky spots\") at the bed of the ice streams. Previous work has discovered an enormous difference in basal microearthquake activity between fast-flowing ice stream B and ice stream C, which stopped flowing within the last 200 years. It is hypothesized that the basal water system is lubricating the sticky spots under the fast ice stream and thus inhibiting microearthquake activity, and at the same time permitting fast ice flow. This experiment is intended to collect a continuous record of wide-bandwidth microearthquake data from a variety of sites, on the ice streams, in the transition zone, and on the inland ice. ***", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS RECEIVERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Glaciology; USAP-DC; Ice Stream; Velocity Measurements; Ice Velocity; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Ice Sheet; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Ice Stream C Velocities; GPS; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Anandakrishnan, Sridhar", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Microearthquake Monitoring of Ice Stream C, West Antarctica: A Sensor for Sticky Spots", "uid": "p0000161", "west": null}, {"awards": "9980538 Lohmann, Kyger", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-56 -64)", "dataset_titles": "Stable isotope and minor element proxies for Eocene climate of Seymour Island, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600019", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": "Lohmann, Kyger", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Stable isotope and minor element proxies for Eocene climate of Seymour Island, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600019"}], "date_created": "Mon, 11 Jun 2001 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research for construction of a long-term record of climate during the late Cretaceous and early Paleogene to assess the annual seasonality in temperature on the coastal margin of Antarctica. Stable isotope and element compositions of well-preserved bivalve shells collected on Seymour Island will be the primary source of data used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions. Seasonal temperature records collected through high-resolution sampling along growth structures in bivalve shells will allow seasonality to be assessed during different climate states and during periods of rapid climate change. In addition, high stratigraphic resolution will enable this project to detect the presence and frequency of short-lived thermal excursions that may have extended to such high latitudes. To compile a reliable temporal record of paleoclimate, two major avenues of investigation will be undertaken: 1) precise stratigraphic (and therefore, temporal) placement of fossils over a large geographic area will be employed through the use of a graphical technique employing geometric projections; 2) stable isotope and elemental analyses will be performed to derive paleotemperatures and to evaluate diagenetic alteration of shell materials. To provide realistic comparisons of paleotemperatures across stratigraphic horizons, this study will focus on a single taxon, thus avoiding complications due to the mixing of faunal assemblages that have been encountered in previous studies of this region. The near-shore marine fossil record on Seymour Island provides a unique opportunity to address many questions about the Antarctic paleoenvironment, including the relation between seasonality and different climate states, the influence of climate on biogeographic distribution of specific taxa, the effect of ice-volume changes on the stable isotope record from the late Cretaceous through the Eocene, and the plausibility of high-latitude bottom water formation during this time interval. In particular, information that will be collected concerning patterns of seasonality and the presence (or absence) of short-lived thermal excursions will be extremely valuable to an understanding of the response of high latitude sites during climate transitions from globally cool to globally warm conditions.", "east": -56.0, "geometry": "POINT(-56 -64)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided; Bivalves; Geochemical Composition; Carbon Isotopes; Climate", "locations": null, "north": -64.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e PALEOGENE \u003e EOCENE", "persons": "Lohmann, Kyger; Barrera, Enriqueta", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.0, "title": "Evolution of Sea Surface Temperatures in the Coastal Antarctic Paleoenvironment During the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene", "uid": "p0000613", "west": -56.0}, {"awards": "9316338 Jacobel, Robert", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Siple Dome Glaciology and Ice Stream History 1994, 1996", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609085", "doi": "10.7265/N5Z31WJQ", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core", "people": "Jacobel, Robert", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Siple Dome Glaciology and Ice Stream History 1994, 1996", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609085"}], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Jan 1999 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9316338 Jacobel This award is for support for a program of glaciological studies of Siple Dome and its surroundings between Ice Streams C and D. The purpose of the work is to characterize the dynamic environment and ice stratigraphy to aid in the assessment of Siple Dome as a potential deep ice core site, and to determine whether the configuration of ice stream flow in the region was different in the past than now. The work involves measurements of the configuration and continuity of internal layers in the ice, using radar echo sounding and determination of velocity field, based on standard GPS surveying. The goals of the work are relevant to understanding the dynamics of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), its past history and its potential future behavior, including possible effects on global sea level. This work is a collaborative project between the University of Washington, the University of Colorado and St. Olaf College. ***", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Siple Dome; Antarctic; Glaciology; Radar; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Ice Stream", "locations": "Antarctic; Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Jacobel, Robert", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Siple Dome Glaciology and Ice Stream History", "uid": "p0000190", "west": null}, {"awards": "9527329 Kyle, Philip", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -65,-175.5 -65,-171 -65,-166.5 -65,-162 -65,-157.5 -65,-153 -65,-148.5 -65,-144 -65,-139.5 -65,-135 -65,-135 -66.5,-135 -68,-135 -69.5,-135 -71,-135 -72.5,-135 -74,-135 -75.5,-135 -77,-135 -78.5,-135 -80,-139.5 -80,-144 -80,-148.5 -80,-153 -80,-157.5 -80,-162 -80,-166.5 -80,-171 -80,-175.5 -80,180 -80,177 -80,174 -80,171 -80,168 -80,165 -80,162 -80,159 -80,156 -80,153 -80,150 -80,150 -78.5,150 -77,150 -75.5,150 -74,150 -72.5,150 -71,150 -69.5,150 -68,150 -66.5,150 -65,153 -65,156 -65,159 -65,162 -65,165 -65,168 -65,171 -65,174 -65,177 -65,-180 -65))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Kyle OPP 9527329 Abstract The Cape Roberts Project is an international drilling project to obtain a series of cores from the sedimentary strata beneath the sea floor off Cape Roberts in the Ross Sea. The project is a joint venture by scientists from the national Antarctic programs of Germany, Italy, New Zealand, the United Kingdom., Australia, and the United States. Drilling will continuously core a composite section of sediments over 1500 m thick which is expected to represent parts of the time period between 30 and more than 100 million years ago. The principle objectives of this component of the project will be to examine the record of igneous material in the drill core and provide high precision 40Ar/39Ar dates from tephra (volcanic ash) layers, disseminated ash, feldspars and epiclastic volcanic detrital grains to constrain depositional age and provenance of the sediments in the cores. This project will contribute to general geologic logging of the core and will characterize any igneous material using electron microprobe, x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) analyses. The presence of alkalic volcanic detritus from the Cenozoic McMurdo Volcanics will constrain the initiation of this phase of volcanism and improve our understanding of the relationship between volcanism and tectonism. The influx of sediments eroded from Jurassic Kirkpatrick Basalts and Ferrar Dolerites will be used to time the unroofing and rates of uplift of the Transantarctic Mountains. Geochemical analyses of core samples will examine the geochemistry and provenance of the sediments.", "east": -135.0, "geometry": "POINT(-172.5 -72.5)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e ROCK CORERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Radiometric Dating; Radiometric Ages; Argon-Argon Dates; Geochronology; 40Ar/39Ar; Tephra; Geochemistry; Cape Roberts Project; Geology; Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -65.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kyle, Philip; Krissek, Lawrence", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -80.0, "title": "The Cape Roberts Project: Volcanic Record, Geochemistry and 40Ar/39Ar Chronology", "uid": "p0000050", "west": 150.0}]
X
X
Help on the Results MapX
This window can be dragged by its header, and can be resized from the bottom right corner.
The Results Map and the Results Table
The Results Map displays the centroids of the geographic bounds of all the results returned by the search.
Results that are displayed in the current map view will be highlighted in blue and brought to the top of the Results Table.
As the map is panned or zoomed, the highlighted rows in the table will update.
If you click on a centroid on the map, it will turn yellow and display a popup with details for that project/dataset - including a link to the landing page.
The bounds for the project(s)/dataset(s) selected will be displayed in red.
The selected result(s) will be highlighted in red and brought to the top of the table.
The default table sorting order is: Selected, Visible, Date (descending), but this can be changed by clicking on column headers in the table.
Selecting Show on Map for an individual row will both display the geographic bounds for that result on a mini map, and also display the bounds
and highlight the centroid on the Results Map.
Clicking the 'Show boundaries' checkbox at the top of the Results Map will display all the bounds for the filtered results.
Defining a search area on the Results Map
If you click on the Rectangle or Polygon icons in the top right of the Results Map, you can define a search area which will be added to any other
search criteria already selected.
After you have drawn a polygon, you can edit it using the Edit Geometry dropdown in the search form at the top.
Clicking Clear in the map will clear any drawn polygon.
Clicking Search in the map, or Search on the form will have the same effect.
The returned results will be any projects/datasets with bounds that intersect the polygon.
Use the Exclude project/datasets checkbox to exclude any projects/datasets that cover the whole Antarctic region.
Viewing map layers on the Results Map
Clicking the Layers button - the blue square in the top left of the Results Map - will display a list of map layers you can add or remove
from the currently displayed map view.
Older retrieved projects from AMD. Warning: many have incomplete information.
To sort the table of search results, click the header of the column you wish to search by. To sort by multiple columns, hold down the shift key whilst selecting the sort columns in order.
Climate change is disproportionately affecting polar regions, with the Arctic now warming nearly four times faster than the global average. Polar warming drives coastal erosion and increases sediment delivery to the coastal ocean, affecting ecosystem processes ranging from primary productivity to carbon sequestration. Tracking changes in sedimentation rate is urgently needed to determine current conditions and measure further change. In polar regions, however, two of the most globally reliable sediment tracers, the radioisotopes lead-210 (210Pb) and cesium-137 (137Cs), have yielded mixed results. To understand the distribution and usefulness of these radioisotopes at high latitudes, this research makes use of a wealth of polar sediment cores archived at the Oregon State University Marine and Geology Repository combined with data synthesized from the literature. Results provide the first systematic study of Arctic and Antarctic sediment accretion. Improving the tools we use to track changes in sedimentation will help coastal managers and decisionmakers understand how climate change is impacting polar coastlines and marine environments, and what local communities should expect in the future. Sediment cores will be subsampled and analyzed for the activities of 210Pb (half-life = 22.3 years) and 137Cs (half-life = 30.1 years) using alpha and gamma spectroscopy, respectively. To provide context related to depositional environment, select subsamples will also be analyzed for sediment bulk density, grain size distribution, and organic content. A subset of samples with no measurable 210Pb or 137Cs activity will be analyzed for 14C to determine whether the lack of radioisotopes in a sample is because the core is simply too old, the true surface layer is missing, or because the shorter-lived radioisotopes did not accumulate. By undertaking comprehensive spatial analysis of the distribution of 210Pb and 137Cs in Arctic and Antarctic sediments, this research will achieve three goals: first, measure the activity of short-lived radioisotopes in archived sediment cores, a service to the science community that is urgently needed before the isotopes decay beyond detection; second, produce a comprehensive pole-wide atlas of sediment accretion rates; and finally, conduct a temporal analysis of sedimentation rate changes over the last ~60 to 125 years along the Beaufort Sea coast of northern Alaska, an ecologically and economically important region experiencing environmental transformation due to climate warming. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Geodiversity is the variety of non-living elements like rocks, landforms, and processes in a given area, and plays an especially critical role in Antarctica. Geodiversity provides the conditions in which life can develop and underpins all ecosystems on Earth. It also provides tangible services to people (like construction materials) as well as intangible benefits (such as scientific knowledge from ice cores and artistic inspiration from glaciers). Despite its importance, Antarctic geodiversity remains under-explored, under-described, and inadequately mapped. This knowledge gap is particularly concerning given the threats posed by increasing human activity and environmental and climate change. This project uses a variety of datasets to map Antarctic geodiversity, assess its benefits to people, and help identify priority locations for conservation. Through an interdisciplinary and mixed-method approach, this research will fill a major gap in the current understanding and representations of the Antarctic. Using the McMurdo Dry Valleys as a case study, the researcher will combine geospatial data on geology, geomorphology, pedology, and hydrology to map geodiversity of the region. This project will identify sites of key geosystem services by analyzing geospatial data on placenames, scientific samples, and a web-based participatory mapping survey. The geodiversity and geosystem services data will then be overlaid and combined to identify hotspots of geo-social diversity. The resulting maps will be compared with the region's protected area boundaries to assess the fit-for-purpose of current environmental management and identify priority locations for future research and conservation. The fellow will promote Antarctic geodiversity broadly, including at UNESCO International Geodiversity Day. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Part I, Non-technical Abstract Concerns that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) might be susceptible to releasing its ice as giant icebergs into the Southern Ocean due to a warming climate, raising global sea level, were first expressed more than 40 years ago. To best-assess this threat, scientists need to know whether such events occurred in the geologically recent past, during warm intervals of past glacial-interglacial cycles. Ocean drilling near the most vulnerable sector of the WAIS, in 2019, yielded seafloor geologic records demonstrating times when icebergs dropped large volumes of sands and pebbles, called ice-rafted detritus (IRD) in deep water of the Amundsen Sea. Occurring together with IRD that was eroded from bedrock beneath the ice sheets, there are abundant microfossils of diatoms (algal plankton), which indicate high biological productivity in the open ocean. The new sediment cores provide a complete, uninterrupted record of a time of dramatic fluctuations of ice sheet extent that occurred over the last 3 million years. Therefore, they provide the means to obtain clear answers to the question whether ice sheet collapse occurred in the past and offering clues to its potential future. This project will investigate sediment intervals where IRD coincides with evidence of high diatom production, to test whether these two criteria indicate rapid ice sheet collapse. Geochemical analysis of IRD pebbles will help trace the source of the icebergs to likely on-land sites. By analyzing conditions of high diatom and IRD accumulation in deep ocean sediment, where local coastal influences can be avoided, we will assess oceanographic and climatic conditions associated with past ice sheet collapse events. Diatoms provide powerful evidence of temperature and ocean productivity changes in the past, that, when linked to time, can translate into rates of ice sheet drawdown. These results will provide critical data for designing, constraining and testing the next suite computer models that can determine the likelihood and timing of future ice sheet collapse in a warming world. The project will include training of undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds, and the public will be introduced to Antarctic science and engaged through several different outreach efforts. Part 2, Technical Abstract New drillcores from the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica (IODP Expedition 379) contain a continuous record of oceanographic changes and iceberg rafted debris (IRD) spanning the last 5 million years. This study aims to identify the signature of retreat/collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) in these continental margin, deep-sea sediments by quantitatively analyzing, in detail, diatom and IRD records across glacial-interglacial lithostratigraphic transitions to establish the timing and frequency of Late Pliocene and Pleistocene WAIS collapse events. The investigators will secure age constraints and diagnostic observations of marine paleoenvironmental conditions for selected interglacial intervals of cores from sites U1532 and U1533, using high resolution micropaleontology of diatom assemblages coupled with microstratigraphic analysis of IRD depositional events, while petrography, geochronology and thermochronology of iceberg rafted clasts will provide evidence of iceberg sources and pathways. Depositional paleotemperatures will be assessed via a new paleotemperature proxy based on quantitative assessment of morphologic changes in the dominant Southern Ocean diatom Fragilariopsis kerguelensis. Their results will contribute to parameterization of new ice sheet models that seek to reconstruct and forecast West Antarctic Ice Sheet behavior. This project will directly contribute to undergraduate education at an undergraduate-only college and at a public university that serves a demographic typified by first generation university students and underrepresented groups. Spanning geology, geochemistry, sedimentology, paleontology and paleoceanography, the proposed work will allow undergraduate students to develop diverse skills through hands-on research within a collaborative team that is dedicated to societally relevant research. The two graduate students will conduct original research and work alongside/mentor undergraduates, making for a well-rounded research experience that prepares them for success in future academic or employment sectors. The discoveries that come from this deep-sea record from West Antarctica will be communicated by students and investigators at national and international conferences and an array of public science outreach events. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
The unique Antarctic environment offers insight into processes and records not seen anywhere else on Earth, and is critical to understanding our planet’s history and future. The remoteness and logistics of Antarctic science brings together researchers from diverse disciplines who otherwise wouldn’t be presented with opportunities for collaboration, and often rarely attend the same academic conferences. The Interdisciplinary Antarctic Earth Science (IAES) conference is a biennial gathering that supports the collaboration of U.S. bio-, cryo-, geo-, and atmospheric science researchers working in the Antarctic. This proposal will support the next two IAES conferences to be held in 2022 and 2024, as well as a paired deep-field camp planning workshop. The IAES conference is important to the mission of the NSF in supporting interdisciplinary collaboration in the Antarctic Earth sciences, but also fulfills recommendations by the National Academy for improving cross-disciplinary awareness, data sharing, and early career researcher mentoring and development. The size and scope of the IAES conference allow it to serve as a hub for novel, interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as help develop the next generation of Antarctic Earth scientists. The goals of the IAES conference are to develop and deepen scientific collaborations across the Antarctic Earth science community, and create a framework for future deep-field, as well as non-field-based research. Across a 2.5 day hybrid conference, the IAES themes will include 1) connecting surficial processes, geology, and the deep earth; 2) landscape, ice sheet, ocean and atmospheric interactions; 3) exploring the hidden continent; and 4) evolution and ecology of ancient and modern organisms, ecosystems, and environments. The conference will share science through presentations of current research and keynote talks, broaden participation through welcoming new researchers from under-represented communities and disciplines, and deepen collaboration through interdisciplinary networking highlighting potential research connections, novel mentorship activities, and promoting data re-use, and application of remote sensing and modeling. Discussions resulting from the IAES conference will be used to develop white papers on future Antarctic collaborative research and deep-field camps based on community-driven research priorities. Community surveys and feedback will be solicited throughout the project to guide the future development of the IAES conference. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Prothro, Lindsay; Venturelli, Ryan A; Miller, Lauren
No dataset link provided
Sediments that collect on the seafloor provide a wealth of information about past and present environmental change. Around Antarctica, these seafloor sediments are influenced by an ice sheet that grinds and transports sediments from the continent’s interior into the surrounding ocean. Since the Last Glacial Maximum (about 20,000 years ago) when the ice sheet extended hundreds to thousands of kilometers seaward, ice has retreated inland to the configuration we observe today and left behind signatures of its growth and decline, as well as indicators of ocean change, in the seafloor sediments. Ongoing glacial and ocean processes are reflected in the characteristics of contemporary sediments, whereas older sediments beneath the seafloor offer a longer temporal perspective of changes to the ice sheet and surrounding ocean. Using data generated from archived sediment cores that are predominantly housed in the Antarctic Core Collection at Oregon State University, we aim to confirm if recent sediments clearly reflect the specific instrumental and historical field-based observations of ocean and glacial change seen in different regions of Antarctica. These modern changes will be placed into context with those recorded by sediments deposited on the seafloor hundreds to thousands of years ago. This project will explore interlinked physical, biological, and geochemical properties of seafloor sediments to address the influence of glacial and oceanographic processes on ice-proximal marine sedimentation during the 20th and 21st centuries and since the Last Glacial Maximum, with a focus on sediment fluxes, meltwater drainage, ice-rafted debris deposition, and radiocarbon chronologies. We will integrate multi-proxy analyses to interrogate the seafloor sediment record around Antarctica, targeting regions offshore of relatively fast-flowing and fast-changing glacial systems today and regions offshore of slower flowing, more stable (i.e., unchanging or relatively minimally changing) parts of the ice sheet. This work will leverage the application of new techniques and knowledge to legacy sediment cores that NSF has invested greatly in collecting and archiving. This project is led by three early-career women project investigators who seek to foster collaborative and open research practices and professional growth of the project team which will include three graduate students, numerous undergraduate students, and a postdoctoral research associate. The project team will co-produce educational materials with Math4Science, an organization that connects STEM professionals with public secondary education students and their math and science teachers through curricula; and develop and implement best practices in working with marine sediment core data through a collaboration with the Oregon State University Marine and Geology Repository and the United States Antarctic Program - Data Center. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Siddoway, Christine; Thomson, Stuart; Teyssier, Christian
No project link provided
in progress
No project link provided
in progress
Sediment records off the coast of Marie Byrd Land (MBL), Antarctica suggest frequent and dramatic changes in the size of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) over short (tens of thousands of years) and long (millions of years) time frames in the past. WAIS currently overrides much of MBL and covers the rugged and scoured bedrock landscape. The ice sheet carved narrow linear troughs that reach depths of two to three thousand meters below sea level as outlet glaciers flowed from the interior of the continent to the oceans. As a result, large volumes of fragmented continental bedrock were carried out to the seabed. The glaciers cut downward into a region of crystalline rocks (i.e. granite) whose temperature change as a function of rock depth happens to be significant. This strong geothermal gradient in the bedrock is favorable for determining when the bedrock experienced rapid exhumation or "uncovering". Analyzing the chemistry of minerals (zircon and apatite) within the eroded rocks will provide information about the rate and timing of the glacier removal of bedrock from the Antarctic continent. The research addresses the following questions: When did the land become high enough for a large ice sheet to form? What was the regional pre-glacial topography? Under what climate conditions, and at what point in the growth of an ice sheet, did glaciers begin to cut sharply into bedrock to form the narrow troughs that flow seaward? The research will lead to greater understanding of past Antarctic ice sheet fluctuations and identify precise timing of glacial incision. These results will refine ice sheet history and aid the international societal response to contemporary ice sheet change and its global consequences. The project will contribute to the training of two graduate and two undergraduate students in STEM. The objective is to clarify the onset of WAIS glacier incision and assess the evolution of Cenozoic paleo-topography. Low-temperature (T) thermochronology and Pecube 3-D thermo-kinematic modeling will be applied to date and characterize episodes of glacial erosional incision. Single-grain double- and triple-dating of zircon and apatite will reveal the detailed crustal thermal evolution of the region enabling the research team to determine the comparative topographic influences on glaciation versus bedrock uplift induced by Eocene to present tectonism/magmatism. High-T mineral thermochronometers across Marie Byrd Land (MBL) record rapid extension-related cooling at ~100 Ma from temperatures of >800 degrees C to ≤ 300 degrees C. This signature forms a reference horizon, or paleogeotherm, through which the Cenozoic landscape history using low-T thermochronometers can be explored. MBL's elevated geothermal gradient, sustained during the Cenozoic, created favorable conditions for sensitive apatite and zircon low-T thermochronometers to record bedrock cooling related to glacial incision. Students will be trained to use state-of-the-art analytical facilities in Arizona and Minnesota, expanding the geo- and thermochronologic history of MBL from bedrock samples and offshore sedimentary deposits. The temperature and time data they acquire will provide constraints on paleotopography, isostasy, and the thermal evolution of MBL that will be modeled in 3D using Pecube model simulations. Within hot crust, less incision is required to expose bedrock containing the distinct thermochronometric profile; a prediction that will be tested with inverse Pecube 3-D models of the thermal field through which bedrock and detrital samples cooled. Using results from Pecube, the ICI-Hot team will examine time-varying topography formed in response to changes in erosion rates, topographic relief, geothermal gradient and/or flexural isostatic rigidity. These effects are manifestations of dynamic processes in the WAIS, including ice sheet loading, ice volume fluctuations, relative motion upon crustal faults, and magmatism-related elevation increase across the MBL dome. The project makes use of pre-existing sample collections housed at the US Polar Rock Repository, IODP's Gulf Coast Core Repository, and the Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
The focus of this collaborative project is to collect fossil plants, wood, and sedimentary and chemical information from rocks in the Shackleton Glacier (SHK) area of Antarctica. This information will be used to reconstruct plant life and environments during the Permian and Triassic (~295-205 million years ago) in Antarctica. This time interval is important to study as Antarctica experienced a large glaciation in the Permian followed by deglaciation and recovery of plant and animal life, only to be subjected to the largest extinction in Earth history at the end of the Permian. After the extinction events, the climate in Antarctica continued to warm extensively and there were forests growing close to the paleo-South Pole. These ancient environments provide a natural laboratory in which to study the effects of climate change on plant life. The results of this project will advance the field in the areas of changing sedimentary patterns during global cooling and warming, as well as plant evolution during times following glaciation and during global warmth. This project will study the extent of the Gondwana glaciation in the SHK area, the invasion and subsequent flourishing of life following glacial retreat, and the eventual recovery of plant life after Late Permian extinction events. Only in Antarctica does a complete polar-to-near-polar succession occur across this climatic and biologic transition. The SHK area is an important one as it is one of the few regions in the world where the Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) is exposed within terrestrial rocks. The field and lab work for this project is organized around three hypotheses that address fundamental issues in Earth history, including changes in the extent and diversity of flora during the Permian build up to the Late Paleozoic Ice Age, the possible diachronous nature of the PTB, and that poor fossil preservation during the Early Triassic has given a false impression that Antarctica was devoid of plants during this time. The hypotheses will be tested by integrating various types of paleobotanical approaches with detailed sedimentology, stratigraphy, and geochemistry. Compression floras and petrified wood will be collected (constrained by stratigraphy) both quantitatively and qualitatively in order to obtain biodiversity and abundance data, and as a data source for paleoecological analysis. Standard sedimentologic and stratigraphic analyses will be performed, as well as paleosol analyses, including mineralogic and major- and trace-element geochemistry. Collections will also be made for U-Pb zircon geochronology to better constrain geologic and biotic events through time. Results of the project will be incorporated into educational and outreach activities that are designed to include women and under-represented groups in the excitement of Antarctic earth sciences and paleontology, including workshops in Kansas and Wisconsin, as well as links to science classes during fieldwork.
Antarctic groundwater drives the regional carbon cycle and can accelerate permafrost thaw shaping Antarctic surface features. However, groundwater extent, flow, and processes on a continent virtually locked in ice are poorly understood. The proposed work investigates the interplay between groundwater, sediment, and ice in Antarctica's cold desert landscape to determine when, where, and why Antarctic groundwater is flowing, and how it may evolve Antarctic frozen deserts from dry and stable to wet and dynamic. Mapping the changing extent of Antarctic near-surface groundwater requires the ability to measure soil moisture rapidly and repeatedly over large areas. The research will capture changes in near-surface groundwater distribution through an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mapping approach. The project integrates a diverse range of sensors with new UAV technologies to provide a higher-resolution and more frequent assessment of Antarctic groundwater extent and composition than can be accomplished using satellite observations alone. To complement the research objectives, the PI will develop a new UAV summer field school, the Geosciences UAV Academy, focused on training undergraduate-level UAV pilots in conducting novel earth sciences research using cutting edge imaging tools. The integration of research and technology will prepare students for careers in UAV-related industries and research. The project will deliver new UAV tools and workflows for soil moisture mapping relevant to arid regions including Antarctica as well as temperate desert and dryland systems and will train student research pilots to tackle next generation airborne challenges. Water tracks are the basic hydrological unit that currently feeds the rapidly-changing permafrost and wetlands in the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV). Despite the importance of water tracks in the MDV hydrologic cycle and their influence on biogeochemistry, little is known about how these water tracks control the unique brine processes operating in Antarctic ice-free areas. Both groundwater availability and geochemistry shape Antarctic microbial communities, connecting soil geology and hydrology to carbon cycling and ecosystem functioning. The objectives of this CAREER proposal are to 1) map water tracks to determine the spatial distribution and seasonal magnitude of groundwater impacts on the MDV near-surface environment to determine how near-surface groundwater drives permafrost thaw and enhances chemical weathering and biogeochemical cycling; 2) establish a UAV academy training earth sciences students to answer geoscience questions using drone-based platforms and remote sensing techniques; and 3) provide a formative step in the development of the PI as a teacher-scholar. UAV-borne hyperspectral imaging complemented with field soil sampling will determine the aerial extent and timing of inundation, water level, and water budget of representative water tracks in the MDV. Soil moisture will be measured via near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy while bulk chemistry of soils and groundwater will be analyzed via ion chromatography and soil x-ray fluorescence. Sedimentological and hydrological properties will be determined via analysis of intact core samples. These data will be used to test competing hypotheses regarding the origin of water track solutions and water movement through seasonal wetlands. The work will provide a regional understanding of groundwater sources, shallow groundwater flux, and the influence of regional hydrogeology on solute export to the Southern Ocean and on soil/atmosphere linkages in earth's carbon budget. The UAV school will 1) provide comprehensive instruction at the undergraduate level in both how and why UAVs can advance geoscience research and learning; and 2) provide educational infrastructure for an eventual self-sustaining summer program for undergraduate UAV education. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Nontechnical Description The Antarctic core collection, curated at Florida State University since 1963, is one of the world?s premier marine geology collections. Consisting of irreplaceable sediment cores, this archive has greatly advanced the understanding of the Earth system, past and present, and will remain critical to future studies of the Earth. Given Oregon State University?s (OSU) leadership in marine research and long track record providing state-of-the-art curatorial services through the OSU Marine and Geology Repository, this facility will provide world-class curatorial stewardship of the Antarctic core collection for decades to come. The Antarctic core collection will be co-located and co-managed with the current OSU collection in a single modern repository and analytical facility. The combined collection will contain more than 30 km of refrigerated sediment core from the world?s oceans and will be housed in a new 33,000 SFT facility purchased in 2009 by OSU and upgraded in 2016-17. The total refrigerated space can hold both collections comfortably and has at least five decades of expansion space. The co-location and co-management of these two collections, paired with a modern suite of analytical facilities, will lead to greater collaboration, cross-pollination of ideas, and availability of enhanced technical services and capabilities for a growing user group that increasingly relies on marine sediments. The facility will employ a comprehensive community interaction plan that takes advantage of the new OSU Marine and Geology Repository building with a 32-person seminar room, its large 1,044 square foot core lab, and ten adjoining analytical laboratories, which will provide scientific and experiential learning opportunities for students, the general public, and the Earth Sciences research community. The facility will organize small group meetings, sampling parties and summer schools that will complement ongoing support for teaching, training and learning through the use of the repository in graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 classes and Research Experience for Undergraduate programs. The repository is open to the general public for tours and presentations, and the data products derived from the facility will be disseminated via the repository website at http://osu-mgr.org/ and other national databases. Technical Description The Antarctic and the Southern Ocean National Collection of Rock and Sediment Cores currently housed at Florida State University will be relocated to Oregon State University (OSU) and housed along with the OSU Marine and Geology Repository. Oregon State University investigators will co-manage the Antarctic core collection and the Marine and Geology Repository as a single modern repository and analytical facility. The combined collection will be housed a new 33,000 square foot building with refrigerated space that can hold both collections with approximately five decades of expansion space. The co-location and co-management of these two collections offers unique curatorial synergies, cost savings, and improved capabilities to support both the research and educational needs of a wider marine and Antarctic communities. The facility will house a 32-person seminar room, a large 1,044 square foot core lab that allows layout, inspection and examination of cores, and adjoining analytical laboratories that will provide quantitative analysis as well as experiential learning opportunities for students.
Non-Technical Abstract: The Polar Rock Repository (PRR) at The Ohio State University provides a unique resource for researchers studying the polar regions by offering free access to geological samples and data. This project seeks support to continue expanding and managing the collection, which is vital for scientific studies and planning fieldwork in Antarctica. Over the next five years, the repository plans to add tens of thousands of new samples and images, making it easier for researchers to study polar geology without the high cost and environmental impact of traveling to remote Antarctic locations. The PRR also supports education and outreach by providing hands-on resources for schools, colleges, and the public, including a "Polar Rock Box" program that brings real Antarctic samples into classrooms. This work ensures the preservation of important scientific materials and makes them accessible to a broad community, advancing understanding of our planet’s polar regions. Technical Abstract: The Polar Rock Repository (PRR) at The Ohio State University serves as a critical resource for polar earth science research, offering no-cost loans of geological samples and comprehensive metadata to the scientific community. This proposal seeks funding to support the continued curation, expansion, and management of the PRR, alongside its educational and outreach initiatives. Over the next five years, the PRR anticipates acquiring approximately 15,000 new samples, including those from major drilling operations (RAID, Winkie drill cores) and polar cruises. The repository also aims to significantly grow its archives of images, petrographic thin sections, and mineral separates. By preserving these physical and digital assets in a discoverable online database, the PRR fosters transparency, reproducibility, and accessibility in polar research, fulfilling Antarctic data management mandates. The intellectual merit lies in enabling cutting-edge scientific analyses through freely available samples and metadata. Broader impacts include reduced environmental costs of Antarctic research, enhanced educational opportunities, and outreach to a diverse audience through initiatives like the "Polar Rock Box" program. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is the most vulnerable polar ice mass to warming and already a major contributor to global mean sea level rise. Its fate in the light of prolonged warming is a topic of major uncertainty. Accelerated sea level rise from ice mass loss in the polar regions is a major concern as a cause of increased coastal flooding affecting millions of people. This project will disclose a unique geological archive buried beneath the seafloor off the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica, which will reveal how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet behaved in a warmer climate in the past. The data and insights can be used to inform ice-sheet and ocean modeling used in coastal policy development. The project will also support the development of a competitive U.S. STEM workforce. Online class exercises for introductory geology classes will provide a gateway for qualified students into undergraduate research programs and this project will enhance the participation of women in science by funding the education of current female Ph.D. students. The project targets the long-term variability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet over several glacial-interglacial cycles in the early Pliocene sedimentary record drilled by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 379 in the Amundsen Sea. Data collection includes 1) the sand provenance of ice-rafted debris and shelf diamictites and its sources within the Amundsen Sea and Antarctic Peninsula region; 2) sedimentary structures and sortable silt calculations from particle size records and reconstructions of current intensities and interactions; and 3) the bulk provenance of continental rise sediments compared to existing data from the Amundsen Sea shelf with investigations into downslope currents as pathways for Antarctic Bottom Water formation. The results are analyzed within a cyclostratigraphic framework of reflectance spectroscopy and colorimetry (RSC) and X-ray fluorescence scanner (XRF) data to gain insight into orbital forcing of the high-latitude processes. The early Pliocene Climatic Optimum (PCO) ~4.5-4.1 Ma spans a major warm period recognized in deep-sea stable isotope and sea-surface temperature records. This period also coincides with a global mean sea level highstand of > 20 m requiring contributions in ice mass loss from Antarctica. The following hypotheses will be tested: 1) that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreated from the continental shelf break through an increase in sub iceshelf melt and iceberg calving at the onset of the PCO ~4.5 Ma, and 2) that dense shelf water cascaded down through slope channels after ~4.5 Ma as the continental shelf became exposed during glacial terminations. The project will reveal for the first time how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet operated in a warmer climate state prior to the onset of the current “icehouse” period ~3.3 Ma. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Putkonen/1445205 This award supports the study of a large body of ice that is buried beneath approximately a meter of debris in the Ong Valley of the Transantarctic Mountains of East Antarctica. Preliminary analyses of this material suggest that it could be over a million years old. Most glacial ice contains tiny air bubbles that have trapped the atmospheric gases and other atmospherically transported materials existing at the time that the ice was deposited such as plant pollen, microbes and mineral dust. Samples will be collected from this buried ice mass, down to a depth of 10 meters, and cosmogenic nuclide concentrations both in the overlying debris and in the till contained in the ice will be measured. This site could contain some of the oldest ice on Earth and studies of the material contained within it may help researchers to better understand the processes involved in its survival for such long periods of time. This work will also help inform scientists about the processes involved in the development of landforms here on earth as well as those on Mars where similar dirt covered glaciers are found today. Samples of the buried ice will be collected in Ong Valley and analyzed to determine the cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in both the overlying debris and in the mineral matter suspended in the ice. The combined analysis of the target cosmogenic nuclides (Beryllium-10, Aluminum-26, and Neon-21) will allow the age of the ice to be uniquely determined and will enable determination of the rate that the ice is sublimating. The intellectual merit of this research is to unequivocally determine the age of the ice and the sublimation rate of the ice in Ong Valley, Antarctica and to better understand if this an uniquely Antarctic process or whether it could exist elsewhere on earth or on other planets. The work may also lead to the recognition of the oldest buried ice ever found on Earth and would provide a source from which direct information about the atmospheric chemistry, ancient life forms, and geology of that time could be measured. The broader impacts of this work are that it will be relevant to researchers in a number of different fields including glaciology, paleoclimatology, planetary geology, and biology. Several students will also participate in the project, conducting Antarctic field work, making measurements in the lab, attending meetings, participating in outreach activities, and producing videos. A graduate student will also write a thesis on this research. The results will be published in scientific journals and presented at conferences. The project requires field work in Antarctica.
Part I: Nontechnical Earths warming climate has the potential to drive widespread collapse of glaciers and ice sheets across the planet, driving global sea-level rise. Understanding both the rate and magnitude of such changes is essential for predicting future sea-level and how it will impact infrastructure and property. Collapse of the ice sheets of Antarctica has the potential to raise global sea-level by up to 60 meters. However, not all regions of Antarctica are equally suspectable to collapse. One area with potential for collapse is the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, a region twice the size of California's Central Valley. Geologic evidence indicates that the ice-sheet in this region has retreated significantly in response to past global warming events. While the geologic record clearly indicates ice-sheets in this area are vulnerable, the rate and magnitude of any future retreat will be influenced significantly by geology of the region. In particular, ice-sheets sitting above warm Earth will collapse more quickly during warming climate. Constraining the geologic controls on the stability of the ice-sheets of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin remains challenging since the ice-sheet hides the geology beneath kilometers of ice. As a step in understanding the potential for future ice loss in the Wilkes Subglacial Basin this project will conduct geophysical analysis of existing data to better constrain the geology of the region. These results will constrain new models designed to understand the tectonics that control the behavior of the ice-sheets in the region. These new models will highlight the geological properties that exert the most significant control on the future of the ice-sheets of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin. Such insights are critical to guide future efforts aimed at collecting in-situ observations needed to more fully constrain Antarctica's potential for future sea-level. Part II: Technical Description In polar environments, inward-sloping marine basins are susceptible to an effect known as the marine ice-sheet instability (MISI): run-away ice stream drainage caused by warm ocean water eroding the ice shelf from below. The magnitude and time-scale of the ice-sheet response strongly depend on the physical conditions along the ice-bed interface, which are, to a first order, controlled by the tectonic evolution of the basin. Topography, sedimentology, geothermal heat flux, and mantle viscosity all play critical roles in ice-sheet stability. However, in most cases, these solid-Earth parameters for regions susceptible to the MISI are largely unknown. One region with potential susceptibility to MISI is the Wilkes Subglacial Basin of East Antarctica. The project will provide an integrated investigation of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, combining geophysical analyses with both mantle flow and ice-sheet modeling to understand the stability of the ice sheet in this region, and the associated potential sea level rise. The work will be focused on four primary objectives: (1) to develop an improved tectonic model for the region based on existing seismic observations as well as existing geophysical and geological data; (2) to use the new tectonic model and seismic data to estimate the thermal, density, and viscosity structure of the upper mantle and to develop a heat flow map for the WSB; (3) to simulate mantle flow and to assess paleotopography based on our density and viscosity constraints; and (4) to assess ice-sheet behavior by modeling (a) past ice-sheet stability using our paleotopography estimates and (b) future ice-sheet stability using our heat flow and mantle viscosity estimates. Ultimately, the project will generate improved images of the geophysical structure beneath the WSB that will allow us to assess the geodynamic origin for this region and to assess the influence of geologic parameters on past, current, and future ice-sheet behavior. These efforts will then highlight areas and geophysical properties that should be the focus of future geophysical deployments. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Antarctica is almost entirely covered by ice, in places over two miles thick. This ice hides a landscape that is less well known than the surface of Mars and represents one of Earth's last unexplored frontiers. Ice-penetrating radar images provide a remote glimpse of this landscape including ice-buried mountains larger than the European Alps and huge fjords twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. The goal of this project is to collect sediment samples derived from these landscapes to determine when and under what conditions these features formed. Specifically, the project seeks to understand the landscape in the context of the history and dynamics of the overlying ice sheet and past mountain-building episodes. This project accomplishes this goal by analyzing sand collected during previous sea-floor drilling expeditions off the coast of Antarctica. This sand was supplied from the continent interior by ancient rivers when it was ice-free over 34 million year ago, and later by glaciers. The project will also study bedrock samples from rare ice-free parts of the Transantarctic Mountains. The primary activity is to apply multiple advanced dating techniques to single mineral grains contained within this sand and rock. Different methods and minerals yield different dates that provide insight into how Antarctica?s landscape has eroded over the many tens of millions of years during which sand was deposited offshore. The dating techniques that are being developed and enhanced for this study have broad application in many branches of geoscience research and industry. The project makes cost-effective use of pre-existing sample collections housed at NSF facilities including the US Polar Rock Repository, the Gulf Coast Core Repository, and the Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility. The project will contribute to the STEM training of two graduate and two undergraduate students, and includes collaboration among four US universities as well as international collaboration between the US and France. The project also supports outreach in the form of a two-week open workshop giving ten students the opportunity to visit the University of Arizona to conduct STEM-based analytical work and training on Antarctic-based projects. Results from both the project and workshop will be disseminated through presentations at professional meetings, peer-reviewed publications, and through public outreach and media. The main objective of this project is to reconstruct a chronology of East Antarctic subglacial landscape evolution to understand the tectonic and climatic forcing behind landscape modification, and how it has influenced past ice sheet inception and dynamics. Our approach focuses on acquiring a record of the cooling and erosion history contained in East Antarctic-derived detrital mineral grains and clasts in offshore sediments deposited both before and after the onset of Antarctic glaciation. Samples will be taken from existing drill core and marine sediment core material from offshore Wilkes Land (100°E-160°E) and the Ross Sea. Multiple geo- and thermo-chronometers will be employed to reconstruct source region cooling history including U-Pb, fission-track, and (U-Th)/He dating of zircon and apatite, and 40Ar/39Ar dating of hornblende, mica, and feldspar. This offshore record will be augmented and tested by applying the same methods to onshore bedrock samples in the Transantarctic Mountains obtained from the US Polar Rock Repository and through fieldwork. The onshore work will additionally address the debated incision history of the large glacial troughs that cut the range, now occupied by glaciers draining the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. This includes collection of samples from several age-elevation transects, apatite 4He/3He thermochronometry, and Pecube thermo-kinematic modeling. Acquiring an extensive geo- and thermo-chronologic database will also provide valuable new information on the poorly known ice-hidden geology and tectonics of subglacial East Antarctica that has implications for improving supercontinent reconstructions and understanding continental break-up.
The continent of Antarctica has approximately the same surface area as the continental United States, though we know significantly less about its underlying geology and seismic activity. Multinational investments in geophysical infrastructure over the last few decades, especially broadband seismometers operating for several years, are allowing us to observe many interesting natural phenomena, including iceberg calving, ice stream slip, and tectonic earthquakes. To specifically leverage those past investments, we will analyze past and current data to gain a better understanding of Antarctic seismicity. Our recent research revealed that certain large earthquakes occurring elsewhere in the world triggered ice movement near various stations throughout Antarctica. We plan to conduct an exhaustive search of the terabytes of available data, using cutting-edge computational techniques, to uncover additional evidence for ice crevassing, ice stream slip, and earth movement during earthquakes. One specific focus of our research will include investigating whether some of these phenomena may be triggered by external influences, including passing surface waves from distant earthquakes, ocean tides, or seasonal melt. We plan to produce a catalog of the identified activity and share it publicly, so the public and researchers can easily access it. To reach a broader audience, we will present talks to high school classes, including Advanced Placement classes, in the Austin, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan areas with emphasis on general aspects of seismic hazard, climate variability, and the geographies of Antarctica. This project will provide research opportunities for undergraduates, training for graduate students, and support for an early-career scientist. In recent years, a new generation of geodetic and seismic instrumentation has been deployed as permanent stations throughout Antarctica (POLENET), in addition to stations deployed for shorter duration (less than 3 years) experiments (e.g. AGAP/TAMSEIS). These efforts are providing critical infrastructure needed to address fundamental questions about both crustal-scale tectonic structures and ice sheets, and their interactions. We plan to conduct a systematic detection of tectonic and icequake activities in Antarctica, focusing primarily on background seismicity, remotely-triggered seismicity, and glacier slip events. Our proposed tasks include: (1) Identification of seismicity throughout the Antarctic continent for both tectonic and ice sources. (2) An exhaustive search for additional triggered events in Antarctica during the last ~15 years of global significant earthquakes. (3) Determination of triggered source mechanisms and whether those triggered events also occur at other times, by analyzing years of data using a matched-filter analysis (where the triggered local event is used to detect similar events). (4) Further analysis of GPS measurements over a ~5.5 year period from Whillans Ice Plain, which suggests that triggering of stick-slip events occurred after the largest earthquakes. An improved knowledge of how the Antarctic ice sheet responds to external perturbations such as dynamic stresses from large distant earthquakes and recent ice unloading could lead to a better understanding of ice failure and related dynamic processes. By leveraging the vast logistical investment to install seismometers in Antarctica over the last decade, our project will build an exhaustive catalog of tectonic earthquakes, icequakes, calving events, and any other detectable near-surface seismic phenomena.
Predictions of future changes of the Antarctic ice sheet are essential for understanding changes in the global sea level expected for the coming centuries. These predictions rely on models of ice-sheet flow that in turn rely on knowledge of the physical conditions of the Antarctic continent beneath the ice. Exploration of Antarctica by land, sea, and air has advanced our understanding of the geological material under the Antarctic ice sheet, but this information has not yet been fully integrated into ice-sheet models. This project will take advantage of existing data from decades of US and international investment in geophysical surveys to create a new understanding of the geology underlying the Amundsen Sea and the adjacent areas of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet—a portion of Antarctica that is considered particularly vulnerable to collapse. A series of new datasets called “Bed Classes” will be developed that will translate the geological properties of the Antarctic continent in ways that can be incorporated into ice-sheet models. This project will develop a new regional geologic/tectonic framework for the Amundsen Sea Embayment and its ice catchments using extensive marine and airborne geophysical data together with ground-based onshore geophysical and geological constraints to delineate sedimentary basins, bedrock ridges, faults, and volcanic structures. Using this new geologic interpretation of the region, several key issues regarding the geologic influence on ice-sheet stability will be addressed: whether the regional heat flow is dominated by localization along the faults or lithology; the role of geology on the sources, sinks, and flow-paths of subglacial water; the distribution of sediments that determine bed-character variability; and the extent of geologic control on the current Thwaites Glacier grounding line. The impact of improved geological knowledge on ice-sheet models will be tested with the development of a set of “Bed Class” grids to capture these new insights for use in the models. Bed Classes will be tested within the Parallel Ice Sheet Model framework with initial experiments to identify the sensitivity of model simulations to geological parameterizations. Through a series of workshops with ice-sheet modelers, the Bed Classes will be refined and made accessible to the broader modelling community. This work aims to ensure that the Bed-Class concept can be applied more broadly to ice-sheet models working in different geographic areas and on different timescales. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Nontechnical description of proposed research: This project will apply cutting-edge seismic imaging methods to existing seismic data to study the three-dimensional structure of the Earth beneath the ice-covered Antarctic continent. The study will improve understanding of Earth structure and hotspots and geologically recent and ancient rift systems. The results will be useful for models of ice movement and bedrock elevation changes due to variation in ice sheet thickness. The results will also help guide future seismic data collection. The researchers will transfer existing software from the high-performance computers at The University of Rhode Island to the Alabama supercomputer facilities. The project will also broaden public understanding of scientific research in Antarctica by engaging with the students and teachers in Socorro County, New Mexico to discuss career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the Earth Sciences, and the importance of computers in scientific research. Project personnel from Alabama will visit Socorro and share research with students at New Mexico Tech and at the Socorro High School. The project will also train undergraduate and graduate students in the expanding field of computational seismology, by applying these approaches to study Antarctic geology. Technical description of proposed research: The project seeks to better resolve the three-dimensional Antarctic mantle structure and viscosity and to identify locations of ancient rifts within the stable East Antarctic lithosphere. To accomplish this, the researchers will utilize full-waveform tomographic inversion techniques that combine long-period ambient noise data with earthquake constraints to more accurately resolve structure than traditional tomographic approaches. The proposed research will be completed using the Alabama supercomputer facilities and the programs and methodology developed at The University of Rhode Island. The new tomographic results will be useful in assessing lithospheric structure beneath Dronning Maud Land as well as the Wilkes and Aurora Subglacial Basins in East Antarctica, where previous rifting episodes and mid-lithospheric discontinuities will be explored. In West Antarctica, the work will elucidate the easternmost extent of the West Antarctic Rift System as well as rifted structure and possible compositional variations within the Weddell Sea. The accuracy of existing Antarctic seismic models will be quantified through model validation approaches. The researchers will highlight regions of Antarctica where tomographic resolution is still lacking and where future deployments would improve resolution.
Licht/1443433 Sediments deposited by the Antarctic ice sheet are an archive of its history with time and help geologists to determine how the remote interior of the ice sheet has changed over the past several hundred thousand years. This project will focus on the formation and dynamics of moraines (accumulations of dirt and rocks that are incorporated in the glacier surface or have been pushed along by the glacier as it moves) near the blue ice area of Mt. Achernar in the central Transantarctic Mountains in Antarctica.. The study will improve basic understanding of the formation of these moraines. Fieldwork at the site will focus on imaging the internal structure of the moraine to determine the processes by which it, and others like it, form over time. Additional analyses will include measurements of ice flow and collection of rock samples to determine the timing of debris deposition and the changes in the sources of sediments from deep within the Antarctic continent. The project will provide both graduate and undergraduate students training in paleoclimate studies, geology, and numerical modeling approaches. The broader impacts of the proposed work include hands on training in the Earth Sciences for graduate and undergraduate students, collaboration with colleagues in New Zealand and Sweden to provide an international research experience for students from the US, and three educational modules to be delivered by student researchers regarding Antarctica's role in global environments. The research is societally relevant and multidisciplinary and the topics are ideal for sharing with the public. All research findings will be made publicly available to others via timely publication in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and all data will be submitted to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, and excess samples will be provided to the U.S. Polar Rock Repository. Direct observations of ice sheet history from the margins of Antarctica's polar plateau are essential for testing numerical ice sheet models, and the laterally extensive, blue-ice moraines of the Mt. Achernar Moraine complex in the central Transantarctic Mountains contain a unique and nearly untapped direct, quasi-continuous record of ice sheet change over multiple glacial cycles. The project objectives include improved understanding of processes and rates of blue ice moraine formation, as well as identifying the topographic, glaciological, and climatic controls on their evolution. Data to be collected with fieldwork in Antarctica include: imaging of internal ice structure with ground-penetrating radar, measurement of ice flow velocity and direction with a global positioning system (GPS) array, analysis of debris concentration and composition in glacier ice, state-of-the-art cosmogenic multi-nuclide analyses to determine exposure ages of moraine debris, mapping of trimlines and provenance analysis. Numerical model simulations, constrained by field data, will be used to evaluate the factors influencing changes in glacier flow that potentially impact the accumulation of the moraine debris. All together, the new data and modeling efforts will improve conceptual models of blue ice moraine formation, and thereby make them a more valuable proxy for developing a better understanding of the history of the ice sheet.
The Antarctic subglacial environment remains one of the least explored regions on Earth. This project will examine the physical and biological characteristics of Subglacial Lake Mercer, a lake that lies 1200m beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This study will address key questions relating to the stability of the ice sheet, the subglacial hydrological system, and the deep-cold subglacial biosphere. The education and outreach component aims to widely disseminate results to the scientific community and to the general public through short films, a blog, and a website. Subglacial Lake Mercer is one of the larger hydrologically active lakes in the southern basin of the Whillans Ice Plain, West Antarctica. It receives about 25 percent of its water from East Antarctica with the remainder originating from West Antarctica, is influenced by drain/fill cycles in a lake immediately upstream (Subglacial Lake Conway), and lies about 100 km upstream of the present grounding line of the Ross Ice Shelf. This site will yield information on the history of the Whillans and Mercer Ice Streams, and on grounding line migration. The integrated study will include direct sampling of basal ice, water, and sediment from the lake in concert with surface geophysical surveys over a three-year period to define the hydrological connectivity among lakes on the Whillans Ice Plain and their flow paths to the sea. The geophysical surveys will furnish information on subglacial hydrology, aid the site selection for hot-water drilling, and provide spatial context for interpreting findings. The hot-water-drilled boreholes will be used to collect basal ice samples, provide access for direct measurement of subglacial physical, chemical, and biological conditions in the water column and sediments, and to explore the subglacial water cavities using a remotely operated vehicle equipped with sensors, cameras, and sampling equipment. Data collected from this study will address the overarching hypothesis "Contemporary biodiversity and carbon cycling in hydrologically-active subglacial environments associated with the Mercer and Whillans ice streams are regulated by the mineralization and cycling of relict marine organic matter and through interactions among ice, rock, water, and sediments". The project will be undertaken by a collaborative team of scientists, with expertise in microbiology, biogeochemistry, hydrology, geophysics, glaciology, marine geology, paleoceanography, and science communication.
Non-technical description: East Antarctica holds a vast, ancient ice sheet. The bedrock hidden beneath this ice sheet may provide clues to how today's continents formed, while the ice itself contains records of Earth's atmosphere from distant eras. New drilling technologies are now available to allow for direct sampling of these materials from more than two kilometers below the ice surface. However, getting this material will require knowing where to look. The Southern Plateau Ice-sheet Characterization and Evolution of the Central Antarctic Plate (SPICECAP) project will use internationally collected airborne survey data to search East Antarctica near the South Pole for key locations that will provide insight into Antarctica's geology and for locating the oldest intact ice on Earth. Ultimately, scientists are interested in obtaining samples of the oldest ice to address fundamental questions about the causes of changes in the timing of ice-age conditions from 40,000 to 100,000 year cycles. SPICECAP data analysis will provide site survey data for future drilling and will increase the overall understanding of Antarctica's hidden ice and geologic records. The project involves international collaboration and leveraging of internationally collected data. The SPICECAP project will train new interdisciplinary scientists at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. Technical description: This study focuses on processing and interpretation of internationally collected aerogeophysical data from the Southern Plateau of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The data include ice penetrating radar data, laser altimetry, gravity and magnetics. The project will provide information on geological trends under the ice, the topography and character of the ice/rock interface, and the stratigraphy of the ice. The project will also provide baseline site characterization for future drilling. Future drilling sites and deep ice cores for old ice require that the base of the ice sheet be frozen to the bed (i.e. no free water at the interface between rock and ice) and the assessment will map the extent of frozen vs. thawed areas. Specifically, three main outcomes are anticipated for this project. First, the study will provide an assessment of the viability of Titan Dome, a subglacial highland region located near South Pole, as a potential old ice drilling prospect. The assessment will include determining the hydraulic context of the bed by processing and interpreting the radar data, ice sheet mass balance through time by mapping englacial reflectors in the ice and connecting them to ice stratigraphy in the recent South Pole, and ice sheet geometry using laser altimetry. Second, the study will provide an assessment of the geological context of the Titan Dome region with respect to understanding regional geologic boundaries and the potential for bedrock sampling. For these two goals, we will use data opportunistically collected by China, and the recent PolarGAP dataset. Third, the study will provide an assessment of the risk posture for RAID site targeting in the Titan Dome region, and the Dome C region. This will use a high-resolution dataset the team collected previously at Dome C, an area similar to the coarser resolution data collected at Titan Dome, and will enable an understanding of what is missed by the wide lines spacing at Titan Dome. Specifically, we will model subglacial hydrology with and without the high resolution data, and statistically examine the detection of subglacial mountains (which could preserve old ice) and subglacial lakes (which could destroy old ice), as a function of line spacing.
The PIs will design and build a new rapid access ice drill (RAID) for use in Antarctica. This drill will have the ability to rapidly drill through ice up to 3300 m thick and then collect samples of the ice, ice-sheet bed interface, and bedrock substrate below. This drilling technology will provide a new way to obtain in situ measurements and samples for interdisciplinary studies in geology, glaciology, paleoclimatology, microbiology, and astrophysics. The RAID drilling platform will give the scientific community access to records of geologic and climatic change on a variety of timescales, from the billion-year rock record to thousand-year ice and climate histories. Successful development of the RAID system will provide a research tool that is currently unavailable. Development of this platform will enable scientists to address critical questions about the deep interface between the Antarctic ice sheets and the substrate below. Development of RAID will provide a way to address many of the unknowns associated with general stability of the Antarctic ice sheets in the face of changing climate and sea level rise. The scientific rationale for RAID was reviewed in a previous proposal (Goodge 1242027). The PIs were granted ?Phase I? funding to develop a more detailed conceptual design for the RAID drill that would provide a better understanding of construction costs as well as operation and maintenance costs for RAID once it is constructed. Phase I support also allowed the PIs to work with the research community to develop more detailed science requirements for the drill. This proposal requests continued funding (Phase II) to construct, assemble and test the RAID drilling platform, through to staging it in Antarctic for future scientific operations.
Blankenship: 9319369 Bell: 9319854 Behrendt: 9319877 This award supports a project to conduct an integrated geophysical survey over a large portion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) toward an understanding of the dynamic behavior of the ice sheet and the nature of the lithosphere beneath the ice sheet. West Antarctica is characterized by two kinds of the Earth s most dynamic systems, a continental rift (the West Antarctic Rift System) and a marine based ice sheet (the WAIS). Active continental rift systems, caused by divergent plate motions, result in thinned continental crust. Associated with the thin crust are fault-bounded sedimentary basins, active volcanism, and elevated heat flow. Marine ice sheets are characterized by rapidly moving streams of ice, penetrating and draining a slowly moving ice reservoir. Evidence left by past marine ice sheets indicates that they may have a strongly non- linear response to long-term climate change which results in massive and rapid discharges of ice. Understanding the evolution of the ice stream system and its interaction with the interior ice is the key to understanding this non-linear response. Subglacial geology and ice dynamics are generally studied in isolation, but evidence is mounting that the behavior of the West Antarctic ice streams may be closely linked to the nature of the underlying West Antarctic rift system. The fast moving ice streams appear to glide on a lubricating layer of water-saturated till. This till requires easily eroded sediment and a source of water, both of which may be controlled by the geology of the rift system; the sediments from the fault-bounded basins and the water from the elevated heat flux associated with active lithospheric extension. This project represents an interdisciplinary aerogeophysical study to characterize the lithosphere of the West Antarctic rift system beneath critical regions of the WAIS. The objective is to determine the effects of the rift architect ure, as manifested by the distribution of sedimentary basins and volcanic constructs, on the ice stream system. The research tool is a unique geophysical aircraft with laser altimetry, ice penetrating radar, aerogravity, and aeromagnetic systems integrated with a high precision kinematic GPS navigation system. It is capable of imaging both the surface and bed of the ice sheet while simultaneously measuring the gravity and magnetic signature of the subglacial lithosphere. Work to be done under this award will build on work already completed in the southern sector of central West Antarctica and it will focus on the region of the Byrd Subglacial Basin and Ice Stream D. The ice sheet in these regions is completely covered by satellite imagery and so this project will be integrated with remote sensing studies of the ice stream. The changing dynamics of Ice Stream D, as with other West Antarctic ice streams, seem to be correlated with changes in the morphological provinces of the underlying rift system. The experimental targets proceed from the divide of the interior ice, downstream through the onset of streaming to the trunk of Ice Stream D. This study will be coordinated with surface glaciological investigations of Ice Stream D and will be used to guide cooperative over-snow seismic investigations of the central West Antarctic rift system. The data will also be used to select a site for future deep ice coring along the crest of the WAIS. These data represent baseline data for long term global change monitoring work and represent crucial boundary conditions for ice sheet modeling efforts.
OPP 9615281 Luyendyk OPP 9615282 Siddoway Abstract This award supports a collaborative project that combines air and ground geological-geophysical investigations to understand the tectonic and geological development of the boundary between the Ross Sea Rift and the Marie Byrd Land (MBL) volcanic province. The project will determine the Cenozoic tectonic history of the region and whether Neogene structures that localized outlet glacier flow developed within the context of Cenozoic rifting on the eastern Ross Embayment margin, or within the volcanic province in MBL. The geological structure at the boundary between the Ross Embayment and western MBL may be a result of: 1) Cenozoic extension on the eastern shoulder of the Ross Sea rift; 2) uplift and crustal extension related to Neogene mantle plume activity in western MBL; or a combination of the two. Faulting and volcanism, mountain uplift, and glacier downcutting appear to now be active in western MBL, where generally East-to-West-flowing outlet glaciers incise Paleozoic and Mesozoic bedrock, and deglaciated summits indicate a previous North-South glacial flow direction. This study requires data collection using SOAR (Support Office for Aerogeophysical Research, a facility supported by Office of Polar Programs which utilizes high precision differential GPS to support a laser altimeter, ice-penetrating radar, a towed proton magnetometer, and a Bell BGM-3 gravimeter). This survey requires data for 37,000 square kilometers using 5.3 kilometer line spacing with 15.6 kilometer tie lines, and 86,000 square kilometers using a grid of 10.6 by 10.6 kilometer spacing. Data will be acquired over several key features in the region including, among other, the eastern edge of the Ross Sea rift, over ice stream OEO, the transition from the Edward VII Peninsula plateau to the Ford Ranges, the continuation to the east of a gravity high known from previous reconnaissance mapping over the Fosdick Metamorphic Complex, an d the extent of the high-amplitude magnetic anomalies (volcanic centers?) detected southeast of the northern Ford Ranges by other investigators. SOAR products will include glaciology data useful for studying driving stresses, glacial flow and mass balance in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The ground program is centered on the southern Ford Ranges. Geologic field mapping will focus on small scale brittle structures for regional kinematic interpretation, on glaciated surfaces and deposits, and on datable volcanic rocks for geochronologic control. The relative significance of fault and joint sets, the timing relationships between them, and the probable context of their formation will also be determined. Exposure ages will be determined for erosion surfaces and moraines. Interpretation of potential field data will be aided by on ground sampling for magnetic properties and density as well as ground based gravity measurements. Oriented samples will be taken for paleomagnetic studies. Combined airborne and ground investigations will obtain basic data for describing the geology and structure at the eastern boundary of the Ross Embayment both in outcrop and ice covered areas, and may be used to distinguish between Ross Sea rift- related structural activity from uplift and faulting on the perimeter of the MBL dome and volcanic province. Outcrop geology and structure will be extrapolated with the aerogeophysical data to infer the geology that resides beneath the WAIS. The new knowledge of Neogene tectonics in western MBL will contribute to a comprehensive model for the Cenozoic Ross rift and to understanding of the extent of plume activity in MBL. Both are important for determining the influence of Neogene tectonics on the ice streams and WAIS.
9978236 Bell Abstract This award, provided by the Office of Polar Programs under the Life in Extreme Environments (LExEn) Program, supports a geophysical study of Lake Vostok, a large lake beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Subglacial ecosystems, in particular subglacial lake ecosystems are extreme oligotrophic environments. These environments, and the ecosystems which may exist within them, should provide key insights into a range of fundamental questions about the development of Earth and other bodies in the Solar System including: 1) the processes associated with rapid evolutionary radiation after the extensive Neoproterozoic glaciations; 2) the overall carbon cycle through glacial and interglacial periods; and 3) the possible adaptations organisms may require to thrive in environments such as on Europa, the ice covered moon of Jupiter. Over 70 subglacial lakes have been identified beneath the 3-4 kilometer thick ice of Antarctica. One lake, Lake Vostok, is sufficiently large to be clearly identified from space with satellite altimetry. Lake Vostok is similar to Lake Ontario in area but with a much larger volume including measured water depths of 600 meters. The overlying ice sheet is acting as a conveyer belt continually delivering new water, nutrients, gas hydrates, sediments and microbes as the ice sheet flows across the lake. The goal of this program is to determine the fundamental boundary conditions for this subglacial lake as an essential first step toward understanding the physical processes within the lake. An aerogeophysical survey over the lake and into the surrounding regions will be acquired to meet this goal. This data set includes gravity, magnetic, laser altimetry and ice penetrating radar data and will be used to compile a basic set of ice surface elevation, subglacial topography, gravity and magnetic anomaly maps. Potential field methods widely used in the oil industry will be modified to estimate the subglacial topography from gravity data where the ice penetrating radar will be unable to recover the depth of the lake. A similar method can be modified to estimate the thickness of the sediments beneath the lake from magnetic data. These methods will be tested and applied to subglacial lakes near South Pole prior to the Lake Vostok field campaign and will provide valuable comparisons to the planned survey. Once the methods have been adjusted for the Lake Vostok application, maps of the water cavity and sediment thickness beneath the lake will be produced. These maps will become tools to explore the geologic origin of the lake. The two endmember models are, first, that the lake is an active tectonic rift such as Lake Baikal and, second, the lake is the result of glacial scouring. The distinct characteristics of an extensional rift can be easily identified with our aerogeophysical survey. The geological interpretation of the airborne geophysical survey will provide the first geological constraints of the interior of the East Antarctic continent based on modern data. In addition, the underlying geology will influence the ecosystem within the lake. One of the critical issues for the ecosystem within the lake will be the flux of nutrients. A preliminary estimation of the regions of freezing and melting based on the distance between distinctive internal layers observed on the radar data will be made. These basic boundary conditions will provide guidance for a potential international effort aimed at in situ exploration of the lake and improve the understanding of East Antarctic geologic structures.
9725374 Bell The goal of this project is to develop a Web-based Antarctic gravity database to globally facilitate scientific use of gravity data in Antarctic studies. This compilation will provide an important new tool to the Antarctic Earth science community from the geologist placing field observations in a regional context to the seismologist studying continental scale mantle structure. The gravity database will complement the parallel projects underway to develop new continental bedrock (BEDMAP) and magnetic (ADMAP) maps of Antarctica. An international effort will parallel these ongoing projects in contacting the Antarctic geophysical community, identifying existing data sets, agreeing upon protocols for the use of data contributed to the database and finally assembling a new continental scale gravity map. The project has three principal stages. The first stage will be to investigate the accuracy and resolution of currently available high resolution satellite derived gravity data and quantify spatial variations in both accuracy and resolution. The second stage of this project will be to develop an interactive method of accessing existing satellite, shipboard, land based, and airborne gravity data via a Web based interface. The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory RIDGE Multi-beam bathymetry database will be used as a template for this project. The existing online RIDGE database allows users to access the raw data, the gridded data and raster images of the seafloor topography. A similar structure will be produced for the existing Antarctic gravity data. The third stage of this project will be to develop an international program to compile existing gravity data south of 60 S. This project will be discussed with leaders of both the ADMAP and BEDMAP efforts and the appropriate working groups of SCAR. A preliminary map of existing gravity data will be presented at the Antarctic Earth Science meeting in Wellington in 1999. A gravity working group meeting will be held in conjunction with the Wellington meeting to reach a consensus on the protocols for placing data into the database. By the completion of the project, existing gravity data will be identified and international protocols for placing this data in the on-line database will have been defined. The process of archiving the gravity data into the database will be an ongoing project as additional data become available.
Intellectual Merit: This project will yield new information on the long term Antarctic climate and landscape evolution from measurements of cosmogenic nuclides in quartz sand from two unique permafrost cores collected in Beacon Valley, Antarctica. The two cores have already been drilled in ice-cemented, sand-rich permafrost at 5.5 and 30.6 meters depth, and are currently in cold storage at the University of Washington. The cores are believed to record the monotonic accumulation of sand that has been blown into lower Beacon Valley and inflated the surface over time. The rate of accumulation and any hiatus in the accumulation are believed to reflect in part the advance and retreat of the Taylor Glacier. Preliminary measurements of cosmogenically-produced beryllium (10Be) and aluminum (26Al) in quartz sand in the 5.5 meter depth core reveal that it has been accreting at a rate of 2.5 meter/Myr for the past million years. Furthermore, prior to that time, lower Beacon Valley was most likely covered (shielded from the atmosphere thereby having no or very low production of cosmogenic nuclides in quartz) by Taylor Glacier from 1 to 3.5 Myr BP. These preliminary measurements also suggest that the 30.6 meter core may provide a record of over 10 million years. The emphasis is the full characterization of the core and analysis of cosmogenic nuclides (including cosmogenic neon) in the 30.6 meter permafrost core to develop a burial history of the sands and potentially a record the waxing and waning of the Taylor Glacier. This will allow new tests of our current understanding of surface dynamics and climate history in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) based on the dated stratigraphy of eolian sand that has been accumulating and inflating the surface for millions of years. This is a new process of surface inflation whose extent has not been well documented, and holds the potential to develop a continuous history of surface burial and glacial expansion. This project will provide a new proxy for understanding the climatic history of the Dry Valleys and will test models for the evolution of permafrost in Beacon Valley. Broader impacts: The landscape history of the McMurdo Dry Valleys is important because geological deposits there comprise the richest terrestrial record available from Antarctica. By testing the current age model for these deposits, we will improve understanding of Antarctica?s role in global climate change. This project will train one graduate and one undergraduate student in geochemistry, geochronology, and glacial and periglacial geology. They will participate substantively in the research and are expected to develop their own original ideas. Results from this work will be incorporated into undergraduate and graduate teaching curricula, will be published in the peer reviewed literature, and the data will be made public.
Intellectual Merit: Ice free rock outcrops in the Transantarctic Mountains provide the only accessible windows into the interior of the ice covered Antarctic continent; they are extremely remote and difficult to study. This region also hosts the highest latitude ice-free valley systems on the planet. Based on two interdisciplinary workshops, the Transantarctic region near the Shackleton Glacier has been identified as a high priority site for further studies, with a field camp proposed for the 2015-2016 Antarctic field season. The geology of this region has been studied since the heroic era of Antarctic exploration, in the early 1900s, but geologic mapping has not been updated in more than forty years, and existing maps are at poor resolution (typically 1:250,000). This project would utilize the WorldView-2 multispectral orbital dataset to supplement original geologic mapping efforts near the proposed 2015-2016 Shackleton Glacier camp. The WorldView-2 satellite is the only multispectral orbiting sensor capable of imaging the entirety of the Transantarctic Mountains, and all necessary data are currently available to the Polar Geospatial Center. High-latitude atmospheric correction of multispectral data for geologic investigations has only recently been tested, but has never been applied to WorldView-2 data, and never for observations of this type. Therefore, this research will require technique refinements and methodological developements to accomplish the goals. Atmospheric correction refinements and spectral validation will be made possible by laboratory spectroscopic measurements of rock samples currently stored at the U.S. Polar Rock Repository, at the Ohio State University. This project will result in spectral unit identification and boundary mapping at a factor of four higher resolution (1:62,500) than previous geologic mapping efforts, and more detailed investigations (1:5,123) are possible at resolutions more than a factor of forty-eight improved over previous geologic maps. Validated spectral mapping at these improved resolutions will allow for detailed lithologic, and potentially biologic, mapping using existing satellite imagery. This will greatly enhance planning capabilities, thus maximizing the efficiency of the scientific research and support logistics associated with the Shackleton Glacier deep field camp. Broader impacts: The proposed work will have multiple impacts on the broader scientific community. First, the refinement of existing atmospheric correction methodologies, and the development of new spectral mapping techniques, may substantially improve our ability to remotely investigate geologic surfaces throughout Antarctica. The ability to validate this orbital dataset will be of use to both current and future geologic, environmental, and biologic studies, potentially across the entire continent. The project will yield a specific spectral mapping product (at a scale of 1:62,500) to the scientific community by a targeted date of 01 March 2014, in order to support proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation for the proposed 2015/2016 Shackleton Glacier camp. High-resolution spectral mapping products (up to a maximum resolution of 2 meters per pixel) will also be generated for regions of particular scientific interest. The use of community based resources, such as Polar Geospatial Center (PGC) imagery and U.S. Polar Rock Repository rock samples, will generate new synergistic and collaborative research possibilities within the Antarctic research community. In addition, the lead PI (Salvatore) is an early career scientist who is active in both Antarctic and planetary remote sensing. There are overlaps in the calibration, correction, and validation of remote spectral datasets for Antarctic and planetary applications which can lead to benefits and insights to an early career PI, as well as the two communities.
This proposal would provide funding for continued operation of the Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility (AMGRF) at Florida State University. This facility is the NSF repository of sediment cores from the ocean floor surrounding Antarctica, and makes sediment cores available to the entire scientific community, providing the equipment and knowledge necessary for scientists to collect samples for specialized measurements. The sediments provide a record of past climate, ocean circulation, and ice sheet history, and were recovered at great cost using piston cores deployed from research vessels and rotary coring from drilling platforms. The funding supports a curator, an assistant curator, and a student work force from FSU. This staff supports visiting scientists, manages the collections and the equipment used for core characterization and sampling, and maintain data bases. The AMGRF houses a unique collection of sediment cores from the Southern Oceans and has served in this role for the past 50 years. The Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility (AMGRF) at Florida State University, the NSF repository of Southern Ocean piston- and drill-cores, has been conducting marine geological research and providing numerous services to the Antarctic and Earth Science Community in its present building for the past 50 years. This proposal requests operating funds to (a) continue provide these services, (b) manage archives and databases, (c) complete necessary upgrades of the AMGRF Cold-Room, and (d) continue our education and outreach programs for students and the general public. The AMGRF archives and curates more than 23,000 m of cored sediment (over 7,000 cores) collected by United States Antarctic Program (USAP) vessels. The Facility also archives and curates some 5,500 m of rotary-cored material from international programs such as ANDRILL. The standard core processing services include core splitting, Multi-Sensor Track analyses, core photography, whole-core x-rays, etc., core description publications (macroscopic and microscopic), and core sampling. Facility personnel also provide curatorial support services to field-based projects upon request. Analytical equipment at the AMGRF serves the research needs of Facility personnel (for the generation of detailed core descriptions), NSF Principal Investigators involved with the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), and qualified users from the scientific community in the U.S. and beyond. This equipment provides users of the Facility with the necessary tools to rapidly and objectively analyze the piston cores and drill cores sent to the Facility each year. The AMGRF maintains a core and sample database with the latest map-sample search capabilities that can be accessed through the continuously upgraded Facility website. This searchable database contains basic information about all the cores stored at the facility, as well as information on samples taken from 1964 to the present. In addition to the sediment core archives the AMGRF also keeps archives of ship and deck-logs, a collection of ca. 862,000 microscope slides, and a library of AMGRF related publications. Facility personnel routinely provide tours and lectures for students and the general public.
Hamilton/1246400 This award supports an integrated field observation, remote sensing and numerical modeling study of the McMurdo Shear Zone (SZ). The SZ is a 5-10 km wide strip of heavily crevassed ice that separates the McMurdo and Ross ice shelves, and is an important region of lateral support for the Ross Ice Shelf. Previous radar and remote sensing studies reveal an enigmatic picture of the SZ in which crevasses detected at depth have no apparent surface expression, and have orientations which are possibly inconsistent with the observed flow field. In the proposed work, we seek to test the hypothesis that the SZ is a zone of chaotic Lagrangian mixing with (intersecting) buried crevasses which leads to rheological instability, potentially allowing large scale velocity discontinuities. The work will involve detailed field-based observations of crevasse distributions and structure using ground-penetrating radar, and GPS and remote sensing observations of the flow and stress field in the SZ. Because of the hazardous nature of the SZ, the radar surveys will be conducted largely with the aid of a lightweight robotic vehicle. Observations will be used to develop a finite element model of ice shelf shear margin behavior. The intellectual merit of this project is an increased understanding of ice shelf shear margin dynamics. Shear margins play a key role in ice shelf stability, and ice shelves in turn modulate the flux of ice from the ice sheet across the grounding line to the ocean. Insights from this project will improve large-scale models being developed to predict ice sheet evolution and future rates of sea level rise, which are topics of enormous societal concern. The broader impacts of the project include an improved basis for US Antarctic Program logistics planning as well as numerous opportunities to engage K-12 students in scientific discovery. Intensified crevassing in the shear zone between the Ross and McMurdo ice shelves would preclude surface crossing by heavy traverse vehicles which would lead to increased costs of delivering fuel to South Pole and a concomitant loss of flight time provided by heavy-lift aircraft for science missions on the continent. Our multidisciplinary research combining glaciology, numerical modeling, and robotics engineering is an engaging way to show how robotics can assist scientists in collecting hazardous field measurements. Our outreach activities will leverage Dartmouth's current NSF GK-12 program, build on faculty-educator relationships established during University of Maine's recent GK-12 program, and incorporate project results into University of Maine's IDEAS initiative, which integrates computational modeling with the existing science curriculum at the middle school level. This award has field work in Antarctica.
Intellectual Merit: This project will produce a new compilation of Ross Sea seismic stratigraphy, including new interpretations, that can be used to provide boundary conditions on the tectonic and glacial evolution of West Antarctica and the Ross Sea. The principal goals include compilation of, and interpretation of, all available existing seismic reflection data for the Western Ross Sea, coupled with geophysical modeling to produce paleo-bathymetric reconstructions for the entire 800 km-wide Ross Sea. Specific tasks will include: extending existing work on mapping travel time to reflectors, identifying relations in the seismic data that indicate subsidence through sea level, constructing velocity models for converting travel time to thickness, and using the velocity models to estimate density and porosity of sediments for backstripping analysis. Modeling/backstripping efforts will be used to constrain past bathymetry. Digital interpretations and stratigraphic grids will be provided as supplements to publications. In that way the results of this study can be used in thermal subsidence modeling and restoration of eroded rock to other parts of Ross Embayment and Marie Byrd Land by others. Digital products may be provided in advance of publication to modelers in a way that will not hurt publication chances. Broader impacts: The results of this work will be important for paleo-geographic reconstructions of Antarctica and will therefore be of use to a broad range of researchers, particularly those working in the Ross Sea region. The digital products can be used to test models for the past fluctuations of West Antarctic ice sheets, and in planning for future sediment drilling projects. Two undergraduates to be chosen from applicants will be involved in summer internships held at the University of Rhode Island. Outreach will also include a new website and one or more Wikipedia entries related to Ross Sea sub-sea floor characteristics. The project includes an international collaboration with Dr. Chiara Sauli and others at Instituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS) in Italy.
Non-Technical Summary: About 80 million years ago, the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the vicinity of what is now James Ross Island experienced an episode of rapid subsidence, creating a broad depositional basin that collected sediments eroding from the high mountains to the West. This depression accumulated a thick sequence of fossil-rich, organic-rich sediments of the sort that are known to preserve hydrocarbons, and for which Argentina, Chile, and the United Kingdom have overlapping territorial claims. The rocks preserve one of the highest resolution records of the biological and climatic events that led to the eventual death of the dinosaurs at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (about 66 million years ago). A previous collaboration between scientists from the Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA) and NSF-supported teams from Caltech and the University of Washington were able to show that this mass extinction event started nearly 50,000 years before the sudden impact of an asteroid. The asteroid obviously hit the biosphere hard, but something else knocked it off balance well before the asteroid hit. A critical component of the previous work was the use of reversals in the polarity of the Earth?s magnetic field as a dating tool ? magnetostratigraphy. This allowed the teams to correlate the pattern of magnetic reversals from Antarctica with elsewhere on the planet. This includes data from a major volcanic eruption (a flood basalt province) that covered much of India 65 million years ago. The magnetic patterns indicate that the Antarctic extinction started with the first pulse of this massive eruption, which was also coincident with a rapid spike in polar temperature. The Argentinian and US collaborative teams will extend this magnetic polarity record back another ~ 20 million years in time, and expand it laterally to provide magnetic reversal time lines across the depositional basin. They hope to recover the end of the Cretaceous Long Normal interval, which is one of the most distinctive events in the history of Earth?s magnetic field. The new data should refine depositional models of the basin, allow better estimates of potential hydrocarbon reserves, and allow biotic events in the Southern hemisphere to be compared more precisely with those elsewhere on Earth. Other potential benefits of this work include exposing several US students and postdoctoral fellows to field based research in Antarctica, expanding the international aspects of this collaborative work via joint IAA/US field deployments, and follow-up laboratory investigations and personnel exchange of the Junior scientists. Technical Description of Project The proposed research will extend the stratigraphic record in the late Cretaceous and early Tertiary sediments (~ 83 to 65 Ma before present) of the James Ross Basin, Antarctica, using paleo-magnetic methods. Recent efforts provided new methods to analyze these rocks, yielding their primary magnetization, and producing both magnetic polarity patterns and paleomagnetic pole positions. This provided the first reliable age constraints for the younger sediments on Seymour Island, and quantified the sedimentation rate in this part of the basin. The new data will allow resolution of the stable, remnant magnetization of the sediments from the high deposition rate James Ross basin (Tobin et al., 2012), yielding precise chronology/stratigraphy. This approach will be extended to the re-maining portions of this sedimentary basin, and will allow quantitative estimates for tectonic and sedimentary processes between Cretaceous and Early Tertiary time. The proposed field work will refine the position of several geomagnetic reversals that occurred be-tween the end of the Cretaceous long normal period (Chron 34N, ~ 83 Ma), and the lower portion of Chron 31R (~ 71 Ma). Brandy Bay provides the best locality for calibrating the stratigraphic position of the top of the Cretaceous Long Normal Chron, C34N. Although the top of the Cretaceous long normal Chron is one of the most important correlation horizons in the entire geological timescale, it is not properly correlated to the southern hemisphere biostratigraphy. Locating this event, as well as the other reversals, will be a major addition to understanding of the geological history of the Antarctic Peninsula. These data will also help refine tectonic models for the evolution of the Southern continents, which will be of use across the board for workers in Cretaceous stratigraphy (including those involved in oil exploration). This research is a collaborative effort with Dr. Edward Olivero of the Centro Austral de Investigaciones Cientificas (CADIC/CONICET) and Prof. Augusto Rapalini of the University of Buenos Aires. The collaboration will include collection of samples on their future field excursions to important targets on and around James Ross Island, supported by the Argentinian Antarctic Program (IAA). Argentinian scientists and students will also be involved in the US Antarctic program deployments, proposed here for the R/V Laurence Gould, and will continue the pattern of joint international publication of the results.
Like no other region on Earth, the northern Antarctic Peninsula represents a spectacular natural laboratory of climate change and provides the opportunity to study the record of past climate and ecological shifts alongside the present-day changes in one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth. This award supports the cryospheric and oceano-graphic components of an integrated multi-disciplinary program to address these rapid and fundamental changes now taking place in Antarctic Peninsula (AP). By making use of a marine research platform (the RV NB Palmer and on-board helicopters) and additional logistical support from the Argentine Antarctic program, the project will bring glaciologists, oceanographers, marine geologists and biologists together, working collaboratively to address fundamentally interdisciplinary questions regarding climate change. The project will include gathering a new, high-resolution paleoclimate record from the Bruce Plateau of Graham Land, and using it to compare Holocene- and possibly glacial-epoch climate to the modern period; investigating the stability of the remaining Larsen Ice Shelf and rapid post-breakup glacier response ? in particular, the roles of surface melt and ice-ocean interactions in the speed-up and retreat; observing the contribution of, and response of, oceanographic systems to ice shelf disintegration and ice-glacier interactions. Helicopter support on board will allow access to a wide range of glacial and geological areas of interest adjacent to the Larsen embayment. At these locations, long-term in situ glacial monitoring, isostatic uplift, and ice flow GPS sites will be established, and high-resolution ice core records will be obtained using previously tested lightweight drilling equipment. Long-term monitoring of deep water outflow will, for the first time, be integrated into changes in ice shelf extent and thickness, bottom water formation, and multi-level circulation by linking near-source observations to distal sites of concentrated outflow. The broader impacts of this international, multidisciplinary effort are that it will significantly advance our understanding of linkages amongst the earth's systems in the Polar Regions, and are proposed with international participation (UK, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Argentina) and interdisciplinary engagement in the true spirit of the International Polar Year (IPY). It will also provide a means of engaging and educating the public in virtually all aspects of polar science and the effects of ongoing climate change. The research team has a long record of involving undergraduates in research, educating high-performing graduate students, and providing innovative and engaging outreach products to the K-12 education and public media forums. Moreover, forging the new links both in science and international Antarctic programs will provide a continuing legacy, beyond IPY, of improved understanding and cooperation in Antarctica.
This project will investigate the marine component of the Totten Glacier and Moscow University Ice Shelf, East Antarctica. This system is of critical importance because it drains one-eighth of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and contains a volume equivalent to nearly 7 meters of potential sea level rise, greater than the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This nearly completely unexplored region is the single largest and least understood marine glacial system that is potentially unstable. Despite intense scrutiny of marine based systems in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, little is known about the Totten Glacier system. This study will add substantially to the meager oceanographic and marine geology and geophysics data available in this region, and will significantly advance understanding of this poorly understood glacial system and its potentially sensitive response to environmental change. Independent, space-based platforms indicate accelerating mass loss of the Totten system. Recent aerogeophysical surveys of the Aurora Subglacial Basin, which contains the deepest ice in Antarctica and drains into the Totten system, have provided the subglacial context for measured surface changes and show that the Totten Glacier has been the most significant drainage pathway for at least two previous ice flow regimes. However, the offshore context is far less understood. Limited physical oceanographic data from the nearby shelf/slope break indicate the presence of Modified Circumpolar Deep Water within a thick bottom layer at the mouth of a trough with apparent access to Totten Glacier, suggesting the possibility of sub-glacial bottom inflow of relatively warm water, a process considered to be responsible for West Antarctic Ice Sheet grounding line retreat. This project will conduct a ship-based marine geologic and geophysical survey of the region, combined with a physical oceanographic study, in order to evaluate both the recent and longer-term behavior of the glacial system and its relationship to the adjacent oceanographic system. This endeavor will complement studies of other Antarctic ice shelves, oceanographic studies near the Antarctic Peninsula, and ongoing development of ice sheet and other ocean models.
Intellectual Merit: The MCM-SkyTEM project mapped resistivity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys and at Cape Barne on the Ross Island during the 2011-12 austral season using an airborne transient electromagnetic method. The SkyTEM system is mounted to a helicopter enabling a broad geophysical survey of subsurface resistivity structure over terrain that is inaccessible to traditional ground-based methods. Resistivity measurements obtained distinguish between highly resistive geologic materials such as glacier ice, bedrock and permafrost, and conductive materials such as unfrozen sediments or permafrost with liquid brine to depths of about 300 m. The PIs request funding to derive data products relevant to physical and chemical conditions in potential subsurface microbial habitats of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, similar cold regions on Earth and other planetary bodies. They will use these data products to characterize the hydrologic history of McMurdo Dry Valleys as well as the subsurface hydrologic connectivity in the region to investigate the implications for nutrient and microbial transport. The PIs will make these data products accessible to the research community. Broader impacts: Polar microbial habitats are of high societal and scientific interest because they represent important testing grounds for the limits of life on Earth and other planetary bodies. Project deliverables will include teaching aids for undergraduate and graduate students. Two Ph.D. students will obtain advanced research training as part of this project. The PIs and students on this project will also engage in informal public outreach opportunities by presenting at local K-12 schools and reaching out to local media outlets on stories relating to SkyTEM research.
Project Summary Intellectual Merit: The United States Polar Rock Repository (USPRR) was established to curate and loan geologic samples from polar regions to researchers and educators. OPP established the USPRR in part to avoid redundant sample collection and thus reduce the environmental impact of polar research. The USPRR also provides the research community with an important resource for developing new research projects. The USPRR acquires rock collections through donations from institutions and scientists and makes these samples available as no-cost loans for research, education and museum exhibits. Sample metadata is available in an on-line database. The database also includes rock property information, such as magnetic susceptibility and specific gravity, which are useful for geophysical studies. Researchers may request samples for analysis using an online request form. The USPRR fulfills several data management directives, including the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Antarctic Data Management directive of providing free, full and open access to both metadata and the samples. The intellectual merit of the USPRR lies in the global dissemination of scientific information to researchers. Broader impacts: The broader impacts of the USPRR include lessening environmental impacts resulting from redundant fieldwork in Polar Regions. The USPRR provides educational information about Antarctica via the website, by visiting the repository or borrowing a "USPRR rock box". Working at the repository provides students with opportunities to learn about the geology of Antarctica as well as doing research, learning new skills in digital imaging, curation and database management.
1043471/Kaplan This award supports a project to obtain the first set of isotopic-based provenance data from the WAIS divide ice core. A lack of data from the WAIS prevents even a basic knowledge of whether different sources of dust blew around the Pacific and Atlantic sectors of the southern latitudes. Precise isotopic measurements on dust in the new WAIS ice divide core are specifically warranted because the data will be synergistically integrated with other high frequency proxies, such as dust concentration and flux, and carbon dioxide, for example. Higher resolution proxies will bridge gaps between our observations on the same well-dated, well-preserved core. The intellectual merit of the project is that the proposed analyses will contribute to the WAIS Divide Project science themes. Whether an active driver or passive recorder, dust is one of the most important but least understood components of regional and global climate. Collaborative and expert discussion with dust-climate modelers will lead to an important progression in understanding of dust and past atmospheric circulation patterns and climate around the southern latitudes, and help to exclude unlikely air trajectories to the ice sheets. The project will provide data to help evaluate models that simulate the dust patterns and cycle and the relative importance of changes in the sources, air trajectories and transport processes, and deposition to the ice sheet under different climate states. The results will be of broad interest to a range of disciplines beyond those directly associated with the WAIS ice core project, including the paleoceanography and dust- paleoclimatology communities. The broader impacts of the project include infrastructure and professional development, as the proposed research will initiate collaborations between LDEO and other WAIS scientists and modelers with expertise in climate and dust. Most of the researchers are still in the early phase of their careers and hence the project will facilitate long-term relationships. This includes a graduate student from UMaine, an undergraduate student from Columbia University who will be involved in lab work, in addition to a LDEO Postdoctoral scientist, and possibly an additional student involved in the international project PIRE-ICETRICS. The proposed research will broaden the scientific outlooks of three PIs, who come to Antarctic ice core science from a variety of other terrestrial and marine geology perspectives. Outreach activities include interaction with the science writers of the Columbia's Earth Institute for news releases and associated blog websites, public speaking, and involvement in an arts/science initiative between New York City's arts and science communities to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and public perception.
Hall/1246170 This award supports a project to reconstruct past ice-surface elevations from detailed glacial mapping and dating of moraines (using 14C dates of algae from former ice-marginal ponds and 10Be surface exposure ages) in the region of the Darwin-Hatherton Glaciers in Antarctica in order to try and resolve very different interpretations that currently exist about the glacial history in the region. The results will be integrated with existing climate and geophysical data into a flow-line model to gain insight into glacier response to climate and ice-dynamics perturbations during the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM) in Antarctica. The work will contribute to a better understanding of both LGM ice thickness and whether or not there is any evidence that Antarctica contributed to Meltwater Pulse (MWP)-1A a very controversial topic in Antarctic glacial geology. The intellectual merit of the work relates to the fact that reconstructing past fluctuations of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) is critical for understanding the sensitivity of ice volume to sea-level and climatic change. Constraints on past behavior help put ongoing changes into context and provide a basis for predicting future sea-level rise. Broader impacts include the support of two graduate and two undergraduate students, as well as a female early-career investigator. Graduate students will be involved in all stages of the project from planning and field mapping to geochronological analyses, interpretation, synthesis and reporting. Two undergraduates will work on lab-based research from the project. The project also will include visits to K-12 classrooms to talk about glaciers and climate change, correspondence with teachers and students from the field, and web-based outreach. This award has field work in Antarctica.
Paragraph for Public Audiences: Many of the natural processes that modify the landscape inhabited by humans occur over very long timescales, making them difficult to observe. Exceptions include rare catastrophic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods that occur on short timescales. Many significant processes that affect the land and landscape that we inhabit operate on time scales imperceptible to humans. One of these processes is wind transport of sand, with related impacts to exposed rock surfaces and man-made objects, including buildings, windshields, solar panels and wind-farm turbine blades. The goal of this project is to gain an understanding of wind erosion processes over long timescales, in the Antarctic Dry Valleys, a cold desert environment where there were no competing processes (such as rain and vegetation) that might mask the effects. The main objective is recovery of rock samples that were deployed in 1983/1984 at 11 locations in the Antarctic Dry Valleys, along with measurements on the rock samples and characterization of the sites. In the late 1980's and early 1990's some of these samples were returned and indicated more time was needed to accumulate information about the timescales and impacts of the wind erosion processes. This project will allow collection of the remaining samples from this experiment after 30 to 31 years of exposure. The field work will be carried out during the 2014/15 Austral summer. The results will allow direct measurement of the abrasion rate and hence the volumes and timescales of sand transport; this will conclude the longest direct examination of such processes ever conducted. Appropriate scaling of the results may be applied to buildings, vegetation (crops), and other aspects of human presence in sandy and windy locations, in order to better determine the impact of these processes and possible mitigation of the impacts. The project is a collaborative effort between a small business, Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS), and the University of Washington (UW). MSSS will highlight this Antarctic research on its web site, by developing thematic presentations describing our research and providing a broad range of visual materials. The public will be engaged through daily updates on a website and through links to material prepared for viewing in Google Earth. UW students will be involved in the laboratory work and in the interpretation of the results. Technical Description of Project: The goal of this project is to study the role of wind abrasion by entrained particles in the evolution of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in the Transantarctic Mountains. During the 1983 to 1984 field seasons, over 5000 rock targets were installed at five heights facing the 4 cardinal directions at 10 locations (with an additional site containing fewer targets) to study rates of physical weathering due primarily to eolian abrasion. In addition, rock cubes and cylinders were deployed at each site to examine effects of chemical weathering. The initial examination of samples returned after 1, 5, and 10 years of exposure, showed average contemporary abrasion rates consistent with those determined by cosmogenic isotope studies, but further stress that "average" should not be interpreted as meaning "uniform." The samples will be characterized using mass measurements wtih 0.01 mg precision balances, digital microphotography to compare the evolution of their surface features and textures, SEM imaging to examine the micro textures of abraded rock surfaces, and optical microscopy of thin sections of a few samples to examine the consequences of particle impacts extending below the abraded surfaces. As much as 60-80% of the abrasion measured in samples from 1984-1994 appears to have occurred during a few brief hours in 1984. This is consistent with theoretical models that suggest abrasion scales as the 5th power of wind velocity. The field work will allow return of multiple samples after three decades of exposure, which will provide a statistical sampling (beyond what is acquired by studying a single sample), and will yield the mass loss data in light of complementary environmental and sand kinetic energy flux data from other sources (e.g. LTER meteorology stations). This study promises to improve insights into one of the principal active geomorphic process in the Dry Valleys, an important cold desert environment, and the solid empirical database will provide general constraints on eolian abrasion under natural conditions.
Intellectual Merit: This project will use sediment cores from the Victoria Land Basin (VLB), Antarctica, to study secondary (diagenetic) carbonate minerals, as indicators of the basin?s fluid-flow history, within the well-constrained tectonic, depositional, and climatic context provided by sediment cores. This study will provide insights into subsurface processes in Victoria Land Basin, Antarctica and their relationships with the region?s climatic, cryospheric, and tectonic history. The work will utilize cores previously recovered by US-sponsored stratigraphic drilling projects (CIROS, CRP, and ANDRILL projects). This work is motivated by the unexpected discovery of dense brine in the subsurface of Southern McMurdo Sound during drilling by the ANDRILL Southern McMurdo Sound project. The presence of the brine is intriguing because it contradicts previous models for the origin of subsurface fluids that called upon large contributions from glacial melt water. Project objectives involve documenting the distribution of the brine (and potentially other fluids) via characterization of diagenetic precipitates. The approach will involve integration of petrographic and geochemical data (including conventional carbon, oxygen, and ?clumped? isotopes) to fully characterize diagenetic phases and allow development of a robust paragenetic history. This work will provide novel insights into the Cenozoic evolution of the VLB and, more broadly, the role of glacial processes in generating subsurface fluids. Broader impacts: Results from this project will help understand the origins of brines, groundwater and hydrocarbon reservoirs in analogous modern and ancient deposits elsewhere, which is of broad interest. This project will support the training of one graduate and one undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) providing learning opportunities in sedimentary geology and diagenesis, fields with wide applicability. This proposal emphasizes rapid dissemination of results to the scientific community via conference presentations and contributions to peer-reviewed publications. The results will be integrated into education activities designed to develop skills in petrography and diagenesis, which are highly sought after in the energy sector. The project will generate a well-constrained dataset that allows direct linkage of diagenetic phases to environmental and tectonic change across a large sedimentary basin which will provide the basis for a comprehensive case study in an upper-level course (Sedimentary Petrography and Diagenesis) at UNL. In addition, online exercises will be developed and submitted to an open-access site (SEPM Stratigraphy Web) dedicated to sedimentary geology.
Intellectual Merit: To understand Antarctica's geodynamic development, origin of the Transantarctic Mountains (TAMs) and the Wilkes Subglacial Basin (WSB) must be determined. Current constraints on the crustal thickness and seismic velocity structure beneath the TAMs and the WSB are limited, leading to uncertainties over competing geologic models that have been suggested to explain their formation. The PI proposes to broaden the investigation of this region with a new seismic deployment, the Transantarctic Mountains Northern Network (TAMNNET), a 15-station array across the northern TAMs and the WSB that will fill a major gap in seismic coverage. Data from TAMNNET will be combined with that from other previous and ongoing seismic initiatives and will be analyzed using proven modeling techniques to generate a detailed image of the seismic structure beneath the TAMs and the WSB. These data will be used to test three fundamental hypotheses: the TAMs are underlain by thickened crust, the WSB is characterized by thin crust and thick sedimentary layers, and slow seismic velocities are prevalent along strike beneath the TAMs. Results from the proposed study will provide new information about the nature and formation of the Antarctic continent and will help to advance our understanding of important global processes, such as mountain building and basin formation. The proposed research also has important implications for other fields of Antarctic science. Constraints on the origin of the TAMs uplift are critical for climate and ice sheet models, and new information acquired about variations in the thermal and lithospheric structure beneath the TAMs and the WSB will be used to estimate critical ice sheet boundary conditions. Broader impacts: This project incorporates three educational strategies to promote the integration of teaching and research. Graduate students will be trained in Antarctic tectonics and seismic processing through hands-on fieldwork and data analysis techniques. Through NSF's PolarTREC program, the PI will work with K-12 educators. The PI will develop a three-week summer field program for recent high school graduates and early-career undergraduate students from Minority-Serving Institutions in Alabama. Teaching materials and participant experiences will be shared with individuals outside the program via a course website. Following the summer program, participants who were particularly engaged will be offered internship opportunities to analyze TAMNNET data. In successive years, the students could assist with fieldwork and could be recruited into the graduate program under the PI's supervision. Ultimately, this program would not only serve to educate undergraduates but would also generate a pipeline of underrepresented students into the geosciences.
1142162/Stone This award supports a project to conduct a reconnaissance geological and radar-sounding study of promising sites in West Antarctica as a prelude to a future project to conduct subglacial cosmogenic nuclide measurements. Field work will take place in the Whitmore Mountains, close to the WAIS divide, and on the Nash and Pirrit Hills, downflow from the divide in the Weddell Sea drainage. At each site geological indicators of higher (and lower) ice levels in the past will be mapped and evidence of subglacial erosion or its absence will be documented. Elevation transects of both glacial erratics and adjacent bedrock samples will be collected to establish the timing of recent deglaciation at the sites and provide a complement to similar measurements on material from depth transects obtained by future subglacial drilling. At each site, bedrock ridges will be traced into the subsurface with closely-spaced ice-penetrating radar surveys, using a combination of instruments and frequencies to obtain meter-scale surface detail, using synthetic aperture techniques. Collectively the results will define prospective sites for subglacial sampling, and maximize the potential information to be obtained from such samples in future studies. The intellectual merit of this project is that measurements of cosmogenic nuclides in subglacial bedrock hold promise for resolving the questions of whether the West Antarctic ice sheet collapsed completely in the past, whether it is prone to repeated large deglaciations, and if so, what is their magnitude and frequency. Such studies will require careful choice of targets, to locate sites where bedrock geology is favorable, cosmogenic nuclide records are likely to have been protected from subglacial erosion, and the local ice-surface response is indicative of large-scale ice sheet behavior. The broader impacts of this work include helping to determine whether subglacial surfaces in West Antarctica were ever exposed to cosmic rays, which will provide unambiguous evidence for or against a smaller ice sheet in the past. This is an important step towards establishing whether the WAIS is vulnerable to collapse in future, and will ultimately help to address uncertainty in forecasting sea level change. The results will also provide ground truth for models of ice-sheet dynamics and long-term ice sheet evolution, and will help researchers use these models to identify paleoclimate conditions responsible for WAIS deglaciation. The education and training of students (both undergraduate and graduate students) will play an important role in the project, which will involve Antarctic fieldwork, technically challenging labwork, data collection and interpretation, and communication of the outcome to scientists and the general public.
1043649/Braun This award supports a project to determine the current mass balance of selected glaciers of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) and adjacent islands, including King George Island and Livingston Island. A major goal is to discriminate the climatic and dynamic components of the current mass budget. The dynamic component will be assessed using a flux gate approach. Glacier velocity fields will be derived by offset tracking on repeat SAR satellite imagery, and ice thicknesses across grounding lines or near terminus will be approximated from a new methods based on mass continuity. The surface mass balance will be computed from a spatially distributed temperature-index mass-balance model forced by temperature and precipitation data from regional climate models. Our results will provide improved mass budget estimates of Western Antarctic Peninsula glaciers and a more thorough understanding of the ratio between the climatic and dynamic components. The techniques to be developed will be applicable to other glaciers in the region allowing regional scale mass budgets to be derived. The broader impacts of this work are that glacier wastage is currently the most important contributor to global sea level rise and the Antarctic Peninsula has been identified as one of the largest single contributors. Future sea-level rise has major societal, economic and ecological implications. The activity will foster new partnerships through collaboration with European and South American colleagues. The project will form the base of of a postdoctoral research fellowship. It will also provide training of undergraduate and graduate students through inclusion of data and results in course curriculums.
This award supports a project to broaden the knowledge of annual accumulation patterns over the West Antarctic Ice Sheet by processing existing near-surface radar data taken on the US ITASE traverse in 2000 and by gathering and validating new ultra/super-high-frequency (UHF) radar images of near surface layers (to depths of ~15 m), expanding abilities to monitor recent annual accumulation patterns from point source ice cores to radar lines. Shallow (15 m) ice cores will be collected in conjunction with UHF radar images to confirm that radar echoed returns correspond with annual layers, and/or sub-annual density changes in the near-surface snow, as determined from ice core stable isotopes. This project will additionally improve accumulation monitoring from space-borne instruments by comparing the spatial-radar-derived-annual accumulation time series to the passive microwave time series dating back over 3 decades and covering most of Antarctica. The intellectual merit of this project is that mapping the spatial and temporal variations in accumulation rates over the Antarctic ice sheet is essential for understanding ice sheet responses to climate forcing. Antarctic precipitation rate is projected to increase up to 20% in the coming century from the predicted warming. Accumulation is a key component for determining ice sheet mass balance and, hence, sea level rise, yet our ability to measure annual accumulation variability over the past 5 decades (satellite era) is mostly limited to point-source ice cores. Developing a radar and ice core derived annual accumulation dataset will provide validation data for space-born remote sensing algorithms, climate models and, additionally, establish accumulation trends. The broader impacts of the project are that it will advance discovery and understanding within the climatology, glaciology and remote sensing communities by verifying the use of UHF radars to monitor annual layers as determined by visual, chemical and isotopic analysis from corresponding shallow ice cores and will provide a dataset of annual to near-annual accumulation measurements over the past ~5 decades across WAIS divide from existing radar data and proposed radar data. By determining if temporal changes in the passive microwave signal are correlated with temporal changes in accumulation will help assess the utility of passive microwave remote sensing to monitor accumulation rates over ice sheets for future decades. The project will promote teaching, training and learning, and increase representation of underrepresented groups by becoming involved in the NASA History of Winter project and Thermochron Mission and by providing K-12 teachers with training to monitor snow accumulation and temperature here in the US, linking polar research to the student?s backyard. The project will train both undergraduate and graduate students in polar research and will encouraging young investigators to become involved in careers in science. In particular, two REU students will participate in original research projects as part of this larger project, from development of a hypothesis to presentation and publication of the results. The support of a new, young woman scientist will help to increase gender diversity in polar research.
This award supports a detailed, molecular level characterization of dissolved organic carbon and microbes in Antarctic ice cores. Using the most modern biological (genomic), geochemical techniques, and advanced chemical instrumentation researchers will 1) optimize protocols for collecting, extracting and amplifying DNA from deep ice cores suitable for use in next generation pyrosequencing; 2) determine the microbial diversity within the ice core; and 3) obtain and analyze detailed molecular characterizations of the carbon in the ice by ultrahigh resolution Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). With this pilot study investigators will be able to quantify the amount of material (microbial biomass and carbon) required to perform these characterizations, which is needed to inform future ice coring projects. The ultimate goal will be to develop protocols that maximize the yield, while minimizing the amount of ice required. The broader impacts include education and outreach at both the local and national levels. As a faculty mentor with the American Indian Research Opportunities and BRIDGES programs at Montana State University, Foreman will serve as a mentor to a Native American student in the lab during the summer months. Susan Kelly is an Education and Outreach Coordinator with a MS degree in Geology and over 10 years of experience in science outreach. She will coordinate efforts for comprehensive educational collaboration with the Hardin School District on the Crow Indian Reservation in South-central Montana.
Geochemical studies of single mineral grains in rocks can be probed to reconstruct the history of our planet. The mineral zircon (ZrSiO4) is of unique importance in that respect because of its reliability as a geologic clock due to its strong persistence against weathering, transport and changes in temperature and pressure. Uranium-Lead (U-Pb) dating of zircon grains is, perhaps, the most frequently employed method of extracting time information on geologic processes that shaped the continental crust, and has been used to constrain the evolution of continents and mountain belts through time. In addition, the isotopic composition of the element Hafnium (Hf) in zircon is used to date when the continental crust was generated by extraction of magma from the underlying mantle. Melting of rocks in the mantle and deep in the continental crust are key processes in the evolution of the continents, and they are recorded in the Hf isotopic signatures of zircon. Although the analytical procedures for U-Pb dating and Hf isotope analyses of zircon are robust now, our understanding of zircon growth and its exchange of elements and isotopes with its surrounding rock or magma are still underdeveloped. The focus of the proposed study, therefore, is to unravel the evolution of zircon Hf isotopes in rocks that were formed deep in the Earth?s crust, and more specifically, to apply these isotopic methods to rocks collected in Dronning Maud Land (DML), East Antarctica. Dronning Maud Land (DML) occupied a central location during the formation of supercontinents ? large landmasses made up of all the continents that exist today - more than 500 million years ago. It is currently thought that supercontinents were formed and dismembered five or six times throughout Earth?s history. The area of DML is key for understanding the formation history of the last two supercontinents. The boundaries of continents that were merged to form those supercontinents are most likely hidden in DML. In this study, the isotopic composition of zircon grains recovered from DML rocks will be employed to identify these boundaries across an extensive section through the area. The rock samples were collected by the investigator during a two-month expedition to Antarctica in the austral summer of 2007?2008. The results of dating and isotope analyses of zircon of the different DML crustal domains will deliver significant insight into the regional geology of East Antarctica and its previous northern extension into Africa. This has significance for the reconstruction of the supercontinents and defining the continental boundaries in DML.
The research combines interdisciplinary study in geology, paleontology, and biology, using stable isotope and radiocarbon analyses, to examine how climate change and resource utilization have influenced population distribution, movement, and diet in penguins during the mid-to-late Holocene. Previous investigations have demonstrated that abandoned colonies contain well-preserved remains that can be used to examine differential responses of penguins to climate change in various sectors of Antarctica. As such, the research team will investigate abandoned and active pygoscelid penguin (Adelie, Chinstrap, and Gentoo) colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula and Ross Sea regions, and possibly Prydz Bay, in collaboration with Chinese scientists during four field seasons. Stable isotope analyses will be conducted on recovered penguin tissues and prey remains in guano to address hypotheses on penguin occupation history, population movement, and diet in relation to climate change since the late Pleistocene. The study will include one Ph.D., two Masters and 16 undergraduate students in advanced research over the project period. Students will be exposed to a variety of fields, the scientific method, and international scientific research. They will complete field and lab research for individual projects or Honor's theses for academic credit. The project also will include web-based outreach, lectures to middle school students, and the development of interactive exercises that highlight hypothesis-driven research and the ecology of Antarctica. Two undergraduate students in French and Spanish languages at UNCW will be hired to assist in translating the Web page postings for broader access to this information.
This award provides support for "EAGER: Handbook of Hot Water Drill System (HWDS) Design Considerations and Best Practices" from the Antarctic Integrated System Science within the Office of Polar Programs. More and more science projects are proposing to use hot-water drilling systems (HWDS) to rapidly and/or cleanly access glacial and subglacial systems. To date the hot-water drill systems have been developed in isolation, and no attempt has been made to gather information about the different systems in one place. This proposal requests funds to document existing HWDS, and to then assess the design, testing, and development of a hot-water drill system that will be integrated with the evolving over-ice traverse capability of the USAP program. Intellectual Merit: A working handbook of best practices for hot-water drill design systems, including safety considerations, is long overdue, and will 1) provide suggestions for optimizing current systems; 2) contribute in the very near term to already funded projects such as WISSARD (Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access and Research Drilling); and 3) fit the long-term needs of the Antarctic science community who have identified rapid and clean access to glacial and subglaical environments as a top priority for the next decades. The collected information will be used for community education and training, will discuss potential design and operational trade-offs, and will identify ways to optimize the capabilities of an integrated USAP traverse and HWDS infrastructure. EAGER funding for this project is warranted because such a handbook has not been tried before, and needs to be shown to be doable prior to larger investments in such compilations. It fits the AISS (Antarctic Integrated System Science) program as an optimized HWDS will meet the needs of many different Antarctic research disciplines including biology, geology, glaciology, and oceanography. Broader Impacts: The proposed work is being done on behalf of the Antarctic research community, and will seek to capture the knowledge of experienced hot-water drill engineers who are nearing retirement, and to educate the next generation of hot-water drillers and engineers. The PI indicates he will work with the owners of such systems both within the US and abroad. Identification of best practices in hot-water drilling will save several different Antarctic research communities significant time, effort, and funding in the future.
Intellectual Merit: <br/>Because of extensive ice cover and sparse remote-sensing data, the geology of the Precambrian East Antarctic Shield (EAS) remains largely unexplored with information limited to coastal outcrops from the African, Indian and Australian sectors. The East Antarctic lithosphere is globally important: as one of the largest coherent Precambrian shields, including rocks as old as ~3.8 Ga, it played an important role in global crustal growth; it is a key piece in assembly of the Rodinia and Gondwana supercontinents; it is the substrate to Earth?s major ice cap, including numerous sub-glacial lakes, and influences its thermal state and mechanical stability; and its geotectonic association with formerly adjacent continental blocks in South Africa, India and Australia suggest that it might harbor important mineral resources. This project will increase understanding of the age and composition of the western EAS lithosphere underlying and adjacent to the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) using U-Pb ages, and Hf- and O-isotope analysis of zircon in early Paleozoic granitoids and Pleistocene glacial tills. TAM granites of the early Paleozoic Ross Orogen represent an areally extensive continental-margin arc suite that can provide direct information about the EAS crust from which it melted and/or through which it passed. Large rock clasts of igneous and metamorphic lithologies entrained in glacial tills at the head of major outlet glaciers traversing the TAM provide eroded samples of the proximal EAS basement. Zircons in these materials will provide data about age and inheritance (U-Pb), crustal vs. mantle origin (O isotopes), and crustal sources and evolution (Hf isotopes). Integrated along a significant part of the TAM, these data will help define broader crustal provinces that can be correlated with geophysical data and used to test models of crustal assembly. <br/><br/>Broader impacts: <br/>This project will provide a research opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates will be involved as Research Assistants in sample preparation, imaging, and analytical procedures, and conducting their own independent research. The two main elements of this project will form the basis of MS thesis projects for two graduate students at UMD. Through this project they will gain a good understanding of petrology, isotope geochemistry, and analytical methods. The broader scientific impacts of this work are that it will help develop a better understanding of the origin and evolution of East Antarctic lithosphere underlying and adjacent to the TAM, which will be of value to the broader earth science and glaciological community. Furthermore, knowledge of East Antarctic geology is of continuing interest to the general public because of strong curiosity about past supercontinents, what?s under the ice, and the impact of global warming on ice-sheet stability.
This project constructs POLENET a network of GPS and seismic stations in West Antarctica to understand how the mass of the West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS) changes with time. The information is ultimately used to predict sea level rise accompanying global warming and interpret climate change records. The GPS (global positioning system) stations measure vertical and horizontal movements of bedrock, while the seismic stations characterize physical properties of the ice/rock interface, lithosphere, and mantle. Combined with satellite data, this project offers a more complete picture of the ice sheet's current state, its likely change in the near future, and its overall size during the last glacial maximum. This data will also be used to infer sub-ice sheet geology and the terrestrial heat flux, critical inputs to models of glacier movement. As well, this project improves tomographic models of the earth's deep interior and core through its location in the Earth's poorly instrumented southern hemisphere. <br/><br/><br/><br/>Broader impacts of this project are varied. The work is relevant to society for improving our understanding of the impacts of global warming on sea level rise. It also supports education at the postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate levels, and outreach to groups underrepresented in the sciences. As an International Polar Year contribution, this project establishes a legacy of infrastructure for polar measurements. It also involves an international collaboration of twenty four countries. For more information see IPY Project #185 at IPY.org. NSF is supporting a complementary Arctic POLENET array being constructed in Greenland under NSF Award #0632320.
Intellectual Merit: <br/>The northern Ford ranges in Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica, record events and processes that transformed a voluminous succession of Lower Paleozoic turbidites intruded by calc-alkaline plutonic rocks into differentiated continental crust along the margin of Gondwana. In this study the Fosdick migmatite?granite complex will be used to investigate crustal evolution through an integrated program of fieldwork, structural geology, petrology, mineral equilibria modeling, geochronology and geochemistry. The PIs propose detailed traverses at four sites within the complex to investigate Paleozoic and Mesozoic orogenic cycles. They will use petrological associations, structural geometry, and microstructures of host gneisses and leucogranites to distinguish the migration and coalescence patterns for remnant melt flow networks, and carry out detailed sampling for geochronology, geochemistry and isotope research. Mafic plutonic phases will be sampled to acquire information about mantle contributions at the source. Mineral equilibria modeling of source rocks and granite products, combined with in situ mineral dating, will be employed to resolve the P?T?t trajectories arising from thickening/thinning of crust during orogenic cycles and to investigate melting and melt loss history. <br/><br/>Broader impacts: <br/>This work involves research and educational initiatives for an early career female scientist, as well as Ph.D. and undergraduate students. Educational programs for high school audiences and undergraduate courses on interdisciplinary Antarctic science will be developed.
Intellectual Merit: This research will place the subsidence history of the southern Victoria Land Basin into a quantitative geodynamic context and will assess the influence of flexure associated with late Neogene volcanic loading of the crust by the Erebus Volcanic Group. This will be done by extending geodynamic models of extension in the West Antarctic Rift System to include extensional hiatuses hypothesized to have occurred during the Late Paleogene and Miocene, and by developing a new geodynamic model of volcanic loading and associated lithosphere flexure. Finite element and finite difference modeling methods will be used. In the first phase of the project, a series of extensional geodynamic models will be developed to examine the effect that proposed extensional hiatuses have on the style of extension, with emphasis placed on developing a process based understanding of the change in rift style from diffuse during the Late Cretaceous to more focused during the Cenozoic. The models will test the hypotheses that extensional hiatuses led to the change in rifting style, and will place constraints on the timing and duration of the hiatuses. The second phase of the project will use the thermal and rheological properties of the previous models to constrain the flexural rigidity of the lithosphere in order to model the flexural response to volcanic loading to test the hypotheses that flexural subsidence contributed to cyclic changes between grounded and floating ice at the ANDRILL AND-1A site, complicating interpretations of the climatic record from this core, and that flexure contributes to the stress orientation at the AND-2B site, which is inconsistent with the expected regional extensional stress orientation. Broader impacts: The project will train an undergraduate student and an M.S. student. Outreach activities include a planned series of talks at regional high schools, junior colleges, and 4-year colleges that have geology programs.
Intellectual Merit: Numerous candidate models for the geologic processes that have shaped the Antarctic continent have been proposed. To discriminate between them, detailed images of the upper mantle structure are required; however, the only existing continental-scale images of seismic structure beneath Antarctica lack sufficient resolution to delineate important, diagnostic features. Using newly available data from various Antarctic seismic networks, the PI will employ the adaptively parameterized tomography method to develop a high-resolution, continental-scale seismic velocity model for all of Antarctica. The proposed tomography method combines regional seismic travel-time datasets in the context of a global model to create a composite continental-scale model of upper mantle structure. The proposed method allows for imaging of finer structure in areas with better seismic ray coverage while simultaneously limiting the resolution of features in regions with less coverage. This research will help advance understanding of important global processes, such as craton formation, mountain building, continental rifting and associated magmatism. Additionally, the proposed research will have important impacts on other fields of Antarctic science. Constraints provided by tomographic results can be used to develop thermal models of the lithosphere needed to characterize the history and dynamics of ice sheets. Also, further constraints on lithospheric structure are required by climate-ice models, which are focused on understanding the cooling history of the Antarctic continent. Broader impacts: The PI is a new faculty member at the University of Alabama after having been funded as a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Polar Regions Research. The graduate student supported by this project is new to polar research. Through the UA-Tuscaloosa Magnet School partnership program, the PI will educate K-12 students about the Antarctic environment and associated career opportunities through various online and hands-on activities. University of Alabama dedicates a significant percentage of its enrollment space to underrepresented groups.
Intellectual Merit: Mt. Erebus is one of only a handful of volcanoes worldwide that have lava lakes with readily observable and nearly continuous Strombolian explosive activity. Erebus is also unique in having a permanent convecting lava lake of anorthoclase phonolite magma. Over the years significant infrastructure has been established at the summit of Mt. Erebus as part of the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory (MEVO), which serves as a natural laboratory to study a wide range of volcanic processes, especially magma degassing associated with an open convecting magma conduit. The PI proposes to continue operating MEVO for a further five years. The fundamental fundamental research objectives are: to understand diffuse flank degassing by using distributed temperature sensing and gas measurements in ice caves, to understand conduit processes, and to examine the environmental impact of volcanic emissions from Erebus on atmospheric and cryospheric environments. To examine conduit processes the PI will make simultaneous observations with video records, thermal imaging, measurements of gas emission rates and gas compositions, seismic, and infrasound data. Broader impacts: An important aspect of Erebus research is the education and training of students. Both graduate and undergraduate students will have the opportunity to work on MEVO data and deploy to the field site. In addition, this proposal will support a middle or high school science teacher for two field seasons. The PI will also continue working with various media organizations and filmmakers.
Rice, James; Platt, John; Suckale, Jenny; Perol, Thibaut; Tsai, Victor
No dataset link provided
Rice 0739444<br/><br/>This award supports a project to study the mode of formation and causes of glacial earthquakes. The paradigm for glacial flow has been that glaciers flow in a viscous manner, with major changes in the force balance occurring on the decade timescale or longer. The recent discovery of a number of even shorter timescale events has challenged this paradigm. In 2003, it was discovered that Whillans Ice Stream in West Antarctica displays stick-slip behavior on the 10-30 minute timescale, with ice stream speed increasing by a factor of 30 from already high speeds. In the past year, the minimum timescale has been pushed shorter by recognition that a class of recently discovered 50-second-long, magnitude-5 earthquakes are closely associated with changes in the force balance near the calving fronts of large outlet glaciers in both Greenland and East Antarctica. With no adequate theory existing to explain these relatively large earthquakes associated with outlet glaciers, we have begun to investigate the physical mechanisms that must be involved in allowing such a response in a system traditionally not thought capable of generating large variations in forces over timescales less than 100 seconds. The intellectual merit of the work is that large-amplitude, short-timescale variability of glaciers is an important mode of glacier dynamics that has not yet been understood from a first-principles physics perspective. The proposed research addresses this gap in understanding, tying together knowledge from numerous disciplines including glaciology, seismology and fault rupture dynamics, laboratory rock physics, granular flow, fracture mechanics, and hydrogeology. The broader impacts of the work are that there is societal as well as general scientific interest in the stability of the major ice sheets. However, without an understanding of the physical processes governing short time scale variability, it is unlikely that we will be able accurately predict the future of these ice sheets and their impact on sea level changes. The project will also contribute to the development and education of young scientists.
This project studies formation of the TransAntarctic Mountains (TAM) through numerical modeling based on cooling histories of apatite mineral grains. The TAM are the highest and longest rift-related mountain range in the world. Various models for their uplift have been proposed, the most provocative of which is that they are not uplifted, but instead are the eroded remnant of a plateau. This project evaluates that hypothesis by collecting apatites from around Byrd Glacier for fission track thermochronology. Results will be combined with a kinematic and thermal model to determine the TAM?s structural evolution. The plateau model, if correct, implies that the Byrd Glacier originated not as a glacier-carved valley through the TAM, but as a river system flowing in the opposite direction. Given that the Byrd Glacier is a key drainage for the East Antarctic ice sheet, this result has important implications for ice sheet models and interpretation of both regional geology and sediment records.<br/><br/>The main broader impacts are undergraduate research and a new collaboration between a primarily undergraduate and a research institution. Students will be involved in the field program, sample analyses, and numerical modeling.
This project is an aerogeophysical survey to explore unknown terrain in East Antarctica to answer questions of climate change and earth science. The methods include ice-penetrating radar, gravity, and magnetic measurements. The project?s main goal is to investigate the stability and migration of ice divides that guide flow of the East Antarctic ice sheet, the world?s largest. The project also maps ice accumulation over the last interglacial, identifies subglacial lakes, and characterizes the catchment basins of the very largest glacial basins, including Wilkes and Aurora. The outcomes contribute to ice sheet models relevant to understanding sea level rise in a warming world. The work will also help understand the regional geology. Buried beneath miles-thick ice, East Antarctica is virtually uncharacterized, but is considered a keystone for tectonic reconstructions and other geologic questions. The region also hosts subglacial lakes, whose geologic histories are unknown. <br/><br/>The broader impacts are extensive, and include societal relevance for understanding sea level rise, outreach in various forms, and education at the K12 through postdoctoral levels. The project contributes to the International Polar Year (2007-2009) by addressing key IPY themes on frontiers in polar exploration and climate change. It also includes extensive international collaboration with the United Kingdom, Australia, France and other nations; and offers explicit opportunities for early career scientists.
This award supports a two year project to develop a new method for measuring vertical strain rates in polar firn. Vertical strain rate measurements in the firn are important because they can aid in the understanding of the dynamics of firn compaction, a key factor in determining ice age/gas age difference estimates for ice cores. Vertical strain rate measurements also determine ice advection for borehole paleothermometry models, and most importantly can be used to date the shallow sections of ice cores where ambiguities in chemical dating or counting of annual layers hinder dating by traditional methods. In this project a video logging tool will be used to create a unique "optical fingerprint" of variations in the optical properties of the firn with depth, and track the movement and deformation of the features of this fingerprint. Preliminary work at Siple Dome, Antarctica using an improvised logging system shows a series of optically bright and dark zones as the tool transits up or down the hole. Borehole fingerprinting has the potential to improve measurements of vertical strain in firn holes. This project represents a unique opportunity to interface with an existing field program where a borehole vertical strain rate project is already underway. A graduate student will be supported to conduct the work on this project as part of a PhD. dissertation on climate and physical processes in polar firn.
Whillans, Wilson, Goad OPP 9527571 Abstract This award supports a project to initiate Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements for rock motions in South Victoria Land and vicinity. The results will be used to test some of the leading models for ice-sheet change and tectonism, in particular, whether the continent is rebounding due to reduced ice load from East or West Antarctica and whether there is tectonic motion due to Terror Rift or uplift of the Transantarctic Mountains. A modest program to measure ice motion will be conducted as well. The motive is to test models for ice flow in the Allan Hills meteorite concentration region and to determine whether small glaciers in the Dry Valleys are thickening or thinning. Monuments will be set into rock and ice and GPS receivers used to determine their locations. Repeats in later years will determine motion. Field activities will involve close cooperation with the USGS.
This project studies remnant magnetization in igneous rocks from the Dufek igneous complex, Antarctica. Its primary goal is to understand variations in the Earth's magnetic field during the Mesozoic Dipole Low (MDL), a period when the Earth's magnetic field underwent dramatic weakening and rapid reversals. This work will resolve the MDL's timing and nature, and assess connections between reversal rate, geomagnetic intensity and directional variability, and large-scale geodynamic processes. The project also includes petrologic studies to determine cooling rate effects on magnetic signatures, and understand assembly of the Dufek as an igneous body. Poorly studied, the Dufek is amongst the world's largest intrusions and its formation is connected to the break-up of Gondwana. <br/><br/>The broader impacts of this project include graduate and undergraduate education and international collaboration with a German and Chilean IPY project.
This award supports a project to investigate fabrics with ground-based radar measurements near the Ross/Amundsen Sea ice-flow divide where a deep ice core will be drilled. The alignment of crystals in ice (crystal-orientation fabric) has an important effect on ice deformation. As ice deforms, anisotropic fabrics are produced, which, in turn, influence further deformation. Measurement of ice fabric variations can help reveal the deformation history of the ice and indicate how the ice will deform in the future. Ice cores provide opportunities to determine a vertical fabric profile, but horizontal variations of fabrics remain unknown. Remote sensing with ice-penetrating radar is the only way to do that over large areas. Preliminary results show that well-established polarimetric methods can detect the degree of horizontal anisotropy of fabrics and their orientation, even when they are nearly vertical-symmetric fabrics. In conjunction with ice deformation history, our first mapping of ice fabrics will contribute to modeling ice flow near the future ice core site. The project will train a graduate student and provide research experiences for two under graduate students both in field and laboratory. The project will contribute to ongoing West Antarctic ice sheet program efforts to better understand the impact of the ice sheet on global sea level rise. This project also supports an international collaboration between US and Japanese scientists.
0538120<br/>Catania<br/>This award supports a project to identify and map ice surface and internal features that chronicle the sequence of events leading to the shut-down of Kamb ice stream. In particular, the project will study past grounding line migration and the relationship between that process and ice stream shutdown. The intellectual merits of the project include the fact that an understanding of such processes has important implications for our ability to accurately predict mass balance changes in this region. Currently, one of the five major West Antarctic ice streams, Kamb, is quiescent, and another, Whillans, is slowing in its downstream reaches. The Kamb shutdown appears to have begun at its downstream end but beyond that simple observation, it is not possible, yet, to draw meaningful comparisons between the two adjacent streams. We do not know if current events on Whillans Ice Stream are similar to what transpired during the Kamb shut-down. The work proposed here intends to bridge that gap. It is expected that this effort will yield useful insights into the influence of grounding line dynamics on ice stream flow. The work will involve a combination of field investigations using radio-echo sounding and GPS combined with computational efforts involving the interpretation of ice-surface features such as relict flow traces and crevasses. The broader impacts of the project will be in addressing a global environmental problem with critical societal implications, training the next generation of scientists and engineers to serve the nation, and encouraging women to pursue scientific or engineering careers. Participants from both institutions are involved in a range of public outreach activities.
9909734 Anderson This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research on the glaciomarine geology of the continental shelves of West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula. It is hypothesized that the different glacial systems of the Antarctic Peninsula region have been more responsive to climate change and sea-level rise than either the West Antarctic or East Antarctic ice sheets. This is due mainly to the smaller size of these ice masses and the higher latitude location of the peninsula. Indeed, ice shelves of the Antarctic Peninsula are currently retreating at rates of up to a kilometer per year. But are these changes due to recent atmospheric warming in the region or are they simply the final phase of retreat since the last glacial maximum? This project hypothesizes that the deglacial history of the Antarctic Peninsula region has been quite complex, with different glacial systems retreating at different rates and at different times. This complex recessional history reflects the different sizes as well as different climatic and physiographic settings of glacial systems in the region. An understanding of the Late Pleistocene to Holocene glacial history of the Antarctic Peninsula glacial systems is needed to address how these systems responded to sea-level and climate change during that time interval. This investigation acquire new marine geological and geophysical data from the continental shelf to determine if and when different glacial systems were grounded on the shelf, to establish the extent of grounded ice, and to examine the history of glacial retreat. The project will build on an extensive seismic data set and hundreds of sediment cores collected along the Peninsula during earlier (1980's) cruises. Key to this investigation is the acquisition of swath bathymetry, side-scan sonar and very high-resolution sub-bottom (chirp) profiles from key drainage outlets. These new data will provide the necessary geomorphologic and stratigraphic framework for reconstructing the Antarctic Peninsula glacial record. Anticipated results will help constrain models for future glacier and ice sheet activity.
This award supports a research cruise to perform geologic studies in the area under and surrounding the former Larsen B ice shelf, on the Antarctic Peninsula. The ice shelf's disintegration in 2002 coupled with the unique marine geology of the area make it possible to understand the conditions leading to ice shelf collapse. Bellwethers of climate change that reflect both oceanographic and atmospheric conditions, ice shelves also hold back glacial flow in key areas of the polar regions. Their collapse results in glacial surging and could cause rapid rise in global sea levels. This project characterizes the Larsen ice shelf's history and conditions leading to its collapse by determining: 1) the size of the Larsen B during warmer climates and higher sea levels back to the Eemian interglacial, 125,000 years ago; 2) the configuration of the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet during the LGM and its subsequent retreat; 3) the causes of the Larsen B's stability through the Holocene, during which other shelves have come and gone; 4) the controls on the dynamics of ice shelf margins, especially the roles of surface melting and oceanic processes, and 5) the changes in sediment flux, both biogenic and lithogenic, after large ice shelf breakup. <br/><br/><br/><br/>The broader impacts include graduate and undergraduate education through research projects and workshops; outreach to the general public through a television documentary and websites, and international collaboration with scientists from Belgium, Spain, Argentina, Canada, Germany and the UK. The work also has important societal relevance. Improving our understanding of how ice shelves behave in a warming world will improve models of sea level rise.<br/><br/><br/><br/>The project is supported under NSF's International Polar Year (IPY) research emphasis area on "Understanding Environmental Change in Polar Regions".
9909367 Leventer This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a multi-institutional, international (US - Australia) marine geologic and geophysical investigation of Prydz Bay and the MacRobertson Shelf, to be completed during an approximately 60-day cruise aboard the RVIB N.B. Palmer. The primary objective is to develop a record of climate and oceanographic change during the Quaternary, using sediment cores collected via kasten and jumbo piston coring. Core sites will be selected based on seismic profiling (Seabeam 2112 and Bathy2000). Recognition of the central role of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to global oceanic and atmospheric systems is based primarily on data collected along the West Antarctic margin, while similar extensive and high resolution data sets from the much more extensive East Antarctic margin are sparse. Goals of this project include (1) development of a century- to millennial-scale record of Holocene paleoenvironments, and (2) testing of hypotheses concerning the sedimentary record of previous glacial and interglacial events on the shelf, and evaluation of the timing and extent of maximum glaciation along this 500 km stretch of the East Antarctic margin. High-resolution seismic mapping and coring of sediments deposited in inner shelf depressions will be used to reconstruct Holocene paleoenvironments. In similar depositional settings in the Antarctic Peninsula and Ross Sea, sedimentary records demonstrate millennial- and century- scale variability in primary production and sea-ice extent during the Holocene, which have been linked to chronological periodicities in radiocarbon distribution, suggesting the possible role of solar variability in driving some changes in Holocene climate. Similar high-resolution Holocene records from the East Antarctic margin will be used to develop a circum-Antarctic suite of data regarding the response of southern glacial and oceanographic systems to late Quaternary climate change. In addition, these data will help us to evaluate the response of the East Antarctic margin to global warming. Initial surveys of the Prydz Channel - Amery Depression region reveal sequences deposited during previous Pleistocene interglacials. The upper Holocene and lower (undated) siliceous units can be traced over 15,000 km2 of the Prydz Channel, but more sub-bottom seismic reflection profiling in conjunction with dense coring over this region is needed to define the spatial distribution and extent of the units. Chronological work will determine the timing and duration of previous periods of glacial marine sedimentation on the East Antarctic margin during the late Pleistocene. Analyses will focus on detailed sedimentologic, geochemical, micropaleontological, and paleomagnetic techniques. This multi-parameter approach is the most effective way to extract a valuable paleoenvironmental signal in these glacial marine sediments. These results are expected to lead to a significant advance in understanding of the behavior of the Antarctic ice-sheet and ocean system in the recent geologic past. The combination of investigators, all with many years of experience working in high latitude marine settings, will provide an effective team to complete the project. University and College faculty (Principal Investigators on this project) will supervise a combination of undergraduate and post-graduate students involved in all stages of the project so that educational objectives will be met in tandem with the research goals of the project.
This award supports a project to examine the stratigraphy of near-surface sediments in Taylor Valley, Antarctica. Two contrasting hypotheses have been proposed for surface sediments in lower Taylor Valley, which have important and very different implications for how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) responded to the sea-level rise of the last deglaciation and Holocene environmental changes. One hypothesis holds that the sediments, designated Ross I drift, directly reflect >10,000 14C-years of WAIS shrinkage in the Ross Sea during and perhaps driven by deglacial sea-level rise. The other hypothesis, holds that the Taylor sediments have little significance for WAIS change during the deglaciation. These two hypotheses reflect fundamentally different interpretations of the sediment record. Over the course of two field seasons and a third year at the home institutions, the project will test these two hypotheses using glacial geology, geochemistry, ground penetrating radar (GPR) at both 100 MHz and 400 MHz, and portable sediment coring. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is that it will test these two hypotheses and make novel use of the subsurface record that may result in new insights into WAIS sensitivity during the deglaciation. The study will also directly test the conclusion that Glacial Lake Washburn was much larger than previously proposed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This occurrence, if real, represents a stunning climate anomaly. Answers to these local ice sheet and lake questions directly pertain to larger scale issues concerning the influences of sea-level rise, climate change, and internal ice-sheet dynamics on the recession of the WAIS since the LGM. There are numerous broader impacts to this project. Understanding the glacial and lake history in the McMurdo Sound region has important implications for the role that the WAIS will play in future sea-level and global climate change. Moreover, the history of Taylor Valley has significance for the ecosystem studies currently being conducted by the LTER group. Lastly, during the course of the proposed research, the project will train two graduate and undergraduate students and the research will be featured prominently in the teaching of students.
0538097<br/>Anandakrishnan<br/><br/>This award supports a project to intensively study a subglacial Antarctic lake near the geographic South Pole using seismic and radar methods. These ground-based experiments are better suited to determine the presence of water and its thickness than are airborne methods. We hypothesize that there are two end-member explanations for this feature: either the lake is thawed, but freezing on (and likely to have been freezing on through much of the current interglacial period), or it is a frozen, relict lake for which the high basal radar reflectivity is due to intergranular water in a permafrost-like layer beneath the ice. The seismic experiment we propose is ideally suited to examine these alternatives. Intermediate cases of, e.g., a thawed saturated sedimentary base or a smooth crystalline basement layer would also be resolved by this experiment. Seismic reflections are sensitive to changes in acoustic impedance which is strongly variable with fluid content, porosity, and lithology. Water has low density relative to most rocks and low seismic velocity (and nil shear wave velocity) relative to both ice and rock. Thus, discriminating between subglacial water and subglacial rock is a task ideally suited to the seismic reflection technique. This project has significant impacts outside the directly affected fields of Antarctic glaciology and geology. The lake (either thawed or sediments with thin liquid layers around the matrix particles) will have the potential for harboring novel life forms. The experiment has the potential for expanding our information about the newest frontier in life on Earth. The collaboration between PIs in the seismic community and the marine acoustics community will foster cross-disciplinary pollination of ideas, techniques, and tools. In addition to traditional seismic techniques, new methods of data analysis that have been developed by acousticians will be applied to this problem as an independent measure of lake properties. We will train students who will have a wider view of seismology than would be possible in a traditional ocean acoustics or traditional geoscience seismology program of study.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports project to test and develop approaches for using thermoluminescence techniques to determine the age of Antarctic marine sediments. <br/><br/>Quaternary (last 2 million yrs) marine sediments surrounding Antarctica record the waxing and waning of ice shelves and ice sheets, and also other paleoclimatic information, yet accurate chronologies of these sediments are difficult to obtain. Such chronologies provide the essential foundation for study of geological processes in the past. Within the range of radiocarbon (14C) dating (less than 30-40 thousand yrs, note - "ka" below means 1000 yrs) 14C dates can be inaccurate because of a variable 14C reservoir effect, and beyond 30-40 ka few methods are applicable. Photon-stimulated-luminescence sediment dating (photonic dating) of eolian and waterlain deposits in temperate latitudes spans the range from decades to hundreds of ka, but marine sediments in and around Antarctica pose special difficulty because of the potentially restricted exposure to daylight (the clock-zeroing process) of most detrital grains before deposition. This proposal will test the clock-zeroing assumption in representative Antarctic glaciomarine depositional settings, and thereby determine the potential reliability of photonic dating of Antarctic marine sediments.<br/><br/>Limited luminescence dating and signal-zeroing tests using glaciomarine and marine deposits have been conducted in the northern temperate and polar latitudes, but the effects on luminescence of the different glaciomarine depositional processes have never been studied in detail. Furthermore, the depositional settings around Antarctica are almost entirely polar, with consequent specific processes operating there. For example, transport of terrigenous suspensions by neutrally buoyant "cold-tongue" (mid-water) plumes may be common around Antarctica, yet the effect of such transport on luminescence zeroing is unknown. Typical marine cores near Antarctica may contain an unknown fraction of detrital grains from cold-tongue and near-bottom suspensions. Thus the extent to which the polar glaciomarine depositional processes around Antarctica may limit the potential accuracy of photonic dating of marine cores is unknown (age overestimates would result if grains are not exposed to daylight before deposition).<br/><br/>This project will collect detrital grains from a variety of "zero-age" (modern) marine depositional settings within the Antarctic Peninsula, where representative Antarctic depositional processes have been documented and where logistics permit access. Suspensions will be collected from four fjords representing a transect from polar through subpolar conditions. Suspensions will be collected from two stations and from up to 3 depths (surface and 2 deep plumes) at each station. Sediment traps will be deployed at two of these fjord settings. As well, core-top sediments will be collected from several sites. All samples will be shielded from light and transported to Reno, Nevada, for luminescence analyses.<br/><br/>Systematic study of the effectiveness of luminescence-clock-zeroing in Antarctic glaciomarine settings will determine if photonic dating can be reliable for future applications to Antarctic marine sediments. Refined sedimentological criteria for the selection of future samples for photonic dating are expected from this project. A photonic-dating capability would provide a numeric geochronometer extending well beyond the age range of 14C dating. Such a capability would permit answering a number of broader questions about the timing and extent of past glaciations near and on the Antarctic shelves.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a demonstration project to prove the viability of shallow ship-based geological drilling while simultaneously collecting useful cores for assessing the early history of the Antarctic ice sheets. For over three decades, U.S. scientists and their international colleagues exploring the shallow shelves and seas along the margins of Antarctic have been consistently frustrated by their inability to penetrate through the over-compacted glacial diamictons encountered at shallow sub bottom depths (within the upper 10 m) over these terrains. This is particularly frustrating because advanced high resolution seismic reflection techniques clearly show in many areas the presence of older successions of Neogene and even Paleogene sequences lying just beneath this thin veneer of diamictons. Until the means are developed to recover these sequences, a detailed history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is an essential prerequisite to understanding Cenozoic paleoclimate and future climate change on a global scale, will remain an elusive and unobtainable goal. After four years of study and evaluation with the aid of a professional engineer (and over the course of two workshops), the SHALDRIL Committee, an interested group of U.S. scientists, has identified at least two diamond-coring systems deemed suitable for use on existing ice-breaking U.S. Antarctic Research Program vessels. The goal of this project is to employ diamond-coring technology on the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer in order to test out and demonstrate the feasibility of both ship-based diamond coring and down-hole logging. For this "demonstration cruise" coring will be attempted along a high-resolution seismic reflection profile on the continental shelf adjacent to Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, an area of high scientific interest in its own right. Here the well-defined geologic section is estimated to range from Eocene to Quaternary in age, effectively spanning the "Greenhouse-Icehouse" transition in the evolution of Antarctic/global climate. A complete record of this transition has yet to be obtained anywhere along the Antarctic margin. Following core recovery, this project will result in correlation of the paleoclimate records from the new cores with detailed fluctuations of the ice margin recorded at higher latitudes in the eastern Ross Sea by the recently concluded, fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project. If successful, this mobile and flexible drilling system will then be available to the broader scientific community for further research in paleoenvironmental conditions and other areas of science that are currently hindered by the present gap that exists in the US Antarctic Program's technical capability to explore the Antarctic shelves between the shore-line/fast-ice margin and the continental slope. SHALDRIL will be able to operate effectively in the "no man's land" that presently exists between the near shore (where the fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project was successful) and the upper slope (where the Ocean Drilling Program's vessel JOIDES Resolution becomes most efficient). This technological breakthrough will not only allow major outstanding scientific problems of the last three decades to be addressed, but will also favorably impact many current U.S. and SCAR (ICSU Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Antarctic or drilling-related initiatives, such as WAIS, ANTIME, ANDRILL, ANTEC, IMAGES, PAGES, GLOCHANT (including PICE), MARGINS, ODP, and STRATAFORM.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research to study the region recently occupied by the Larsen Ice Shelf in the Antarctic Peninsula. Over the last 10 years, scientists have observed a dramatic decay and disintegration of floating ice shelves along the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula. Meteorological records and satellite observations indicate that this catastrophic decay is related to regional warming of nearly 3 degrees C in the last 50 years. While such retreat of floating ice shelves is unprecedented in historic records, current understanding of the natural variability of ice shelf systems over the last few thousand years is not understood well. This award supports a program of marine geologic research directed at filling this knowledge gap by developing an understanding of the dynamics of the northern Larsen Ice Shelf during the Holocene epoch (the last 10,000 years). The Larsen Ice Shelf is located in the NW Weddell Sea along the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula and is currently undergoing a rapid, catastrophic retreat as documented by satellite imagery over the past five years. While the region of the northern Antarctic Peninsula has experienced a pronounced warming trend over the last 40 years, the links between this warming and global change (i.e. greenhouse warming) are not obvious. Yet the ice shelf is clearly receding at a rate unprecedented in historic time, leaving vast areas of the seafloor uncovered and in an open marine setting. This project will collect a series of short sediment cores within the Larsen Inlet and in areas that were at one time covered by the Larsen Ice Shelf. By applying established sediment and fossil criteria to the cores we hope to demonstrate whether the Larsen Ice Shelf has experienced similar periods of retreat and subsequent advance within the last 10,000 years. Past work in various regions of the Antarctic has focused on depositional models for ice shelves that allow one to discern the timing of ice shelf retreat/advance in areas of the Ross Sea, Antarctic Peninsula, and Prydz Bay. This research will lead to a much improved understanding of the dynamics of ice shelf systems and their role in past and future climate oscillations.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a study to investigate the tectonic development of the southwestern Ross Sea region. Displacements between East and West Antarctica have long been proposed based on global plate circuits, apparent hot spot motions, interpretations of seafloor magnetic anomalies, paleomagnetism, and on geologic grounds. Such motions require plate boundaries crossing Antarctica, yet these boundaries have never been explicitly defined. This project will attempt to delineate the late Cenozoic - active boundary between East and West Antarctica along the Terror Rift in the western Ross Sea, where young structures have been identified, continuity between active extension and intracontinental structures can be established, and where accessibility via ship will allow new key data sets to be acquired. We will use multi-source marine and airborne geophysical data to map the fault patterns and volcanic structure along the eastern margin of the Terror Rift. The orientations of volcanic fissures and seamount alignments on the seafloor will be mapped using multibeam bathymetry. The volcanic alignments will show the regional extension or shear directions across the Terror Rift and the orientations of associated crustal stresses. Swath bathymetry and single channel seismic data will be used to document neotectonic fault patterns and the eastern limit of recent faulting. Delineation of neotectonic fault patterns will demonstrate whether the eastern margin of the Terror Rift forms a continuous boundary and whether the rift itself can be linked with postulated strike-slip faults in the northwestern Ross Sea. Seafloor findings from this project will be combined with fault kinematic and stress field determinations from the surrounding volcanic islands and the Transantarctic Mountains. The integrated results will test the propositions that the eastern boundary of the Terror Rift forms the limit of the major, late Cenozoic -active structures through the Ross Sea and that Terror Rift kinematics involve dextral transtension linked to the right-lateral strike-slip faulting to the north. These results will help constrain the kinematic and dynamic links between the West Antarctic rift system and Southern Ocean structures and any related motions between East and West Antarctica. In the first year, a collaborative structural analysis of existing multichannel and single channel seismic profiles and aeromagnetic data over the Terror Rift will be conducted. The location of volcanic vents or fissures and any fault scarps on the sea floor will be identified and a preliminary interpretation of the age and kinematics of deformation in the Terror Rift will be produced. Late in the second year, a one-month cruise on RVIB N.B. Palmer will carry out multibeam bathymetric and sidescan sonar mapping of selected portions of the seafloor of Terror Rift. Gravity, magnetics, seismic reflection and Bathy2000 3.5 kHz sub-bottom profile data will also be collected across the rift. In the third year, we will use these multisource data to map the orientations and forms of volcanic bodies and the extent and geometry of neotectonic faulting associated with the Terror Rift. The project will: 1) complete a map of neotectonic faults and volcanic structures in the Terror Rift; 2) interpret the structural pattern to derive the motions and stresses associated with development of the rift; 3) compare Terror Rift structures with faults and lineaments mapped in the Transantarctic Mountains to improve age constraints on the structures; and 4) integrate the late Cenozoic structural interpretations from the western Ross Sea with Southern Ocean plate boundary kinematics.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds and field support to continue a study of plate motions in the Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Sea region. The principal aim of the original "Scotia Arc GPS Project (SCARP)" was to determine motions of the Scotia Plate relative to adjacent plates and to measure crustal deformation along its margins with special attention to the South Sandwich microplate and Bransfield Strait extension. The focus of the present proposal is confined to the part of the SCARP project that includes GPS sites at Elephant Island, the South Shetland Islands and on the Antarctic Peninsula. The British Antarctic Survey provides data from two sites on the Scotia arc for this project. The northern margin of the Scotia Plate is not included herein because that region is not covered under Polar Programs. A separate proposal will request support for re-measuring SCARP GPS stations in South America. With regard to the Antarctic Peninsula area, continuously operating GPS stations were established at Frei Base, King George Island (in 1996) and at the Argentine Base, South Orkney Islands (in 1998). A number of monumented sites were established in the Antarctic Peninsula region in 1997 to support campaign-style GPS work in December 1997 and December 1998. Because of the expected slow crustal motion in the Bransfield Strait and expiration of the initial grant, no further data collection will be done until enough time has passed so that new measurements can be expected to yield precise results.<br/><br/>The primary aim of this work is to complete the measurements required to quantify crustal deformation related to opening of the Bransfield Strait, the South Shetland microplate, and to identify any other independent tectonic blocks that the GPS data may reveal. The measurements to be completed under this award will be done using ship support during the 2002-2003 season. This would be five years after the first measurements and would provide quite precise horizontal velocities. This project will complete the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of a single data set to continue this initial phase of the NSF-funded project to measure crustal motions along the southern margin of the Scotia plate. A principal investigator and one graduate student from the University of Texas will perform fieldwork. A graduate student from the University of Hawaii will process the new data consistent with previous data, and all of the SCARP investigators (Bevis, Dalziel, Smalley, Taylor: from U. Texas, U. Hawaii, and U. Memphis) will participate in interpreting the data. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) also recognized the importance of the Scotia plate and the Bransfield system in both global and local plate tectonic frameworks. They, too, have used GPS to measure crustal motions in this region and duplicate a number of our sites. They began earlier than we, have taken data more recently, presumably will continue taking data, and they have published some results. The collaboration between SCARP, BAS, and AWI begun earlier, will continue into this new work. Joint and separate publications are anticipated. The existing SCARP network has several advantages that justify collection and analysis of another set of data. One is that SCARP has established and measured GPS sites on Smith, Low, and Livingston Islands, where other groups have not. These sites significantly extend the dimensions of the South Shetland microplate so that we can determine a more precise pole of rotation and recognize any sub-blocks within the South Shetland arc. Smith and Low Islands are near the end of the Bransfield Basin where relative motion between the South Shetland Microplate must somehow terminate, perhaps by faulting along an extension of the Hero fracture zone. Another advantage is that measurements under SCARP were made using fixed-height masts that eliminate all but a fraction of a millimeter of vertical error in exactly re-occupying each site. Vertical motion associated with postglacial rebound should be on the order of several mm/yr, which will eventually be measurable. Mid-Holocene shorelines that emerged to more than 20m on some South Shetland arc islands suggest that vertical motion is significant. Thus, this work will contribute to understanding both plate motions and post-glacial rebound from ice mass loss in the region.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a demonstration project to prove the viability of shallow ship-based geological drilling while simultaneously collecting useful cores for assessing the early history of the Antarctic ice sheets. For over three decades, U.S. scientists and their international colleagues exploring the shallow shelves and seas along the margins of Antarctic have been consistently frustrated by their inability to penetrate through the over-compacted glacial diamictons encountered at shallow sub bottom depths (within the upper 10 m) over these terrains. This is particularly frustrating because advanced high resolution seismic reflection techniques clearly show in many areas the presence of older successions of Neogene and even Paleogene sequences lying just beneath this thin veneer of diamictons. Until the means are developed to recover these sequences, a detailed history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is an essential prerequisite to understanding Cenozoic paleoclimate and future climate change on a global scale, will remain an elusive and unobtainable goal. After four years of study and evaluation with the aid of a professional engineer (and over the course of two workshops), the SHALDRIL Committee, an interested group of U.S. scientists, has identified at least two diamond-coring systems deemed suitable for use on existing ice-breaking U.S. Antarctic Research Program vessels. The goal of this project is to employ diamond-coring technology on the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer in order to test out and demonstrate the feasibility of both ship-based diamond coring and down-hole logging. For this "demonstration cruise" coring will be attempted along a high-resolution seismic reflection profile on the continental shelf adjacent to Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, an area of high scientific interest in its own right. Here the well-defined geologic section is estimated to range from Eocene to Quaternary in age, effectively spanning the "Greenhouse-Icehouse" transition in the evolution of Antarctic/global climate. A complete record of this transition has yet to be obtained anywhere along the Antarctic margin. Following core recovery, this project will result in correlation of the paleoclimate records from the new cores with detailed fluctuations of the ice margin recorded at higher latitudes in the eastern Ross Sea by the recently concluded, fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project. If successful, this mobile and flexible drilling system will then be available to the broader scientific community for further research in paleoenvironmental conditions and other areas of science that are currently hindered by the present gap that exists in the US Antarctic Program's technical capability to explore the Antarctic shelves between the shore-line/fast-ice margin and the continental slope. SHALDRIL will be able to operate effectively in the "no man's land" that presently exists between the near shore (where the fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project was successful) and the upper slope (where the Ocean Drilling Program's vessel JOIDES Resolution becomes most efficient). This technological breakthrough will not only allow major outstanding scientific problems of the last three decades to be addressed, but will also favorably impact many current U.S. and SCAR (ICSU Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Antarctic or drilling-related initiatives, such as WAIS, ANTIME, ANDRILL, ANTEC, IMAGES, PAGES, GLOCHANT (including PICE), MARGINS, ODP, and STRATAFORM.
9908828 Aronson This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a paleoecological and paleoenvironmental study of Seymour Island. Global climate change late in the Eocene epoch had an important influence in Antarctica. This was the beginning of the transition from a cool-temperate climate in Antarctica to the polar climate that exists there today. The cooling trend strongly influenced the structure of shallow-water, Antarctic marine communities, and these effects are still evident in the peculiar ecological relationships among species living in modern Antarctic communities. Cooling late in the Eocene reduced the abundance of fish and crabs, which in turn reduced skeleton-crushing predation on invertebrates. Reduced predation allowed dense populations of ophiuroids (brittlestars) and crinoids (sea lilies) to appear in shallow-water settings at the end of the Eocene. These low-predation communities appear as dense fossil echinoderm assemblages in the upper portion of the late Eocene La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island, off the Antarctic Peninsula. Today, dense ophiuroid and crinoid populations are common in shallow-water habitats in Antarctica but generally have been eliminated by predators from similar habitats at temperate and tropical latitudes; their persistence in Antarctica to this day is an important ecological legacy of climatic cooling in the Eocene. Although the influence of declining predation on Antarctic ophiuroids and crinoids is now well documented, the effects of cooling on the more abundant mollusks have not been investigated. This study will examine the evolutionary ecology of gastropods (snails) and bivalves (clams) in the late Eocene. A series of hypotheses will be tested in the La Meseta Formation, based on the predicted responses of mollusks to declining temperature and changing levels of predation. The shapes of gastropod shells, the activities of gastropods that prey on other mollusks by drilling holes in their shells, and the effects of predation on the thickness of mollusk shells should have changed significantly through late Eocene time. First, defensive features of gastropod shells, such as spines and ribbing, should decline as temperature and, therefore, the activity of skeleton-crushing predators declined. Second, drilling of bivalve prey by predatory gastropods should increase with time since the drillers should themselves have been subject to lower predation pressure as temperature declined. Drilled shells, therefore, should become more common through time. Third, patterns in the thickness of shells through time will make it possible to separate the direct, physiological effects of declining temperature (shells are more difficult to produce at cooler temperatures, and so should be thinner) from the indirect effects of temperature on evolving biological interactions (increased drilling predation should result in thicker shells). Seymour Island contains the only fossil outcrops readily accessible in Antarctica from this crucial period in Earth history. The La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island thus provides a unique opportunity to learn how climate change affected Antarctic marine communities. In practical terms, global climate change will probably increase upwelling over the next few decades to centuries in some temperate coastal regions. Recent ecological evidence suggests that the resultant lowering of sea temperatures could lower predation in those areas. Understanding the response of the La Meseta faunas to global cooling in the late Eocene will provide direct insight into the rapidly changing structure of modern benthic communities.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a project to make use of ship-repositioning transit cruises to gather geophysical information relating to plate tectonics of the Southern Ocean and to support student training activities. Well-constrained Cenozoic plate reconstructions of the circum-Antarctic region are critical for examining a number of problems of global geophysical importance. These problems include, e.g., relating the plate kinematics to its geological consequences in various plate circuits (Pacific-North America, Australia-Pacific); a dynamical understanding of what drives plate tectonics (which requires well-constrained kinematic information in order to distinguish between different geodynamic hypotheses); and an understanding of the rheology of the plates themselves, including the amount of internal deformation they can support, and the conditions leading to the formation of new plate boundaries through breakup of existing plates. By obtaining better constraints on the motion of the Antarctica plate with respect to these other plates, and by better quantifying the internal deformation within Antarctica (between East and West Antarctica), contributions will be made to solving these other fundamental problems.<br/><br/>In this project, existing data will be analyzed to address several specific issues related to plate motions involving the Antarctic plate. First, work will be done on four-plate solutions of Australia-Pacific-West Antarctica-East Antarctica motion, in order to most tightly constrain the rotation parameters for separation between East and West Antarctica for the time period from about 45 to 28 Ma (Adare Basin spreading system). This will be done by imposing closure on the four-plate circuit and using relevant marine geophysical data from all four of the boundaries. The uncertainties in the resulting rotation parameters will be determined based on the uncertainties in the data points. These uncertainties can then be propagated in the plate circuit for use in addressing the various global geodynamic problems mentioned above. Second, rotation parameters for Pacific-West Antarctica during Tertiary time will be determined using recently acquired well-navigated Palmer transit data and any additional data that can be acquired during the course of this project. These parameters and their uncertainties will be used in assessments of plate rigidity and included in the plate circuit studies.<br/><br/>In the framework of this project, new collection of marine geophysical data will be accomplished on a very flexible schedule. This will be done by collecting underway gravity, magnetics, and swath bathymetric data on Palmer transit cruises of geological importance. This has been successfully done on eight previous Palmer cruises since 1997, the most recent four of which were funded under a collaborative OPP grant to CalTech and Scripps which is now expiring. On one of the suitable transits, a formal class in marine geophysics will be conducted that will afford an opportunity to 12 or more graduate and undergraduate students, from CalTech and Scripps as well as other institutions. In this way, educational activities will be integrated with the usual scientific data collection objectives of the research project.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a demonstration project to prove the viability of shallow ship-based geological drilling while simultaneously collecting useful cores for assessing the early history of the Antarctic ice sheets. For over three decades, U.S. scientists and their international colleagues exploring the shallow shelves and seas along the margins of Antarctic have been consistently frustrated by their inability to penetrate through the over-compacted glacial diamictons encountered at shallow sub bottom depths (within the upper 10 m) over these terrains. This is particularly frustrating because advanced high resolution seismic reflection techniques clearly show in many areas the presence of older successions of Neogene and even Paleogene sequences lying just beneath this thin veneer of diamictons. Until the means are developed to recover these sequences, a detailed history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is an essential prerequisite to understanding Cenozoic paleoclimate and future climate change on a global scale, will remain an elusive and unobtainable goal. After four years of study and evaluation with the aid of a professional engineer (and over the course of two workshops), the SHALDRIL Committee, an interested group of U.S. scientists, has identified at least two diamond-coring systems deemed suitable for use on existing ice-breaking U.S. Antarctic Research Program vessels. The goal of this project is to employ diamond-coring technology on the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer in order to test out and demonstrate the feasibility of both ship-based diamond coring and down-hole logging. For this "demonstration cruise" coring will be attempted along a high-resolution seismic reflection profile on the continental shelf adjacent to Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, an area of high scientific interest in its own right. Here the well-defined geologic section is estimated to range from Eocene to Quaternary in age, effectively spanning the "Greenhouse-Icehouse" transition in the evolution of Antarctic/global climate. A complete record of this transition has yet to be obtained anywhere along the Antarctic margin. Following core recovery, this project will result in correlation of the paleoclimate records from the new cores with detailed fluctuations of the ice margin recorded at higher latitudes in the eastern Ross Sea by the recently concluded, fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project. If successful, this mobile and flexible drilling system will then be available to the broader scientific community for further research in paleoenvironmental conditions and other areas of science that are currently hindered by the present gap that exists in the US Antarctic Program's technical capability to explore the Antarctic shelves between the shore-line/fast-ice margin and the continental slope. SHALDRIL will be able to operate effectively in the "no man's land" that presently exists between the near shore (where the fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project was successful) and the upper slope (where the Ocean Drilling Program's vessel JOIDES Resolution becomes most efficient). This technological breakthrough will not only allow major outstanding scientific problems of the last three decades to be addressed, but will also favorably impact many current U.S. and SCAR (ICSU Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Antarctic or drilling-related initiatives, such as WAIS, ANTIME, ANDRILL, ANTEC, IMAGES, PAGES, GLOCHANT (including PICE), MARGINS, ODP, and STRATAFORM.This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a demonstration project to prove the viability of shallow ship-based geological drilling while simultaneously collecting useful cores for assessing the early history of the Antarctic ice sheets. For over three decades, U.S. scientists and their international colleagues exploring the shallow shelves and seas along the margins of Antarctic have been consistently frustrated by their inability to penetrate through the over-compacted glacial diamictons encountered at shallow sub bottom depths (within the upper 10 m) over these terrains. This is particularly frustrating because advanced high resolution seismic reflection techniques clearly show in many areas the presence of older successions of Neogene and even Paleogene sequences lying just beneath this thin veneer of diamictons. Until the means are developed to recover these sequences, a detailed history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is an essential prerequisite to understanding Cenozoic paleoclimate and future climate change on a global scale, will remain an elusive and unobtainable goal. After four years of study and evaluation with the aid of a professional engineer (and over the course of two workshops), the SHALDRIL Committee, an interested group of U.S. scientists, has identified at least two diamond-coring systems deemed suitable for use on existing ice-breaking U.S. Antarctic Research Program vessels. The goal of this project is to employ diamond-coring technology on the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer in order to test out and demonstrate the feasibility of both ship-based diamond coring and down-hole logging. For this "demonstration cruise" coring will be attempted along a high-resolution seismic reflection profile on the continental shelf adjacent to Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, an area of high scientific interest in its own right. Here the well-defined geologic section is estimated to range from Eocene to Quaternary in age, effectively spanning the "Greenhouse-Icehouse" transition in the evolution of Antarctic/global climate. A complete record of this transition has yet to be obtained anywhere along the Antarctic margin. Following core recovery, this project will result in correlation of the paleoclimate records from the new cores with detailed fluctuations of the ice margin recorded at higher latitudes in the eastern Ross Sea by the recently concluded, fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project. If successful, this mobile and flexible drilling system will then be available to the broader scientific community for further research in paleoenvironmental conditions and other areas of science that are currently hindered by the present gap that exists in the US Antarctic Program's technical capability to explore the Antarctic shelves between the shore-line/fast-ice margin and the continental slope. SHALDRIL will be able to operate effectively in the "no man's land" that presently exists between the near shore (where the fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project was successful) and the upper slope (where the Ocean Drilling Program's vessel JOIDES Resolution becomes most efficient). This technological breakthrough will not only allow major outstanding scientific problems of the last three decades to be addressed, but will also favorably impact many current U.S. and SCAR (ICSU Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Antarctic or drilling-related initiatives, such as WAIS, ANTIME, ANDRILL, ANTEC, IMAGES, PAGES, GLOCHANT (including PICE), MARGINS, ODP, and STRATAFORM.
This award, provided jointly by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs and the Marine Geology and Geophysics Program of the Division of Ocean Sciences, supports research to develop improved plate rotation models for the Southwest Pacific region (between the Pacific, Antarctic, and Australian plates, and the continental fragments of New Zealand, West Antarctica, Iselin Bank, East Antarctica, and Australia). The improved rotation parameters will be used to address tectonic problems related to motion between East and West Antarctica, and in particular, the questions of relative drift between major hotspot groups and the controversy regarding a possible missing plate boundary in this region. Previous work has documented NNW-striking mid-Tertiary seafloor spreading magnetic anomalies between East and West Antarctica, representing about 150 km of opening of the Adare Trough, north of the Ross Sea. This is not enough motion to resolve the apparent discrepancy between the plate motions and motions inferred from assuming hotspot fixity. Because this motion between East and West Antarctica corresponds to a very small rotation, it points to the need for determination of finite rotations describing motions of the various plates here with a high degree of accuracy, particularly for older times. This is now possible with the datasets that will be used in this project. The work will be accomplished by integrating existing data with analysis and interpretation of other data sets recently made available by Japanese and Italian scientists from their cruises in the region. It will be further augmented by acquisition of new marine geophysical data on selected transits of the R/VIB Nathaniel B. Palmer. Specific objectives of the project include the following: 1) improve the rotation model for mid-Tertiary extension between East and West Antarctica by including the plate boundary between the Pacific and Australia plates directly when calculating Australia-West Antarctica motion, 2) improve the reconstructions for the Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary times by including new constraints on several boundaries not previously used in the reconstructions, 3) address the implications of new rotation models for the question of the fixity of global hotspots, 4) re-examine the geophysical data from the Western Ross Sea embayment in light of a model for substantial mid-Cenozoic extension.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a collaborative research program to initiate a Global Positioning System (GPS) network to measure crustal motions in the bedrock surrounding and underlying the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). Evaluation of the role of both tectonic and ice-induced crustal motions of the WAIS bedrock is a critical goal for understanding past, present, and future dynamics of WAIS and its potential role in future global change scenarios, as well as improving our understanding of the role of Antarctica in global plate motions. The extent of active tectonism in West Antarctica is largely speculative, as few data exist that constrain its geographic distribution, directions, or rates of deformation. Active tectonism and the influence of bedrock on the WAIS have been highlighted recently by geophysical data indicating active subglacial volcanism and control of ice streaming by the presence of sedimentary basins. The influence of bedrock crustal motion on the WAIS and its future dynamics is a fundamental issue. Existing GPS projects are located only on the fringe of the ice sheet and do not address the regional picture. It is important that baseline GPS measurements on the bedrock around and within the WAIS be started so that a basis is established for detecting change.<br/><br/>To measure crustal motions, this project will build a West Antarctica GPS Network (WAGN) of at least 15 GPS sites across the interior of West Antarctica (approximately the size of the contiguous United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast) over a two-year period beginning in the Antarctic field season 2001-2002. The planned network is designed using the Multi-modal Occupation Strategy (MOST), in which a small number of independent GPS "roving" receivers make differential measurements against a network of continuous GPS stations for comparatively short periods at each site. This experimental strategy, successfully implemented by a number of projects in California, S America, the SW Pacific and Central Asia, minimizes logistical requirements, an essential element of application of GPS geodesy in the scattered and remote outcrops of the WAIS bedrock.<br/><br/>The WAGN program will be integrated with the GPS network that has been established linking the Antarctic Peninsula with South America through the Scotia arc (Scotia Arc GPS Project (SCARP)). It will also interface with stations currently measuring motion across the Ross Embayment, and with the continent-wide GIANT program of the Working Group on Geodesy and Geographic Information Systems of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). The GPS network will be based on permanent monuments set in solid rock outcrops that will have near-zero set-up error for roving GPS occupations, and that can be directly converted to a continuous GPS site when future technology makes autonomous operation and satellite data linkage throughout West Antarctica both reliable and economical. The planned network both depends on and complements the existing and planned continuous networks. It is presently not practical, for reasons of cost and logistics, to accomplish the measurements proposed herein with either a network of continuous stations or traditional campaigns.<br/><br/>The proposed WAGN will complement existing GPS projects by filling a major gap in coverage among several discrete crustal blocks that make up West Antarctica, a critical area of potential bedrock movements. If crustal motions are relatively slow, meaningful results will only begin to emerge within the five-year maximum period of time for an individual funded project. Hence this proposal is only to initiate the network and test precision and velocities at the most critical sites. Once built, however, the network will yield increasingly meaningful results with the passage of time. Indeed, the slower the rates turn out to be, the more important an early start to measuring. It is anticipated that the results of this project will initiate an iterative process that will gradually resolve into an understanding of the contributions from plate rotations and viscoelastic and elastic motions resulting from deglaciation and ice mass changes. Velocities obtained from initial reoccupation of the most critical sites will dictate the timing of a follow-up proposal for reoccupation of the entire network when detectable motions have occurred.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a marine geological investigation of the Amundsen Sea region toward a better understanding of the deglaciation history of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The WAIS may be inherently unstable because it is the last marine-based ice sheet in the world. Unlike other embayments in West Antarctica, major ice streams draining into the Amundsen Sea from the interior of the WAIS lack buttressing ice shelves. Mass balance data for the distal portions of these ice streams (Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers) appear to be in balance or may be becoming negative. Because both ice streams have beds that slope downward toward the center of the ice sheet, grounding-line recession resulting from either continued thinning or sea-level rise could trigger irreversible grounding-line retreat, leading to ice-sheet disintegration and consequent global sea-level rise. The limited marine geological and geophysical data available from the Amundsen Sea suggest that grounded ice or an ice shelf occupied the inner Amundsen Sea embayment until perhaps as recently as 1000 to 2000 years ago, and this ice may have retreated rapidly in historic time. This project, a study of the marine geology and geophysics of the Amundsen Sea continental shelf from 100 degrees W to 130 degrees W, is designed to address the Amundsen Sea part of WAIS Science Plan Priority Goal H2: "What is the deglaciation history in the eastern Ross, the Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas?" This project will examine bathymetric data of the Amundsen Sea continental shelf to determine the positions of former ice-steam channels, and to aid in choosing sites for sediment coring. Single-channel seismic reflection studies will be conducted in order to determine sediment-thickness patterns, to aid in choice of coring sites, and to locate and identify morphologic features indicative of former grounded ice (e.g., moraines, scours, flutes, striations, till wedges and deltas, etc.). Coring will be concentrated along former ice flow-lines. Core samples will be analyzed in the laboratory for sedimentology, to determine whether of not basal tills are present (indicating former grounded ice and its former extent), and for calcareous and siliceous microfossils. The chronology of grounding-line and ice-shelf retreat from a presumed Last Glacial Maximum position near the shelf break will be established using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) carbon-14 dates of acid-insoluble particulate organic carbon. This project will share ship time in the Amundsen Sea with a physical oceanographic project. Marine geologic data and samples collected will be integrated with findings of other investigators toward developing a comprehensive interpretation of the history of the WAIS.
Luyendyk et.al.: OPP 0088143<br/>Bartek: OPP 0087392<br/>Diebold: OPP 0087983<br/><br/>This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a collaborative research program in marine geology and geophysics in the southern central and eastern Ross Sea. The project will conduct sites surveys for drilling from the Ross Ice Shelf into the seafloor beneath it. Many of the outstanding problems concerning the evolution of the East and West Antarctic Ice Sheets, Antarctic climate, global sea level, and the tectonic history of the West Antarctic Rift System can be addressed by drilling into the seafloor of the Ross Sea. Climate data for Cretaceous and Early Cenozoic time are lacking for this sector of Antarctica. Climate questions include: Was there any ice in Late Cretaceous time? What was the Antarctic climate during the Paleocene-Eocene global warming? When was the Cenozoic onset of Antarctic glaciation, when did glaciers reach the coast and when did they advance out onto the margin? Was the Ross Sea shelf non-marine in Late Cretaceous time; when did it become marine? Tectonic questions include: What was the timing of the Cretaceous extension in the Ross Sea rift; where was it located? What is the basement composition and structure? Where are the time and space limits of the effects of Adare Trough spreading? Another drilling objective is to sample and date the sedimentary section bounding the mapped RSU6 unconformity in the Eastern Basin and Central Trough to resolve questions about its age and regional extent. Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Leg 28 completed sampling at four drill sites in the early 1970's but had low recovery and did not sample the Early Cenozoic. Other drilling has been restricted to the McMurdo Sound area of the western Ross Sea and results can be correlated into the Victoria Land Basin but not eastward across basement highs. Further, Early Cenozoic and Cretaceous rocks have not been sampled. A new opportunity is developing to drill from the Ross Ice Shelf. This is a successor program to the Cape Roberts Drilling Project. One overriding difficulty is the need for site surveys at drilling locations under the ice shelf. This project will overcome this impediment by conducting marine geophysical drill site surveys at the front of the Ross Ice Shelf in the Central Trough and Eastern Basin. The surveys will be conducted a kilometer or two north of the ice shelf front where recent calving events have resulted in a southerly position of the ice shelf edge. In several years the northward advance of the ice shelf will override the surveyed locations and drilling could be accomplished. Systems to be used include swath bathymetry, gravity, magnetics, chirp sonar, high resolution seismic profiling, and 48 fold seismics. Cores will be collected to obtain samples for geotechnical properties, to study sub-ice shelf modern sedimentary processes, and at locations where deeper section is exposed.<br/><br/>This survey will include long profiles and detailed grids over potential drill sites. Survey lines will be tied to existing geophysical profiles and DSDP 270. A recent event that makes this plan timely is the calving of giant iceberg B-15 (in March, 2000) and others from the ice front in the eastern Ross Sea. This new calving event and one in 1987 have exposed 16,000 square kilometers of seafloor that had been covered by ice shelf for decades and is not explored. Newly exposed territory can now be mapped by modern geophysical methods. This project will map geological structure and stratigraphy below unconformity RSU6 farther south and east, study the place of Roosevelt Island in the Ross Sea rifting history, and determine subsidence history during Late Cenozoic time (post RSU6) in the far south and east. Finally the project will observe present day sedimentary processes beneath the ice shelf in the newly exposed areas.
This award, provided jointly by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research to transform three temporary seismometers in the Antarctic Peninsula into semi-permanent stations and to continue basic research using these data. During 1997 and 1998, a network of 11 broadband seismographs in the Antarctic Peninsula region and southernmost Chilean Patagonia were installed and maintained. Data return from this project has been excellent and interesting initial results have been produced. The continued operation of these instruments over a longer time period would be highly beneficial because the number of larger magnitude regional earthquakes is small and so a longer time is needed to acquire data. However, instruments from this project are borrowed from the IRIS-PASSCAL instrument pool and must be returned to PASSCAL in April, 1999. This award provides funds to convert three stations at permanent Chilean bases in the Antarctic to permanent stations, and to continue the seismological investigation of the region for a period of four years. As part of this project, a fourth station, in Chilean Patagonia, will continue to be operated using Washington University equipment. The funding of this project will enable continued collaboration between Washington University and the Universidad de Chile in the operation of these stations, and the data will be forwarded to the IRIS data center as well as to other international seismological collaborators. Mutual data exchanges with other national groups with Antarctic seismology research programs will provide access to broadband data from a variety of other proprietary broadband stations in the region. The data will be used to study the seismicity and upper mantle velocity structure of several complicated tectonic regions in the area, including the South Shetland subduction zone, the Bransfield backarc rift, and diffuse plate boundaries in Patagonia, Drake Passage, and along the South Scotia Ridge. In particular, the operation of these stations over a longer time period will allow a better understanding of the seismicity of the South Shetland Trench, an unusual subduction zone showing very slow subduction of young lithosphere. These seismometers will also be used to record airgun shots during a geophysical cruise in the Bransfield Strait that is being planned by the University of Texas for April, 2000. These data will provide important constraints on the crustal structure beneath the stations, and the improved structural models will enable implementation of more precise earthquake location procedures in support of a seismological understanding of the region.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a demonstration project to prove the viability of shallow ship-based geological drilling while simultaneously collecting useful cores for assessing the early history of the Antarctic ice sheets. For over three decades, U.S. scientists and their international colleagues exploring the shallow shelves and seas along the margins of Antarctic have been consistently frustrated by their inability to penetrate through the over-compacted glacial diamictons encountered at shallow sub bottom depths (within the upper 10 m) over these terrains. This is particularly frustrating because advanced high resolution seismic reflection techniques clearly show in many areas the presence of older successions of Neogene and even Paleogene sequences lying just beneath this thin veneer of diamictons. Until the means are developed to recover these sequences, a detailed history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is an essential prerequisite to understanding Cenozoic paleoclimate and future climate change on a global scale, will remain an elusive and unobtainable goal. After four years of study and evaluation with the aid of a professional engineer (and over the course of two workshops), the SHALDRIL Committee, an interested group of U.S. scientists, has identified at least two diamond-coring systems deemed suitable for use on existing ice-breaking U.S. Antarctic Research Program vessels. The goal of this project is to employ diamond-coring technology on the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer in order to test out and demonstrate the feasibility of both ship-based diamond coring and down-hole logging. For this "demonstration cruise" coring will be attempted along a high-resolution seismic reflection profile on the continental shelf adjacent to Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, an area of high scientific interest in its own right. Here the well-defined geologic section is estimated to range from Eocene to Quaternary in age, effectively spanning the "Greenhouse-Icehouse" transition in the evolution of Antarctic/global climate. A complete record of this transition has yet to be obtained anywhere along the Antarctic margin. Following core recovery, this project will result in correlation of the paleoclimate records from the new cores with detailed fluctuations of the ice margin recorded at higher latitudes in the eastern Ross Sea by the recently concluded, fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project. If successful, this mobile and flexible drilling system will then be available to the broader scientific community for further research in paleoenvironmental conditions and other areas of science that are currently hindered by the present gap that exists in the US Antarctic Program's technical capability to explore the Antarctic shelves between the shore-line/fast-ice margin and the continental slope. SHALDRIL will be able to operate effectively in the "no man's land" that presently exists between the near shore (where the fast-ice-based Cape Roberts Project was successful) and the upper slope (where the Ocean Drilling Program's vessel JOIDES Resolution becomes most efficient). This technological breakthrough will not only allow major outstanding scientific problems of the last three decades to be addressed, but will also favorably impact many current U.S. and SCAR (ICSU Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Antarctic or drilling-related initiatives, such as WAIS, ANTIME, ANDRILL, ANTEC, IMAGES, PAGES, GLOCHANT (including PICE), MARGINS, ODP, and STRATAFORM.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a project to make use of ship-repositioning transit cruises to gather geophysical information relating to plate tectonics of the Southern Ocean and to support student training activities. Well-constrained Cenozoic plate reconstructions of the circum-Antarctic region are critical for examining a number of problems of global geophysical importance. These problems include, e.g., relating the plate kinematics to its geological consequences in various plate circuits (Pacific-North America, Australia-Pacific); a dynamical understanding of what drives plate tectonics (which requires well-constrained kinematic information in order to distinguish between different geodynamic hypotheses); and an understanding of the rheology of the plates themselves, including the amount of internal deformation they can support, and the conditions leading to the formation of new plate boundaries through breakup of existing plates. By obtaining better constraints on the motion of the Antarctica plate with respect to these other plates, and by better quantifying the internal deformation within Antarctica (between East and West Antarctica), contributions will be made to solving these other fundamental problems.<br/><br/>In this project, existing data will be analyzed to address several specific issues related to plate motions involving the Antarctic plate. First, work will be done on four-plate solutions of Australia-Pacific-West Antarctica-East Antarctica motion, in order to most tightly constrain the rotation parameters for separation between East and West Antarctica for the time period from about 45 to 28 Ma (Adare Basin spreading system). This will be done by imposing closure on the four-plate circuit and using relevant marine geophysical data from all four of the boundaries. The uncertainties in the resulting rotation parameters will be determined based on the uncertainties in the data points. These uncertainties can then be propagated in the plate circuit for use in addressing the various global geodynamic problems mentioned above. Second, rotation parameters for Pacific-West Antarctica during Tertiary time will be determined using recently acquired well-navigated Palmer transit data and any additional data that can be acquired during the course of this project. These parameters and their uncertainties will be used in assessments of plate rigidity and included in the plate circuit studies.<br/><br/>In the framework of this project, new collection of marine geophysical data will be accomplished on a very flexible schedule. This will be done by collecting underway gravity, magnetics, and swath bathymetric data on Palmer transit cruises of geological importance. This has been successfully done on eight previous Palmer cruises since 1997, the most recent four of which were funded under a collaborative OPP grant to CalTech and Scripps which is now expiring. On one of the suitable transits, a formal class in marine geophysics will be conducted that will afford an opportunity to 12 or more graduate and undergraduate students, from CalTech and Scripps as well as other institutions. In this way, educational activities will be integrated with the usual scientific data collection objectives of the research project.
9908856 Blake This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a paleoecological and paleoenvironmental study of Seymour Island. Global climate change late in the Eocene epoch had an important influence in Antarctica. This was the beginning of the transition from a cool-temperate climate in Antarctica to the polar climate that exists there today. The cooling trend strongly influenced the structure of shallow-water, Antarctic marine communities, and these effects are still evident in the peculiar ecological relationships among species living in modern Antarctic communities. Cooling late in the Eocene reduced the abundance of fish and crabs, which in turn reduced skeleton-crushing predation on invertebrates. Reduced predation allowed dense populations of ophiuroids (brittlestars) and crinoids (sea lilies) to appear in shallow-water settings at the end of the Eocene. These low-predation communities appear as dense fossil echinoderm assemblages in the upper portion of the late Eocene La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island, off the Antarctic Peninsula. Today, dense ophiuroid and crinoid populations are common in shallow-water habitats in Antarctica but generally have been eliminated by predators from similar habitats at temperate and tropical latitudes; their persistence in Antarctica to this day is an important ecological legacy of climatic cooling in the Eocene. Although the influence of declining predation on Antarctic ophiuroids and crinoids is now well documented, the effects of cooling on the more abundant mollusks have not been investigated. This study will examine the evolutionary ecology of gastropods (snails) and bivalves (clams) in the late Eocene. A series of hypotheses will be tested in the La Meseta Formation, based on the predicted responses of mollusks to declining temperature and changing levels of predation. The shapes of gastropod shells, the activities of gastropods that prey on other mollusks by drilling holes in their shells, and the effects of predation on the thickness of mollusk shells should have changed significantly through late Eocene time. First, defensive features of gastropod shells, such as spines and ribbing, should decline as temperature and, therefore, the activity of skeleton-crushing predators declined. Second, drilling of bivalve prey by predatory gastropods should increase with time since the drillers should themselves have been subject to lower predation pressure as temperature declined. Drilled shells, therefore, should become more common through time. Third, patterns in the thickness of shells through time will make it possible to separate the direct, physiological effects of declining temperature (shells are more difficult to produce at cooler temperatures, and so should be thinner) from the indirect effects of temperature on evolving biological interactions (increased drilling predation should result in thicker shells). Seymour Island contains the only fossil outcrops readily accessible in Antarctica from this crucial period in Earth history. The La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island thus provides a unique opportunity to learn how climate change affected Antarctic marine communities. In practical terms, global climate change will probably increase upwelling over the next few decades to centuries in some temperate coastal regions. Recent ecological evidence suggests that the resultant lowering of sea temperatures could lower predation in those areas. Understanding the response of the La Meseta faunas to global cooling in the late Eocene will provide direct insight into the rapidly changing structure of modern benthic communities.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research to study the deep crustal structure of the Bransfield Strait region. Bransfield Strait, in the northern Antarctic Peninsula, is one of a small number of modern basins that may be critical for understanding ancient mountain-building processes. The Strait is an actively-extending marginal basin in the far southeast Pacific, between the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, an inactive volcanic arc. Widespread crustal extension, accompanied by volcanism along the Strait's axis, may be associated with slow underthrusting of oceanic crust at the South Shetland Trench; similar "back-arc" extension occurred along the entire Pacific margin (now western South America/West Antarctica) of the supercontinent known as Gondwanaland during the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous. Mid-Cretaceous deformation of these basins some 100 million years ago initiated uplift of the Andes. By understanding the deep structure and evolution of Bransfield rift, it should be possible to evaluate the crustal precursor to the Andes, and thereby understand more fully the early evolution of this globally important mountain chain. Years of international earth sciences research in Bransfield Strait has produced consensus on important aspects of its geologic environment: (1) It is probably a young (probably ~4 million years old) rift in preexisting Antarctic Peninsula crust; continued stretching of this crust results in complex fault patterns and associated volcanism. The volcanism, high heat flow, and mapped crustal trends are all consistent with the basin's continuing evolution as a rift; (2) The volcanism, which is recent and continuing, occurs along a "neovolcanic" zone centralized along the basin's axis. Multichannel seismic data collected aboard R/V Maurice Ewing in 1991 illustrate the following basin-wide characteristics of Bransfield Strait - a) widespread extension and faulting, b) the rise of crustal diapirs or domes associated with flower-shaped normal-fault structures, and c) a complicated system of fault-bounded segments across strike. The geophysical evidence also suggests NE-to-SW propagation of the rift, with initial crustal inflation/doming followed by deflation/subsidence, volcanism, and extension along normal faults. Although Bransfield Strait exhibits geophysical and geologic evidence for extension and volcanism, continental crust fragmentation does not appear to have gone to completion in this "back-arc" basin and ocean crust is not yet being generated. Instead, Bransfield rift lies near the critical transition from intracontinental rifting to seafloor-spreading. The basin's asymmetry, and seismic evidence for shallow intracrustal detachment faulting, suggest that it may be near one end-member of the spectrum of models proposed for continental break-up. Therefore, this basin is a "natural lab" for studying diverse processes involved in forming continental margins. Understanding Bransfield rift's deep crustal structure is the key to resolving its stage of evolution, and should also provide a starting point for models of Andean mountain-building. This work will define the deep structure by collecting and analyzing high-quality, high-density ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) profiles both along and across the Strait's strike. Scientific objectives are as follows: (1) to develop a detailed seismic velocity model for this rift; (2) to calibrate velocity structure and crustal thickness changes associated with presumed NE-to-SW rift propagation, as deduced from the multichannel seismic interpretations; (3) to document the degree to which deep velocity structure corresponds to along- and across-strike crustal segmentation; and (4) to assess structural relationships between the South Shetland Islands "arc" and Bransfield rift. The proposed OBS data, integrated with interpretations of both Ewing profiles and those from other high-quality geophysical coverage in Bransfield Strait, will complement ongoing deep seismic analysis of Antarctic Peninsula crust to the southwest and additional OBS monitoring for deep earthquakes, in order to understand the complex plate tectonic evolution of this region.
9418153 This award supports a program aimed at providing research experiences to a broad range of undergraduate students. The program sill allow for active participation by undergraduate students in ongoing marine geologic research in Antarctica. Students will be recruited from institutions across the United States and will participate in a preparatory seminar on Antarctic science prior to the field season. This program will integrate undergraduate participation with existing marine geology and geophysics projects aboard either of the two United States Antarctic Program research vessels, the RV Polar Duke and the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer. Research topics will be related to the stratigraphy and/or evolution of the Antarctic continental margin, topics of increasing importance to both Antarctic and global geology. Students will have a full year following their field experience to conduct follow-up research via a senior thesis. This program is intended to provide better educational experiences to promising undergraduate students and to stimulate those students to pursue advanced degrees in geology and geophysics. ***
OPP-0230285/OPP-0230356<br/>PIs: Wilson, Terry J./Hothem, Larry D.<br/><br/>This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to conduct GPS measurements of bedrock crustal motions in an extended Transantarctic Mountains Deformation network (TAMDEF) to document neotectonic displacements due to tectonic deformation within the West Antarctic rift and/or to mass change of the Antarctic ice sheets. Horizontal displacements related to active neotectonic rifting, strike-slip translations, and volcanism will be tightly constrained by monitoring the combined TAMDEF and Italian VLNDEF networks of bedrock GPS stations along the Transantarctic Mountains and on offshore islands in the Ross Sea. Glacio-isostatic adjustments due to deglaciation since the Last Glacial Maximum and to modern mass change of the ice sheets will be modeled from GPS-derived crustal motions together with new information from other programs on the configurations, thicknesses, deglaciation history and modern mass balance of the ice sheets. Tectonic and rheological information from ongoing structural and seismic investigations in the Victoria Land region will also be integrated in the modeling. The integrative and iterative modeling will yield a holistic interpretation of neotectonics and ice sheet history that will help us to discriminate tectonic crustal displacements from viscoelastic/elastic glacio-isostatic motions. These results will provide key information to interpret broad, continental-scale crustal motion patterns detected by sparse, regionally distributed GPS continuous trackers and by spaceborne instruments. This study will contribute to international programs focused on Antarctic neotectonic and global change issues.<br/><br/>Strategies to meet these science objectives include repeat surveys of key sites in the existing TAMDEF network, extension of the array of TAMDEF sites southward about 250 km along the Transantarctic Mountains, linked measurements with the VLNDEF network, and integration of quasi-continuous trackers within the campaign network. By extending the array of bedrock sites southward, these measurements will cross gradients in predicted vertical motion due to viscoelastic rebound. The southward extension will also allow determination of the southern limit of the active Terror Rift and will provide a better baseline for constraints on any ongoing tectonic displacements across the West Antarctic rift system as a whole that might be possible using GPS data collected by the West Antarctic GPS Network. This project will also investigate unique aspects of GPS geodesy in Antarctica to determine how the error spectrum compares to mid-latitude regions and to identify the optimum measurement and data processing schemes for Antarctic conditions. The geodetic research will improve position accuracies within our network and will also yield general recommendations for deformation monitoring networks in polar regions.<br/><br/>An education and outreach program is planned and will be targeted at non-science-major undergraduate students taking Earth System Science at Ohio State University. The objective will be to illuminate the research process for nonscientists. This effort will educate students on the process of science and inform them about Antarctica and how it relates to global science issues.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate Earth's magnetic field over the past 5 million years in order to test models of Earth's geomagnetic dynamo. Paleomagnetic data (directions of ancient geomagnetic fields obtained from rocks) play an important role in a variety of geophysical studies of the Earth, including plate tectonic reconstructions, magnetostratigraphy, and studies of the behavior of the ancient geomagnetic field (which is called paleo-geomagnetism). Over the past four decades the key assumption in many paleomagnetic studies has been that the average direction of the paleomagnetic field corresponds to one that would have been produced by a geocentric axial dipole (GAD) (analogous to a bar magnet at the center of the Earth), and that paleoinclinations (the dip of magnetic directions from rocks) provide data of sufficient accuracy to enable their use in plate reconstructions. A recent re-examination of the fundamental data underlying models of the time averaged field has shown that the most glaring deficiency in the existing data base is a dearth of high quality data, including paleointensity information, from high latitudes. This project will undertake a sampling and laboratory program on suitable sites from the Mt. Erebus Volcanic Province (Antarctica) that will produce the quality data from high southern latitudes that are essential to an enhanced understanding of the time averaged field and its long term variations.
0125794<br/>Price<br/><br/>This award supports research in climatology, geosciences, and life in extreme environments to be carried out with a newly developed optical borehole logger. The logger fits into a fluid-filled borehole in glacial ice. It emits light at 370 nm in a horizontal plane in order to probe optical properties of particles embedded in the ice out to several meters from the borehole. After leaving the borehole, the light is partially absorbed and scattered by dust, biomolecules, or microbes. A fraction of the light is scattered back into the borehole and is detected by a system of seven phototubes, each of which collects light with high efficiency in a separate wavelength band. One of them collects light that scatters off of dust and air bubbles without wavelength shift, and serves as a dust logger. The other six are covered with notch filters that measure six different wavelength bands and measure the shape of the fluorescence spectrum of microbes and biomolecules. Thus, the same instrument serves as both a dust logger and a microbe logger. Applications include: 1) Precise chronologies and long-period solar variability. With a resolution of 1 to 2 cm for both GISP2 and Siple Dome, the logger will record annual dust maxima and evaluate claims of modulations of dust concentration with periods ranging from 11 yrs (the solar cycle) to 2300 yrs; 2) Volcanism and age-depth markers. Dozens of volcanic ash bands will be detectable and will serve as primary age-depth markers for other boreholes; 3) Microorganisms and biomolecules. The vertical distribution of living, dormant, and dead microbes can be logged, and searches for archaea and aeolian polyaromatic hydrocarbons can be made. The logging experiments will be carried out at Siple Dome and Dome C in Antarctica and at GISP2 and GRIP in Greenland.
This project develops a system of airborne instruments to explore the polar ice sheets and their underlying environments. The instrument suite includes an ice-penetrating radar, laser altimeter, gravimeter and magnetometer. Airborne geophysical measurements are key to understanding the 99% of Antarctica and 85% of Greenland covered by ice, which have thus far been studied at the postage stamp level. Projects linking ice sheet behavior to underlying geology will immediately benefit from this system, but even more exciting are the system's potential uses for work at the frontiers of polar science, such as: 1) exploring subglacial lakes, recently discovered and potentially the most unique sites on Earth for understanding life in extreme environments; 2) locating the deepest, oldest ice, which would offer million year and older samples of the atmosphere and 3) interpreting Antarctica's subglacial geology, which contains unique and unstudied volcanoes, mountains, and tectonic provinces. In terms of broader impacts, this project constructs research infrastructure critical to society's understanding of sea level rise, and supports a project involving domestic, international, and private sector collaborations.
This project studies the last vestiges of life in Antarctica from exceptionally well-preserved fossils of tundra life--mosses, diatoms, ostracods, Nothofagus leaves, wood, and insect remains recently discovered in ancient lake sediments from the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The area will be studied by an interdisciplinary team to elucidate information about climate and biogeography. These deposits offer unique and direct information about the characteristics of Antarctica during a key period in its history, the time when it was freezing. This information is critical for correlation with indirect proxies, such as though obtained from drill cores, for climate and state of the ice sheet. The results will also help understand the origin and migration of similar organisms found in South America, India and Australia.<br/><br/>In terms of broader impacts, this project supports an early career researcher, undergraduate and graduate student research, various forms of outreach to K12 students, and extensive international collaboration. The work also has societal relevance in that the outcomes will offer direct constraints on Antarctica's ice sheet during a time with atmospheric CO2 contents similar to those of the earth in the coming centuries, and thus may help predictive models of sea level rise.
0538195<br/>Marone<br/>This award supports a project to conduct laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to determine the constitutive properties of subglacial till under dynamic stressing and to test the hypothesis that granular properties of till are sufficient, when coupled elastically to a large ice stream, to reproduce the field observations of triggered slip and subglacial seismicity. Testing will be carried out in a servo-controlled biaxial shear device under controlled temperature and stress conditions, which will allow both sliding and microstructural processes to be studied in detail. The main focus of the work will be on laboratory measurements. In addition, we will construct continuum models to evaluate whether our results can predict complex ice sheet motions and observed characteristics of subglacial seismicity. In terms of broader impacts, the proposed work will encourage interactions between the rock-mechanics and glaciology communities and will bring together members of different scientific backgrounds and vocabularies, but similar problems and data. The project will train undergraduate and graduate students at Penn State University and the scientists involved plan to give presentations to grade school classes, scout groups, and at community open houses. Results will be presented at professional meetings and will be published in a timely manner. The work will result in a better understanding of glacial motion and the physics of earthquake slip, which is essential for understanding ice sheet dynamics and earthquake hazard.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate the role and fate of Boron in high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Larsemann Hills region of Antarctica. Trace elements provide valuable information on the changes sedimentary rocks undergo as temperature and pressure increase during burial. One such element, boron, is particularly sensitive to increasing temperature because of its affinity for aqueous fluids, which are lost as rocks are buried. Boron contents of unmetamorphosed pelitic sediments range from 20 to over 200 parts per million, but rarely exceed 5 parts per million in rocks subjected to conditions of the middle and lower crust, that is, temperatures of 700 degrees C or more in the granulite-facies, which is characterized by very low water activities at pressures of 5 to 10 kbar (18-35 km burial). Devolatization reactions with loss of aqueous fluid and partial melting with removal of melt have been cited as primary causes for boron depletion under granulite-facies conditions. Despite the pervasiveness of both these processes, rocks rich in boron are locally found in the granulite-facies, that is, there are mechanisms for retaining boron during the metamorphic process. The Larsemann Hills, Prydz Bay, Antarctica, are a prime example. More than 20 lenses and layered bodies containing four borosilicate mineral species crop out over a 50 square kilometer area, which thus would be well suited for research on boron-rich granulite-facies metamorphic rocks. <br/><br/>While most investigators have focused on the causes for loss of boron, this work will investigate how boron is retained during high-grade metamorphism. Field observations and mapping in the Larsemann Hills, chemical analyses of minerals and their host rocks, and microprobe age dating will be used to identify possible precursors and deduce how the precursor materials recrystallized into borosilicate rocks under granulite-facies conditions. The working hypothesis is that high initial boron content facilitates retention of boron during metamorphism because above a certain threshold boron content, a mechanism "kicks in" that facilitates retention of boron in metamorphosed rocks. For example, in a rock with large amounts of the borosilicate tourmaline, such as stratabound tourmalinite, the breakdown of tourmaline to melt could result in the formation of prismatine and grandidierite, two borosilicates found in the Larsemann Hills. This situation is rarely observed in rocks with modest boron content, in which breakdown of tourmaline releases boron into partial melts, which in turn remove boron when they leave the system. Stratabound tourmalinite is associated with manganese-rich quartzite, phosphorus-rich rocks and sulfide concentrations that could be diagnostic for recognizing a tourmalinite protolith in a highly metamorphosed complex where sedimentary features have been destroyed by deformation. Because partial melting plays an important role in the fate of boron during metamorphism, our field and laboratory research will focus on the relationship between the borosilicate units, granite pegmatites and other granitic intrusives. The results of our study will provide information on cycling of boron at deeper levels in the Earth's crust and on possible sources of boron for granites originating from deep-seated rocks.<br/><br/>An undergraduate student will participate in the electron microprobe age-dating of monazite and xenotime as part of a senior project, thereby integrating the proposed research into the educational mission of the University of Maine. In response to a proposal for fieldwork, the Australian Antarctic Division, which maintains Davis station near the Larsemann Hills, has indicated that they will support the Antarctic fieldwork.
9911617 Blankenship This award, provided jointly by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program, the Antarctic Glaciology Program, and the Polar Research Support Section of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for continuation of the Support Office for Aerogeophysical Research (SOAR). From July 1994 to July 2000, SOAR served as a facility to accomplish aerogeophysical research in Antarctica under an agreement between the University of Texas at Austin and the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs (NSF/OPP). SOAR operated and maintained an aerogeophysical instrument package that consists of an ice-penetrating radar sounder, a laser altimeter, a gravimeter and a magnetometer that are tightly integrated with each other as well as with the aircraft's avionics and power packages. An array of aircraft and ground-based GPS receivers supported kinematic differential positioning using carrier-phase observations. SOAR activities included: developing aerogeophysical research projects with NSF/OPP investigators; upgrading of the aerogeophysical instrumentation package to accommodate new science projects and advances in technology; fielding this instrument package to accomplish SOAR-developed projects; and management, reduction, and analysis of the acquired aerogeophysical data. In pursuit of 9 NSF-OPP funded aerogeophysical research projects (involving 14 investigators from 9 institutions), SOAR carried out six field campaigns over a six-year period and accomplished approximately 200,000 line kilometers of aerogeophysical surveying over both East and West Antarctica in 377 flights. This award supports SOAR to undertake a one year and 8 month program of aerogeophysical activities that are consistent with continuing U.S. support for geophysical research in Antarctica. - SOAR will conduct an aerogeophysical campaign during the 200/01 austral summer to accomplish surveys for two SOAR-developed projects: "Understanding the Boundary Conditions of the Lake Vostok Environment: A Site Survey for Future Studies" (Co-PI's Bell and Studinger, LDEO); and "Collaborative Research: Seismic Investigation of the Deep Continental Structure Across the East-West Antarctic Boundary" (Co-PI's Weins, Washington U. and Anandakrishnan, U. Alabama). After configuration and testing of the survey aircraft in McMurdo, SOAR will conduct survey flights from an NSF-supported base adjacent to the Russian Station above Lake Vostok and briefly occupy one or two remote bases on the East Antarctic ice sheet. - SOAR will reduce these aerogeophysical data and produce profiles and maps of surface elevation, bed elevation, gravity and magnetic field intensity. These results will be provided to the respective project investigators within nine months of conclusion of field activities. We will also submit a technical manuscript that describes these results to a refereed scientific journal and distribute these results to appropriate national geophysical data centers within approximately 24 months of completion of field activities. - SOAR will standardize all previously reduced SOAR data products and transfer them to the appropriate national geophysical data centers by the end of this grant. - SOAR will convene a workshop to establish a community consensus for future U.S. Antarctic aerogeophysical research. This workshop will be co-convened by Ian Dalziel and Richard Alley and will take place during the spring of 2001. - SOAR will upgrade the existing SOAR in-field quality control procedures to serve as a web-based interface for efficient browsing of many low-level SOAR data streams. - SOAR will repair and/or refurbish equipment that was used during the 2000/01 field campaign. Support for SOAR is essential for accomplishing major geophysical investigations in Antarctica. Following data interpretation by the science teams, these data will provide valuable insights to the structure and evolution of the Antarctic continent.
This project uses cosmogenic nuclide dating and LIDAR studies of surface roughness to understand weathering and landscape evolution in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. The work focuses on two processes: cryoturbation of frozen soils and the development of patterned, frozen ground on ancient lava flows. The approach includes innovative uses of He3 profiling. Results will also be applied to understanding the glacial history of the Dry Valleys. There are potential applications to understanding the history of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and the formation of Martian landscapes. The broader impacts include graduate student education. As well, the work may contribute to our understanding of the history of the Antarctic ice sheets, which is important to modeling their behavior during global climate change.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate the "Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis" as it relates to global carbon dioxide fluctuations during glacial-interglacial cycles.<br/><br/>Intellectual Merit<br/>This project will evaluate the burial rate of biogenic opal in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean, both during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and during the Holocene, as a critical test of the "Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis". <br/><br/>The "Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis" has been proposed recently to explain the glacial reduction in the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere that has been reconstructed from Antarctic ice cores. Vast amounts of dissolved Si (silicic acid) are supplied to surface waters of the Southern Ocean by wind-driven upwelling of deep waters. Today, that dissolved Si is consumed almost quantitatively by diatoms who form skeletal structures composed of biogenic opal (a mineral form of silicon). According to the "Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis", environmental conditions in the Southern Ocean during glacial periods were unfavorable for diatom growth, leading to reduced (compared to interglacials) efficiency of dissolved Si utilization. Dissolved Si that was not consumed biologically in the glacial Southern ocean was then exported to the tropics in waters that sink in winter to depths of a few hundred meters along the northern fringes of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and return some decades later to the sunlit surface in tropical regions of wind-driven upwelling. <br/><br/>An increase in the amount of dissolved Si that "leaks" out of the Southern Ocean and later upwells at low latitudes could shift the global average composition of phytoplankton toward a greater abundance of diatoms and fewer CaCO3-secreting taxa (especially coccolithophorids). Consequences of such a taxonomic shift in the ocean's phytoplankton assemblage include:<br/> a) an increase in the global average organic carbon/calcium carbonate ratio of particulate biogenic material sinking into the deep sea;<br/> b) a reduction in the preservation and burial of calcium carbonate in marine sediments;<br/> c) an increase in ocean alkalinity as a consequence of the first two changes mentioned above, and;<br/> d) a lowering of atmospheric CO2 concentrations in response to increased alkalinity of ocean waters. <br/><br/>A complete assessment of the Silicic acid leakage hypothesis will require an evaluation of: (1) Si utilization efficiencies using newly-developed stable isotopic techniques; (2) opal burial rates in low-latitude upwelling regions; and (3) opal burial rates in the Southern Ocean. This project addresses the last of these topics. <br/><br/>Previous work has shown that there was little change in opal burial rate between the LGM and the Holocene in the Atlantic and Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean. Preliminary results (summarized in this proposal) suggest that the Pacific may have been different, however, in that opal burial rates in the Pacific sector seem to have been lower during the LGM than during the Holocene, allowing for the possibility of "Si leakage" from this region. However, available results are too sparse to make any quantitative conclusions at this time. For that reason, we propose to make a comprehensive evaluation of opal burial rates in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. <br/><br/>Significance and Broader Impacts<br/>Determining the mechanism(s) by which the ocean has regulated climate-related changes in the CO2 content of the atmosphere has been the focus of a substantial effort by paleoceanographers over the past two decades. The Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis is a viable new candidate mechanism that warrants further exploration and testing. Completion of the proposed work will contribute significantly to that effort. <br/><br/>During the course of this work, several undergraduates will be exposed to paleoclimate research through their involvement in this project. Burckle and Anderson are both dedicated to the education and training of young scientists, and to the recruitment of women and under-represented minorities. To illustrate, two summer students (undergraduates) worked in Burckle's lab during the summer of 2002. One was a woman and the other (male) was a member of an under-represented minority. Anderson and Burckle will continue with similar recruitment efforts during the course of the proposed study. A minority student who has expressed an interest in working on this research during the summer of 2003 has already been identified.
This award supports the study of the drift and break-up of Earth's largest icebergs, which were recently released into the Ross Sea of Antarctica as a result of calving from the Ross Ice Shelf. The scientific goals of the study are to determine the physics of iceberg motion within the dynamic context of ocean currents, winds, and sea ice, which determine the forces that drive iceberg motion, and the relationship between the iceberg and geographically and topographically determined pinning points on which the iceberg can ground. In addition, the processes by which icebergs influence the local environments (e.g., sea ice conditions near Antarctica, access to penguin rookeries, air-sea heat exchange and upwelling at iceberg margins, nutrient fluxes) will be studied. The processes by which icebergs generate globally far-reaching ocean acoustic signals that are detected within the global seismic (earthquake) sensing networks will also be studied. A featured element of the scientific research activity will be a field effort to deploy automatic weather stations, seismometer arrays and GPS-tracking stations on several of the largest icebergs presently adrift, or about to be adrift, in the Ross Sea. Data generated and relayed via satellite to home institutions in the Midwest will motivate theoretical analysis and computer simulation; and will be archived on an "iceberg" website (http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/amrc/iceberg.html) for access by scientists and the general public. At the most broad level, the study is justified by the fact that icebergs released by the Antarctic ice sheet represent the largest movements of fresh water within the natural environment (e.g., several of the icebergs to be studied, B15, C19 and others calved since 2000 CE, represent over 6000 cubic kilometers of fresh water-an amount roughly equivalent to 100 years of the flow of the Nile River). A better understanding of the impact of iceberg drift through the environment, and particularly the impact on ocean stratification and mixing, is essential to the understanding of the abrupt global climate changes witnessed by proxy during the ice age and of concern under conditions of future greenhouse warming. On a more specific level, the study will generate a knowledge base useful for the better management of Antarctic logistical resources (e.g., the shipping lanes to McMurdo Station) that can occasionally be influenced by adverse effects icebergs have on sea ice conditions.
This project will study migmatite domes found in the Fosdick Mountains of the Ford Ranges, western Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. This area offers unique, three-dimensional exposures that may offer new insight into dome formation, which is a fundamental process of mountain building. These domes are derived from sedimentary and plutonic protoliths that are complexly interfolded at decimeter to kilometer scales. Preliminary findings from geobarometry and U-Pb monazite dating of anatexite suggest that peak metamorphism was underway at 105 Ma at crustal depths of ~25 km, followed by decompression as the Fosdick dome was emplaced to 16-17 km, or possibly as low as 8.5 km, in the crust by 99 Ma. Near-isothermal conditions were maintained during ascent, favorable for producing substantial volumes of melt through biotite-dehydration melting. This dome has been interpreted as a product of extensional exhumation. This is a viable interpretation from the regional standpoint, because the dome was emplaced in mid-Cretaceous time during the rapid onset of divergent tectonics along the proto- Pacific margin of Gondwana. However, the complex internal structures of the Fosdick Mountains have yet to be considered and may be more consistent with alternative intepretations such as upward extrusion within a contractional setting or lateral flow within a transcurrent attachment zone. This proposal is for detailed structural analysis, paired with geothermobarometry and geochronology, to determine the flow behavior and structural style that produced the internal architecture of the Fosdick dome. The results will improve our general understanding of the role of gneiss domes in transferring material and heat during mountain-building, and will characterize the behavior of the middle crust during a time of rapid transition from divergent to convergent tectonics along the active margin of Gondwana. In terms of broader impacts, this work will train undergraduate and graduate students, and involve them as collaborators in the development of curricular materials. It will also foster mentoring relationships between graduate and undergraduate students.
9980452 Harvey This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for continuation of the Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET). Since 1976, ANSMET has recovered more than 10,000 meteorite specimens from locations along the Transantarctic Mountains. This award supports continued recovery of Antarctic meteorites during six successive austral summer field seasons, starting with the 2000-2001 season and ending with the 2005-2006 season. Under this project, systematic searches for meteorite specimens will take place at previously discovered stranding surfaces, and reconnaissance work will be conducted to discover and explore the extent of new areas with meteorite concentrations. ANSMET recovery teams will deploy by air to locations in the deep field for periods of 5-7 weeks. While at the meteorite stranding surface, field team members will search the ice visually, traversing on foot or on snowmobile. Specimens will be collected under the most sterile conditions practical and samples will remain frozen until returned to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. At the JSC, initial characterization and sample distribution to all interested researchers takes place under the auspices of an interagency agreement between NSF, NASA, and the Smithsonian Institution. The impact of ANSMET has been substantial and this will continue under this award. The meteorites recovered by ANSMET are the best and most reliable source of new, non-microscopic extraterrestrial material, providing essential "ground-truth" concerning the materials that make up the asteroids, planets and other bodies of our solar system. The system for their characterization and distribution is unparalleled and their subsequent study has fundamentally changed our understanding of the solar system. ANSMET meteorites have helped researchers explore the conditions that were present in the nebula from which our solar system was born 4.556 billion years ago and provided samples of asteroids, ranging from primitive bodies unchanged since the formation of the solar system to complex, geologically active miniature planets. ANSMET samples proved, against the conventional wisdom, that some meteorites actually represent planetary materials, delivered to us from the Moon and Mars, completely changing our view of the geology of those bodies. ANSMET meteorites have even generated a new kind of inquiry into one of the most fundamental scientific questions possible; the question of biological activity in the universe as a whole. Over the past twenty years, ANSMET meteorites have economically provided a continuous and readily available supply of extraterrestrial materials for research, and should continue to do so in the future.
9909665 Berger This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports project to test and develop approaches for using thermoluminescence techniques to determine the age of Antarctic marine sediments. Quaternary (last 2 million yrs) marine sediments surrounding Antarctica record the waxing and waning of ice shelves and ice sheets, and also other paleoclimatic information, yet accurate chronologies of these sediments are difficult to obtain. Such chronologies provide the essential foundation for study of geological processes in the past. Within the range of radiocarbon (14C) dating (less than 30-40 thousand yrs, note - "ka" below means 1000 yrs) 14C dates can be inaccurate because of a variable 14C reservoir effect, and beyond 30-40 ka few methods are applicable. Photon-stimulated-luminescence sediment dating (photonic dating) of eolian and waterlain deposits in temperate latitudes spans the range from decades to hundreds of ka, but marine sediments in and around Antarctica pose special difficulty because of the potentially restricted exposure to daylight (the clock-zeroing process) of most detrital grains before deposition. This proposal will test the clock-zeroing assumption in representative Antarctic glaciomarine depositional settings, and thereby determine the potential reliability of photonic dating of Antarctic marine sediments. Limited luminescence dating and signal-zeroing tests using glaciomarine and marine deposits have been conducted in the northern temperate and polar latitudes, but the effects on luminescence of the different glaciomarine depositional processes have never been studied in detail. Furthermore, the depositional settings around Antarctica are almost entirely polar, with consequent specific processes operating there. For example, transport of terrigenous suspensions by neutrally buoyant "cold-tongue" (mid-water) plumes may be common around Antarctica, yet the effect of such transport on luminescence zeroing is unknown. Typical marine cores near Antarctica may contain an unknown fraction of detrital grains from cold-tongue and near-bottom suspensions. Thus the extent to which the polar glaciomarine depositional processes around Antarctica may limit the potential accuracy of photonic dating of marine cores is unknown (age overestimates would result if grains are not exposed to daylight before deposition). This project will collect detrital grains from a variety of "zero-age" (modern) marine depositional settings within the Antarctic Peninsula, where representative Antarctic depositional processes have been documented and where logistics permit access. Suspensions will be collected from four fjords representing a transect from polar through subpolar conditions. Suspensions will be collected from two stations and from up to 3 depths (surface and 2 deep plumes) at each station. Sediment traps will be deployed at two of these fjord settings. As well, core-top sediments will be collected from several sites. All samples will be shielded from light and transported to Reno, Nevada, for luminescence analyses. Systematic study of the effectiveness of luminescence-clock-zeroing in Antarctic glaciomarine settings will determine if photonic dating can be reliable for future applications to Antarctic marine sediments. Refined sedimentological criteria for the selection of future samples for photonic dating are expected from this project. A photonic-dating capability would provide a numeric geochronometer extending well beyond the age range of 14C dating. Such a capability would permit answering a number of broader questions about the timing and extent of past glaciations near and on the Antarctic shelves.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate Triassic and Jurassic dinosaurs and other vertebrates from the central Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. A field program to search for Upper Triassic to Jurassic age fossil vertebrates in the Beardmore Glacier region will be carried out in the 2003-04 austral summer. Initially, field efforts will concentrate on the Hanson Formation that has produced the only Jurassic dinosaur fauna from Antarctica. Further excavation of the Hanson dinosaur locality on Mt. Kirkpatrick will occur, followed by an extensive search of other exposures of the Hanson, Falla and Upper Fremouw Formations in the Beardmore area. A field party of six persons will allow two smaller groups to work independently at different sites. This group will operate for 3-4 weeks out of a small helicopter camp located in the Beardmore area. In addition to collecting new specimens an interpretation of the depositional settings for each of the vertebrate sites will be made. The second and third years of this project will be dedicated to preparation and study of the vertebrates. Antarctic vertebrates provide a unique opportunity to study the evolutionary and biogeographic significance of high latitude Mesozoic faunas and this project should result in significant advances in knowledge in this field.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports the development of a standardized diatom image catalog or database. Diatoms are considered by many to be the most important microfossil group used today in the study of Antarctic Cenozoic marine deposits south of the Polar Front, from the near shore to deep sea. These microfossils, with walls of silica called frustules, are produced by single-celled plants (algae of the Class Bacillariophyceae) in a great variety of forms. Consequently, they have great biostratigraphic importance in the Southern Ocean and elsewhere for determining the age of marine sediments. Also, paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic studies increasingly rely on fossil diatom data. Changing biogeographic distributions of given taxa indicate shifting paleoecological conditions and provide evidence of the surface productivity and temperatures of ancient oceans. The generality of conclusions, though, is limited by variation in species concepts among workers. The broad research community relies, directly or indirectly, on the accurate identification of diatom species. Current technology can be used to greatly improve upon the standard references that have been used in making these identifications.<br/><br/>This project will develop an interactive digital-image catalog of modern and Cenozoic fossil diatoms of the Southern Ocean called "DiatomWare" for use by specialists and educators as an aid in rapid, accurate, and consistent species identification. As such, this will be a researcher's resource. It will be especially useful where it is not possible to maintain standard library resources such as onboard research vessels or at remote stations such as McMurdo Station. Major Antarctic geological drilling initiatives such as the new SHALDRIL project and the pending ANDRILL project will benefit from this product because they will rely heavily on diatom biostratigraphy to achieve their research objectives. The DiatomWare image database will be modeled on NannoWare, which was released in October 2002 on CD-ROM as a publication of the International Nannoplankton Association. BugCam will be adapted and modified as necessary to run the DiatomWare database, which can then be run from desktop or laptop computers. Images and text for the database will be scanned from the literature or captured in digital form from light or scanning electron microscopes.<br/><br/>The software interface will include a number of data fields that can be accessed by the click of a mouse button. Primary information will be the images and descriptions of the holotypes. In addition, representative images of paratypes or hypotypes will be included whenever possible in plain transmitted, differential interference contrast light and, when available, as drawings and SEM images. Also included will be a 35-word or less English diagnosis ("mini-description"), the biostratigraphic range in terms of zones and linear time, bibliographic references, lists of species considered junior synonyms, and similar species. The list of similar species will be cross-referenced with their respective image files to enable quick access for direct visual comparison on the viewing screen. Multiple images can be brought to the viewing screen simultaneously, and a zoom feature will permit image examination at a wide range of magnifications. Buttons will allow range charts, a bibliography, and key public-domain publications from the literature to be called up from within the program. The DiatomWare/BugCam package will be distributed at a nominal cost through a major nonprofit society via CD-ROM and free to Internet users on the Worldwide Web. Quality control measures will include critical review of the finalized database by a network of qualified specialists. The completed database will include descriptions and images of between 350 and 400 species, including fossil as well as modern forms that have no fossil record.<br/><br/>The development of the proposed diatom image database will be important to all research fields that depend on accurate biostratigraphic dating and paleoenvironmental interpretation of Antarctic marine sediments and plankton. The database will also serve as a valuable teaching tool for micropaleontology students and their professors, will provide a rapid means of keying down species for micropaleontologists of varying experience and background, and will promote a uniformity of taxonomic concepts since it will be developed and continuously updated with the advice of a community of nannofossil fossil experts. Broad use of the database is anticipated since it will be widely available through the Internet and on CD-ROM for use on personal computers that do not require large amounts of memory, costly specialized programs, or additional hardware.
9909436 Farley This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports an investigation of the uplift history of the Dry Valleys segment of the Transantarctic Mountains. The overall goal is to further constrain the exhumation history of the Transantarctic Mountains by using the newly developed apatite (U-Th)/He dating method on samples collected in vertical profiles. This approach, combined with existing apatite fission track information will constrain the rate and patterns of exhumation across the Transantarctic Mountains since their inception as a rift-flank uplift in the early Cenozoic. This project will complement other projects and build on previous interpretations of the exhumation and tectonic history determined using apatite fission track thermochronology. It will bridge the gap between information on erosion rates determined from fission track thermochronology and from cosmogenic surface exposure dating and integrate the exhumation history of the mountains with their landscape evolution. As such, the results from this project will address an outstanding problem in Antarctic science; namely the stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, and the timing of the transition from a "warm" dynamic ice sheet to a cold polar ice sheet. Highly relevant to this issue is the landscape evolution of the Transantarctic Mountains because many diverse lines of evidence for the rate of landscape evolution have been used to argue for a dynamic ice sheet up until either the Pliocene (the "dynamic" ice sheet model) or the middle Miocene (the "stable" ice sheet model). Understanding the past stability or dynamic fluctuations of the East Antarctic ice sheet with respect to the climate record is, of course, important for understanding how the present ice sheet may respond to global warming. The specific objective of this project is to determine apatite (U-Th)/He age versus elevation trends for a number of vertical profiles from locations within the Transantarctic Mountain front and across the structural grain of the range. Fission track data already exist for all of these profiles, with apatite fission track ages ranging from 150-30 Ma. The greater precision of the (U-Th)/He technique and the fact it records information at lower temperatures (closure temperature of ~70 degrees Celsius; limits of 40-85 degrees Celsius for the He partial retention zone) will allow examination of the exhumation history of the TAM in more detail from ca 130 Ma to ~20 Ma. Another facet is to examine areas where Cretaceous exhumation is recorded and areas where the fission track profiles indicate periods of thermal and tectonic stability and minimal erosion throughout the Cretaceous. The variation of timing of the onset of more rapid exhumation accompanying uplift and formation of the Transantarctic Mountains in the early Cenozoic will also be examined.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a study to investigate paleoenvironmental conditions during the late Paleozoic and Mesozoic in central interior Antarctica. The 4 km thick sequence of sedimentary rocks, known as the Beacon Supergroup, in the Beardmore Glacier area records 90 million years of Permian through Jurassic history of this high-paleolatitude sector of Gondwana. It accumulated in a foreland basin with a rate of subsidence approximately equal to the rate of deposition. The deposits have yielded diverse vertebrate fossils, in situ fossil forests, and exceptionally well preserved plant fossils. They give a unique glimpse of glacial, lake, and stream/river environments and ecosystems and preserve an unparalleled record of the depositional, paleoclimatic, and tectonic history of the area. The excellent work done to date provides a solid base of information on which to build understanding of conditions and processes.<br/><br/>This project is a collaborative study of this stratigraphic section that will integrate sedimentologic, paleontologic, and ichnologic observations to answer focused questions, including: (1) What are the stratigraphic architecture and alluvial facies of Upper Permian to Jurassic rocks in the Beardmore area?; (2) In what tectonostratigraphic setting were these rocks deposited?; (3) Did vertebrates inhabit the cold, near-polar, Permian floodplains, as indicated by vertebrate burrows, and can these burrows be used to identify, for the first time, the presence of small early mammals in Mesozoic deposits?; and (4) How did bottom-dwelling animals in lakes and streams use substrate ecospace, how did ecospace use at these high paleolatitudes differ from ecospace use in equivalent environments at low paleolatitudes, and what does burrow distribution reveal about seasonality of river flow and thus about paleoclimate? Answers to these questions will (1) clarify the paleoclimatic, basinal, and tectonic history of this part of Gondwana, (2) elucidate the colonization of near-polar ecosystems by vertebrates, (3) provide new information on the environmental and paleolatitudinal distributions of early mammals, and (4) allow semi-quantitative assessment of the activity and abundance of bottom-dwelling animals in different freshwater environments at high and low latitudes. In summary, this project will contribute significantly to an understanding of paleobiology and paleoecology at a high latitude floodplain setting during a time in Earth history when the climate was much different than today.
This Small Grant for Exploratory Research supports development of a geochemical technique to time the onset of glacial erosion from Antarctica's continental ice sheets. The technique pairs neodymium (Nd) and hafnium (Hf) isotope proxies from the authigenic (seawater-derived) ferromanganese phase precipitated in marine sediments. This technique promises to be a sensitive indicator of glacial erosion. Non-radiogenic Hf is contained in the mineral zircon, which can only be released by the abrasive grinding that accompanies glacial erosion. Previous attempts to develop this technique encountered difficulty due to the minute amounts of Hf involved and the difficulty in its extraction. The PIs have developed a new chemical protocol that should allow them to selectively extract authigenic Hf from bulk sediments. If successful, studies of the Eocene-Oligocene boundary from two drill cores the Weddell Sea and Kerguelen Plateau will be carried out. This boundary is considered the initiation point for formation of Antarctica's current ice sheets. If successful, this method will benefit scientists with interests as diverse as continental weathering, ocean circulation, Cenozoic paleoceanography and paleoclimate, and Antarctic geology. <br/><br/>The broader impacts of this work are development of a new analytical technique that may improve society's understanding of the potential for global climate change from the perspective of the deep time record.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a collaborative research project between the Saint Mary's College of California, the South Dakota School of Mines and technology, and the Argentine Antarctic Institute (Instituto Antartico Argentino or IAA) to investigate the Late Mesozoic vertebrate paleontology of the James Ross Basin in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The Campanian through the Maastrichtian ages (80 to 65 million years ago) is an important time interval concerning vertebrate biogeography (i.e. dispersals and separations due to moving landmasses) and evolution between Antarctica and other Southern Hemisphere continents (including India, i.e. Gondwana). Moreover, the dispersal of terrestrial vertebrates (i.e. dinosaurs and marsupial mammals) from North America to Antarctica and beyond (e.g. Australia) via Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula, as well as the dispersal of modern birds from Antarctica northward are important unresolved questions in paleontology. These dispersal events include vertebrates not only in the terrestrial realms, but also in marine settings. Both widely distributed and localized marine reptile species have been identified in Antarctica, creating questions concerning their dispersal in conjunction with the terrestrial animals.<br/><br/>The Antarctic Peninsula and Patagonia represent the western-most portion of the Weddellian Paleobiogeographic Province, a region that extends from Patagonia through the Antarctic Peninsula and western Antarctica to Australia and New Zealand. Within this province lie the dispersal routes for interchanges of vertebrates between South America and: 1) Madagascar and India, and 2) Australia. As the result of previous work by the principal investigators, it is postulated that an isthmus between more northern South America and the Antarctic craton has served to bring typical North American dinosaurs, such as hadrosaurs (duck-billed dinosaurs) and presumably marsupials traveling overland, while marine reptiles swam along coastal waters, to Antarctica in the latest Cretaceous. Finally, this region has served as the cradle for the evolution, if not the origin, for groups of modern birds, and evolution of a suite of typical southern hemisphere plants.<br/><br/>In order to confirm and expand upon these hypotheses, investigations into the latest Cretaceous deposits of the James Ross Basin, Antarctica Peninsula must be continued. The Cape Lamb and Sandwich Bluff geological units, of the Lopez de Bertodano Formation in the James Ross Basin along the eastern Antarctic Peninsula, exhibit a mixture of marine and terrestrial deposits. The following vertebrates have been recovered from these sedimentary deposits during previous field seasons: plesiosaur and mosasaur marine reptiles; plant eating dinosaurs; a meat eating dinosaur; and a variety of modern bird groups, including shorebirds, wading birds and lagoonal birds.<br/><br/>This project will undertake new fieldwork to recover new specimens in order to test biogeographic and evolutionary hypotheses concerning Late Cretaceous vertebrates in Gondwana. Fieldwork is planned in January 2002 and 2003 to explore the eastern slopes of Cape Lamb, Sandwich Bluff and False Island Point on Vega Island, and the Santa Marta Cove area of James Ross Island.<br/><br/>This research will result in important new insights about the evolution and geographic dispersal of several vertebrate species. The results are important to understanding the development and evolution of life on Earth.<br/><br/>This is a collaborative research project with Argentinean scientists from the IAA and it continues a productive collaboration that began in 1995. In addition, collaboration with vertebrate paleontologists from the Museo de La Plata, both in the field and at our respective institutions in Argentina and in the United States, will continue.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research to apply numerical modeling to constrain the uplift and exhumation history of the Transantarctic Mountains. The Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) are an anomalously high (>4500 m) and relatively broad (up to 200 km) rift-flank uplift demarcating the boundary between East and West Antarctica. Dynamics of the East Antarctic ice-sheet and the climate are affected by the mountain range, and an understanding of the uplift history of the mountain range is critical to understanding these processes. This project will constrain the uplift and denudation history of the Transantarctic Mountains based on thermo-mechanical modeling held faithful to thermochronological, geological, and geophysical data. The research will be the primary responsibility of post-doctoral researcher Audrey Huerta, working in collaboration with Dennis Harry, 1 undergraduate student, and 1 graduate student.<br/><br/>Thermochronologic evidence of episodic Cretaceous through Cenozoic rapid cooling within the TAM indicates distinct periods of uplift and exhumation. However, a more detailed interpretation of the uplift history is difficult without an understanding of the evolving thermal structure and topography of the TAM prior to and during uplift. These aspects of the mountain range can best be constrained by an understanding of the evolving regional tectonic setting. Proximity of the TAM to the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS) suggests a link between uplift of the TAM and extension within the WARS.<br/><br/>The project will integrate two techniques: lithospheric-scale geodynamic modeling and crustal-scale thermal modeling. The lithospheric-scale deformational and thermal evolution of TAM will be modeled by a finite element model designed to track the thermal and deformational response of the Antarctic lithosphere to a protracted extensional environment. Previous investigators have linked the high elevation and broad width of the TAM to a deep level of necking in which mantle thinning is offset from the location of crustal extension. In this study, a three-dimensional dynamic model will be used to track the uplift and thermal evolution of the TAM in a setting in which necking is at a deep level, and in which extension within the crust and extension within the mantle are offset. Velocity boundary conditions applied to the edges of the model will vary through time to simulate the extensional and transtensional evolution of the WARS. Because the model is dynamic, the thermal structure, strength, and strain field, evolve naturally in response to these initial and boundary conditions.<br/><br/>Dynamic models are uniquely suited to understanding lithospheric deformational and thermal evolution, however kinematic models are best suited for addressing the detailed thermal and exhumation history of crustal uplifts. Thus, a 2-dimensional kinematic-thermal model will be designed to simulate the uplift history of the TAM and the resulting erosional, topographic, and thermal evolution. Uplift will be modeled as normal-fault movement on a set of discrete fault planes with uplift rate varying through time. Erosion will be modeled as a diffusive process in which erosion rates can be varied through time (simulating climate changes), and vary spatially as a linear function of gradient and distance from the drainage divide. Synthetic time-temperature (t-T) histories will be calculated to compare model results to thermochronologic data.
This award is for support for a three year project to measure the vertical strain rate as a function of depth at two sites on Siple Dome Antarctica. Ice flow near a divide such as Siple Dome is unique in that it is predominantly vertical. As a consequence, the component of ice deformation in the vertical direction, the "vertical strain rate" is dominant. Its measurement is therefore important for the calibration of dynamic models of ice flow. Two different, relatively new, high resolution systems for its measurement in hot water drilled holes will be employed. The ice flow model resulting from the measurements and flow law determination will be used to interpret the shapes of radar internal layering in terms of the dynamic history and accumulation patterns of Siple Dome over the past 10,000 years. The resulting improved model will also be applied to the interpretation of annual layers thicknesses (to produce annual accumulation rates) and borehole temperatures from the ice core to be drilled at Siple Dome during the 1997/98 field season. The results should permit an improved analysis of the ice core, relative to what was possible at recent coring sites in central Greenland. This is a collaborative project between the University of Alaska, the University of California, San Diego and the University of Washington.
This award supports a project to significantly improve our understanding of how Taylor Glacier flows and responds to climate changes. Taylor Glacier drains the Taylor Dome region of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and terminates in Taylor Valley, one of the Dry Valleys of Victoria Land. It provides a crucial and unique link between two intensively studied Antarctic environments: the Taylor Dome, from which a 130 kyr ice core paleoclimate record has recently been extracted, and the Dry Valleys, a pivotal Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site and a focus of research on geomorphology and glacial geology. The proposed work will thus make an important contribution to ongoing efforts to exploit the Taylor Dome - Dry Valleys system to build a uniquely comprehensive view of regional long-term environmental changes. The proposed work has two complementary components: field research and numerical modelling. Two field seasons will be used to measure velocity, surface strain rate, mass balance, ice thickness, glacier bed reflectance, and subglacial topography, along a nearly complete longitudinal transect of the Taylor Glacier, and along select cross-valley transects. This information will be used to constrain numerical models of ice and heat flow for the Taylor Dome - Taylor Glacier system. These calibrated models will be used to analyze the time-dependent response of the Taylor Glacier to climate changes. The synthesis of results will be aimed to improve understanding of the glacial geomorphology of Taylor Valley, and to illuminate impacts on the Taylor Valley lakes ecosystem. The project will have a major role in furthering the careers of a doctoral-level graduate student and a post-doctoral researcher.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports an interdisciplinary study of fluvial sediments in Antarctica for evidence of what caused the greatest of all mass extinctions in the history of life at the Permian-Triassic boundary. This boundary was, until recently, difficult to locate and thought to be unequivocally disconformable in Antarctica. New studies, particularly of carbon isotopic chemostratigraphy and of paleosols and root traces as paleoecosystem indicators, together with improved fossil plant, reptile and pollen biostratigraphy, now suggest that the precise location of the boundary might be identified and have led to local discovery of iridium anomalies, shocked quartz, and fullerenes with extraterrestrial noble gases. These anomalies are associated with a distinctive claystone breccia bed, similar to strata known in South Africa and Australia, and taken as evidence of deforestation. There is already much evidence from Antarctica and elsewhere that the mass extinction on land was abrupt and synchronous with extinction in the ocean. The problem now is what led to such death and destruction. Carbon isotopic values are so low in these and other Permian-Triassic boundary sections that there was likely to have been some role for catastrophic destabilization of methane clathrates. Getting the modeled amount of methane out of likely reservoirs would require such catastrophic events as bolide impact, flood-basalt eruption or continental-shelf collapse, which have all independently been implicated in the mass extinction and for which there is independent evidence. Teasing apart these various hypotheses requires careful re-examination of beds that appear to represent the Permian-Triassic boundary, and search for more informative sequences, as was the case for the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. This collaborative research on geochemistry and petrography of boundary beds and paleosols (by Retallack), on carbon isotopic variation through the boundary interval (by Jahren), and on fullerenes, iridium and helium (by Becker) is designed to test these ideas about the Permian-Triassic boundary in Antarctica and to shed light on processes which contributed to this largest of mass extinctions on Earth. Fieldwork for this research will be conducted in the central Transantarctic Mountains and in Southern Victoria Land with an initial objective of examining the stratigraphic sequences for continuity across the boundary. Stratigraphic continuity is a critical element that must exist for the work to be successful. If fieldwork indicates sufficiently continuous sections, the full analytical program will follow fieldwork.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate the Transantarctic Mountains and an adjacent region of East Antarctica. The East Antarctic shield is one of Earth's oldest and largest cratonic assemblies, with a long-lived Archean to early Paleozoic history. Long-standing interest in the geologic evolution of this shield has been rekindled over the past decade by tectonic models linking East Antarctica with other Precambrian crustal elements in the Rodinia and Gondwanaland supercontinents. It is postulated that the Pacific margin of East Antarctica was rifted from Laurentia during late Neoproterozoic breakup of Rodinia, and it then developed as an active plate boundary during subsequent amalgamation of Gondwanaland in the earliest Paleozoic. If true, the East Antarctic shield played a key role in supercontinent transformation at a time of global changes in plate configuration, terrestrial surficial process, sea level, and marine geochemistry and biota. A better understanding of the geological evolution of the East Antarctic shield is therefore critical for studying Precambrian crustal evolution in general, as well as resource distribution, biosphere evolution, and glacial and climate history during later periods of Earth history. Because of nearly complete coverage by the polar ice cap, however, Antarctica remains the single most geologically unexplored continent. Exposures of cratonic basement are largely limited to coastal outcrops in George V Land and Terre Adelie (Australian sector), the Prince Charles Mountains and Enderby Land (Indian sector), and Queen Maud Land (African sector), where the geology is reasonably well-known. By contrast, little is known about the composition and structure of the shield interior. Given the extensive ice cover, collection of airborne geophysical data is the most cost-effective method to characterize broad areas of sub-ice basement and expand our knowledge of the East Antarctic shield interior. <br/><br/>This project will conduct an airborne magnetic survey (coupled with ground-based gravity measurements) across an important window into the shield where it is exposed in the Nimrod Glacier area of the central Transantarctic Mountains. Specific goals are to:<br/>1. Characterize the magnetic and gravity signature of East Antarctic crustal basement exposed at the Ross margin (Nimrod Group),<br/>2. Extend the magnetic data westward along a corridor across the polar ice cap in order to image the crust in ice-covered areas,<br/>3. Obtain magnetic data over the Ross Orogen in order to image the ice-covered boundary between basement and supracrustal rocks, allowing us to better constrain the geometry of fundamental Ross structures, and<br/>4. Use the shape, trends, wavelengths, and amplitudes of magnetic anomalies to define magnetic domains in the shield, common building blocks for continent-scale studies of Precambrian geologic structure and evolution.<br/><br/>High-resolution airborne magnetic data will be collected along a transect extending from exposed rocks of the Nimrod Group across the adjacent polar ice cap. The Nimrod Group represents the only bona fide Archean-Proterozoic shield basement exposed for over 2500 km of the Pacific margin of Antarctica. This survey will characterize the geologically well-known shield terrain in this sector using geophysical methods for the first time. This baseline over the exposed shield will allow for better interpretation of geophysical patterns in other ice-covered regions and can be used to target future investigations. In collaboration with colleagues from the BGR (Germany), a tightly-spaced, "draped" helicopter magnetic survey will be flown during the 2003-04 austral summer, to be complemented by ground measurements of gravity over the exposed basement. Data reduction, interpretation and geological correlation will be completed in the second year. This project will enhance the education of students, the advancement of under-represented groups, the research instrumentation of the U.S. Antarctic Program, partnerships between the federal government and institutions of higher education, and cooperation between national research programs. It will benefit society through the creation of new basic knowledge about the Antarctic continent, which in turn may help with applied research in other fields such as the glacial history of Antarctica.
Roy, Martin; Hemming, Sidney R.; Goldstein, Steven L.; Van De Flierdt, Christina-Maria
No dataset link provided
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate the sediment core from the Southern Ocean for paleoenvironmental research. The polar regions are susceptible to the largest changes in climate and are among the least accessible places on Earth. Current concern about the instability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has heightened awareness of the vulnerability of polar regions. This proposal seeks to gain a basic understanding of the isotopic characteristics of terrigenous sediment sources derived from Antarctica in the Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum, and their dispersal into the Southern Ocean. Terrigenous clastic sediments are brought to the ocean from continental sources via rivers, ice and wind, and distributed within the ocean by surface and deep currents. At present there are virtually no isotopic data on circumpolar detritus, save a few strontium (Sr) isotopic ratios in the Atlantic sector. This project will fill part of this gap. From the large range in geological ages of crustal provinces of Antarctica, we would predict that there are large isotopic differences in detritus around the continent. The main objectives are to (1) characterize the strontium-neodymium-lead-argon (Sr-Nd-Pb-Ar) isotope compositions of sediment sources derived from Antarctica, (2) to identify the composition and source ages of major ice rafted detritus (IRD) contributions by analyzing individual grains of hornblende and feldspar in conjunction with bulk isotopic analysis, and (3) track sediment dispersal into the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) during the Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum.<br/><br/>Because of the paucity of circumpolar data, this research necessarily has a large exploratory component. Consequently, it will provide a basic database for future studies. Nevertheless there are important hypothesis-driven questions that will be addressed in this primary pass. Can lessons learned in North Atlantic IRD studies be applied toward understanding the history of Antarctic ice sheets? Can the large geological variability around the Antarctic margin be treated as a series of natural tracer injections into the ACC, and thus characterize its trajectory, speed, and interaction with other current systems today and in the past? The proposed study is motivated by an exciting set of results from the South Atlantic, showing that detrital Sr isotope ratios are a sensitive current tracer in that region. This research should serve a basic need across many Earth Science disciplines if the use of long-lived radiogenic isotopes (Sr-Nd-Pb-Ar) as tracers of marine sediment sources is successful in elucidating processes related to changing climatic conditions. The results of this study will fill a basic gap in our knowledge of an important region of the Earth. At the same time, it will provide an essential basis for attempting reconstruction of the ACC during the LGM, as well as for future studies of Antarctic geology, ice sheet history, and the Southern Ocean circulation.
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a collaborative research project between the University of California-Santa Cruz, the University of Texas-Austin, and the Ohio State University to investigate sediment samples recovered from the base of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). West Antarctica is a remote polar region but its dynamic ice sheet, complicated tectonic history, and the sedimentary record of Cenozoic glaciation make it of particular interest to glaciologists and geologists. Glaciologists are concerned with the possibility of significant near-future changes in mass balance of the WAIS that may contribute to the ongoing global sea level rise. Geologists are investigating in West Antarctica the fundamental process of continental extension and are constructing models of a polar marine depositional system using this region as the prime modern example. The subglacial part of West Antarctica has escaped direct geological investigations and all that is known about subglacial geology comes from geophysical remote sensing. Recent acquisitions of new, high-quality geophysical data have led to generation of several enticing models. For instance, subglacial presence of high-magnitude, short-wavelength magnetic anomalies has prompted the proposition that there may be voluminous (>1 million cubic km), Late Cenozoic flood basalts beneath the ice sheet. Another important model suggests that the patterns of fast ice streaming (~100 meters/year) and slow ice motion (~1-10 meters/year) observed within the WAIS are controlled by subglacial distribution of sedimentary basins and resistant bedrock. These new geophysics-based models should be tested with direct observations because they are of such great importance to our understanding of the West Antarctic tectonic history and to our ability to predict the future behavior of the WAIS.<br/><br/>This research is designed as a pilot study to provide new geologic data, which may help to test the recent models inferred from geophysical observations. The new constraints on subglacial geology and on its interactions with the WAIS will be obtained through petrological and geochemical analyses of basal and subglacial sediments collected previously from seven localities. This investigation will take place in the context of testing the following three hypotheses: (A) the provenance of bedrock clasts in the glacial sediment samples is primarily from West Antarctica, (B) some clasts and muds from the West Antarctic subglacial sediments have been derived by erosion of the (inferred) subglacial Late Cenozoic flood basalts, and (C) the sediments underlying the West Antarctic ice streams were generated by glacial erosion of preglacial sedimentary basins but the sediments recovered from beneath the slow-moving parts of the WAIS were produced through erosion of resistant bedrock.<br/><br/>The individual hypotheses will be tested by collecting data on: (A) petrology, geochemistry and age of granitoid clasts, (B) petrology, geochemistry and age of basaltic clasts combined with mud geochemistry, and (C) clay mineralogy/paragenesis combined with textural maturity of sand and silt grains. The results of these tests will help evaluate the interesting possibility that subglacial geology may have first-order control on the patterns of fast ice flow within the WAIS. The new data will also help to determine whether the subglacial portion of West Antarctica is a Late Cenozoic flood basalt province. By combining glaciological and geological aspects of West Antarctic research the proposed collaborative project will add to the ongoing U.S. effort to create a multidisciplinary understanding of this polar region.
0087235<br/>Grew<br/><br/>This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a project to investigate the role of beryllium in lower crustal partial melting events. The formation of granitic liquids by partial melting deep in the Earth's crust is one of the major topics of research in igneous and metamorphic petrology today. One aspect of this sphere of research is the beginning of the process, specifically, the geochemical interaction between melts and source rocks before the melt has left the source area. One example of anatexis in metamorphic rocks affected by conditions found deep in the Earth's crust is pegmatite in the Archean ultrahigh temperature granulite-facies Napier Complex of Enderby Land, East Antarctica. Peak conditions for this granulite-facies metamorphism are estimated to have reached nearly 1100 Degrees Celsius and 11 kilobar, that is, conditions in the Earth's lower crust in Archean time. The proposed research is a study of the Napier Complex pegmatites with an emphasis on the minerals and geochemistry of beryllium. This element, which is estimated to constitute 3 ppm of the Earth's upper crust, is very rarely found in any significant concentrations in metamorphic rocks subjected to conditions of the Earth's lower crust. Structural, geochronological, and mineralogical studies will be carried out to test the hypothesis that the beryllium pegmatites resulted from anatexis of their metapelitic host rocks during the ultrahigh-temperature metamorphic event in the late Archean. Host rocks will be analyzed for major and trace elements. Minerals will be analyzed by the electron microprobe for major constituents including fluorine and by the ion microprobe for lithium, beryllium and boron. The analytical data will be used to determine how beryllium and other trace constituents were extracted from host rocks under ultrahigh-temperature conditions and subsequently concentrated in the granitic melt, eventually to crystallize out in a pegmatite as beryllian sapphirine and khmaralite, minerals not found in pegmatites elsewhere. Mineral compositions and assemblages will be used to determine the evolution and conditions of crystallization and recrystallization of the pegmatites and their host rocks during metamorphic episodes following the ultrahigh-temperature event. Monazite will be analyzed for lead, thorium and uranium to date the ages of these events. Because fluorine is instrumental in mobilizing beryllium, an undergraduate student will study the magnesium fluorphosphate wagnerite in the pegmatites in order to estimate fluorine activity in the melt as part of a senior project. The results of the present project will provide important insights on the melting process in general and on the geochemical behavior of beryllium in particular under the high temperatures and low water activities characteristic of the Earth's lower crust.
9909469 Scambos This award provides support for three years of funding to study the scar-like features that are well-known from the Siple Coast ice stream system in West Antarctica. The objective of the proposed field work is to identify the nature of several as yet unvisited scars, and to further characterize previously-identified margin scars that are poorly dated. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Radarsat image data will be used to locate and map the features, and place them in a regional context. The study seeks to describe the recent history of the Siple Coast glaciers and investigate the causes of their changes in configuration. The main investigative tools will be low-frequency RES and high-frequency ground penetrating radar (GPR) profiles to image internal layers and measure depths to buried crevasses or disrupted layering. This, coupled with accumulation rates determined from shallow ice cores, will provide "shutdown" ages for the margin features. The field data will provide input parameters for simple models of ice flow for margins and inter-ice stream ridges during active shearing and after shutdown. This modeling will estimate the initial elevation of a scar at the time of shut down and the corresponding ice stream elevation at that time.
This award supports an in situ and short traverse seismic reflection/refraction and magnetotelluric experiment in West Antarctica. This collaborative experiment involves four awards at four institutions. The four-fold purpose is 1) to investigate part of the Byrd Subglacial Basin, 2) to test techniques for this work that could be done in a long traverse, 3) to determine the viability of the magnetotelluric method on a thick (electrically resistive) ice sheet, and 4) to evaluate the relative merits of refraction with wide reflection versus reflection with narrow refraction seismic studies in imaging the lithosphere. The geophysical techniques that will be employed are capable of imaging the ice sheet, the continental lithosphere, and the upper mantle, as well as determining physical properties of parts of the lithosphere and mantle. Investigations of outcrop geology over the last thirty years in West Antarctica and the Transantarctic Mountains have lead to recent interpretations that the crust is made up of many different lithospheric blocks. Seismic reflection work is the only way to image the crust in detail and the refraction work is the only way to determine physical properties of the layers and blocks defined by the reflection work. The magnetotelluric work is scientifically risky because it may not yield useful information when used over the electrically resistive ice sheet; however, if it works it has the potential to image molten rock in the crust and upper mantle. In a continental rift region such as West Antarctica, the presence of melt in the lithosphere is likely and, if documented, has very important ramifications to ice sheet dynamics. Research work supported by this award is expected to provide constraints to models of a range of crustal processes from models of ice sheet dynamics to tectonic and kinematic models of lithospheric thinning and rifting.
9318121 Anandakrishnan This award is for support for a three year project to test the hypothesis that a controlling parameter of fast ice-stream flow is the hydrologic state of discrete zones of high friction ("sticky spots") at the bed of the ice streams. Previous work has discovered an enormous difference in basal microearthquake activity between fast-flowing ice stream B and ice stream C, which stopped flowing within the last 200 years. It is hypothesized that the basal water system is lubricating the sticky spots under the fast ice stream and thus inhibiting microearthquake activity, and at the same time permitting fast ice flow. This experiment is intended to collect a continuous record of wide-bandwidth microearthquake data from a variety of sites, on the ice streams, in the transition zone, and on the inland ice. ***
This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports research for construction of a long-term record of climate during the late Cretaceous and early Paleogene to assess the annual seasonality in temperature on the coastal margin of Antarctica. Stable isotope and element compositions of well-preserved bivalve shells collected on Seymour Island will be the primary source of data used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions. Seasonal temperature records collected through high-resolution sampling along growth structures in bivalve shells will allow seasonality to be assessed during different climate states and during periods of rapid climate change. In addition, high stratigraphic resolution will enable this project to detect the presence and frequency of short-lived thermal excursions that may have extended to such high latitudes. To compile a reliable temporal record of paleoclimate, two major avenues of investigation will be undertaken: 1) precise stratigraphic (and therefore, temporal) placement of fossils over a large geographic area will be employed through the use of a graphical technique employing geometric projections; 2) stable isotope and elemental analyses will be performed to derive paleotemperatures and to evaluate diagenetic alteration of shell materials. To provide realistic comparisons of paleotemperatures across stratigraphic horizons, this study will focus on a single taxon, thus avoiding complications due to the mixing of faunal assemblages that have been encountered in previous studies of this region. The near-shore marine fossil record on Seymour Island provides a unique opportunity to address many questions about the Antarctic paleoenvironment, including the relation between seasonality and different climate states, the influence of climate on biogeographic distribution of specific taxa, the effect of ice-volume changes on the stable isotope record from the late Cretaceous through the Eocene, and the plausibility of high-latitude bottom water formation during this time interval. In particular, information that will be collected concerning patterns of seasonality and the presence (or absence) of short-lived thermal excursions will be extremely valuable to an understanding of the response of high latitude sites during climate transitions from globally cool to globally warm conditions.
9316338 Jacobel This award is for support for a program of glaciological studies of Siple Dome and its surroundings between Ice Streams C and D. The purpose of the work is to characterize the dynamic environment and ice stratigraphy to aid in the assessment of Siple Dome as a potential deep ice core site, and to determine whether the configuration of ice stream flow in the region was different in the past than now. The work involves measurements of the configuration and continuity of internal layers in the ice, using radar echo sounding and determination of velocity field, based on standard GPS surveying. The goals of the work are relevant to understanding the dynamics of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), its past history and its potential future behavior, including possible effects on global sea level. This work is a collaborative project between the University of Washington, the University of Colorado and St. Olaf College. ***
Kyle OPP 9527329 Abstract The Cape Roberts Project is an international drilling project to obtain a series of cores from the sedimentary strata beneath the sea floor off Cape Roberts in the Ross Sea. The project is a joint venture by scientists from the national Antarctic programs of Germany, Italy, New Zealand, the United Kingdom., Australia, and the United States. Drilling will continuously core a composite section of sediments over 1500 m thick which is expected to represent parts of the time period between 30 and more than 100 million years ago. The principle objectives of this component of the project will be to examine the record of igneous material in the drill core and provide high precision 40Ar/39Ar dates from tephra (volcanic ash) layers, disseminated ash, feldspars and epiclastic volcanic detrital grains to constrain depositional age and provenance of the sediments in the cores. This project will contribute to general geologic logging of the core and will characterize any igneous material using electron microprobe, x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) analyses. The presence of alkalic volcanic detritus from the Cenozoic McMurdo Volcanics will constrain the initiation of this phase of volcanism and improve our understanding of the relationship between volcanism and tectonism. The influx of sediments eroded from Jurassic Kirkpatrick Basalts and Ferrar Dolerites will be used to time the unroofing and rates of uplift of the Transantarctic Mountains. Geochemical analyses of core samples will examine the geochemistry and provenance of the sediments.