[{"awards": "2332418 Zappa, Christopher", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((163 -71,164.2 -71,165.4 -71,166.6 -71,167.8 -71,169 -71,170.2 -71,171.4 -71,172.6 -71,173.8 -71,175 -71,175 -71.5,175 -72,175 -72.5,175 -73,175 -73.5,175 -74,175 -74.5,175 -75,175 -75.5,175 -76,173.8 -76,172.6 -76,171.4 -76,170.2 -76,169 -76,167.8 -76,166.6 -76,165.4 -76,164.2 -76,163 -76,163 -75.5,163 -75,163 -74.5,163 -74,163 -73.5,163 -73,163 -72.5,163 -72,163 -71.5,163 -71))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Non-Technical Abstract The deep world ocean is flooded with near 0\u00b0C water, drawn from the margins of Antarctica. Antarctic Bottom Water, as it is referred to, is mainly derived from cold water formed the over the continental shelves of the Weddell and Ross Seas, where the coastal water is exposed to frigid polar air masses spreading off the Antarctic ice sheet. Antarctic Bottom Water is a key component of the global ocean overturning system, which is fundamental to the global ocean heat, carbon and nutrient inventories, and hence the climate and marine ecosystem. The processes producing the dense shelf waters involve small scale factors associated with ocean/atmosphere/sea and glacial ice interaction. What is lacking from previous work is a coordinated, synchronous observational study of the seaward spreading, from formation, to export across the continental shelf edge, to its descent into the deep ocean. This work fills the gap, by investigating the characteristics of dense shelf water formed within Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea, its transformation, modification and northward spreading within the Drygalski Trough in the western Ross Sea, feeding into the spill-over at the continental slope into the deep boundary current adjacent to Cape Adare. The sequence of events will be observed with a series of instrumented moorings along the pathway from Terra Nova Bay, along the Drygalski Trough and onto the boundary current adjacent to Cape Adare. The project is an international collaboration that involves the USA (this proposal), S. Korea, New Zealand and Italy. Technical Abstract The lower kilometer or two of the world ocean is flooded with near 0\u00b0C water derived from the Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW). The cold end-member of AABW is formed over various sectors of the continental shelf of Antarctica, notable in the Weddell and Ross Seas. The governing processes producing the dense shelf waters involve small scale spatial and temporal factors associated with ocean/sea ice interaction, often related to coastal polynyas and katabatic winds, along with further modification by ocean-glacial ice interaction. There have been studies of the formation of dense shelf water, of export of shelf water over the shelf/slope, the descent of gravity currents into the AABW realm, and of flow paths of AABW spreading across the deep ocean well into the northern hemisphere. What is lacking is a coordinated, synchronous observational study of the seaward spreading, from formation of the dense shelf water to its spreading to the shelf/slope break and descent into the deep ocean. This program fills the gap, by investigating the characteristics of dense shelf water formed within Terra Nova Bay (TNB), Ross Sea, its transformation, modification and northward spreading within the Drygalski Trough in the western Ross Sea, feeding into the spill-over at the continental slope and the deep boundary current adjacent to Cape Adare. The team will deploy a series of moorings \u2013 two heavily instrumented full water column moorings within TNB to capture high-salinity shelf water (HSSW) production and a series of bottom-focused moorings to evaluate the transformation and northward spreading of the dense saline water. The broad science goals of the project will be addressed by this program through a coordinated analysis of these mooring measurements. The project is an international collaboration that involves the USA (this proposal), S. Korea, New Zealand and Italy. 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": 175.0, "geometry": "POINT(169 -73.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Terra Nova Bay; SALINITY/DENSITY; OCEAN CURRENTS; Ross Sea; POLYNYAS; TURBULENCE; OCEAN TEMPERATURE; WATER MASSES; OCEAN MIXED LAYER", "locations": "Ross Sea; Terra Nova Bay", "north": -71.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Zappa, Christopher; Gordon, Arnold", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -76.0, "title": "Formation, Transformation, and Northward Spreading of Dense Saline Water Derived from Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea, Antarctica", "uid": "p0010506", "west": 163.0}, {"awards": "2114454 Greenbaum, Jamin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-107.5 -74.5,-107.3 -74.5,-107.1 -74.5,-106.9 -74.5,-106.7 -74.5,-106.5 -74.5,-106.3 -74.5,-106.1 -74.5,-105.9 -74.5,-105.7 -74.5,-105.5 -74.5,-105.5 -74.6,-105.5 -74.7,-105.5 -74.8,-105.5 -74.9,-105.5 -75,-105.5 -75.1,-105.5 -75.2,-105.5 -75.3,-105.5 -75.4,-105.5 -75.5,-105.7 -75.5,-105.9 -75.5,-106.1 -75.5,-106.3 -75.5,-106.5 -75.5,-106.7 -75.5,-106.9 -75.5,-107.1 -75.5,-107.3 -75.5,-107.5 -75.5,-107.5 -75.4,-107.5 -75.3,-107.5 -75.2,-107.5 -75.1,-107.5 -75,-107.5 -74.9,-107.5 -74.8,-107.5 -74.7,-107.5 -74.6,-107.5 -74.5))", "dataset_titles": "AXCTD and AXBT Profiles from the Amundsen Sea", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601894", "doi": "10.15784/601894", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Araon; AXBT; AXCTD; Cryosphere; CTD; Helicopter; Icebreaker; Oceans; Thwaites Glacier; XBT", "people": "Greenbaum, Jamin Stevens; Greenbaum, Jamin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "AXCTD and AXBT Profiles from the Amundsen Sea", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601894"}], "date_created": "Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The ice shelves around the perimeter Antarctica hold back inland ice that has the potential to raise global sea level by meters. By how much and how rapidly this could occur is a central question in glaciology. The underside of these ice shelves is in contact with the ocean, and there are signs that warming of ocean water is causing melting and retreat of these shelves, with direct implications for sea-level rise. This project will seize an emergent opportunity to work with Australian and South Korean colleagues to acquire snapshot profiles of ocean temperature, salinity, and velocity, and improve bathymetric knowledge, where no prior data exist. The team will work near three glaciers draining ice with substantial sea-level potential from the East and West Antarctic Ice Sheets. The targets are Shackleton and Cook Ice Shelves in East Antarctica, and Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. An undergraduate student will be engaged through the Scripps Undergraduate Research Fellowship program and the team will work through the Scripps Educational Alliances program to identify educational outreach opportunities through which to build community engagement in this project. The team will use high-resolution general circulation model simulations to optimize sensor targeting (to be deployed from helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft) and evaluate the relative roles of subglacial freshwater discharge and ocean forcing on subglacial melt rates. The aim is to better understand why grounding-line melt rates are higher at the East Antarctic sites despite data indicating warmer ambient ocean temperatures at the West Antarctic sites. Such behavior could be explained by discharge of subglacial freshwater into ice-shelf cavities, but insufficient data currently exist to test this hypothesis. The team aims to build on ongoing international, collaborative airborne oceanographic sampling with colleagues in the Republic of Korea, Australia, and the United States. 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": -105.5, "geometry": "POINT(-106.5 -75)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e BEIDOU \u003e GNSS RECEIVER", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ROTORCRAFT/HELICOPTER; CONDUCTIVITY; OCEAN TEMPERATURE; Amundsen Sea", "locations": "Amundsen Sea", "north": -74.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Greenbaum, Jamin", "platforms": "AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e ROTORCRAFT/HELICOPTER", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -75.5, "title": "RAPID: International Collaborative Airborne Sensor Deployments near Antarctic Ice Shelves", "uid": "p0010497", "west": -107.5}, {"awards": "1853291 Girton, James; 1558448 Girton, James", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-70 -58,-69 -58,-68 -58,-67 -58,-66 -58,-65 -58,-64 -58,-63 -58,-62 -58,-61 -58,-60 -58,-60 -58.8,-60 -59.6,-60 -60.4,-60 -61.2,-60 -62,-60 -62.8,-60 -63.6,-60 -64.4,-60 -65.2,-60 -66,-61 -66,-62 -66,-63 -66,-64 -66,-65 -66,-66 -66,-67 -66,-68 -66,-69 -66,-70 -66,-70 -65.2,-70 -64.4,-70 -63.6,-70 -62.8,-70 -62,-70 -61.2,-70 -60.4,-70 -59.6,-70 -58.8,-70 -58))", "dataset_titles": "APL-UW Southern Ocean Wave Glider Data from 2019/20 Mission; Data from 2016 WG launch cruise LMG1612; Data from 2017 WG recovery cruise LMG1703; Data from 2019 WG launch cruise LMG1909; Data from 2020 WG recovery cruise LMG2002; Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG1612; Expedition Data of LMG1909; LMG2002 Expedtition Data; Wave Glider Data from 2016/17 Mission", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200448", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "University of Washington", "science_program": null, "title": "Wave Glider Data from 2016/17 Mission", "url": "http://faculty.washington.edu/jmt3rd/Waveglider/"}, {"dataset_uid": "001365", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1703"}, {"dataset_uid": "200446", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Data from 2017 WG recovery cruise LMG1703", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1703"}, {"dataset_uid": "200445", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Data from 2019 WG launch cruise LMG1909", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1909"}, {"dataset_uid": "200444", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Data from 2016 WG launch cruise LMG1612", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1612"}, {"dataset_uid": "200431", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data of LMG1909", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1909"}, {"dataset_uid": "200429", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG1612", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1612"}, {"dataset_uid": "601902", "doi": "10.15784/601902", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Drake Passage; LMG1909; LMG2002; R/v Laurence M. Gould; Temperature; Wave Glider; Wind Speed", "people": "Girton, James", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "APL-UW Southern Ocean Wave Glider Data from 2019/20 Mission", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601902"}, {"dataset_uid": "200222", "doi": "10.7284/908802", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "LMG2002 Expedtition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG2002"}, {"dataset_uid": "200447", "doi": "10.7284/908802", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Data from 2020 WG recovery cruise LMG2002", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG2002"}], "date_created": "Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Surface and upper-ocean processes in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) play an important role in ocean heat transport, air-sea gas fluxes (such as pCO2) and in sea-ice formation. The net of these in turn modulate global climate, sea level rise and global circulation. This project continues the field development of a surface autonomous vehicle (https://www.liquid-robotics.com/wave-glider/overview/ ) to better measure and study these processes in the remote Southern Ocean, where continuous data is otherwise very difficult to obtain. Mobile autonomous surface vehicles, powered by sunlight and wave action provide a very cost effective manner of solving the problem of obtaining unattended observational coverage in the remote Southern Ocean. The project will support ongoing education and outreach efforts by the PIs including school presentations, visits to science centers and the development of educational materials. The WaveGlider has an established track record of navigating successful spatial surveys and positioned time series measurements in otherwise inhospitable waters and sea-states. The study includes the addition of some new measurement capabilities such as an (upper mixed) layer profiling CTD winch, a high frequency acoustic Doppler turbulence system, and a biogeochemical chlorophyll fluorescence sensor. This augmented instrumentation package will be used for a set of Austral summer season experiments observing ocean-shelf exchange along with frontal air-sea interactions in the vicinity of the West Antarctic Peninsula. 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": -60.0, "geometry": "POINT(-65 -62)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CURRENT/WIND METERS \u003e CURRENT METERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CURRENT/WIND METERS \u003e SONIC ANEMOMETER; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e CAMERAS \u003e CAMERA; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ECHO SOUNDERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; 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 PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MBES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e THERMOSALINOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE; WAVE GLIDER; TURBULENCE; SURFACE PRESSURE; OCEAN MIXED LAYER; LMG1703; Palmer Station; SALINITY/DENSITY; SURFACE WINDS; OCEAN CURRENTS; HEAT FLUX; SURFACE AIR TEMPERATURE; HUMIDITY; Drake Passage; R/V NBP; R/V LMG; Antarctic Peninsula; WIND STRESS", "locations": "Drake Passage; Antarctic Peninsula; Palmer Station", "north": -58.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Girton, James; Thomson, Jim", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e UNCREWED VEHICLES \u003e SURFACE \u003e WAVE GLIDER; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "University of Washington", "repositories": "R2R; University of Washington; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -66.0, "title": "Wave Glider Observations of Surface Fluxes and Mixed-layer Processes in the Southern Ocean", "uid": "p0010493", "west": -70.0}, {"awards": "1744961 Olesik, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((161.711586 -77.75758,161.71322740000002 -77.75758,161.7148688 -77.75758,161.71651020000002 -77.75758,161.7181516 -77.75758,161.719793 -77.75758,161.72143440000002 -77.75758,161.7230758 -77.75758,161.72471720000001 -77.75758,161.7263586 -77.75758,161.728 -77.75758,161.728 -77.75784200000001,161.728 -77.758104,161.728 -77.758366,161.728 -77.758628,161.728 -77.75889000000001,161.728 -77.759152,161.728 -77.75941399999999,161.728 -77.759676,161.728 -77.759938,161.728 -77.7602,161.7263586 -77.7602,161.72471720000001 -77.7602,161.7230758 -77.7602,161.72143440000002 -77.7602,161.719793 -77.7602,161.7181516 -77.7602,161.71651020000002 -77.7602,161.7148688 -77.7602,161.71322740000002 -77.7602,161.711586 -77.7602,161.711586 -77.759938,161.711586 -77.759676,161.711586 -77.75941399999999,161.711586 -77.759152,161.711586 -77.75889000000001,161.711586 -77.758628,161.711586 -77.758366,161.711586 -77.758104,161.711586 -77.75784200000001,161.711586 -77.75758))", "dataset_titles": "Elemental composition of individual nanoparticles and fine particles in 28 Taylor Glacier ice core samples 9000 to 44000 yrs BP; Taylor Glacier Atmospheric Mineral Nanoparticles and Microparticles in Antarctic Ice during the last Climatic Cycle", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200426", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.25921/bd1k-mv46", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NOAA\u0027s National Centers for Environmental Information World Data Service Paleo archive", "science_program": null, "title": "Taylor Glacier Atmospheric Mineral Nanoparticles and Microparticles in Antarctic Ice during the last Climatic Cycle", "url": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/paleo-search/study/40380"}, {"dataset_uid": "601879", "doi": "10.15784/601879", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Particle Size; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Kutuzov, Stanislav; Gabrielli, Paolo; Olesik, John; Lowry, Greg; Sullivan, Ryan; Carter, Lucas; Lomax-Vogt, Madeleine", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Elemental composition of individual nanoparticles and fine particles in 28 Taylor Glacier ice core samples 9000 to 44000 yrs BP", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601879"}], "date_created": "Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The main goal of this project is to identify and geochemically characterize atmospheric mineral nanoparticles in pre-industrial Antarctic ice during the last climatic cycle. Recent technological and industrial development is introducing a large number of natural and engineered nanoparticles into Earth\u0027s atmosphere. These constitute a concern for human health, mainly due to their high chemical reactivity. While many atmospheric nanoparticle studies have been performed in modern urban environments, there is essentially no information about their occurrence in a pristine pre-industrial atmosphere. This information is critical, as it constitutes an important benchmark for comparison to the modern atmosphere. Information on nanoparticles from the pre-industrial atmosphere can be obtained from atmospheric mineral nanoparticles that are entrapped in remote pre-industrial Antarctic ice covering the last climatic cycles. Mineral nanoparticles can also affect several climatic processes. First, they directly influence the global energy balance by reflecting solar radiation and indirectly influence through changes in cloud formation (and clouds also reflect solar radiation). Second, atmospheric mineral nanoparticles such as iron oxides could have fertilized the oceans, causing blooms of marine phytoplankton that may have drawn part of the atmospheric carbon dioxide into the oceans during glacial ages (the \"biological pump\"). Third, a significant amount of extraterrestrial material entering the Earth atmosphere is thought to be transported to the poles as nanoparticles called \"meteoric smoke\" that form polar stratospheric clouds implicated in changes of the ozone hole. This project aims to establish the natural background of unknown classes of glacial particles whose size is below the detection limit of the conventional dust analyzers. The team will take advantage of ice samples from the \"horizontal ice core\", already extracted from the remote Taylor Glacier (coastal East Antarctica) covering the last ~44,000 years. These ancient samples are particularly suited to project scope because i) a large ice volume is available ii) the team expects to find a markedly different geochemistry between nanoparticles deposited during the last glacial age and during the current interglacial. A set of advanced techniques including Transmission Electron Microscopy, Single Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (spICP-MS), spICP-Time of Flight MS, and Field Flow Fractionation will be employed to determine mineral nanoparticle sizes, number/volume, and chemical composition. So far, the elemental composition of dust entrapped in polar ice has been mainly determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Sector Field Mass Spectrometry and it is generally assumed to be descriptive of the coarse aeolian dust fraction. However, project will test whether or not the determined elemental composition is instead mainly linked to the previously unobserved smaller mineral nanoparticle content. Results on nanoparticles will be compared with a set of new experiments of total dust composition measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Sector Field Mass Spectrometry, using the same ice samples from Taylor Glacier. 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": 161.728, "geometry": "POINT(161.719793 -77.75889000000001)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "MICROPARTICLE CONCENTRATION; Taylor Glacier", "locations": "Taylor Glacier", "north": -77.75758, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Olesik, John", "platforms": null, "repo": "NOAA\u0027s National Centers for Environmental Information World Data Service Paleo archive", "repositories": "NOAA\u0027s National Centers for Environmental Information World Data Service Paleo archive; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.7602, "title": "Atmospheric Mineral Nanoparticles in Antarctic Ice during the last Climatic Cycle", "uid": "p0010492", "west": 161.711586}, {"awards": "2042032 Huckstadt, Luis", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Crabeater seal tracking data 2022-2023", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601861", "doi": "10.15784/601861", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere", "people": "Huckstadt, Luis", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Crabeater seal tracking data 2022-2023", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601861"}], "date_created": "Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part I: Non-technical description: The crabeater seal is the most important predator of Antarctic krill in the western Antarctic Peninsula oceanic waters after the disappearance of large whales due to human hunting 100 years ago. The crabeater seals are expected to consume large quantities of krill due to their high abundance (about 7 million individuals), large body size (about 700 pounds in body weight), high metabolism and a diet specializing in krill. This species depends on sea ice presence all year long, living, reproducing, and diving to feed from that environment, making this marine mammal species a good indicator, or sentinel, of how the Antarctic ecosystem responds to a changing climate. As sea ice has been decreasing in the northern Antarctic Peninsula, this project aims to understand if the species food availability has changed in the last decades in response to environmental changes. In particular, the proposed work will concentrate on known populations of crabeater seals in northern (i.e., warmer, sub-polar) and southern (i.e., colder, polar) Antarctic Peninsula, 450 miles apart, making measurements on the abundance, physiology, metabolic needs and movement of the crabeater populations in both locations. The data will be combined to build models that will quantify the existing differences between northern and southern populations, as well as predict their future change, and compare present-day measurements with those collected by the British Antarctic Survey in the mid-1900s. The project is a collaboration between an international and interdisciplinary team from the United States and United Kingdom, benefitting NSF goals to facilitate collaborative geoscience research projects involving these two countries as well as aligning directly with U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) to better understand the forces shaping the global environment, both human and natural, and their impacts on society. To further increase polar literacy and education, Principal Investigators will train at least 2 graduate students and several undergraduates across two US institutions, as well as one UK-based post-doctoral researcher. Part II: Technical description: Crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga) are considered an excellent sentinel species through which to examine the effects of a changing climate on the extended Antarctic krill-dependent predator community and the structure of the entire ecosystem of the western Antarctic Peninsula. Over the last forty years, there have been significant changes in the temporal and spatial patterns of primary productivity, and shifts in the population dynamics of Antarctic krill, the dominant mid-trophic level species. The impact of such changes on year-round resident species of crabeater seals (the most important predator of Antarctic krill) is more difficult to understand as they are not associated with breeding colonies where their population fluctuations could be more readily observed. The proposed research is conceived under the premise that environmental change has accentuated the differences between the northern and southern western Antarctic Peninsula crabeater seal populations due to differential reductions in sea-ice and its possible effect on prey availability. To address this question, this research will combine measurements on animal movement, stable isotope analyses, whole-animal physiology, and novel survey technologies (small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, satellite imagery) to build models. The project is a collaboration between an international and interdisciplinary team from the United States and United Kingdom. These studies will be essential to detect past, and project future, changes in the ecology of this species in response to changes in sea ice when comparing present-day measurements with those collected by the British Antarctic Survey in the mid-1900s. To further increase polar literacy and education, Principal Investigators will train at least 2 graduate students and several undergraduates across two US institutions, as well as one UK-based post-doctoral researcher. Students involved with this project will gain invaluable research experience in the lab and will have a unique opportunity to participate in Antarctic fieldwork. 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": "ANIMAL ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR; MARINE ECOSYSTEMS; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Huckstadt, Luis", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "NSFGEO-NERC Collaborative Research: Effects of a Changing Climate on the Habitat Utilization, Foraging Ecology and Distribution of Crabeater Seals", "uid": "p0010490", "west": null}, {"awards": "1841228 Lyons, W. Berry", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((163.37428 -77.558627,163.3922735 -77.558627,163.410267 -77.558627,163.4282605 -77.558627,163.446254 -77.558627,163.4642475 -77.558627,163.482241 -77.558627,163.5002345 -77.558627,163.518228 -77.558627,163.5362215 -77.558627,163.554215 -77.558627,163.554215 -77.56397510000001,163.554215 -77.5693232,163.554215 -77.5746713,163.554215 -77.5800194,163.554215 -77.5853675,163.554215 -77.59071560000001,163.554215 -77.5960637,163.554215 -77.60141180000001,163.554215 -77.6067599,163.554215 -77.612108,163.5362215 -77.612108,163.518228 -77.612108,163.5002345 -77.612108,163.482241 -77.612108,163.4642475 -77.612108,163.446254 -77.612108,163.4282605 -77.612108,163.410267 -77.612108,163.3922735 -77.612108,163.37428 -77.612108,163.37428 -77.6067599,163.37428 -77.60141180000001,163.37428 -77.5960637,163.37428 -77.59071560000001,163.37428 -77.5853675,163.37428 -77.5800194,163.37428 -77.5746713,163.37428 -77.5693232,163.37428 -77.56397510000001,163.37428 -77.558627))", "dataset_titles": "Commonwealth Stream Diel Water Chemistry; Hyporheic zone geochemistry of Wales Stream, Taylor Valley, Antarctica; isotopic signature of massive buried ice, eastern Taylor Valley, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601848", "doi": "10.15784/601848", "keywords": "Antarctica; Buried Ice; Cryosphere; Stable Isotopes; Stable Water Isotopes; Taylor Valley", "people": "Gardner, Christopher B.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "isotopic signature of massive buried ice, eastern Taylor Valley, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601848"}, {"dataset_uid": "601844", "doi": "10.15784/601844", "keywords": "Antarctica; Commonwealth Stream; Cryosphere; Diel; Inlandwaters; McMurdo Dry Valleys; Stream Chemistry; Water Chemisty", "people": "Gardner, Christopher B.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Commonwealth Stream Diel Water Chemistry", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601844"}, {"dataset_uid": "601847", "doi": "10.15784/601847", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Nutrients; Stable Isotopes; Taylor Valley; Trace Elements", "people": "Gardner, Christopher B.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Hyporheic zone geochemistry of Wales Stream, Taylor Valley, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601847"}], "date_created": "Wed, 16 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Phytoplankton, or microscopic marine algae, are an important part of the carbon cycle and can lower the rates of atmospheric carbon dioxide by transferring the atmospheric carbon into the oceans. The concentration of phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean is regularly limited by the availability of marine iron. This in turn influences the rate of carbon transfer from the atmosphere to the ocean. The primary source of iron in the Southern Ocean is eroded continental rock. Understanding the current and future sources of iron to the Southern Ocean as a result of increased melting of terrestrial glaciers is necessary for predicting future concentrations of Southern Ocean phytoplankton and the subsequent influence on the carbon cycle. A poorly understood source of iron to the Southern Ocean is stream input from ice-free regions such as the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. This source of iron is likely to become larger if glaciers retreat. This study investigates the sources and amount of iron transported by McMurdo Dry Valley streams directly into the Southern Ocean. Because not all forms of iron can be used by phytoplankton, experiments will be performed to determine how available iron is to phytoplankton and how iron mixes with seawater. Immersive 360-degree video, infographics, and educational videos of findings from this project will be shared on social media, at schools and science events, and in an urban science center. In the Southern Ocean (SO) there is an excess of macronutrients but regional primary production is limited or co-limited due to iron. An addition of iron to the ocean will affect biochemical cycles, increase primary production, and affect the structure and composition of phytoplankton communities in the SO. Iron flux to the SO is globally significant, as increased Fe fertilization leads to increased carbon sequestration which acts as a negative feedback to increased atmospheric pCO2. One source of potentially bioavailable iron to the coastal regions of the SO is from direct sub-aerial stream discharge in ice-free areas of Antarctica, a source that may become more important if terrestrial glaciers retreat. It is imperative to understand the source, nature, potential fate, and flux of iron to the SO if better predictive models for the carbon cycle and atmospheric chemistry are to be developed. This project will investigate in-stream processes and characteristics controlling dissolved iron draining into the Ross Sea including photoreduction, temperature, and complexation with organic matter. The novel study will quantify bioavailability of particulate iron and bioavailability of dissolved iron in Antarctic in streams draining into the SO. On-site speciation measurements will be performed on dissolved iron species, particulate iron speciation will be determined using high-resolution spectroscopy, mixing experiments will be performed with coastal marine water, and the bioavailability of Fe will be determined through marine bioassays. This project will provide two students with valuable Antarctic field experience and reach thousands of individuals through existing partnerships with K-12 schools, public STEM events, an urban science center, and a strong social media presence. 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": 163.554215, "geometry": "POINT(163.4642475 -77.5853675)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "SURFACE WATER CHEMISTRY; Iron Fertilization; McMurdo Dry Valleys; Weathering", "locations": "McMurdo Dry Valleys", "north": -77.558627, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lyons, W. Berry; Gardner, Christopher B.", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.612108, "title": "Fe Behavior and Bioavailability in Sub-aerial Runoff into the Ross Sea", "uid": "p0010483", "west": 163.37428}, {"awards": "2332479 MacAyeal, Douglas", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((161 -76,162.4 -76,163.8 -76,165.2 -76,166.6 -76,168 -76,169.4 -76,170.8 -76,172.2 -76,173.6 -76,175 -76,175 -76.3,175 -76.6,175 -76.9,175 -77.2,175 -77.5,175 -77.8,175 -78.1,175 -78.4,175 -78.7,175 -79,173.6 -79,172.2 -79,170.8 -79,169.4 -79,168 -79,166.6 -79,165.2 -79,163.8 -79,162.4 -79,161 -79,161 -78.7,161 -78.4,161 -78.1,161 -77.8,161 -77.5,161 -77.2,161 -76.9,161 -76.6,161 -76.3,161 -76))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 08 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Non-Technical Abstract: This project explores the areas or crash-zones where floating ice shelves in Antarctica compressively flow against obstructions such as islands and plugs of stagnant ice frozen to the sea bed. The significance of these crash-zones is that they are responsible for generating the resistive forces that allow ice shelves to slow down the flow of ice farther inland into the ocean. Ice conditions within these boundaries thus determine how Antarctica\u2019s ice sheets contribute to sea-level rise. The research will feature on-the-ice glaciological and geophysical field measurements near pressure ridges near Scott Base and the transition to the ice road where large wave-like pressure ridges form on the ice-shelf surface. This field area is along the coast of Ross Island adjacent to major logistical stations of the US and New Zealand Antarctic programs. Thus the research will help station managers better preserve one of the key roadways that connects the stations to the major runway used to fly to virtually all other parts of Antarctica. The research will also interact with educational programs such as featured in the long-standing Juneau Icefield Research Project as well as potential involvement of an artist from the US Antarctic Program\u2019s Polar STEAM in the second field season. Technical Abstract: This project explores the dynamics of boundaries where ice shelves compressively flow against obstructions such as islands and areas of grounded ice. The significance of these boundaries is that they are responsible for generating the resistive forces that allow ice shelves to impede or slow down the flow of grounded inland ice into the ocean. Ice conditions within these boundaries thus determine how Antarctica\u2019s ice sheets contribute to sea-level rise. The research will feature glaciological and geophysical field surveys in a compressive boundary area near pressure ridges adjacent to Scott Base and the transition to the ice road along the coast of Ross Island, an area affecting access to major logistical hubs of the US and New Zealand Antarctic programs. Field data will be combined with remote sensing, numerical modeling and theory development to answer key questions about the dynamics of compressive boundaries such as: is there a limit to compressive stress due to ice fracture and the bending of the ice shelf into sinusoidal pressure ridges? Over what time scales does this compressive stress build, fluctuate and decay, and how is it related to the processes that form rumples? Are there ways in which the ridges actually protect the compressive boundary from damage such as by setting up a means to scatter ocean swell impinging from the open ocean? How should compressive ice-shelf boundaries be represented in large scale ice-sheet/shelf models for the prediction of future sea-level rise? A variety of broader impact work will be done both specifically targeting the research field area and more broadly addressing scientific and societal concerns. The field area contains a critical logistics roadway that connects McMurdo Station, Scott Base and a runway essential for continent-wide air logistics. The project will inform how to stabilize the roadway against excessive damage from summer ablation and other factors. Other broader impacts include: (a) Open-Science evaluation of climate systems engineering strategies for glacial geoengineering mitigation of sea-level rise, (b) cooperation with the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) education component, (c) support and facilitation of an online FieldSafe workshop and associated panel discussion to support early-career Antarctic field teams to mitigate environmental and interpersonal risks in remote field sites, and (d) potential involvement of an artist from the US Antarctic Program\u2019s Polar STEAM in the second field season. 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": 175.0, "geometry": "POINT(168 -77.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ICE SHEETS; Ice Shelf Dynamics; McMurdo Sound", "locations": "McMurdo Sound", "north": -76.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "MacAyeal, Douglas; Banwell, Alison; Campbell, Seth; Schild, Kristin; Cassoto, Ryan", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -79.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Ice-Shelf Rumpling and its Influence on Ice-Shelf Buttressing Processes.", "uid": "p0010478", "west": 161.0}, {"awards": "2031121 Junge, Karen", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The ozone hole that develops over the Antarctic continent every spring is one of the features attributed to human activity, in particular production of the CFC (chlorofluorocarbons in refrigerants) released to the atmosphere. In spite of the CFC ban from the Montreal Protocol established in the year 1987, the recovery has been slower than predicted. Bromocarbons, known to produce the stratospheric ozone depletion, have recently been estimated to contribute to the pool of bromines in the lower atmosphere. What is the origin of the bromocarbons in Antarctic sea ice? Is this an additional source of chemicals creating the ozone hole? This project will test if bromocarbons in sea ice are produced and degraded by microalgae and bacteria found in sea ice, in snow and the interface between the two. The project will collect a suite of chemical and biological measurements of sea ice and snow to determine bromocarbon concentrations, microbial activity associated with them, and intra-cellular genes and proteins involved in bromocarbon metabolism. This project benefits NSF\u2019s goals of expanding fundamental knowledge of Antarctic systems, biota, and processes, and improving the understanding of interactions among the Antarctic systems, cryosphere and organisms. The work will be carried out at McMurdo Station in late austral spring, including sampling of snow and ice that will be concentrated in the laboratory, and 24-hour experiments to measure algal and bacterial activity. Genes controlling synthesis of enzymes involved in bromocarbon metabolism are of interest in biotechnology and bioremediation, including products that repair damaged skin from UltraViolet Radiation. The project will train undergraduate students on chemical and biological techniques. The Principal Investigators will be involved in the Pacific Science Center in Seattle with ~10,000 visitors per weekend where they will develop a project-specific exhibit. The microbial processes in snow and ice associated with bromocarbon synthesis and degradation have not been studied in Antarctica during winter and spring. This study will inform about microbial activity in relation to the release of bromocarbons compounds from the snow and ice surfaces, compounds known to degrade stratospheric ozone. The estimation of chemical bromocarbons will be combined with metagenomics and metaproteomics approaches for understanding the potential role of microbes in snow and sea ice. The environmental, chemical and biological data will be synthesized with multivariate analysis and significant differences between sites and experimental treatments with ANOVA. A collaborator from the University of Goteborg in Sweden will collaborate on bromocarbon analyses. The study will also address \u201csaline snow\u201d a new environment not previously studied for microbial life. In addition, this is the first study of meta-proteomics in snow and ice. The Principal Investigators expect their results will help inform ozone hole recovery in the 21st century. 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": "McMurdo Sound; COASTAL; BACTERIA/ARCHAEA; SEA ICE; SNOW/ICE", "locations": "McMurdo Sound", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Junge, Karen; Nunn, Brook L", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Sea-ice Snow Microbial Communities\u2019 Impact on Antarctic Bromocarbon Budgets and Processes", "uid": "p0010472", "west": null}, {"awards": "2336354 Juarez Rivera, Marisol", "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": "Lake Fryxell 2022-2023 benthic microbial mat thickness and number of laminae", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601839", "doi": "10.15784/601839", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Dry Valleys; Lake Fryxell; Laminae; Microbial Mat; Thickness", "people": "Mackey, Tyler; Juarez Rivera, Marisol; Sumner, Dawn; Paul, Ann; Hawes, Ian", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Lake Fryxell 2022-2023 benthic microbial mat thickness and number of laminae", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601839"}], "date_created": "Fri, 05 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Perennially ice-covered lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica contain abundant microbial mats, and the export of this mat material can fertilize the surrounding polar desert ecosystems. These desert soils are one of the most organic-poor on earth yet host a community of microorganisms. Microbial mat material is exported from the shallow, gas-supersaturated regions of the lakes when gas bubbles form in the mats, lifting them to the ice cover; the perennial ice cover maintains gas supersaturation. These mats freeze in and are exported to the surrounding soils through ice ablation. The largest seasonal decrease and thinnest ice cover in the history of Lake Fryxell was recorded during the 2022-2023 Austral summer. In this thin ice year, the water column dissolved oxygen increased over prior observations, and the lake bottom surface area with bubble-disrupted mat was more than double that observed in 1980-1981 and 2006-2007. This work will constrain mat mobilization within and out of Lake Fryxell in the McMurdo Dry Valleys during a period of unprecedented ice thinning to understand how future changing regional climate and predicted seasonal loss of lake ice cover will affect nutrient transport in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Exceptional years of mat export are hypothesized to have the most significant impact on nutrient export to soil communities; variability in mat liftoff may thus play a role in the McMurdo Dry Valleys ecosystem response to changing climate. The perennial ice cover of lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica modulates the transfer of gasses, organic and inorganic material, between the lakes and surrounding soils. The export of biomass in these lakes is driven by the supersaturation of atmospheric gasses in the shallow regions under perennial ice cover. Gas bubbles nucleate in the mats, producing buoyancy that lifts them to the bottom of the ice, where they freeze in and are exported to the surrounding soils through ice ablation. These mats represent a significant source of biomass and nutrients to the McMurdo Dry Valleys soils, which are among the most organic-poor on earth. Nevertheless, this biomass remains unaccounted for in organic carbon cycling models for the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Ice cover data from the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research Project shows that the ice thickness has undergone cyclical variation over the last 40 years, reaching the largest seasonal decrease and thinnest ice-cover in the recorded history of Lake Fryxell during the 2022-2023 austral summer. Preliminary work shows that the surface area with mat liftoff at Lake Fryxell is more than double that observed in 1980-1981 and 2006-2007, coinciding with this unprecedented thinning of the ice-cover and an increase in the water column dissolved O2. This research will constrain biomass mobilization within and out of Lake Fryxell in the McMurdo Dry Valleys during a period of unprecedented ice thinning. The researchers hypothesize that a thinner ice cover promotes more biomass mobilization by 1) stimulating additional production of gas bubbles from the existing gas-supersaturated waters during summertime photosynthesis to create microbial mat liftoff and 2) promoting mat liftoff in deeper, thicker microbial mats, and 3) that this biomass can be traced into the soils by characterizing its chemistry and modeling the most likely depositional settings. This work will use microbial mat samples, lake dissolved oxygen and photosynthetically active radiation data and underwater drone footage documenting the depth distribution of liftoff mats in January 2023, and long-term ice cover thickness, photosynthetically active radiation, and lake level change data collected by the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research Project to test hypotheses 1-3. The dispersal of the liftoff mat exposed at Lake Fryxell surface will be modeled using a Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model. Exceptional liftoff years like the present are hypothesized to have the most significant impact on the soil communities as the rates of soil respiration increase with the addition of carbon. However, continued warming in the next 10 - 40 years may result in seasonal loss of the ice cover and cessation of liftoff mat export. 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": "Stable Isotopes; MINERALS; LAKE/POND; ISOTOPES; Organic Matter; McMurdo Dry Valleys; SEDIMENTARY ROCKS", "locations": "McMurdo Dry Valleys", "north": -76.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Juarez Rivera, Marisol", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.5, "title": "RAPID: Is Biomass Mobilization at Ice-covered Lake Fryxell, Antarctica reaching a Critical Threshold?", "uid": "p0010467", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "1903681 Brook, Edward J.", "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": "Final N2O isotopic data including isotopomer ratios for the last deglaciation and Heinrich Stadia 4/Dansgaard Oeschger Event 8; Preliminary nitrous oxide site preference isotopic data for last deglaciation from Taylor Glacier", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601592", "doi": "10.15784/601592", "keywords": "Antarctica; Nitrous Oxide; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Menking, Andy; Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Preliminary nitrous oxide site preference isotopic data for last deglaciation from Taylor Glacier", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601592"}, {"dataset_uid": "601803", "doi": "10.15784/601803", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Ice Core; Nitrous Oxide; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Menking, Andy; Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Final N2O isotopic data including isotopomer ratios for the last deglaciation and Heinrich Stadia 4/Dansgaard Oeschger Event 8", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601803"}], "date_created": "Wed, 19 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The objective of this project is to understand why the nitrous oxide (N2O) content of the atmosphere was lower during the last ice age (about 20,000-100,000 years ago) than in the subsequent warm period (10,000 years ago to present) and why it fluctuated during climate changes within the ice age. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to modern global warming. It is thought that modern warming will in turn cause increases in natural sources of nitrous oxide from bacteria in soils and the ocean, creating a \"positive feedback.\" However, the amount these sources will increase is uncertain because the different ways that nitrous oxide are produced, and how sensitive they are to warmer climate, are not well known. This project will measure a unique property of the nitrous oxide molecule in very large ancient air samples from a glacier in Antarctica. This method can distinguish between different microbial processes that produce nitrous oxide but it has not been applied yet to the time periods in question. The data will provide information about how natural climate changes affect nitrous oxide production. This, in turn, will be useful for predicting future changes and for understanding why the Earth\u0027s climate shifts from ice ages to warm periods and back again. Ice-core records of greenhouse gas isotopic composition are useful for determining past changes in natural source and sink strengths and for understanding how natural emissions are linked to climate change. This project will develop two records of the intramolecular site preference of Nitrogen-15 in N2O. One record spans the last deglaciation (10,000-21,000 years ago) when atmospheric N2O concentration rose by 30 percent, and the other record spans millennial-scale climate changes during the last ice age when N2O varied by smaller amounts (Heinrich Stadial 4 and Dansgaard Oeschger 8, 35,000-41,000 years ago). The records will be used to understand what changes in the nitrogen cycle caused atmospheric N2O concentration to vary and what mechanisms link the N2O emissions to climate change. Ideally, studying the two different time periods will isolate the millennial climate responses entangled with the full deglacial sequence, creating a clearer picture of how N2O biogeochemistry responds to climate change. This work will also allow exploration of an isotopic tracer for in situ production of N2O that contaminates the atmospheric signal in particularly dusty ice. The project will use a unique, well-dated suite of ice samples from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica and continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry on a custom gas extraction line operated in the Oregon State University laboratory. 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": "Taylor Glacier; Nitrous Oxide; TRACE GASES/TRACE SPECIES; Ice Core; Stable Isotopes; NITROUS OXIDE", "locations": "Taylor Glacier", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY", "persons": "Brook, Edward", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Deciphering Changes in Atmospheric Nitrous Oxide Concentration During the Last Ice Age Using the Intramolecular Site-Preference of Nitrogen Isotopes", "uid": "p0010465", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2423761 Blackburn, Terrence", "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": "Thermogenic Methane Production in Antarctic Subglacial Hydrocarbon Seeps", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601918", "doi": "10.15784/601918", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon Isotopes; Cryosphere; East Antarctica; Elephant Moraine; Geochronology; Isotope Data; Subglacial", "people": "Piccione, Gavin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Thermogenic Methane Production in Antarctic Subglacial Hydrocarbon Seeps", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601918"}], "date_created": "Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Non-technical abstract Earth\u2019s climatic changes have been recorded in the ice core collected from the Antarctic ice sheet. While these records provide a high resolution view of how polar temperatures changed through time, it is not always clear what Earth process influence Antarctic climate. One likely contributor to Antarctic temperature changes is the cyclic changes in Earth\u2019s orientation as it orbits the sun. These so-called Milankovitch cycles control the amount and pattern of sunlight reaching the polar regions, that in turn result in periods of climatic warming or cooling. While the orbital variations and control on incoming solar energy remain well understood, how they influence Antarctic climate remains unresolved. It is the goal of this project to determine how variations in Earth\u2019s orbit may be locally influencing Antarctic temperatures. The researchers on this project are pursing this goal by identifying periods of past ice melting on the surface of Antarctica using minerals that precipitate from the meltwaters that resulted from past warm periods. The timing of this past melting will be determined by radioisotopic dating of the minerals using the natural radioactive decay of uranium to thorium. By dating numerous samples, collected in past scientific expeditions throughout the Antarctic continent, these researchers aim to reconstruct the frequency and spatial pattern of past warming and in doing so, determine what aspect of Earth\u2019s orbital variations influences Antarctic ice loss. Technical abstract Antarctic ice cores provide high resolution records of Pleistocene Southern Hemisphere temperatures that show an overall coherence with Northern Hemisphere temperature variations. One explanation for this bi-hemispheric temperature covariance relies on changes in atmospheric CO2 that result from varying northern hemisphere insolation. An alternative posits that the apparent coherence of polar temperatures is due to the misleading covariance between northern hemisphere summer insolation and, the southern hemisphere summer duration. At present there is an insufficient understanding of the role that local insolation plays in Antarctic climate. The goal of this research project is to identify the temporal spatial patterns of solar forcing in Antarctica. To reach this goal, the project team will: 1) develop a way to identify periods of past surface melt production in Antarctica using U-Th dating of pedogenic carbonates; and 2) utilize the evidence of past surface melting to calibrate energy balance models and interrogate past Antarctic surface temperatures and; 3) compare the timing of Antarctic warm periods to potential solar forcing mechanisms such as peak summer insolation or summer duration. A means of identifying the spatial and temporal pattern at which local insolation influences Antarctic temperature would provide a transformative solution to the contradiction in current climate records. 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": "Antarctic Ice Sheet; PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS", "locations": "Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Blackburn, Terrence", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "EAGER: Pedogenic Carbonates Record Insolation Driven Surface Melting in Antarctica", "uid": "p0010459", "west": -180.0}, {"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": "601769", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Biogenic Silica; Diatom", "people": "Furlong, Heather; Scherer, Reed Paul", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Pliocene diatom abundance, IODP 379-U1532", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601769"}, {"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": "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": null, "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 12 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Undersea canyons play disproportionately important roles as oceanic biological hotspots and are critical for our understanding of many coastal ecosystems. Canyon-associated biological hotspots have persisted for thousands of years Along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, despite significant climate variability. Observations of currents over Palmer Deep canyon, a representative hotspot along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, indicate that surface phytoplankton blooms enter and exit the local hotspot on scales of ~1-2 days. This time of residence is in conflict with the prevailing idea that canyon associated hotspots are primarily maintained by phytoplankton that are locally grown in association with these features by the upwelling of deep waters rich with nutrients that fuel the phytoplankton growth. Instead, the implication is that horizontal ocean circulation is likely more important to maintaining these biological hotspots than local upwelling through its physical concentrating effects. This project seeks to better resolve the factors that create and maintain focused areas of biological activity at canyons along the Western Antarctic Peninsula and create local foraging areas for marine mammals and birds. The project focus is in the analysis of the ocean transport and concentration mechanisms that sustain these biological hotspots, connecting oceanography to phytoplankton and krill, up through the food web to one of the resident predators, penguins. In addition, the research will engage with teachers from school districts serving underrepresented and underserved students by integrating the instructors and their students completely with the science team. Students will conduct their own research with the same data over the same time as researchers on the project. Revealing the fundamental mechanisms that sustain these known hotspots will significantly advance our understanding of the observed connection between submarine canyons and persistent penguin population hotspots over ecological time, and provide a new model for how Antarctic hotspots function.\u003cbr/\u003e \u003cbr/\u003e \u003cbr/\u003eTo understand the physical mechanisms that support persistent hotspots along the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), this project will integrate a modeling and field program that will target the processes responsible for transporting and concentrating phytoplankton and krill biomass to known penguin foraging locations. Within the Palmer Deep canyon, a representative hotspot, the team will deploy a High Frequency Radar (HFR) coastal surface current mapping network, uniquely equipped to identify the eddies and frontal regions that concentrate phytoplankton and krill. The field program, centered on surface features identified by the HFR, will include (i) a coordinated fleet of gliders to survey hydrography, chlorophyll fluorescence, optical backscatter, and active acoustics at the scale of the targeted convergent features; (ii) precise penguin tracking with GPS-linked satellite telemetry and time-depth recorders (TDRs); (iii) and weekly small boat surveys that adaptively target and track convergent features to measure phytoplankton, krill, and hydrography. A high resolution physical model will generalize our field measurements to other known hotspots along the WAP through simulation and determine which physical mechanisms lead to the maintenance of these hotspots. The project will also engage educators, students, and members of the general public in Antarctic research and data analysis with an education program that will advance teaching and learning as well as broadening participation of under-represented groups. This engagement includes professional development workshops, live connections to the public and classrooms, student research symposia, and program evaluation. Together the integrated research and engagement will advance our understanding of the role regional transport pathways and local depth dependent concentrating physical mechanisms play in sustaining these biological hotspots.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis 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": "Palmer Station; BENTHIC; PENGUINS; FLUORESCENCE; PHYTOPLANKTON", "locations": "Palmer Station", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": null, "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Physical Mechanisms Driving Food Web Focusing in Antarctic Biological Hotspots", "uid": "p0010448", "west": null}, {"awards": "1443522 Wannamaker, Philip", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((166 -77.15,166.34 -77.15,166.68 -77.15,167.02 -77.15,167.36 -77.15,167.7 -77.15,168.04 -77.15,168.38 -77.15,168.72 -77.15,169.06 -77.15,169.4 -77.15,169.4 -77.22500000000001,169.4 -77.30000000000001,169.4 -77.375,169.4 -77.45,169.4 -77.525,169.4 -77.60000000000001,169.4 -77.67500000000001,169.4 -77.75,169.4 -77.825,169.4 -77.9,169.06 -77.9,168.72 -77.9,168.38 -77.9,168.04 -77.9,167.7 -77.9,167.36 -77.9,167.02 -77.9,166.68 -77.9,166.34 -77.9,166 -77.9,166 -77.825,166 -77.75,166 -77.67500000000001,166 -77.60000000000001,166 -77.525,166 -77.45,166 -77.375,166 -77.30000000000001,166 -77.22500000000001,166 -77.15))", "dataset_titles": "Erebus volcano/Ross Island Magnetotelluric (MT) data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601493", "doi": "10.15784/601493", "keywords": "Antarctica; Mantle Melting; Mount Erebus", "people": "Hill, Graham; Wannamaker, Philip", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Erebus volcano/Ross Island Magnetotelluric (MT) data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601493"}], "date_created": "Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "General Description: This project is intended to reveal the magma source regions, staging areas, and eruptive pathways within the active volcano Mount Erebus. This volcano is an end-member type known as phonolitic, which refers to the lava composition, and is almost purely carbon-dioxide-bearing and occurs in continental rift settings. It is in contrast to the better known water-bearing volcanoes which occur at plate boundary settings (such as Mount St Helens or Mount Fuji). Phonolitic volcanic eruptions elsewhere such as Tamboro or Vesuvius have caused more than 50,000 eruption related fatalities. Phonolites are also associated with rare earth element deposits, giving them economic interest. To illuminate the inner workings of Mount Erebus, we will cover the volcano with a dense network of geophysical probes based on magnetotelluric (MT) measurements. MT makes use of naturally occurring electromagnetic (EM) waves generated mainly by the sun as sources to provide images of the electrical conductivity structure of the Earth\u0027s interior. Conductivity is sensitive to the presence of fluids and melts in the Earth and so is well suited to understanding volcanic processes. The project is a cooperative effort between scientists from the United States, New Zealand, Japan and Canada. It implements new technology developed by the lead investigator and associates that allows such measurements to be taken on snow-covered terrains. This has applicability for frozen environments generally, such as resource exploration in the Arctic. The project supports a new post-doctoral researcher, and leverages imaging and measurement methods developed through support by other agencies and interfaced with commercial platforms. Technical Description: The investigators propose to test magmatic evolution models for Mount Erebus volcano, Antarctica, using the magnetotelluric (MT) method. The phonolite lava flow compositions on Mount Erebus are uncommon, but provide a window into the range of upper mantle source compositions and melt differentiation paths. Explosive phonolite eruptions have been known worldwide for devastating eruptions such as Tambora and Vesuvius, and commonly host rare earth element deposits. In the MT method, temporal variations in the Earth\u0027s natural electromagnetic (EM) field are used as source fields to probe the electrical resistivity structure in the depth range of 1 to 100 kilometers. This effort will consist of approximately 100 MT sites, with some concentration in the summit area. Field acquisition will take place over two field seasons. The main goals are to 1) confirm the existence and the geometry of the uppermost magma chamber thought to reside at 5-10 kilometer depths; 2) attempt to identify, in the deeper resistivity structure, the magma staging area near the crust-mantle boundary; 3) image the steep, crustal-scale, near-vertical conduit carrying magma from the mantle; 4) infer the physical and chemical state from geophysical properties of a CO2-dominated mafic shield volcano; and 5) constrain the relationships between structural and magmatic/ hydrothermal activity related to the Terror Rift. Tomographic imaging of the interior resistivity will be performed using a new inversion platform developed at Utah, based on the deformable edge finite element method, that is the best available for accommodating the steep topography of the study area. The project is an international cooperation between University of Utah, GNS Science Wellington New Zealand (G. Hill, Co-I), and Tokyo Institute of Technology Japan (Y. Ogawa, Co-I), plus participation by University of Alberta (M. Unsworth) and Missouri State University (K. Mickus). Instrument deployments will be made exclusively by helicopter. The project implements new technology that allows MT measurements to be taken on snow-covered terrains. The project supports a new post-doctoral researcher, and leverages imaging and measurement methods developed through support by other agencies and interfaced with commercial platforms.", "east": 169.4, "geometry": "POINT(167.7 -77.525)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "MAGNETIC FIELD; FIELD SURVEYS; Ross Island; Magnetotelluric; Mount Erebus", "locations": "Ross Island; Mount Erebus", "north": -77.15, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Wannamaker, Philip", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.9, "title": "Magma Sources, Residence and Pathways of Mount Erebus Phonolitic Volcano, Antarctica, from Magnetotelluric Resistivity Structure", "uid": "p0010444", "west": 166.0}, {"awards": "2333940 Zhong, Shijie", "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": "Mon, 08 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Satellite observations of Earth\u2019s surface gravity and elevation changes indicate rapid melting of ice sheets in recent decades in northern Antarctica Peninsula and Amundsen Sea Embayment of West Antarctica. This rapid melting may lead to significant global sea level rise which is a major societal concern. Measurements from the Global Positioning System (GPS) show rapid land uplift in these regions as the ice sheets melt. When an ice sheet melts, the melt water flows to oceans, causing global sea level to rise. However, the sea level change at a given geographic location is also influenced by two other factors associated with the ice melting process: 1) the vertical motion of the land and 2) gravitational attraction. The vertical motion of the land is caused by the change of pressure force on the surface of the solid Earth. For example, the removal of ice mass reduces the pressure force on the land, leading to uplift of the land below the ice sheet, while the addition of water in oceans increases the pressure force on the seafloor, causing it to subside. The sea level always follows the equipotential surface of the gravity which changes as the mass on the Earth\u2019s surface (e.g., the ice and water) or/and in its interiors (e.g., at the crust-mantle boundary) is redistributed. Additionally, the vertical motion of the land below an ice sheet has important effects on the evolution and stability of the ice sheet and may determine whether the ice sheet will rapidly collapse or gradually stabilize. The main goal of this project is to build an accurate and efficient computer model to study the displacement and deformation of the Antarctic crust and mantle in response to recent ice melting. The project will significantly improve existing and publicly available computer code, CitcomSVE. The horizontal and vertical components of the Earth\u2019s surface displacement depends on mantle viscosity and elastic properties of the Earth. Although seismic imaging studies demonstrate that the Antarctica mantle is heterogeneous, most studies on the ice-melting induced deformation in Antarctica have assumed that mantle viscosity and elastic properties only vary with the depth due to computational limitations. In this project, the new computational method in CitcomSVE avoids such assumptions and makes it possible to include realistic 3-D mantle viscosity and elastic properties in computing the Antarctica crustal and mantle displacement. This project will interpret the GPS measurements of the surface displacements in northern Antarctica Peninsula and Amundsen Sea Embayment of West Antarctica and use the observations to place constraints on mantle viscosity and deformation mechanisms. The project will also seek to predict the future land displacement Antarctica, which will lead to a better understand of Antarctica ice sheets. Finally, the project has direct implications for the study of global sea level change and the dynamics of the Greenland ice sheet. Technical Description Glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) is important for understanding not only fundamental science questions including mantle viscosity, mantle convection and lithospheric deformation but also societally important questions of global sea-level change, polar ice melting, climate change, and groundwater hydrology. Studies of rock deformation in laboratory experiments, post-seismic deformation, and mantle dynamics indicate that mantle viscosity is temperature- and stress-dependent. Although the effects of stress-dependent (i.e., non-Newtonian) viscosity and transient creep rheology on GIA process have been studied, observational evidence remains elusive. There has been significant ice mass loss in recent decades in northern Antarctica Peninsula (NAP) and Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) of West Antarctica. The ice mass loss has caused rapid bedrock uplift as measured by GPS techniques which require surprisingly small upper mantle viscosity of ~1018 Pas. The rapid uplifts may have important feedback effects on ongoing ice melting because of their influence on grounding line migration, and the inferred small viscosity may have implications for mantle rheology and deformation on decadal time scales. The main objective of the project is to test hypotheses that the GPS observations in NAP and ASE regions are controlled by 3-D non-Newtonian or/and transient creep viscosity by developing new GIA modeling capability based on finite element package CitcomSVE. The project will carry out the following three tasks: Task 1 is to build GIA models for the NAP and ASE regions to examine the effects of 3-D temperature-dependent mantle viscosity on the surface displacements and to test hypothesis that the 3-D mantle viscosity improves the fit to the GPS observations. Task 2 is to test the hypothesis that non-Newtonian or/and transient creep rheology controls GIA process on decadal time scales by computing GIA models and comparing model predictions with GPS observations for the NAP and ASE regions. Task 3 is to implement transient creep (i.e., Burgers model) rheology into finite element package CitcomSVE for modeling the GIA process on global and regional scales and to make the package publicly available to the scientific community. The project will develop the first numerical GIA model with Burgers transient rheology and use the models to examine the effects of 3-D temperature-dependent viscosity, non-Newtonian viscosity and transient rheology on GIA-induced surface displacements in Antarctica. The project will model the unique GPS observations of unusually large displacement rates in the NAP and ASE regions to place constraints on mantle rheology and to distinguish between 3-D temperature-dependent, non-Newtonian and transient mantle viscosity. The project will expand the capability of the publicly available software package CitcomSVE for modeling viscoelastic deformation and tidal deformation on global and regional scales. The project will advance our understanding in lithospheric deformation and mantle rheology on decadal time scales, which helps predict grounding line migration and understand ice sheet stability in West Antarctica. The project will strengthen the open science practice by improving the publicly available code CitcomSVE at github. 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": "WAIS; CRUSTAL MOTION; COMPUTERS; GLACIER MASS BALANCE/ICE SHEET MASS BALANCE", "locations": "WAIS", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Zhong, Shijie", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e COMPUTERS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Investigating Effects of Transient and Non-Newtonian Mantle Viscosity on Glacial Isostatic Adjustment Process and their Implications for GPS Observations in Antarctica", "uid": "p0010441", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2012958 Meyer, Colin", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Frozen fringe friction ; Ring shear bed deformation measurements ", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601756", "doi": "10.15784/601756", "keywords": "Antarctica", "people": "Zoet, Lucas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Frozen fringe friction ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601756"}, {"dataset_uid": "601757", "doi": "10.15784/601757", "keywords": "Antarctica", "people": "Zoet, Lucas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ring shear bed deformation measurements ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601757"}], "date_created": "Wed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The fastest-changing regions of the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets that contribute most to sea-level rise are underlain by soft sediments that facilitate glacier motion. Glacier ice can infiltrate several meters into these sediments, depending on the temperature and water pressure at the base of the glacier. To understand how ice infiltration into subglacial sediments affects glacier slip, the team will conduct laboratory experiments under relevant temperature and pressure conditions and compare the results to state-of-the-art mathematical models. Through an undergraduate research exchange between University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dartmouth College, and the College of Menominee Nation, Native American students will work on laboratory experiments in one summer and mathematical theory in the following summer. Ice-sediment interactions are a central component of ice-sheet and landform-development models. Limited process understanding poses a key uncertainty for ice-sheet models that are used to forecast sea-level rise. This uncertainty underscores the importance of developing experimentally validated, theoretically robust descriptions of processes at the ice-sediment interface. To achieve this, the team aims to build on long-established theoretical, experimental, and field investigations that have elucidated the central role of premelting and surface-energy effects in controlling the dynamics of frost heave in soils. Project members will theoretically describe and experimentally test the role of premelting at the basal ice-sediment interface. The experiments are designed to provide quantitative insight into the impact of ice infiltration into sediments on glacier sliding, erosion, and subglacial landform evolution. 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": "BASAL SHEAR STRESS; GLACIER MOTION/ICE SHEET MOTION; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Arctic Natural Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Meyer, Colin; Rempel, Alan; Zoet, Lucas", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Freeze-on of Subglacial Sediments in Experiments and Theory", "uid": "p0010434", "west": null}, {"awards": "2317263 Cross, Andrew", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The seaward motion of ice sheets and glaciers is primarily controlled by basal sliding at the base of the ice sheet and internal viscous flow within the ice mass. The latter of these \u2014 viscous flow \u2014 is dependent on various factors, including temperature, stress, grain size, and the alignment of ice crystals during flow to produce a \"crystal orientation fabric\" (COF). Historically, ice flow has been modeled using an equation, termed \u201cGlen\u2019s law\u201d, that describes ice-flow rate as a function of temperature and stress. Glen\u2019s law was constrained under relatively high-stress conditions and is often attributed to the motion of crystal defects within ice grains. More recently, however, grain boundary sliding (GBS) has been invoked as the rate-controlling process under low-stress, \u201csuperplastic\u201d conditions. The grain boundary sliding hypothesis is contentious because GBS is not thought to produce a COF, whereas geophysical measurements and polar ice cores demonstrate strong COFs in polar ice masses. However, very few COF measurements have been conducted on ice samples subjected to superplastic flow conditions in the laboratory. This project would measure the evolution of ice COF across the transition from superplastic to Glen-type creep. Results will be used to interrogate the role of superplastic GBS creep within polar ice masses, and thereby provide constraints on polar ice discharge models. Polycrystalline ice samples with grain sizes ranging from 5 \u00b5m to 1000 \u00b5m will be fabricated and deformed in a laboratory, using a 1-atm cryogenic axial-torsion apparatus. Experiments will be conducted at temperatures of -30\u00b0C to -10\u00b0C, and at a constant uniaxial strain rate. Under these conditions, 5% to 99.99% of strain should be accommodated by superplastic, GBS-limited creep, depending on the sample grain size. The deformed samples will then be imaged using cryogenic electron backscatter diffraction (cryo-EBSD) and high-angular-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) to quantify COF, grain size, grain shape, and crystal defect (dislocation) densities, among other microstructural properties. These measurements will be used to decipher the rate-controlling mechanisms operating within different thermomechanical regimes, and resolve a long-standing debate over whether superplastic creep can produce a COF in ice. In addition to the polycrystal experiments, ice bicrystals will be fabricated and deformed to investigate the micromechanical behavior of individual grain boundaries under superplastic conditions. Ultimately, these results will be used to provide a microstructural toolbox for identifying superplastic creep using geophysical (e.g., seismic, radar) and glaciological (e.g., ice core) observations. This project will support one graduate student, one or more undergraduate summer students, and an early-career researcher. In addition, this project will support a workshop aimed at bringing together experimentalists, glaciologists, and ice modelers to facilitate cross-disciplinary knowledge sharing and collaborative problem solving. 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": "United States Of America; Rheology; ROCKS/MINERALS/CRYSTALS; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS", "locations": "United States Of America", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Cross, Andrew", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Microstructural Evolution during Superplastic Ice Creep", "uid": "p0010430", "west": null}, {"awards": "2317927 Hills, Benjamin", "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": "Radar Reflectivity at Whillans Ice Plain", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200401", "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.11201199", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Zenodo", "science_program": null, "title": "Radar Reflectivity at Whillans Ice Plain", "url": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11201199"}], "date_created": "Mon, 07 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ice flow is resisted by frictional forces that keep a glacier from immediately sliding into the ocean. Friction comes in two varieties: internal friction within the ice column which resists ice deformation and basal friction which resists ice sliding over its bedrock substrate. Partitioning between internal and basal friction is difficult since both have similar expressions at the most common target for data collection\u2014the ice-sheet surface. However, understanding this partitioning is important because the physical processes that control internal and basal friction act and evolve at different timescales. This project combines spaceborne remote sensing observations from the ice-sheet surface with ice-penetrating radar data that images the internal structure of the ice sheet in order to partition the contribution of each source of friction. Results will advance the fundamental understanding of ice flow and will strengthen projections of future sea-level rise. Broader Impacts of the project include facilitating data reuse for the ice-sheet research community; the strategy for distributing the software toolkit includes student mentorship and hackathon teaching. The researcher will expand the impact of existing ice-penetrating datasets by 1) developing new open-source algorithms for extraction of englacial stratigraphy; 2) creating stratigraphy data products that can be assimilated into future studies of ice motion; and 3) using statistical analyses to integrate radar datasets into larger-scale interpretations with remote sensing datasets of ice-surface velocity, altimetry, climate variables, and model-derived basal friction. The computational tools developed as part of this effort will be integrated and released as a reusable software toolkit for ice-penetrating radar data analysis. The toolkit will be validated and tested by deployment to cloud-hosted JupyterHub instances, which will serve as a singular interface to access radar and remote sensing data, load them into a unified framework, step through a predefined processing flow, and carry out statistical analyses. In some areas, the imaged englacial stratigraphy will deviate from the ice-dynamic setting expected based on surface measurements alone. There, the internal dynamics (or ice-dynamic history) are inconsistent with the surface dynamics, likely because internal friction is poorly constrained and misattributed to basal friction instead. This work will develop the data and statistical tools for constraining internal friction from ice-penetrating radar, making those data products and tools available for future work. 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": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GLACIER MOTION/ICE SHEET MOTION; BT-67; Antarctica; GLACIER TOPOGRAPHY/ICE SHEET TOPOGRAPHY; DHC-6; ICE SHEETS", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Post Doc/Travel", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hills, Benjamin", "platforms": "AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PROPELLER \u003e BT-67; AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PROPELLER \u003e DHC-6", "repo": "Zenodo", "repositories": "Zenodo", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Postdoctoral Fellowship: OPP-PRF: Disentangling Ice-sheet Internal and Basal Processes through Novel Ice-penetrating Radar Integration Built on Scalable, Cloud-based Infrastructure", "uid": "p0010428", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2142491 Young, Jodi", "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, 26 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Sea ice in Antarctic coastal waters shape ecosystems, both in the surface waters and at the bottom of the ocean, environments that depend on algae living in sea ice for their productivity. With high variability in sea ice formation and melt between years and as a response to climate change, it is of importance to obtain better understanding of the interaction of sea ice with algae, as well as provide better data for global climate models. This project will accomplish those goals by measuring phytoplankton growth and cellular properties in sea ice with experiments performed using an ice tank. Laboratory experiments will be based on previous observations in the Antarctic Peninsula coastal waters, providing realistic conditions to emulate. The scientific importance of the proposed work aligns with the National Science Foundation goals to understand the biological and chemical properties of sea ice bio-geo-chemistry and its feedbacks with seasonal sea ice dynamics and climate. The finding from this project will be of interest to a broad scientific community, including oceanographers, biologists, chemists, and ecosystem and ocean modelers. To address the scarcity of data on sea ice microbes that limits our ability to predict future Antarctic climate with accuracy, the principal investigator will develop an Antarctic Science Minor in order to train future scientists with an environmental perspective and prepare the future US workforce with a strong scientific background on Earth and Biological Sciences. There is a paucity of data to understand the processes underlying observed patters in sea ice quality and their interaction with the sea-ice microbial community. This project will provide a mechanistic understanding of primary production and physiology of sympagic algae over the seasonal cycle of formation and melt of Antarctic sea ice. Although sea ice is central to the Antarctic coastal ecosystems, little is known of how they affect, and are in turn affected, by sea-ice algae. This project concentrates on first-year sea ice, forming and melting each year, creating unique and very dynamic habitats. The study will be structured by 4 main objectives: 1) how different algal species adapt to the seasonal changes in sea ice conditions, 2) how different methods to measure primary production (carbon dioxide drawdown, oxygen production and variable fluorescence) relate in sea ice and differ from sea water measurements, 3) how sympagic algae influence the physical structure of sea ice, 4) how sympagic algae contribute to organic matter cycling during ice melt. Due to expected changes in sea ice due to climate change, this study is uniquely positioned to provide needed data on short-term and seasonal processes. Results from this study will be useful to refine models of algal production in Antarctic and Arctic ecosystems, data not available to date as sea ice and its biogeochemistry are often poorly represented in earth system models. This project will also provide education for graduate and undergraduate students as well as material to develop class curriculum for middle-school students. 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 ECOSYSTEMS", "locations": null, "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Young, Jodi", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "CAREER: Experimentally Testing the Role of Sympagic Algae in Sea-ice Environments using a Laboratory Scale Ice-tank.", "uid": "p0010425", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2021699 Trusel, Luke", "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": "Antarctic ice sheet daily surface melt detection from ASCAT (2007-2022); ASCAT-ERA5 Antarctic Peninsula Daily Surface Meltwater Production (2007-2022); Trusel et al 2022, Geophysical Research Letters: Publication data and code", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200362", "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.7995543", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Zenodo", "science_program": null, "title": "ASCAT-ERA5 Antarctic Peninsula Daily Surface Meltwater Production (2007-2022)", "url": "https://zenodo.org/record/7995543"}, {"dataset_uid": "200363", "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.6374343", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Zenodo", "science_program": null, "title": "Trusel et al 2022, Geophysical Research Letters: Publication data and code", "url": "https://zenodo.org/record/6374343"}, {"dataset_uid": "200364", "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.7995998", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Zenodo", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic ice sheet daily surface melt detection from ASCAT (2007-2022)", "url": "https://zenodo.org/record/7995998"}], "date_created": "Fri, 02 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Melting of snow and ice at the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet can lead to the formation of meltwater lakes, an important precursor to ice-shelf collapse and accelerated ice-sheet mass loss. Understanding the present state of Antarctic surface melt provides a baseline to gauge how quickly melt impacts could evolve in the future and to reduce uncertainties in estimates of future sea-level rise. This project will use a suite of complimentary measurements from Earth-observing satellites, ground observations, and numerical climate and ice-shelf models to enhance understanding of surface melt and lakes, as well as the processes linking these systems. The project directly supports the scientific training of a postdoctoral associate and several undergraduate researchers. In addition, it will promote public scientific literacy and the broadening of quantitative skills for high-school students through the development and implementation of an educational unit in a partnership with an education and outreach expert and two high school teachers. Accurate prediction of sea-level contributions from Antarctica critically requires understanding current melting and supraglacial lake conditions. This project will quantify Antarctic surface melt and supraglacial lakes, and the linkages between the two phenomena. Scatterometer data will enable generation of a 19-year multi-sensor melt time series. Synthetic aperture radar data will document melt conditions across all Antarctic ice shelves at the highest spatial resolution to date (40 m). Multispectral satellite imagery will be used to delineate and measure the depth of supraglacial lakes--for the first time studying the spatial and temporal variations of Antarctic supraglacial lakes. Melt and lake observations will be compared to identify agreement and disagreement. Melt observations will be used to evaluate biases in a widely used, reanalysis-driven, regional climate model. This model will then be used to examine climatic and glaciological variables associated with supraglacial lakes. Finally, in situ observations and climate model output will drive a numerical model that simulates the entire lifecycle of surface melt and possible subsequent lake formation.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ICE SHEETS; Antarctica; Surface Hydrology", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Trusel, Luke; Moussavi, Mahsa", "platforms": null, "repo": "Zenodo", "repositories": "Zenodo", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Water on the Antarctic Ice Sheet: Quantifying Surface Melt and Mapping Supraglacial Lakes", "uid": "p0010422", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2228257 Michaud, Alexander", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.05 -79.28)", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 31 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ice cores from glaciers and ice sheets provide detailed archives of past environmental conditions, furthering our understanding of Earth\u2019s climate. Microorganisms in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet are buried over glaciological time and form a stratigraphy record providing the opportunity of analysis of the order and position of layers of geological events, with potential links to Southern Hemisphere climate. However, microbial cells that land on the ice sheet are subject to the stresses of changing habitat conditions due to burial and conditions associated with long-term isolation in ice. These processes may lead to a loss of fidelity within the stratigraphic record of microbial cells. We know little about how and if microorganisms survive burial and remain alive over glacial-interglacial time periods within an ice sheet. This analysis will identify the viable and preserved community of microorganisms and core genomic adaptation that permit cell viability, which will advance knowledge in the areas of microbiology and glaciology while increasing fidelity of ice core measurements relevant to past climate and potential future global climate impacts. This exploratory endeavor has the potential to be a transformative step toward understanding the ecology of one of the most understudied environments on Earth. The project will partner with the Museum of Science, Boston, to increase public scientific literacy via education and outreach. Additionally, this project will support two early-career scientists and two undergraduates in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of microbiology and climate science. Results from this project will provide the first DNA data based on single-cell whole genomic sequencing from the Antarctic Ice Sheet and inform whether post-depositional processes impact the interpretations of paleoenvironmental conditions from microbes. The goals to determine the taxonomic identity of viable and preserved microbial cells, and decode the genetic repertoire that confers survival of burial and long-term viability within glacial ice, will be achieved by utilizing subsamples from a ~60,000 year old record of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WD) Ice Core. WD samples will be melted using the Desert Research Institute\u2019s ice core melting system that is optimized for glaciobiological sampling. Microbial cells from the meltwater will be sorted using fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and individually sorted cells will have their genomes sequenced. The fluorescence-based methods will discern the viable (metabolically active) cells from those cells that are non-viable but preserved in the ice (DNA-containing). The genomic analysis will identify the taxonomy of each cell, presence of known genes that confer survival in permanently frozen environments, and comparatively analyze genomes to determine the core set of genes required by viable cells to persist in an ice sheet. The outcomes of this work will expand the potential for biological measurements and contamination control from archived ice cores. 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": -112.05, "geometry": "POINT(-112.05 -79.28)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "WAIS Divide; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; ICE SHEETS; BACTERIA/ARCHAEA; ICE CORE RECORDS", "locations": "WAIS Divide", "north": -79.28, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Michaud, Alexander; Winski, Dominic A.", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -79.28, "title": "EAGER: ANT LIA: Persist or Perish: Records of Microbial Survival and Long-term Persistence from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "uid": "p0010421", "west": -112.05}, {"awards": "1643575 Kanatous, Shane; 1644004 Trumble, Stephen; 1644256 Costa, Daniel", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-66.534369 -52.962091,-65.3857434 -52.962091,-64.2371178 -52.962091,-63.0884922 -52.962091,-61.9398666 -52.962091,-60.791241 -52.962091,-59.6426154 -52.962091,-58.4939898 -52.962091,-57.3453642 -52.962091,-56.1967386 -52.962091,-55.048113 -52.962091,-55.048113 -54.530129,-55.048113 -56.098167000000004,-55.048113 -57.666205000000005,-55.048113 -59.234243,-55.048113 -60.802281,-55.048113 -62.370319,-55.048113 -63.938357,-55.048113 -65.506395,-55.048113 -67.074433,-55.048113 -68.642471,-56.1967386 -68.642471,-57.3453642 -68.642471,-58.4939898 -68.642471,-59.6426154 -68.642471,-60.791241 -68.642471,-61.9398666 -68.642471,-63.0884922 -68.642471,-64.2371178 -68.642471,-65.3857434 -68.642471,-66.534369 -68.642471,-66.534369 -67.074433,-66.534369 -65.506395,-66.534369 -63.938356999999996,-66.534369 -62.370319,-66.534369 -60.802281,-66.534369 -59.234243,-66.534369 -57.666205,-66.534369 -56.098167000000004,-66.534369 -54.530129,-66.534369 -52.962091))", "dataset_titles": "Data from: Whiskers provide time-series of toxic and essential trace elements, Se:Hg molar ratios, and stable isotope values of an apex Antarctic predator, the leopard seal; Leopard Seal Diving behavior data; Leopard Seal movement data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601690", "doi": "10.15784/601690", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Body Mass; Diving Behavior; Leopard Seal; Seals", "people": "Costa, Daniel", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Leopard Seal Diving behavior data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601690"}, {"dataset_uid": "200361", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ksn02v75b", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Dryad", "science_program": null, "title": "Data from: Whiskers provide time-series of toxic and essential trace elements, Se:Hg molar ratios, and stable isotope values of an apex Antarctic predator, the leopard seal", "url": "https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061%2Fdryad.ksn02v75b"}, {"dataset_uid": "601689", "doi": "10.15784/601689", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Body Mass; Diving Behavior; Leopard Seal; Movement Data; Seals", "people": "Costa, Daniel", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Leopard Seal movement data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601689"}], "date_created": "Fri, 12 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This research project is a multidisciplinary effort that brings together a diverse team of scientists from multiple institutions together to understand the foraging behavior and physiology of leopard seals and their role in the Southern Ocean food web. The project will examine the physiology and behavior of leopard seals to in an effort to determine their ability to respond to potential changes in their habitat and foraging areas. Using satellite tracking devices the team will examine the movement and diving behavior of leopard seals and couple this information with measurements of their physiological capacity. The project will determine whether leopard seals- who feed on diverse range of prey- are built differently than their deep diving relatives the Weddell and elephant seal who feed on fish and squid. The team will also determine whether leopard seals are operating at or near their physiological capability to determine how much, if any, ?reserve capacity? they might have to forage and live in changing environments. A better understanding of their home ranges, movement patterns, and general behavior will also be informative to help in managing human-leopard seal interactions. The highly visual nature of the data and analysis for this project lends itself to public and educational display and outreach, particularly as they relate to the changing Antarctic habitats. The project will use the research results to educate the public on the unique physiological and ecological adaptations to extreme environments seen in diving marine mammals, including adaptations to exercise under low oxygen conditions and energy utilization, which affect and dictate the lifestyle of these exceptional organisms. The results of the project will also contribute to the broader understanding that may enhance the aims of managing marine living resources. The leopard seal is an apex predator in the Antarctic ecosystem. This project seeks to better understand the ability of the leopard seal to cope with a changing environment. The project will first examine the foraging behavior and habitat utilization of leopard seals using satellite telemetry. Specifically, satellite telemetry tags will be used to obtain dive profiles and movement data for individuals across multiple years. Diet and trophic level positions across multiple temporal scales will then be determined from physiological samples (e.g., blood, vibrissae, blubber fatty acids, stable isotopes, fecal matter). Oceanographic data will be integrated with these measures to develop habitat models that will be used to assess habitat type, habitat utilization, habitat preference, and home range areas for individual animals. Diet composition for individual seals will be evaluated to determine whether specific animals are generalists or specialists. Second, the team will investigate the physiological adaptations that allow leopard seals to be apex predators and determine to what extent leopard seals are working at or near their physiological limit. Diving behavior and physiology of leopard seals will be evaluated (for instance the aerobic dive limit for individual animals and skeletal muscle adaptations will be determined for diving under hypoxic conditions). Data from time-depth recorders will be used to determine foraging strategies for individual seals, and these diving characteristics will be related to physiological variables (e.g., blood volume, muscle oxygen stores) to better understand the link between foraging behavior and physiology. The team will compare myoglobin storage in swimming muscles associated with both forelimb and hind limb propulsion and the use of anaerobic versus aerobic metabolic systems while foraging.", "east": -55.048113, "geometry": "POINT(-60.791241 -60.802281)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctic Peninsula; Diving Behavior; MAMMALS; MARINE ECOSYSTEMS; Movement Patterns; Leopard Seal", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula", "north": -52.962091, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Costa, Daniel; Trumble, Stephen J; Kanatous, Shane", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "Dryad; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -68.642471, "title": "Collaborative Research: Foraging Ecology and Physiology of the Leopard Seal", "uid": "p0010419", "west": -66.534369}, {"awards": "1745078 Brook, Edward J.", "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": "Atmospheric methane across the Last Glacial Maximum and deglaciation from the GISP2, NEEM and WAIS Divide ice cores ; Atmospheric methane interpolar difference and four-box troposphere model output across the Last Glacial Maximum and Deglaciation; Carbon-13 and Deuterium isotopic composition of atmospheric methane across Heinrich Stadial 4, and Dansgaard Oesgher Event 8, WAIS Divide Replicate Ice Core, Antarctica; Carbon-13 isotopic composition of atmospheric methane across Heinrich Stadials 1 and 5, and Dansgaard Oesgher Event 12, WAIS Divide Ice Core, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601737", "doi": "10.15784/601737", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Greenland; Ice Core Records; Methane; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Edwards, Jon S.; Rosen, Julia; Martin, Kaden; Lee, James; Riddell-Young, Benjamin; Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Atmospheric methane across the Last Glacial Maximum and deglaciation from the GISP2, NEEM and WAIS Divide ice cores ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601737"}, {"dataset_uid": "601736", "doi": "10.15784/601736", "keywords": "Antarctica; Greenland; Methane; Paleoclimate; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Brook, Edward J.; Edwards, Jon S.; Lee, James; Martin, Kaden; Blunier, Thomas; Fischer, Hubertus; Schmitt, Jochen; Rosen, Julia; Buizert, Christo; Riddell-Young, Benjamin; M\u00fchl, Michaela", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Atmospheric methane interpolar difference and four-box troposphere model output across the Last Glacial Maximum and Deglaciation", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601736"}, {"dataset_uid": "601813", "doi": "10.15784/601813", "keywords": "Abrupt Climate Change; Antarctica; Atmospheric Gases; Biogeochemical Cycles; Carbon Cycle; Cryosphere; Greenhouse Gas; Methane; West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide", "people": "Bauska, Thomas; Brook, Edward J.; Clark, Reid; Iseli, Rene; Menking, Andy; Fischer, Hubertus; Schmitt, Jochen; Lee, James; Riddell-Young, Benjamin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Carbon-13 and Deuterium isotopic composition of atmospheric methane across Heinrich Stadial 4, and Dansgaard Oesgher Event 8, WAIS Divide Replicate Ice Core, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601813"}, {"dataset_uid": "601683", "doi": "10.15784/601683", "keywords": "Antarctica; Methane; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Riddell-Young, Benjamin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Carbon-13 isotopic composition of atmospheric methane across Heinrich Stadials 1 and 5, and Dansgaard Oesgher Event 12, WAIS Divide Ice Core, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601683"}], "date_created": "Mon, 01 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project will develop methods to measure the ratios of carbon-13 to carbon-12, and heavy to light hydrogen in methane in air trapped in ice cores. The ratios of the different forms of carbon and hydrogen are \"fingerprints\" of different sources of this gas in the past--for example wetlands in the tropics versus methane frozen in the sea floor. Once the analysis method is developed, the measurements will be used to examine why methane changed abruptly in the past, both during the last ice age, and during previous warm periods. The data will be used to understand how methane sources like wildfires, methane hydrates, and wetlands respond to climate change. This information is needed to understand future risks of large changes in methane in the atmosphere as Earth warms. The project involves two tasks. First, the investigators will build and test a gas extraction system for methane isotopic measurements using continuous flow methods, with the goal of equaling or bettering the precision attained by the few other laboratories that make these measurements. The system will be interfaced with existing mass spectrometers at Oregon State University. The system consists of a vacuum chamber and sequence of traps, purification columns, and furnaces that separate methane from other gases and convert it to carbon dioxide or hydrogen for mass spectrometry. Second, the team will measure the isotopic composition of methane across large changes in concentration associated with two past interglacial periods and during abrupt methane changes of the last ice age. These measurements will be used to understand if the main reason for these concentration changes is climate-driven changes in emissions from wetlands, or whether other sources are involved, for example methane hydrates or wildfires. 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": "Antarctic Ice Sheet; TRACE GASES/TRACE SPECIES; METHANE", "locations": "Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Brook, Edward", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Tracing Past Methane Variations with Stable Isotopes in Antarctic Ice Cores", "uid": "p0010416", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1542902 Chereskin, Teresa; 2001646 Chereskin, Teresa", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-68 -54,-66.7 -54,-65.4 -54,-64.1 -54,-62.8 -54,-61.5 -54,-60.2 -54,-58.9 -54,-57.6 -54,-56.3 -54,-55 -54,-55 -55,-55 -56,-55 -57,-55 -58,-55 -59,-55 -60,-55 -61,-55 -62,-55 -63,-55 -64,-56.3 -64,-57.6 -64,-58.9 -64,-60.2 -64,-61.5 -64,-62.8 -64,-64.1 -64,-65.4 -64,-66.7 -64,-68 -64,-68 -63,-68 -62,-68 -61,-68 -60,-68 -59,-68 -58,-68 -57,-68 -56,-68 -55,-68 -54))", "dataset_titles": "Joint Archive for shipboard ADCP data; World Ocean Database", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200355", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "World Ocean Database", "url": "https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/OC5/SELECT/dbsearch/dbsearch.html"}, {"dataset_uid": "200354", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Joint Archive for shipboard ADCP data", "url": "https://uhslc.soest.hawaii.edu/sadcp/"}], "date_created": "Fri, 03 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part 1: On frequent crossings of the Drake Passage on the US Antarctic vessel ARSV Laurence M. Gould, a range of underway measurements are taken. These data represent one of the few repeat year around shipboard measurements in the Southern Ocean. With close to two decades of data now available, the primary science objectives of this proposal are to continue to analyze the Drake Passage time series. Part 2: Some of the analyses are (1) describe and relate the seasonal and long-term ocean energy distribution to wind, buoyancy and topographic forcing and sinks, and (2) describe and relate seasonal and long-term changes in the ACC fronts, water masses and upwelling to biogeochemical and climate variability. High-resolution, near-repeat Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) transect sampling in Drake Passage is thus used to study modes of variability in ocean temperature, salinity, currents and backscatter in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) on seasonal to interannual time frames, and on space scales from current cores to eddies. This project is a continuation of the longstanding support for collecting the ADCP and other underway data on USAP vessels, such as the ASRV Laurence M Gould 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": -55.0, "geometry": "POINT(-61.5 -59)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e XBT; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "R/V LMG; Drake Passage; WATER TEMPERATURE; Antarctic Circumpolar Current; Heat Flux", "locations": "Drake Passage", "north": -54.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Chereskin, Teresa; Sprintall, Janet", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "NCEI", "repositories": "NCEI", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.0, "title": "High Resolution Underway Air-Sea Observations in Drake Passage for Climate Science", "uid": "p0010409", "west": -68.0}, {"awards": "1543511 Stephens, Britton; 1543457 Munro, David", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-73 -53,-71.2 -53,-69.4 -53,-67.6 -53,-65.8 -53,-64 -53,-62.2 -53,-60.4 -53,-58.6 -53,-56.8 -53,-55 -53,-55 -54.4,-55 -55.8,-55 -57.2,-55 -58.6,-55 -60,-55 -61.4,-55 -62.8,-55 -64.2,-55 -65.6,-55 -67,-56.8 -67,-58.6 -67,-60.4 -67,-62.2 -67,-64 -67,-65.8 -67,-67.6 -67,-69.4 -67,-71.2 -67,-73 -67,-73 -65.6,-73 -64.2,-73 -62.8,-73 -61.4,-73 -60,-73 -58.6,-73 -57.2,-73 -55.8,-73 -54.4,-73 -53))", "dataset_titles": "Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) during the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould expeditions in the Southern Ocean, Drake Passage and South Atlantic Ocean in 2018, processed by NOAA (NCEI Accession 0184338); Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) during the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould expeditions in the the Southern Ocean, Drake Passage, South Atlantic Ocean in 2022 (NCEI Accession 0276577); Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) during the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould expeditions in the the Southern Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean in 2021 (NCEI Accession 0246983); Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) during the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould expeditions in the the Southern Ocean, South Pacific Ocean, Drake Passage and South Atlantic Ocean from 2019-02-16 to 2020-02-11 (NCEI Accession 0208838); Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) during the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould expeditions in the the Southern Ocean, South Pacific Ocean, Drake Passage and South Atlantic Ocean in 2020 (NCEI Accession 0225445); Underway measurements of pCO2 in the Surface Waters and the Atmosphere During the ARSV Laurence M. Gould 2017 Expeditions processed by NOAA (NCEI Accession 0170337)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200351", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.25921/z0pk-pv81", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) during the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould expeditions in the the Southern Ocean, South Pacific Ocean, Drake Passage and South Atlantic Ocean in 2020 (NCEI Accession 0225445)", "url": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/ocean-carbon-acidification-data-system/oceans/VOS_Program/LM_gould.html"}, {"dataset_uid": "200353", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.25921/fq0a-7y11", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) during the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould expeditions in the the Southern Ocean, Drake Passage, South Atlantic Ocean in 2022 (NCEI Accession 0276577)", "url": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/ocean-carbon-acidification-data-system/oceans/VOS_Program/LM_gould.html"}, {"dataset_uid": "200349", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.25921/b4jn-ef56", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) during the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould expeditions in the Southern Ocean, Drake Passage and South Atlantic Ocean in 2018, processed by NOAA (NCEI Accession 0184338)", "url": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/ocean-carbon-acidification-data-system/oceans/VOS_Program/LM_gould.html"}, {"dataset_uid": "200352", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.25921/f94g-zp40", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) during the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould expeditions in the the Southern Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean in 2021 (NCEI Accession 0246983)", "url": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/ocean-carbon-acidification-data-system/oceans/VOS_Program/LM_gould.html"}, {"dataset_uid": "200350", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.25921/3ysc-pm11", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) during the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould expeditions in the the Southern Ocean, South Pacific Ocean, Drake Passage and South Atlantic Ocean from 2019-02-16 to 2020-02-11 (NCEI Accession 0208838)", "url": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/ocean-carbon-acidification-data-system/oceans/VOS_Program/LM_gould.html"}, {"dataset_uid": "200348", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.7289/v5tq5zt1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Underway measurements of pCO2 in the Surface Waters and the Atmosphere During the ARSV Laurence M. Gould 2017 Expeditions processed by NOAA (NCEI Accession 0170337)", "url": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/ocean-carbon-acidification-data-system/oceans/VOS_Program/LM_gould.html"}], "date_created": "Wed, 22 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Southern Ocean plays a key role in modulating the global carbon cycle, but the size and even the sign of the global ocean flux terms of the atmospheric burden of man-made CO2 are still uncertain. This is in part due to the lack of measurements in this remote region of the world ocean. This project continues a multi-year time series of shipboard chemical measurements in the Drake Passage to detect changes in the ocean carbon cycle and to improve the understanding of mechanisms driving natural variability and long-term change in the Southern Ocean. This project is a continuation of collection of upper ocean measurements of the underway surface partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), using frequent ferry crossings of the Drake Passage by the RV/AS LMGould, the USAP supply ship. Overall, more than 200 transects over the past decade (since 2002) have now been accumulated of pCO2 profiles, along with discrete samples for other parameters of interest in studying the ocean carbonate system such as total CO2 (TCO2) values, isotopic (13C/12C and 14C/12C) ratios in surface TCO2. The Drake Passage data are made readily available to the international science community and serve as both validation and constraints of remotely sensed observations and numerical coupled earth systems models.", "east": -55.0, "geometry": "POINT(-64 -60)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Drake Passage; NUTRIENTS; BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES; DISSOLVED GASES; TRACE GASES/TRACE SPECIES", "locations": "Drake Passage", "north": -53.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Munro, David; Sweeney, Colm; Lovenduski, Nicole S; Stephens, Britton", "platforms": null, "repo": "NCEI", "repositories": "NCEI", "science_programs": null, "south": -67.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Investigating Biogeochemical Fluxes and Linkages To Climate Change With Multi-Scale Observations In The Drake Passage", "uid": "p0010407", "west": -73.0}, {"awards": "1542723 Alexander, Becky", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.05 -79.28)", "dataset_titles": "WAIS Divide ice core nitrate isotopes", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601456", "doi": "10.15784/601456", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Records; Nitrate; Nitrate Isotopes; WAIS Divide Ice Core; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Alexander, Becky", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide ice core nitrate isotopes", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601456"}], "date_created": "Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Earth\u0027s atmosphere is a highly oxidizing medium. The abundance of oxidants such as ozone in the atmosphere strongly influences the concentrations of pollutants and greenhouse gases, with implications for human health and welfare. Because oxidants are not preserved in geological archives, knowledge of how oxidants have varied in the past under changing climate conditions is extremely limited. This award will measure a proxy for oxidant concentrations in a West Antarctic ice core over several major climate transitions over the past 50,000 years. These measurements will complement similar measurements from a Greenland ice core, which showed significant changes in atmospheric oxidants over major climate transitions covering this same time period. The addition of measurements from Antarctica will allow researchers to examine if the oxidant changes suggested by the Greenland ice core record are regional or global in scale. Knowledge of how oxidants vary naturally with climate will better inform predictions of the composition of the future atmosphere under a warming climate. This award will support measurements of the isotopic composition of nitrate in a West Antarctic ice core as a proxy for oxidant concentrations in the past atmosphere. The nitrogen isotopes of nitrate provide information on the degree of preservation of nitrate in the ice core record, and thus aid in the interpretation of the observed variability in the observed nitrate concentrations and oxygen isotopes in ice core records. By providing information about the spatial scale of oxidant changes over abrupt climate change events during the last glacial period, this project may also improve our understanding of mechanisms driving these abrupt events. Insight from this project will prove valuable for forecasting the response of stratospheric circulation to climate change, which has large implications for climate feedbacks and tropospheric composition. In addition, the information gleaned from this project on the mechanisms and feedbacks during abrupt climate change events will help determine the likelihood of such rapid events occurring in the future, which would have dramatic impacts on humankind. This award will provide training for one graduate and one undergraduate student, and will support the development of a hands-on activity related to rapid climate change to be used at the annual Polar Science Weekend at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA.", "east": -112.05, "geometry": "POINT(-112.05 -79.28)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Nitrate Isotopes; ICE CORE RECORDS; WAIS Divide; LABORATORY", "locations": "WAIS Divide", "north": -79.28, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Alexander, Becky", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -79.28, "title": "Measuring an Ice-core Proxy for Relative Oxidant Abundances over Glacial-interglacial and Rapid Climate changes in a West Antarctic Ice Core", "uid": "p0010403", "west": -112.05}, {"awards": "2152622 Morlighem, Mathieu", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-110 -74,-109 -74,-108 -74,-107 -74,-106 -74,-105 -74,-104 -74,-103 -74,-102 -74,-101 -74,-100 -74,-100 -74.3,-100 -74.6,-100 -74.9,-100 -75.2,-100 -75.5,-100 -75.8,-100 -76.1,-100 -76.4,-100 -76.7,-100 -77,-101 -77,-102 -77,-103 -77,-104 -77,-105 -77,-106 -77,-107 -77,-108 -77,-109 -77,-110 -77,-110 -76.7,-110 -76.4,-110 -76.1,-110 -75.8,-110 -75.5,-110 -75.2,-110 -74.9,-110 -74.6,-110 -74.3,-110 -74))", "dataset_titles": "Sliding-Law Parameter and Airborne Radar-Derived Basal Reflectivity Data Underneath Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601658", "doi": "10.15784/601658", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Thwaites; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Das, Indrani", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Sliding-Law Parameter and Airborne Radar-Derived Basal Reflectivity Data Underneath Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601658"}], "date_created": "Tue, 20 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project contributes to the joint initiative launched by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to substantially improve decadal and longer-term projections of ice loss and sea-level rise originating from Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. Thwaites Glacier has been accelerating and widening over the past three decades. How fast Thwaites will disintegrate or how quickly it will find a new stable state have become some of the most important questions of the future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and its contribution to sea-level rise over the next decades to centuries and beyond. This project will rely on three independent numerical models of ice flow, coupled to an ocean circulation model to (1) improve our understanding of the interactions between the ice and the underlying bedrock, (2) analyze how sensitive the glacier is to external changes, (3) assess the processes that may lead to a collapse of Thwaites, and, most importantly, (4) forecast future ice loss of Thwaites. By providing predictions based on a suite of coupled ice-ocean models, this project will also assess the uncertainty in model projections. The project will use three independent ice-sheet models: Ice Sheet System Model, Ua, and STREAMICE, coupled to the ocean circulation model of the MIT General Circulation Model. The team will first focus on the representation of key physical processes of calving, ice damage, and basal slipperiness that have either not been included, or are poorly represented, in previous ice-flow modelling work. The team will then quantify the relative role of different proposed external drivers of change (e.g., ocean-induced ice-shelf thinning, loss of ice-shelf pinning points) and explore the stability regime of Thwaites Glacier with the aim of identifying internal thresholds separating stable and unstable grounding-line retreat. Using inverse methodology, the project will produce new physically consistent high-resolution (300-m) data sets on ice-thicknesses from available radar measurements. Furthermore, the team will generate new remote sensing data sets on ice velocities and rates of elevation change. These will be used to constrain and validate the numerical models, and will also be valuable stand-alone data sets. This process will allow the numerical models to be constrained more tightly by data than has previously been possible. The resultant more robust model predictions of near-future impact of Thwaites Glacier on global sea levels can inform policy-relevant decision-making. 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": -100.0, "geometry": "POINT(-105 -75.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "COMPUTERS; Amundsen Sea; ICE SHEETS", "locations": "Amundsen Sea", "north": -74.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "NOT APPLICABLE", "persons": "Morlighem, Mathieu; Das, Indrani", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e COMPUTERS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.0, "title": "NSF-NERC: PROcesses, drivers, Predictions: Modeling the response of Thwaites Glacier over the next Century using Ice/Ocean Coupled Models (PROPHET)", "uid": "p0010400", "west": -110.0}, {"awards": "1644234 Phillips, Fred", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((166.17 -77.3,166.32799999999997 -77.3,166.486 -77.3,166.644 -77.3,166.802 -77.3,166.95999999999998 -77.3,167.118 -77.3,167.276 -77.3,167.434 -77.3,167.59199999999998 -77.3,167.75 -77.3,167.75 -77.34,167.75 -77.38,167.75 -77.42,167.75 -77.46,167.75 -77.5,167.75 -77.54,167.75 -77.58,167.75 -77.62,167.75 -77.66,167.75 -77.7,167.59199999999998 -77.7,167.434 -77.7,167.276 -77.7,167.118 -77.7,166.95999999999998 -77.7,166.802 -77.7,166.644 -77.7,166.486 -77.7,166.32799999999997 -77.7,166.17 -77.7,166.17 -77.66,166.17 -77.62,166.17 -77.58,166.17 -77.54,166.17 -77.5,166.17 -77.46,166.17 -77.42,166.17 -77.38,166.17 -77.34,166.17 -77.3))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 12 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Nontechnical Description: The age of rocks and soils at the surface of the Earth can help answer multiple questions that are important for human welfare, including: when did volcanoes erupt and are they likely to erupt again? when did glaciers advance and what do they tell us about climate? what is the frequency of hazards such as landslides, floods, and debris flows? how long does it take soils to form and is erosion of soils going to make farming unsustainable? One method that is used thousands of times every year to address these questions is called \u0027cosmogenic surface-exposure dating\u0027. This method takes advantage of cosmic rays, which are powerful protons and neutrons produced by supernova that constantly bombard the Earth\u0027s atmosphere. Some cosmic rays reach Earth\u0027s surface and produce nuclear reactions that result in rare isotopes. Measuring the quantity of the rare isotopes enables the length of time that the rock or soil has been exposed to the atmosphere to be calculated. The distribution of cosmic rays around the globe depends on Earth\u0027s magnetic field, and this distribution must be accurately known if useful exposure ages are to be obtained. Currently there are two remaining theories, narrowed down from many, of how to calculate this distribution. Measurements from a site that is at both high altitude and high latitude (close to the poles) are needed to test the two theories. This study involves both field and lab research and includes a Ph.D. student and an undergraduate student. The research team will collect rocks from lava flows on an active volcano in Antarctica named Mount Erebus and measure the amounts of two rare isotopes: 36Cl and 3He. The age of eruption of the samples will be determined using a highly accurate method that does not depend on cosmic rays, called 40Ar/39Ar dating. The two cosmic-ray theories will be used to calculate the ages of the samples using the 36Cl and 3He concentrations and will then be compared to the ages calculated from the 40Ar/39Ar dating. The accurate cosmic-ray theory will be the one that gives the same ages as the 40Ar/39Ar dating. Identification of the accurate theory will enable use of the cosmogenic surface dating methods anywhere on earth. Technical Description: Nuclides produced by cosmic rays in rocks at the surface of the earth are widely used for Quaternary geochronology and geomorphic studies and their use is increasing every year. The recently completed CRONUS-Earth Project (Cosmic-Ray Produced Nuclides on Earth) has systematically evaluated the production rates and theoretical underpinnings of cosmogenic nuclides. However, the CRONUS-Earth Project was not able to discriminate between the two leading theoretical approaches: the original Lal model (St) and the new Lifton-Sato-Dunai model (LSD). Mathematical models used to scale the production of the nuclides as a function of location on the earth, elevation, and magnetic field configuration are an essential component of this dating method. The inability to distinguish between the two models was because the predicted production rates did not differ sufficiently at the location of the calibration sites. The cosmogenic-nuclide production rates that are predicted by the two models differ significantly from each other at Erebus volcano, Antarctica. Mount Erebus is therefore an excellent site for testing which production model best describes actual cosmogenic-nuclide production variations over the globe. The research team recently measured 3He and 36Cl in mineral separates extracted from Erebus lava flows. The exposure ages for each nuclide were reproducible within each flow (~2% standard deviation) and in very good agreement between the 3He and the 36Cl ages. However, the ages calculated by the St and LSD scaling methods differ by ~15-25% due to the sensitivity of the production rate to the scaling at this latitude and elevation. These results lend confidence that Erebus qualifies as a suitable high- latitude/high-elevation calibration site. The remaining component that is still lacking is accurate and reliable independent (i.e., non-cosmogenic) ages, however, published 40Ar/39Ar ages are too imprecise and typically biased to older ages due to excess argon contained in melt inclusions. The research team\u0027s new 40Ar/39Ar data show that previous problems with Erebus anorthoclase geochronology are now overcome with modern mass spectrometry and better sample preparation. This indicates a high likelihood of success for this proposal in defining an accurate global scaling model. Although encouraging, much remains to be accomplished. This project will sample lava flows over 3 km in elevation and determine their 40Ar/39Ar and exposure ages. These combined data will discriminate between the two scaling methods, resulting in a preferred scaling model for global cosmogenic geochronology. The LSD method contains two sub-methods, the \u0027plain\u0027 LSD scales all nuclides the same, whereas LSDn scales each nuclide individually. The project can discriminate between these models using 3He and 36Cl data from lava flows at different elevations, because the first model predicts that the production ratio for these two nuclides will be invariant with elevation and the second that there should be ~10% difference over the range of elevations to be sampled. Finally, the project will provide a local, finite-age calibration site for cosmogenic-nuclide investigations in Antarctica.", "east": 167.75, "geometry": "POINT(166.95999999999998 -77.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AGE DETERMINATIONS; Mount Erebus; VOLCANO", "locations": "Mount Erebus", "north": -77.3, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Phillips, Fred; Kyle, Philip; Heizler, Matthew T", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -77.7, "title": "A Test of Global and Antarctic Models for Cosmogenic-nuclide Production Rates using High-precision Dating of 40Ar/39Ar Lava Flows from Mount Erebus", "uid": "p0010397", "west": 166.17}, {"awards": "1625904 TBD", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((166 -77.5,166.4 -77.5,166.8 -77.5,167.2 -77.5,167.6 -77.5,168 -77.5,168.4 -77.5,168.8 -77.5,169.2 -77.5,169.6 -77.5,170 -77.5,170 -77.75,170 -78,170 -78.25,170 -78.5,170 -78.75,170 -79,170 -79.25,170 -79.5,170 -79.75,170 -80,169.6 -80,169.2 -80,168.8 -80,168.4 -80,168 -80,167.6 -80,167.2 -80,166.8 -80,166.4 -80,166 -80,166 -79.75,166 -79.5,166 -79.25,166 -79,166 -78.75,166 -78.5,166 -78.25,166 -78,166 -77.75,166 -77.5))", "dataset_titles": "Sarah PCWS unmodified ten-minute observational data, 2020 - present (ongoing).; Skomik PCWS unmodified ten-minute observational data, 2022 - present (ongoing).", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200340", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.48567/h6qx-0613", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AMRDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Skomik PCWS unmodified ten-minute observational data, 2022 - present (ongoing).", "url": "https://amrdcdata.ssec.wisc.edu/dataset/skomik-pcws-unmodified-ten-minute-observational-data-2022-present-ongoing"}, {"dataset_uid": "200341", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.48567/q4eh-nm67", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AMRDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Sarah PCWS unmodified ten-minute observational data, 2020 - present (ongoing).", "url": "https://amrdcdata.ssec.wisc.edu/dataset/sarah-pcws-unmodified-ten-minute-observational-data-2022-present-ongoing"}], "date_created": "Mon, 12 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Our knowledge of Antarctic weather and climate relies on only a handful of direct observing stations located on this harsh and remote continent. This observing system reports meteorological measurements from an existing network of automatic weather stations (AWS) spread across a vast area. This MRI project will enable the development, testing and eventual deployment of a next generation of polar automatic climate and weather observing stations for unattended use in the Antarctic. The proposed new Automatic Weather Station (AWS) system will enhance the capabilities and accuracy of the meteorological observations, enabling climate quality measurements. This project will involve development of a more capable instrumentation core, with two major goals. The first goal is to lower the cost for an AWS electronic core to 3 times less than currently employed systems. The second is to enable an onboard temperature calibration capability, an innovative development for the Antarctic AWS. The capability for onboard calibration will add confidence in the critical climate measure of ambient temperature, along with other standard meteorological parameters. Observations made by a modernized AWS network will inform and extend future numerical climate modeling efforts, improve operational weather forecasts, capture weather phenomena, and support environmental science research in other disciplines. A theme of the project is the inclusion of community college students in all aspects of the effort. With an eye on training the next generation of research instrumentation expertise, while involving other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, undergraduate students will be involved in the development, testing and deployment of new AWS systems. As well as reporting, data analysis and publication of scientific knowledge, students intending to transfer to a 4-year university, as well as those pursuing electronics or electrical engineering associate degrees will be introduced to weather and climate topics. This MRI award was supported with funds from the Division of Polar Programs and the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, both of the Directorate of Geosciences.", "east": 170.0, "geometry": "POINT(168 -78.75)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ATMOSPHERIC WINDS; Madison Area Technical College; SNOW/ICE; SURFACE PRESSURE; ATMOSPHERIC RADIATION; HUMIDITY; AIR TEMPERATURE; METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS; WEATHER STATIONS", "locations": "Madison Area Technical College", "north": -77.5, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lazzara, Matthew; Cassano, John; L\u0027\u0027Ecuyer, Tristan; Kulie, Mark", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e WEATHER STATIONS", "repo": "AMRDC", "repositories": "AMRDC", "science_programs": null, "south": -80.0, "title": "MRI: Development of a Modern Polar Climate and Weather Automated Observing System", "uid": "p0010396", "west": 166.0}, {"awards": "1644004 Trumble, Stephen", "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": "Data from: Whiskers provide time-series of toxic and essential trace elements, Se:Hg molar ratios, and stable isotope values of an apex Antarctic predator, the leopard seal", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200338", "doi": "doi:10.5061/dryad.ksn02v75b", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Dryad", "science_program": null, "title": "Data from: Whiskers provide time-series of toxic and essential trace elements, Se:Hg molar ratios, and stable isotope values of an apex Antarctic predator, the leopard seal", "url": "https://datadryad.org/stash/share/h6UwXvfhZG26jtPTtDqyXNMnx2UWknOqmv05EBz6A10"}], "date_created": "Tue, 06 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This research project is a multidisciplinary effort that brings together a diverse team of scientists from multiple institutions together to understand the foraging behavior and physiology of leopard seals and their role in the Southern Ocean food web. The project will examine the physiology and behavior of leopard seals to in an effort to determine their ability to respond to potential changes in their habitat and foraging areas. Using satellite tracking devices the team will examine the movement and diving behavior of leopard seals and couple this information with measurements of their physiological capacity. The project will determine whether leopard seals- who feed on diverse range of prey- are built differently than their deep diving relatives the Weddell and elephant seal who feed on fish and squid. The team will also determine whether leopard seals are operating at or near their physiological capability to determine how much, if any, ?reserve capacity? they might have to forage and live in changing environments. A better understanding of their home ranges, movement patterns, and general behavior will also be informative to help in managing human-leopard seal interactions. The highly visual nature of the data and analysis for this project lends itself to public and educational display and outreach, particularly as they relate to the changing Antarctic habitats. The project will use the research results to educate the public on the unique physiological and ecological adaptations to extreme environments seen in diving marine mammals, including adaptations to exercise under low oxygen conditions and energy utilization, which affect and dictate the lifestyle of these exceptional organisms. The results of the project will also contribute to the broader understanding that may enhance the aims of managing marine living resources. The leopard seal is an apex predator in the Antarctic ecosystem. This project seeks to better understand the ability of the leopard seal to cope with a changing environment. The project will first examine the foraging behavior and habitat utilization of leopard seals using satellite telemetry. Specifically, satellite telemetry tags will be used to obtain dive profiles and movement data for individuals across multiple years. Diet and trophic level positions across multiple temporal scales will then be determined from physiological samples (e.g., blood, vibrissae, blubber fatty acids, stable isotopes, fecal matter). Oceanographic data will be integrated with these measures to develop habitat models that will be used to assess habitat type, habitat utilization, habitat preference, and home range areas for individual animals. Diet composition for individual seals will be evaluated to determine whether specific animals are generalists or specialists. Second, the team will investigate the physiological adaptations that allow leopard seals to be apex predators and determine to what extent leopard seals are working at or near their physiological limit. Diving behavior and physiology of leopard seals will be evaluated (for instance the aerobic dive limit for individual animals and skeletal muscle adaptations will be determined for diving under hypoxic conditions). Data from time-depth recorders will be used to determine foraging strategies for individual seals, and these diving characteristics will be related to physiological variables (e.g., blood volume, muscle oxygen stores) to better understand the link between foraging behavior and physiology. The team will compare myoglobin storage in swimming muscles associated with both forelimb and hind limb propulsion and the use of anaerobic versus aerobic metabolic systems while foraging.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "MAMMALS; Stable Isotopes; Livingston Island", "locations": "Livingston Island", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Trumble, Stephen J", "platforms": null, "repo": "Dryad", "repositories": "Dryad", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Foraging Ecology and Physiology of the Leopard Seal", "uid": "p0010394", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2011454 Veit, Richard; 2011285 Santora, Jarrod", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-39 -53,-38.6 -53,-38.2 -53,-37.8 -53,-37.4 -53,-37 -53,-36.6 -53,-36.2 -53,-35.8 -53,-35.4 -53,-35 -53,-35 -53.2,-35 -53.4,-35 -53.6,-35 -53.8,-35 -54,-35 -54.2,-35 -54.4,-35 -54.6,-35 -54.8,-35 -55,-35.4 -55,-35.8 -55,-36.2 -55,-36.6 -55,-37 -55,-37.4 -55,-37.8 -55,-38.2 -55,-38.6 -55,-39 -55,-39 -54.8,-39 -54.6,-39 -54.4,-39 -54.2,-39 -54,-39 -53.8,-39 -53.6,-39 -53.4,-39 -53.2,-39 -53))", "dataset_titles": "Bird, Mammal, Plankton, Oceanographic data, South Georgia, July 2023; Winter marine communities of the Antarctic Peninsula", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601795", "doi": "10.15784/601795", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Krill; Antarctic Peninsula; Cryosphere; Pack Ice; Polynya; Seabirds; Sea Ice; Winter; Zooplankton", "people": "Dietrich, Kim; Santora, Jarrod; Reiss, Christian; Czapanskiy, Max", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Winter marine communities of the Antarctic Peninsula", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601795"}, {"dataset_uid": "601890", "doi": "10.15784/601890", "keywords": "Abundance; Antarctica; Antarctic Winter; Birds; Cryosphere; CTD; Mammals; Plankton; South Georgia Island", "people": "Czapanskiy, Max; Santora, Jarrod; Veit, Richard; Manne, Lisa", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Bird, Mammal, Plankton, Oceanographic data, South Georgia, July 2023", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601890"}], "date_created": "Thu, 06 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part I: Non-technical description: Ocean warming in the western Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Sea in winter is among the highest worldwide. This project will quantify the impact of the climate warming on seabirds. The study area is in South Georgia in the South Atlantic with the largest and most diverse seabird colonies in the world. Detecting and understanding how physics and biology interact to bring positive or negative population changes to seabirds has long challenged scientists. The team in this project hypothesizes that 1) Cold water seabird species decline while warm water species increase due to ocean warming observed in the last 30 years; 2) All species decrease with ocean warming, affecting how they interact with each other and in doing so, decreasing their chances of survival; and 3) Species profiles can be predicted using multiple environmental variables and models. To collect present-day data to compare with observations done in 1985, 1991 and 1993, 2 cruises are planned in the austral winter; the personnel will include the three Principal Investigators, all experienced with sampling of seabirds, plankton and oceanography, with 2 graduate and 5 undergraduate students. Models will be developed based on the cruise data and the environmental change experienced in the last 30 years. The research will improve our understanding of seabird and marine mammal winter ecology, and how they interact with the environment. This project benefits NSF\u0027s goals to expand the fundamental knowledge of Antarctic systems, biota, and processes. The project will provide an exceptional opportunity to teach polar field skills to undergraduates by bringing 5 students to engage in the research cruises. To further increase polar literacy training and educational impacts, broader impacts include the production of an educational documentary that will be coupled to field surveys to assess public perceptions about climate change. Part II: Technical description: Ocean warming in the western Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Sea in winter is among the highest worldwide. Based on previous work, the Principal Investigators in this project want to test the hypothesis that warming would have decreased seabird abundance and species associations in the South Georgia region of the South Atlantic. A main premise of this proposal is that because of marine environmental change, the structure of the seabird communities has also changed, and potentially in a manner that has diminished the mutually beneficial dynamics of positive interactions, with subsequent consequences to fitness and population trends. The study is structured by 3 main objectives: 1) identify changes in krill, bird and mammal abundance that have occurred from previous sampling off both ends of South Georgia during winter in 1985, 1991 and 1993, 2) identify pairings of species that benefit each other in searching for prey, and quantify how such relationships have changed since 1985, and 3) make predictions about how these changes in species pairing might continue given predicted future changes in climate. The novelty of the approach is the conceptual model that inter-species associations inform birds of food availability and that the associations decrease if bird abundance decreases, thus warming could decrease overall population fitness. These studies will be essential to establish if behavioral patterns in seabird modulate their response to climate change. The project will provide exceptional educational opportunity to undergraduates by bringing 5 students to participate on the cruises. To further increase polar literacy training and educational impacts, broader impacts include the production of an educational documentary that will be coupled to field surveys to assess public perceptions about climate change. 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": -35.0, "geometry": "POINT(-37 -54)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Local Enhancement; South Georgia Island; Mutualism; Climate Change; Positive Interactions; Seabirds; COMMUNITY DYNAMICS; SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS; R/V NBP", "locations": "South Georgia Island", "north": -53.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Veit, Richard; Manne, Lisa; Santora, Jarrod", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -55.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Climate, Changing Abundance and Species Interactions of Marine Birds and Mammals at South Georgia in Winter", "uid": "p0010382", "west": -39.0}, {"awards": "2135185 Resing, Joseph; 2135184 Arrigo, Kevin; 2135186 Baumberger, Tamara", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((155 -61,156.5 -61,158 -61,159.5 -61,161 -61,162.5 -61,164 -61,165.5 -61,167 -61,168.5 -61,170 -61,170 -61.2,170 -61.4,170 -61.6,170 -61.8,170 -62,170 -62.2,170 -62.4,170 -62.6,170 -62.8,170 -63,168.5 -63,167 -63,165.5 -63,164 -63,162.5 -63,161 -63,159.5 -63,158 -63,156.5 -63,155 -63,155 -62.8,155 -62.6,155 -62.4,155 -62.2,155 -62,155 -61.8,155 -61.6,155 -61.4,155 -61.2,155 -61))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Phytoplankton blooms throughout the world\u2019s oceans support critical marine ecosystems and help remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Traditionally, it has been assumed that phytoplankton blooms in the Southern Ocean are stimulated by iron from either nearby land or sea-ice. However, recent work demonstrates that hydrothermal vents may be an additional iron source for phytoplankton blooms. This enhancement of phytoplankton productivity by different iron sources supports rich marine ecosystems and leads to the sequestration of carbon in the deep ocean. Our proposed work will uncover the importance of hydrothermal activity in stimulating a large phytoplankton bloom along the southern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current just north of the Ross Sea. It will also lead towards a better understanding of the overall impact of hydrothermal activity on the carbon cycle in the Southern Ocean, which appears to trigger local hotspots of biological activity which are a potential sink for atmospheric CO2. This project will encourage the participation of underrepresented groups in ocean sciences, as well as providing educational opportunities for high school and undergraduate students, through three different programs. Stanford University\u2019s Summer Undergraduate Research in Geoscience and Engineering (SURGE) program provides undergraduates from different US universities and diverse cultural backgrounds the opportunity to spend a summer doing a research project at Stanford. The Stanford Earth Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SESUR) is for Stanford undergraduates who want to learn more about environmental science by performing original research. Finally, Stanford\u2019s School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences High School Internship Program enables young scientists to serve as mentors, prepares high school students for college, and serves to strengthen the partnership between Stanford and local schools. Students present their results at the Fall AGU meeting as part of the AGU Bright STaRS program. This project will form the basis of at least two PhD dissertations. The Stanford student will participate in Stanford\u2019s Woods Institute Rising Environmental Leaders Program (RELP), a year-round program that helps graduate students hone their leadership and communication skills to maximize the impact of their research. The graduate student will also participate in Stanford\u2019s Grant Writing Academy where they will receive training in developing and articulating research strategies to tackle important scientific questions. This interdisciplinary program combines satellite and ship-based measurements of a large poorly understood phytoplankton bloom (the AAR bloom) in the northwestern Ross Sea sector of the Southern Ocean with a detailed modeling study of the physical processes linking deep dissolved iron (DFe) reservoirs to the surface phytoplankton bloom. Prior to the cruise, we will implement a numerical model (CROCO) for our study region so that we can better understand the circulation, plumes, turbulence, fronts, and eddy field around the AAR bloom and how they transport and mix hydrothermally produced DFe vertically. Post cruise, observations of the vertical distribution of 3He (combined with DMn and DFe), will be used as initial conditions for a passive tracer in the model, and tracer dispersal will be assessed to better quantify the role of the various turbulent processes in upwelling DFe-rich waters to the upper ocean. The satellite-based component of the program will characterize the broader sampling region before, during, and after our cruise. During the cruise, our automated software system at Stanford University will download and process images of sea ice concentration, Chl-a concentration, sea surface temperature (SST), and sea surface height (SSH) and send them electronically to the ship. Operationally, our goal is to use all available satellite data and preliminary model results to target shipboard sampling both geographically and temporally to optimize sampling of the AAR bloom. We will use available BGC-Argo float data to help characterize the AAR bloom. In collaboration with SOCCOM, we will deploy additional BGC-Argo floats (if available) during our transit through the study area to allow us to better characterize the bloom. The centerpiece of our program will be a 40-day process study cruise in austral summer. The cruise will consist of an initial \u201cradiator\u201d pattern of hydrographic surveys/sections along the AAR followed by CTDs to selected submarine volcanoes. When/if eddies are identified, they will be sampled either during or after the initial surveys. The radiator pattern, or parts thereof, will be repeated 2-3 times. Hydrographic survey stations will include vertical profiles of temperature, salinity, oxygen, oxidation-reduction potential, light scatter, and PAR (400-700 nm). Samples will be collected for trace metals, ligands, 3He, and total suspended matter. Where intense hydrothermal activity is identified, samples for pH and total CO2 will also be collected to characterize the hydrothermal system. Water samples will be collected for characterization of macronutrients, and phytoplankton physiology, abundance, species composition, and size. During transits, we will continuously measure atmospheric conditions, current speed and direction, and surface SST, salinity, pCO2, and fluorescence from the ship\u2019s systems to provide detailed maps of these parameters. The ship will be used as a platform for conducting phytoplankton DFe bioassay experiments at key stations throughout the study region both inside and outside the bloom. We will also perform detailed comparisons of algal taxonomic composition, physiology, and size structure inside and outside the bloom to determine the potential importance of each community on local biogeochemistry. 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": 170.0, "geometry": "POINT(162.5 -62)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES; Antarctica; TRACE ELEMENTS; Hydrothermal Vent; Phytoplankton; Primary Production", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -61.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Arrigo, Kevin; Thomas, Leif N; Baumberger, Tamara; Resing, Joseph", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -63.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Understanding the Massive Phytoplankton Blooms over the Australian-Antarctic Ridge", "uid": "p0010381", "west": 155.0}, {"awards": "1644118 Dunbar, Robert", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-108 -73,-107.3 -73,-106.6 -73,-105.9 -73,-105.2 -73,-104.5 -73,-103.8 -73,-103.1 -73,-102.4 -73,-101.7 -73,-101 -73,-101 -73.3,-101 -73.6,-101 -73.9,-101 -74.2,-101 -74.5,-101 -74.8,-101 -75.1,-101 -75.4,-101 -75.7,-101 -76,-101.7 -76,-102.4 -76,-103.1 -76,-103.8 -76,-104.5 -76,-105.2 -76,-105.9 -76,-106.6 -76,-107.3 -76,-108 -76,-108 -75.7,-108 -75.4,-108 -75.1,-108 -74.8,-108 -74.5,-108 -74.2,-108 -73.9,-108 -73.6,-108 -73.3,-108 -73))", "dataset_titles": "Antarctic Seawater d18O isotope data from SE Amundsen Sea: 2000, 2007, 2009, 2019, 2020", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601611", "doi": "10.15784/601611", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Chemistry:Water; CTD; D18O; NBP0001; NBP0702; NBP0901; NBP1901; NBP2002; Oceans; Oxygen Isotope; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Seawater Isotope; Southern Ocean", "people": "Hennig, Andrew", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Seawater d18O isotope data from SE Amundsen Sea: 2000, 2007, 2009, 2019, 2020", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601611"}], "date_created": "Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Estimating Antarctic ice sheet growth or loss is important to predicting future sea level rise. Such estimates rely on field measurements or remotely sensed based observations of the ice sheet surface, ice margins, and or ice shelves. This work examines the introduction of freshwater into the ocean to surrounding Antarctica to track meltwater from continental ice. Polar ice is depleted in two stable isotopes, 18O and D, deuterium, relative to Southern Ocean seawater and precipitation. Measurements of seawater isotopic composition in conjunction with precise observations of seawater temperature and salinity, will permit discrimination of freshwater derived from melting glacial ice from that derived from regional precipitation or sea ice melt. This research describes an accepted method for determining rates and locations of meltwater entering the oceans from polar ice sheets. As isotopic and salinity perturbations are cumulative in many Antarctic coastal seas, the method allows for the detection of any marked acceleration in meltwater introduction in specific regions, using samples collected and analyzed over a period of years to decades. Impact of the project derives from use of an independent method capable of constraining knowledge about current ice sheet melt rates, their stability and potential impact on sea level rise. The project allows for sample collection taken from foreign vessels of opportunity sailing in Antarctic waters, and subsequent sharing and interpretation of data. Research partners include the U.S., Korea, China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Participating collaborators will collect seawater samples for isotopic and salinity analysis at Stanford University. USAP cruises will concentrate on sampling the Ross Sea, and the West Antarctic. The work plan includes interpretation of isotopic data using box model and mixing curve analyses as well as using isotope enabled ROMS (Regional Ocean Modeling System) models. The broader impacts of the research will include development of an educational module that illustrates the scientific method and how ocean observations help society understand how Earth is changing.", "east": -101.0, "geometry": "POINT(-104.5 -74.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Stable Isotopes; WATER TEMPERATURE; SALINITY; Oxygen Isotope; Meltwater Inventory; Pine Island Bay; OCEAN CHEMISTRY", "locations": "Pine Island Bay", "north": -73.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Dunbar, Robert", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -76.0, "title": "Estimation of Antarctic Ice Melt using Stable Isotopic Analyses of Seawater", "uid": "p0010380", "west": -108.0}, {"awards": "2218402 Fegyveresi, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-115 -85.5,-113.5 -85.5,-112 -85.5,-110.5 -85.5,-109 -85.5,-107.5 -85.5,-106 -85.5,-104.5 -85.5,-103 -85.5,-101.5 -85.5,-100 -85.5,-100 -85.65,-100 -85.8,-100 -85.95,-100 -86.1,-100 -86.25,-100 -86.4,-100 -86.55,-100 -86.7,-100 -86.85,-100 -87,-101.5 -87,-103 -87,-104.5 -87,-106 -87,-107.5 -87,-109 -87,-110.5 -87,-112 -87,-113.5 -87,-115 -87,-115 -86.85,-115 -86.7,-115 -86.55,-115 -86.4,-115 -86.25,-115 -86.1,-115 -85.95,-115 -85.8,-115 -85.65,-115 -85.5))", "dataset_titles": "Multi-Site Brittle Ice Data and Measurements", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601786", "doi": "10.15784/601786", "keywords": "Antarctica; Brittle Ice; Cryosphere; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; Simple Dome; Siple Dome; South Pole; SPICEcore; Subgrain Boundaries; WAIS Divide", "people": "Barnett, Samantha; Fegyveresi, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Multi-Site Brittle Ice Data and Measurements", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601786"}], "date_created": "Mon, 19 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ice cores are a vital source of information about past climate. Research that utilizes ice cores benefits from an undamaged ice-core record. There is often a zone within ice sheets where the ice is brittle upon extraction in a core. Brittle-ice behavior occurs when the rapid decompression of the core as it is being extracted from the ice-sheet results in extensive fracturing. Ice from this zone can compromise the undamaged record. This project seeks to improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved in brittle-ice behavior and onset, with the goal of helping to guide field-site operations, core handling preparation, and planned laboratory measurement techniques for future ice-coring projects, including the upcoming work at Hercules Dome. This project requires no field work, as it will use existing observations and existing ice cores to gain an understanding of brittle ice. This is a high-risk and timely proposal that is early-concept and exploratory in nature, making it appropriate for the EAGER solicitation. The project will support an early-career researcher and provide training for a master\u2019s student who is a woman. And, finally, the project will develop educational and outreach materials for graduate and undergraduate courses and elementary schools. This project will examine and catalog brittle ice from several existing ice-core samples to specifically assess various ice physical properties affecting brittleness potential, including bubble size and number-density, ice fabric, grain statistics, fracture characteristics, and the location and properties of grain and subgrain boundaries. End members of this sample assessment have been identified and include Siple Dome, which exhibited major brittle behavior and damage, and South Pole ice core, which exhibited very-minor brittle behavior and almost no damage. Output datasets will include calibrated relationships for bubble number-density, mean grain and bubble sizes, subgrain prevalence and orientation, and a usable indicator for estimating brittle-ice onset and magnitude. There is an immediate applicability of results from this effort for the Hercules Dome drilling project. 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": -100.0, "geometry": "POINT(-107.5 -86.25)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Hercules Dome Ice Core; West Antarctica; Grain Statistics; LABORATORY; Ice Core; ICE SHEETS; Physical Properties; Brittle Ice; C-Axis Fabric; Bubble; ICE CORE RECORDS", "locations": "West Antarctica", "north": -85.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Fegyveresi, John", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Hercules Dome Ice Core", "south": -87.0, "title": "EAGER: Constraining the Expected Brittle-ice Behavior for the Hercules Dome Ice-core Site.", "uid": "p0010378", "west": -115.0}, {"awards": "1744562 Loose, Brice", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -71,-179.9 -71,-179.8 -71,-179.7 -71,-179.6 -71,-179.5 -71,-179.4 -71,-179.3 -71,-179.2 -71,-179.1 -71,-179 -71,-179 -71.7,-179 -72.4,-179 -73.1,-179 -73.8,-179 -74.5,-179 -75.2,-179 -75.9,-179 -76.6,-179 -77.3,-179 -78,-179.1 -78,-179.2 -78,-179.3 -78,-179.4 -78,-179.5 -78,-179.6 -78,-179.7 -78,-179.8 -78,-179.9 -78,180 -78,177.5 -78,175 -78,172.5 -78,170 -78,167.5 -78,165 -78,162.5 -78,160 -78,157.5 -78,155 -78,155 -77.3,155 -76.6,155 -75.9,155 -75.2,155 -74.5,155 -73.8,155 -73.1,155 -72.4,155 -71.7,155 -71,157.5 -71,160 -71,162.5 -71,165 -71,167.5 -71,170 -71,172.5 -71,175 -71,177.5 -71,-180 -71))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data of NBP1704; NBP1704 Expedition Data; PIPERS Noble Gases", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200329", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "MGDS", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data of NBP1704", "url": "https://www.marine-geo.org/tools/entry/NBP1704"}, {"dataset_uid": "001363", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1704 Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1704"}, {"dataset_uid": "601609", "doi": "10.15784/601609", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Mass Spectrometer; NBP1704; Noble Gas; Oceans; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer", "people": "Loose, Brice", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "PIPERS Noble Gases", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601609"}], "date_created": "Wed, 14 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Near the Antarctic coast, polynyas are open-water regions where extreme heat loss in winter causes seawater to become cold, salty, and dense enough to sink into the deep sea. The formation of this dense water has regional and global importance because it influences the ocean current system. Polynya processes are also tied to the amount of sea ice formed, ocean heat lost to atmosphere, and atmospheric CO2 absorbed by the Southern Ocean. Unfortunately, the ocean-atmosphere interactions that influence the deep ocean water properties are difficult to observe directly during the Antarctic winter. This project will combine field measurements and laboratory experiments to investigate whether differences in the concentration of noble gasses (helium, neon, argon, xenon, and krypton) dissolved in ocean waters can be linked to environmental conditions at the time of their formation. If so, noble gas concentrations could provide insight into the mechanisms controlling shelf and bottom-water properties, and be used to reconstruct past climate conditions. Project results will contribute to the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) theme of The Future and Consequences of Carbon Uptake in the Southern Ocean. The project will also train undergraduate and graduate students in environmental monitoring, and earth and ocean sciences methods. Understanding the causal links between Antarctic coastal processes and changes in the deep ocean system requires study of winter polynya processes. The winter period of intense ocean heat loss and sea ice production impacts two important Antarctic water masses: High-Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW), and Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), which then influence the strength of the ocean solubility pump and meridional overturning circulation. To better characterize how sea ice cover, ocean-atmosphere exchange, brine rejection, and glacial melt influence the physical properties of AABW and HSSW, this project will analyze samples and data collected from two Ross Sea polynyas during the 2017 PIPERS winter cruise. Gas concentrations will be measured in seawater samples collected by a CTD rosette, from an underwater mass-spectrometer, and from a benchtop Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometer. Noble gas concentrations will reveal the ocean-atmosphere (dis)equilibrium that exists at the time that surface water is transformed into HSSW and AABW, and provide a fingerprint of past conditions. In addition, nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), argon, and CO2 concentration will be used to determine the net metabolic balance, and to evaluate the efficacy of N2 as an alternative to O2 as glacial meltwater tracer. Laboratory experiments will determine the gas partitioning ratios during sea ice formation. Findings will be synthesized with PIPERS and related projects, and so provide an integrated view of the role of the wintertime Antarctic coastal system on deep water composition. 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": -179.0, "geometry": "POINT(168 -74.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Helium Isotopes; R/V NBP; DISSOLVED GASES; POLYNYAS; Ross Sea", "locations": "Ross Sea", "north": -71.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Loose, Brice", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "MGDS", "repositories": "MGDS; R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Measuring Dissolved Gases to Reveal the Processes that Drive the Solubility Pump and Determine Gas Concentration in Antarctic Bottom Water", "uid": "p0010376", "west": 155.0}, {"awards": "1924730 Lazzara, Matthew", "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": "AMRC Automatic Weather Station project data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200316", "doi": "10.48567/1hn2-nw60", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AMRDC", "science_program": null, "title": "AMRC Automatic Weather Station project data", "url": "https://doi.org/10.48567/1hn2-nw60"}], "date_created": "Tue, 23 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Antarctic Automatic Weather Station network is the most extensive surficial meteorological network in the Antarctic, approaching its 30th year at several of its data stations. Its prime focus is also as a long term observational record, to measure the near surface weather and climatology of the Antarctic atmosphere. Antarctic Automatic Weather Stations measure air-temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction at a nominal surface height of ~ 2-3m. Other parameters such as relative humidity and snow accumulation may also be taken. The surface observations from the Antarctic Automatic Weather Station network are also used operationally, for forecast purposes, and in the planning of field work. Surface observations made from the network have also been used to check the validity of satellite and remote sensing observations. The proposed effort informs our understanding of the Antarctic environment and its weather and climate trends over the past few decades. The research has implications for potential future operations and logistics for the US Antarctic Program during the winter season. As a part of this endeavor, all project participants will engage in a coordinated outreach effort to bring the famous Antarctic \"cold\" to public seminars, K-12, undergraduate, and graduate classrooms, and senior citizen centers. This project proposes to use the surface conditions observed by the Antarctic Automatic Weather Station (AWS) network to determine how large-scale modes of climate variability impact Antarctic weather and climate, how the surface observations from the AWS network are linked to surface layer and boundary layer processes. Consideration will also be given to low temperature physical environments such as may be encountered during Antarctic winter, and the best ways to characterize these, and other ?cold pool? phenomena. Observational data from the AWS are collected via Iridium network, or DCS Argos aboard either NOAA or MetOp polar orbiting satellites and thus made available in near real time to operational and synoptic weather forecasters over the GTS (WMO Global Telecommunication System). Being able to support improvements in numerical weather prediction and climate modeling will have lasting impacts on Antarctic science and logistical support. 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": "SURFACE TEMPERATURE; ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE; ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE; Antarctica; SURFACE WINDS; HUMIDITY; AIR TEMPERATURE; ATMOSPHERIC WINDS; ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lazzara, Matthew; Welhouse, Lee J", "platforms": null, "repo": "AMRDC", "repositories": "AMRDC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Antarctic Automatic Weather Station Program 2019-2022", "uid": "p0010370", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2147553 Rotella, Jay; 2147554 Chen, Nancy; 1640481 Rotella, Jay", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((162 -74.95,162.8 -74.95,163.6 -74.95,164.4 -74.95,165.2 -74.95,166 -74.95,166.8 -74.95,167.6 -74.95,168.4 -74.95,169.2 -74.95,170 -74.95,170 -75.295,170 -75.64,170 -75.985,170 -76.33,170 -76.67500000000001,170 -77.02000000000001,170 -77.36500000000001,170 -77.71000000000001,170 -78.055,170 -78.4,169.2 -78.4,168.4 -78.4,167.6 -78.4,166.8 -78.4,166 -78.4,165.2 -78.4,164.4 -78.4,163.6 -78.4,162.8 -78.4,162 -78.4,162 -78.055,162 -77.71000000000001,162 -77.36500000000001,162 -77.02000000000001,162 -76.67500000000001,162 -76.33,162 -75.985,162 -75.64,162 -75.295,162 -74.95))", "dataset_titles": "Demographic data for Weddell Seal colonies in Erebus Bay through the 2023 Antarctic field season", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601837", "doi": "10.15784/601837", "keywords": "AMD; Amd/Us; Antarctica; Cryosphere; McMurdo Sound; Population Dynamics; USA/NSF; USAP-DC; Weddell Seal", "people": "Rotella, Jay", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Demographic data for Weddell Seal colonies in Erebus Bay through the 2023 Antarctic field season", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601837"}], "date_created": "Sun, 07 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part 1: Non-technical description This is a continuation of a long-term population dynamics study (1978-present) using an intensive mark-recapture tagging of Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. Past work has become a global model for population studies of large animals. Results have documented strong annual variation in reproduction, abundance, and population composition. This program will add components to evaluate the demographic role of immigrant mothers, evaluate possible drivers of annual variation in overall population dynamics, assess genetic differences between immigrant and locally born mothers, and document patterns of gene flow among seal colonies in the Ross Sea region. These new aspects will focus on understanding of population structure, function, and genetics and provide key information for predicting how the seal population will respond to environmental change. The addition of genetic approaches will advance available data for multiple groups in multiple countries working on Weddell Seals. This work includes an early career scientists training program for faculty university graduate and undergraduate students and well as a defined program for data sharing. The research is paired with active education and outreach programs, social media, websites, educational resources, videos and high-profile public lecture activities. The informal science education program will expand on the project\u2019s successful efforts at producing and delivering short-form videos that have been viewed over 1.6 million times to date. In addition, the education program will add new topics such as learning about seals using genomics and how seals respond to a changing world to a multimedia-enhanced electronic book about the project\u2019s long-term research on Weddell seals, which will be freely available to the public early in the project. Part 2: Technical description Reliable predictions are needed for how populations of wild species, especially those at high latitudes, will respond to future environmental conditions. This study will use a strategic extension of the long-term demographic research program that has been conducted annually on the Erebus Bay population of Weddell seals since 1978 to help meet that need. Recent analyses of the study population indicate strong annual variation in reproduction, abundance, and population composition. The number of new immigrant mothers that join the population each year has recently grown such that most new mothers are now immigrants. Despite the growing number of immigrants, the demographic importance and geographic origins of immigrants are unknown. The research will (1) add new information on drivers of annual variation in immigrant numbers, (2) compare and combine information on the vital rates and demographic role of immigrant females and their offspring with that of locally born females, and (3) add genomic analyses that will quantify levels of genetic variation in and gene flow among the study population and other populations in the Ross Sea. The project will continue the long-term monitoring of the population at Erebus Bay and characterize population dynamics and the role of immigration using a combination of mark-recapture analyses, stochastic population modeling, and genomic analyses. The study will continue to provide detailed data on individual seals to other science teams, educate and mentor individuals in the next generation of ecologists, introduce two early-career, female scientists to Antarctic research, and add genomics approaches to the long-term population study of Erebus Bay Weddell seals. The research will be complemented with a robust program of training and an informal science education 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": 170.0, "geometry": "POINT(166 -76.67500000000001)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS; McMurdo Sound", "locations": "McMurdo Sound", "north": -74.95, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Rotella, Jay; Chen, Nancy", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.4, "title": "Collaborative Research: The Drivers and Role of Immigration in the Dynamics of the Largest Population of Weddell Seals in Antarctica under Changing Conditions", "uid": "p0010361", "west": 162.0}, {"awards": "2149518 Fudge, Tyler", "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": "ALHIC2201 and ALHIC2302 3D ECM and Layer Orientations", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601854", "doi": "10.15784/601854", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere", "people": "Kirkpatrick, Liam; Carter, Austin; Marks Peterson, Julia; Shackleton, Sarah; Fudge, T. J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "ALHIC2201 and ALHIC2302 3D ECM and Layer Orientations", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601854"}], "date_created": "Sun, 07 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ice cores provide valuable records of past climate such as atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gasses and unmatched evidence of past abrupt climate change. Key to understanding past climate changes are the measurements of annual layers that are used to determine the age of the ice, and the timing and pace of major climate events. The current measurement limit for annual layers in ice cores is at the centimeter scale. This project aims to improve the depth resolution of measurements of the chemical impurities in ice using measurements such as electrical conductivity, hyperspectral imaging, major elements measured with laser ablation, and ice grain properties. This will advance understanding of the preservation and layering in ice cores and improve the accuracy and length of annual timescales for existing ice cores. Most of the past time preserved in an ice core is near the bed where the layers have been thinned to only a fraction of their original thickness. Interpreting highly compressed portions of ice cores is increasingly important as projects target climate records in basal ice, and old ice recovered from blue-ice areas. This project will integrate precisely co-registered electrical conductivity measurements, hyperspectral imaging, laser ablation mass spectrometer measurements of impurities, and ice physical properties to investigate sub-centimeter chemical and physical variations in polar ice. Critical to resolving thin ice layers is understanding the across-core variations that may obscure or distort the vertical layering. Analyses will be focused on samples from the WDC-06A (WAIS Divide), SPC-14 (South Pole), and GISP2 (Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2) ice cores that have well-established seasonal cycles that yielded benchmark timescales, as well a large-diameter ice core from the Allan Hills blue ice area. This work will develop state-of-the-art instrumentation and FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) data handling workflow at the National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility available to the community both to enhance understanding of existing ice cores, and for use in future projects. 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": "ICE CORE RECORDS; Ice Core", "locations": null, "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Fudge, T. J.; Fegyveresi, John M", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Testing Next Generation Measurement Techniques for Reconstruction of Paleoclimate Archives from Thin or Disturbed Ice Cores Sections", "uid": "p0010365", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1654922 de la Pena, Santiago", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "dataset_titles": " South Pole Weather and Accumulation Measurements 2017-2020", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601591", "doi": "10.15784/601591", "keywords": "Accumulation; Antarctica; Snow; South Pole; Surface Mass Balance", "people": "de la Pe\u00f1a, Santiago", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": " South Pole Weather and Accumulation Measurements 2017-2020", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601591"}], "date_created": "Tue, 02 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Non-Technical Description: Snow accumulation in the interior of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, and how much snow is redistributed by wind are important components of the climate system of Antarctica, yet remain largely unknown. Because of the extreme meteorological conditions found in Antarctica, direct observations of snowfall and related weather are few, leaving a gap in the regional climate records in the continent. Snow accumulation across the Antarctic Ice Sheet is a critical component for the assessment of the contribution of Antarctica to sea level rise, and accurate measurements are required to evaluate results from regional climate models, used to reconstruct climate trends of the recent past for the whole ice sheet. Owing to the size of Antarctica alone, small fluctuations in the total snow accumulation at the surface have a significant effect on the mass budget of the ice sheet and thus on global sea level. In this work will develop an instrument suite for deployment at the South Pole research station in Antarctica. The monitoring station will have new state-of-the-art sensors will record measurements of weather, snow accumulation, and structural conditions within the layer of packed snow. The autonomous system will be tested in the coldest and darkest winter on the planet, and will provide the first continuous measurements of snow accumulation processes in the interior of the ice sheet, which will be used to validate atmospheric and regional climate models. Technical Description: The overarching goal of the proposed work is to improve our understanding of the spatiotemporal variability in ice-sheet surface mass balance and densification rates within the layer of firn, a layer roughly 100 m thick consisting of the buried and compacted snow that has yet to densify into solid ice. For this, we will A) design and install a cost-efficient, reliable, and easily deployable surface mass balance and firn monitoring system for Antarctica; B) adapt the system to operate autonomously for long periods of time under the harshest meteorological conditions; C) use observations for evaluation of surface mass balance simulated by atmospheric reanalyzes and regional climate model; and D) measure the surface mass balance, surface density, and firn compaction rates to derive ice sheet surface elevation change in areas with low ice dynamics. The set up of the monitoring station is unique in that it is able to monitor separately height change due to surface mass balance variability and absolute surface mass balance, the latter in units of water equivalence, and differentiation of the two is crucial for understanding the role of surface processes in ice sheet mass balance. An installed sonic ranger will provide hourly measurements of surface height change that is due to snow accumulation. Surface height change alone is not sufficient to evaluate atmospheric models of surface mass balance, which is measured in in units of mass; a key variable missing is density. To overcome this, the system will be equipped with a SnowFox sensor that is able to capture the variations in surface mass balance in terms of mass through time. Combining the height change with mass change will allow us to determine the density of the material as well, which is very important for conversion of observed height changes due to surface processes into mass changes. Therefore, we aim to better evaluate the short-term variability in surface height and mass fluctuations due to surface mass balance to improve our understanding of the total mass change and to evaluate atmospheric models, which are typically used for ice sheet-wide mass balance studies.", "east": 0.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "South Pole; SNOW", "locations": "South Pole", "north": -90.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Instrumentation and Facilities", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "de la Pe\u00f1a, Santiago", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "EAGER: An Operational System to Measure Surface Mass Balance Deep in the Interior of the Antarctic Ice Sheet", "uid": "p0010360", "west": 0.0}, {"awards": "2012365 Johnston, David; 2012247 Groff, Dulcinea; 2012444 Cimino, Megan", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-65 -64.5,-64.8 -64.5,-64.6 -64.5,-64.4 -64.5,-64.2 -64.5,-64 -64.5,-63.8 -64.5,-63.6 -64.5,-63.4 -64.5,-63.2 -64.5,-63 -64.5,-63 -64.55,-63 -64.6,-63 -64.65,-63 -64.7,-63 -64.75,-63 -64.8,-63 -64.85,-63 -64.9,-63 -64.95,-63 -65,-63.2 -65,-63.4 -65,-63.6 -65,-63.8 -65,-64 -65,-64.2 -65,-64.4 -65,-64.6 -65,-64.8 -65,-65 -65,-65 -64.95,-65 -64.9,-65 -64.85,-65 -64.8,-65 -64.75,-65 -64.7,-65 -64.65,-65 -64.6,-65 -64.55,-65 -64.5))", "dataset_titles": "Aerial data from drone surveys of coastal habitats on the West Antarctic Peninsula during austral summer (January\u2013March 2020 and February\u2013March 2019); Data from: Terrestrial spatial distribution and summer abundance of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) near Palmer Station, Antarctica, from drone surveys", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200472", "doi": "10.5061/dryad.qv9s4mwp0", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Dryad", "science_program": null, "title": "Data from: Terrestrial spatial distribution and summer abundance of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) near Palmer Station, Antarctica, from drone surveys", "url": "https://datadryad.org/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.qv9s4mwp0"}, {"dataset_uid": "200471", "doi": "10.7924/r4sf2xs2w", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Duke Research Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "Aerial data from drone surveys of coastal habitats on the West Antarctic Peninsula during austral summer (January\u2013March 2020 and February\u2013March 2019)", "url": "https://research.repository.duke.edu/concern/datasets/r207tq370?locale=en"}], "date_created": "Sun, 24 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded in whole or part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Part I: Non-technical description: Ad\u00e9lie penguin colonies are declining and disappearing from the western Antarctic Peninsula. However, not all colonies in a certain area decline or disappear at the same rate. This research project will evaluate the influence of terrestrial surface properties on Ad\u00e9lie penguin colonies, leveraging five decades of research on seabirds near Palmer Station where an Ad\u00e9lie colony on Litchfield Island became extinct in 2007 while other colonies nearby are still present. The researchers will combine information obtained from remote sensing, UAS (Unoccupied Aircraft System, or drones) high-resolution maps, reconstruction of past moss banks and modeling with machine learning tools to define suitable penguin and peatbank moss habitats and explore the influence of microclimate on their distributions. In particular, the researchers are asking if guano from penguin colonies could act as fertilizers of moss banks in the presence of localized wind patters that can carry airborne nitrogen to the mosses. Modeling will relate penguin and peatbank moss spatial patterns to environmental variables and provide a greater understanding of how continued environmental change could impact these communities. The project allows for documentation of terrestrial Antarctic ecosystems in support of seabirds and provisioning of such information to the broader science community that seeks to study penguins, educating graduate and undergraduate students and a post-doctoral researcher. The research team includes two young women as Principal Investigators, one of them from an under-represented ethnic minority, first time Antarctic Principal Investigator, from an EPSCoR state (Wyoming), broadening participation in Antarctic research. Researchers will serve as student mentors through the Duke Bass Connections program entitled Biogeographic Assessment of Antarctic Coastal Habitats. This program supports an interdisciplinary team of graduate and undergraduate students collaborating with project faculty and experts on cutting-edge research bridging the classroom and the real world. Part II: Technical description: This research aims to understand the changes at the microclimate scale (meters) by analyzing present and past Ad\u00e9lie penguin colonies and moss peatbanks in islands around Palmer Station in the western Antarctic Peninsula \u2013 interlinked systems that are typically considered in isolation. By integrating in situ and remote data, this project will synthesize the drivers of biogeomorphology on small islands of the Antarctic Peninsula, a region of rapid change where plants and animals often co-occur and animal presence often determines the habitation of plants. A multi-disciplinary approach combine field measurements, remote sensing, UAS (Unoccupied Aircraft Systems) maps, paleoecology and modeling with machine learning to define suitable habitats and the influence of microclimates on penguin and peatbank distributions. The link between the two aspects of this study, peatbanks and penguins, is the potential source of nutrients for peat mosses from penguin guano. Peatbank and penguin distribution will be modeled and all models will be validated using in situ information from moss samples that will identify mechanistic processes. This project leverages 5 decades of seabird research in the area and high-definition remote sensing provided by the Polar Geospatial center to study the microclimate of Litchfield Island where an Ad\u00e9lie colony became extinct in 2007 when other colonies nearby are still present. The research team includes two early career women as Principal Investigators, one of them from an under-represented ethnic minority, first time Antarctic Principal Investigator, from an EPSCoR state (Wyoming). Researchers will serve as mentors for students through the Duke Bass Connections program entitled Biogeogrpahic Assessment of Antarctic Coastal Habitats which bridges the classroom and the real world. 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": -63.0, "geometry": "POINT(-64 -64.75)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Palmer Station; Antarctic Peninsula; COASTAL; STABLE ISOTOPES; TOPOGRAPHIC EFFECTS; PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS; MACROFOSSILS; PLANTS; PENGUINS; ISOTOPES; VISIBLE IMAGERY; RADIOCARBON; Anvers Island", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula; Anvers Island; Palmer Station", "north": -64.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Groff, Dulcinea; Cimino, Megan; Johnston, David", "platforms": null, "repo": "Dryad", "repositories": "Dryad; Duke Research Repository", "science_programs": null, "south": -65.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Common Environmental Drivers Determine the Occupation Chronology of Ad\u00e9lie Penguins and Moss Peatbanks on the Western Antarctic Peninsula", "uid": "p0010354", "west": -65.0}, {"awards": "1745081 Bernard, Kim; 1745018 Fraser, William; 1745009 Kohut, Josh; 1744884 Oliver, Matthew; 1745023 Hennon, Tyler; 1745011 Klinck, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-75 -60,-73 -60,-71 -60,-69 -60,-67 -60,-65 -60,-63 -60,-61 -60,-59 -60,-57 -60,-55 -60,-55 -61,-55 -62,-55 -63,-55 -64,-55 -65,-55 -66,-55 -67,-55 -68,-55 -69,-55 -70,-57 -70,-59 -70,-61 -70,-63 -70,-65 -70,-67 -70,-69 -70,-71 -70,-73 -70,-75 -70,-75 -69,-75 -68,-75 -67,-75 -66,-75 -65,-75 -64,-75 -63,-75 -62,-75 -61,-75 -60))", "dataset_titles": "Antarctic ACROBAT data; CTD Data from IFCB Sampling; Finite Time Lyapunov Exponent Results, Calculated from High Frequency Radar Observed Surface Currents; High Frequency Radar, Palmer Deep; IFCB Image Data; Relative Particle Density; SWARM AMLR moorings - acoustic data; SWARM Glider Data near Palmer Deep; WAP model float data; Winds from Joubin and Wauwerman Islands", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200392", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.917884.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "High Frequency Radar, Palmer Deep", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/917884"}, {"dataset_uid": "200398", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IOOS Glider DAAC", "science_program": null, "title": "SWARM Glider Data near Palmer Deep", "url": "https://gliders.ioos.us/erddap/search/index.html?page=1\u0026itemsPerPage=1000\u0026searchFor=swarm"}, {"dataset_uid": "200397", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.865098.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Winds from Joubin and Wauwerman Islands", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/865098"}, {"dataset_uid": "200396", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.867442.2", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "WAP model float data", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/867442"}, {"dataset_uid": "200395", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.872729.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "SWARM AMLR moorings - acoustic data", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/872729"}, {"dataset_uid": "200394", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.917926.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Relative Particle Density", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/917926"}, {"dataset_uid": "200393", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.865002.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "IFCB Image Data", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/865002"}, {"dataset_uid": "200391", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.917914.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Finite Time Lyapunov Exponent Results, Calculated from High Frequency Radar Observed Surface Currents", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/917914"}, {"dataset_uid": "200390", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.865030.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "CTD Data from IFCB Sampling", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/865030"}, {"dataset_uid": "200389", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic ACROBAT data", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/916046"}], "date_created": "Tue, 05 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Undersea canyons play disproportionately important roles as oceanic biological hotspots and are critical for our understanding of many coastal ecosystems. Canyon-associated biological hotspots have persisted for thousands of years Along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, despite significant climate variability. Observations of currents over Palmer Deep canyon, a representative hotspot along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, indicate that surface phytoplankton blooms enter and exit the local hotspot on scales of ~1-2 days. This time of residence is in conflict with the prevailing idea that canyon associated hotspots are primarily maintained by phytoplankton that are locally grown in association with these features by the upwelling of deep waters rich with nutrients that fuel the phytoplankton growth. Instead, the implication is that horizontal ocean circulation is likely more important to maintaining these biological hotspots than local upwelling through its physical concentrating effects. This project seeks to better resolve the factors that create and maintain focused areas of biological activity at canyons along the Western Antarctic Peninsula and create local foraging areas for marine mammals and birds. The project focus is in the analysis of the ocean transport and concentration mechanisms that sustain these biological hotspots, connecting oceanography to phytoplankton and krill, up through the food web to one of the resident predators, penguins. In addition, the research will engage with teachers from school districts serving underrepresented and underserved students by integrating the instructors and their students completely with the science team. Students will conduct their own research with the same data over the same time as researchers on the project. Revealing the fundamental mechanisms that sustain these known hotspots will significantly advance our understanding of the observed connection between submarine canyons and persistent penguin population hotspots over ecological time, and provide a new model for how Antarctic hotspots function. To understand the physical mechanisms that support persistent hotspots along the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), this project will integrate a modeling and field program that will target the processes responsible for transporting and concentrating phytoplankton and krill biomass to known penguin foraging locations. Within the Palmer Deep canyon, a representative hotspot, the team will deploy a High Frequency Radar (HFR) coastal surface current mapping network, uniquely equipped to identify the eddies and frontal regions that concentrate phytoplankton and krill. The field program, centered on surface features identified by the HFR, will include (i) a coordinated fleet of gliders to survey hydrography, chlorophyll fluorescence, optical backscatter, and active acoustics at the scale of the targeted convergent features; (ii) precise penguin tracking with GPS-linked satellite telemetry and time-depth recorders (TDRs); (iii) and weekly small boat surveys that adaptively target and track convergent features to measure phytoplankton, krill, and hydrography. A high resolution physical model will generalize our field measurements to other known hotspots along the WAP through simulation and determine which physical mechanisms lead to the maintenance of these hotspots. The project will also engage educators, students, and members of the general public in Antarctic research and data analysis with an education program that will advance teaching and learning as well as broadening participation of under-represented groups. This engagement includes professional development workshops, live connections to the public and classrooms, student research symposia, and program evaluation. Together the integrated research and engagement will advance our understanding of the role regional transport pathways and local depth dependent concentrating physical mechanisms play in sustaining these biological hotspots. 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": -55.0, "geometry": "POINT(-65 -65)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CONDUCTIVITY SENSORS \u003e CONDUCTIVITY METERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RADIATION SENSORS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "MOORED; WATER TEMPERATURE; CONDUCTIVITY; FLUORESCENCE; UNCREWED VEHICLES; Palmer Station; PHOTOSYNTHETICALLY ACTIVE RADIATION; PELAGIC; OCEAN MIXED LAYER; SURFACE; SALINITY; WATER PRESSURE; LIVING ORGANISM; MODELS; ACOUSTIC SCATTERING", "locations": "Palmer Station", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": "NOT APPLICABLE", "persons": "Bernard, Kim; Oliver, Matthew; Kohut, Josh; Fraser, William; Klinck, John M.; Statcewich, Hank", "platforms": "LIVING ORGANISM-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e LIVING ORGANISM; OTHER \u003e MODELS; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e BUOYS \u003e MOORED; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e UNCREWED VEHICLES; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE", "repo": "BCO-DMO", "repositories": "BCO-DMO; IOOS Glider DAAC", "science_programs": null, "south": -70.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Physical Mechanisms Driving Food Web Focusing in Antarctic Biological Hotspots", "uid": "p0010346", "west": -75.0}, {"awards": "1744771 Balco, Gregory", "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": "5 million year transient Antarctic ice sheet model run with \"desensitized\" marine ice margin instabilities; 5 million year transient Antarctic ice sheet model run with \"sensitized\" marine ice margin instabilities", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601601", "doi": "10.15784/601601", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Sheet Modeling; Marine Ice Margin Instability; Model Output", "people": "Halberstadt, Anna Ruth; Balco, Gregory; Buchband, Hannah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "5 million year transient Antarctic ice sheet model run with \"desensitized\" marine ice margin instabilities", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601601"}, {"dataset_uid": "601602", "doi": "10.15784/601602", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Sheet Modeling; Marine Ice Margin Instability; Model Output", "people": "Buchband, Hannah; Balco, Gregory; Halberstadt, Anna Ruth", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "5 million year transient Antarctic ice sheet model run with \"sensitized\" marine ice margin instabilities", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601602"}], "date_created": "Tue, 21 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The purpose of this project is to use geological data that record past changes in the Antarctic ice sheets to test computer models for ice sheet change. The geologic data mainly consist of dated glacial deposits that are preserved above the level of the present ice sheet, and range in age from thousands to millions of years old. These provide information about the size, thickness, and rate of change of the ice sheets during past times when the ice sheets were larger than present. In addition, some of these data are from below the present ice surface and therefore also provide some information about past warm periods when ice sheets were most likely smaller than present. The primary purpose of the computer model is to predict future ice sheet changes, but because significant changes in the size of ice sheets are slow and likely occur over hundreds of years or longer, the only way to determine whether these models are accurate is to test their ability to reproduce past ice sheet changes. The primary purpose of this project is to carry out such a test. The research team will compile relevant geologic data, in some cases generate new data by dating additional deposits, and develop methods and software to compare data to model simulations. In addition, this project will (i) contribute to building and sustaining U.S. science capacity through postdoctoral training in geochronology, ice sheet modeling, and data science, and (ii) improve public access to geologic data and model simulations relevant to ice sheet change through online database and website development. Technical aspects of this project are primarily focused on the field of cosmogenic-nuclide exposure-dating, which is a method that relies on the production of rare stable and radio-nuclides by cosmic-ray interactions with rocks and minerals exposed at the Earth\u0027s surface. Because the advance and retreat of ice sheets results in alternating cosmic-ray exposure and shielding of underlying bedrock and surficial deposits, this technique is commonly used to date and reconstruct past ice sheet changes. First, this project will contribute to compiling and systematizing a large amount of cosmogenic-nuclide exposure age data collected in Antarctica during the past three decades. Second, it will generate additional geochemical data needed to improve the extent and usefulness of measurements of stable cosmogenic nuclides, cosmogenic neon-21 in particular, that are useful for constraining ice-sheet behavior on million-year timescales. Third, it will develop a computational framework for comparison of the geologic data set with existing numerical model simulations of Antarctic ice sheet change during the past several million years, with particular emphasis on model simulations of past warm periods, for example the middle Pliocene ca. 3-3.3 million years ago, during which the Antarctic ice sheets are hypothesized to have been substantially smaller than present. Fourth, guided by the results of this comparison, it will generate new model simulations aimed at improving agreement between model simulations and geologic data, as well as diagnosing which processes or parameterizations in the models are or are not well constrained by the data. 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": "BERYLLIUM-10 ANALYSIS; AMD; ICE SHEETS; GLACIATION; Amd/Us; LABORATORY; USA/NSF; Antarctica; ALUMINUM-26 ANALYSIS; USAP-DC", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Balco, Gregory", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Synoptic Evaluation of Long-Term Antarctic Ice Sheet Model Simulations using a Continent-Wide Database of Cosmogenic-Nuclide Measurements", "uid": "p0010342", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2139497 Balco, Gregory", "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": "Tue, 21 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project will conduct basic research into geological dating techniques that are useful for determining the age of glacial deposits in polar regions, Antarctica in particular. These techniques are necessary for determining how large the polar ice sheets were in the geologic past, including during past periods of warm climate that likely resemble present and near-future conditions. Thus, they represent an important technical capability needed for estimating the response of polar ice sheets to climate warming. Because changes in the size of polar ice sheets are the largest potential contribution to future global sea-level change, this capability is also relevant to understanding likely sea-level impacts of future climate change. The research in this project comprises several observational and experimental approaches to improving the speed, efficiency, cost, and accuracy of these techniques, as well as a scientific outreach program aimed at making the resulting capabilities more broadly available to other researchers. The project supports a postdoctoral scholar and contributes to human resources development in polar and climate science. The project focuses on several areas of cosmogenic-nuclide geochemistry, which is a geochemical dating method that relies on the production and decay of cosmic-ray-produced radionuclides in surface rocks. Measurements of these nuclides can be used to quantify the duration of surface exposure and ice cover at locations in Antarctica that are covered and uncovered by changes in the size of the Antarctic ice sheets, thus providing a means of reconstructing past ice-sheet change. The first proposed set of experiments are aimed at implementing a \u0027virtual mineral separation\u0027 approach to cosmogenic noble gas analysis that may allow measurement of nuclide concentrations in certain minerals without physically separating the minerals from the host rock. If feasible, this would realize significant speed and cost improvements for this type of analysis. A second set of experiments will focus on means of identifying and quantifying non-cosmogenic background inventories of some relevant nuclides, which is intended to improve the measurement sensitivity and precision for cosmic-ray-produced inventories of these nuclides. A third focus area aims to improve capabilities to measure multiple cosmic-ray-produced nuclides in the same sample, which has the potential to improve the accuracy of dating methods based on these nuclides and to expand the situations in which these methods can be applied. If successful, these experiments are likely to improve a number of applications of cosmogenic-nuclide geochemistry relevant to Antarctic research, including subglacial bedrock exposure dating, dating of multimillion-year-old glacial deposits, and surface-process studies useful in understanding landform evolution and ecosystem dynamics. 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": "California; LABORATORY; AMD; GEOCHEMISTRY; Amd/Us; USAP-DC; USA/NSF", "locations": "California", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Balco, Gregory", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Targeted Basic Research to Enable Antarctic Science Applications of Cosmogenic-Nuclide Geochemistry", "uid": "p0010343", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1643664 Severinghaus, Jeffrey; 1643669 Petrenko, Vasilii; 1643716 Buizert, Christo", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((112 -66,112.2 -66,112.4 -66,112.6 -66,112.8 -66,113 -66,113.2 -66,113.4 -66,113.6 -66,113.8 -66,114 -66,114 -66.1,114 -66.2,114 -66.3,114 -66.4,114 -66.5,114 -66.6,114 -66.7,114 -66.8,114 -66.9,114 -67,113.8 -67,113.6 -67,113.4 -67,113.2 -67,113 -67,112.8 -67,112.6 -67,112.4 -67,112.2 -67,112 -67,112 -66.9,112 -66.8,112 -66.7,112 -66.6,112 -66.5,112 -66.4,112 -66.3,112 -66.2,112 -66.1,112 -66))", "dataset_titles": "Concentration and isotopic composition of atmospheric N2O over the last century; Law Dome DE08-OH firn air 15N, O2/N2, Ar/N2, 18O of O2; Law Dome DE08-OH site noble gases in ice: testing the 86Krexcess proxy; Law Dome firn air and ice core 14CO concentration", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601846", "doi": "10.15784/601846", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon-14; Cryosphere; Firn Air; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Law Dome; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Petrenko, Vasilii", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Law Dome firn air and ice core 14CO concentration", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601846"}, {"dataset_uid": "601693", "doi": "10.15784/601693", "keywords": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Anthropogenic Emission; Atmosphere; Greenhouse Gas; Greenland; Ice Core Data; Nitrification And Denitrification Processes; Nitrous Oxide; Site-Specific 15N Isotopomer; Styx Glacier", "people": "Ghosh, Sambit; Etheridge, David; Ahn, Jinho ; Joong Kim, Seong; Yoshida, Naohiro ; Langenfelds, Ray L ; Buizert, Christo ; Toyoda, Sakae ", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Concentration and isotopic composition of atmospheric N2O over the last century", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601693"}, {"dataset_uid": "601598", "doi": "10.15784/601598", "keywords": "Antarctica; Firn; Firn Density; Gravitational Settling; Inert Gases; Law Dome", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Law Dome DE08-OH firn air 15N, O2/N2, Ar/N2, 18O of O2", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601598"}, {"dataset_uid": "601597", "doi": "10.15784/601597", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ice Core; Law Dome; Noble Gas", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Law Dome DE08-OH site noble gases in ice: testing the 86Krexcess proxy", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601597"}], "date_created": "Fri, 17 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Hydroxyl radicals are responsible for removal of most atmospheric trace gases, including pollutants and important greenhouse gases. They have been called the \"detergent of the atmosphere\". Changes in hydroxyl radical concentration in response to large changes in reactive trace gas emissions, which may happen in the future, are uncertain. This project aims to provide the first estimates of the variability of atmospheric hydroxyl radicals since about 1880 AD when anthropogenic emissions of reactive trace gases were minimal. This will improve understanding of their stability in response to large changes in emissions. The project will also investigate whether ice cores record past changes in Southern Hemisphere westerly winds. These winds are a key component of the global climate system, and have an important influence on ocean circulation and possibly on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. The project team will include three early career scientists, a postdoctoral researcher, and graduate and undergraduate students, working in collaboration with senior scientists and Australian collaborators. Firn air and shallow ice to a depth of about 233 m will be sampled at the Law Dome high-accumulation coastal site in East Antarctica. Trapped air will be extracted from the ice cores on site immediately after drilling. Carbon-14 of carbon monoxide (14CO) will be analyzed in firn and ice-core air samples. Corrections will be made for the in situ cosmogenic 14CO component in the ice, allowing for the atmospheric 14CO history to be reconstructed. This 14CO history will be interpreted with the aid of a chemistry-transport model to place the first observational constraints on the variability of Southern Hemisphere hydroxyl radical concentration after about 1880 AD. An additional component of the project will analyze Krypton-86 in the firn-air and ice-core samples. These measurements will explore whether ice-core Krypton-86 acts as a proxy for barometric pressure variability, and whether this proxy can be used in Antarctic ice cores to infer past movement of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds. 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": 114.0, "geometry": "POINT(113 -66.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AMD; TRACE GASES/TRACE SPECIES; Law Dome; Amd/Us; USAP-DC; LABORATORY; ICE CORE AIR BUBBLES; USA/NSF", "locations": "Law Dome", "north": -66.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Petrenko, Vasilii; Murray, Lee T; Buizert, Christo; Petrenko, Vasilii; Murray, Lee T", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -67.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Reconstructing Carbon-14 of Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide from Law Dome, Antarctica to Constrain Long-Term Hydroxyl Radical Variability", "uid": "p0010341", "west": 112.0}, {"awards": "2201129 Fischer, Karen", "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": "Crustal thicknesses in Antarctica from Sp receiver functions; Lithospheric thicknesses in Antarctica from Sp receiver functions", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601899", "doi": "10.15784/601899", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; LAB; Lithosphere; Lithospheric Thickness", "people": "Brown, Sarah; Fischer, Karen", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Lithospheric thicknesses in Antarctica from Sp receiver functions", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601899"}, {"dataset_uid": "601898", "doi": "10.15784/601898", "keywords": "Antarctica; Crust; Cryosphere; Moho", "people": "Fischer, Karen; Brown, Sarah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Crustal thicknesses in Antarctica from Sp receiver functions", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601898"}], "date_created": "Tue, 14 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The western portion of the Antarctic continent is very active in terms of plate tectonic processes that can produce significant variations in the Earths mantle temperature as well as partial melting of the mantle. In addition to these internal processes, the ice sheet in western Antarctica is melting due to Earths warming climate and adding water to the ocean. These changes in ice mass cause adjustments in rocks within the Earth\u0027s crust, allowing the surface to rebound in some locations and fall in others, altering the geographical pattern of sea-level change. However, the solid Earth response depends strongly on the strength of the rocks at a wide range of timescales which is not well-known and varies with temperature and other rock properties. This project has three primary goals. (1) It will assess how processes such as rifting, mantle upwelling and lithospheric instability have altered the lithosphere and underlying asthenosphere of western Antarctica, contributing to a planet-wide understanding of these processes. (2) It will use new measurements of mantle and crust properties to estimate the rate at which heat from the solid Earth flows into the base of the ice, which is important for modeling the rates at which the ice melts and flows. (3) It will places bounds on mantle viscosity, which is key for modeling the interaction of the solid Earth with changing ice and water masses and their implications for sea-level rise. To accomplish these goals, new resolution of crust and mantle structure will be obtained by analyzing seismic waves from distant earthquakes that have been recorded at numerous seismic stations in Antarctica. These analyses will include new combinations of seismic wave data that provide complementary information about mantle temperature, heat flow and viscosity. This project will provide educational and career opportunities to a Brown University graduate student, undergraduates from groups underrepresented in science who will come to Brown University for a summer research program, and other undergraduates. The project will bring together faculty and students for a seminar at Brown that explores the connections between the solid Earth and ice processes in Antarctica. Project research will be incorporated in outreach to local public elementary schools and high schools. This research addresses key questions about mantle processes and properties in western Antarctica. What are the relative impacts of rifting, mantle plumes, and lithospheric delamination in the evolution of the lithosphere and asthenosphere? Where is topography isostatically compensated, and where are dynamic processes such as plate flexure or tractions from 3-D mantle flow required? What are the bounds on heat flow and mantle viscosity, which represent important inputs to models of ice sheet evolution and its feedback from the solid Earth? To address these questions, this project will measure mantle and crust properties using seismic tools that have not yet been applied in Antarctica: regional-scale measurement of mantle attenuation from surface waves; Sp body wave phases to image mantle velocity gradients such as the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary; and surface wave amplification and ellipticity. The resulting models of seismic attenuation and velocity will be jointly interpreted to shed new light on temperature, bulk composition, volatile content, and partial melt, using a range of laboratory-derived constitutive laws, while considering data from mantle xenoliths. To test the relative roles of rifting, mantle plumes, and delamination, and to assess isostatic support for Antarctic topography, the predictions of these processes will be compared to the new models of crust and mantle properties. To improve bounds on western Antarctic heat flow, seismic attenuation and velocity will be used in empirical comparisons and in direct modeling of vertical temperature gradients. To better measure mantle viscosity at the timescales of glacial isostatic adjustment, frequency-dependent viscosity will be estimated from the inferred mantle conditions. This project will contribute to the education and career development of the following: a Brown University Ph.D. student, Brown undergraduates, and undergraduates from outside the university will be involved through the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences (DEEPS) Leadership Alliance NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site which focuses on geoscience summer research experiences for underrepresented students. The project will be the basis for a seminar at Brown that explores the connections between the solid Earth and cryosphere in Antarctica and will contribute to outreach in local public elementary and high schools. 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": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e SEISMOMETERS \u003e SEISMOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; West Antarctica; USA/NSF; SEISMIC SURFACE WAVES; AMD; PLATE TECTONICS; Amd/Us; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": "West Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Fischer, Karen; Dalton, Colleen", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Probing the Western Antarctic Lithosphere and Asthenosphere with New Approaches to Imaging Seismic Wave Attenuation and Velocity", "uid": "p0010339", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1951090 Stukel, Michael", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-80 -63,-78.2 -63,-76.4 -63,-74.6 -63,-72.8 -63,-71 -63,-69.2 -63,-67.4 -63,-65.6 -63,-63.8 -63,-62 -63,-62 -63.7,-62 -64.4,-62 -65.1,-62 -65.8,-62 -66.5,-62 -67.2,-62 -67.9,-62 -68.6,-62 -69.3,-62 -70,-63.8 -70,-65.6 -70,-67.4 -70,-69.2 -70,-71 -70,-72.8 -70,-74.6 -70,-76.4 -70,-78.2 -70,-80 -70,-80 -69.3,-80 -68.6,-80 -67.9,-80 -67.2,-80 -66.5,-80 -65.8,-80 -65.1,-80 -64.4,-80 -63.7,-80 -63))", "dataset_titles": "BCO-DMO Project Page", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200294", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "BCO-DMO Project Page", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/project/838048"}], "date_created": "Fri, 03 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Algae in the surface ocean convert carbon dioxide into organic carbon through photosynthesis. The biological carbon pump transports this organic carbon from the atmosphere to the deep ocean where it can be stored for tens to hundreds of years. Annually, the amount transported is similar to that humans are currently emitting by burning fossil fuels. However, at present we cannot predict how this important process will change with a warming ocean. These investigators plan to develop a 15+ year time-series of vertical carbon transfer for the Western Antarctic Peninsula; a highly productive Antarctic ecosystem. This region is also rapid transition to warmer temperatures leading to reduced sea ice coverage. This work will help researchers better understand how the carbon cycle in the Western Antarctic Peninsula will respond to climate change. The researchers will develop the first large-scale time-series of carbon flux anywhere in the ocean. This research will also support the education and training of a graduate student and support the integration of concepts in Antarctic research into two undergraduate courses designed for non-science majors and advanced earth science students. The researchers will also develop educational modules for introducing elementary and middle-school age students to important concepts such as gross and net primary productivity, feedbacks in the marine and atmospheric systems, and the differences between correlation and causation. Results from this proposal will also be incorporated into a children\u2019s book, \u201cPlankton do the Strangest Things\u201d, that is targeted at 5-7 year olds and is designed to introduce them to the incredible diversity and fascinating adaptations of microscopic marine organisms. This research seeks to leverage 6 years (2015-2020) of 234Th samples collected on Palmer LTER program, 5 years of prior measurements (2009-2010, 2012-2014), and upcoming cruises (2021-2023) to develop a time-series of summertime particle flux in the WAP that stretches for 15 years. The 238U-234Th disequilibrium approach utilizes changes in the activity of the particle-active radio-isotope 234Th relative to its parent nuclide 238U to quantify the flux of sinking carbon out of the surface ocean (over a time-scale of ~one month). This proposal will fund 234Th analyses from nine years\u2019 worth of cruises (2015-2023) and extensive analyses designed to investigate the processes driving inter-annual variability in the BCP. These include: 1) physical modeling to quantify the importance of advection and diffusion in the 234Th budget, 2) time-series analyses of particle flux, and 3) statistical modeling of the relationships between particle flux and multiple presumed drivers (biological, chemical, physical, and climate indices) measured by collaborators in the Palmer LTER program. This multi-faceted approach is critical for linking the measurements to models and for predicting responses to climate change. It will also test the hypothesis that export flux is decreasing in the northern WAP, increasing in the southern WAP, and increasing when integrated over the entire region as a result of earlier sea ice retreat and a larger ice-free zone. The project will also investigate relationships between carbon export and multiple potentially controlling factors including: primary productivity, algal biomass and taxonomic composition, biological oxygen saturation, zooplankton biomass and taxonomic composition, bacterial production, temperature, wintertime sea ice extent, date of sea ice retreat, and climate modes. 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": -62.0, "geometry": "POINT(-71 -66.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Amd/Us; AMD; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Palmer Station; USAP-DC; BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES; USA/NSF", "locations": "Palmer Station", "north": -63.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Stukel, Michael", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "BCO-DMO", "repositories": "BCO-DMO", "science_programs": null, "south": -70.0, "title": "Quantifying Processes Driving Interannual Variability in the Biological Carbon Pump in the Western Antarctic Peninsula", "uid": "p0010332", "west": -80.0}, {"awards": "2019719 Brook, Edward", "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": "2019-2020 Allan Hills Field Report; 2022-23 Allan Hills Intermediate Ice Core Site Selection Field Report; 2023-2024 Allan Hills End-of-Season Science Report; Airborne Radar Data: 2022-23 (CXA1) flight based HDF5/matlab format data; Airborne Radar Data: 2022-23 (CXA1) transect based (science organized) unfocused data; Airborne Radar Data: 2023-24 (CXA2) flight based data HDF5/matlab format; Airborne Radar Data: 2023-24 (CXA2) transect based (science organized) unfocused data; ALHIC2201 and ALHIC2302 3D ECM and Layer Orientations; Allan Hills 2022-23 Shallow Ice Core Field Report; Allan Hills CMC3 ice core d18Oatm, d15N, dO2/N2, dAr/N2, d40/36Ar, d40/38Ar 2021 \u0026 2022; Allan Hills I-188 Field Season Report 2022-2023; Allan Hills ice water stable isotope record for dD, d18O; Basal Ice Unit Thickness Mapped by the NSF COLDEX MARFA Ice Penetrating Radar; CO2 and CH4 from Allan Hills ice cores ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903; COLDEX VHF MARFA Open Polar Radar radargrams; Concentration and flux of ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area; Heavy noble gases (Ar/Xe/Kr) from ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903; I-165-M GPR Field Report 2019-2020; MOT data (Xe/Kr) from Allan Hills ice cores ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903; NSF COLDEX 2022-23 Level 2 Basal Specularity Content Profiles; NSF COLDEX 2022-23 Riegl Laser Altimeter Level 2 Geolocated Surface Elevation Triplets; NSF COLDEX 2023-24 Level 2 Basal Specularity Content Profiles; NSF COLDEX 2023-24 Riegl Laser Altimeter Level 2 Geolocated Surface Elevation Triplets; NSF COLDEX Ice Penetrating Radar Derived Grids of the Southern Flank of Dome C; NSF COLDEX/Open Polar Radar Example Delay Doppler Classification of Englacial Reflectors; NSF COLDEX Raw MARFA Ice Penetrating Radar data; Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions and associated d-excess of ice from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area; Rare earth elemental concentrations of leached ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area; Replicate O-17-excess by continuous flow laser spectroscopy for an ice core section at Summit, Greenland; Rising Seas: Representations of Antarctica, Climate Change, and Sea Level Rise in U.S. Newspaper Coverage; Snapshot record of CO2 and CH4 from the Allan Hills, Antarctica, ranging from 400,000 to 3 million years old; Social network analysis to understand participant engagement in transdisciplinary team science: a large U.S. science and technology center case study; Strontium and neodymium isotope compositions of ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200435", "doi": "10.18738/T8/PNBFOL", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Texas Data Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "NSF COLDEX 2023-24 Riegl Laser Altimeter Level 2 Geolocated Surface Elevation Triplets", "url": "https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/PNBFOL"}, {"dataset_uid": "601768", "doi": "10.15784/601768", "keywords": "Antarctica; Coldex; East Antarctic Plateau; Glaciology; Radar Echo Sounder", "people": "Kempf, Scott D.; Ng, Gregory; Buhl, Dillon; Kerr, Megan; Greenbaum, Jamin; Blankenship, Donald D.; Young, Duncan A.; Chan, Kristian", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "NSF COLDEX Raw MARFA Ice Penetrating Radar data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601768"}, {"dataset_uid": "200419", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "University Digital Conservancy", "science_program": null, "title": "Rising Seas: Representations of Antarctica, Climate Change, and Sea Level Rise in U.S. Newspaper Coverage", "url": "https://hdl.handle.net/11299/265195"}, {"dataset_uid": "200420", "doi": "10.18738/T8/J38CO5", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "OPR", "science_program": null, "title": "Airborne Radar Data: 2022-23 (CXA1) flight based HDF5/matlab format data", "url": "https://data.cresis.ku.edu/data/rds/2022_Antarctica_BaslerMKB/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200421", "doi": "10.18738/T8/J38CO5", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "OPR", "science_program": null, "title": "Airborne Radar Data: 2023-24 (CXA2) flight based data HDF5/matlab format", "url": "https://data.cresis.ku.edu/data/rds/2023_Antarctica_BaslerMKB/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200470", "doi": "doi:10.15784/601822", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions and associated d-excess of ice from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601822"}, {"dataset_uid": "200469", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.15784/601821", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Rare earth elemental concentrations of leached ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601821"}, {"dataset_uid": "200468", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.15784/601820", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Strontium and neodymium isotope compositions of ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601820"}, {"dataset_uid": "601819", "doi": "10.15784/601819", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere", "people": "Kuhl, Tanner; Morton, Elizabeth; Zajicek, Anna; Nesbitt, Ian; Carter, Austin; Morgan, Jacob; Shackleton, Sarah; Higgins, John; Epifanio, Jenna", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "2019-2020 Allan Hills Field Report", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601819"}, {"dataset_uid": "601824", "doi": "10.15784/601824", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Coldex; Cryosphere", "people": "Brook, Edward J.; Epifanio, Jenna; Mayo, Emalia; Goverman, Ashley; Jayred, Michael; Morton, Elizabeth; Banerjee, Asmita; Hudak, Abigail; Manos, John-Morgan; Carter, Austin; Shackleton, Sarah; Higgins, John; Marks Peterson, Julia", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "2023-2024 Allan Hills End-of-Season Science Report", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601824"}, {"dataset_uid": "601826", "doi": "10.15784/601826", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere", "people": "Shaya, Margot; Manos, John-Morgan; Horlings, Annika; Epifanio, Jenna; Conway, Howard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "Allan Hills I-188 Field Season Report 2022-2023", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601826"}, {"dataset_uid": "601697", "doi": "10.15784/601697", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Apres; Ice Core; Ice Penetrating Radar; Temperature Profiles", "people": "Conway, Howard; Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "2022-23 Allan Hills Intermediate Ice Core Site Selection Field Report", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601697"}, {"dataset_uid": "601696", "doi": "10.15784/601696", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Ice Core", "people": "Brook, Edward J.; Shackleton, Sarah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Allan Hills 2022-23 Shallow Ice Core Field Report", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601696"}, {"dataset_uid": "200467", "doi": "doi:10.15784/601825", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Concentration and flux of ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601825"}, {"dataset_uid": "200465", "doi": "10.18738/T8/DM10IG", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Texas Data Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "COLDEX VHF MARFA Open Polar Radar radargrams", "url": "https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/DM10IG"}, {"dataset_uid": "200464", "doi": "10.18738/T8/DM10IG", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Texas Data Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "NSF COLDEX/Open Polar Radar Example Delay Doppler Classification of Englacial Reflectors", "url": "https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/DM10IG"}, {"dataset_uid": "200463", "doi": "10.18738/T8/M77ANK", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Texas Data Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "NSF COLDEX Ice Penetrating Radar Derived Grids of the Southern Flank of Dome C", "url": "https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/M77ANK"}, {"dataset_uid": "200462", "doi": "10.18738/T8/KHUT1U", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Texas Data Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "NSF COLDEX 2023-24 Level 2 Basal Specularity Content Profiles", "url": "https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/KHUT1U"}, {"dataset_uid": "200461", "doi": "10.18738/T8/6T5JS6", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Texas Data Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "NSF COLDEX 2022-23 Level 2 Basal Specularity Content Profiles", "url": "https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/6T5JS6"}, {"dataset_uid": "601669", "doi": "10.15784/601669", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; GPR; Ice Core; Report", "people": "Nesbitt, Ian; Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "I-165-M GPR Field Report 2019-2020", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601669"}, {"dataset_uid": "601854", "doi": "10.15784/601854", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere", "people": "Kirkpatrick, Liam; Carter, Austin; Marks Peterson, Julia; Shackleton, Sarah; Fudge, T. J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "ALHIC2201 and ALHIC2302 3D ECM and Layer Orientations", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601854"}, {"dataset_uid": "601659", "doi": "10.15784/601659", "keywords": "Antarctica; Continuous Flow; Glaciology; Greenland; Ice Core Data; Laser Spectroscopy; Oxygen Isotope; Triple Oxygen Isotopes", "people": "Davidge, Lindsey", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Hercules Dome Ice Core", "title": "Replicate O-17-excess by continuous flow laser spectroscopy for an ice core section at Summit, Greenland", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601659"}, {"dataset_uid": "601863", "doi": null, "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Isotope Data", "people": "Mayewski, Paul A.; Introne, Douglas; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Higgins, John; Brook, Edward", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Allan Hills ice water stable isotope record for dD, d18O", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601863"}, {"dataset_uid": "601863", "doi": null, "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Isotope Data", "people": "Higgins, John; Introne, Douglas; Brook, Edward; Mayewski, Paul A.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Kurbatov, Andrei V.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "Allan Hills ice water stable isotope record for dD, d18O", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601863"}, {"dataset_uid": "200433", "doi": "10.18738/T8/FV6VNT", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Texas Data Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "Airborne Radar Data: 2023-24 (CXA2) transect based (science organized) unfocused data", "url": "https://dataverse.tdl.org/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.18738/T8/FV6VNT"}, {"dataset_uid": "200434", "doi": "10.18738/T8/99IEOG", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Texas Data Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "NSF COLDEX 2022-23 Riegl Laser Altimeter Level 2 Geolocated Surface Elevation Triplets", "url": "https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/99IEOG"}, {"dataset_uid": "601620", "doi": "10.15784/601620", "keywords": "18O; Allan Hills; Allan Hills Blue Ice; Antarctica; Blue Ice; Delta 15N; Delta 18O; Dole Effect; Firn Thickness; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Chronology; Ice Core Records", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Allan Hills CMC3 ice core d18Oatm, d15N, dO2/N2, dAr/N2, d40/36Ar, d40/38Ar 2021 \u0026 2022", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601620"}, {"dataset_uid": "601878", "doi": "10.15784/601878", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Blue Ice; Carbon Dioxide; Cryosphere; Methane", "people": "Shackleton, Sarah; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Hishamunda, Valens; Kalk, Michael; Brook, Edward; Marks Peterson, Julia", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "Snapshot record of CO2 and CH4 from the Allan Hills, Antarctica, ranging from 400,000 to 3 million years old", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601878"}, {"dataset_uid": "200432", "doi": "10.18738/T8/XPMLCC", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Texas Data Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "Airborne Radar Data: 2022-23 (CXA1) transect based (science organized) unfocused data", "url": "https://dataverse.tdl.org/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.18738/T8/XPMLCC"}, {"dataset_uid": "200452", "doi": "https://hdl.handle.net/11299/270020", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UMN University Digital Conservancy", "science_program": null, "title": "Social network analysis to understand participant engagement in transdisciplinary team science: a large U.S. science and technology center case study", "url": "https://hdl.handle.net/11299/270020"}, {"dataset_uid": "601895", "doi": "10.15784/601895", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Noble Gas", "people": "Higgins, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Heavy noble gases (Ar/Xe/Kr) from ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601895"}, {"dataset_uid": "601896", "doi": "10.15784/601896", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Ch4; CO2; Cryosphere; Glaciology; Glaciology; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records", "people": "Higgins, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "CO2 and CH4 from Allan Hills ice cores ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601896"}, {"dataset_uid": "601897", "doi": "10.15784/601897", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciology; Ice Core Data; MOT; Ocean Temperature; Paleoclimate; Xe/Kr", "people": "Higgins, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "MOT data (Xe/Kr) from Allan Hills ice cores ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601897"}, {"dataset_uid": "601912", "doi": "10.15784/601912", "keywords": "Antarctica; Coldex; Cryosphere; East Antarctica; East Antarctic Plateau; Glaciology; Radar Echo Sounder", "people": "Vega Gonzalez, Alejandra; Kerr, Megan; Young, Duncan A.; Yan, Shuai; Blankenship, Donald D.; Singh, Shivangini", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "Basal Ice Unit Thickness Mapped by the NSF COLDEX MARFA Ice Penetrating Radar", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601912"}], "date_created": "Sat, 21 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Cores drilled through the Antarctic ice sheet provide a remarkable window on the evolution of Earth\u2019s climate and unique samples of the ancient atmosphere. The clear link between greenhouse gases and climate revealed by ice cores underpins much of the scientific understanding of climate change. Unfortunately, the existing data do not extend far enough back in time to reveal key features of climates warmer than today. COLDEX, the Center for Oldest Ice Exploration, will solve this problem by exploring Antarctica for sites to collect the oldest possible record of past climate recorded in the ice sheet. COLDEX will provide critical information for understanding how Earth\u2019s near-future climate may evolve and why climate varies over geologic time. New technologies will be developed for exploration and analysis that will have a long legacy for future research. An archive of old ice will stimulate new research for the next generations of polar scientists. COLDEX programs will galvanize that next generation of polar researchers, bring new results to other scientific disciplines and the public, and help to create a more inclusive and diverse scientific community. Knowledge of Earth\u2019s climate history is grounded in the geologic record. This knowledge is gained by measuring chemical, biological and physical properties of geologic materials that reflect elements of climate. Ice cores retrieved from polar ice sheets play a central role in this science and provide the best evidence for a strong link between atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate on geologic timescales. The goal of COLDEX is to extend the ice-core record of past climate to at least 1.5 million years by drilling and analyzing a continuous ice core in East Antarctica, and to much older times using discontinuous ice sections at the base and margin of the ice sheet. COLDEX will develop and deploy novel radar and melt-probe tools to rapidly explore the ice, use ice-sheet models to constrain where old ice is preserved, conduct ice coring, develop new analytical systems, and produce novel paleoclimate records from locations across East Antarctica. The search for Earth\u2019s oldest ice also provides a compelling narrative for disseminating information about past and future climate change and polar science to students, teachers, the media, policy makers and the public. COLDEX will engage and incorporate these groups through targeted professional development workshops, undergraduate research experiences, a comprehensive communication program, annual scientific meetings, scholarships, and broad collaboration nationally and internationally. COLDEX will provide a focal point for efforts to increase diversity in polar science by providing field, laboratory, mentoring and networking experiences for students and early career scientists from groups underrepresented in STEM, and by continuous engagement of the entire COLDEX community in developing a more inclusive scientific culture. 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": "USA/NSF; AMD; Antarctica; Amd/Us; Coldex; USAP-DC; FIELD SURVEYS; ICE DEPTH/THICKNESS", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Polar Special Initiatives", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Brook, Edward J.; Neff, Peter", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "Texas Data Repository", "repositories": "OPR; Texas Data Repository; UMN University Digital Conservancy; University Digital Conservancy; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "COLDEX", "south": -90.0, "title": "Center for Oldest Ice Exploration", "uid": "p0010321", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1543305 Lazzara, Matthew", "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": "Antarctic Automatic Weather Station", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200291", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.48567/1hn2-nw60", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AMRDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Automatic Weather Station", "url": "https://amrdcdata.ssec.wisc.edu/group/about/automatic-weather-station-project"}], "date_created": "Mon, 16 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Antarctic Automatic Weather Station (AWS) network is the most extensive ground meteorological network in the Antarctic, approaching its 30th year at several of its installations. Its prime focus as a long term observational record is to measure the near surface weather and climatology of the Antarctic atmosphere. AWS stations measure air-temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction at a nominal surface height of ~ 2-3m. Other parameters such as relative humidity and snow accumulation may also be taken. Observational data from the AWS are collected via Iridium network, or DCS Argos aboard either NOAA or MetOp polar orbiting satellites and thus made available in near real time to operational and synoptic weather forecasters. The surface observations from the AAWS network are important records for recent climate change and meteorological processes. The surface observations from the AAWS network are also used operationally, and in the planning of field work. The surface observations made from the AAWS network have been used to check on satellite and remote sensing observations. This project proposes to use the surface conditions observed by the AWS network to determine how large-scale modes of climate variability impact Antarctic weather and climate, how the surface observations from the AWS network are linked to surface layer and boundary layer processes, and to quantify the impact of snowfall and blowing snow events. Specifically, this project proposes to improve our understanding of the processes that lead to unusual weather events and how these events are related to large-scale modes of climate variability. This project will fill a gap in knowledge of snowfall distribution, and distinguishing between snowfall and blowing snow events using a suite of precipitation sensors near McMurdo Station.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "HUMIDITY; SURFACE PRESSURE; ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE; AMD; ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE; USA/NSF; AIR TEMPERATURE; Antarctica; USAP-DC; Amd/Us; SURFACE WINDS; SURFACE AIR TEMPERATURE; ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS; WEATHER STATIONS; ATMOSPHERIC WINDS", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lazzara, Matthew", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e WEATHER STATIONS", "repo": "AMRDC", "repositories": "AMRDC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Antarctic Automatic Weather Station Program 2016-2019", "uid": "p0010319", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2146791 Lai, Chung Kei Chris", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 06 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Melt from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets is increasingly contributing to sea-level rise. This ice sheet mass loss is primarily driven by the thinning, retreat, and acceleration of glaciers in contact with the ocean. Observations from the field and satellites indicate that glaciers are sensitive to changes at the ice-ocean interface and that the increase in submarine melting is likely to be driven by the discharge of meltwater from underneath the glacier known as subglacial meltwater plumes. The melting of glacier ice also directly adds a large volume of freshwater into the ocean, potentially causing significant changes in the circulation of ocean waters that regulate global heat transport, making ice-ocean interactions an important potential factor in climate change and variability. The ability to predict, and hence adequately respond to, climate change and sea-level rise therefore depends on our knowledge of the small-scale processes occurring in the vicinity of subglacial meltwater plumes at the ice-ocean interface. Currently, understanding of the underlying physics is incomplete; for example, different models of glacier-ocean interaction could yield melting rates that vary over a factor of five for the same heat supply from the ocean. It is then very difficult to assess the reliability of predictive models. This project will use comprehensive laboratory experiments to study how the melt rates of glaciers in the vicinity of plumes are affected by the ice roughness, ice geometry, ocean turbulence, and ocean density stratification at the ice-ocean interface. These experiments will then be used to develop new and improved predictive models of ice-sheet melting by the ocean. This project builds bridges between modern experimental fluid mechanics and glaciology with the goal of leading to advances in both fields. As a part of this work, two graduate students will receive interdisciplinary training and each year two undergraduate students will be trained in experimental fluid mechanics to assist in this work and develop their own research projects. This project consists of a comprehensive experimental program designed for studying the melt rates of glacier ice under the combined influences of (1) turbulence occurring near and at the ice-ocean interface, (2) density stratification in the ambient water column, (3) irregularities in the bottom topology of an ice shelf, and (4) differing spatial distributions of multiple meltwater plumes. The objective of the experiments is to obtain high-resolution data of the velocity, density, and temperature near/at the ice-ocean interface, which will then be used to improve understanding of melt processes down to scales of millimeters, and to devise new, more robust numerical models of glacier evolution and sea-level rise. Specially, laser-based, optical techniques in experimental fluid mechanics (particle image velocity and laser-induced fluorescence) will be used to gather the data, and the experiments will be conducted using refractive-index matching techniques to eliminate changes in refractive indices that could otherwise bias the measurements. The experiments will be run inside a climate-controlled cold room to mimic field conditions (ocean temperature from 0-10 degrees C). The project will use 3D-printing to create different casting molds for making ice blocks with different types of roughness. The goal is to investigate how ice melt rate changes as a function of the properties of the plume, the ambient ocean water, and the geometric properties of the ice interface. Based on the experimental findings, this project will develop and test a new integral-plume-model coupled to a regional circulation model (MITgcm) that can be used to predict the effects of glacial melt on ocean circulation and sea-level rise. 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Within the drylands on Earth, the Antarctic deserts, represented in this study by the McMurdo Dry Valleys, exemplify life in extreme environments with scarce water, low temperatures and long periods of darkness during the polar winter. There is a scarcity of methods to determine water availability, data necessary to predict which species are successful in the drylands, unless measurements are done manually or with field instruments. This project aims to develop a new method of determining soil moisture and use the new data to identify locations suitable for life. Combining these habitats with known species distributions in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, results from this project will predict which species should be present, and also what is the expected species distribution in a changing environment. In this way the project takes advantage of a combination of methods, from recent remote sensing products, ecological models and 30 years of field collections to bring a prediction of how life might change in the McMurdo Dry Valleys in a warmer, and possibly, moister future climate. This project benefits the National Science Foundation goals of expanding fundamental knowledge of Antarctic biota and the processes that sustain life in extreme environments. The knowledge acquired in this project will be disseminated to other drylands through training of high-school curricular programming in Native American communities of the SouthWest. Part II: Technical description: Terrestrial environments in Antarctica are characterized by low liquid water supply, sub-zero temperatures and the polar night in winter months. During summer, melting of snow patches, seasonal steams from glacial melt and vicinity to lakes provide a variety of environments that maintain life, not yet studied at landscape-scale level for habitat suitability and the processes that drive them. This project proposes to integrate remote sensing, hydrological models and ecological models to establish habitat suitability for species in the McMurdo Dry Valleys based on water availability. The approach is at a landscape level in order to establish present-day and future scenarios of species distribution. There are four main objectives: remote sensing development of moisture levels in soils, combining biological and soil data, building and calibrating models of habitat suitability by combining species distribution and environmental variability and applying statistical species distribution model. The field data to develop habitat suitability and calibration of models will leverage a the 30-year dataset collected by the McMurdo Long-Term Ecological Research program. Mechanistic models developed will be essential to predict species distribution in future climate scenarios. Training of post-doctoral researchers and a graduate student will prepare for the next generation of Antarctic scientists. Results from this project will train high-school students from native American communities in the SouthWest where similar desert conditions exist. 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": 163.83, "geometry": "POINT(162.855 -77.625)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ACTIVE LAYER; Taylor Valley; USAP-DC; Amd/Us; AMD; MODELS; USA/NSF", "locations": "Taylor Valley", "north": -77.47, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Salvatore, Mark; Gooseff, Michael N.; Sokol, Eric; Barrett, John", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e MODELS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -77.78, "title": "Collaborative Research: Moving Beyond the Margins: Modeling Water Availability and Habitable Terrestrial Ecosystems in the Polar Desert of the McMurdo Dry Valleys", "uid": "p0010316", "west": 161.88}, {"awards": "2038145 Bernard, Kim", "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": "Winter Female Krill Oocyte Size", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601919", "doi": "10.15784/601919", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Cryosphere; Krill; Oceans; Southern Ocean", "people": "Bernard, Kim", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Winter Female Krill Oocyte Size", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601919"}], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Warming at the northern Antarctic Peninsula is causing fundamental changes in the marine ecosystem. Antarctic krill are small shrimp-like animals that are most abundant in that area. They are also an essential part of the marine food web of the waters surrounding Antarctica. Meanwhile, a rapidly growing international fishery has developed for krill. Understanding changes in krill populations is therefore critical both to the management of the fishery and the ability of scientists to predict changes in the Antarctic marine ecosystem. This project will have two broader societal impacts. First, the project will support the training of students for careers in oceanography. The students will be recruited from underrepresented groups in an effort to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM. Second, results from this project will develop improved population models, which are essential for the effective management of the Antarctic krill fishery. In collaboration with US delegates on the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, the researchers will produce a report outlining the key findings from the study. Effective population modeling relies on empirical and theoretical understanding of how environment drives krill reproduction. There are two critical egg development stages in Antarctic krill that impact population growth. They are early egg development, and advanced egg development/spawning. The timing and duration of early egg development determines the number of eggs produced and the number of seasonal spawning events a female can undergo. The research team will use samples of Antarctic krill collected over the last 30 years in late winter/early spring, summer and early fall. The reproductive development stages of individual females in these samples will be assessed. These data will be modeled against climatological and oceanographic data to test three hypotheses. First, they will test if colder winter conditions correspond to early preparation for spawning. Second, they will test if favorable winter-summer conditions increase early spawning. Finally, they will test if favorable winter-summer conditions lengthen the spawning season. The study will advance current understanding of the environmental conditions that promote population increases in Antarctic krill and will fill an important gap in current knowledge of the reproductive development and output of Antarctic krill. 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": "FISHERIES; AMD; USAP-DC; Antarctic Peninsula; Amd/Us; USA/NSF; PELAGIC; LABORATORY", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bernard, Kim", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Drivers of Antarctic Krill Reproductive Output", "uid": "p0010312", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1643534 Cassar, Nicolas", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-83 -62,-80.3 -62,-77.6 -62,-74.9 -62,-72.2 -62,-69.5 -62,-66.8 -62,-64.1 -62,-61.4 -62,-58.7 -62,-56 -62,-56 -63.1,-56 -64.2,-56 -65.3,-56 -66.4,-56 -67.5,-56 -68.6,-56 -69.7,-56 -70.8,-56 -71.9,-56 -73,-58.7 -73,-61.4 -73,-64.1 -73,-66.8 -73,-69.5 -73,-72.2 -73,-74.9 -73,-77.6 -73,-80.3 -73,-83 -73,-83 -71.9,-83 -70.8,-83 -69.7,-83 -68.6,-83 -67.5,-83 -66.4,-83 -65.3,-83 -64.2,-83 -63.1,-83 -62))", "dataset_titles": "Palmer LTER 18S rRNA gene metabarcodin; rDNA amplicon sequencing of WAP microbial community", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200286", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI", "science_program": null, "title": "rDNA amplicon sequencing of WAP microbial community", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sra/SRR6162326/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200285", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI", "science_program": null, "title": "Palmer LTER 18S rRNA gene metabarcodin", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA508517"}], "date_created": "Thu, 03 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project seeks to make detailed measurements of the oxygen content of the surface ocean along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Detailed maps of changes in net oxygen content will be combined with measurements of the surface water chemistry and phytoplankton distributions. The project will determine the extent to which on-shore or offshore phytoplankton blooms along the peninsula are likely to lead to different amounts of carbon being exported to the deeper ocean. The project team members will participate in the development of new learning tools at the Museum of Life and Science. They will also teach secondary school students about aquatic biogeochemistry and climate, drawing directly from the active science supported by this grant. The project will analyze oxygen in relation to argon that will allow determination of the physical and biological contributions to surface ocean oxygen dynamics. These assessments will be combined with spatial and temporal distributions of nutrients (iron and macronutrients) and irradiances. This will allow the investigators to unravel the complex interplay between ice dynamics, iron and physical mixing dynamics as they relate to Net Community Production (NCP) in the region. NCP measurements will be normalized to Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) and be used to help identify area of \"High Biomass and Low NCP\" and those with \"Low Biomass and High NCP\" as a function of microbial plankton community composition. The team will use machine learning methods- including decision tree assemblages and genetic programming- to identify plankton groups key to facilitating biological carbon fluxes. Decomposing the oxygen signal along the West Antarctic Peninsula will also help elucidate biotic and abiotic drivers of the O2 saturation to further contextualize the growing inventory of oxygen measurements (e.g. by Argo floats) throughout the global oceans.", "east": -56.0, "geometry": "POINT(-69.5 -67.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "West Antarctica; USAP-DC; BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES; AMD; USA/NSF; LABORATORY; Amd/Us", "locations": "West Antarctica", "north": -62.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Cassar, Nicolas", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "NCBI", "repositories": "NCBI", "science_programs": null, "south": -73.0, "title": "Biological and Physical Drivers of Oxygen Saturation and Net Community Production Variability along the Western Antarctic Peninsula", "uid": "p0010303", "west": -83.0}, {"awards": "0342484 Harwood, David", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(167.083333 -77.888889)", "dataset_titles": "Particle-size measurements at 3-m intervals for AND-2A sediment core, McMurdo Sound", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601451", "doi": "10.15784/601451", "keywords": "Andrill; Antarctica; Continental Shelf; Diamict; McMurdo Sound; Miocene; Paleoclimate; Particle Size", "people": "Candice, Falk; Passchier, Sandra", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "ANDRILL", "title": "Particle-size measurements at 3-m intervals for AND-2A sediment core, McMurdo Sound", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601451"}], "date_created": "Fri, 04 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "ANDRILL is a scientific drilling program to investigate Antarctica\u0027s role in global climate change over the last sixty million years. The approach integrates geophysical surveys, new drilling technology, multidisciplinary core analysis, and ice sheet modeling to address four scientific themes: (1) the history of Antarctica\u0027s climate and ice sheets; (2) the evolution of polar biota and ecosystems; (3) the timing and nature of major tectonic and volcanic episodes; and (4) the role of Antarctica in the Earth\u0027s ocean-climate system. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award initiates what may become a long-term program with drilling of two previously inaccessible sediment records beneath the McMurdo Ice Shelf and in South McMurdo Sound. These stratigraphic records cover critical time periods in the development of Antarctica\u0027s major ice sheets. The McMurdo Ice Shelf site focuses on the Ross Ice Shelf, whose size is a sensitive indicator of global climate change. It has recently undergone major calving events, and there is evidence of a thousand-kilometer contraction since the last glacial maximum. As a generator of cold bottom water, the shelf may also play a key role in ocean circulation. The core obtained from this site will also offer insight into sub-ice shelf sedimentary, biologic, and oceanographic processes; the history of Ross Island volcanism; and the flexural response of the lithosphere to volcanic loading, which is important for geophysical and tectonic studies of the region.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe South McMurdo Sound site is located adjacent to the Dry Valleys, and focuses on the major ice sheet overlying East Antarctica. A debate persists regarding the stability of this ice sheet. Evidence from the Dry Valleys supports contradictory conclusions; a stable ice sheet for at least the last fifteen million years or an active ice sheet that cycled through expansions and contractions as recently as a few millions of years ago. Constraining this history is critical to deep-time models of global climate change. The sediment cores will be used to construct an overall glacial and interglacial history for the region; including documentation of sea-ice coverage, sea level, terrestrial vegetation, and melt-water discharge events. The core will also provide a general chronostratigraphic framework for regional seismic studies and help unravel the area\u0027s complex tectonic history.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe broader impacts of this project include formal and informal education, new research infrastructure, various forms of collaboration, and improving society\u0027s understanding of global climate change. Education is supported at the postdoctoral, graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 levels. Teachers and curriculum specialists are integrated into the research program, and a range of video resources will be produced, including a science documentary for television release. New research infrastructure includes equipment for core analysis and ice sheet modeling, as well as development of a unique drilling system to penetrate ice shelves. Drill development and the overall project are co-supported by international collaboration with scientists and the National Antarctic programs of New Zealand, Germany, and Italy. The program also forges new collaborations between research and primarily undergraduate institutions within the United States. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eAs key factors in sea-level rise and oceanic and atmospheric circulation, Antarctica\u0027s ice sheets are important to society\u0027s understanding of global climate change. ANDRILL offers new data on marine and terrestrial temperatures, and changes our understanding of extreme climate events like the formation of polar ice caps. Such data are critical to developing accurate models of the Earth\u0027s climatic future.", "east": 167.083333, "geometry": "POINT(167.083333 -77.888889)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AMD; USAP-DC; FIELD SURVEYS; ICE SHEETS; USA/NSF; Amd/Us; PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS; Ross Ice Shelf; SEDIMENTS", "locations": "Ross Ice Shelf", "north": -77.888889, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Harwood, David; Levy, Richard", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "ANDRILL", "south": -77.888889, "title": "Collaborative Research: ANDRILL - - Investigating Antarcticas Role in Cenozoic Global Environmental Change", "uid": "p0010297", "west": 167.083333}, {"awards": "1744954 Lubin, Dan", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-148.81 -81.65)", "dataset_titles": "Siple Dome Surface Energy Flux", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601540", "doi": "10.15784/601540", "keywords": "Antarctica; Siple Dome; Spectroscopy", "people": "Ghiz, Madison; Lubin, Dan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Siple Dome Surface Energy Flux", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601540"}], "date_created": "Wed, 02 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Atmospheric warming has been a major factor in the loss of ice shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula. In West Antarctica, oceanic warming is presently regarded as the largest source of stress on both the ice-shelves and at the grounding lines of the ice sheets. The loss of ice shelf buttressing and grounding line retreat may have already induced irreversible loss of Thwaites Glacier. To advance predictive models more data is needed regarding both water-induced fracturing on an ice shelf and marine ice cliff instability near the grounding line. This project will help advance understanding of atmospheric circulation and solar radiation over West Antarctica and the Ross Ice Shelf that lead to surface melting. In support of this project, and incorporating Antarctic science from this work, UCSD educators will sponsor a workshop series for exemplary middle and/or high school science teachers designed to address this need. Teacher participants will be carefully selected for their demonstrated leadership skills and will eventually become part of an cadre of \"master\" science teachers who will serve as local leaders in disseminating strategies and tools for addressing the NGSS (Ca Next Gen. of Sci. Eng. Stds.) to teachers throughout the county. For the summer field seasons requested, UCSD scientists will deploy a suite instruments to measure downwelling and net shortwave and longwave fluxes, sensible and latent heat fluxes, and near-surface meteorology. This suite of instruments will be self-reliant with power requirements and will be supportable in the field with a single Twin Otter aircraft. The investigators plan to deploy this suite as a remote ice camp with a field party of 2-3 personnel, making measurements for at up to one month during each of the sampled summer field seasons. These measurements will be analyzed and interpreted to determine mesoscale conditions that govern surface melt in West Antarctica, in the context of improving coupled climate model parameterizations. 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": -148.81, "geometry": "POINT(-148.81 -81.65)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ICE SHEETS; Siple Dome; USAP-DC; ATMOSPHERIC RADIATION; AMD; FIELD SURVEYS; Amd/Us; USA/NSF", "locations": "Siple Dome", "north": -81.65, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lubin, Dan", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -81.65, "title": "Surface Energy Balance on West Antarctica and the Ross Ice Shelf", "uid": "p0010296", "west": -148.81}, {"awards": "2127633 ZOU, XUN; 2127632 Rowe, Penny", "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": "Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). The Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP; AP) has been warming faster than the global average since the mid-1960s. Concurrent mobilization of ice shelves has been associated with glacial discharge into the ocean, with important implications for global sea level rise. This work will enhance our understanding of the contributions of clouds, water vapor and surface radiation to warming over the WAP. Processes governing phase partitioning and amounts of supercooled liquid water are crucial for understanding surface melt, and will be explored. In addition, the role of clouds and moisture during foehn and atmospheric river (AR) events, will be characterized. Clouds and atmospheric water vapor have strong radiative signals that vary seasonally and with cloud properties. This work will lead to a better understanding of how clouds are impacting surface melt on the AP in the changing climate. In addition, the proposed work will include several undergraduate research projects. Finally, broader impacts include public outreach through participation in GeoWeek at Ohio State University and Polar Science Weekend at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA. It is crucial to human welfare to understand mechanisms responsible for the rapid pace of Antarctic ice loss. This work will lead to a better understanding of how clouds are impacting surface melt on the WAP in the changing climate. The project will use surface- and satellite-based measurements to characterize clouds and humidity. The project maximizes value by using a variety of previous, ongoing, and planned measurements made by an international group of collaborators, along with measurements and model (AMPS, Polar-WRF) results. These will be used to quantify clouds, water vapor, and radiation and their effects on the surface energy balance at three strategically-located stations: Rothera (upwind of the WAP), Marambio (downwind of the WAP) and Escudero (north of the WAP), in order to provide a detailed characterization of cloud radiative and precipitation-formation properties and their role in surface warming and melt events. These mechanisms lead to the following hypotheses: 1) Through their effect on the surface energy balance, clouds play an important role in surface warming on the AP; this role is seasonally varying and sensitive to cloud thermodynamic phase, 2) Radiative heating during foehn events is an important contributor to warming at the northern AP, and 3) The radiative effects of clouds and water vapor have strong influences on heating before and during AR events, with significant differences on the two sides of the WAP. 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; AMD; USA/NSF; SURFACE TEMPERATURE; Amd/Us; ATMOSPHERIC RADIATION; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Zou, Xun", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Cloud Radiative Impact on the Surface Energy Budget of the Antarctic Peninsula", "uid": "p0010295", "west": -180.0}, {"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": "1744785 Barrett, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -77.62,-145.683 -77.62,-111.366 -77.62,-77.049 -77.62,-42.732 -77.62,-8.415 -77.62,25.902 -77.62,60.219 -77.62,94.536 -77.62,128.853 -77.62,163.17 -77.62,163.17 -77.618,163.17 -77.616,163.17 -77.614,163.17 -77.612,163.17 -77.61,163.17 -77.608,163.17 -77.606,163.17 -77.604,163.17 -77.602,163.17 -77.6,128.853 -77.6,94.536 -77.6,60.219 -77.6,25.902 -77.6,-8.415 -77.6,-42.732 -77.6,-77.049 -77.6,-111.366 -77.6,-145.683 -77.6,180 -77.6,178.319 -77.6,176.638 -77.6,174.957 -77.6,173.276 -77.6,171.595 -77.6,169.914 -77.6,168.233 -77.6,166.552 -77.6,164.871 -77.6,163.19 -77.6,163.19 -77.602,163.19 -77.604,163.19 -77.606,163.19 -77.608,163.19 -77.61,163.19 -77.612,163.19 -77.614,163.19 -77.616,163.19 -77.618,163.19 -77.62,164.871 -77.62,166.552 -77.62,168.233 -77.62,169.914 -77.62,171.595 -77.62,173.276 -77.62,174.957 -77.62,176.638 -77.62,178.319 -77.62,-180 -77.62))", "dataset_titles": "McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER: Microbial mat biomass and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values from Lake Fryxell Basin, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200260", "doi": "doi:10.6073/pasta/9acbbde9abc1e013f8c9fd9c383327f4", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "EDI", "science_program": null, "title": "McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER: Microbial mat biomass and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values from Lake Fryxell Basin, Antarctica", "url": "https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/9acbbde9abc1e013f8c9fd9c383327f4"}], "date_created": "Tue, 30 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Microbial mats are found throughout the McMurdo Dry Valleys where summer snowmelt provides liquid water that allows these mats to flourish. Researchers have long studied the environmental conditions microbial mats need to grow. Despite these efforts, it has been difficult to develop a broad picture of these unique ecosystems. Recent advances in satellite technology now provide researchers an exciting new tool to study these special Antarctic ecosystems from space using the unique spectral signatures associated with microbial mats. This new technology not only offers the promise that microbial mats can be mapped and studied from space, this research will also help protect these delicate environments from potentially harmful human impacts that can occur when studying them from the ground. This project will use satellite imagery and spectroscopic techniques to identify and map microbial mat communities and relate their properties and distributions to both field and lab-based measurements. This research provides an exciting new tool to help document and understand the distribution of a major component of the Antarctic ecosystem in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The goal of this project is to establish quantitative relationships between spectral signatures derived from orbit and the physiological status and biogeochemical properties of microbial mat communities in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, as measured by field and laboratory analyses on collected samples. The goal wioll be met by (1) refining atmospheric correction techniques using in situ radiometric rectification to derive accurate surface spectra; (2) collecting multispectral orbital images concurrent with in situ sampling and spectral measurements in the field to ensure temporal comparability; (3) measuring sediment, water, and microbial mat samples for organic and inorganic carbon content, essential biogeochemical nutrients, and chlorophyll-a to determine relevant mat characteristics; and (4) quantitatively associating these laboratory-derived characteristics with field-derived and orbital spectral signatures and parameters. The result of this work will be a more robust quantitative link between the distribution of microbial mat communities and their biogeochemical properties to landscape-scale spectral signatures. 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": 163.19, "geometry": "POINT(-16.82 -77.61)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AMD; ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS; FIELD SURVEYS; USAP-DC; USA/NSF; Taylor Valley; Amd/Us", "locations": "Taylor Valley", "north": -77.6, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Barrett, John; Salvatore, Mark", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "EDI", "repositories": "EDI", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.62, "title": "Collaborative Research: Remote characterization of microbial mats in Taylor Valley, Antarctica through in situ sampling and spectral validation", "uid": "p0010281", "west": 163.17}, {"awards": "1644094 Caffee, Marc; 1644128 Welten, Kees", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.12 -79.48)", "dataset_titles": "WAIS Divide Core 10Be data, 2850-3240 m", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601692", "doi": "10.15784/601692", "keywords": "10Be; Antarctica; Beryllium; Cosmogenic Radionuclides; Ice Core Data; WAIS Divide", "people": "Caffee, Marc; Woodruff, Thomas; Welten, Kees", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Core 10Be data, 2850-3240 m", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601692"}], "date_created": "Mon, 15 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Welten/1644128 This award supports a project to use existing samples from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core to align its timescale with that of the Greenland ice cores using common chronological markers. The upper 2850 m of the WAIS Divide core, which was drilled to a depth of 3405 m, has been dated with high precision. The timescale of the remaining (bottom) 550 m of the core has larger uncertainties, limiting our understanding of the timing of abrupt climate events in Antarctica relative to those in Greenland during the last ice age. The intellectual merit of this project is to further constrain the relative timing of these abrupt climate events in Greenland and Antarctica to obtain crucial insight into the underlying mechanism. The main objective of this project is to improve the current timescale of the WAIS Divide core from 31,000 to 65,000 years ago by synchronizing this core with the Greenland ice cores using common signals in Beryllium-10, a radioactive isotope of Be that is produced in the atmosphere by cosmic rays and is deposited onto the snow within 1-2 years of its production. The 10Be flux is largely independent of climate signals since its production varies with solar activity and the geomagnetic field. This project will further strengthen collaborations between the PI\u0027s in Berkeley and Purdue with ice core researchers in the US and Europe, involve undergraduate students in many aspects of its research, and continue outreach to under-represented students. The direct ice-to-ice synchronization of the WAIS Divide ice core with the Greenland Ice Core Chronology (GICC05) using cosmogenic 10Be is expected to reduce the uncertainty in the relative timing of more than 20 abrupt climate events in Greenland and Antarctica to a few decades. To achieve this goal the investigators will obtain a continuous high-resolution record of 10Be in the WAIS Divide core from 2850 to 3390 m depth, and compare the obtained 10Be record with existing 10Be records of the Greenland ice cores, including GISP2 and NGRIP. The scientists will separate 10Be from ~1000 ice samples of the WAIS Divide core and measure the 10Be concentration in each sample using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Broader impacts of the 10Be measurements are that they will also provide information on the Laschamp event, a ~2000 year long period of low geomagnetic field strength around 41,000 years ago, and improve the calibration of the 14C dating method for organic samples older than 30,000 years. The broader impacts of the project include (1) the involvement and training of undergraduate students in ice core research and accelerator mass spectrometry measurements, (2) the incorporation of ice core and climate research into ongoing outreach programs at Purdue University and Berkeley SSL, (3) better understanding of abrupt climate changes in the past will improve our ability to predict future climate change, (4) evaluating the possible threat of a future geomagnetic excursion in the next few hundred years. This award does not require support in Antarctica.", "east": -112.12, "geometry": "POINT(-112.12 -79.48)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USA/NSF; LABORATORY; Amd/Us; WAIS Divide; AMD; USAP-DC; DEPTH AT SPECIFIC AGES", "locations": "WAIS Divide", "north": -79.48, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Welten, Kees; Caffee, Marc", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.48, "title": "Synchronizing the WAIS Divide and Greenland Ice Cores from 30-65 ka BP using high-resolution 10Be measurements", "uid": "p0010280", "west": -112.12}, {"awards": "2138556 Halberstadt, Anna Ruth", "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": "5 million year transient Antarctic ice sheet model run with \"desensitized\" marine ice margin instabilities; 5 million year transient Antarctic ice sheet model run with \"sensitized\" marine ice margin instabilities", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601601", "doi": "10.15784/601601", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Sheet Modeling; Marine Ice Margin Instability; Model Output", "people": "Halberstadt, Anna Ruth; Balco, Gregory; Buchband, Hannah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "5 million year transient Antarctic ice sheet model run with \"desensitized\" marine ice margin instabilities", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601601"}, {"dataset_uid": "601602", "doi": "10.15784/601602", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Sheet Modeling; Marine Ice Margin Instability; Model Output", "people": "Buchband, Hannah; Balco, Gregory; Halberstadt, Anna Ruth", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "5 million year transient Antarctic ice sheet model run with \"sensitized\" marine ice margin instabilities", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601602"}], "date_created": "Tue, 09 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Geologic data provide crucial insights into Antarctic Ice Sheet dynamics; for example, progressive exposure of mountain peaks emerging from the ice sheet reveal ice elevation changes, and the past \u2018footprint\u2019 of marine-based ice sheets is imprinted on the seafloor. Numerical ice sheet simulations can link these geologic records in space and time to make larger-scale inferences about continent-wide ice sheet evolution. This work integrates both marine and terrestrial geologic datasets with numerical simulations to investigate Antarctic Ice Sheet behavior (and contribution to global sea level) throughout the last deglaciation, ~20,000 years ago until present. Specifically, this research addresses two issues regarding the relationship between simulations and data and their use in reconstructing past ice-sheet behavior: (1) Geologic records from the modern seafloor suggest significantly earlier retreat of marine-based ice compared to terrestrial records of mountain peak exposure (ice thinning). Computer experiments investigate several hypotheses for this mismatch in timing. (2) Exposure age data (terrestrial measurements recording ice elevation changes) are often interpreted to reflect ice dynamics hundreds of kilometers away from the study site. This work uses simulations to explore the linkage between ice elevation changes \u2018upstream\u2019 as glaciers flow through mountainous regions and ice dynamics further \u2018downstream\u2019 where ice contacts the ocean. This work will produce a publicly available, customizable, and easily accessible toolkit for comparing simulations and data, including a database of geologic records to use as constraints. The project is interdisciplinary, bridging a communication gap between the ice-sheet simulations and geologic data-collecting communities. This project combines numerical simulations and geologic data to explore fundamental knowledge gaps regarding the interpretation and use of marine and terrestrial datasets. This work will produce an ensemble of continent-wide coupled ice sheet and glacial isostatic adjustment simulations, constrained with comprehensive existing geologic data, to reproduce a history of deglacial Antarctic Ice Sheet evolution that is compatible with the geologic record as well as glaciologically and gravitationally self-consistent. Comparison between simulations and data is improved through high-resolution nested ice sheet modeling techniques, which provide unprecedented context for exposure age data generally located in regions of complex topography. Numerical simulations will be performed with systematically varied parameters and boundary conditions, and can thus support an investigation of (1) chronological mismatches between terrestrial thinning and marine ice sheet retreat during the mid-Holocene, and (2) how marine grounding-line dynamics are propagated upstream to coastal outlet glaciers and further interior under a variety of different scenarios. 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": "Antarctic Ice Sheet; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; USAP-DC; USA/NSF; MODELS; AMD; Amd/Us", "locations": "Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Post Doc/Travel", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Halberstadt, Anna Ruth", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e MODELS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "OPP-PRF: High-resolution Nested Antarctic Ice Sheet Modeling to Reconcile Marine and Terrestrial Geologic Data", "uid": "p0010278", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1745015 Zimmerer, Matthew; 1744927 Mitrovica, Jerry; 1744949 Campbell, Seth", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-145 -74,-141.6 -74,-138.2 -74,-134.8 -74,-131.4 -74,-128 -74,-124.6 -74,-121.2 -74,-117.8 -74,-114.4 -74,-111 -74,-111 -74.6,-111 -75.2,-111 -75.8,-111 -76.4,-111 -77,-111 -77.6,-111 -78.2,-111 -78.8,-111 -79.4,-111 -80,-114.4 -80,-117.8 -80,-121.2 -80,-124.6 -80,-128 -80,-131.4 -80,-134.8 -80,-138.2 -80,-141.6 -80,-145 -80,-145 -79.4,-145 -78.8,-145 -78.2,-145 -77.6,-145 -77,-145 -76.4,-145 -75.8,-145 -75.2,-145 -74.6,-145 -74))", "dataset_titles": "Mt. Waesche ground-penetrating radar data 2018-2019", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601490", "doi": "10.15784/601490", "keywords": "Antarctica; GPR; Mt. Waesche", "people": "Braddock, Scott", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Mt. Waesche ground-penetrating radar data 2018-2019", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601490"}], "date_created": "Fri, 22 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This study will collect a novel dataset to determine how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) responded to a warmer climate during the last interglacial period (~125,000 years ago) by reconstructing the glacial history at the Mt. Waesche volcano. Reconstructing WAIS geometry when the ice sheet was smaller than present is difficult and data are lacking because the evidence lies beneath the present ice sheet. This study will drill through the ice sheet and recover bedrock that can be analyzed for its surface exposure history to help determine when the surface became overridden by the ice sheet. This study will provide constraints on the past maximum and minimum spatial extent of WAIS during the last glacial-interglacial cycle. Understanding the geometry of a reduced WAIS during intervals when the planet was warmer than present may provide a possible analogue for future environmental conditions given predicted temperature trends. A reduction of WAIS results in rising sea levels which threatens coastal communities across the globe. The data will help improve numerical ice sheet models to better predict WAIS response to current and future climate trends. The project supports a teacher educational workshop and the training of graduate and undergraduate students. The goal of this project is to obtain rock samples from beneath the WAIS through shallow (\u003c80 m) drilling at Mt. Waesche, a volcano in Marie Byrd Land, near an ice dome of WAIS (2000 m elevation). The lithologies of lava flows exposed on the flank of the volcano are well-suited for cosmogenic 3He and 36Cl as well as 40Ar/39Ar measurements which will establish eruption and exposure age. Existing 40Ar/39Ar data indicate basaltic lava flows on the volcano flank as young as 350 ka. Thus, measured cosmogenic nuclides measured in rock cores from beneath the ice surface will be indicative of relatively recent exposure during periods of reduced ice elevation, most likely, during the last interglacial. The first field season is focused on identifying appropriate locations for drilling and a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey of the subglacial topography \u003c100m under the blue ice area. Mapping and dating the adjacent exposed lava flows will allow tracing of lava flows of known age and composition below the ice margin that will be targeted for drilling the following year. The second field season activities include drilling 8 boreholes (two transects) through blue ice with the Winkie drill near the ice margin to 80 m depth to obtain rock cores from the sub-ice lava flows. 3He exposure ages will constrain the duration and minimum extent of past surface lowering of the WAIS in Marie Byrd Land. Deeper GPR imaging (up to 700 m) will hope to reveal additional evidence of lava/ice interactions that would independently place constraints on lower ice levels during past eruptions. Results from this study will be compared with the modeled ice elevation histories at Mt. Waesche to validate ice sheet modeling efforts. 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": -111.0, "geometry": "POINT(-128 -77)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS; Mt. Waesche; USA/NSF; SNOW/ICE; GLACIER THICKNESS/ICE SHEET THICKNESS; PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS; LABORATORY; LAVA COMPOSITION/TEXTURE; Amd/Us; AMD; USAP-DC", "locations": "Mt. Waesche", "north": -74.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Braddock, Scott; Campbell, Seth; Ackert, Robert; Zimmerer, Matthew; Mitrovica, Jerry", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -80.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Constraining West Antarctic Ice Sheet elevation during the last interglacial", "uid": "p0010272", "west": -145.0}, {"awards": "2035637 Tabor, Clay; 2035580 Aarons, Sarah", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Concentration and flux of ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area; Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions and associated d-excess of ice from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area.; Rare earth elemental concentrations of leached ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area.; Strontium and neodymium isotope compositions of ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area.", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601825", "doi": "10.15784/601825", "keywords": "Accumulation Rate; ALHIC1903; Allan Hills; Antarctica; Blue Ice; Concentration; Cryosphere; Dust; Flux", "people": "Carter, Austin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Concentration and flux of ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601825"}, {"dataset_uid": "601822", "doi": "10.15784/601822", "keywords": "ALHIC1903; Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Deuterium; Hydrogen; Ice; Ice Core Data; Isotope; Oxygen; Water", "people": "Carter, Austin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions and associated d-excess of ice from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area.", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601822"}, {"dataset_uid": "601821", "doi": "10.15784/601821", "keywords": "ALHIC1903; Allan Hills; Antarctica; Blue Ice; Cryosphere; Dust; Leach; Rare Earth Element", "people": "Carter, Austin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Rare earth elemental concentrations of leached ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area.", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601821"}, {"dataset_uid": "601820", "doi": "10.15784/601820", "keywords": "ALHIC1903; Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Dust; Ice Core Data; Isotope; Nd; Neodymium; Sr; Strontium", "people": "Carter, Austin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Strontium and neodymium isotope compositions of ice core dust from ALHIC1903 drilled at the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area.", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601820"}], "date_created": "Wed, 06 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). The spatial extent of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the last interglacial period (129,000 to 116,000 years ago) is currently unknown, yet this information is fundamental to projections of the future stability of the ice sheet in a warming climate. Paleoclimate records and proxy evidence such as dust can inform on past environmental conditions and ice-sheet coverage. This project will combine new, high-sensitivity geochemical measurements of dust from Antarctic ice collected at Allan Hills with existing water isotope records to document climate and environmental changes through the last interglacial period. These changes will then be compared with Earth-system model simulations of dust and water isotopes to determine past conditions and constrain the sensitivity of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to warming. The project will test the hypothesis that the uncharacteristically volcanic dust composition observed at another peripheral ice core site at Taylor Glacier during the last interglacial period is related to changes in the spatial extent of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This project aims to characterize mineral dust transport during the penultimate glacial-interglacial transition. The team will apply high-precision geochemical techniques to the high-volume, high-resolution ice core drilled at the Allan Hills site in combination with Earth system model simulations to: (1) determine if the volcanic dust signature found in interglacial ice from Taylor Glacier is also found at Allan Hills, (2) determine the likely dust source(s) to this site during the last interglacial, and (3) probe the atmospheric and environmental changes during the last interglacial with a diminished West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The team will develop a suite of measurements on previously drilled ice from Allan Hills, including isotopic compositions of Strontium and Neodymium, trace element concentrations, dust-size distribution, and imaging of ice-core dust to confirm the original signal observed and provide a broader spatial reconstruction of dust transport. In tandem, the team will conduct Earth system modeling with prognostic dust and water-isotope capability to test the sensitivity of dust transport under several plausible ice-sheet and freshwater-flux configurations. By comparing dust reconstruction and model simulations, the team aims to elucidate the driving mechanisms behind dust transport during the last interglacial period. 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": "MICROPARTICLE CONCENTRATION; FIELD SURVEYS; GEOCHEMISTRY; ICE EXTENT; Amd/Us; USA/NSF; PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS; AMD; Allan Hills; ICE CORE RECORDS; USAP-DC", "locations": "Allan Hills", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Aarons, Sarah; Tabor, Clay", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Peripheral East Antarctic ice as a unique recorder of climate variability during the Last Interglacial", "uid": "p0010270", "west": null}, {"awards": "1745043 Simkins, Lauren; 1745055 Stearns, Leigh", "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": "Circum-Antarctic grounding-line sinuosity; Elevation transects from Pine Island Bay; Pennell Trough, Ross Sea bathymetry and glacial landforms", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601484", "doi": "10.15784/601484", "keywords": "Antarctica; Bed Roughness; Bed Slope; Elevation; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Pinning Points", "people": "Riverman, Kiya; Stearns, Leigh; Simkins, Lauren", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Circum-Antarctic grounding-line sinuosity", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601484"}, {"dataset_uid": "601474", "doi": "10.15784/601474", "keywords": "Antarctica; Bathymetry; Elevation; Geomorphology; Glacial History; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Marine Geoscience; NBP1502; Pennell Trough; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer", "people": "Simkins, Lauren; Prothro, Lindsay; Anderson, John; Greenwood, Sarah; Eareckson, Elizabeth; Munevar Garcia, Santiago", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Pennell Trough, Ross Sea bathymetry and glacial landforms", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601474"}, {"dataset_uid": "601774", "doi": "10.15784/601774", "keywords": "Antarctica; Bed Roughness; Cryosphere; Geomorphology; Pine Island Bay", "people": "Munevar Garcia, Santiago", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Elevation transects from Pine Island Bay", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601774"}], "date_created": "Tue, 28 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Current ice mass loss in Antarctica is largely driven by changes at glacier grounding lines, where inland ice transitions from being grounded to floating in the ocean. The rate and pattern of glacier retreat in these circumstances is thought to be controlled by the terrain under the ice. This project incorporates evidence of past ice-retreat events and other field data, such as grounding-line positions and dates, subglacial topography, and meltwater features, into numerical models of ice flow to investigate the influence that grounding-line processes and subglacial topography have on glacier retreat rates over the past 15,000 years. Recent observations suggest that Antarctic ice mass loss is largely driven by perturbations at or near the grounding line. However, the lack of information on subglacial and grounding-line environments causes large uncertainties in projections of mass loss and sea-level rise. This project will integrate geologic data from the deglaciated continental shelf into numerical models of varying complexity from one to three-dimensions. Rarely do numerical ice-sheet models of Antarctica have multiple constraints on dynamics over the past ~15,000 years (a period that spans the deglaciation of the Antarctic continental shelf since the Last Glacial Maximum). The geologic constraints include grounding-line positions, deglacial chronologies, and information on grounding line-ice shelf processes. The models will be used to investigate necessary perturbations and controls that meet the geological constraints. The multidisciplinary approach of merging geologic reconstructions of paleo-ice behavior with numerical models of ice response will allow the research team to test understanding of subglacial controls on grounding-line dynamics and assess the stability of modern grounding lines. 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; USAP-DC; Amd/Us; GLACIERS; BATHYMETRY; GLACIAL LANDFORMS; Antarctica; AMD; USA/NSF; R/V NBP", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Simkins, Lauren; Stearns, Leigh; Anderson, John; van der Veen, Cornelis", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Topographic controls on Antarctic Ice Sheet grounding line retreat - integrating models and observations", "uid": "p0010269", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2046240 Khan, Alia", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-75 -62,-73.5 -62,-72 -62,-70.5 -62,-69 -62,-67.5 -62,-66 -62,-64.5 -62,-63 -62,-61.5 -62,-60 -62,-60 -62.85,-60 -63.7,-60 -64.55,-60 -65.4,-60 -66.25,-60 -67.1,-60 -67.95,-60 -68.8,-60 -69.65,-60 -70.5,-61.5 -70.5,-63 -70.5,-64.5 -70.5,-66 -70.5,-67.5 -70.5,-69 -70.5,-70.5 -70.5,-72 -70.5,-73.5 -70.5,-75 -70.5,-75 -69.65,-75 -68.8,-75 -67.95,-75 -67.1,-75 -66.25,-75 -65.4,-75 -64.55,-75 -63.7,-75 -62.85,-75 -62))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 10 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "________________________________________________________________________________________________ Part I: Non-technical Summary The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming regions on the planet. This 5-yr time-series program will build on an ongoing international collaboration with scientists from the Chilean Antarctic Program to evaluate the role of temperature, light absorbing particles, snow-algae growth, and their radiative forcing effects on snow and ice melt in the Western Antarctic Peninsula. There is strong evidence that these effects may be intensifying due to a warming climate. Rising temperatures can increase the growth rate of coastal snow algae as well as enhance the input of particles from sources such as the long-range transport of black carbon to the Antarctic continent from intensifying Southern Hemisphere wildfire seasons. Particle and algae feedbacks can have immediate local impacts on snow melt and long-term regional impacts on climate because reduced snow cover alters how the Antarctic continent interacts with the rest of the global climate. A variety of ground-based and remote sensing data collected across multiple spatial scales will be used. Ground measurements will be compared to satellite imagery to develop novel computer algorithms to map ice algal bloom effects under changing climates. The project is expected to fundamentally advance knowledge of the spatial and temporal snow algae growing season, which is needed to quantify impacts on regional snow and ice melt. The program also has a strong partnership with the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators to involve cruise passengers as citizen scientists for sample collection. Antarctic research results will be integrated into undergraduate curricula and research opportunities through studies to LAPs and snow algae in the Pacific Northwest. The PI will recruit and train a diverse pool of students in cryosphere climate related research methods on Mt. Baker in Western Washington. Trained undergraduate will then serve as instructors for a local Snow School that takes middle school students to Mt. Baker to learn about snow science. Resulting datasets from Antarctica and Mt. Baker will be used in University classes to explore regional effects of climate change. Along with enhancing cryosphere-oriented place-based undergraduate field courses in the Pacific Northwest, the PI will recruit and train a diverse pool of undergraduate students to serve as instructors for the Mt. Baker Snow School program. This award will advance our understanding of cryosphere-climate feedbacks, which are likely changing and will continue to evolve in a warming world, while also increasing under-represented student engagement in the polar geosciences. Part 2: Technical Summary Rapid and persistent climate warming in the Western Antarctic Peninsula is likely resulting in intensified snow-algae growth and an extended bloom season in coastal areas. Similarly, deposition of light absorbing particles (LAPs) onto Antarctica cryosphere surfaces, such as black carbon from intensifying Southern Hemisphere wildfire seasons, and dust from the expansion of ice-free regions in the Antarctic Peninsula, may be increasing. The presence of snow algae blooms and LAPs enhance the absorption of solar radiation by snow and ice surfaces. This positive feedback creates a measurable radiative forcing, which can have immediate local and long-term regional impacts on albedo, snow melt and downstream ecosystems. This project will investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of snow algae, black carbon and dust across the Western Antarctica Peninsula region, their response to climate warming, and their role in regional snow and ice melt. Data will be collected across multiple spatial scales from in situ field measurements and sample collection to imagery from ground-based photos and high resolution multi-spectral satellite sensors. Ground measurements will inform development and application of novel algorithms to map algal bloom extent through time using 0.5-3m spatial resolution multi-spectral satellite imagery. Results will be used to improve snow algae parameterization in a new version of the Snow Ice Aerosol Radiation model (SNICARv3) that includes bio-albedo feedbacks, eventually informing models of ice-free area expansion through incorporation of SNICARv3 in the Community Earth System Model. Citizen scientists will be mentored and engaged in the research through an active partnership with the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators that frequently visits the region. The cruise ship association will facilitate sampling to develop a unique snow algae observing network to validate remote sensing algorithms that map snow algae with high-resolution multi-spectral satellite imagery from space. These time-series will inform instantaneous and interannual radiative forcing calculations to assess impacts of snow algae and LAPs on regional snow melt. Quantifying the spatio-temporal growing season of snow algae and impacts from black carbon and dust will increase our ability to model their impact on snow melt, regional climate warming and ice-free expansion in the Antarctic Peninsula region. 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": -60.0, "geometry": "POINT(-67.5 -66.25)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS; Antarctic Peninsula; Amd/Us; AMD; SNOW/ICE CHEMISTRY; USA/NSF; USAP-DC; SNOW", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula", "north": -62.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Khan, Alia", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -70.5, "title": "CAREER: Coastal Antarctic Snow Algae and Light Absorbing Particles: Snowmelt, Climate and Ecosystem Impacts", "uid": "p0010263", "west": -75.0}, {"awards": "2020664 Vazquez-Medina, Jose Pablo; 2020706 Hindle, Allyson", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((164 -77.2,164.3 -77.2,164.6 -77.2,164.9 -77.2,165.2 -77.2,165.5 -77.2,165.8 -77.2,166.1 -77.2,166.4 -77.2,166.7 -77.2,167 -77.2,167 -77.265,167 -77.33,167 -77.395,167 -77.46,167 -77.525,167 -77.59,167 -77.655,167 -77.72,167 -77.785,167 -77.85,166.7 -77.85,166.4 -77.85,166.1 -77.85,165.8 -77.85,165.5 -77.85,165.2 -77.85,164.9 -77.85,164.6 -77.85,164.3 -77.85,164 -77.85,164 -77.785,164 -77.72,164 -77.655,164 -77.59,164 -77.525,164 -77.46,164 -77.395,164 -77.33,164 -77.265,164 -77.2))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Thu, 09 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Part I: Non-technical description: The Weddell seal is an iconic Antarctic species and a superb diver, swimming down to 2,000 feet and staying underwater for up to 45 minutes. However, as for any mammal, the low oxygen concentrations in the blood during diving and the recovery once back at the surface are challenges that need to be overcome making their diving ability something unique that has fascinated scientists for decades. This research project will evaluate the underlying processes in Weddell seal\u2019s physiology that protects this species from the consequences of diving. The work will combine laboratory experiments where cells that line the blood vessels will be exposed to conditions of low oxygen, similar to those that will be measured in diving seals in Antarctica. The investigarors will test a new idea that several short-term dives, performed before a long dive, allows seals to condition themselves. Measurements on the chemical compounds released to the blood during dives, combined with experiments on the genes that regulate them will provide clues on the biochemical pathways that help the seals tolerate these extreme conditions. The project allows for documentation of individual seal dives and provisioning of such information to the broader science community that seeks to study these seals, educating graduate and undergraduate students and a post-doctoral researcher and producing a science-outreach comic book for middle-school students to illustrate the project\u0027s science activities, goals and outcomes. Part II: Technical description: The Weddell seal is a champion diver with high natural tolerance for low blood oxygen concentration (hypoxemia) and inadequate blood supply (ischemia). The processes unique to this species protects their tissues from inflammation and oxidative stress observed in other mammalian tissues exposed to such physiological conditions. This project aims to understand the signatures of the processes that protect seals from inflammation and oxidant stress, using molecular, cellular and metabolic tools. Repetitive short dives before long ones are hypothesized to precondition seal tissues and activate the protective processes. The new aspect of this work is the study of endothelial cells, which sense changes in oxygen and blood flow, providing a link between breath-holding and cellular function. The approach is one of laboratory experiments combined with 2-years of field work in an ice camp off McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The study is structured by three main objectives: 1) laboratory experiments with arterial endothelial cells exposed to changes in oxygen and flow to identify molecular pathways responsible for tolerance of hypoxia and ischemia using several physiological, biochemical and genomic tools including CRSPR/Cas9 knochout and knockdown approaches. 2) Metabolomic analyses of blood metabolites produced by seals during long dives. And 3) Metabolomic and genomic determinations of seal physiology during short dives hypothesized to pre-condition tolerance responses. In the field, blood samples will be taken after seals dive in an isolated ice hole and its diving performance recorded. It is expected that the blood will contain metabolites that can be related to molecular pathways identified in lab experiments. Expert collaborators will provide field support, with the ice camp, dive hole for the seals, and telemetry associated with the seals\u2019 dives. The project builds upon previous NSF-funded projects where the seal genome and cellular resources were produced. Undergraduate researchers will be recruited from institutional programs with a track record of attracting underrepresented minorities and a minority-serving institution. To further increase polar literacy training and educational impacts, the field team will include a blog where field experiences are shared and comic book preparation with an artist designed for K-12 students and public outreach. 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": 167.0, "geometry": "POINT(165.5 -77.525)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS; USA/NSF; AMD; MAMMALS; McMurdo Sound; Amd/Us", "locations": "McMurdo Sound", "north": -77.2, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hindle, Allyson", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -77.85, "title": "Collaborative Research: Role of Endothelial Cell Activation in Hypoxia Tolerance of an Elite Diver, the Weddell Seal", "uid": "p0010257", "west": 164.0}, {"awards": "1542976 Balco, Gregory; 1542936 Goehring, Brent", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-145.7 -64.195,-113.988 -64.195,-82.276 -64.195,-50.564 -64.195,-18.852 -64.195,12.86 -64.195,44.572 -64.195,76.284 -64.195,107.996 -64.195,139.708 -64.195,171.42 -64.195,171.42 -66.2096,171.42 -68.2242,171.42 -70.2388,171.42 -72.2534,171.42 -74.268,171.42 -76.2826,171.42 -78.2972,171.42 -80.3118,171.42 -82.3264,171.42 -84.341,139.708 -84.341,107.996 -84.341,76.284 -84.341,44.572 -84.341,12.86 -84.341,-18.852 -84.341,-50.564 -84.341,-82.276 -84.341,-113.988 -84.341,-145.7 -84.341,-145.7 -82.3264,-145.7 -80.3118,-145.7 -78.2972,-145.7 -76.2826,-145.7 -74.268,-145.7 -72.2534,-145.7 -70.2388,-145.7 -68.2242,-145.7 -66.2096,-145.7 -64.195))", "dataset_titles": "Interface for viewing observational data related to exposure ages measurements and calculated geologic ages derived therefrom", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200199", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Interface for viewing observational data related to exposure ages measurements and calculated geologic ages derived therefrom", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}], "date_created": "Fri, 03 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The overall goal of this project is to determine the effect of past changes in the size of the Antarctic Ice Sheet on global sea level. At the peak of the last ice age 25,000 years ago, sea level was 120 meters (400 feet) lower than it is at present because water that is now part of the ocean was instead part of expanded glaciers and ice sheets in North America, Eurasia, and Antarctica. Between then and now, melting and retreat of this land ice caused sea level to rise. In this project, we aim to improve our understanding of how changes in the size of the Antarctic Ice Sheet contributed to this process. The overall strategy to accomplish this involves (i) visiting areas in Antarctica that are not now covered by ice; (ii) looking for geological evidence, specifically rock surface and sediment deposits, that indicates that these areas were covered by thicker ice in the past; and (iii) determining the age of these geological surfaces and deposits. This project addresses the final part of this strategy -- determining the age of Antarctic glacial rock surfaces or sediment deposits -- using a relatively new technique that involves measuring trace elements in rock surfaces that are produced by cosmic-ray bombardment after the rock surfaces are exposed by ice retreat. By applying this method to rock samples collected in previous visits to Antarctica, the timing of past expansion and contraction of the ice sheet can be determined. The main scientific outcomes expected from this project are (i) improved understanding of how Antarctic Ice Sheet changes contributed to past global sea level rise; and (ii) improved understanding of modern observed Antarctic Ice Sheet changes in a longer-term context. This second outcome will potentially improve predictions of future ice sheet behavior. Other outcomes of the project include training of individual undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the development of a new course on sea level change to be taught at Tulane University in New Orleans, a city that is being affected by sea level change today. This project will use measurements of in-situ-produced cosmogenic carbon-14 in quartz from existing samples collected at several sites in Antarctica to resolve major ambiguities in existing Last Glacial Maximum to present ice sheet reconstructions. This project is important because of the critical nature of accurate reconstructions of ice sheet change in constraining reconstructions of past sea level change. Although carbon-14 is most commonly exploited as a geochronometer through its production in the upper atmosphere and incorporation into organic materials, it is also produced within the crystal lattice of rocks and minerals that are exposed to the cosmic-ray flux at the Earth\u0027s surface. In this latter case, its concentration is proportional to the duration of surface exposure, and measurements of in-situ-produced carbon-14 can be used to date geological events that form or expose rock surfaces, for example, ice sheet expansion and retreat. Although carbon-14 is one of several trace radionuclides that can be used for this purpose, it is unique among them in that its half-life is short relative to the time scale of glacial-interglacial variations. Thus, in cases where rock surfaces in polar regions have been repeatedly covered and uncovered by ice sheet change during many glacial-interglacial cycles, carbon-14 measurements are uniquely suited to accurately dating the most recent episode of ice sheet advance and retreat. We aim to use this property to improve our understanding of Antarctic Ice Sheet change at a number of critically located sites at which other surface exposure dating methods have yielded ambiguous results. Geographically, these are focused in the Weddell Sea embayment of Antarctica, which is an area where the geometry of the Antarctic continent potentially permits large glacial-interglacial changes in ice volume but where existing geologic records of ice sheet change are particularly ambiguous. In addition, in-situ carbon-14 measurements, applied where independently constrained deglaciation chronologies already exist, can potentially allow us to date the last period of ice sheet advance as well as the most recent retreat.", "east": 171.42, "geometry": "POINT(12.86 -74.268)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Amd/Us; Cosmogenic Dating; GLACIER THICKNESS/ICE SHEET THICKNESS; AMD; USAP-DC; GLACIER ELEVATION/ICE SHEET ELEVATION; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; Carbon-14; USA/NSF; Weddell Sea Embayment; LABORATORY; FIELD SURVEYS; GLACIATION", "locations": "Weddell Sea Embayment", "north": -64.195, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Goehring, Brent; Balco, Gregory", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "ICE-D", "repositories": "ICE-D", "science_programs": null, "south": -84.341, "title": "COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Resolving Ambiguous Exposure-Age Chronologies of Antarctic Deglaciation with Measurements of In-Situ-Produced Cosmogenic Carbon-14", "uid": "p0010254", "west": -145.7}, {"awards": "1744832 Severinghaus, Jeffrey; 1745007 Mayewski, Paul; 1745006 Brook, Edward J.; 0838843 Kurbatov, Andrei; 1744993 Higgins, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((159.16667 -76.66667,159.19167 -76.66667,159.21667 -76.66667,159.24167 -76.66667,159.26667 -76.66667,159.29167 -76.66667,159.31667 -76.66667,159.34167 -76.66667,159.36667 -76.66667,159.39167 -76.66667,159.41667 -76.66667,159.41667 -76.673336,159.41667 -76.680002,159.41667 -76.686668,159.41667 -76.693334,159.41667 -76.7,159.41667 -76.706666,159.41667 -76.713332,159.41667 -76.719998,159.41667 -76.726664,159.41667 -76.73333,159.39167 -76.73333,159.36667 -76.73333,159.34167 -76.73333,159.31667 -76.73333,159.29167 -76.73333,159.26667 -76.73333,159.24167 -76.73333,159.21667 -76.73333,159.19167 -76.73333,159.16667 -76.73333,159.16667 -76.726664,159.16667 -76.719998,159.16667 -76.713332,159.16667 -76.706666,159.16667 -76.7,159.16667 -76.693334,159.16667 -76.686668,159.16667 -76.680002,159.16667 -76.673336,159.16667 -76.66667))", "dataset_titles": "Allan Hills 2022-23 Shallow Ice Core Field Report; Allan Hills CMC3 ice core d18Oatm, d15N, dO2/N2, dAr/N2, d40/36Ar, d40/38Ar 2021 \u0026 2022; Allan Hills Stable Water Isotopes; CO2 and CH4 from Allan Hills ice cores ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903; Heavy noble gases (Ar/Xe/Kr) from ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903; I-165-M GPR Field Report 2019-2020; MOT data (Xe/Kr) from Allan Hills ice cores ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903; Snapshot record of CO2 and CH4 from the Allan Hills, Antarctica, ranging from 400,000 to 3 million years old", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601897", "doi": "10.15784/601897", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciology; Ice Core Data; MOT; Ocean Temperature; Paleoclimate; Xe/Kr", "people": "Higgins, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "MOT data (Xe/Kr) from Allan Hills ice cores ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601897"}, {"dataset_uid": "601896", "doi": "10.15784/601896", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Ch4; CO2; Cryosphere; Glaciology; Glaciology; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records", "people": "Higgins, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "CO2 and CH4 from Allan Hills ice cores ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601896"}, {"dataset_uid": "601895", "doi": "10.15784/601895", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Noble Gas", "people": "Higgins, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Heavy noble gases (Ar/Xe/Kr) from ALHIC1901, 1902, and 1903", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601895"}, {"dataset_uid": "601878", "doi": "10.15784/601878", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Blue Ice; Carbon Dioxide; Cryosphere; Methane", "people": "Shackleton, Sarah; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Hishamunda, Valens; Kalk, Michael; Brook, Edward; Marks Peterson, Julia", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "Snapshot record of CO2 and CH4 from the Allan Hills, Antarctica, ranging from 400,000 to 3 million years old", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601878"}, {"dataset_uid": "601620", "doi": "10.15784/601620", "keywords": "18O; Allan Hills; Allan Hills Blue Ice; Antarctica; Blue Ice; Delta 15N; Delta 18O; Dole Effect; Firn Thickness; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Chronology; Ice Core Records", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Allan Hills CMC3 ice core d18Oatm, d15N, dO2/N2, dAr/N2, d40/36Ar, d40/38Ar 2021 \u0026 2022", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601620"}, {"dataset_uid": "601696", "doi": "10.15784/601696", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Ice Core", "people": "Brook, Edward J.; Shackleton, Sarah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Allan Hills 2022-23 Shallow Ice Core Field Report", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601696"}, {"dataset_uid": "609541", "doi": "10.7265/N5NP22DF", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Isotope", "people": "Spaulding, Nicole; Mayewski, Paul A.; Introne, Douglas; Kurbatov, Andrei V.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Allan Hills Stable Water Isotopes", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609541"}, {"dataset_uid": "601669", "doi": "10.15784/601669", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; GPR; Ice Core; Report", "people": "Nesbitt, Ian; Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "I-165-M GPR Field Report 2019-2020", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601669"}], "date_created": "Fri, 27 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Bubbles of ancient air trapped in ice cores have been used to directly reconstruct atmospheric composition, and its links to Antarctic and global climate, over the last 800,000 years. Previous field expeditions to the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area, Antarctica, have recovered ice cores that extend as far back as 2.7 million years, by far the oldest polar ice samples yet recovered. These ice cores extend direct observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane concentrations and indirect records of Antarctic climate into a period of Earth\u0027s climate history that represents a plausible geologic analogue to future anthropogenic climate change. The results demonstrate a smaller glacial-interglacial variability of climate and greenhouse gases, and a persistent linkage between Antarctic climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide, between 1 and 2 million years ago. Through this project, the team will return to the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area to recover additional ice cores that date to 2 million years or older. The climate records developed from these ice cores will provide new insights into the chemical composition of the atmosphere and Antarctic climate during times of comparable or even greater warmth than the present day. Project results will help answer questions about issues associated with anthropogenic change including the relationship between temperature change and the mass balance of Antarctic ice and the relationship between atmospheric greenhouse gases and global climate change. Earth has been cooling, and ice sheets expanding, over the past ~52 million years. Superimposed on this cooling are periodic changes in Earth\u0027s climate system driven by variations in the eccentricity, precession, and obliquity of Earth\u0027s orbit around the Sun. Climate reconstructions based on measurements of oxygen isotopes in foraminiferal calcite indicate that, from ~2.8 to 1.2 million years before present (Ma), Earth\u0027s climate system oscillated between glacial and interglacial states every ~40,000 years (the \"40k world\"). Between 1.2-0.8 Ma and continuing to the present, the period of glacial cycles increased in amplitude and lengthened to ~100,000 years (the \"100k world\"). Ice cores preserve ancient air that allows direct reconstructions of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane. They also archive proxy records of regional climate, mean ocean temperature, global oxygen cycling, and the aridity of nearby continents. Studies of stratigraphically continuous ice cores, extending to 800,000 years before present, have demonstrated that atmospheric carbon dioxide is strongly linked to climate, and it is of great interest to extend the ice-core record into the 40k world. Recent discoveries of well-preserved ice dating from 1.0 to 2.7 Ma from ice cores drilled in the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area (BIA), Antarctica, demonstrate the potential to retrieve stratigraphically discontinuous old ice at shallow depths (\u003c200 meters). This project will continue this work by retrieving new large-volume ice cores and measuring paleoclimate properties in both new and existing ice from the Allan Hills BIA. The experimental objectives are to more fully characterize fundamental properties of the climate system and the carbon cycle during the 40k world. Project results will have implications for Pleistocene climate change, and will provide new constraints on the processes that regulate atmospheric carbon dioxide, methane, and oxygen on geologic timescales. Given a demonstrated age of the ice at the Allan Hills BIA of at least 2 million years, the team will drill additional cores to prospect for ice that predates the initiation of Northern Hemisphere glaciation at the Plio-Pleistocene transition (~2.8 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": 159.41667, "geometry": "POINT(159.29167 -76.7)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AMD; USAP-DC; SNOW/ICE; Allan Hills; FIELD SURVEYS; USA/NSF; Amd/Us; LABORATORY", "locations": "Allan Hills", "north": -76.66667, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Mayewski, Paul A.; Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Brook, Edward J.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Higgins, John", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Allan Hills", "south": -76.73333, "title": "Collaborative research: Snapshots of Early and Mid-Pleistocene Climate and Atmospheric Composition from the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area ", "uid": "p0010253", "west": 159.16667}, {"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": "Mino-Moreira, Lisbeth; Passchier, Sandra", "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": "1947562 van Gestel, Natasja; 1643871 van Gestel, Natasja", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-65 -64.5,-64.8 -64.5,-64.6 -64.5,-64.4 -64.5,-64.2 -64.5,-64 -64.5,-63.8 -64.5,-63.6 -64.5,-63.4 -64.5,-63.2 -64.5,-63 -64.5,-63 -64.55,-63 -64.6,-63 -64.65,-63 -64.7,-63 -64.75,-63 -64.8,-63 -64.85,-63 -64.9,-63 -64.95,-63 -65,-63.2 -65,-63.4 -65,-63.6 -65,-63.8 -65,-64 -65,-64.2 -65,-64.4 -65,-64.6 -65,-64.8 -65,-65 -65,-65 -64.95,-65 -64.9,-65 -64.85,-65 -64.8,-65 -64.75,-65 -64.7,-65 -64.65,-65 -64.6,-65 -64.55,-65 -64.5))", "dataset_titles": "2022-2023 Palmer Station terrestrial carbon fluxes - field warming experiment; Soil moisture and soil temperature data (0-5 cm) near Palmer Station, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601853", "doi": "10.15784/601853", "keywords": "Antarctica; CO2; Cryosphere; Field Investigations; Palmer Station", "people": "van Gestel, Natasja", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "2022-2023 Palmer Station terrestrial carbon fluxes - field warming experiment", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601853"}, {"dataset_uid": "601877", "doi": "10.15784/601877", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Conductivity; Cryosphere; Palmer Station; Soil; Temperature", "people": "van Gestel, Natasja", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Soil moisture and soil temperature data (0-5 cm) near Palmer Station, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601877"}], "date_created": "Sat, 21 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part I: Non-technical description: Earth\u2019s terrestrial ecosystems have the potential to either slow down or hasten the pace of climate change. The direction depends in part on both plant and microbial responses to warming. This study uses Antarctica as a model ecosystem to study the carbon balance of a simplified ecosystem (simplified compared to terrestrial ecosystems elsewhere) in response to a warming treatment. Carbon balance is dictated by sequestered carbon (through photosynthesis) and released carbon (plant and microbial respiration). Hence, to best assess plant and microbial responses to warming, this study uses a plant gradient that starts at the glacier (no plants, only soil microbes) to an old site entirely covered by plants. Experimental warming in the field is achieved by open-top chambers that warm the air and soil inside. The net ecosystem carbon exchange, the net result of sequestered and released carbon, will be measured in warmed and control plots with a state-of-the art gas exchange machine. Laboratory temperature incubation studies will supplement field work to attribute changes in carbon fluxes to individual plant species and soil microbial taxa (i.e., \u201cspecies\u201d). Data from this study will feed into earth system climate change models. The importance of this study will be shared with the broader community through the production of a video series created by an award-winning science media production company, an Antarctic blog, and through interactions with schools in the United States (on-site through Skype and in-person visits). Part II: Technical description: Responses of the carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems to warming will feed back to the pace of climate change, but the size and direction of this feedback are poorly constrained. Least known are the effects of warming on carbon losses from soil, and clarifying the major microbial controls is an important research frontier. This study uses a series of experiments and observations to investigate microbial, including autotrophic taxa, and plant controls of net ecosystem productivity in response to warming in intact ecosystems. Field warming is achieved using open-top chambers paired with control plots, arrayed along a productivity gradient. Along this gradient, incoming and outgoing carbon fluxes will be measured at the ecosystem-level. The goal is to tie warming-induced shifts in net ecosystem carbon balance to warming effects on soil microbes and plants. The field study will be supplemented with lab temperature incubations. Because soil microbes dominate biogeochemical cycles in Antarctica, a major focus of this study is to determine warming responses of bacteria, fungi and archaea. This is achieved using a cutting-edge stable isotope technique, quantitative stable isotope probing (qSIP) developed by the proposing research team, that can identify the taxa that are active and involved in processing new carbon. This technique can identify individual microbial taxa that are actively participating in biogeochemical cycling of nutrients (through combined use of 18O-water and 13C-bicarbonate) and thus can be distinguished from those that are simply present (cold-preserved). The study further assesses photosynthetic uptake of carbon by the vegetation and their sensitivity to warming. Results will advance research in climate change, plant and soil microbial ecology, and ecosystem modeling. Science communication will be achieved through an informative video series, a daily Antarctic blog, and online- and in-person visits to schools in the United States. 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": -63.0, "geometry": "POINT(-64 -64.75)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Palmer Station; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; USA/NSF; AMD; Amd/Us; USAP-DC; FIELD SURVEYS", "locations": "Palmer Station", "north": -64.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "van Gestel, Natasja", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -65.0, "title": "Antarctica as a Model System for Responses of Terrestrial Carbon Balance to Warming", "uid": "p0010251", "west": -65.0}, {"awards": "1941304 Sherrell, Robert; 1941308 Fitzsimmons, Jessica; 1941483 Yager, Patricia; 1941327 Stammerjohn, Sharon; 1941292 St-Laurent, Pierre", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-120 -71,-118 -71,-116 -71,-114 -71,-112 -71,-110 -71,-108 -71,-106 -71,-104 -71,-102 -71,-100 -71,-100 -71.4,-100 -71.8,-100 -72.2,-100 -72.6,-100 -73,-100 -73.4,-100 -73.8,-100 -74.2,-100 -74.6,-100 -75,-102 -75,-104 -75,-106 -75,-108 -75,-110 -75,-112 -75,-114 -75,-116 -75,-118 -75,-120 -75,-120 -74.6,-120 -74.2,-120 -73.8,-120 -73.4,-120 -73,-120 -72.6,-120 -72.2,-120 -71.8,-120 -71.4,-120 -71))", "dataset_titles": "Dataset: A numerical simulation of the ocean, sea ice and ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea (Antarctica) over the period 2006-2022 and its associated code and input files; Expedition Data of NBP2202; Numerical experiments examining the response of onshore oceanic heat supply to yearly changes in the Amundsen Sea icescape (Antarctica); Vertical ocean profiles collected by a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) package in the Amundsen Sea", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601785", "doi": "10.15784/601785", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Cryosphere; CTD; NBP2202; Oceanography; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer", "people": "Stammerjohn, Sharon", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Vertical ocean profiles collected by a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) package in the Amundsen Sea", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601785"}, {"dataset_uid": "200399", "doi": "10.25773/bt54-sj65", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "William \u0026 Mary ScholarWorks", "science_program": null, "title": "Dataset: A numerical simulation of the ocean, sea ice and ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea (Antarctica) over the period 2006-2022 and its associated code and input files", "url": "https://doi.org/10.25773/bt54-sj65"}, {"dataset_uid": "200400", "doi": "10.17882/99231", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "SEANOE", "science_program": null, "title": "Numerical experiments examining the response of onshore oceanic heat supply to yearly changes in the Amundsen Sea icescape (Antarctica)", "url": "https://doi.org/10.17882/99231"}, {"dataset_uid": "200311", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data of NBP2202", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP2202"}], "date_created": "Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part I: Non-technical summary: The Amundsen Sea is adjacent to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) and hosts the most productive coastal ecosystem in all of Antarctica, with vibrant green waters visible from space and an atmospheric carbon dioxide uptake rate ten times higher than the Southern Ocean average. The region is also an area highly impacted by climate change and glacier ice loss. Upwelling of warm deep water is causing melt under the ice sheet, which is contributing to sea level rise and added nutrient inputs to the region. This is a project that is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation\u2019s Directorate of Geosciences (NSF/GEO) and the National Environment Research Council (NERC) of the United Kingdom (UK) via the NSF/GEO-NERC Lead Agency Agreement. This Agreement allows a single joint US/UK proposal to be submitted and peer-reviewed by the Agency whose investigator has the largest proportion of the budget. Upon successful joint determination of an award, each Agency funds the proportion of the budget and the investigators associated with its own country. In this collaboration, the US team will undertake biogeochemical sampling alongside a UK-funded physical oceanographic program to evaluate the contribution of micronutrients such as iron from glacial meltwater to ecosystem productivity and carbon cycling. Measurements will be incorporated into computer simulations to examine ecosystem responses to further glacial melting. Results will help predict future impacts on the region and determine whether the climate sensitivity of the Amundsen Sea ecosystem represents the front line of processes generalizable to the greater Antarctic. This study is aligned with the large International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) and will make data available to the full scientific community. The program will provide training for undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral, and early-career scientists in both science and communication. The team will also develop out-of-school science experiences for middle and high schoolers related to climate change and Antarctica. Part II: Technical summary: The Amundsen Sea hosts the most productive polynya in all of Antarctica, with atmospheric carbon dioxide uptake rates ten times higher than the Southern Ocean average. The region is vulnerable to climate change, experiencing rapid losses in sea ice, a changing icescape and some of the fastest melting glaciers flowing from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, a process being studied by the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration. The biogeochemical composition of the outflow from the glaciers surrounding the Amundsen Sea is largely unstudied. In collaboration with a UK-funded physical oceanographic program, ARTEMIS is using shipboard sampling for trace metals, carbonate system, nutrients, organic matter, and microorganisms, with biogeochemical sensors on autonomous vehicles to gather data needed to understand the impact of the melting ice sheet on both the coastal ecosystem and the regional carbon cycle. These measurements, along with access to the advanced physical oceanographic measurements will allow this team to 1) bridge the gap between biogeochemistry and physics by adding estimates of fluxes and transport of limiting micronutrients; 2) provide biogeochemical context to broaden understanding of the global significance of ocean-ice shelf interactions; 3) determine processes and scales of variability in micronutrient supply that drive the ten-fold increase in carbon dioxide uptake, and 4) identify small-scale processes key to iron and carbon cycling using optimized field sampling. Observations will be integrated into an ocean model to enhance predictive capabilities of regional ocean function. 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": -100.0, "geometry": "POINT(-110 -73)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES; USA/NSF; USAP-DC; AMD; Amundsen Sea; Amd/Us; SHIPS", "locations": "Amundsen Sea", "north": -71.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Yager, Patricia; Medeiros, Patricia; Sherrell, Robert; St-Laurent, Pierre; Fitzsimmons, Jessica; Stammerjohn, Sharon", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e SHIPS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; SEANOE; USAP-DC; William \u0026 Mary ScholarWorks", "science_programs": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "south": -75.0, "title": "NSFGEO-NERC: Collaborative Research: Accelerating Thwaites Ecosystem Impacts for the Southern Ocean (ARTEMIS)", "uid": "p0010249", "west": -120.0}, {"awards": "2046437 Zitterbart, Daniel", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-60 -55,-53 -55,-46 -55,-39 -55,-32 -55,-25 -55,-18 -55,-11 -55,-4 -55,3 -55,10 -55,10 -57.5,10 -60,10 -62.5,10 -65,10 -67.5,10 -70,10 -72.5,10 -75,10 -77.5,10 -80,3 -80,-4 -80,-11 -80,-18 -80,-25 -80,-32 -80,-39 -80,-46 -80,-53 -80,-60 -80,-60 -77.5,-60 -75,-60 -72.5,-60 -70,-60 -67.5,-60 -65,-60 -62.5,-60 -60,-60 -57.5,-60 -55))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 16 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part I: Non-technical description: Understanding human-induced changes on biodiversity is one of the most important scientific challenges we face today. This is especially true for marine environments that are home to much of the world\u2019s biomass and biodiversity. A particularly effective approach to investigate the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems is to monitor top-predator populations such as seabirds or marine mammals. The food web in the Southern Ocean in relatively small and involves few species, therefore climate-induced variations at the prey species level directly affect the predator species level. For example, seabirds, like penguins, are ideal to detect and study these ecosystem changes. This study combines traditional methods to study emperor penguin population dynamics with the use of an autonomous vehicle to conduct the population dynamic measurements with less impact and higher accuracy. This project leverages an existing long-term emperor penguin observatory at the Atka Bay colony which hosts penguins living in the Weddell sea and the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. The study will kickstart the collection of a multi-decadal data set in an area of the Southern Ocean that has been understudied. It will fill important gaps in ecological knowledge on the state of the Emperor penguin and its adaptive capabilities within a changing world. Finally, the project supports NSF goals of training new generations of scientists through collaborative training of undergraduate students and the creation of a new class on robotics for ecosystem study. Emperor penguins are an iconic species that few people will ever see in the wild. Through the technology developed in this proposal, the public can be immersed in real-time into the life of an emperor penguin colony. Public outreach will be achieved by showcasing real-time video and audio footage of emperor penguins from the field as social media science and engineering-themed educational materials. Part II: Technical description: Polar ecosystems currently experience significant impacts due to global changes. Measurable negative effects on polar wildlife have already occurred, such as population decreases of numerous seabird species, including the complete loss of colonies of one of the most emblematic species of the Antarctic, the emperor penguin. These existing impacts on polar species are alarming, especially because many polar species still remain poorly studied due to technical and logistical challenges imposed by the harsh environment and extreme remoteness. Developing technologies and tools for monitoring such wildlife populations is, therefore, a matter of urgency. This project aims to help close major knowledge gaps about the emperor penguin, in particular about their adaptive capability to a changing environment, by the development of next-generation tools to remotely study entire colonies. Specifically, the main goal of this project is to implement and test an autonomous unmanned ground vehicle equipped with Radio-frequency identification (RFID) antennas and wireless mesh communication data-loggers to: 1) identify RFID-tagged emperor penguins during breeding to studying population dynamics without human presence; and 2) receive Global Positioning System-Time Domain Reflectometry (GPS-TDR) datasets from Very High Frequency VHF-GPS-TDR data-loggers without human presence to study animal behavior and distribution at sea. The autonomous vehicles navigation through the colony will be aided by an existing remote penguin observatory (SPOT). Properly implemented, this technology can be used to study of the life history of individual penguins, and therefore gather data for behavioral and population dynamic studies. The new data will contribute to intelligent establishment of marine protected areas in Antarctica. The education objectives of this CAREER project are designed to increase the interest in a STEM education for the next generation of scientists by combining the charisma of the emperor penguin with robotics research. Within this project, a new class on ecosystem robotics will be developed and taught, Robotics boot-camps will allow undergraduate students to remotely participate in Antarctic field trips, and an annual curriculum will be developed that allows K-12 students to follow the life of the emperor penguin during the breeding cycle, powered by real-time data obtained using the unmanned ground vehicle as well as the existing emperor penguin observatory. 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": 10.0, "geometry": "POINT(-25 -67.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AMD; Antarctica; Dronning Maud Land; FIELD SURVEYS; Amd/Us; Atka Bay; MARINE ECOSYSTEMS; USAP-DC; USA/NSF", "locations": "Atka Bay; Antarctica; Dronning Maud Land", "north": -55.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Zitterbart, Daniel", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -80.0, "title": "\r\nCAREER: Development of Unmanned Ground Vehicles for Assessing the Health of Secluded Ecosystems (ECHO)", "uid": "p0010245", "west": -60.0}, {"awards": "1644171 Blackburn, Terrence", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((162 -77.5,162.2 -77.5,162.4 -77.5,162.6 -77.5,162.8 -77.5,163 -77.5,163.2 -77.5,163.4 -77.5,163.6 -77.5,163.8 -77.5,164 -77.5,164 -77.525,164 -77.55,164 -77.575,164 -77.6,164 -77.625,164 -77.65,164 -77.675,164 -77.7,164 -77.725,164 -77.75,163.8 -77.75,163.6 -77.75,163.4 -77.75,163.2 -77.75,163 -77.75,162.8 -77.75,162.6 -77.75,162.4 -77.75,162.2 -77.75,162 -77.75,162 -77.725,162 -77.7,162 -77.675,162 -77.65,162 -77.625,162 -77.6,162 -77.575,162 -77.55,162 -77.525,162 -77.5))", "dataset_titles": "Isotopic ratios for subglacial precipitates from East Antarctica; U-Th isotopes and major elements in sediments from Taylor Valley, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601806", "doi": "10.15784/601806", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Erosion; Isotope Data; Major Elements; Soil; Taylor Glacier; Taylor Valley", "people": "Tulaczyk, Slawek; Edwards, Graham; Piccione, Gavin; Blackburn, Terrence", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "U-Th isotopes and major elements in sediments from Taylor Valley, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601806"}, {"dataset_uid": "200240", "doi": "10.26022/IEDA/111548 ", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "EarthChem", "science_program": null, "title": "Isotopic ratios for subglacial precipitates from East Antarctica", "url": "https://doi.org/10.26022/IEDA/111548"}], "date_created": "Fri, 13 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "A\u00a0nontechnical\u00a0description of the project The primary scientific goal of the project is to test whether Taylor Valley, Antarctica has been eroded significantly by glaciers in the last ~2 million years (Ma). Taylor Valley is one of the Dry Valleys of the Transantarctic Mountains, which are characterized by low mean annual temperatures, low precipitation, and limited erosion. These conditions have allowed fragile glacial landforms to be preserved for up to 15 Ma. Sediment eroded and deposited by glaciers is found on the valley walls and floors, with progressively younger deposits preserved at lower elevations. Scientists can date glacial deposits to understand the process and timing of past glacial erosion. Previous work in the Dry Valleys region suggested that extremely cold glaciers like Taylor Glacier, a major outlet glacier entering the valleys, were not erosive during the last several million years. This research will test a new hypothesis that glacial erosion and sediment production beneath Taylor Glacier have been active in the last few million years. This hypothesis will be tested using a new isotopic dating method called \"comminution dating\u0027 which determines when fine-grained sediment particles called silt were formed. If the sediment age is young, then the results will suggest that glacial processes have been more dynamic than previously thought. Overall, this study will increase our understanding of the nature and extent of past glaciations in Antarctica. Because the silt produced by erosion sediment is a nutrient for local ecosystems, the results will also shed light on delivery of nutrients to soils, streams, and coastal zones in high polar regions. This project will be led by an early career scientist and includes training of a Ph.D. student. A\u00a0technical description of the project There is a long-standing scientific controversy about the stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet with much evidence centered in the Dry Valleys region of South Victoria Land. A prevailing view of geomorphologists is that the landscape has been very stable and that the effects of glaciation have been minimal for the past ~15 Ma. This project will distinguish between two end-member scenarios of glacial erosion and deposition by Taylor Glacier, an outlet glacier of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet that terminates in Taylor Valley in the Dry Valleys region of Antarctica. In the first scenario, all valley relief is generated prior to 15 Ma when non-polar climates enabled warm-based glaciers to incise and widen ancient river channels. In this case, younger glacial deposits record advances of cold-based glaciers of decreasing ice volume and limited glacial erosion, and sediment generation resulted in glacial deposits composed primarily of older recycled sediments. In the second scenario, selective erosion of the valley floor has continued to deepen Taylor Valley but has not affected the adjacent peaks over the last 2 Ma. In this scenario, the \"bathtub rings\" of Quaternary glacial deposits situated at progressively lower elevations through time could be due to the lowering of the valley floor by subglacial erosion and with it, production of new sediment which is now incorporated into these deposits. While either scenario would result in the present-day topography, they differ in the implied evolution of regional glacial ice volume over time and the timing of both valley relief production and generation of fine-grained particles. The two scenarios will be tested by placing time constraints on fine particle production using U-series comminution dating. This new geochronologic tool exploits the loss of 234U due to alpha-recoil. The deficiency in 234U only becomes detectable in fine-grained particles with a sufficiently high surface-area-to-volume ratio which can incur appreciable 234U loss. The timing of comminution and particle size controls the magnitude of 234U loss. While this geochronologic tool is in its infancy, the scientific goal of this proposal can be achieved by resolving between ancient and recently comminuted fine particles, a binary question that the preliminary modeling and measured data show is readily resolved.", "east": 164.0, "geometry": "POINT(163 -77.625)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ICE SHEETS; Taylor Valley", "locations": "Taylor Valley", "north": -77.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Blackburn, Terrence; Tulaczyk, Slawek", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "EarthChem; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.75, "title": "U-Series Comminution Age Constraints on Taylor Valley Erosion", "uid": "p0010243", "west": 162.0}, {"awards": "1745064 Perez-Huerta, Alberto; 1745057 Walker, Sally; 1745080 Gillikin, David", "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": "Analysis of striae groups and interstrial increments from Adamussium colbecki valves from Explorers Cove and Bay of Sails; Annual growth of Adamussium colbecki from Explorers Cove and Bay of Sails; Linking Modern Benthic Communities and Taphonomic Processes to the Stratigraphic Record of Antarctic Cores; Nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen isotopes in the shell of the Antarctic scallop Adamussium colbecki as a proxy for sea ice cover in Antarctica.; Stable isotopes of Oxygen and Carbon in Adamissium colbecki from Explorers Cove and Bay of Sails", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601764", "doi": "10.15784/601764", "keywords": "Adamussium Colbecki; Antarctica; Biota; Carbon Isotopes; Explorers Cove; Nitrogen Isotopes; Oxygen Isotope; Scallop", "people": "Gillikin, David; Puhalski, Emma; Camarra, Steve; Cronin, Kelly; Verheyden, Anouk; Walker, Sally", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen isotopes in the shell of the Antarctic scallop Adamussium colbecki as a proxy for sea ice cover in Antarctica.", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601764"}, {"dataset_uid": "601468", "doi": "10.15784/601468", "keywords": "Adamussium Colbecki; Antarctica; Growth; McMurdo Sound; Shell Fish", "people": "Walker, Sally; Cronin, Kelly", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Annual growth of Adamussium colbecki from Explorers Cove and Bay of Sails", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601468"}, {"dataset_uid": "601469", "doi": "10.15784/601469", "keywords": "Adamussium Colbecki; Antarctica; McMurdo", "people": "Walker, Sally; Cronin, Kelly", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Analysis of striae groups and interstrial increments from Adamussium colbecki valves from Explorers Cove and Bay of Sails", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601469"}, {"dataset_uid": "601761", "doi": "10.15784/601761", "keywords": "Adamussium Colbecki; Antarctica; Bay Of Sails; Carbon; Explorers Cove; McMurdo Sound; Oxygen; Stable Isotopes", "people": "Walker, Sally; Cronin, Kelly; Puhalski, Emma; Perez-Huerta, Alberto; Bowser, Samuel S.; Verheyden, Anouk; Gillikin, David; Camarra, Steve; Andrus, Fred", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Stable isotopes of Oxygen and Carbon in Adamissium colbecki from Explorers Cove and Bay of Sails", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601761"}, {"dataset_uid": "600077", "doi": "10.15784/600077", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; McMurdo Sound; Oceans; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description", "people": "Walker, Sally", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Linking Modern Benthic Communities and Taphonomic Processes to the Stratigraphic Record of Antarctic Cores", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600077"}], "date_created": "Fri, 06 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The goal of this project is to discover whether the Antarctic scallop, Adamussium colbecki, provides a guide to sea-ice conditions in nearshore Antarctica today and in the past. Scallops may grow slower and live longer in habitats where sea ice persists for many years, limited by food, compared to habitats where sea ice melts out annually. Also, the chemicals retained in the shell during growth may provide crucial habitat information related to not only changing sea-ice conditions but also the type of food, whether it is recycled from the seafloor or produced by algae blooming when sea ice has melted. Unlocking the ecological imprint captured within the shell of the Antarctic Scallop will increase our understanding of changing sea-ice conditions in Antarctica. Further, because the Antarctic scallop had relatives living at the time when the Antarctic ice sheet first appeared, the scallop shell record may contain information on the stability of the ice sheet and the history of Antarctic shallow seas. Funding will also be integral for training a new generation of geoscientists in fossil and chemical forensics related to shallow sea habitats in Antarctica. Scallops are worldwide in distribution, are integral for structuring marine communities have an extensive fossil record dating to the late Devonian, and are increasingly recognized as important paleoenvironmental proxies because they are generally well preserved in the sediment and rock record. The primary goal of this project is to assess the differences in growth, lifespan, and chemistry (stable isotopes, trace elements) archived in the shell of the Antarctic scallop that may be indicative of two ice states: persistent (multiannual) sea ice at Explorers Cove (EC) and annual sea ice (that melts out every year) at Bay of Sails (BOS), western McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. This project will investigate growth and lifespan proxies (physical and geochemical) and will use high-resolution records of stable oxygen isotopes to determine if a melt-water signal is archived in A. colbecki shells and whether that signal captures the differing ice behavior at two sites (EC versus BOS). Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in association with trace elements will be used to examine subannual productivity spikes indicative of phytoplankton blooms, which are predicted to be more pronounced during open ocean conditions. Small growth increments in the outer calcite layer will be assessed to determine if they represent fortnightly growth, if so, they could provide a high-resolution proxy for monthly environmental processes. Unlocking the environmental archive preserved in A. colbecki shells may prove to be an important proxy for understanding changing sea-ice conditions in Antarctica\u0027s past. Funding will support a Ph.D. student and undergraduates from multiple institutions working on independent research projects. Web content focused on Antarctic marine communities will be designed for museum outreach, reaching thousands of middle-school children each year. 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": "Amd/Us; PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS; AMD; Dry Valleys; USAP-DC; LABORATORY; USA/NSF", "locations": "Dry Valleys", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Walker, Sally; Gillikin, David; Perez-Huerta, Alberto; Andrus, Fred", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative research: The Antarctic Scallop as Key to Paleoenvironments and Sea Ice Conditions: Understanding the Modern to Predict the Past", "uid": "p0010238", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1744871 Robinson, Rebecca", "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": "Diatom assemblage from IODP Site U1357; Diatom-bound and bulk sedimentary N isotopes from ODP Site 1098, Western Antarctic Peninsula; Diatom-bound and bulk sedimentary nitrogen isotopes from IODP Site U1357; Dissolved nutrients, cell counts, and nitrogen isotope measurements from Chaetoceros socialis culture experiments; ODP Site 1098 deglacial diatom assemblage; Sediment chemistry of ODP Site 1098", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601816", "doi": "10.15784/601816", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Cryosphere; Geochemistry; Sediment", "people": "Robinson, Rebecca; Kelly, Roger; Jones, Colin; Dove, Isabel", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Diatom-bound and bulk sedimentary N isotopes from ODP Site 1098, Western Antarctic Peninsula", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601816"}, {"dataset_uid": "601818", "doi": "10.15784/601818", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Geochemistry; Sediment; Wilkes Land", "people": "Dove, Isabel", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Diatom assemblage from IODP Site U1357", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601818"}, {"dataset_uid": "601727", "doi": "10.15784/601727", "keywords": "Antarctica", "people": "Dove, Isabel", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Dissolved nutrients, cell counts, and nitrogen isotope measurements from Chaetoceros socialis culture experiments", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601727"}, {"dataset_uid": "601777", "doi": "10.15784/601777", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Cryosphere; Sediment Core Data", "people": "Dove, Isabel", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "ODP Site 1098 deglacial diatom assemblage", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601777"}, {"dataset_uid": "601778", "doi": "10.15784/601778", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Cryosphere", "people": "Dove, Isabel", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Sediment chemistry of ODP Site 1098", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601778"}, {"dataset_uid": "601817", "doi": "10.15784/601817", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Wilkes Land", "people": "Kelly, Roger; Dove, Isabel; Robinson, Rebecca", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Diatom-bound and bulk sedimentary nitrogen isotopes from IODP Site U1357", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601817"}], "date_created": "Wed, 28 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The chemical composition of diatom fossils in the Southern Ocean provides information about the environmental history of Antarctica, including sea ice extent, biological production, and ocean nutrient distribution. The sea ice zone is an important habitat for a group of diatoms, largely from the genus Chaetoceros, that have a unique life cycle stage under environmental stress, when they produce a structure called a resting spore. Resting spores are meant to reseed the surface ocean when conditions are more favorable. The production of these heavy resting spores tends to remove significant amounts of carbon and silicon, essential nutrients, out of the surface ocean. As a result, this group has the potential to remove carbon from the surface ocean and can impact the sedimentary record scientists use to reconstruct environmental change. This project explores the role of resting spores in the sedimentary record using the nitrogen isotopic signature of these fossils and how those measurements are used to estimate carbon cycle changes. The work will include laboratory incubations of these organisms to answer if and how the chemistry of the resting spores differs from that of a typical diatom cell. The incubation results will be used to evaluate nutrient drawdown in sea ice environments during two contrasting intervals in earth history, the last ice age and the warm Pliocene. This work should have significant impact on how the scientific community considers the impact of seasonal sea ice cover in the Southern Ocean in terms of how it responds to and regulates global climate. The project provides training and research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Ongoing research efforts in Antarctic earth sciences will be disseminated through an interactive display at the home institution. The work proposed here will address uncertainties in how Chaetoceros resting spores record surface nutrient conditions in their nitrogen stable isotopic composition, the relative impact of their specific signal with respect to the full sedimentary assemblage, and their potential to bias or enhance environmental reconstructions in the sea ice zone. Measurements of nitrogen stable isotopes of nitrate, biomass, and diatom-bound nitrogen and silicon-to-nitrogen ratios of individual species grown in the laboratory will be used to quantify how resting spores record nutrient drawdown in the water column and to what degree their signature is biased toward low nutrient conditions. These relationships will be used to inform diatom-bound nitrogen isotope reconstructions of nutrient drawdown from a Pliocene coastal polyna and an open ocean core that spans the last glacial maximum. This proposal capitalizes on the availability of Southern Ocean isolates of Chaetoceros spp. collected in 2017 for the proposed culture work and archived sediment cores and/or existing data. 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": "Amd/Us; USAP-DC; Antarctica; ISOTOPES; MARINE SEDIMENTS; LABORATORY; USA/NSF; NITROGEN; AMD", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Robinson, Rebecca", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "The nitrogen isotopic composition of diatom resting spores in Southern Ocean sediments: A source of bias and/or paleoenvironmental information?", "uid": "p0010234", "west": -180.0}, {"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": "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/"}, {"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": "Bergelin, Marie; Putkonen, Jaakko", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Old Ice, Ong Valley, Transantarctic Mountains", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601665"}], "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 Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "putkonen, jaakko; Balco, Gregory; Morgan, Daniel", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "ICE-D", "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": "1744878 Lazzara, Matthew; 1745097 Cassano, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-115 -79,-114.4 -79,-113.8 -79,-113.2 -79,-112.6 -79,-112 -79,-111.4 -79,-110.8 -79,-110.2 -79,-109.6 -79,-109 -79,-109 -79.1,-109 -79.2,-109 -79.3,-109 -79.4,-109 -79.5,-109 -79.6,-109 -79.7,-109 -79.8,-109 -79.9,-109 -80,-109.6 -80,-110.2 -80,-110.8 -80,-111.4 -80,-112 -80,-112.6 -80,-113.2 -80,-113.8 -80,-114.4 -80,-115 -80,-115 -79.9,-115 -79.8,-115 -79.7,-115 -79.6,-115 -79.5,-115 -79.4,-115 -79.3,-115 -79.2,-115 -79.1,-115 -79))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 06 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The near surface atmosphere over West Antarctica is one of the fastest warming locations on the planet. This atmospheric warming, along with oceanic forcing, is contributing to ice sheet melt and hence rising global sea levels. An observational campaign, focused on the atmospheric boundary layer over the West Antarctic ice sheet, is envisioned. A robust set of year-round, autonomous, atmospheric and surface measurements, will be made using an instrumented 30-m tall tower at the West Antarctic ice sheet divide field camp. An additional unmanned aerial system field campaign will be conducted during the second year of this project and will supplement the West Antarctic ice sheet tall tower observations by sampling the depths of the boundary layer. The broader subject of the Antarctic ABL clearly supports a range of research activities ranging from the physics of turbulent mixing, its parameterization and constraints on meteorological forecasts, and even climatological effects, such as surface mass and energy balances. With the coming of the Thwaites WAIS program, a suite of metrological observables would be a welcome addition to the joint NSF/NERC (UK) Thwaites field campaigns. The meteorologists of this proposal have pioneered 30-m tall tower (TT) and unmanned aerial system (UAS) development in the Antarctic, and are well positioned to successfully carry out and analyze this work. In turn, the potential for these observations to advance our understanding of how the atmosphere exchanges heat with the ice sheet is high. 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": -109.0, "geometry": "POINT(-112 -79.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AMD; Amd/Us; HUMIDITY; ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; BOUNDARY LAYER TEMPERATURE; USAP-DC; ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS; FIELD SURVEYS; BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS; USA/NSF", "locations": "West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -79.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Cassano, John; Lazzara, Matthew", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -80.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Observing the Atmospheric Boundary over the West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "uid": "p0010225", "west": -115.0}, {"awards": "2000992 Romans, Brian", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-172.873074 -74.274008)", "dataset_titles": "Grain size of Plio-Pleistocene continental slope and rise sediments, Hillary Canyon, Ross Sea", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601807", "doi": "10.15784/601807", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Grain Size; Ross Sea", "people": "Romans, Brian W.; Varela, Natalia", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Grain size of Plio-Pleistocene continental slope and rise sediments, Hillary Canyon, Ross Sea", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601807"}], "date_created": "Tue, 06 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part I: Non-technical description: Predicting how polar ice sheets will respond to future global warming is difficult because all the processes that contribute to their melting are not well understood. This is important because the more ice on land that melts, the higher sea levels will rise. The most significant uncertainty in current estimates of sea-level rise in the coming decades is the potential contribution from the Antarctic Ice Sheet. One way to increase our knowledge about how large ice sheets respond to climate change in response to natural factors is to examine the geologic past. Natural global warming (and cooling) events in Earth\u2019s history provide examples that we can use to better understand processes, interactions, and responses we can\u2019t directly observe today. One such time period, approximately three million years ago (known as the Pliocene), was the last time atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were as high as they are today and, therefore, represents a time period to study to better understand the ice sheet response to a warming climate. Specifically, this project is interested in understanding how ocean currents near Antarctica, which transport heat and store carbon, behaved during these past climate events. The history of past ice sheet-ocean interactions are recorded in sediments that were deposited, layer upon layer, in the deep sea offshore Antarctica. In January-February 2018, a team of scientists and crew set sail to the Ross Sea, offshore west Antarctica, on the scientific ocean drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution to recover such sediment archives. This project focuses on a sediment core from that expedition, which captures the relatively warm Pliocene time interval, as well as the subsequent transition into cooler climates typical of the past two million years. The researchers will analyze the sediment with multiple complementary measurements, including: grain size, composition, chemistry of organic matter, physical structures, microfossil type and abundance, and more. These analyses will be done by the research team, including several students, at their respective laboratories and will then integrated into a unified record of ice sheet-ocean interactions. Ultimately, the results will be used to improve modeled projections of how the Antarctic Ice Sheet could respond to future climate change. Part II: Technical description: Geological records from the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) margin demonstrate that the ice sheet oscillated in response to orbital variations in insolation (i.e., ~400, 100, 41, and 20 kyr), and it appears to be more sensitive to specific frequencies that regulate mean annual insolation (i.e., 41-kyr obliquity), particularly when the ice sheet extends into marine environments and is impacted by ocean circulation. However, the relationship between orbital forcing and the production of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is unconstrained. Thus, a knowledge gap exists in understanding how changing insolation impacts ice marginal and Southern Ocean conditions that directly influence ventilation of the global ocean. The researchers hypothesize that insolation-driven changes directly affected the production and export of AABW to the Southern Ocean from the Pliocene through the Pleistocene. For example, obliquity amplification during the warmer Pliocene may have led to enhanced production and export of dense waters from the shelf due to reduced AIS extent, which, in turn, led to greater AABW outflow. To determine the relationship of AABW production to orbital regime, they plan to reconstruct both from a single, continuous record from the levee of Hillary Canyon, a major conduit of AABW outflow, on the Ross Sea continental rise. To test their hypothesis, they will analyze sediment from IODP Site U1524 (recovered in 2018 during International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 374) and focus on three data sets. (1) They will use the occurrence, frequency, and character of mm-scale turbidite beds as a proxy of dense-shelf-water cascading outflow and AABW production. They will estimate the down-slope flux via numerical modeling of turbidity current properties using morphology, grain size, and bed thickness as input parameters. (2) They will use grain-size data, physical properties, XRF core scanning, CT imaging, and hyperspectral imaging to guide lithofacies analysis to infer processes occurring during glacial, deglacial, and interglacial periods. Statistical techniques and optimization methods will be applied to test for astronomical forcing of sedimentary packages in order to provide a cyclostratigraphic framework and interpret the orbital-forcing regime. (3) They will use bulk sedimentary carbon and nitrogen abundance and isotope data to determine how relative contributions of terrigenous and marine organic matter change in response to orbital forcing. All of these data will be integrated with sedimentological records to deconvolve organic matter production from its deposition or remobilization due to AABW outflow as a function of the oscillating extent of the AIS. These data sets will be integrated into a unified chronostratigraphy to determine the relationship between AABW outflow and orbital-forcing scenarios under the varying climate regimes of the Plio-Pleistocene. 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": -172.873074, "geometry": "POINT(-172.873074 -74.274008)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; LABORATORY; AMD; USA/NSF; SEDIMENTS; Amd/Us; Ross Sea", "locations": "Ross Sea", "north": -74.274008, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Patterson, Molly; Ash, Jeanine; Kulhanek, Denise; Ash, Jeannie", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -74.274008, "title": "COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Orbital-scale Variability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Formation of Bottom Water in the Ross Sea during the Pliocene-Pleistocene", "uid": "p0010227", "west": -172.873074}, {"awards": "2027615 Paden, John", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "2022 Antarctica Ground; 2023 Antarctica Ground", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200476", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "CReSIS OPR", "science_program": null, "title": "2022 Antarctica Ground", "url": "https://data.cresis.ku.edu/data/accum/2022_Antarctica_Ground/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200477", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "CReSIS OPR", "science_program": null, "title": "2023 Antarctica Ground", "url": "https://data.cresis.ku.edu/data/accum/2023_Antarctica_Ground/"}], "date_created": "Wed, 30 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project will develop a new ice-penetrating radar system that can simultaneously map glacier geometry and glacier flow along repeat profiles. Forecasting an ice-sheet\u2019s contribution to sea level requires an estimate for the initial ice-sheet geometry and the parameters that govern ice flow and slip across bedrock. Existing ice-sheet models cannot independently determine this information from conventional observations of ice-surface velocities and glacier geometry. This introduces substantial uncertainty into simulations of past and future ice-sheet behavior. Thus, this new radar capability is conceived to provide the needed data to support higher-fidelity simulations of past and future ice-sheet behavior and more accurate projections of future sea level. The new radar system will integrate two existing radars (the multi-channel coherent radio-echo depth sounder and the accumulation radar) developed by the Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, as well as adding new capabilities. An eight-element very high frequency (VHF; 140-215 MHz) array will have sufficient cross-track aperture to swath map internal layers and the ice-sheet base in three dimensions. A single ultra high frequency (UHF; 600-900 MHz) antenna will have the range and phase resolution to map internal layer displacement with 0.25-mm precision. The VHF array will create 3D mappings of layer geometry that enable measurements of vertical velocities by accounting for spatial offsets between repeat profiles and changing surface conditions. The vertical displacement measurement will then be made by determining the difference in radar phase response recorded by the UHF antenna for radar profiles collected at the same locations at different times. The UHF antenna will be dual-polarized and thus capable of isolating both components of complex internal reflections. This should enable inferences of ice crystal orientation fabric and widespread mapping of ice viscosity. Initial field testing of the radar will occur on the McMurdo Ice Shelf and then progress to Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica. The dual-band radar system technology and processing algorithms will be developed with versatile extensible hardware and user-friendly software so that this system will serve as a prototype for a future community radar system. 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": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e IMAGING RADARS \u003e IMAGING RADAR SYSTEMS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Amd/Us; USA/NSF; Airborne Radar; AMD; ICE SHEETS; Thwaites Glacier; USAP-DC; Eastwind Glacier", "locations": "Thwaites Glacier; Eastwind Glacier", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Instrumentation and Facilities", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Paden, John; Rodriguez-Morales, Fernando ; Christianson, Knut", "platforms": null, "repo": "CReSIS OPR", "repositories": "CReSIS OPR", "science_programs": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: EAGER: A Dual-Band Radar for Measuring Internal Ice Deformation: a Multipass Ice-Penetrating Radar Experiment on Thwaites Glacier and the McMurdo Ice Shelf", "uid": "p0010215", "west": null}, {"awards": "1937748 Sumner, Dawn", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(163.183333 -77.616667)", "dataset_titles": "Lake Fryxell 2022-2023 benthic microbial mat thickness and number of laminae", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601839", "doi": "10.15784/601839", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Dry Valleys; Lake Fryxell; Laminae; Microbial Mat; Thickness", "people": "Mackey, Tyler; Juarez Rivera, Marisol; Sumner, Dawn; Paul, Ann; Hawes, Ian", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Lake Fryxell 2022-2023 benthic microbial mat thickness and number of laminae", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601839"}], "date_created": "Wed, 30 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part I: Non-technical summary: This project focuses on understanding annual changes in microbial life that grows on the bottom of Lake Fryxell, Antarctica. Because of its polar latitude, photosynthesis can only occur during the summer months. During summer, photosynthetic bacteria supply communities with energy and oxygen. However, it is unknown how the microbes behave in the dark winter, when observations are not possible. This project will install environmental monitors and light-blocking shades over parts of these communities. The shades will extend winter conditions into the spring to allow researchers to characterize the winter behavior of the microbial communities. Researchers will measure changes in the water chemistry due to microbial activities when the shades are removed and the mats first receive light. Results are expected to provide insights into how organisms interact with and change their environments. The project includes training of graduate students and early career scientists in fieldwork, including scientific ice diving techniques. In addition, the members of the project team will develop a web-based \u201cGuide to Thrive\u201d, which will compile field tips ranging from basic gear use to advanced environmental protection techniques. This will be a valuable resource for group leaders ranging from undergraduate teaching assistants to Antarctic expedition leaders to lead well-planned and tailored field expeditions. Part II: Technical summary: The research team will measure seasonal metabolic and biogeochemical changes in benthic mats using differential gene expression and geochemical gradients. They will identify seasonal phenotypic differences in microbial communities and ecosystem effects induced by spring oxygen production. To do so, researchers will install environmental sensors and opaque shades over mats at three depths in the lake. The following spring, shaded and unshaded mats will be sampled. The shades will then be removed, and changes in pore water O2, H2S, pH, and redox will be measured using microelectrodes. Mats will also be sampled for transcriptomic gene expression analyses at intervals guided by geochemical changes. Pore water will be sampled for nutrient analyses. Field research will be supplemented with laboratory experiments to refine field techniques, gene expression data analysis, and integration of results into a seasonal model of productivity and nitrogen cycling in Lake Fryxell. Results will provide insights into several key priorities for NSF, including how biotic, abiotic and environmental components of the benthic mats interact to affect Antarctic lakes. 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": 163.183333, "geometry": "POINT(163.183333 -77.616667)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; Amd/Us; AMD; USA/NSF; FIELD SURVEYS; ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS; Lake Fryxell; USAP-DC; LAKE/POND", "locations": "Antarctica; Lake Fryxell", "north": -77.616667, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Sumner, Dawn; Mackey, Tyler", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.616667, "title": "Seasonal Primary Productivity and Nitrogen Cycling in Photosynthetic Mats, Lake Fryxell, McMurdo Dry Valleys", "uid": "p0010219", "west": 163.183333}, {"awards": "1744965 Diao, Minghui; 1744946 Gettelman, Andrew", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(166.7 -77.8)", "dataset_titles": "AWARE_Campaign_Data; Diao, M. (2020). VCSEL 1 Hz Water Vapor Data Version 1.0 for NSF SOCRATES Campaign; Diao, M. (2020). VCSEL 25 Hz Water Vapor Data Version 1.0 for NSF SOCRATES Campaign", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200225", "doi": "10.26023/V925-2H41-SD0F", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UCAR", "science_program": null, "title": "Diao, M. (2020). VCSEL 25 Hz Water Vapor Data Version 1.0 for NSF SOCRATES Campaign", "url": "https://data.eol.ucar.edu/dataset/290779"}, {"dataset_uid": "200224", "doi": "10.26023/KFSD-Y8DQ-YC0D", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UCAR", "science_program": null, "title": "Diao, M. (2020). VCSEL 1 Hz Water Vapor Data Version 1.0 for NSF SOCRATES Campaign", "url": "https://data.eol.ucar.edu/dataset/552.051"}, {"dataset_uid": "200223", "doi": "10.17632/x6n4r3yxb2.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": "AWARE_Campaign_Data", "url": "http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/x6n4r3yxb2.1"}], "date_created": "Mon, 28 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ice supersaturation plays a key role in cloud formation and evolution, and it determines the partitioning among ice, liquid and vapor phases. Over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, the transition between mixed-phase and ice clouds significantly impacts the radiative effects of clouds. Remote regions such as the Antarctica and Southern Ocean historically have been under-sampled by in-situ observations, especially by airborne observations. Even though more attention has been given to the cloud microphysical properties over these regions, the distribution and characteristics of ice supersaturation and its role in the current and future climate have not been fully investigated at the higher latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. One of the main objectives of this study is to analyze observations from three recent major field campaigns sponsored by NSF and DOE, which provide intensive in-situ, airborne measurements over the Southern Ocean and ground-based observations at McMurdo station in Antarctica. This project will analyze aircraft-based and ground-based observations over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, and compare the observations with the Community Earth System Model Version 2 (CESM2) simulations. The focus will be on the observations of ice supersaturation and the relative humidity distribution in mixed-phase and ice clouds, as well as their relationship with cloud micro- and macrophysical properties. Observations will be compared to CESM2 simulations to elucidate model biases. Surface radiation and the precipitation budget at the McMurdo station will be quantified and compared against the CESM2 simulations to improve the fidelity of the representation of Antarctic climate (and climate prediction over Antarctica). Results from our research will be released to the community for improving the understanding of cloud radiative effects and the mass transport of water in the high southern latitudes. Comparisons between the simulations and observations will provide valuable information for improving the next generation CESM model. Two education/outreach projects will be carried out by PI Diao at San Jose State University (SJSU), including a unique undergraduate student research project with hands-on laboratory work on an airborne instrument, and an outreach program that uses social media to broadcast news on polar research to the public. 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": 166.7, "geometry": "POINT(166.7 -77.8)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS; CLIMATE MODELS; USA/NSF; SNOW; Amd/Us; USAP-DC; Chile; ATMOSPHERIC WATER VAPOR; ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE; Antarctica; Southern Ocean; AMD", "locations": "Antarctica; Southern Ocean; Chile", "north": -77.8, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Diao, Minghui; Gettelman, Andrew", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e CLIMATE MODELS", "repo": "UCAR", "repositories": "Publication; UCAR", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.8, "title": "Collaborative Research: Ice Supersaturation over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, and its Role in Climate", "uid": "p0010209", "west": 166.7}, {"awards": "1644159 Jacobs, Stanley", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -72.5,-177 -72.5,-174 -72.5,-171 -72.5,-168 -72.5,-165 -72.5,-162 -72.5,-159 -72.5,-156 -72.5,-153 -72.5,-150 -72.5,-150 -73.15,-150 -73.8,-150 -74.45,-150 -75.1,-150 -75.75,-150 -76.4,-150 -77.05,-150 -77.7,-150 -78.35,-150 -79,-153 -79,-156 -79,-159 -79,-162 -79,-165 -79,-168 -79,-171 -79,-174 -79,-177 -79,180 -79,178.2 -79,176.4 -79,174.6 -79,172.8 -79,171 -79,169.2 -79,167.4 -79,165.6 -79,163.8 -79,162 -79,162 -78.35,162 -77.7,162 -77.05,162 -76.4,162 -75.75,162 -75.1,162 -74.45,162 -73.8,162 -73.15,162 -72.5,163.8 -72.5,165.6 -72.5,167.4 -72.5,169.2 -72.5,171 -72.5,172.8 -72.5,174.6 -72.5,176.4 -72.5,178.2 -72.5,-180 -72.5))", "dataset_titles": "Antarctic Seawater d18O isotope data from SE Amundsen Sea: 2000, 2007, 2009, 2019, 2020; Ross Island area salinity and temperature records 1956 to 2020", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601611", "doi": "10.15784/601611", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Chemistry:Water; CTD; D18O; NBP0001; NBP0702; NBP0901; NBP1901; NBP2002; Oceans; Oxygen Isotope; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Seawater Isotope; Southern Ocean", "people": "Hennig, Andrew", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Seawater d18O isotope data from SE Amundsen Sea: 2000, 2007, 2009, 2019, 2020", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601611"}, {"dataset_uid": "601458", "doi": "10.15784/601458", "keywords": "Antarctica; CTD; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Ross Island; Ross Sea; Salinity; Temperature", "people": "Giulivi, Claudia F.; Jacobs, Stanley", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ross Island area salinity and temperature records 1956 to 2020", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601458"}], "date_created": "Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Overview and Intellectual merit: This project extends and combines historical and recent ocean data sets to investigate ice-ocean-interactions along the Pacific continental margin of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The synthesis focuses on the strikingly different environments on and near the cold Ross Sea and warm Amundsen Sea continental shelves, where available measurements reach back to ~1958 and 1994, respectively. On the more extensively covered Ross Sea continental shelf, multiple reoccupations of ocean stations and transects are used to extend our knowledge of long-term ocean freshening and the mass balance of the world?s largest ice shelf. On the more rugged Amundsen Sea continental shelf, which contains the earth?s fastest melting ice shelves, continuing research on observed thermohaline variability also pursues connections between outer shelf shoals and vulnerable ice shelf grounding zones. This interdisciplinary work updates a prior study of ice shelf response to ocean thermal forcing, and uses chemical tracers to measure changes in shelf, deep and bottom water transformations and production rates. Broader Impacts : Recent and potential future rates of sea level rise are the primary broad-scale impacts of the ice and ocean changes revealed by observations in the study area. The overriding question is whether global and regional sea levels will accelerate gradually, allowing carbon usage reductions to head off the worst consequences, or so rapidly that they will contribute to major social and economic upheavals. Collaborations and data acquired by foreign vessels are also utilized to better understand the causes of rapid change in these shelf seas and ice shelves, along with associated wider implications. Data that are re-gridded, re-edited or newly collated will be archived, and results made available via presentations, publications, and press releases if warranted. This proposal does not require fieldwork in the Antarctic 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": -150.0, "geometry": "POINT(-174 -75.75)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Amd/Us; AMD; USA/NSF; COMPUTERS; Ross Sea; SHIPS; USAP-DC; SALINITY/DENSITY; OCEAN TEMPERATURE", "locations": "Ross Sea", "north": -72.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Jacobs, Stanley", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e COMPUTERS; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e SHIPS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -79.0, "title": "West Antarctic Ice Shelf- Ocean Interactions ", "uid": "p0010208", "west": 162.0}, {"awards": "1844793 Aksoy, Mustafa", "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": "Antarctic Firn Brightness Temperatures Measured by AMSR2 and SSMIS (Concordia, Vostok, and the Entire Ice Sheet)); In-Situ Density, Temperature, Grain Size, and Layer Thickness data for the Antarctic Ice Sheet", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601551", "doi": "10.15784/601551", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Kar, Rahul; Aksoy, Mustafa; Kaurejo, Dua", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "In-Situ Density, Temperature, Grain Size, and Layer Thickness data for the Antarctic Ice Sheet", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601551"}, {"dataset_uid": "601550", "doi": "10.15784/601550", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Satellite; Vostok", "people": "Aksoy, Mustafa; Kaurejo, Dua; Kar, Rahul", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Firn Brightness Temperatures Measured by AMSR2 and SSMIS (Concordia, Vostok, and the Entire Ice Sheet))", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601550"}], "date_created": "Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project will test the hypothesis that physical and thermal properties of Antarctic firn--partially compacted granular snow in an intermediate stage between snow and glacier ice--can be remotely measured from space. Although these properties, such as internal temperature, density, grain size, and layer thickness, are highly relevant to studies of Antarctic climate, ice-sheet dynamics, and mass balance, their measurement currently relies on sparse in-situ surveys under challenging weather conditions. Sensors on polar-orbiting satellites can observe the entire Antarctic every few days during their years-long lifetime. Consequently, the approaches developed in this study, when coupled with the advancing technologies of small and low-cost CubeSats, aim to contribute to Antarctic science and lead to cost-effective, convenient, and accurate long-term analyses of the Antarctic system while reducing the human footprint on the continent. Moreover, the project will be solely based on publicly-available datasets; thus, while contributing to interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate research and education at the grantee\u0027s institution, the project will also encourage engagement of citizen scientists through its website. The overarching goal of this project is to characterize Antarctic firn layers in terms of their thickness, physical temperature, density, and grain size through multi-frequency microwave radiometer measurements from space. Electromagnetic penetration depth changes with frequency in ice; thus, multi-frequency radiometers are able to profile firn layer properties versus depth. To achieve its objective, the project will utilize the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite constellation as a single multi-frequency microwave radiometer system with 11 frequency channels observing the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Archived in-situ measurements of Antarctic firn density, grain size, temperature, and layer thickness will be collected and separated into training and test datasets. Microwave emissions simulated using the training data will be compared to GPM constellation measurements to evaluate and improve state-of-the-art forward microwave emission models. Based on these models, the project will develop numerical retrieval algorithms for the thermal and physical properties of Antarctic firn. Results of retrievals will be validated using the test dataset, and uncertainty and error analyses will be conducted. Lastly, changes in the thermal and physical characteristics of Antarctic firn will be examined through long-term retrieval studies exploiting GPM constellation measurements. 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": "AMD; FIRN; Amd/Us; USA/NSF; ICE SHEETS; SNOW DENSITY; Multi-Frequency Passive Remote Sensing; University At Albany; USAP-DC; SNOW/ICE TEMPERATURE; SATELLITES; SNOW/ICE", "locations": "University At Albany", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Aksoy, Mustafa", "platforms": "SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e SATELLITES", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Characterization of Antarctic Firn by Multi-Frequency Passive Remote Sensing from Space", "uid": "p0010206", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1643877 Friedlaender, Ari", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-65 -63.5,-64.5 -63.5,-64 -63.5,-63.5 -63.5,-63 -63.5,-62.5 -63.5,-62 -63.5,-61.5 -63.5,-61 -63.5,-60.5 -63.5,-60 -63.5,-60 -63.73,-60 -63.96,-60 -64.19,-60 -64.42,-60 -64.65,-60 -64.88,-60 -65.11,-60 -65.34,-60 -65.57,-60 -65.8,-60.5 -65.8,-61 -65.8,-61.5 -65.8,-62 -65.8,-62.5 -65.8,-63 -65.8,-63.5 -65.8,-64 -65.8,-64.5 -65.8,-65 -65.8,-65 -65.57,-65 -65.34,-65 -65.11,-65 -64.88,-65 -64.65,-65 -64.42,-65 -64.19,-65 -63.96,-65 -63.73,-65 -63.5))", "dataset_titles": "Motion-sensing biologging data from Antarctic minke whales, West Antarctic Peninsula", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601542", "doi": "10.15784/601542", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biologging; Foraging; Ice; Minke Whales", "people": "Friedlaender, Ari", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Motion-sensing biologging data from Antarctic minke whales, West Antarctic Peninsula", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601542"}], "date_created": "Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Antarctic Peninsula is warming and one of the consequences is a decrease in sea ice cover. Antarctic minke whales are the largest ice-obligate krill predator in the region, yet- little is known about their foraging behavior and ecology. The goals of the project are to use a suite of new technological tools to measure the underwater behavior of the whales and better understand how they exploit the sea ice habitat. Using video-recording motion-sensing tags, the underwater movements of the whales can be reconstructed and it can be determine where and when they feed. UAS (unmanned aerial systems) will be used to generate real-time images of sea ice cover that will be linked with tag data to determine how much time whales spend in sea ice versus open water, and how the behavior of the whales changes between these two habitats. Lastly, scientific echosounders will be used to characterize the prey field that the whales are exploiting and differences in krill availability inside and out of the ice will be investigated. All of this information is critical to understand the ecological role of Antarctic minke whales so that better predictions can be made regarding impacts of climate change not only on these animals, but on the structure and function of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. The project will promote the progress of science by elucidating the ecological role of a poorly known Antarctic predator and using this information to better understand the impact of changes that are occurring in Polar Regions. The educational and outreach program will increase awareness and understanding of minke whales, Antarctic marine ecosystems, sea ice, and the dynamics of climate change through the use of film, social media, and curriculum development for formal STEM educators. To understand how changes in sea ice will manifest in the demography of predators that rely on sea ice habitat requires knowledge of their behavior and ecology. The largest ice-dependent krill predator and most abundant cetacean in the Southern Ocean is the Antarctic minke whale (AMW)- yet, virtually nothing is known of its foraging behavior or ecological role. Thus, the knowledge to understand how climate-driven changes will affect these animals and therefore the dynamics of the ecosystem as a whole is lacking. The project will use multi-sensor and video recording tags, fisheries acoustics, and unmanned aerial systems to study the foraging behavior and ecological role of minke whales in the waters of the Antarctic Peninsula. The following research questions will be posed: 1. What is the feeding performance of AMWs? 2. How important is sea ice to the foraging behavior of AMW? 3. How do AMWs feed directly under sea ice? Proven tagging and analytical approaches to characterize the underwater feeding behavior and kinematics of minke whales will be used. Combined with quantitative measurements of the prey field, the energetic costs of feeding will be measured and it will be determined how minke whales optimize energy gain. Using animal-borne video recording tags and UAS technology it will also be determined how much feeding occurs directly under sea ice and how this mode differs from open water feeding. This knowledge will: (1) significantly enhance knowledge of the least-studied Antarctic krill predator; and (2) be made directly available to international, long-term efforts to understand how climate-driven changes will affect the structure and function of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. The educational and outreach efforts aim to increase awareness and understanding of: (i) the ecological role of minke whales around the Antarctic Peninsula; (ii) the effects of environmental change on an abundant but largely unstudied marine predator; (iii) the advanced methods and technologies used by whale researchers to study these cryptic animals and their prey; and (iv) the variety of careers in the ocean sciences by sharing the experiences of scientists and students. These educational aims will be achieved by delivering continuous near-real-time delivery of project events and data to informal audiences through social media channels as well as curricula and professional development programs that will provide formal STEM educators with specific standards-compliant lesson plans.", "east": -60.0, "geometry": "POINT(-62.5 -64.65)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Andvord Bay; USAP-DC; MARINE ECOSYSTEMS; AMD; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Amd/Us; USA/NSF", "locations": "Andvord Bay", "north": -63.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Friedlaender, Ari", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -65.8, "title": "Foraging Behavior and Ecological Role of the Least Studied Antarctic Krill Predator, the Antarctic Minke Whale (Balaenoptera Bonaerensis)", "uid": "p0010207", "west": -65.0}, {"awards": "1640481 Rotella, Jay", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((162 -75,162.8 -75,163.6 -75,164.4 -75,165.2 -75,166 -75,166.8 -75,167.6 -75,168.4 -75,169.2 -75,170 -75,170 -75.38,170 -75.76,170 -76.14,170 -76.52,170 -76.9,170 -77.28,170 -77.66,170 -78.03999999999999,170 -78.42,170 -78.8,169.2 -78.8,168.4 -78.8,167.6 -78.8,166.8 -78.8,166 -78.8,165.2 -78.8,164.4 -78.8,163.6 -78.8,162.8 -78.8,162 -78.8,162 -78.42,162 -78.03999999999999,162 -77.66,162 -77.28,162 -76.9,162 -76.52,162 -76.14,162 -75.76,162 -75.38,162 -75))", "dataset_titles": "Demographic data for Weddell Seal colonies in Erebus Bay through the 2017 Antarctic field season; Demographic data for Weddell Seal colonies in Erebus Bay through the 2023 Antarctic field season", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601837", "doi": "10.15784/601837", "keywords": "AMD; Amd/Us; Antarctica; Cryosphere; McMurdo Sound; Population Dynamics; USA/NSF; USAP-DC; Weddell Seal", "people": "Rotella, Jay", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Demographic data for Weddell Seal colonies in Erebus Bay through the 2023 Antarctic field season", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601837"}, {"dataset_uid": "200300", "doi": " https://doi.org/10.15784/601125 ", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Demographic data for Weddell Seal colonies in Erebus Bay through the 2017 Antarctic field season", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601125"}], "date_created": "Thu, 24 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The consequences of variation in maternal effects on the ability of offspring to survive, reproduce, and contribute to future generations has rarely been evaluated in polar marine mammals. This is due to the challenges of having adequate data on the survival and reproductive outcomes for numerous offspring born in diverse environmental conditions to mothers with known and diverse sets of traits. This research project will evaluate the survival and reproductive consequences of early-life environmental conditions and variation in offspring traits that are related to maternal attributes (e.g. birth date, birth mass, weaning mass, and swimming behavior) in a population of individually marked Weddell seals in the Ross Sea. Results will allow an evaluation of the importance of different types of individuals to the Weddell Seal\u0027s population sustenance and better assessments of factors contributing to the population dynamics in the past and into the future. The project allows for documentation of specific individual seal\u0027s unique histories and provisioning of such information to the broader science community that seeks to study these seals, educating graduate and undergraduate ecology students, producing science-outreach videos, and developing a multi-media iBook regarding the project\u0027s science activities, goals and outcomes. The research has the broad objective of evaluating the importance of diverse sources of variation in pup characteristics to survival and reproduction. The study will (1) record birth dates, body mass metrics, and time spent in the water for multiple cohorts of pups (born to known-age mothers) in years with different environmental conditions; (2) mark all pups born in the greater Erebus Bay study area and conduct repeated surveys to monitor fates of these pups through the age of first reproduction; and (3) use analyses specifically designed for data on animals that are individually marked and resighted each year to evaluate hypotheses about how variation in birth dates, pup mass, time spent in the water by pups, and environmental conditions relate to variation in early-life survival and recruitment for those pups. The research will also allow the documentation of the population status that will contribute to the unique long-term database for the local population that dates back to 1978.", "east": 170.0, "geometry": "POINT(166 -76.9)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AMD; ANIMAL ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR; Amd/Us; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Ross Sea; USA/NSF; USAP-DC", "locations": "Ross Sea", "north": -75.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Rotella, Jay; Garrott, Robert", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.8, "title": "The consequences of maternal effects and environmental conditions on offspring success in an Antarctic predator", "uid": "p0010198", "west": 162.0}, {"awards": "1848887 McClintock, James", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-64.0527 -64.77423)", "dataset_titles": "2020 and 2023 Underwater video transect community analysis data; 2020 daily seawater carbonate chemistry; 2023 daily seawater carbonate chemistry; Amphipod counts from 2020 ocean acidification experiment; Feeding of Gondogeneia antarctica maintained under ambient and low pH treatments; Palatability of Desmarestia menziesii extracts from ambient and low pH treatments; Palatability of Palmaria decipiens thallus from ambient and low pH treatments; Underwater transect videos used for 2020 and 2023 community analyses", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601792", "doi": "10.15784/601792", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Palmer Station", "people": "Amsler, Charles", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Palatability of Palmaria decipiens thallus from ambient and low pH treatments", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601792"}, {"dataset_uid": "601787", "doi": "10.15784/601787", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Cryosphere; Species Abundance; Video Transects", "people": "Amsler, Charles", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "2020 and 2023 Underwater video transect community analysis data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601787"}, {"dataset_uid": "601702", "doi": "10.15784/601702", "keywords": "Antarctica; Palmer Station", "people": "Amsler, Charles", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Amphipod counts from 2020 ocean acidification experiment", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601702"}, {"dataset_uid": "601791", "doi": "10.15784/601791", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Palmer Station", "people": "Amsler, Charles", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Palatability of Desmarestia menziesii extracts from ambient and low pH treatments", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601791"}, {"dataset_uid": "601701", "doi": "10.15784/601701", "keywords": "Antarctica; Palmer Station", "people": "Amsler, Charles", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "2023 daily seawater carbonate chemistry", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601701"}, {"dataset_uid": "601700", "doi": "10.15784/601700", "keywords": "Antarctica; Palmer Station", "people": "Amsler, Charles", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "2020 daily seawater carbonate chemistry", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601700"}, {"dataset_uid": "601796", "doi": "10.15784/601796", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Cryosphere; Oceans; Southern Ocean; Video Transects", "people": "Amsler, Charles", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Underwater transect videos used for 2020 and 2023 community analyses", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601796"}, {"dataset_uid": "601793", "doi": "10.15784/601793", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Palmer Station", "people": "Amsler, Charles", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Feeding of Gondogeneia antarctica maintained under ambient and low pH treatments", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601793"}], "date_created": "Mon, 21 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Undersea forests of seaweeds dominate the shallow waters of the central and northern coast of the western Antarctic Peninsula and provide critical structural habitat and carbon resources (food) for a host of marine organisms. Most of the seaweeds are chemically defended against herbivores yet support very high densities of herbivorous shrimp-like grazers (crustaceans, primarily amphipods) which greatly benefit their hosts by consuming filamentous and microscopic algae that otherwise overgrow the seaweeds. The amphipods benefit from the association with the chemically defended seaweeds by gaining an associational refuge from fish predation. The project builds on recent work that has demonstrated that several species of amphipods that are key members of crustacean assemblages associated with the seaweeds suffer significant mortality when chronically exposed to increased seawater acidity (reduced pH) and elevated temperatures representative of near-future oceans. By simulating these environmental conditions in the laboratory at Palmer Station, Antarctica, the investigators will test the overall hypothesis that ocean acidification and ocean warming will play a significant role in structuring crustacean assemblages associated with seaweeds. Broader impacts include expanding fundamental knowledge of the impacts of global climate change by focusing on a geographic region of the earth uniquely susceptible to climate change. This project will also further the NSF goals of training new generations of scientists and of making scientific discoveries available to the general public. This includes training graduate students and early career scientists with an emphasis on diversity, presentations to K-12 groups and the general public, and a variety of social media-based outreach programs. The project will compare population and assemblage-wide impacts of natural (ambient), carbon dioxide enriched, and elevated temperature seawater on assemblages of seaweed-associated crustacean grazers. Based on prior results, it is likely that some species will be relative \"winners\" and some will be relative \"losers\" under the changed conditions. The project will then aim to carry out measurements of growth, calcification, mineralogy, the incidence of molts, and biochemical and energetic body composition for two key amphipod \"winners\" and two key amphipod \"losers\". These measurements will allow an assessment of what factors drive species-specific enhanced or diminished performance under conditions of ocean acidification and sea surface warming. The project will expand on what little is known about prospective impacts of changing conditions on benthic marine Crustacea, in Antarctica, a taxonomic group that faces the additional physiological stressor of molting. The project is likely to provide additional insight on the indirect regulation of the seaweeds that comprise Antarctic undersea forests that provide key architectural components of the coastal marine ecosystem. 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": -64.0527, "geometry": "POINT(-64.0527 -64.77423)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USA/NSF; Amd/Us; AMD; COASTAL; BENTHIC; USAP-DC; Palmer Station; ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES; FIELD INVESTIGATION; MACROALGAE (SEAWEEDS)", "locations": "Palmer Station", "north": -64.77423, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Amsler, Charles; McClintock, James", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.77423, "title": "Assemblage-wide effects of ocean acidification and ocean warming on ecologically important macroalgal-associated crustaceans in Antarctica", "uid": "p0010193", "west": -64.0527}, {"awards": "2045611 Rasbury, Emma; 2042495 Blackburn, Terrence", "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": " Subglacial Precipitates Record Antarctic Ice Sheet Response to Pleistocene Millennial Climate Cycles; Subglacial precipitates record Antarctic ice sheet response to Southern Ocean warming ; Thermogenic Methane Production in Antarctic Subglacial Hydrocarbon Seeps; U-Th isotopes and major elements in sediments from Taylor Valley, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601806", "doi": "10.15784/601806", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Erosion; Isotope Data; Major Elements; Soil; Taylor Glacier; Taylor Valley", "people": "Tulaczyk, Slawek; Edwards, Graham; Piccione, Gavin; Blackburn, Terrence", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "U-Th isotopes and major elements in sediments from Taylor Valley, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601806"}, {"dataset_uid": "601594", "doi": "10.15784/601594", "keywords": "Antarctica; East Antarctica", "people": "Blackburn, Terrence; Piccione, Gavin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": " Subglacial Precipitates Record Antarctic Ice Sheet Response to Pleistocene Millennial Climate Cycles", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601594"}, {"dataset_uid": "601918", "doi": "10.15784/601918", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon Isotopes; Cryosphere; East Antarctica; Elephant Moraine; Geochronology; Isotope Data; Subglacial", "people": "Piccione, Gavin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Thermogenic Methane Production in Antarctic Subglacial Hydrocarbon Seeps", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601918"}, {"dataset_uid": "601911", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere", "people": "Gagliardi, Jessica", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Subglacial precipitates record Antarctic ice sheet response to Southern Ocean warming ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601911"}], "date_created": "Fri, 18 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Over the past century, climate science has constructed an extensive record of Earth\u2019s ice age cycles through the chemical and isotopic characterization of various geologic archives such as polar ice cores, deep-ocean sediments, and cave speleothems. These climatic archives provide an insightful picture of ice age cycles and of the related large global sea level fluctuations triggered by these significant climate rhythms. However, such records still provide limited insight as to how or which of Earth\u2019s ice sheets contributed to higher sea levels during past warm climate periods. This is of particular importance for our modern world: the Antarctic ice sheet is currently the world\u2019s largest freshwater reservoir, which, if completely melted, would raise the global sea level by over 60 meters (200 feet). Yet, geologic records of Antarctic ice sheet sensitivity to warm climates are particularly limited and difficult to obtain, because the direct records of ice sheet geometry smaller than the modern one are still buried beneath the mile-thick ice covering the continent. Therefore, it remains unclear how much this ice sheet contributed to past sea level rise during warm climate periods or how it will respond to the anticipated near-future climate warming. In the proposed research we seek to develop sub-ice chemical precipitates\u2014minerals that form in lakes found beneath the ice sheet\u2014as a climatic archive, one that records how the Antarctic ice sheet responded to past climatic change. These sub-ice mineral formations accumulated beneath the ice for over a hundred thousand years, recording the changes in chemical and isotopic subglacial properties that occur in response to climate change. Eventually these samples were eroded by the ice sheet and moved to the Antarctic ice margin where they were collected and made available to study. This research will utilize advanced geochemical, isotopic and geochronologic techniques to develop record of the Antarctica ice sheet\u2019s past response to warm climate periods, directly informing efforts to understand how Antarctica will response to future warming. Efforts to improve sea level forecasting on a warming planet have focused on determining the temperature, sea level and extent of polar ice sheets during Earth\u2019s past warm periods. Large uncertainties, however, in reconstructions of past and future sea levels, result from the poorly constrained climate sensitivity of the Antarctic Ice sheet (AIS). This research project aims to develop the use of subglacial precipitates as an archive the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) past response to climate change. The subglacial precipitates from East Antarctica form in water bodies beneath Antarctic ice and in doing so provide an entirely new and unique measure of how the AIS responds to climate change. In preliminary examination of these precipitates, we identified multiple samples consisting of cyclic opal and calcite that spans hundreds of thousands of years in duration. Our preliminary geochemical characterization of these samples indicates that the observed mineralogic changes result from a cyclic change in subglacial water compositions between isotopically and chemically distinct waters. Opal-forming waters are reduced (Ce* \u003c1 and high Fe/Mn) and exhibit elevated 234U/238U compositions similar to the saline groundwater brines found at the periphery of the AIS. Calcite-forming waters, are rather, oxidized and exhibit \u03b418O compositions consistent with derivation from the depleted polar plateau (\u003c -50 \u2030). 234U-230Th dates permit construction of a robust timeseries describing these mineralogic and compositional changes through time. Comparisons of these time series with other Antarctic climate records (e.g., ice core records) reveal that calcite forming events align with millennial scale changes in local temperature or \u201cAntarctic isotopic maximums\u201d, which represent Southern Hemisphere warm periods resulting in increased Atlantic Meridional overturing circulation. Ultimately, this project seeks to develop a comprehensive model as to how changes in the thermohaline cycle induce a glaciologic response which in turn induces a change in the composition of subglacial waters and the mineralogic phase recorded within the precipitate archive. 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": "GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; FIELD INVESTIGATION; AMD; USA/NSF; Amd/Us; USAP-DC; East Antarctica", "locations": "East Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Blackburn, Terrence; Tulaczyk, Slawek; Hain, Mathis; Rasbury, Troy", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Reconstructing East Antarctica\u2019s Past Response to Climate using Subglacial Precipitates", "uid": "p0010192", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2048840 Chambers, Don", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((13.3 -37.9,22.160000000000004 -37.9,31.020000000000003 -37.9,39.88000000000001 -37.9,48.74000000000001 -37.9,57.60000000000001 -37.9,66.46000000000001 -37.9,75.32000000000001 -37.9,84.18 -37.9,93.04 -37.9,101.9 -37.9,101.9 -39.56,101.9 -41.22,101.9 -42.879999999999995,101.9 -44.54,101.9 -46.2,101.9 -47.86,101.9 -49.519999999999996,101.9 -51.18,101.9 -52.84,101.9 -54.5,93.04 -54.5,84.18 -54.5,75.32 -54.5,66.46000000000001 -54.5,57.6 -54.5,48.739999999999995 -54.5,39.879999999999995 -54.5,31.019999999999996 -54.5,22.159999999999997 -54.5,13.3 -54.5,13.3 -52.84,13.3 -51.18,13.3 -49.519999999999996,13.3 -47.86,13.3 -46.2,13.3 -44.54,13.3 -42.879999999999995,13.3 -41.22,13.3 -39.56,13.3 -37.9))", "dataset_titles": "Physical and chemical surface observations in the South Indian Ocean from two uncrewed sailing vehicles.; Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1038 (EXPOCODE 316420220616) in the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean from 2022-06-16 to 2022-07-26; Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1039 (EXPOCODE 316420220901) in the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean from 2022-09-01 to 2023-04-27 (NCEI Accession 0300658)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200475", "doi": "10.17632/9ymsjsyhhp.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "University of South Florida (via DigitalCommons)", "science_program": null, "title": "Physical and chemical surface observations in the South Indian Ocean from two uncrewed sailing vehicles.", "url": "https://digitalcommonsdata.usf.edu/preview/9ymsjsyhhp?a=1482edaf-e430-4f65-9b94-f615defb6ed6"}, {"dataset_uid": "200439", "doi": "10.25921/6b0k-r665", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1039 (EXPOCODE 316420220901) in the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean from 2022-09-01 to 2023-04-27 (NCEI Accession 0300658)", "url": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0300658"}, {"dataset_uid": "200474", "doi": "10.25921/r2mt-t398", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1038 (EXPOCODE 316420220616) in the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean from 2022-06-16 to 2022-07-26", "url": "https://data.noaa.gov/onestop/collections/details/b785fea0-e9db-49c0-b0bf-18ac90a452bc"}], "date_created": "Wed, 16 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Between Sept. 1, 2022 and April 27, 2023, a Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone collected underway chemical, meteorological and physical data in the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean. Measurements were made at high spatial and temporal resolution ( ~ 5-km and 1 hour) and include observations of ocean and atmosphere pCO2, air temperature and humidity, wind, ocean skin temperature, SST, salinity, ocean color (Chlorophyll \u03b1, CDOM), dissolved oxygen, and ocean current velocity between roughly 13.5\u00b0E and 82\u00b0E and between the Sub Tropical Front (STF) and the Subantarctic Front (SAF). The mission track spanned from the Agulhas Return Current south of South Africa to the northern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current downstream of the Kerguelen Plateau. The primary goal of the mission was to collect data within cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies to quantify CO2 fluxes to better understand physical processes (upwelling and downwelling) that that can contribute to carbon cycling in addition to the biological pump.", "east": 101.9, "geometry": "POINT(57.60000000000001 -46.2)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USA/NSF; OCEAN MIXED LAYER; Southern Ocean; SHIPS; PH; OCEAN CHEMISTRY; CO2; Argo Float; DISSOLVED GASES; USAP-DC; Saildrone; AMD; Amd/Us", "locations": "Southern Ocean", "north": -37.9, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Williams, Nancy; Lindstrom, Eric; Carter, Brendan; Chambers, Don", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e SHIPS", "repo": "University of South Florida (via DigitalCommons)", "repositories": "NCEI; University of South Florida (via DigitalCommons)", "science_programs": null, "south": -54.5, "title": "The Role of Cyclonic Upwelling Eddies in Southern Ocean CO2 Flux", "uid": "p0010191", "west": 13.3}, {"awards": "1745130 Moran, Amy", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((163 -76,163.3 -76,163.6 -76,163.9 -76,164.2 -76,164.5 -76,164.8 -76,165.1 -76,165.4 -76,165.7 -76,166 -76,166 -76.2,166 -76.4,166 -76.6,166 -76.8,166 -77,166 -77.2,166 -77.4,166 -77.6,166 -77.8,166 -78,165.7 -78,165.4 -78,165.1 -78,164.8 -78,164.5 -78,164.2 -78,163.9 -78,163.6 -78,163.3 -78,163 -78,163 -77.8,163 -77.6,163 -77.4,163 -77.2,163 -77,163 -76.8,163 -76.6,163 -76.4,163 -76.2,163 -76))", "dataset_titles": "Benthic seawater temperature and conductivity measurements at six sites in McMurdo Sound; Effect of temperature on cleavage rate of Antarctic invertebrates; Effect of temperature on oxygen consumption rates of larvae of four Antarctic marine invertebrates; Egg diameters of Colossendeis megalonyx; Survey Metadata. All counts of Odontaster validus from SSWS surveys at the McMurdo Intake Jetty and Cinder Cones.; Temperature acclimation and acclimatization of sea spider larvae; Temperature effects on proximal composition and development rate of embryos and larvae of four Antarctic invertebrates; Video of Colossendeis megalonyx behavior around egg mass", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601869", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; McMurdo; McMurdo Sound", "people": "Thurber, Andrew; Moran, Amy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Survey Metadata. All counts of Odontaster validus from SSWS surveys at the McMurdo Intake Jetty and Cinder Cones.", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601869"}, {"dataset_uid": "601887", "doi": "10.15784/601887", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; McMurdo; Temperature", "people": "Moran, Amy; Toh, Ming Wei Aaron; Lobert, Graham", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Effect of temperature on cleavage rate of Antarctic invertebrates", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601887"}, {"dataset_uid": "601886", "doi": "10.15784/601886", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; McMurdo; Temperature", "people": "Toh, Ming Wei Aaron; Moran, Amy; Lobert, Graham", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Temperature effects on proximal composition and development rate of embryos and larvae of four Antarctic invertebrates", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601886"}, {"dataset_uid": "601870", "doi": "10.15784/601870", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; McMurdo Sound; Salinity; Temperature", "people": "Moran, Amy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Benthic seawater temperature and conductivity measurements at six sites in McMurdo Sound", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601870"}, {"dataset_uid": "601717", "doi": "10.15784/601717", "keywords": "Antarctica; McMurdo", "people": "Moran, Amy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Egg diameters of Colossendeis megalonyx", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601717"}, {"dataset_uid": "601888", "doi": "10.15784/601888", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; McMurdo; Temperature", "people": "Moran, Amy; Toh, MIng Wei Aaron; Lobert, Graham", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Effect of temperature on oxygen consumption rates of larvae of four Antarctic marine invertebrates", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601888"}, {"dataset_uid": "601889", "doi": "10.15784/601889", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; McMurdo; Temperature", "people": "Moran, Amy; Toh, MIng Wei Aaron; Lobert, Graham", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Temperature acclimation and acclimatization of sea spider larvae", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601889"}, {"dataset_uid": "601716", "doi": "10.15784/601716", "keywords": "Antarctica; McMurdo; Pycnogonida; Sea Spider", "people": "Lobert, Graham; Moran, Amy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Video of Colossendeis megalonyx behavior around egg mass", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601716"}], "date_created": "Wed, 09 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Cold-blooded animals in the Antarctic ocean have survived in near-constant, extreme cold conditions for millions of years and are very sensitive to even small changes in water temperature. However, the consequences of this extreme thermal sensitivity for the energetics, development, and survival of developing embryos is not well understood. This award will investigate the effect of temperature on the metabolism, growth rate, developmental rate, and developmental energetics of embryos and larvae of Antarctic marine ectotherms. The project will also measure annual variation in temperature and oxygen at different sites in McMurdo Sound, and compare embryonic and larval metabolism in winter and summer to determine the extent to which these life stages can acclimate to seasonal shifts. This research will provide insight into the ability of polar marine animals and ecosystems to withstand warming polar ocean conditions. Antarctic marine ectotherms exhibit universally slow growth, low metabolic rates, and extended development, yet many of their rate processes related to physiology and metabolism are highly thermally sensitive. This suggests that small changes in temperature may result in dramatic changes to energy metabolism, growth, and the rate and duration of development. This project will measure the effects of temperature on metabolism, developmental rate, and the energetic cost of development of four common and ecologically important species of benthic Antarctic marine invertebrates. These effects will be measured over the functional ranges of the organisms and in the context of environmentally relevant seasonal shifts in temperature around McMurdo Sound. Recent data show that seasonal warming of ~1 deg C near McMurdo Station is accompanied by long-lasting hyperoxic events that impact the benthos in the nearshore boundary layer. This research will provide a more comprehensive understanding of both annual variation in environmental oxygen and temperature across the Sound, and whether this variation drives changes in developmental rate and energetics that are consistent with physiological acclimatization. These data will provide key information about potential impacts of warming Antarctic ectotherms. In addition, this project will support undergraduate and graduate research and partner with large-enrollment undergraduate courses and REU programs at an ANNH and AANAPISI Title III minority-serving institution. 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": 166.0, "geometry": "POINT(164.5 -77)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; Amd/Us; McMurdo Sound; AMD; BENTHIC; USA/NSF; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": "McMurdo Sound", "north": -76.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Moran, Amy", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Thermal Sensitivity of Antarctic Embryos and Larvae: Effects of Temperature on Metabolism, Developmental Rate, and the Metabolic Cost of Development ", "uid": "p0010187", "west": 163.0}, {"awards": "1935438 McCarthy, Christine", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Thu, 03 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland are losing mass and contributing to accelerating global sea-level rise. Satellite altimetry provides precise measurement of ice-sheet volume change, but computing ice-sheet mass change\u2014the quantity relevant for estimating the ice sheet\u2019s sea-level contribution\u2014requires knowing the density of the ice sheet. The density near the ice-sheet surface also affects age estimates of air bubbles recovered in ice cores, which are a key source of information on past climate changes. Ice-sheet density is primarily controlled by the rate at which firn (snow that has persisted for a year or more on ice sheets) compacts into ice, but there is currently no widely accepted theory of how this compaction occurs. The goal of this project is thus to advance understanding of how firn densifies. The team will conduct laboratory experiments and analyze ice-penetrating radar and ice-core data from Antarctica. A key desired outcome of the project is a new model of firn densification that can be used to improve satellite-based altimetry measurements of present-day ice-sheet change and reconstructions of past climate changes from ice cores. This project will combine laboratory experiments, numerical modeling, and geophysical techniques to determine the rheology of firn as it compacts to form ice. The team will use two methods to measure firn compaction: (1) lab-based experiments and (2) analysis of ice-core and radar data. For the lab-based work, the team will conduct a suite of compaction experiments on synthetic firn samples under uni-axial strain and constant temperature and axial stress. They will also measure the grain-size evolution. By running a large number of experiments (\u003e 25), the team will constrain key parameters that determine how firn compaction rate depends on density, temperature, grain size, and axial stress. The experiments will be conducted in a table-top apparatus at temperatures as low as -40 degrees C and axial stresses up to 4 MPa. For the field-data-based component, the team will analyze ice-core and ice-penetrating radar data to produce the first coincident set of radar-derived firn compaction rates, borehole temperatures, firn densities, and firn grain sizes. Results from lab and field data will be tied together using a numerical firn compaction model. This model is formulated using conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, along with an explicit description of firn rheology and grain-size evolution. Constraints on firn rheology will be incorporated into this model and the team will use it to examine fundamental questions about how changes in the climate affect firn density. This is a crucial unknown that contributes significant measurement uncertainty in estimates of past and present climate change. 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": "AMD; LABORATORY; USA/NSF; COMPUTERS; USAP-DC; FIRN; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Amd/Us", "locations": "Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Arctic Natural Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "McCarthy, Christine M.; Kingslake, Jonathan", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e COMPUTERS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Understanding Firn Rheology Through Laboratory Compaction Experiments and Radar Data", "uid": "p0010185", "west": null}, {"awards": "1543286 Walter, Jacob; 1543399 Peng, Zhigang; 1745135 Walter, Jacob", "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": "1543344 Soreghan, Gerilyn", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Data and metadata for \"Quantifying surface area in muds from the Antarctic Dry Valleys: Implications for weathering in glacial systems\"", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601599", "doi": "10.15784/601599", "keywords": "Antarctica; Anza Borrego; Iceland; McMurdo Dry Valleys; Norway; Peru; Puerto Rico; Taylor Valley; Washington; Wright Valley", "people": "Demirel-Floyd, Cansu", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Data and metadata for \"Quantifying surface area in muds from the Antarctic Dry Valleys: Implications for weathering in glacial systems\"", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601599"}], "date_created": "Tue, 18 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "As glaciers creep across the landscape, they can act as earthmovers, plucking up rocks and grinding them into fine sediments. Glaciers have moved across the Antarctic landscape over thousands to millions of years, leaving these ground-up sediments in their wake. This study builds on pilot discoveries by the investigators that revealed remarkably large and variable measurements of surface area in glacially-derived fine-grained sediments found in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), one of the few landscapes on the Antarctic continent not currently covered by ice. Surface area is key to chemical weathering, the process by which rock is converted to soils as ions are carried away in streams and groundwater. These chemical weathering processes are also one of the primary means by which the Earth system naturally removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Hence, high surface areas observed in sediments implies high \"weatherability\" which in turn translates to more potential carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere. Therefore, chemical weathering in high surface area glacial sediments may have significant impacts on Earth\u0027s carbon cycle. The researchers will measure the chemical and physical properties of sediments previously collected from the Dry Valleys to understand what factors lead to production of sediment with high-surface area and potential \"weather ability\" and investigate how sediment produced in these glacial systems could ultimately impact Earth\u0027s carbon budget. Results from this research will help scientists (including modelers) refine predictions of the effects of melting glaciers- and attendant exposure of glacial sediment? on atmospheric carbon levels. These results may also contribute to applied research efforts on development of carbon-dioxide removal technologies utilizing principles of rock weathering. In addition to the scientific benefits, this research will involve several students at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels, including science education undergraduates, thus contributing to training of the next-generation STEM workforce. Physical weathering produces fresh surfaces, greatly enhancing specific surface area (SSA) and reactive surface area (RSA) of primary minerals. Quantifying SSA and RSA of sediments is key to determining dissolution and leaching rates during natural weathering, but few data exist on distribution of sediment SA, particularly in glacial and fluvial systems. Pilot data from glacial stream systems in Taylor Valley and Wright Valley (located in the MDV) exhibit remarkably high and variable values in both SSA and RSA, values that in some cases greatly exceed values from muds in temperate glacial systems. This discovery motivates the current research, which aims to investigate the hypothesis that high and variable SAs of muds within Wright and Taylor Valleys reflect textural and/or compositional inheritance from the differing depositional settings within the MDV, biologic controls, dust additions, and/or pedogenic processes. These hypotheses will be tested by sedimentologically, mineralogically, and geochemically characterizing muds from glacially derived sediment deposited in various environments (cold vs. wet based glaciation; fluvial, lacustrine, dust, and drift deposits) and of varying age (Miocene to Modern) from the MDV and quantifying variation of SA and reactivity. Comparisons with analyzed muds from temperate glacial systems will enable polar-temperate comparisons. Analyses will focus on muds of previously collected sediment from the MDVs. Grain size and SSA will be measured by Laser Analysis and N2 adsorption BET, respectively. After carbonate removal, samples will be re-analyzed for SSA, and muds characterized geochemically. Mineralogy and bulk chemistry will also be assessed on co-occurring sand fractions, and textural attributes documented. SSA-normalized dissolution experiments will be used to compare solutes released from sediments to determine RSAs. Results will be integrated with the various sedimentologic and geochemical analyses to test the posed hypotheses. Ultimately, this research should shed light on how weathering in Antarctic systems contributes to global carbon cycling.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; AMD; FIELD INVESTIGATION; USA/NSF; Dry Valleys; SEDIMENT CHEMISTRY; Amd/Us; Antarctica; Weathering", "locations": "Antarctica; Dry Valleys", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Soreghan, Gerilyn; Elwood Madden, Megan", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Quantifying surface area in muds from the Antarctic Dry Valleys: Implications for weathering in glacial systems", "uid": "p0010181", "west": null}, {"awards": "1852617 Carlstrom, John", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 11 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is to support measurements of the 14-billion-year cosmic microwave background (CMB) light with the South Pole Telescope (SPT) to address some of the most basic and compelling questions in cosmology: What is the origin of the Universe? What is the Universe made of? What is the mass scale of the neutrinos? When did the first stars and galaxies form and how was the Universe reionized? What is the Dark Energy that is accelerating the expansion of the Universe? The SPT plays a unique role in the pursuit of these questions. Its siting is ideal for ultra-low-noise imaging surveys of the sky at the millimeter and sub-millimeter radio wavelengths. The SPT is supported by the NSF\u0027s Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, which is the best operational site on Earth for mm-wave sky surveys. This unique geographical location allows SPT to obtain extremely sensitive 24/7 observations of targeted low Galactic foreground regions of the sky. The telescope\u0027s third-generation, SPT-3G receiver has 16,000 detectors configured for polarization-sensitive observations in three millimeter-wave bands. The proposed operation includes five years of sky surveys to obtain ultra-deep measurements of a 1500 square degree field and to produce and publicly archive essential data products from the survey. The telescope\u0027s CMB temperatures and polarization power spectrum will play a central role in probing the nature of current tensions among cosmological parameter estimations from different data sets and determining if their explanation requires physics beyond the current LCDM model. The data will help constraining the Dark Energy properties that affect the growth of large structures through both the CMB lensing and abundance of galaxy clusters. The proposed operations also support SPT\u0027s critical role in the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a global array of telescopes to image the event horizon around the black hole at the center of Milky Way Galaxy. This award addresses and advances the science objectives and goals of the NSF\u0027s \"Windows on the Universe: The Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics\" program. The proposed research activity will also contribute to the training of the next generation of scientists by integrating graduate and undergraduate education with the technology development, astronomical observations, and scientific analyses of SPT data. Research and education are integrated by bringing research activities into the undergraduate classroom and sharing of forefront research with non-scientists extending it beyond the university through a well-established educational network that reaches a wide audience at all levels of the educational continuum. Through museum partnerships and new media, the SPT outreach and educational efforts reach large numbers of individuals while personalizing the experience. 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": 0.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "instruments": "SOLAR/SPACE OBSERVING INSTRUMENTS \u003e RADIO WAVE DETECTORS \u003e RADIO TELESCOPES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; AMD; Adelie Penguin; THERMAL INFRARED; South Pole Station; Amd/Us; OBSERVATORIES", "locations": "South Pole Station", "north": -90.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Polar Special Initiatives; Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences; Antarctic Science and Technology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Carlstrom, John; Holzapfel, William; Benson, Bradford", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e OBSERVATORIES", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "South Pole Telescope Operations and Data Products", "uid": "p0010176", "west": 0.0}, {"awards": "1543325 Landolt, Scott; 1543377 Seefeldt, Mark", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((166.918 -77.8675,167.2997 -77.8675,167.6814 -77.8675,168.0631 -77.8675,168.4448 -77.8675,168.8265 -77.8675,169.2082 -77.8675,169.5899 -77.8675,169.9716 -77.8675,170.3533 -77.8675,170.735 -77.8675,170.735 -77.98145,170.735 -78.0954,170.735 -78.20935,170.735 -78.3233,170.735 -78.43725,170.735 -78.5512,170.735 -78.66515,170.735 -78.7791,170.735 -78.89305,170.735 -79.007,170.3533 -79.007,169.9716 -79.007,169.5899 -79.007,169.2082 -79.007,168.8265 -79.007,168.4448 -79.007,168.0631 -79.007,167.6814 -79.007,167.2997 -79.007,166.918 -79.007,166.918 -78.89305,166.918 -78.7791,166.918 -78.66515,166.918 -78.5512,166.918 -78.43725,166.918 -78.3233,166.918 -78.20935,166.918 -78.0954,166.918 -77.98145,166.918 -77.8675))", "dataset_titles": "Precipitation Observations for the Northwest Ross Ice Shelf - 2017-12 to 2019-11", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601441", "doi": "10.15784/601441", "keywords": "Accumulation; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Meteorology; Precipitation; Ross Ice Shelf; Snow; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Weatherstation; Weather Station Data", "people": "Seefeldt, Mark", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Precipitation Observations for the Northwest Ross Ice Shelf - 2017-12 to 2019-11", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601441"}], "date_created": "Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Accurately measuring precipitation in Antarctica is important for purposes such as calculating Antarctica?s mass balance and contribution to global sea level rise, interpreting ice core records, and validating model- and satellite-based precipitation estimates. There is a critical need for reliable, autonomous, long-term measurements of Antarctic precipitation in order to better understand its variability in space in time. Such records over time are essentially absent from the continent, despite their importance. This project will deploy and test instrumentation to measure and record rates of snowfall and blowing snow in Antarctica. Project goals are based on installation of four low-power, autonomous Antarctic precipitation systems (APS) co-located at automatic weather station (AWS) sites in the Ross Island region of Antarctica. The APSs are designed with an integrated sensor approach to provide multiple types of observations of snow accumulation types at the test sites. The APSs are designed to construct an accurate timeline of snow accumulation, and to distinguish the water equivalent of fallen precipitation from surface blowing (lofted) snow, a prime confounding factor. The standard suite of instruments to be deployed includes: precipitation gauge with double Alter windshield, laser disdrometer, laser snow height sensor, optical precipitation detector, anemometer at gauge height, and a visible /infrared webcam. These instruments have previously been shown to work well in cold regions applications.", "east": 170.735, "geometry": "POINT(168.8265 -78.43725)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; AMD; Amd/Us; USA/NSF; SNOW; Wind Data; WEATHER STATIONS; Ross Ice Shelf", "locations": "Ross Ice Shelf", "north": -77.8675, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Seefeldt, Mark; Landolt, Scott", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e WEATHER STATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -79.007, "title": "Collaborative Research: Implementing Low-power, Autonomous Observing Systems to Improve the Measurement and Understanding of Antarctic Precipitation", "uid": "p0010173", "west": 166.918}, {"awards": "1246151 Bromirski, Peter; 1246416 Stephen, Ralph", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -77,-179.5 -77,-179 -77,-178.5 -77,-178 -77,-177.5 -77,-177 -77,-176.5 -77,-176 -77,-175.5 -77,-175 -77,-175 -77.4,-175 -77.8,-175 -78.2,-175 -78.6,-175 -79,-175 -79.4,-175 -79.8,-175 -80.2,-175 -80.6,-175 -81,-175.5 -81,-176 -81,-176.5 -81,-177 -81,-177.5 -81,-178 -81,-178.5 -81,-179 -81,-179.5 -81,180 -81,179 -81,178 -81,177 -81,176 -81,175 -81,174 -81,173 -81,172 -81,171 -81,170 -81,170 -80.6,170 -80.2,170 -79.8,170 -79.4,170 -79,170 -78.6,170 -78.2,170 -77.8,170 -77.4,170 -77,171 -77,172 -77,173 -77,174 -77,175 -77,176 -77,177 -77,178 -77,179 -77,-180 -77))", "dataset_titles": "Collaborative Research: Dynamic Response of the Ross Ice Shelf to Wave-Induced Vibrations and Collaborative Research: Mantle Structure and Dynamics of the Ross Sea from a Passive Seismic Deployment on the Ross Ice Shelf. International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks. ; Dynamic Response of the Ross Ice Shelf to Wave-induced Vibrations 2015/2016, UNAVCO, Inc., GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200209", "doi": "10.7283/58E3-GA46", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "Dynamic Response of the Ross Ice Shelf to Wave-induced Vibrations 2015/2016, UNAVCO, Inc., GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset", "url": "https://doi.org/10.7283/58E3-GA46"}, {"dataset_uid": "200207", "doi": "10.7914/SN/XH_2014", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Dynamic Response of the Ross Ice Shelf to Wave-Induced Vibrations and Collaborative Research: Mantle Structure and Dynamics of the Ross Sea from a Passive Seismic Deployment on the Ross Ice Shelf. International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks. ", "url": "http://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/XH_2014/"}], "date_created": "Thu, 15 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Bromirski/1246151 This award supports a project intended to discover, through field observations and numerical simulations, how ocean wave-induced vibrations on ice shelves in general, and the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS), in particular, can be used (1) to infer spatial and temporal variability of ice shelf mechanical properties, (2) to infer bulk elastic properties from signal propagation characteristics, and (3) to determine whether the RIS response to infragravity (IG) wave forcing observed distant from the front propagates as stress waves from the front or is \"locally\" generated by IG wave energy penetrating the RIS cavity. The intellectual merit of the work is that ocean gravity waves are dynamic elements of the global ocean environment, affected by ocean warming and changes in ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns. Their evolution may thus drive changes in ice-shelf stability by both mechanical interactions, and potentially increased basal melting, which in turn feed back on sea level rise. Gravity wave-induced signal propagation across ice shelves depends on ice shelf and sub-shelf water cavity geometry (e.g. structure, thickness, crevasse density and orientation), as well as ice shelf physical properties. Emphasis will be placed on observation and modeling of the RIS response to IG wave forcing at periods from 75 to 300 s. Because IG waves are not appreciably damped by sea ice, seasonal monitoring will give insights into the year-round RIS response to this oceanographic forcing. The 3-year project will involve a 24-month period of continuous data collection spanning two annual cycles on the RIS. RIS ice-front array coverage overlaps with a synergistic Ross Sea Mantle Structure (RSMS) study, giving an expanded array beneficial for IG wave localization. The ice-shelf deployment will consist of sixteen stations equipped with broadband seismometers and barometers. Three seismic stations near the RIS front will provide reference response/forcing functions, and measure the variability of the response across the front. A linear seismic array orthogonal to the front will consist of three stations in-line with three RSMS stations. Passive seismic array monitoring will be used to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of ocean wave-induced signal sources along the front of the RIS and estimate ice shelf structure, with the high-density array used to monitor and localize fracture (icequake) activity. The broader impacts include providing baseline measurements to enable detection of ice-shelf changes over coming decades which will help scientists and policy-makers respond to the socio-environmental challenges of climate change and sea-level rise. A postdoctoral scholar in interdisciplinary Earth science will be involved throughout the course of the research. Students at Cuyamaca Community College, San Diego County, will develop and manage a web site for the project to be used as a teaching tool for earth science and oceanography classes, with development of an associated web site on waves for middle school students.", "east": 170.0, "geometry": "POINT(177.5 -79)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD INVESTIGATION; GLACIER MOTION/ICE SHEET MOTION; USAP-DC; Amd/Us; AMD; USA/NSF; Iris; Ross Ice Shelf", "locations": "Ross Ice Shelf", "north": -77.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bromirski, Peter; Gerstoft, Peter; Stephen, Ralph", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "UNAVCO", "repositories": "IRIS; UNAVCO", "science_programs": null, "south": -81.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Dynamic Response of the Ross Ice Shelf to Wave-induced Vibrations", "uid": "p0010169", "west": -175.0}, {"awards": "0937462 Halzen, Francis; 0639286 Halzen, Francis; 1600823 Halzen, Francis; 2042807 Halzen, Francis", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-180 -90)", "dataset_titles": "Amanda 7 Year Data Set; IceCube data releases", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200374", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IceCube", "science_program": null, "title": "IceCube data releases", "url": "https://icecube.wisc.edu/science/data-releases/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601438", "doi": "10.15784/601438", "keywords": "Amanda-ii; Antarctica; Neutrino; Neutrino Candidate Events; Neutrino Telescope; South Pole", "people": "Halzen, Francis; Riedel, Benedikt", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "IceCube", "title": "Amanda 7 Year Data Set", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601438"}], "date_created": "Wed, 07 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award funds the continued management and operations (M\u0026O) of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory (ICNO) located at the South Pole Station. The core team of researchers and engineers maintain the existing ICNO infrastructure at the South Pole and home institution, guaranteeing an uninterrupted stream of scientifically unique, high-quality data. The M\u0026O activities are built upon eight highly successful years of managing the overall ICNO operations after the start of science operations in 2008. Construction of ICNO was supported by NSF\u0027s Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) account and was completed on schedule and within budget in 2010. Effective coordination of efforts by the core M\u0026O personnel and efforts by personnel within the IceCube Collaboration has yielded significant increases in the performance of this cubic-kilometer detector over time. The scientific output from the IceCube Collaboration during the past five years has been outstanding. The broader impacts of the ICNO/M\u0026O activities are strong, involving postdoctoral, graduate, and (in some cases) undergraduate students in the day-today operation \u0026 calibration of the neutrino detector. The extraordinary physics results recently produced by ICNO and its extraordinary location at South Pole have a high potential to excite the imagination of high school children and the public in general at a national and international level. The current ICNO/M\u0026O effort produces better energy and angular resolution information about detected neutrino events, has more efficient data filters and more accurate detector simulations, and enables continuous software development for systems that are needed to acquire and analyze data. This has produced data acquisition and data management systems with high robustness, traceability, and maintainability. The current ICNO/M\u0026O effort includes: (1) resources for both distributed and centrally managed activities, and (2) additional accountability mechanisms for \"in-kind\" and institutional contributions. Both are necessary to ensure that the detector maintains its capability to produce quality scientific data at the level required to achieve the detector\u0027s scientific discovery objectives. Recent ICNO discoveries of cosmic high-energy neutrinos (some reaching energies close to and over 2.5 PeV) and oscillating atmospheric neutrinos in a previously unexplored energy range from 10 to 60 GeV became possible because of the \"state-of-the-art\" detector configuration, excellently supported infrastructure, and cutting-edge science analyses. The ICNO has set limits on Dark Matter annihilations, made precision measurements of the angular distribution of cosmic ray muons, and characterized in detail physical properties of the Antarctic 2.5-km thick ice sheet at South Pole. The discovery of high-energy cosmic neutrinos by IceCube with a flux at the level anticipated for those associated with high-energy gamma- and cosmic-ray accelerators brightens the prospect for identifying the sources of the highest energy particles.", "east": -180.0, "geometry": "POINT(-180 -90)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e ICECUBE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USA/NSF; South Pole; OBSERVATORIES; Amd/Us; AMD; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; Icecube; Neutrino; USAP-DC", "locations": "South Pole", "north": -90.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences; Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences; Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences; Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Halzen, Francis; Karle, Albrecht", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e OBSERVATORIES", "repo": "IceCube", "repositories": "IceCube; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "IceCube", "south": -90.0, "title": "Management and Operations of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory 2021-2026", "uid": "p0010168", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1638957 Kovac, John", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "dataset_titles": "BICEP/Keck data products", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200205", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Project website", "science_program": null, "title": "BICEP/Keck data products", "url": "http://bicepkeck.org"}], "date_created": "Wed, 31 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The theory of the \"Big Bang\" provides a well-established cosmological model for the Universe from its earliest known periods through its subsequent large-scale evolution. The model traces the expansion of the Universe, starting from initial conditions of a very high density and temperature state which is almost but not perfectly smooth, and it offers a comprehensive explanation for a broad range of now-known phenomena, including the abundance of light elements, the cosmic microwave background radiation, and the distribution of large scale structures. While the established \"Big Bang\" theory leaves open the question of explaining the initial conditions, current evidence is consistent with the entire observable Universe being spawned in a dramatic, exponential \"inflation\" of a sub-nuclear volume that lasted about one trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second. Following this short inflationary period, the Universe continues to expand, but at a less rapid rate. While the basic \"inflationary paradigm\" is accepted by most scientists, the detailed particle physics mechanism responsible for inflation is still not known. It is believed that this violent space-time expansion would have produced primordial gravitational waves now propagating through the expanding universe, thus forming a cosmic gravitational-wave background (CGB) the amplitude of which measures the energy scale of inflation. The CGB imprints a faint signature in the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), and detecting this polarization signature is arguably the most important goal in cosmology today. This award will address one of the oldest questions ever posed by mankind, \"How did the Universe begin?\", and it does so via observations made at one of the most intriguing places on Earth, South Pole Station in Antarctica. The community-driven Astro2010 Decadal Survey described the search for the CGB as \"the most exciting quest of all\", emphasizing that \"mid-term investment is needed for systems aimed at detecting the (B-mode) polarization of the CMB\". In 2005, the NASA/DOE/NSF Task Force on CMB Research identified this topic as the highest priority for the field and established a target sensitivity for the ratio of gravitational waves to density fluctuations of r ~ 0.01. Such measurements promise a definitive test of slow-roll models of inflation, which generally predict a gravitational-wave signal around r~0.01 or above, producing CMB B-modes fluctuations that peak on degree angular scales. The ongoing BICEP series of experiments is dedicated to this science goal. The experiment began operating at South Pole in 2006 and has been relentlessly mapping an 800 square degree region of the sky in a region of low in Galactic foregrounds known as the Southern Hole. This award will support science observations and analysis for the CMB \"Stage 3\" science with the BICEP Array program that will measure the polarized sky in five frequency bands. It is projected to reach an ultimate sensitivity to the amplitude of inflationary gravitational waves of \"sigma r\" \u003c 0.005, extrapolating from achieved performance and after conservatively accounting for the Galactic dust, Galactic synchrotron radiation, and CMB lensing foregrounds. This measurement will offer a definitive test of most slow-roll models of Inflation, and will realize or exceed the goals set by the Task Force in 2005 for sensitivity. The project will continue to provide excellent training for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows (including those from underrepresented groups) in laboratories that have exceptional track records in this regard. Cosmology and research in Antarctica both capture the public imagination, making this combination a remarkably effective vehicle for stimulating interest in science.", "east": 0.0, "geometry": "POINT(-180 -90)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "THERMAL INFRARED; NOT APPLICABLE; South Pole Station", "locations": "South Pole Station", "north": -90.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kovac, John; Pryke, Clem", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "Project website", "repositories": "Project website", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Imaging the Beginning of Time from the South Pole: The next Stage of the BICEP Program", "uid": "p0010167", "west": 0.0}, {"awards": "2048351 Lindow, Julia", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 26 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part I: Nontechnical Antarcticas ice sheets constitute the largest ice mass on Earth, with approximately 53 meters of sea level equivalent stored in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet alone. The history of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is therefore important to understanding and predicting changes in sea level and Earths climate. There is conflicting evidence regarding long-term stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, over the last twenty million years. To better understand past ice sheet changes, together with the history of the Transantarctic Mountains, accurate time scales are needed. One of the few dating methods applicable to the Antarctic glacial deposits, that record past ice sheet changes, is the measurement of rare isotopes produced by cosmic rays in surface rock samples, referred to as cosmogenic nuclides. Whenever a rock surface is exposed/free of cover, cosmic rays produce rare isotopes such as helium-3, beryllium-10, and neon-21within the minerals. This project will involve measurement of all three isotopes in some of the oldest glacial deposits found at high elevation in the Transantarctic Mountains. Because the amount of each isotope is directly linked to the exposure time, this can be used to calculate the age of a surface. This method requires knowledge of the rates that cosmic radiation produces each isotope, which depends upon mineral composition, and is presently a limitation of the method. The goal of this project is to advance and enhance existing measurement methods and expand the range of possibilities in surface dating with new measurements of all three isotopes in pyroxene, a mineral that is commonly found throughout the Transantarctic Mountains. This technological progress will allow a better application of the surface exposure dating method, which in turn will help to reconstruct Antarctic ice sheet history and provide valuable knowledge of former ice-extent. Understanding Antarcticas ice-sheet history is crucial to predict its influence on past and future sea level changes. Part II: Technical Description Measurements of in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclides in Antarctic surficial rock samples provide unique time scales for glacial and landscape evolution processes. However, due to analytical challenges, pyroxene-bearing and widely distributed lithologies like the Ferrar dolerite of the Transantarctic Mountains, are underutilized. This proposal aims to changes this and to improve the cosmogenic nuclide methodologies for stable isotopes (21Ne and 3He) and radioactive nuclides (10Be) in pyroxenes. Proposed methodological improvements will be directly applicable to erosion rates and deposition ages of important glacial deposits, such as the controversial Sirius Group tills, and also to younger glacial features. Bennett Platform is the focus of this study because it is one of the southern-most Sirius Group outcrops along the Transantarctic Mountains, where cosmogenic ages are sparse. Preliminary measurements demonstrate large discrepancies between 3He and 21Ne age determinations in Sirius Group pyroxenes. One possible explanation is composition dependence of the 21Ne production rates. Coupled measurements of 3He, 21Ne, and 10Be in well-characterized pyroxene mineral separates from Ferrar dolerite will be used to better constrain the production rates, major element and trace element dependencies, the assumptions of the method, and ultimately advance the application of cosmogenic nuclides to mafic Antarctic lithologies. The main goals of this study are to improve measurement protocols for 10Be in pyroxene, and the determination of the composition dependence of 21Ne production rates by measuring mineral compositions (by electron microprobe), and nuclide concentrations in mineral pairs from young lava flows. Further aims are the validation of the nucleogenic contributions and the effects of helium diffusive loss through measurements of 3He/21Ne production ratios, combined with measurements of shielded samples of the Ferrar dolerite. Combined measurements of 3He, 21Ne and 10Be in pyroxenes have rarely been published for individual samples in Antarctica. The new and unique measurements of this study will advance the applicability of in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclides to both young and ancient Antarctic surfaces. The study will be performed using existing samples: no field work is requested. 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; AMD; FIELD INVESTIGATION; LABORATORY; Transantarctic Mountains; USAP-DC; GLACIAL LANDFORMS; Amd/Us", "locations": "Transantarctic Mountains", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lindow, Julia; Kurz, Mark D.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "New Cosmogenic 21Ne and 10Be Measurements in the Transantarctic Mountains", "uid": "p0010163", "west": null}, {"awards": "1738992 Pettit, Erin C; 1929991 Pettit, Erin C", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-114 -74,-113 -74,-112 -74,-111 -74,-110 -74,-109 -74,-108 -74,-107 -74,-106 -74,-105 -74,-104 -74,-104 -74.2,-104 -74.4,-104 -74.6,-104 -74.8,-104 -75,-104 -75.2,-104 -75.4,-104 -75.6,-104 -75.8,-104 -76,-105 -76,-106 -76,-107 -76,-108 -76,-109 -76,-110 -76,-111 -76,-112 -76,-113 -76,-114 -76,-114 -75.8,-114 -75.6,-114 -75.4,-114 -75.2,-114 -75,-114 -74.8,-114 -74.6,-114 -74.4,-114 -74.2,-114 -74))", "dataset_titles": "AMIGOS-IIIa \"Cavity\" Aquadopp current data Jan 2020 - Mar 2021; AMIGOS-IIIa \"Cavity\" Seabird CTD data Jan 2020 - Dec 2021; AMIGOS-III Cavity and Channel Snow Height and Thermistor Snow Temperature Data; AMIGOS-IIIc \"Channel\" Aquadopp current data Jan 2020 - Mar 2021; AMIGOS-IIIc \"Channel\" Seabird CTD data Jan 2020 - Dec 2021; CTD data from the NBP 19/02 cruise as part of the TARSAN project in the Amundsen Sea during austral summer 2018/2019; Dotson-Crosson Ice Shelf data from a tale of two ice shelves paper; Pinning-point shear-zone fractures in Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (2002 - 2022); Sentinel-1-derived monthly-averaged velocity components from Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, 2016 - 2022; SIIOS Temporary Deployment; Sub-ice-shelf seafloor elevation derived from point-source active-seismic data on Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf and Dotson Ice Shelf, December 2019 and January 2020; Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf GPS displacements; Thwaites Glacier grounding lines for 2014 and 2019/20 from height above flotation; Two-year velocity and strain-rate averages from the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, 2001-2020; Visala WXT520 weather station data at the Cavity and Channel AMIGOS-III sites; Yearly velocity and strain-rate averages from the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, 2013-2022", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601547", "doi": "10.15784/601547", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Ice Shelf; Mooring; Pine Island Bay; Pressure; Temperature; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Scambos, Ted", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "AMIGOS-IIIa \"Cavity\" Aquadopp current data Jan 2020 - Mar 2021", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601547"}, {"dataset_uid": "601478", "doi": "10.15784/601478", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciology; Ice Shelf; Ice Velocity; Strain Rate; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Klinger, Marin; Wild, Christian; Scambos, Ted; Wallin, Bruce; Truffer, Martin; Alley, Karen; Pettit, Erin; Muto, Atsu", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Two-year velocity and strain-rate averages from the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, 2001-2020", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601478"}, {"dataset_uid": "601925", "doi": "10.15784/601925", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GNSS; Ice Shelf; Ice Velocity; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Pettit, Erin; Alley, Karen; Wild, Christian; Scambos, Ted; Truffer, Martin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf GPS displacements", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601925"}, {"dataset_uid": "601499", "doi": "10.15784/601499", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Glaciology; Grounding Line; Ice Shelf; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Truffer, Martin; Pettit, Erin; Scambos, Ted; Muto, Atsu; Alley, Karen; Wild, Christian", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Thwaites Glacier grounding lines for 2014 and 2019/20 from height above flotation", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601499"}, {"dataset_uid": "601914", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciology; Ice Shelf; Thwaites Glacier; Velocity", "people": "Wild, Christian; Alley, Karen; Muto, Atsuhiro; Scambos, Ted; Pettit, Erin; Truffer, Martin; Luckman, Adrian; Lilien, David; Banerjee, Debangshu", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Sentinel-1-derived monthly-averaged velocity components from Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, 2016 - 2022", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601914"}, {"dataset_uid": "601904", "doi": "10.15784/601904", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Glaciology; Ice Shelf; Remote Sensing; Satellite Imagery; Thwaites; Thwaites Glacier; Velocity", "people": "Pettit, Erin; Alley, Karen; Wild, Christian; Banerjee, Debangshu; Lilien, David; Truffer, Martin; Muto, Atsuhiro; Luckman, Adrian; Scambos, Ted", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Yearly velocity and strain-rate averages from the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, 2013-2022", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601904"}, {"dataset_uid": "601903", "doi": "10.15784/601903", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Fractures; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Shelf; Thwaites", "people": "Lilien, David; Alley, Karen; Truffer, Martin; Luckman, Adrian; Wild, Christian; Banerjee, Debangshu; Pettit, Erin; Scambos, Ted; Muto, Atsuhiro", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Pinning-point shear-zone fractures in Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (2002 - 2022)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601903"}, {"dataset_uid": "601544", "doi": "10.15784/601544", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Ice Shelf; Mooring; Pine Island Bay; Pressure; Salinity; Temperature; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Scambos, Ted", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "AMIGOS-IIIa \"Cavity\" Seabird CTD data Jan 2020 - Dec 2021", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601544"}, {"dataset_uid": "601545", "doi": "10.15784/601545", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Ice Shelf; Mooring; Pine Island Bay; Pressure; Salinity; Temperature; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Scambos, Ted", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "AMIGOS-IIIc \"Channel\" Seabird CTD data Jan 2020 - Dec 2021", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601545"}, {"dataset_uid": "601548", "doi": "10.15784/601548", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Ice Shelf; Mooring; Pine Island Bay; Pressure; Temperature; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Scambos, Ted", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "AMIGOS-IIIc \"Channel\" Aquadopp current data Jan 2020 - Mar 2021", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601548"}, {"dataset_uid": "601549", "doi": "10.15784/601549", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Ice Shelf; Pine Island Bay; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Scambos, Ted", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Visala WXT520 weather station data at the Cavity and Channel AMIGOS-III sites", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601549"}, {"dataset_uid": "601552", "doi": "10.15784/601552", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Ice Shelf; Pine Island Bay; Snow Accumulation; Snow Temperature; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Scambos, Ted", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "AMIGOS-III Cavity and Channel Snow Height and Thermistor Snow Temperature Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601552"}, {"dataset_uid": "601578", "doi": "10.15784/601578", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dotson Ice Shelf; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology", "people": "Segabinazzi-Dotto, Tiago; Wild, Christian", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Dotson-Crosson Ice Shelf data from a tale of two ice shelves paper", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601578"}, {"dataset_uid": "200204", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.7914/SN/1L_2019", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks", "science_program": null, "title": "SIIOS Temporary Deployment", "url": "http://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/1L_2019/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200321", "doi": "10.5285/e338af5d-8622-05de-e053-6c86abc06489", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "British Oceanographic Data Centre", "science_program": null, "title": "CTD data from the NBP 19/02 cruise as part of the TARSAN project in the Amundsen Sea during austral summer 2018/2019", "url": "https://www.bodc.ac.uk/data/published_data_library/catalogue/10.5285/e338af5d-8622-05de-e053-6c86abc06489/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601827", "doi": "10.15784/601827", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Dotson Ice Shelf; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Pettit, Erin; Wild, Christian; Alley, Karen; Scambos, Ted; Muto, Atsuhiro; Truffer, Martin; Pomraning, Dale; Wallin, Bruce; Roccaro, Alexander", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Sub-ice-shelf seafloor elevation derived from point-source active-seismic data on Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf and Dotson Ice Shelf, December 2019 and January 2020", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601827"}], "date_created": "Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project contributes to the joint initiative launched by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to substantially improve decadal and longer-term projections of ice loss and sea-level rise originating from Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. Thwaites and neighboring glaciers in the Amundsen Sea Embayment are rapidly losing mass in response to recent climate warming and related changes in ocean circulation. Mass loss from the Amundsen Sea Embayment could lead to the eventual collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, raising the global sea level by up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) in as short as 500 years. The processes driving the loss appear to be warmer ocean circulation and changes in the width and flow speed of the glacier, but a better understanding of these changes is needed to refine predictions of how the glacier will evolve. One highly sensitive process is the transitional flow of glacier ice from land onto the ocean to become a floating ice shelf. This flow of ice from grounded to floating is affected by changes in air temperature and snowfall at the surface; the speed and thickness of ice feeding it from upstream; and the ocean temperature, salinity, bathymetry, and currents that the ice flows into. The project team will gather new measurements of each of these local environmental conditions so that it can better predict how future changes in air, ocean, or the ice will affect the loss of ice to the ocean in this region. Current and anticipated near-future mass loss from Thwaites Glacier and nearby Amundsen Sea Embayment region is mainly attributed to reduction in ice-shelf buttressing due to sub-ice-shelf melting by intrusion of relatively warm Circumpolar Deep Water into sub-ice-shelf cavities. Such predictions for mass loss, however, still lack understanding of the dominant processes at and near grounding zones, especially their spatial and temporal variability, as well as atmospheric and oceanic drivers of these processes. This project aims to constrain and compare these processes for the Thwaites and the Dotson Ice Shelves, which are connected through upstream ice dynamics, but influenced by different submarine troughs. The team\u0027s specific objectives are to: 1) install atmosphere-ice-ocean multi-sensor remote autonomous stations on the ice shelves for two years to provide sub-daily continuous observations of concurrent oceanic, glaciologic, and atmospheric conditions; 2) measure ocean properties on the continental shelf adjacent to ice-shelf fronts (using seal tagging, glider-based and ship-based surveys, and existing moored and conductivity-temperature-depth-cast data), 3) measure ocean properties into sub-ice-shelf cavities (using autonomous underwater vehicles) to detail ocean transports and heat fluxes; and 4) constrain current ice-shelf and sub-ice-shelf cavity geometry, ice flow, and firn properties for the ice-shelves (using radar, active-source seismic, and gravimetric methods) to better understand the impact of ocean and atmosphere on the ice-sheet change. The team will also engage the public and bring awareness to this rapidly changing component of the cryosphere through a \"Live from the Ice\" social media campaign in which the public can follow the action and data collection from the perspective of tagged seals and autonomous stations. 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": -104.0, "geometry": "POINT(-109 -75)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Thwaites Glacier; FIELD SURVEYS; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS", "locations": "Thwaites Glacier", "north": -74.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Truffer, Martin; Scambos, Ted; Muto, Atsu; Heywood, Karen; Boehme, Lars; Hall, Robert; Wahlin, Anna; Lenaerts, Jan; Pettit, Erin", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "British Oceanographic Data Centre; International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "south": -76.0, "title": "NSF-NERC: Thwaites-Amundsen Regional Survey and Network (TARSAN) Integrating Atmosphere-Ice-Ocean Processes affecting the Sub-Ice-Shelf Environment", "uid": "p0010162", "west": -114.0}, {"awards": "1443448 Schaefer, Joerg; 1443144 Steig, Eric", "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": "Simulations of 10Be over Antarctica; South Pole ice Core 10Be CE", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601431", "doi": "10.15784/601431", "keywords": "Antarctica; South Pole", "people": "Schaefer, Joerg; Ding, Qinghua; Steig, Eric J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "Simulations of 10Be over Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601431"}, {"dataset_uid": "601535", "doi": "10.15784/601535", "keywords": "Antarctica; South Pole", "people": "Schaefer, Joerg", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole ice Core 10Be CE", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601535"}], "date_created": "Thu, 04 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project will acquire measurements of the concentration of beryllium-10 (10Be) from an ice core from the South Pole, Antarctica. An isotope of the element beryllium, 10Be, is produced in the atmosphere by high-energy protons (cosmic rays) that enter Earth\u0027s atmosphere from space. It is removed from the atmosphere by settling or by scavenging by rain or snowfall. Hence, concentrations of 10Be in snow at the South Pole reflect the production rate of 10Be in the atmosphere. Because the rate of production of 10Be over Antarctica depends primarily on the strength of the Sun\u0027s magnetic field, measurements of 10Be in the South Pole ice core will provide a record of changes in solar activity. The South Pole ice core will reach an age of 40,000 years at the bottom. The project will result in measurements of 10Be at annual resolution for the last 100 years and selected periods in the more distant past, such as the Maunder Minimum, a period during the late 17th century during which no sunspots were observed, or the last glacial cold period, about 20,000 years ago. A climate model that can simulate the production of 10Be in the atmosphere, it\u0027s transport through the atmosphere, and its deposition at the snow surface in Antarctica will be used to aid in using the 10Be data to determine past changes in solar activity from decadal to millennial scale, and in turn to evaluate the role of the Sun in Earth?s climate from a new perspective. The production of 10Be in Earth\u0027s atmosphere results from the spallation of oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere by cosmic rays. Cosmic ray variations in the high latitudes are primarily modulated by solar variability. Time-series records of 10Be from ice cores are therefore important for deriving variations in solar activity through time, which is fundamental to understanding climate variability. Deposition of 10Be to the ice surface is also influenced by variability in atmospheric circulation and deposition processes, and South Pole is the best available location for minimizing the influence of variable atmospheric circulation on 10Be deposition. To date, only one record of 10Be exists from South Pole; that record is widely used in solar forcing estimates used in climate models, but covers only the last millennium and ends in CE 1982. We will obtain 10Be concentration measurements in a 1500-m, 40000-year long ice core from the South Pole. This will extend the existing record both further back in time and forward to the present, providing overlap with the modern instrumental record of solar and climate variability. High resolution (annual to biannual) measurements will be made in targeted areas of interest, including the last 100 years, the Maunder Minimum (CE 1650-1715), and the last glacial maximum. The novel data will be used in conjunction with climate model experiments that incorporate 10Be production, transport, and deposition physics. Together, data and modeling will create an updated record of atmospheric 10Be production and hence of solar activity.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "COSMIC RAYS; LABORATORY; BERYLLIUM-10 ANALYSIS; SNOW/ICE; South Pole; GLACIERS; ICE CORE RECORDS", "locations": "South Pole", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Schaefer, Joerg; Steig, Eric J.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "SPICEcore", "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: A High-sensitivity Beryllium-10 Record from an Ice Core at South Pole", "uid": "p0010158", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1643795 Mikesell, Thomas", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-134.5 -75,-130.85 -75,-127.2 -75,-123.55 -75,-119.9 -75,-116.25 -75,-112.6 -75,-108.95 -75,-105.3 -75,-101.65 -75,-98 -75,-98 -75.85,-98 -76.7,-98 -77.55,-98 -78.4,-98 -79.25,-98 -80.1,-98 -80.95,-98 -81.8,-98 -82.65,-98 -83.5,-101.65 -83.5,-105.3 -83.5,-108.95 -83.5,-112.6 -83.5,-116.25 -83.5,-119.9 -83.5,-123.55 -83.5,-127.2 -83.5,-130.85 -83.5,-134.5 -83.5,-134.5 -82.65,-134.5 -81.8,-134.5 -80.95,-134.5 -80.1,-134.5 -79.25,-134.5 -78.4,-134.5 -77.55,-134.5 -76.7,-134.5 -75.85,-134.5 -75))", "dataset_titles": "2D shear-wave velocity model across the West Antarctic Rift System from POLENET-ANET seismic data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601423", "doi": "10.15784/601423", "keywords": "Antarctica; Crust; Moho; Seismic Tomography; Seismology; Seismometer; Shear Wave Velocity; Surface Wave Dispersion; West Antarctica", "people": "Mikesell, Dylan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "POLENET", "title": "2D shear-wave velocity model across the West Antarctic Rift System from POLENET-ANET seismic data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601423"}], "date_created": "Fri, 15 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Non-technical description: Global sea-level rise is a significant long-term risk for human population and infrastructure. To mitigate and properly react to this threat, society needs accurate predictions of future sea-level variations. The largest uncertainty in these predictions comes from estimating the amount of ice that melts from polar ice sheets, especially from the West Antarctica ice sheet. Right now, scientists estimate the mass variations of ice sheets in two ways. The first way is using airplanes and repeated flybys to monitor the variation of ice sheet topography and estimate the gain or loss of ice. The second way is using satellite measurements to track gravity fluctuations that correlate with the variation of ice sheet volume. Both techniques work, but both have limitations including cost and resolution. This project uses a passive seismic monitoring method to estimate the change in weight of the ice pressing on the Earth\u0027s crust. One advantage of this seismic method is that vibrations are recorded continuously; therefore, it is possible to monitor the changes of the ice sheet with better temporal resolution. The sensitivity of the seismic waves also provides a picture of the structure of the interface between the ice and the rocks beneath the ice, where most of the dynamics and changes of the ice sheet take place. This information is difficult to obtain with other methods. In this project, the researchers will process and analyze previously acquired seismic data from the POLENET-ANET array, measuring variations in seismic wave speed through time to assess the amount of ice lost or gained. They will also determine important information about the mechanical properties at the ice-rock interface. The project will support a postdoctoral scholar to develop this new branch of seismological research and more generally the field of environmental seismology. This project will also support the education of a PhD student who will work in close collaboration with the postdoctoral scholar and the two researchers. Technical description: The researchers plan to monitor ice-mass variations in the West-Antarctic ice sheet by measuring and interpreting seismic velocity changes in crust beneath the ice sheet. This project will extend similar work already completed on the Greenland ice sheet, where ice-mass fluctuations were found to lead to poroelastic changes in the crust and modify the seismic-wave velocity. This investigation uses a passive seismology method, whereby repetitive seismic noise correlation functions are computed from records of Earth\u0027s ambient seismic noise field. Measurements of the temporal changes in the correlation functions are made and then related to variations of the poroelastic properties of the crust. The physical model for the relationship between ice-mass change and surface-wave velocity change has previously been verified using GRACE satellite data in Greenland. This project will specifically focus on the recent rapid ice loss in Western Antarctica using data from the POLENET-ANET seismic network. A comparison between the ice-sheet behaviors in Greenland and Antarctica will provide clarification about the underlying physical processes responsible for the observed seismic velocity changes. This new method will be a transformative approach to monitor ice sheets with the potential for much higher spatial and temporal resolution than existing methods. The fact that this method relies on seismic waves makes the approach completely independent from other modern ice-sheet monitoring techniques.", "east": -98.0, "geometry": "POINT(-116.25 -79.25)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD INVESTIGATION; SEISMIC SURFACE WAVES; West Antarctica", "locations": "West Antarctica", "north": -75.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Mordret, Aurelien; Mikesell, Dylan", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "POLENET", "south": -83.5, "title": "Collaborative Research: Monitoring Antarctic Ice Sheet Changes with Ambient Seismic Noise Methods", "uid": "p0010155", "west": -134.5}, {"awards": "1443321 Bromley, Gordon; 1443329 Balco, Gregory", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -85.40705,-179.659078 -85.40705,-179.318156 -85.40705,-178.977234 -85.40705,-178.636312 -85.40705,-178.29539 -85.40705,-177.954468 -85.40705,-177.613546 -85.40705,-177.272624 -85.40705,-176.931702 -85.40705,-176.59078 -85.40705,-176.59078 -85.422615,-176.59078 -85.43818,-176.59078 -85.453745,-176.59078 -85.46931,-176.59078 -85.484875,-176.59078 -85.50044,-176.59078 -85.516005,-176.59078 -85.53157,-176.59078 -85.547135,-176.59078 -85.5627,-176.931702 -85.5627,-177.272624 -85.5627,-177.613546 -85.5627,-177.954468 -85.5627,-178.29539 -85.5627,-178.636312 -85.5627,-178.977234 -85.5627,-179.318156 -85.5627,-179.659078 -85.5627,180 -85.5627,179.277561 -85.5627,178.555122 -85.5627,177.832683 -85.5627,177.110244 -85.5627,176.387805 -85.5627,175.665366 -85.5627,174.942927 -85.5627,174.220488 -85.5627,173.498049 -85.5627,172.77561 -85.5627,172.77561 -85.547135,172.77561 -85.53157,172.77561 -85.516005,172.77561 -85.50044,172.77561 -85.484875,172.77561 -85.46931,172.77561 -85.453745,172.77561 -85.43818,172.77561 -85.422615,172.77561 -85.40705,173.498049 -85.40705,174.220488 -85.40705,174.942927 -85.40705,175.665366 -85.40705,176.387805 -85.40705,177.110244 -85.40705,177.832683 -85.40705,178.555122 -85.40705,179.277561 -85.40705,-180 -85.40705))", "dataset_titles": "Interface for viewing observational data related to exposure ages measurements and calculated geologic ages derived therefrom", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200199", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Interface for viewing observational data related to exposure ages measurements and calculated geologic ages derived therefrom", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}], "date_created": "Sun, 20 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This investigation will reconstruct past behavior of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet during periods of warmer-than-present climate, such as the Pliocene, in order to better project the likely response of Earth\u0027s largest ice sheet to anthropogenic warming. Containing the equivalent of ~55 m sea-level rise, the future evolution of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet has clear societal ramifications on a global scale as temperatures continue to rise. Therefore, determining ice-sheet sensitivity to climate on the scale predicted for the next two centuries is a matter of increasing urgency, particularly in light of evidence suggesting the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is more dynamic than previously thought. This research will provide a terrestrial geologic record of long-term ice-sheet behavior from sites immediately adjacent the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Transantarctic Mountains, with which the project will help ascertain how the ice sheet responded to past warm periods. The project will focus primarily on the Pliocene warm period, 5 to 3 million years ago, as this represents the closest analogue to 21st Century climate conditions. The proposed research will investigate glacial deposits corresponding to the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in the central Transantarctic Mountains in order to expand the geologic record of past ice-sheet behavior. The overarching research objectives are to improve understanding of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet\u0027s configuration during periods of warmer-than-present climate, such as the Pliocene warm period, and to determine whether the ice sheet underwent significant volume changes or remained relatively stable in response to warming. To address these goals, the investigation will map and date glacial deposits preserved at mountain sites immediately adjacent the ice sheet. Specifically, we will: (i) employ multiple cosmogenic nuclides (10Be, 26Al, 21Ne) to establish more fully ice-thickness histories for the upper Shackleton and Beardmore Glaciers, where they exit the ice sheet; (ii) use this record to identify periods during which the East Antarctic Ice Sheet was at least as extensive as today; and (iii) use these data to assess long-term ice-sheet variability in East Antarctica, with particular emphasis on Pliocene warm episodes. This research will require Antarctic fieldwork, glacial-geologic mapping, and cosmogenic surface-exposure dating.", "east": -176.59078, "geometry": "POINT(178.092415 -85.484875)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Amd/Us; Transantarctic Mountains; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; AMD; GLACIER THICKNESS/ICE SHEET THICKNESS; GLACIER ELEVATION/ICE SHEET ELEVATION; NOT APPLICABLE; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica; Transantarctic Mountains", "north": -85.40705, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e PLEISTOCENE", "persons": "Balco, Gregory; Bromley, Gorden; BROMLEY, GORDON", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "ICE-D", "repositories": "ICE-D", "science_programs": null, "south": -85.5627, "title": "Collaborative Research: Potential Direct Geologic Constraint of Ice Sheet Thickness in the Central Transantarctic Mountains during the Pliocene Warm Period", "uid": "p0010153", "west": 172.77561}, {"awards": "0838968 Putkonen, Jaakko; 0838757 Balco, Gregory", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-158.00085 -83.2093,-157.945063 -83.2093,-157.889276 -83.2093,-157.833489 -83.2093,-157.777702 -83.2093,-157.721915 -83.2093,-157.666128 -83.2093,-157.610341 -83.2093,-157.554554 -83.2093,-157.498767 -83.2093,-157.44298 -83.2093,-157.44298 -83.50197,-157.44298 -83.79464,-157.44298 -84.08731,-157.44298 -84.37998,-157.44298 -84.67265,-157.44298 -84.96532,-157.44298 -85.25799,-157.44298 -85.55066,-157.44298 -85.84333,-157.44298 -86.136,-157.498767 -86.136,-157.554554 -86.136,-157.610341 -86.136,-157.666128 -86.136,-157.721915 -86.136,-157.777702 -86.136,-157.833489 -86.136,-157.889276 -86.136,-157.945063 -86.136,-158.00085 -86.136,-158.00085 -85.84333,-158.00085 -85.55066,-158.00085 -85.25799,-158.00085 -84.96532,-158.00085 -84.67265,-158.00085 -84.37998,-158.00085 -84.08731,-158.00085 -83.79464,-158.00085 -83.50197,-158.00085 -83.2093))", "dataset_titles": "Interface to observational data and geologic age information calculated therefrom; Web page with links to files containing cosmogenic noble gas concentrations and related analytical data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200197", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Interface to observational data and geologic age information calculated therefrom", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200198", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PI website", "science_program": null, "title": "Web page with links to files containing cosmogenic noble gas concentrations and related analytical data", "url": "http://noblegas.berkeley.edu/~balcs/ongvalley/"}], "date_created": "Sun, 20 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The proposed project will investigate the coldest and driest parts of the Transantarctic Mountains (Ong Valley at Nimrod Glacier and Moraine Canyon at Amundsen Glacier) where the lack of running water and biological activity in the modern environment is thought to have preserved the landscape, essentially unchanged, for millions of years. Contrary to this common belief, it is hypothesized that the landscape does evolve, perhaps as fast as many surfaces in the Dry Valleys area where both loose soil and bedrock surfaces have been degrading at a rate of about 1-2 m/Myrs for the past several million years. The research team will rely on analysis of the both stable and radioactive cosmogenic isotopes that accumulate in near surface soil and bedrock. Collectively these measurements allow comparison of the long term landscape evolution to current processes and environmental drivers such as wind speed. The results of this work will improve understanding of the evolution of the Earth\u0027s surface and directly aid in evaluating imagery of Martian geomorphology. Continued reliance on students provides a broader impact to this proposed research and firmly grounds this effort in its educational mission.", "east": -157.44298, "geometry": "POINT(-157.721915 -84.67265)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; NOT APPLICABLE; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -83.2093, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e PLEISTOCENE", "persons": "Balco, Gregory; Putkonen, Jaakko; Morgan, Daniel", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "ICE-D", "repositories": "ICE-D; PI website", "science_programs": null, "south": -86.136, "title": "Collaborative Research: Systematic Analysis of Landscape Evolution and Surface Ages in Transantarctic Mountains", "uid": "p0010152", "west": -158.00085}, {"awards": "1643345 Popp, Brian; 1643466 Hollibaugh, James", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-78.20206667 -64.03195833,-76.785055836 -64.03195833,-75.368045002 -64.03195833,-73.951034168 -64.03195833,-72.534023334 -64.03195833,-71.1170125 -64.03195833,-69.700001666 -64.03195833,-68.282990832 -64.03195833,-66.865979998 -64.03195833,-65.448969164 -64.03195833,-64.03195833 -64.03195833,-64.03195833 -64.554377497,-64.03195833 -65.076796664,-64.03195833 -65.599215831,-64.03195833 -66.121634998,-64.03195833 -66.644054165,-64.03195833 -67.166473332,-64.03195833 -67.688892499,-64.03195833 -68.211311666,-64.03195833 -68.733730833,-64.03195833 -69.25615,-65.448969164 -69.25615,-66.865979998 -69.25615,-68.282990832 -69.25615,-69.700001666 -69.25615,-71.1170125 -69.25615,-72.534023334 -69.25615,-73.951034168 -69.25615,-75.368045002 -69.25615,-76.785055836 -69.25615,-78.20206667 -69.25615,-78.20206667 -68.733730833,-78.20206667 -68.211311666,-78.20206667 -67.688892499,-78.20206667 -67.166473332,-78.20206667 -66.644054165,-78.20206667 -66.121634998,-78.20206667 -65.599215831,-78.20206667 -65.076796664,-78.20206667 -64.554377497,-78.20206667 -64.03195833))", "dataset_titles": "\"Collaborative research: Chemoautotrophy in Antarctic bacterioplankton communities supported by the oxidation of urea-derived nitrogen\"; Expedition data of LMG1801", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200193", "doi": "Not yet assigned", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "\"Collaborative research: Chemoautotrophy in Antarctic bacterioplankton communities supported by the oxidation of urea-derived nitrogen\"", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/project/775717"}, {"dataset_uid": "200124", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG1801", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1801"}], "date_created": "Fri, 18 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part 1: Nitrification is the conversion of ammonium to nitrate by a two-step process involving two different guilds of microorganisms: ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizers. The process is central to the global nitrogen cycle, affecting everything from retention of fertilizer on croplands to removal of excess nitrogen from coastal waters before it can cause blooms of harmful algae. It also produces nitrous oxide, an ozone-destroying, greenhouse gas. The energy derived from both steps of nitrification is used to convert inorganic carbon into microbial biomass. The biomass produced contributes to the overall food web production of the Southern Ocean and may be a particularly important subsidy during winter when low light levels restrict the other major source of biomass, primary production by single-celled plants. This project addresses three fundamental questions about the biology and geochemistry of polar oceans, with a focus on the process of nitrification. The first question the project will address concerns the contribution of chemoautotrophy (based on nitrification) to the overall supply of organic carbon to the food web of the Southern Ocean. Previous measurements indicate that it contributes about 9% to the Antarctic food web on an annual basis, but those measurements did not include the additional production associated with nitrite oxidation. The second question to be addressed is related to the first and concerns the coupling between the steps of the process. The third seeks to determine the significance of the contribution of other sources of nitrogen, (specifically organic nitrogen and urea released by other organisms) to nitrification because these contributions may not be assessed by standard protocols. Measurements made by others suggest that urea in particular might be as important as ammonium to nitrification in polar regions. This project will result in training a postdoctoral researcher and provide undergraduate students opportunities to gain hand-on experience with research on microbial geochemistry. The Palmer LTER (PAL) activities have focused largely on the interaction between ocean climate and the marine food web affecting top predators. Relatively little effort has been devoted to studying processes related to the microbial geochemistry of nitrogen cycling as part of the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, yet these are a major themes at other sites. This work will contribute substantially to understanding an important aspect of nitrogen cycling and bacterioplankton production in the PAL-LTER study area. The team will be working synergistically and be participating fully in the education and outreach efforts of the Palmer LTER, including making highlights of the findings available for posting to their project web site and participating in any special efforts they have in the area of outreach. Part 2: The proposed work will quantify oxidation rates of 15N supplied as ammonium, urea and nitrite, allowing us to estimate the contribution of urea-derived N and complete nitrification (ammonia to nitrate) to chemoautotrophy and bacterioplankton production in Antarctic coastal waters. The project will compare these estimates to direct measurements of the incorporation of 14C into organic matter the dark for an independent estimate of chemoautotrophy. The team aims to collect samples spanning the water column: from surface water (~10 m), winter water (50-100 m) and circumpolar deep water (\u003e150 m); on a cruise surveying the continental shelf and slope west of the Antarctic Peninsula in the austral summer of 2018. Other samples will be taken to measure the concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and urea, for qPCR analysis of the abundance of relevant microorganisms, and for studies of related processes. The project will rely on collaboration with the existing Palmer LTER to ensure that ancillary data (bacterioplankton abundance and production, chlorophyll, physical and chemical variables) will be available. The synergistic activities of this project along with the LTER activities will provide a unique opportunity to assess chemoautotrophy in context of the overall ecosystem?s dynamics- including both primary and secondary production processes.", "east": -64.03195833, "geometry": "POINT(-71.1170125 -66.644054165)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Pal-Lter; NITROGEN; SHIPS; USAP-DC; MARINE ECOSYSTEMS; BACTERIA/ARCHAEA; BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES; Amd/Us; West Antarctic Shelf; USA/NSF; AMD", "locations": "West Antarctic Shelf; Pal-Lter", "north": -64.03195833, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hollibaugh, James T.; Popp, Brian", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e SHIPS", "repo": "BCO-DMO", "repositories": "BCO-DMO; R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -69.25615, "title": "Collaborative Research: Chemoautotrophy in Antarctic Bacterioplankton Communities Supported by the Oxidation of Urea-derived Nitrogen", "uid": "p0010150", "west": -78.20206667}, {"awards": "1644196 Cziko, Paul", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((163.47 -77.14,163.803 -77.14,164.136 -77.14,164.469 -77.14,164.802 -77.14,165.135 -77.14,165.468 -77.14,165.801 -77.14,166.134 -77.14,166.467 -77.14,166.8 -77.14,166.8 -77.216,166.8 -77.292,166.8 -77.368,166.8 -77.444,166.8 -77.52,166.8 -77.596,166.8 -77.672,166.8 -77.748,166.8 -77.824,166.8 -77.9,166.467 -77.9,166.134 -77.9,165.801 -77.9,165.468 -77.9,165.135 -77.9,164.802 -77.9,164.469 -77.9,164.136 -77.9,163.803 -77.9,163.47 -77.9,163.47 -77.824,163.47 -77.748,163.47 -77.672,163.47 -77.596,163.47 -77.52,163.47 -77.444,163.47 -77.368,163.47 -77.292,163.47 -77.216,163.47 -77.14))", "dataset_titles": "High-resolution nearshore benthic seawater temperature from around McMurdo Sound, Antarctica (2017-2019); Long-Term broadband underwater acoustic recordings from McMurdo Sound, Antarctica (2017-2019); Long-term underwater images from around a single mooring site in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica (2017-2019)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601417", "doi": "10.15784/601417", "keywords": "Antarctica; Benthic Ecology; Benthic Invertebrates; Biota; McMurdo Sound; Notothenioid; Notothenioid Fishes; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Rocky Reef Community; Soft-Bottom Community; Timelaps Images", "people": "Cziko, Paul", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Long-term underwater images from around a single mooring site in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica (2017-2019)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601417"}, {"dataset_uid": "601416", "doi": "10.15784/601416", "keywords": "Antarctica; Bioacoustics; Biota; Hydroacoustics; Killer Whales; Leptonychotes Weddellii; McMurdo Sound; Oceans; Orcinus Orca; Sea Ice; Weddell Seal; Whales", "people": "Cziko, Paul", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Long-Term broadband underwater acoustic recordings from McMurdo Sound, Antarctica (2017-2019)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601416"}, {"dataset_uid": "601420", "doi": "10.15784/601420", "keywords": "Antarctica; Benthic Ecology; CTD; Depth; McMurdo Sound; Oceanography; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Pressure; Salinity; Seawater Measurements; Seawater Temperature; Supercooling; Tides", "people": "Cziko, Paul", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "High-resolution nearshore benthic seawater temperature from around McMurdo Sound, Antarctica (2017-2019)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601420"}], "date_created": "Tue, 15 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Notothenioid fishes live in the world\u0027s coldest marine waters surrounding Antarctica and have evolved strategies to avoid freezing. Past studies have shown that most Antarctic notothenioids produce special antifreeze proteins that prevent the growth of ice crystals that enter the body. While these proteins help prevent individuals from being killed by growing ice crystals, it is unclear how these fish avoid the accumulation of these small ice crystals inside their tissues over time. This project will observe how ice crystal accumulation relates to the harshness of the fish\u0027s habitat and the fish\u0027s behavior within different habitats of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. The researchers will collect fishes and ocean observations at different field sites that cover a range of habitat severity in terms of temperature and iciness. Researchers will install an underwater ocean observatory near McMurdo Station which will include a HD video camera and hydrophone. The observatory will allow continuous monitoring of ocean conditions and fish behavior that will help explain the conditions and behaviors that contribute to the acquisition and accrual of ice inside the body. Acoustic and video data from the observatory will be available to other scientists and to the public. The project will advance understanding of the many challenges life faces in extreme cold environments. This work continues a line of inquiry that has resulted in the discovery of potential medical and food preservation applications. Hundreds of antifreeze protein (AFP) structure-function studies have been conducted in the laboratory, providing a basic physical understanding of the AFP-ice interaction. How AFPs function within fishes and their range of environments, however, is far from clear. This project will provide an understanding of notothenioid\u0027s freezing avoidance mechanisms, and strategies by quantifying the acquisition, accumulation, and loss of internal ice crystals. Specifically, the goal is to determine if and how habitat severity (as defined by iciness, seawater temperature, and prevalence of supercooled water) and fish behavior influence the abundance of ice crystals in their tissues. Four locations in the McMurdo Sound with different levels of habitat severity will be sampled for oceanographic conditions and ice crystal count within fish tissues. Researchers will use a new technique to count the number of splenic ice crystals, expanding on and simplifying previous methods. Environmental data loggers will be deployed for the duration of the project at the four sites to provide context and real-time assessment of environmental conditions. An oceanographic observatory near McMurdo Station will provide year-round, real-time and archival records of oceanographic conditions, in situ video observations of anchor ice growth and ice-organism interactions, hydroacoustic recordings, and serve as proof-of concept for expanding scientific infrastructure in McMurdo Sound related to monitoring of supercooled waters and oceanographic information.", "east": 166.8, "geometry": "POINT(165.135 -77.52)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Benthic Ecology; ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES; USA/NSF; OCEAN TEMPERATURE; USAP-DC; MAMMALS; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Amd/Us; McMurdo Sound; FISH; AMD", "locations": "McMurdo Sound", "north": -77.14, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Cziko, Paul; DeVries, Arthur", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.9, "title": "Habitat Severity and Internal Ice in Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes", "uid": "p0010147", "west": 163.47}, {"awards": "1543539 Liwanag, Heather", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "metabolic measurements; Sedation dose and response; TDR and weather data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601435", "doi": "10.15784/601435", "keywords": "Antarctica; McMurdo Sound; Weddell Seal", "people": "Liwanag, Heather; Weitzner, Emma; Pearson, Linnea", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "TDR and weather data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601435"}, {"dataset_uid": "601524", "doi": "10.15784/601524", "keywords": "Antarctica; McMurdo Sound; Metabolic Rate; Thermoregulation; Weddell Seal", "people": "Pearson, Linnea", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "metabolic measurements", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601524"}, {"dataset_uid": "601631", "doi": "10.15784/601631", "keywords": "Antarctica; McMurdo Sound; Weddell Seal", "people": "Pearson, Linnea", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Sedation dose and response", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601631"}], "date_created": "Sat, 12 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The transition of young from parental care to independence is a critical stage in the life of many animals. Surviving this stage can be especially challenging for polar mammals where the extreme cold requires extra energy to keep warm, rather than using the majority of energy for growth, development and physical activities. Young Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) have only weeks to develop the capabilities to survive both on top of the sea ice and within the -1.9\u00b0C seawater where they can forage for food. The project seeks to better understand how Weddell seal pups rapidly develop (within weeks) the capacity to transition between these two extreme environments (that differ greatly in their abilities to conduct heat) and how they budget their energy during the transition. Though the biology and physiology of adult Weddell seals is well studied, the energetic and physiological strategies of pups during development is still unclear. Understanding factors that may affect survival at critical life history events is essential for better understanding factors that might affect marine mammal populations. Weddell seals are the southernmost breeding mammal and are easily recognizable as quintessential Antarctic seals. Determining potential vulnerabilities at critical life stages to change in the Antarctic environment will facilitate the researchers\u0027 ability to not only gain public interest but also communicate how research is revealing ways in which changes are occurring at the poles and how these changes may affect polar ecosystems. By collaborating with the Marine Mammal Center, the project will directly reach the public, through curricular educational materials and public outreach that will impact over 100,000 visitors annually. To elucidate the physiological strategies that facilitate the survival of Weddell seal pups from birth to independence, the proposed study examines the development of their thermoregulation and diving capability. To achieve this, the project will determine the mechanisms that Weddell seal pups use to maintain a stable, warm body temperature in air and in water and then examine the development of diving capability as the animals prepare for independent foraging. The researchers will take a fully integrative approach- making assessments from proteins to tissues to the whole-animal level- when investigating both these objectives. To assess the development of thermoregulatory capability, researchers will quantify body insulation, resting metabolic rates in air and in water, muscle thermogenesis (shivering), and body surface temperatures in the field. The project will also assess the development of dive capability by quantifying oxygen storage capacities and measuring early dive behavior. To identify possible cellular mechanisms for how Weddell seals navigate this trade-off during development, the program will quantify several key developmental regulators of increased hypoxic capacity (HIF, VEGF and EPO) using qPCR, as well as follow the proteomic changes of adipose and muscle tissue, which will include abundance changes of metabolic, antioxidant, cytoskeletal, and Ca2+-regulating proteins. The study of the physiological development leading up to the transition to independence in pinnipeds will help researchers better predict the effects of climate change on the distribution and abundance of this species and how this will affect other trophic levels. Environmental changes that alter habitat suitability have been shown to decrease population health, specifically because of declines in juvenile survival.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "MAMMALS; FIELD INVESTIGATION; McMurdo Sound", "locations": "McMurdo Sound", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Liwanag, Heather; Pearson, Linnea; Tomanek, Lars", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "RUI: Growing Up on Ice: Physiological Adaptations and Developmental Plasticity in Weddell Seal Pups Across Two Extreme Physical Environments", "uid": "p0010144", "west": null}, {"awards": "1043623 Miller, Scott", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((117.5 -47,120.35 -47,123.2 -47,126.05 -47,128.9 -47,131.75 -47,134.6 -47,137.45 -47,140.3 -47,143.15 -47,146 -47,146 -49.04,146 -51.08,146 -53.12,146 -55.16,146 -57.2,146 -59.24,146 -61.28,146 -63.32,146 -65.36,146 -67.4,143.15 -67.4,140.3 -67.4,137.45 -67.4,134.6 -67.4,131.75 -67.4,128.9 -67.4,126.05 -67.4,123.2 -67.4,120.35 -67.4,117.5 -67.4,117.5 -65.36,117.5 -63.32,117.5 -61.28,117.5 -59.24,117.5 -57.2,117.5 -55.16,117.5 -53.12,117.5 -51.08,117.5 -49.04,117.5 -47))", "dataset_titles": "Eddy covariance air-sea momentum, heat, and carbon dioxide fluxes in the Southern Ocean from the N.B. Palmer cruise NBP1210; Eddy covariance air-sea momentum, heat, and carbon dioxide fluxes in the Southern Ocean from the N.B. Palmer cruise NBP1402; Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001427", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1210"}, {"dataset_uid": "601309", "doi": "10.15784/601309", "keywords": "Air-Sea Flux; Air Temperature; Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Atmosphere; CO2; Flux; Meteorology; NBP1210; Oceans; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Southern Ocean; Water Temperature; Wind Direction; Wind Speed", "people": "Butterworth, Brian; Miller, Scott", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Eddy covariance air-sea momentum, heat, and carbon dioxide fluxes in the Southern Ocean from the N.B. Palmer cruise NBP1210", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601309"}, {"dataset_uid": "601308", "doi": null, "keywords": "Air-Sea Flux; Air Temperature; Antarctica; Atmosphere; CO2; CO2 Concentrations; East Antarctica; Flux; Meteorology; NBP1402; Oceans; Relative Humidity; Salinity; Totten Glacier; Water Measurements; Water Temperature; Weather Station Data; Wind Direction; Wind Speed", "people": "Miller, Scott; Butterworth, Brian", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Eddy covariance air-sea momentum, heat, and carbon dioxide fluxes in the Southern Ocean from the N.B. Palmer cruise NBP1402", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601308"}, {"dataset_uid": "001414", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1402"}], "date_created": "Fri, 09 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Accurate parameterizations of the air-sea fluxes of CO2 into the Southern Ocean, in particular at high wind velocity, are needed to better assess how projections of global climate warming in a windier world could affect the ocean carbon uptake, and alter the ocean heat budget at high latitudes. Air-sea fluxes of momentum, sensible and latent heat (water vapor) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are to be measured continuously underway on cruises using micrometeorological eddy covariance techniques adapted to ship-board use. The measured gas transfer velocity (K) is then to be related to other parameters known to affect air-sea-fluxes. A stated goal of this work is the collection of a set of direct air-sea flux measurements at high wind speeds, conditions where parameterization of the relationship of gas exchange to wind-speed remains contentious. The studies will be carried out at sites in the Southern Ocean using the USAP RV Nathaniel B Palmer as measurment platform. Co-located pCO2 data, to be used in the overall analysis and enabling internal consistency checks, are being collected from existing underway systems aboard the USAP research vessel under other NSF awards.", "east": 146.0, "geometry": "POINT(131.75 -57.2)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "HEAT FLUX; DISSOLVED GASES; Antarctica; USAP-DC; NOT APPLICABLE", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -47.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Miller, Scott", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -67.4, "title": "Air-Sea Fluxes of Momentum, Heat, and Carbon Dioxide at High Wind Speeds in the Southern Ocean", "uid": "p0010137", "west": 117.5}, {"awards": "1644197 Simms, Alexander", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-65 -61,-64 -61,-63 -61,-62 -61,-61 -61,-60 -61,-59 -61,-58 -61,-57 -61,-56 -61,-55 -61,-55 -61.4,-55 -61.8,-55 -62.2,-55 -62.6,-55 -63,-55 -63.4,-55 -63.8,-55 -64.2,-55 -64.6,-55 -65,-56 -65,-57 -65,-58 -65,-59 -65,-60 -65,-61 -65,-62 -65,-63 -65,-64 -65,-65 -65,-65 -64.6,-65 -64.2,-65 -63.8,-65 -63.4,-65 -63,-65 -62.6,-65 -62.2,-65 -61.8,-65 -61.4,-65 -61))", "dataset_titles": "Electron Microprobe Analysis of feldspar separates from rock and sediment OSL samples from Joinville and Livingston Island Beaches; Granulometry of Joinville and Livingston Island beaches; Ground-Penetrating Radar data from Livingston Island in the Antarctic Peninsula; Ground Penetrating Radar Profiles from Beaches on Joinville Island, Antarctic Peninsula; Joinville and Livingston Islands - rock and sediment OSL ages; OSL data - Joinville and Livingston Islands - Raw data; Radiocarbon Ages from Beaches on Joinville Island, Antarctic Peninsula", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601400", "doi": "10.15784/601400", "keywords": "Antarctica; Grain Size; Granulometry; Joinville Island; Livingston Island; LMG0412; Raised Beaches", "people": "Theilen, Brittany; Simms, Alexander", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Granulometry of Joinville and Livingston Island beaches", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601400"}, {"dataset_uid": "601632", "doi": "10.15784/601632", "keywords": "Antarctica; Joinville Island", "people": "Simms, Alexander", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ground Penetrating Radar Profiles from Beaches on Joinville Island, Antarctic Peninsula", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601632"}, {"dataset_uid": "601534", "doi": "10.15784/601534", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geochronology; Joinville Island; Livingston Island; OSL dating; Raised Beaches", "people": "DeWitt, Regina", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Joinville and Livingston Islands - rock and sediment OSL ages", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601534"}, {"dataset_uid": "601633", "doi": "10.15784/601633", "keywords": "Antarctica; Joinville Island", "people": "Simms, Alexander", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ground-Penetrating Radar data from Livingston Island in the Antarctic Peninsula", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601633"}, {"dataset_uid": "601531", "doi": "10.15784/601531", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geochronology; Joinville Island; Livingston Island; OSL dating; Raised Beaches", "people": "DeWitt, Regina", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Electron Microprobe Analysis of feldspar separates from rock and sediment OSL samples from Joinville and Livingston Island Beaches", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601531"}, {"dataset_uid": "601532", "doi": "10.15784/601532", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geochronology; Joinville Island; Livingston Island; OSL dating; Raised Beaches", "people": "DeWitt, Regina", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "OSL data - Joinville and Livingston Islands - Raw data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601532"}, {"dataset_uid": "601634", "doi": "10.15784/601634", "keywords": "Antarctica; Joinville Island; Raised Beaches; Sea Level", "people": "Simms, Alexander", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Radiocarbon Ages from Beaches on Joinville Island, Antarctic Peninsula", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601634"}], "date_created": "Thu, 08 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Nontechnical Description Glacier ice loss from Antarctica has the potential to lead to a significant rise in global sea level. One line of evidence for accelerated glacier ice loss has been an increase in the rate at which the land has been rising across the Antarctic Peninsula as measured by GPS receivers. However, GPS observations of uplift are limited to the last two decades. One goal of this study is to determine how these newly observed rates of uplift compare to average rates of uplift across the Antarctic Peninsula over a longer time interval. Researchers will reconstruct past sea levels using the age and elevation of ancient beaches now stranded above sea level on the low-lying coastal hills of the Antarctica Peninsula to determine the rate of uplift over the last 5,000 years. The researchers will also analyze the structure of the beaches using ground-penetrating radar and the characteristics of beach sediments to understand how sea-level rise and past climate changes are recorded in beach deposits. The benefits of these new records will be threefold: (1) they will help determine the natural variability of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and relative sea level (2) they will provide new insight about uplift and the structure of the Earth\u0027s interior; and 3) they will help researchers refine the methods used to determine the age of geologic deposits. The study results will be shared in outreach events at K-12 schools and with visitors of the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum. Three graduate students will be supported through this project. Technical description Paleo sea-level data is critical for reconstructing the size and extent of past ice sheets, documenting increased uplift following glacial retreat, and correcting gravity-based measurements of ice-mass loss for the impacts of post-glacial rebound. However, there are only 14 sites with relative sea-level data for Antarctica compared to over 500 sites used in a recent study of the North American Ice-Sheet complex. The purpose of this project is to use optically stimulated luminescence to date a series of newly discovered raised beaches along the eastern Antarctic Peninsula and an already known, but only preliminarily dated, series of raised beaches in the South Shetland Islands. Data to be collected at the raised beaches include the age and elevation, ground-penetrating radar profiles, and the roundness of cobbles and the lithology of ice-rafted debris. The study will test three hypotheses: (1) uplift rates have increased in modern times relative to the late Holocene across the Antarctic Peninsula, (2) the sea-level history at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula is distinctly different than that of the South Shetland Islands, and (3) cobble roundness and the source of ice-rafted debris on raised beaches varied systematically through time reflecting the climate history of the northern Antarctic Peninsula.", "east": -55.0, "geometry": "POINT(-60 -63)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctic Peninsula; COASTAL LANDFORMS/PROCESSES; USAP-DC; SEA LEVEL RECONSTRUCTION; South Shetland Islands; AMD; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Amd/Us; USA/NSF", "locations": "South Shetland Islands; Antarctic Peninsula", "north": -61.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Simms, Alexander; DeWitt, Regina", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -65.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: New Constraints on Post-Glacial Rebound and Holocene Environmental History along the Northern Antarctic Peninsula from Raised Beaches", "uid": "p0010132", "west": -65.0}, {"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": "601376", "doi": "10.15784/601376", "keywords": "Antarctica; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Schaefer, Joerg; Kaplan, Michael; Winckler, Gisela", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "3He input data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601376"}, {"dataset_uid": "601375", "doi": "10.15784/601375", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cosmogenic Dating; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Kaplan, Michael; Winckler, Gisela; Schaefer, Joerg", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "10Be and 26Al cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601375"}], "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": "1724670 Williams, Trevor", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-70 -60,-65 -60,-60 -60,-55 -60,-50 -60,-45 -60,-40 -60,-35 -60,-30 -60,-25 -60,-20 -60,-20 -62.5,-20 -65,-20 -67.5,-20 -70,-20 -72.5,-20 -75,-20 -77.5,-20 -80,-20 -82.5,-20 -85,-25 -85,-30 -85,-35 -85,-40 -85,-45 -85,-50 -85,-55 -85,-60 -85,-65 -85,-70 -85,-70 -82.5,-70 -80,-70 -77.5,-70 -75,-70 -72.5,-70 -70,-70 -67.5,-70 -65,-70 -62.5,-70 -60))", "dataset_titles": "Argon thermochronological data on detrital mineral grains from the Weddell Sea embayment", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601378", "doi": "10.15784/601378", "keywords": "40Ar/39Ar Thermochronology; Antarctica; Argon; Chemistry:sediment; Chemistry:Sediment; Detrital Minerals; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Marine Sediments; Mass Spectrometer; Provenance; R/v Polarstern; Sediment Core Data; Subglacial Till; Till; Weddell Sea", "people": "Williams, Trevor", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Argon thermochronological data on detrital mineral grains from the Weddell Sea embayment", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601378"}, {"dataset_uid": "601377", "doi": "10.15784/601377", "keywords": "40Ar/39Ar Thermochronology; Antarctica; Argon; Chemistry:sediment; Chemistry:Sediment; Detrital Minerals; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Marine Sediments; Mass Spectrometer; Provenance; R/v Polarstern; Sediment Core Data; Subglacial Till; Till; Weddell Sea", "people": "Williams, Trevor", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Argon thermochronological data on detrital mineral grains from the Weddell Sea embayment", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601377"}, {"dataset_uid": "601379", "doi": "10.15784/601379", "keywords": "40Ar/39Ar Thermochronology; Antarctica; Argon; Chemistry:sediment; Chemistry:Sediment; Detrital Minerals; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Marine Geoscience; Mass Spectrometer; Provenance; R/v Polarstern; Sediment Core Data; Subglacial Till; Till; Weddell Sea", "people": "Williams, Trevor", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Argon thermochronological data on detrital mineral grains from the Weddell Sea embayment", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601379"}], "date_created": "Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Abstract for the general public: The margins of the Antarctic ice sheet have advanced and retreated repeatedly over the past few million years. Melting ice from the last retreat, from 19,000 to 9,000 years ago, raised sea levels by 8 meters or more, but the extents of previous retreats are less well known. The main goal of this project is to understand how Antarctic ice retreats: fast or slow, stepped or steady, and which parts of the ice sheet are most prone to retreat. Antarctica loses ice by two main processes: melting of the underside of floating ice shelves and calving of icebergs. Icebergs themselves are ephemeral, but they carry mineral grains and rock fragments that have been scoured from Antarctic bedrock. As the icebergs drift and melt, this \u0027iceberg-rafted debris\u0027 falls to the sea-bed and is steadily buried in marine sediments to form a record of iceberg activity and ice sheet retreat. The investigators will read this record of iceberg-rafted debris to find when and where Antarctic ice destabilized in the past. This information can help to predict how Antarctic ice will behave in a warming climate. The study area is the Weddell Sea embayment, in the Atlantic sector of Antarctica. Principal sources of icebergs are the nearby Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea embayment, where ice streams drain about a quarter of Antarctic ice. The provenance of the iceberg-rafted debris (IRD), and the icebergs that carried it, will be found by matching the geochemical fingerprint (such as characteristic argon isotope ages) of individual mineral grains in the IRD to that of the corresponding source area. In more detail, the project will: 1. Define the geochemical fingerprints of the source areas of the glacially-eroded material using samples from each major ice stream entering the Weddell Sea. Existing data indicates that the hinterland of the Weddell embayment is made up of geochemically distinguishable source areas, making it possible to apply geochemical provenance techniques to determine the origin of Antarctica icebergs. Few samples of onshore tills are available from this area, so this project includes fieldwork to collect till samples to characterize detritus supplied by the Recovery and Foundation ice streams. 2. Document the stratigraphic changes in provenance of iceberg-rafted debris (IRD) and glacially-eroded material in two deep water sediment cores in the NW Weddell Sea. Icebergs calved from ice streams in the embayment are carried by the Weddell Gyre and deposit IRD as they pass over the core sites. The provenance information identifies which groups of ice streams were actively eroding and exporting detritus to the ocean (via iceberg rafting and bottom currents), and the stratigraphy of the cores shows the relative sequence of ice stream activity through time. A further dimension is added by determining the time lag between fine sediment erosion and deposition, using a new method of uranium-series isotope measurements in fine grained material. Technical abstract: The behavior of the Antarctic ice sheets and ice streams is a critical topic for climate change and future sea level rise. The goal of this proposal is to constrain ice sheet response to changing climate in the Weddell Sea during the three most recent glacial terminations, as analogues for potential future warming. The project will also examine possible contributions to Meltwater Pulse 1A, and test the relative stability of the ice streams draining East and West Antarctica. Much of the West Antarctic ice may have melted during the Eemian (130 to 114 Ka), so it may be an analogue for predicting future ice drawdown over the coming centuries. Geochemical provenance fingerprinting of glacially eroded detritus provides a novel way to reconstruct the location and relative timing of glacial retreat during these terminations in the Weddell Sea embayment. The two major objectives of the project are to: 1. Define the provenance source areas by characterizing Ar, U-Pb, and Nd isotopic signatures, and heavy mineral and Fe-Ti oxide compositions of detrital minerals from each major ice stream entering the Weddell Sea, using onshore tills and existing sediment cores from the Ronne and Filchner Ice Shelves. Pilot data demonstrate that detritus originating from the east and west sides of the Weddell Sea embayment can be clearly distinguished, and published data indicates that the hinterland of the embayment is made up of geochemically distinguishable source areas. Few samples of onshore tills are available from this area, so this project includes fieldwork to collect till to characterize detritus supplied by the Recovery and Foundation ice streams. 2. Document the stratigraphic changes in provenance of iceberg-rafted debris (IRD) and glacially-eroded material in two deep water sediment cores in the NW Weddell Sea. Icebergs calved from ice streams in the embayment are carried by the Weddell Gyre and deposit IRD as they pass over the core sites. The provenance information will identify which ice streams were actively eroding and exporting detritus to the ocean (via iceberg rafting and bottom currents). The stratigraphy of the cores will show the relative sequence of ice stream activity through time. A further time dimension is added by determining the time lag between fine sediment erosion and deposition, using U-series comminution ages.", "east": -20.0, "geometry": "POINT(-45 -72.5)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SEDIMENT CORERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "TERRIGENOUS SEDIMENTS; Subglacial Till; USAP-DC; ICEBERGS; AMD; USA/NSF; ISOTOPES; AGE DETERMINATIONS; Argon; Provenance; Till; Amd/Us; R/V POLARSTERN; FIELD INVESTIGATION; SEDIMENT CHEMISTRY; Weddell Sea; Antarctica; LABORATORY", "locations": "Weddell Sea; Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Williams, Trevor; Hemming, Sidney R.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V POLARSTERN", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -85.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Deglacial Ice Dynamics in the Weddell Sea Embayment using Sediment Provenance", "uid": "p0010128", "west": -70.0}, {"awards": "1745116 Scambos, Ted", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-75 -69,-74 -69,-73 -69,-72 -69,-71 -69,-70 -69,-69 -69,-68 -69,-67 -69,-66 -69,-65 -69,-65 -69.5,-65 -70,-65 -70.5,-65 -71,-65 -71.5,-65 -72,-65 -72.5,-65 -73,-65 -73.5,-65 -74,-66 -74,-67 -74,-68 -74,-69 -74,-70 -74,-71 -74,-72 -74,-73 -74,-74 -74,-75 -74,-75 -73.5,-75 -73,-75 -72.5,-75 -72,-75 -71.5,-75 -71,-75 -70.5,-75 -70,-75 -69.5,-75 -69))", "dataset_titles": "Density, hydrology and geophysical measurements from the Wilkins Ice Shelf firn aquifer; Weather, Firn Core, and Ground-penetrating radar data from southern Wilkins and George VI ice shelves, 2018-2019", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601390", "doi": "10.15784/601390", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Firn; Firn Aquifer; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPR; Hydrology; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Wilkins Ice Shelf", "people": "Wallin, Bruce; Miller, Olivia; Mi\u00e8ge, Cl\u00e9ment; Solomon, Kip; Miller, Julie; Scambos, Ted; Forster, Richard; Koenig, Lora; Montgomery, Lynn", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Density, hydrology and geophysical measurements from the Wilkins Ice Shelf firn aquifer", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601390"}, {"dataset_uid": "601905", "doi": "10.15784/601905", "keywords": "AMIGOS; Antarctica; Cryosphere; George VI Ice Shelf; Glaciology; Ground Penetrating Radar; Ice Core Data; Ice Shelf; Wilkins Ice Shelf", "people": "Miege, Clement; Wallin, Bruce; Montgomery, Lynn; Miller, Julie; Scambos, Ted", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Weather, Firn Core, and Ground-penetrating radar data from southern Wilkins and George VI ice shelves, 2018-2019", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601905"}], "date_created": "Tue, 08 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Snow or firn aquifers are areas of subsurface meltwater storage that form in glaciated regions experiencing intense summer surface melting and high snowfall. Aquifers can induce hydrofracturing, and thereby accelerate flow or trigger ice-shelf instability leading to increased ice-sheet mass loss. Widespread aquifers have recently been discovered in Greenland. These have been modelled and mapped using new satellite and airborne remote-sensing techniques. In Antarctica, a series of catastrophic break-ups at the Wilkins Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula that was previously attributed to effects of surface melting and brine infiltration is now recognized as being consistent with a firn aquifer--possibly stimulated by long-period ocean swell--that enhanced ice-shelf hydrofracture. This project will verify inferences (from the same mapping approach used in Greenland) that such aquifers are indeed present in Antarctica. The team will survey two high-probability sites: the Wilkins Ice Shelf, and the southern George VI Ice Shelf. This two-year study will characterize the firn at the two field sites, drill shallow (~60 m maximum) ice cores, examine snow pits (~2 m), and install two AMIGOS (Automated Met-Ice-Geophysics Observing System) stations that include weather, GPS, and firn temperature sensors that will collect and transmit measurements for at least a year before retrieval. Ground-penetrating radar survey in areas surrounding the field sites will track aquifer extent and depth variations. Ice and microwave model studies will be combined with the field-observed properties to further explore the range of firn aquifers and related upper-snow-layer conditions. This study will provide valuable experience for three early-career scientists. An outreach effort through field blogging, social media posts, K-12 presentations, and public lectures is planned to engage the public in the team?s Antarctic scientific exploration and discovery. 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": -65.0, "geometry": "POINT(-70 -71.5)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e GPR", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; Firn Aquifer; USA/NSF; FIELD INVESTIGATION; AMD; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; Wilkens Ice Shelf; Antarctic Peninsula; Amd/Us", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula; Wilkens Ice Shelf", "north": -69.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Scambos, Ted", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -74.0, "title": "Antarctic Firn Aquifers: Extent, Characteristics, and Comparison with Greenland Occurrences", "uid": "p0010126", "west": -75.0}, {"awards": "1935945 Tremblay, Marissa; 1935755 Lamp, Jennifer; 1935907 Balco, Gregory", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160 -77.25,160.4 -77.25,160.8 -77.25,161.2 -77.25,161.6 -77.25,162 -77.25,162.4 -77.25,162.8 -77.25,163.2 -77.25,163.6 -77.25,164 -77.25,164 -77.325,164 -77.4,164 -77.475,164 -77.55,164 -77.625,164 -77.7,164 -77.775,164 -77.85,164 -77.925,164 -78,163.6 -78,163.2 -78,162.8 -78,162.4 -78,162 -78,161.6 -78,161.2 -78,160.8 -78,160.4 -78,160 -78,160 -77.925,160 -77.85,160 -77.775,160 -77.7,160 -77.625,160 -77.55,160 -77.475,160 -77.4,160 -77.325,160 -77.25))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 25 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": ". ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Part I: Nontechnical Description Scientists study the Earth\u0027s past climate in order to understand how the climate will respond to ongoing global change in the future. One of the best analogs for future climate might the period that occurred approximately 3 million years ago, during an interval known as the mid-Pliocene Warm Period. During this period, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was similar to today\u0027s and sea level was 15 or more meters higher, due primarily to warming and consequent ice sheet melting in polar regions. However, the temperatures in polar regions during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period are not well determined, in part because we do not have records like ice cores that extend this far back in time. This project will provide constraints on surface temperatures in Antarctica during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period using a new type of climate substitute, known as cosmogenic noble gas paleothermometry. This project focuses on an area of Antarctica called the McMurdo Dry Valleys. In this area, climate models suggest that temperatures were more than 10 C warmer during the mid-Pliocene than they are today, but indirect geologic observations suggest that temperatures may have been similar to today. The McMurdo Dry Valleys are also a place where rocks have been exposed to Earth surface conditions for several million years, and where this new climate substitute can be readily applied. The team will reconstruct temperatures in the McMurdo Dry Valleys during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period in order to resolve the discrepancy between models and indirect geologic observations and provide much-needed constraints on the sensitivity of Antarctic ice sheets to warming temperatures. The temperature reconstructions generated in this project will have scientific impact in multiple disciplines, including climate science, glaciology, geomorphology, and planetary science. In addition, the project will (1) broaden the participation of underrepresented groups by supporting two early-career female principal investigators, (2) build STEM talent through the education and training of a graduate student, (3) enhance infrastructure for research via publication of a publicly-accessible, open-source code library, and (4) be broadly disseminated via social media, blog posts, publications, and conference presentations. Part II: Technical Description The mid-Pliocene Warm Period (3-3.3 million years ago) is the most recent interval of the geologic past when atmospheric CO2 concentrations exceeded 400 ppm and is widely considered an analog for how Earth\u2019s climate system will respond to current global change. Climate models predict polar amplification - the occurrence of larger changes in temperatures at high latitudes than the global average due to a radiative forcing - both during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period and due to current climate warming. However, the predicted magnitude of polar amplification is highly uncertain in both cases. The magnitude of polar amplification has important implications for the sensitivity of ice sheets to warming and the contribution of ice sheet melting to sea level change. Proxy-based constraints on polar surface air temperatures during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period are sparse to non-existent. In Antarctica, there is only indirect evidence for the magnitude of warming during this time. This project will provide constraints on surface temperatures in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period using a newly developed technique called cosmogenic noble gas (CNG) paleothermometry. CNG paleothermometry utilizes the diffusive behavior of cosmogenic 3He in quartz to quantify the temperatures rocks experience while exposed to cosmic-ray particles within a few meters of the Earth\u2019s surface. The very low erosion rates and subzero temperatures characterizing the McMurdo Dry Valleys make this region uniquely suited for the application of CNG paleothermometry for addressing the question: what temperatures characterized the McMurdo Dry Valleys during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period? To address this question, the team will collect bedrock samples at several locations in the McMurdo Dry Valleys where erosion rates are known to be low enough that cosmic ray exposure extends into the mid-Pliocene or earlier. They will pair cosmogenic 3He measurements, which will record the thermal histories of our samples, with measurements of cosmogenic 10Be, 26Al, and 21Ne, which record samples exposure and erosion histories. We will also make in situ measurements of rock and air temperatures at sample sites in order to quantify the effect of radiative heating and develop a statistical relationship between rock and air temperatures, as well as conduct diffusion experiments to quantify the kinetics of 3He diffusion specific to each sample. This suite of observations will be used to model permissible thermal histories and place constraints on temperatures during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period interval of cosmic-ray exposure. 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": 164.0, "geometry": "POINT(162 -77.625)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD INVESTIGATION; AMD; LABORATORY; USA/NSF; Amd/Us; ISOTOPES; Dry Valleys; AIR TEMPERATURE RECONSTRUCTION; GEOCHEMISTRY; USAP-DC", "locations": "Dry Valleys", "north": -77.25, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Tremblay, Marissa; Granger, Darryl; Balco, Gregory; Lamp, Jennifer", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Collaborative \r\nResearch: Reconstructing Temperatures during the Mid-Pliocene Warm \r\nPeriod in the McMurdo Dry Valleys with Cosmogenic Noble Gases", "uid": "p0010123", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "1745049 Tyler, Scott", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Ice Diver Madison Run #1 March 1, 2020", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601368", "doi": "10.15784/601368", "keywords": "Antarctica; North America; Temperature", "people": "Tyler, Scott W.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice Diver Madison Run #1 March 1, 2020", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601368"}], "date_created": "Mon, 03 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Nontechnical Abstract Studies in Antarctica are, at present, severely limited by the costs of placing measurement instruments within and beneath thousands of meters of ice. Our aim is to enable dense, widespread measurement-networks by advancing development of low-cost ice melt probe technology to deploy instruments. Ice melt probes use electrical energy to descend through thick ice with little support structure on the ice surface. We are extending previous technology by using anti-freeze to maintain a partially open melt-hole above a descending probe, deploying as we go a new a new fiber-optic technology to measure ice temperature. Ice temperature measurements will reveal spatial patterns of heat welling up from the Earth beneath the ice, which in turn will contribute greatly to finding ancient ice that contains global climate records, and to understanding how ice flow may raise sea levels. Our immediate objective in this 1-year project is to test and refine our anti-freeze-based method in a 15 meter-tall ice column at the University of Wisconsin, so as to reduce technical risk in future field tests. Technical Abstract The overarching aim of our development is to enable widespread, spatially dense deployments of instruments within and beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet for a variety of investigations, beginning with observations of basal temperature and geothermal flux at the base of the ice sheet. Dense, widespread deployment requires logistical costs far below current costs for ice drilling and coring. Our approach is to extend ice melt probe technology (which is inherently light, logistically) to allow the progressive deployment of cable for Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) from the ice surface as the probe descends, without greatly increasing logistical costs. Our extension is based on arresting refreezing of the melt-hole above the probe (at a diameter a few times the cable diameter) by injecting anti-freeze - specifically, ethanol at temperature near 0C - a few meters above the probe during descent. After thermal equilibration of the liquid ethanol/water column with the ice, DTS measurements yield the depth-profile of ice sheet temperature, from which basal temperature and (over frozen beds) geothermal flux can be inferred. We have carried out initial trials of our approach in a cold-room laboratory, but field work based only on such small-scale tests may still involve unnecessary risk. We therefore propose further testing at a facility of the Ice Drilling Design and Operations (IDDO) facility in Madison, WI. The new trials will test our approaches to melt-hole control and probe recovery in the taller column, will test cable and cable-tension-management methods more nearly approximating those needed to work on ice sheets, and will demonstrate the Distributed Temperature Sensing in its field configuration. 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": "GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; North America; ICE DEPTH/THICKNESS; NOT APPLICABLE", "locations": "North America", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Instrumentation and Facilities; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Tyler, Scott W.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Toward Dense Observation of Geothermal Fluxes in Antarctica Via Logistically Light Instrument Deployment", "uid": "p0010121", "west": null}, {"awards": "1543396 Christner, Brent; 1543453 Lyons, W. Berry; 1543537 Priscu, John; 1543441 Fricker, Helen; 1543347 Rosenheim, Brad; 1543405 Leventer, Amy", "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": "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": "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": "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": "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": "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": "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": "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": "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": "Priscu, John; Rosenheim, Brad; Leventer, Amy; Dore, John", "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": "200246", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "OSU-MGR", "science_program": null, "title": "Salsa sediment cores", "url": "https://osu-mgr.org"}, {"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": "601672", "doi": "10.15784/601672", "keywords": "Antarctica; Isotope; Mercer Subglacial Lake; Radiocarbon; Subglacial Lake", "people": "Venturelli, Ryan; Rosenheim, Brad", "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": "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": "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": "Michaud, Alexander; Dore, John; Science Team, SALSA; Steigmeyer, August; Tranter, Martyn; Skidmore, Mark", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Sediment porewater properties data from Mercer Subglacial Lake", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601664"}, {"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": "Steigmeyer, August; Hawkings, Jon; Skidmore, Mark; Dore, John; Science Team, SALSA; Priscu, John; Tranter, Martyn; Barker, Joel; Li, Wei", "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": "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; Dore, John; Michaud, Alexander; Hawkings, Jon; Skidmore, Mark; Tranter, Martyn; Venturelli, Ryan A; 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": "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": "Christoffersen, Poul; Peters, Sean; Bienert, Nicole; Siegfried, Matthew; Schroeder, Dustin; Dawson, Eliza; MacKie, Emma", "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"}], "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 Glaciology; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; 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": "UNAVCO", "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": "1443482 Mak, John", "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": "Carbon monoxide mixing ratios and stable isotopic values, SPICE", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601356", "doi": "10.15784/601356", "keywords": "Antarctica; CO; Delta 13C; Delta 18O; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Mak, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "Carbon monoxide mixing ratios and stable isotopic values, SPICE", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601356"}], "date_created": "Thu, 09 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Mak/1443482 This project will compare current atmospheric conditions with those of the remote past prior to human influence. This is important in order to understand the impact of human activities on Earth\u0027s atmosphere, and to determine the stability of the composition of the atmosphere in the past. How humans have impacted Earth?s atmospheric composition is important for developing accurate predictions of future global atmospheric conditions. In addition to training students, the investigators will support continuing education of high school science teachers on Long Island through specifically tailored, interactive seminars on various topics in earth science, atmospheric sciences, physics and biology. A pilot program at Mount Sinai School District, near Stony Brook University will be the first implementation of this program. The investigators plan to reconstruct historical variations in the sources of atmospheric carbon monoxide (CO) from measurements of the concentration and stable isotopic abundance of carbon monoxide ([CO], 13CO and C18O) in the South Pole Ice Core, which is being drilled in 2014-2016. The goal is to strategically sample and reconstruct the relative variations in CO source strengths over the past 20,000 years. These will be the first measurements to extend the CO record beyond 650 years before present, back to the last glacial maximum. Both atmospheric chemical processes and variations in CO sources can impact the CO budget, and variations in the CO budget are useful in identifying and quantifying chemistry-climate interactions.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "LABORATORY; TRACE GASES/TRACE SPECIES; FIELD INVESTIGATION; South Pole", "locations": "South Pole", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Mak, John", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "SPICEcore", "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Using Stable Isotopes to Constrain the Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide Budget over the Last 20,000 Years", "uid": "p0010117", "west": -180.0}, {"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": "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"}, {"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": "601355", "doi": "10.15784/601355", "keywords": "Aerogeophysics; Antarctica; Bed Elevation; Bed Reflectivity; Epica Dome C; Ice Thickness", "people": "Blankenship, Donald D.; Young, Duncan A.; van Ommen, Tas; Richter, Thomas; Greenbaum, Jamin; Cavitte, Marie G. P; Beem, Lucas H.; Quartini, Enrica; Tozer, Carly; Ng, Gregory; Habbal, Feras; Roberts, Jason; 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": "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": "Beem, Lucas H.; Young, Duncan A.; Greenbaum, Jamin; Ng, Gregory; Young, Duncan; 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": "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": "Blankenship, Donald D.; Mulvaney, Robert; Cavitte, Marie G. P; Ritz, Catherine; Greenbaum, Jamin; Ng, Gregory; Kempf, Scott D.; Quartini, Enrica; Muldoon, Gail R.; Paden, John; Frezzotti, Massimo; Roberts, Jason; Tozer, Carly; Young, Duncan A.; Schroeder, Dustin", "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": "601463", "doi": "10.15784/601463", "keywords": "Antarctica; Epica Dome C; ICECAP; Ice Penetrating Radar; Subglacial Lake", "people": "Ritz, Catherine; Roberts, Jason; Young, Duncan A.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Van Ommen, Tas; Corr, Hugh F. J.; Urbini, Stefano; Steinhage, Daniel; Tozer, Carly; Cavitte, Marie G. P; Quartini, Enrica; Frezzotti, Massimo", "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": "601461", "doi": "10.15784/601461", "keywords": "Antarctica; ICECAP; Titan Dome", "people": "Young, Duncan A.; Jingxue, Guo; Bo, Sun; Greenbaum, Jamin; Blankenship, Donald D.", "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": "601371", "doi": "10.15784/601371", "keywords": "Antarctica; East Antarctica; ICECAP; Ice Penetrating Radar; Radar Echo Sounder; Radar Echo Sounding; Subglacial Hydrology", "people": "Schroeder, Dustin; Young, Duncan A.; Roberts, Jason; Blankenship, Donald D.; Siegert, Martin; van Ommen, Tas; Greenbaum, Jamin", "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"}], "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": "AADC", "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": "0125252 Padman, Laurence; 0125602 Padman, Laurence", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -40.231,-144 -40.231,-108 -40.231,-72 -40.231,-36 -40.231,0 -40.231,36 -40.231,72 -40.231,108 -40.231,144 -40.231,180 -40.231,180 -45.2079,180 -50.1848,180 -55.1617,180 -60.1386,180 -65.1155,180 -70.0924,180 -75.0693,180 -80.0462,180 -85.0231,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -85.0231,-180 -80.0462,-180 -75.0693,-180 -70.0924,-180 -65.1155,-180 -60.1386,-180 -55.1617,-180 -50.1848,-180 -45.2079,-180 -40.231))", "dataset_titles": "Antarctic Tide Gauge Database, version 1; AntTG_Database_Tools; CATS2008: Circum-Antarctic Tidal Simulation version 2008; CATS2008_v2023: Circum-Antarctic Tidal Simulation 2008, version 2023; pyTMD; TMD_Matlab_Toolbox_v2.5", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601235", "doi": "10.15784/601235", "keywords": "Antarctica; Inverse Modeling; Model Data; Ocean Currents; Sea Surface; Tidal Models; Tides", "people": "Erofeeva, Svetlana; Padman, Laurence; Howard, Susan L.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "CATS2008: Circum-Antarctic Tidal Simulation version 2008", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601235"}, {"dataset_uid": "601358", "doi": "10.15784/601358", "keywords": "Antarctica; Oceans; Sea Surface Height; Tide Gauges; Tides", "people": "King, Matt; Padman, Laurence; Howard, Susan L.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Tide Gauge Database, version 1", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601358"}, {"dataset_uid": "200158", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GitHub", "science_program": null, "title": "pyTMD", "url": "https://github.com/tsutterley/pyTMD"}, {"dataset_uid": "200156", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GitHub", "science_program": null, "title": "AntTG_Database_Tools", "url": "https://github.com/EarthAndSpaceResearch/AntTG_Database_Tools"}, {"dataset_uid": "200157", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GitHub", "science_program": null, "title": "TMD_Matlab_Toolbox_v2.5", "url": "https://github.com/EarthAndSpaceResearch/TMD_Matlab_Toolbox_v2.5"}, {"dataset_uid": "601772", "doi": "10.15784/601772", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Inverse Modeling; Model Data; Ocean Currents; Oceans; Sea Surface; Southern Ocean; Tide Model; Tides", "people": "Sutterley, Tyler; Howard, Susan L.; Greene, Chad A.; Padman, Laurence; Erofeeva, Svetlana", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "CATS2008_v2023: Circum-Antarctic Tidal Simulation 2008, version 2023", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601772"}], "date_created": "Tue, 07 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The ocean tide is a large component of total variability of ocean surface height and currents in the seas surrounding Antarctica, including under the floating ice shelves. Maximum tidal height range exceeds 7 m (near the grounding line of Rutford Ice Stream) and maximum tidal currents exceed 1 m/s (near the shelf break in the northwest Ross Sea). Tides contribute to several important climate and ecosystems processes including: ocean mixing, production of dense bottom water, flow of warm Circumpolar Deep Water onto the continental shelves, melting at the bases of ice shelves, fracturing of the ice sheet near a glacier or ice stream\u2019s grounding line, production and decay of sea ice, and sediment resuspension. Tide heights and, in particular, currents can change as the ocean background state changes, and as the geometry of the coastal margins of the Antarctic Ice Sheet varies through ice shelf thickness changes and ice-front and grounding-line advances or retreats. For satellite-based studies of ocean surface height and ice shelf thickness changes, tide heights are a source of substantial noise that must be removed. Similarly, tidal currents can also be a substantial noise signal when trying to estimate mean ocean currents from short-term measurements such as from acoustic Doppler current profilers mounted on ships and CTD rosettes. Therefore, tide models play critical roles in understanding current and future ocean and ice states, and as a method for removing tides in various measurements. A paper in Reviews of Geophysics (Padman, Siegfried and Fricker, 2018, see list of project-related publications below) provides a detailed review of tides and tidal processes around Antarctica.\r\n\nThis project provides a gateway to tide models and a database of tide height coefficients at the Antarctic Data Center, and links to toolboxes to work with these models and data.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e GAUGES \u003e TIDE GAUGES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Tide Gauges; OCEAN CURRENTS; Sea Surface Height; USAP-DC; GLACIER MOTION/ICE SHEET MOTION; Tides; Antarctica; MODELS; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -40.231, "nsf_funding_programs": "Arctic System Science; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Howard, Susan L.; Padman, Laurence; Erofeeva, Svetlana; King, Matt", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e MODELS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "GitHub; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Ocean Tides around Antarctica and in the Southern Ocean", "uid": "p0010116", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1235094 Thurnherr, Andreas", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-19 -19,-18.2 -19,-17.4 -19,-16.6 -19,-15.8 -19,-15 -19,-14.2 -19,-13.4 -19,-12.6 -19,-11.8 -19,-11 -19,-11 -19.4,-11 -19.8,-11 -20.2,-11 -20.6,-11 -21,-11 -21.4,-11 -21.8,-11 -22.2,-11 -22.6,-11 -23,-11.8 -23,-12.6 -23,-13.4 -23,-14.2 -23,-15 -23,-15.8 -23,-16.6 -23,-17.4 -23,-18.2 -23,-19 -23,-19 -22.6,-19 -22.2,-19 -21.8,-19 -21.4,-19 -21,-19 -20.6,-19 -20.2,-19 -19.8,-19 -19.4,-19 -19))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; NBP1406 Expedition data; NBP1508 Expedition data; Processed Current Measurement Data from the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge Spreading acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1508; Processed Current Measurement, Pressure and Temperature Data from the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge Spreading acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1508 (2015); Processed Current Measurement, Pressure, Salinity and Temperature Data from the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge Spreading acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1508", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200154", "doi": "10.7284/906708", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1508 Expedition data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1508"}, {"dataset_uid": "601353", "doi": null, "keywords": "CTD; CTD Data; Current Measurements; Current Meter; Mid-Ocean Ridge; Mooring; NBP1508; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Pressure; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Salinity; South Atlantic Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Thurnherr, Andreas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Processed Current Measurement, Pressure and Temperature Data from the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge Spreading acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1508 (2015)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601353"}, {"dataset_uid": "601354", "doi": "10.15784/601354", "keywords": "Current Measurements; LADCP; Mid-Ocean Ridge; NBP1508; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; South Atlantic Ocean", "people": "Thurnherr, Andreas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Processed Current Measurement Data from the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge Spreading acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1508", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601354"}, {"dataset_uid": "001408", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1406"}, {"dataset_uid": "200153", "doi": "10.7284/903009", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1406 Expedition data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1406"}, {"dataset_uid": "601352", "doi": null, "keywords": "CTD; Mid-Ocean Ridge; Mooring; NBP1508; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Pressure; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Salinity; South Atlantic Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Thurnherr, Andreas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Processed Current Measurement, Pressure, Salinity and Temperature Data from the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge Spreading acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1508", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601352"}], "date_created": "Thu, 02 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Overview: In order to close the global overturning circulation, high-density deep- and bottom waters produced at high latitudes must be made less dense and upwell to shallower depths. Available observations from the subtropical South Atlantic indicate that the bulk of the mixing in the deep ocean there takes place over the topographically rough Mid-Atlantic Ridge, in particular in the quasi-regularly spaced \"fracture zone canyons\" corrugating the ridge flanks. There, dense water is advected toward the ridge crest (i.e. upwelled) by persistent along-valley currents that flow down the unidirectional density gradients, which are maintained by strong turbulence (diapycnal mixing). Most of the data on which these inferences are based were collected during the Brazil Basin Tracer Release Experiment (BBTRE) along a single ridge-flank canyon in the western South Atlantic near 22S where previous analyses have shown that both tidal mixing and overflow processes are important. Therefore, it is likely that both processes must be considered in order to understand and parameterize the effects of turbulence and mixing in the canyons corrugating the flanks of all slow-spreading ridges, which make up large fractions of the sea floor, in particular in the Atlantic, Indian and Southern Oceans. The primary aim of this follow-on project is to improve our understanding of the dynamics over the corrugated flanks of slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges. Due to the coarse sampling resolution and choice of station locations it is not possible to answer important questions, such as the relative importance of tidal and sill mixing, from the BBTRE data. Therefore, high-resolution surveys of hydrography, three-dimensional flow, turbulence and mixing will be carried out in two neighboring canyons and over the intervening topographic spur in the BBTRE region to determine the relative contributions of tidal and sill-related mixing. Furthermore, profiling moorings deployed on two nearby sill regions will be used to derive time series of spatially integrated mixing related buoyancy fluxes and to investigate the strong but unexplained sub-inertial variability of the along-canyon flow recorded previously. Additionally, three small moorings will be deployed in saddles between the two canyons to investigate inter-canyon exchange. The data analysis will include available data from previous experiments, including a set of tracer profiles that has not been analyzed before. Intellectual Merit: The corrugated flanks of slow-spreading ridges cover large areas of the sea floor of several major ocean basins. Therefore, understanding the dynamics in the ~100 km of ridge-flank canyons and its effects on the buoyancy and upwelling budget of the abyssal ocean is of global significance. In addition to determining the relative importance of tidal mixing and cross-sill flows in two canyons, the temporal variability of turbulence and mixing from tidal to yearly time scales will be investigated to gain insights into the forcing of the along-canyon flows, the exchange between neighboring canyons, and the eventual fate of the canyon waters. Broader Impacts: It is anticipated that insights gained during this project will improve our understanding of abyssal mixing in many different regions with similar bottom topography and provide the basis for better parameterizations of the effects of turbulence and mixing in large-scale circulation and climate models that cannot resolve these small-scale processes. As part of the project, a graduate student and a post-doctoral researcher will be trained in all aspects of observational physical oceanography, from data acquisition to interpretation.", "east": -11.0, "geometry": "POINT(-15 -21)", "instruments": "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 ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MBES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e THERMOSALINOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "OCEAN CURRENTS; South Atlantic Ocean; R/V NBP; WATER MASSES", "locations": "South Atlantic Ocean", "north": -19.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Thurnherr, Andreas", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -23.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Flow, Turbulence and Mixing in Mid-Ocean Ridge Fracture Zone Canyons", "uid": "p0010114", "west": -19.0}, {"awards": "1543483 Sedwick, Peter", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -66,-179.5 -66,-179 -66,-178.5 -66,-178 -66,-177.5 -66,-177 -66,-176.5 -66,-176 -66,-175.5 -66,-175 -66,-175 -67.2,-175 -68.4,-175 -69.6,-175 -70.8,-175 -72,-175 -73.2,-175 -74.4,-175 -75.6,-175 -76.8,-175 -78,-175.5 -78,-176 -78,-176.5 -78,-177 -78,-177.5 -78,-178 -78,-178.5 -78,-179 -78,-179.5 -78,180 -78,178.5 -78,177 -78,175.5 -78,174 -78,172.5 -78,171 -78,169.5 -78,168 -78,166.5 -78,165 -78,165 -76.8,165 -75.6,165 -74.4,165 -73.2,165 -72,165 -70.8,165 -69.6,165 -68.4,165 -67.2,165 -66,166.5 -66,168 -66,169.5 -66,171 -66,172.5 -66,174 -66,175.5 -66,177 -66,178.5 -66,-180 -66))", "dataset_titles": "Impact of Convective Processes and Sea Ice Formation on the Distribution of Iron in the Ross Sea: Closing the Seasonal Cycle; NBP1704 Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200150", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Impact of Convective Processes and Sea Ice Formation on the Distribution of Iron in the Ross Sea: Closing the Seasonal Cycle", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/project/815403"}, {"dataset_uid": "001363", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1704 Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1704"}], "date_created": "Mon, 22 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The waters of the Ross Sea continental shelf are among the most productive in the Southern Ocean, and may comprise a significant regional oceanic sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. In this region, primary production can be limited by the supply of dissolved iron to surface waters during the growing season. Water-column observations, sampling and measurements are to be carried out in the late autumn-early winter time frame on the Ross Sea continental shelf and coastal polynyas (Terra Nova Bay and Ross Ice Shelf polynyas), in order to better understand what drives the biogeochemical redistribution of micronutrient iron species during the onset of convective mixing and sea-ice formation at this time of year, thereby setting conditions for primary production during the following spring. The spectacular field setting and remote, hostile conditions that accompany the proposed field study present exciting possibilities for STEM education and training. At the K-12 level, the project seeks to support the development of educational outreach materials targeting elementary and middle school students, pre-service science teachers, and in-service science teachers.", "east": 165.0, "geometry": "POINT(175 -72)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "POLYNYAS; USAP-DC; NBP1704; Iron; Ross Sea; TRACE ELEMENTS; SALINITY/DENSITY; R/V NBP; MARINE ECOSYSTEMS; BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES", "locations": "Ross Sea", "north": -66.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Sedwick, Peter", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "BCO-DMO", "repositories": "BCO-DMO; R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Impact of Convective Processes and Sea Ice Formation on the Distribution of Iron in the Ross Sea: Closing the Seasonal Cycle", "uid": "p0010111", "west": -175.0}, {"awards": "1551195 Burdige, David", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-71 -64,-70.1 -64,-69.2 -64,-68.3 -64,-67.4 -64,-66.5 -64,-65.6 -64,-64.7 -64,-63.8 -64,-62.9 -64,-62 -64,-62 -64.4,-62 -64.8,-62 -65.2,-62 -65.6,-62 -66,-62 -66.4,-62 -66.8,-62 -67.2,-62 -67.6,-62 -68,-62.9 -68,-63.8 -68,-64.7 -68,-65.6 -68,-66.5 -68,-67.4 -68,-68.3 -68,-69.2 -68,-70.1 -68,-71 -68,-71 -67.6,-71 -67.2,-71 -66.8,-71 -66.4,-71 -66,-71 -65.6,-71 -65.2,-71 -64.8,-71 -64.4,-71 -64))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition data of NBP1601; Project: Organic Carbon Oxidation and Iron Remobilization by West Antarctic Shelf Sediments", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200148", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Project: Organic Carbon Oxidation and Iron Remobilization by West Antarctic Shelf Sediments", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/project/806864"}, {"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"}], "date_created": "Tue, 16 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "General Statement: The continental shelf region west of the Antarctic Peninsula has recently undergone dramatic changes and ecosystem shifts, and the community of organisms that live in, or feed off, the sea floor sediments is being impacted by species invasions from the north. Previous studies of these sediments indicate that this community may consume much more of the regional productivity than previously estimated, suggesting that sediments are a rich and important component of this ecosystem and one that may be ripe for dramatic change. Furthermore, under richer sediment conditions, iron is mobilized and released back to the water column. Since productivity in this ecosystem is thought to be limited by the availability of iron, increased rates of iron release from these sediments could stimulate productivity and promote greater overall ecosystem change. In this research, a variety of sites across the shelf region will be sampled to accurately evaluate the role of sediments in consuming ecosystem productivity and to estimate the current level of iron release from the sediments. This project will provide a baseline set of sediment results that will present a more complete picture of the west Antarctic shelf ecosystem, will allow for comparison with water column measurements and for evaluation of the fundamental workings of this important ecosystem. This is particularly important since high latitude systems may be vulnerable to the effects of climate fluctuations. Both graduate and undergraduate students will be trained. Presentations will be made at scientific meetings, at other universities, and at outreach events. A project web site will present key results to the public and explain how this new information improves understanding of Antarctic ecosystems. Technical Description of Project: In order to determine the role of sediments within the west Antarctic shelf ecosystem, this project will determine the rates of sediment organic matter oxidation at a variety of sites across the Palmer Long Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) study region. To estimate the rates of release of iron and manganese from the sediments, these same sites will be sampled for detailed vertical distributions of the concentrations of these metals both in the porewaters and in important mineral phases. Since sediment sampling will be done at LTER sites, the sediment data can be correlated with the rich productivity data set from the LTER. In detail, the project: a) will determine the rates of oxygen consumption, organic carbon oxidation, nutrient release, and iron mobilization by shelf sediments west of the Antarctic Peninsula; b) will investigate the vertical distribution of diagenetic reactions within the sediments; and c) will assess the regional importance of these sediment rates. Sediment cores will be used to determine sediment-water fluxes of dissolved oxygen, total carbon dioxide, nutrients, and the vertical distributions of these dissolved compounds, as well as iron and manganese in the pore waters. Bulk sediment properties of porosity, organic carbon and nitrogen content, carbonate content, biogenic silica content, and multiple species of solid-phase iron, manganese, and sulfur species will also be determined. These measurements will allow determination of total organic carbon oxidation and denitrification rates, and the proportion of aerobic versus anaerobic respiration at each site. Sediment diagenetic modeling will link the processes of organic matter oxidation to metal mobilization. Pore water and solid phase iron and manganese distributions will be used to model iron diagenesis in these sediments and to estimate the iron flux from the sediments to the overlying waters. Finally, the overall regional average and distribution of the sediment processes will be compared with the distributions of seasonally averaged chlorophyll biomass and productivity.", "east": -62.0, "geometry": "POINT(-66.5 -66)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES; Iron Remobilization; R/V NBP; NBP1601; SEDIMENT CHEMISTRY; USAP-DC; West Antarctic Shelf", "locations": "West Antarctic Shelf", "north": -64.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Burdige, David; Christensen, John", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "BCO-DMO", "repositories": "BCO-DMO; R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -68.0, "title": "Organic carbon oxidation and iron remobilization by West Antarctic shelf sediments ", "uid": "p0010108", "west": -71.0}, {"awards": "1907974 Saltzman, Eric", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((129.26 -89.86,130.261 -89.86,131.262 -89.86,132.263 -89.86,133.264 -89.86,134.265 -89.86,135.266 -89.86,136.267 -89.86,137.268 -89.86,138.269 -89.86,139.27 -89.86,139.27 -89.861,139.27 -89.862,139.27 -89.863,139.27 -89.864,139.27 -89.865,139.27 -89.866,139.27 -89.867,139.27 -89.868,139.27 -89.869,139.27 -89.87,138.269 -89.87,137.268 -89.87,136.267 -89.87,135.266 -89.87,134.265 -89.87,133.264 -89.87,132.263 -89.87,131.262 -89.87,130.261 -89.87,129.26 -89.87,129.26 -89.869,129.26 -89.868,129.26 -89.867,129.26 -89.866,129.26 -89.865,129.26 -89.864,129.26 -89.863,129.26 -89.862,129.26 -89.861,129.26 -89.86))", "dataset_titles": "H2 in South Pole firn air", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601332", "doi": "10.15784/601332", "keywords": "Antarctica; Firn; Glaciology; Hydrogen; Ice Core Records; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole", "people": "Saltzman, Eric", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "H2 in South Pole firn air", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601332"}], "date_created": "Tue, 09 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Hydrogen (H2) is one of the most abundant trace gases in the atmosphere, with a mean level of 500 ppb and an atmospheric lifetime of about two years. Hydrogen has an impact on both air quality and climate, due to its role as a precursor for tropospheric ozone and stratospheric water vapor. Projections indicate that a future \"hydrogen economy\" would increase hydrogen emissions. Understanding of the atmospheric hydrogen budget is largely based on a 30-year record of surface air measurements, but there are no long-term records with which to assess either: 1) the influence of climate change on atmospheric hydrogen, or 2) the extent to which humans have impacted the hydrogen budget. Polar ice core records of hydrogen will advance our understanding of the atmospheric hydrogen cycle and provide a stronger basis for projecting future changes to atmospheric levels of hydrogen and their impacts. The research will involve laboratory work to enable the collection and analysis of hydrogen in polar ice cores. Hydrogen is a highly diffusive molecule and, unlike most other atmospheric gases, diffusion of hydrogen in ice is so rapid that ice samples must be stored in impermeable containers immediately upon drilling and recovery. This project will: 1) construct a laboratory system for extracting and analyzing hydrogen in polar ice, 2) develop and test materials and construction designs for vessels to store ice core samples in the field, and 3) test the method on samples of opportunity previously stored in the field. The goal of this project is a proven, cost-effective design for storage flasks to be fabricated for use on future polar ice coring projects. This project will support the dissertation research of a graduate student in the UC Irvine Department of Earth System Science. 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": 139.27, "geometry": "POINT(134.265 -89.865)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "LABORATORY; Firn; TRACE GASES/TRACE SPECIES; South Pole; FIELD INVESTIGATION; USAP-DC", "locations": "South Pole", "north": -89.86, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Instrumentation and Facilities", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Saltzman, Eric", "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": -89.87, "title": "EAGER: Feasibility of Reconstructing the Atmospheric History of Molecular Hydrogen from Antarctic Ice", "uid": "p0010106", "west": 129.26}, {"awards": "1443576 Panter, Kurt", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-154.1 -86.9,-154.03 -86.9,-153.96 -86.9,-153.89 -86.9,-153.82 -86.9,-153.75 -86.9,-153.68 -86.9,-153.61 -86.9,-153.54 -86.9,-153.47 -86.9,-153.4 -86.9,-153.4 -86.92,-153.4 -86.94,-153.4 -86.96,-153.4 -86.98,-153.4 -87,-153.4 -87.02,-153.4 -87.04,-153.4 -87.06,-153.4 -87.08,-153.4 -87.1,-153.47 -87.1,-153.54 -87.1,-153.61 -87.1,-153.68 -87.1,-153.75 -87.1,-153.82 -87.1,-153.89 -87.1,-153.96 -87.1,-154.03 -87.1,-154.1 -87.1,-154.1 -87.08,-154.1 -87.06,-154.1 -87.04,-154.1 -87.02,-154.1 -87,-154.1 -86.98,-154.1 -86.96,-154.1 -86.94,-154.1 -86.92,-154.1 -86.9))", "dataset_titles": "Volcanological and Petrological measurements on Mt. Early and Sheridan Bluff volcanoes, upper Scott Glacier, Antarctica ", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601331", "doi": "10.15784/601331", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:rock; Chemistry:Rock; Geochronology; Glacial Volcanism; Magma Differentiation; Major Elements; Mantle Melting; Solid Earth; Trace Elements; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Panter, Kurt", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Volcanological and Petrological measurements on Mt. Early and Sheridan Bluff volcanoes, upper Scott Glacier, Antarctica ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601331"}], "date_created": "Fri, 05 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Predictions of future sea level rise require better understanding of the changing dynamics of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. One way to better understand the past history of the ice sheets is to obtain records from inland ice for past geological periods, particularly in Antarctica, the world?s largest remaining ice sheet. Such records are exceedingly rare, and can be acquired at volcanic outcrops in the La Gorce Mountains of the central Transantarctic Mountains. Volcanoes now exposed within the La Gorce Mountains erupted beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet and the data collected will record how thick the ice sheet was in the past. In addition, information will be used to determine the thermal conditions at the base of the ice sheet, which impacts ice sheet stability. The project will also investigate the origin of volcanic activity in Antarctica and links to the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS). The WARS is a broad area of extended (i.e. stretched) continental crust, similar to that found in East Africa, and volcanism is wide spread and long-lived (65 million years to currently active) and despite more than 50 years of research, the fundamental cause of volcanism and rifting in Antarctica is still vigorously debated. The results of this award therefore also potentially impact the study of oceanic volcanism in the entire southwestern Pacific region (e.g., New Zealand and Australia), where volcanic fields of similar composition and age have been linked by common magma sources and processes. The field program includes a graduate student who will work on the collection, analysis, and interpretation of petrological data as part of his/her Masters project. The experience and specialized analytical training being offered will improve the quality of the student?s research and optimize their opportunities for their future. The proposed work fosters faculty and student national and international collaboration, including working with multi-user facilities that provide advanced technological mentoring of science students. Results will be broadly disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, public presentations at science meetings, and in outreach activities. Petrologic and geochemical data will be disseminated to be the community through the Polar Rock Repository. The study of subglacially erupted volcanic rocks has been developed to the extent that it is now the most powerful proxy methodology for establishing precise ?snapshots? of ice sheets, including multiple critical ice parameters. Such data should include measurements of ice thickness, surface elevation and stability, which will be used to verify, or reject, published semi-empirical models relating ice dynamics to sea level changes. In addition to establishing whether East Antarctic ice was present during the formation of the volcanoes, data will be used to derive the coeval ice thicknesses, surface elevations and basal thermal regime(s) in concert with a precise new geochronology using the 40Ar/39Ar dating method. Inferences from measurement of standard geochemical characteristics (major, trace elements and Sr, Nd, Pb, O isotopes) will be used to investigate a possible relationship between the volcanoes and the recently discovered subglacial ridge under the East Antarctic ice, which may be a rift flank uplift. The ridge has never been sampled, is undated and its significance is uncertain. The data will provide important new information about the deep Earth and geodynamic processes beneath this mostly ice covered and poorly understood sector of the Antarctic continent.", "east": -153.4, "geometry": "POINT(-153.75 -87)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD INVESTIGATION; Mantle Melting; Magma Differentiation; Geochronology; Glacial Volcanism; GEOCHEMISTRY; Major Elements; ISOTOPES; Trace Elements; Transantarctic Mountains; LABORATORY; LAVA COMPOSITION/TEXTURE; USAP-DC; LAND RECORDS", "locations": "Transantarctic Mountains", "north": -86.9, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Panter, Kurt", "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": -87.1, "title": "Investigating Early Miocene Sub-ice Volcanoes in Antarctica for Improved Modeling and understanding of a Large Magmatic Province", "uid": "p0010105", "west": -154.1}, {"awards": "1643722 Brook, Edward J.", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "dataset_titles": "South Pole Ice Core Methane Data and Gas Age Time Scale; South Pole ice core (SPC14) total air content (TAC)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601329", "doi": "10.15784/601329", "keywords": "Antarctica; Gas Chromatography; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Methane; South Pole", "people": "Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole Ice Core Methane Data and Gas Age Time Scale", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601329"}, {"dataset_uid": "601546", "doi": "10.15784/601546", "keywords": "Antarctica; South Pole", "people": "Epifanio, Jenna", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole ice core (SPC14) total air content (TAC)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601546"}], "date_created": "Tue, 02 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Brook/1643722 This award supports a project to measure the concentration of the gas methane in air trapped in an ice core collected from the South Pole. The data will provide an age scale (age as a function of depth) by matching the South Pole methane changes with similar data from other ice cores for which the age vs. depth relationship is well known. The ages provided will allow all other gas measurements made on the South Pole core (by the PI and other NSF supported investigators) to be interpreted accurately as a function of time. This is critical because a major goal of the South Pole coring project is to understand the history of rare gases in the atmosphere like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ethane, propane, methyl chloride, and methyl bromide. Relatively little is known about what controls these gases in the atmosphere despite their importance to atmospheric chemistry and climate. Undergraduate assistants will work on the project and be introduced to independent research through their work. The PI will continue visits to local middle schools to introduce students to polar science, and other outreach activities (e.g. laboratory tours, talks to local civic or professional organizations) as part of the project. Methane concentrations from a major portion (2 depth intervals, excluding the brittle ice-zone which is being measured at Penn State University) of the new South Pole ice core will be used to create a gas chronology by matching the new South Pole ice core record with that from the well-dated WAIS Divide ice core record. In combination with measurements made at Penn State, this will provide gas dating for the entire 50,000-year record. Correlation will be made using a simple but powerful mid-point method that has been previously demonstrated, and other methods of matching records will be explored. The intellectual merit of this work is that the gas chronology will be a fundamental component of this ice core project, and will be used by the PI and other investigators for dating records of atmospheric composition, and determining the gas age-ice age difference independently of glaciological models, which will constrain processes that affected firn densification in the past. The methane data will also provide direct stratigraphic markers of important perturbations to global biogeochemical cycles (e.g., rapid methane variations synchronous with abrupt warming and cooling in the Northern Hemisphere) that will tie other ice core gas records directly to those perturbations. A record of the total air content will also be produced as a by-product of the methane measurements and will contribute to understanding of this parameter. The broader impacts include that the work will provide a fundamental data set for the South Pole ice core project and the age scale (or variants of it) will be used by all other investigators working on gas records from the core. The project will employ an undergraduate assistant(s) in both years who will conduct an undergraduate research project which will be part of the student\u0027s senior thesis or other research paper. The project will also offer at least one research position for the Oregon State University Summer REU site program. Visits to local middle schools, and other outreach activities (e.g. laboratory tours, talks to local civic or professional organizations) will also be part of the project.", "east": 0.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AMD; LABORATORY; METHANE; ICE CORE RECORDS; Gas Chromatography; South Pole; USAP-DC", "locations": "South Pole", "north": -90.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Brook, Edward J.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "SPICEcore", "south": -90.0, "title": "A High Resolution Atmospheric Methane Record from the South Pole Ice Core", "uid": "p0010102", "west": 0.0}, {"awards": "1743643 Passchier, Sandra", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Major and trace element analyses of Eocene-Oligocene marine sediments from ODP Site 696, South Orkney Microcontinent; Particle-size distributions of Eocene-Oligocene sediment from ODP Site 696, South Orkney Microcontinent", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601582", "doi": "10.15784/601582", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciation; IODP 650; IODP 696; Paleoceanography; Provenance; Sediment Core Data; Weathering; Weddell Sea", "people": "Passchier, Sandra; Lepp, Allison; States, Abbey; Li, Xiaona; Hojnacki, Victoria", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Major and trace element analyses of Eocene-Oligocene marine sediments from ODP Site 696, South Orkney Microcontinent", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601582"}, {"dataset_uid": "601581", "doi": "10.15784/601581", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciation; IODP 696; Marine Geoscience; Marine Sediments; Paleoceanography; Sediment Core Data; Weddell Sea", "people": "Horowitz Castaldo, Josie; Passchier, Sandra; Lepp, Allison; Light, Jennifer", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Particle-size distributions of Eocene-Oligocene sediment from ODP Site 696, South Orkney Microcontinent", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601581"}], "date_created": "Tue, 26 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Abstract (non-technical) Sea level rise is a problem of global importance and it is increasingly affecting the tens of millions of Americans living along coastlines. The melting of glaciers in mountain areas worldwide in response to global warming is a major cause of sea level rise and increases in nuisance coastal flooding. However, the world\u0027s largest land-based ice sheets are situated in the Polar Regions and their response under continued warming is very difficult to predict. One reason for this uncertainty is a lack of observations of ice behavior and melt under conditions of warming, as it is a relatively new global climate state lasting only a few generations so far. Researchers will investigate ice growth on Antarctica under past warm conditions using geological archives embedded in the layers of sand and mud under the sea floor near Antarctica. By peeling back at the layers beneath the seafloor investigators can read the history book of past events affecting the ice sheet. The Antarctic continent on the South Pole, carries the largest ice mass in the world. The investigator\u0027s findings will substantially improve scientists understanding of the response of ice sheets to global warming and its effect on sea level rise. Abstract (technical) The melt of land based ice is raising global sea levels with at present only minor contributions from polar ice sheets. However, the future role of polar ice sheets in climate change is one of the most critical uncertainties in predictions of sea level rise around the globe. The respective roles of oceanic and atmospheric greenhouse forcing on ice sheets are poorly addressed with recent measurements of polar climatology, because of the extreme rise in greenhouse forcing the earth is experiencing at this time. Data on the evolution of the West Antarctic ice sheet is particularly sparse. To address the data gap, researchers will reconstruct the timing and spatial distribution of Antarctic ice growth through the last greenhouse to icehouse climate transition around 37 to 33 Ma. They will collect sedimentological and geochemical data on core samples from a high-latitude paleoarchive to trace the shutdown of the chemical weathering system, the onset of glacial erosion, ice rafting, and sea ice development, as East and West Antarctic ice sheets coalesced in the Weddell Sea sector. Their findings will lead to profound increases in the understanding of the role of greenhouse forcing in ice sheet development and its effect on the global climate system. 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": "Amd/Us; AMD; SEDIMENTS; LABORATORY; USA/NSF; USAP-DC; Weddell Sea", "locations": "Weddell Sea", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Passchier, Sandra", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Timing and Spatial Distribution of Antarctic Ice Sheet Growth and Sea-ice Formation across the Eocene-Oligocene Transition", "uid": "p0010101", "west": null}, {"awards": "1807522 Jones, Tyler", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.467)", "dataset_titles": "Mid-Holocene high-resolution water isotope time series for the WAIS Divide ice core; Seasonal temperatures in West Antarctica during the Holocene ; Stable Isotopes of Ice in the Transition and Glacial Sections of the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601326", "doi": "10.15784/601326", "keywords": "Antarctica; Delta 18O; Delta Deuterium; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; WAIS Divide Ice Core; Water Isotopes; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Morris, Valerie; Jones, Tyler R.; Vaughn, Bruce; White, James", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Mid-Holocene high-resolution water isotope time series for the WAIS Divide ice core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601326"}, {"dataset_uid": "601603", "doi": "10.15784/601603", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Seasonality; Seasonal Temperatures; Temperature; Water Isotopes; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Jones, Tyler R.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Seasonal temperatures in West Antarctica during the Holocene ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601603"}, {"dataset_uid": "601274", "doi": "10.15784/601274", "keywords": "Antarctica; Delta 18O; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Jones, Tyler R.; Vaughn, Bruce; White, James; Price, Michael; Garland, Joshua; Bradley, Elizabeth; Morris, Valerie", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Stable Isotopes of Ice in the Transition and Glacial Sections of the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601274"}], "date_created": "Tue, 26 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ice cores contain detailed accounts of Earth\u0027s climate history. The collection of an ice core can be logistically challenging, and extraction of data from the core can be time-consuming as well as susceptible to both human and machine error. Furthermore, locked in measurements from ice cores is information that scientists have not yet found ways to recover. This project will apply techniques from information theory to ice-core data to unlock that information. The primary goal is to demonstrate that information theory can (a) identify regions of a specific ice-core record that are in need of further analysis and (b) provide some specific guidance for that analysis. A secondary goal is to demonstrate that information theory has practical and scientific utility for studies of past climate. This project aims to use information theory in two distinct ways: first, to identify regions of a core where information appears to be damaged or missing, perhaps due to human and/or machine error. In the segment of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide core that is 5000-8000 years old, for instance, information-theoretic methods reveal significant levels of noise, probably due to a laboratory instrument, and something that was not visible in the raw data. This is a particularly important segment of the record, as it contains valuable clues about climatic shifts and the onset of the Holocene. Targeted re-sampling of this segment of the core and reanalysis with newer laboratory apparatus could resolve the data issues. The second way in which information theory can potentially aid in ice-core analysis is by extracting climate signals from the data--such as the accumulation rate at the core site over the period of its formation. This quantity usually requires significant time and effort to produce, but information theory could help to streamline that process. 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": -112.085, "geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.467)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AMD; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; ISOTOPES; Amd/Us; USAP-DC; USA/NSF; Water Isotopes; WAIS Divide Ice Core; Deuterium; LABORATORY", "locations": "West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -79.467, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Garland, Joshua; Jones, Tyler R.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.467, "title": "Collaborative Research: Targeted resampling of deep polar ice cores using information theory", "uid": "p0010100", "west": -112.085}, {"awards": null, "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Compilation of ice temperature measurements at 10 m depth from international traverses 1957-1996.", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601325", "doi": "10.15784/601325", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Compilation of ice temperature measurements at 10 m depth from international traverses 1957-1996.", "url": "http://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601325"}], "date_created": "Wed, 20 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": null, "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; Firn Temperature Measurements", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Scambos, Ted", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": null, "uid": null, "west": null}, {"awards": null, "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Shallow firn temperature records", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601324", "doi": null, "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Shallow firn temperature records", "url": "http://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601324"}], "date_created": "Wed, 20 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": null, "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; Firn Temperature Measurements", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Giovineto, Mario; Hollin, John; Pirrit, John; Goldthwait, Richard, P", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": null, "uid": null, "west": null}, {"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": "1142035 Obbard, Rachel; 1142167 Pettit, Erin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-112.3 -79.2,-112.2 -79.2,-112.1 -79.2,-112 -79.2,-111.9 -79.2,-111.8 -79.2,-111.7 -79.2,-111.6 -79.2,-111.5 -79.2,-111.4 -79.2,-111.3 -79.2,-111.3 -79.23,-111.3 -79.26,-111.3 -79.29,-111.3 -79.32,-111.3 -79.35,-111.3 -79.38,-111.3 -79.41,-111.3 -79.44,-111.3 -79.47,-111.3 -79.5,-111.4 -79.5,-111.5 -79.5,-111.6 -79.5,-111.7 -79.5,-111.8 -79.5,-111.9 -79.5,-112 -79.5,-112.1 -79.5,-112.2 -79.5,-112.3 -79.5,-112.3 -79.47,-112.3 -79.44,-112.3 -79.41,-112.3 -79.38,-112.3 -79.35,-112.3 -79.32,-112.3 -79.29,-112.3 -79.26,-112.3 -79.23,-112.3 -79.2))", "dataset_titles": "ApRES Firn Density Study; ApRES Vertical Strain Study; GPS Horizontal Strain Network; South Pole (SPICEcore) Borehole Deformation; WAIS Divide Borehole Deformation", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601323", "doi": "10.15784/601323", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Penetrating Radar; Ice Strain; Phase Sensitive Radar; Radar; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; WAIS Divide", "people": "Pettit, Erin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "ApRES Vertical Strain Study", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601323"}, {"dataset_uid": "200141", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "GPS Horizontal Strain Network", "url": ""}, {"dataset_uid": "601314", "doi": "10.15784/601314", "keywords": "Acoustic Televiewer; Anisotropy; Antarctica; Borehole Logging; Deformation; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Flow; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Pettit, Erin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Borehole Deformation", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601314"}, {"dataset_uid": "601315", "doi": "10.15784/601315", "keywords": "Acoustic Televiewer; Anisotropy; Antarctica; Borehole Logging; Deformation; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Ice Flow; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Pettit, Erin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole (SPICEcore) Borehole Deformation", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601315"}, {"dataset_uid": "601322", "doi": "10.15784/601322", "keywords": "Antarctica; Firn; Firn Density; Glaciology; Ice Penetrating Radar; Phase Sensitive Radar; Radar; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; WAIS Divide", "people": "Pettit, Erin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "ApRES Firn Density Study", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601322"}], "date_created": "Fri, 15 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "1142167/Pettit This award supports a project to develop a better understanding of the relation between ice microstructure, impurities, and ice flow and their connection to climate history for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) ice core site. This work builds on several ongoing studies at Siple Dome in West Antarctica and Dome C in East Antarctica. It is well known that the microstructure of ice evolves with depth and time in an ice sheet. This evolution of microstructure depends on the ice flow field, temperature, and impurity content. The ice flow field, in turn, depends on microstructure, leading to feedbacks that create layered variation in microstructure that relates to climate and flow history. The research proposed here focuses on developing a better understanding of: 1) how ice microstructure evolves with time and stress in an ice sheet and how that relates to impurity content, temperature, and strain rate; 2) how variations in ice microstructure and impurity content affect ice flow patterns near ice divides (on both small (1cm to 1m) and large (1m to 100km) scales); and 3) in what ways is the spatial variability of ice microstructure and its effect on ice flow important for interpretation of climate history in the WAIS Divide ice core. The study will integrate existing ice core and borehole data with a detailed study of ice microstructure using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) techniques and measurements of borehole deformation through time using Acoustic Televiewers. This will be the first study to combine these two novel techniques for studying the relation between microstructure and deformation and it will build on other data being collected as part of other WAIS Divide borehole logging projects (e.g. sonic velocity, optical dust logging, temperature and other measurements on the ice core including fabric measurements from thin section analyses as well as studies of ice chemistry and stable isotopes. The intellectual merit of the work is that it will improve interpretation of ice core data (especially information on past accumulation) and overall understanding of ice flow. The broader impacts are that the work will ultimately contribute to a better interpretation of ice core records for both paleoclimate studies and for ice flow history, both of which connect to the broader questions of the role of ice in the climate system. The work will also advance the careers of two early-career female scientists, including one with a hearing impairment disability. This project will support a PhD student at the UAF and provide research and field experience for two or three undergraduates at Dartmouth. The PIs plan to include a teacher on their field team and collaborate with UAF\u0027s \"From STEM to STEAM\" toward enhancing the connection between art and science.", "east": -111.3, "geometry": "POINT(-111.8 -79.35)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD INVESTIGATION; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; WAIS Divide; ICE CORE RECORDS; USAP-DC; GLACIER MOTION/ICE SHEET MOTION; Radar", "locations": "WAIS Divide", "north": -79.2, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Pettit, Erin; Obbard, Rachel", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "UNAVCO; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core; SPICEcore", "south": -79.5, "title": "Collaborative Research: VeLveT Ice - eVoLution of Fabric and Texture in Ice at WAIS Divide, West Antarctica", "uid": "p0010098", "west": -112.3}, {"awards": "9615281 Luyendyk, Bruce; 9615282 Siddoway, Christine", "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": "9615832 Blankenship, Donald; 9615704 Bell, Robin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -74,-176 -74,-172 -74,-168 -74,-164 -74,-160 -74,-156 -74,-152 -74,-148 -74,-144 -74,-140 -74,-140 -75.6,-140 -77.2,-140 -78.8,-140 -80.4,-140 -82,-140 -83.6,-140 -85.2,-140 -86.8,-140 -88.4,-140 -90,-144 -90,-148 -90,-152 -90,-156 -90,-160 -90,-164 -90,-168 -90,-172 -90,-176 -90,180 -90,174 -90,168 -90,162 -90,156 -90,150 -90,144 -90,138 -90,132 -90,126 -90,120 -90,120 -88.4,120 -86.8,120 -85.2,120 -83.6,120 -82,120 -80.4,120 -78.8,120 -77.2,120 -75.6,120 -74,126 -74,132 -74,138 -74,144 -74,150 -74,156 -74,162 -74,168 -74,174 -74,-180 -74))", "dataset_titles": "SOAR-PPT Airborne gravity data; SOAR-WLK Airborne gravity data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601292", "doi": "10.15784/601292", "keywords": "Aerogeophysics; Airborne Gravity; Airplane; Antarctica; Free Air Gravity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Gravimeter; Gravity; Gravity Data; Potential Field; Solid Earth; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-PPT Airborne gravity data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601292"}, {"dataset_uid": "601293", "doi": "10.15784/601293", "keywords": "Aerogeophysics; Airborne Gravity; Airplane; Antarctica; Free Air Gravity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Gravimeter; Gravity; Gravity Data; Potential Field; Solid Earth; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SOAR-WLK Airborne gravity data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601293"}], "date_created": "Fri, 24 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Bell and Buck: OPP 9615704 Blankenship: OPP 9615832 Abstract Continental extension produces a great variety of structures from the linear narrow rifts of the East African Rift to the diffuse extension of the Basin and Range Province of the Western U.S. Rift shoulder uplift varies dramatically between rift flanks. The cause of variable rift width and crustal thinning is fairly well explained by variable initial heat flow and crustal thickness. Mechanical stretching of the lithosphere has been linked to rift shoulder uplift but the cause of variable rift flank uplift remains poorly understood. The Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) are an extreme example of rift flank uplift, extending over 3500 km across Antarctica and reaching elevations up to 4500 m and thus constitute a unique feature of EarthOs crust. The range was formed in the extensional environment associated with the Mesozoic and Cenozoic breakup of Gondwanaland. Geological and geophysical work has shown that the TAM developed along the long-lived lithospheric boundary between East and West Antarctica reactivated by a complex history of extensional and translational microplate motions. The TAM are not uniform along strike. Along the OWilkes FrontO, the northern segment of the rift extends from North Victoria Land to Byrd Glacier. The Wilkes Front architecture consists of (1) thin, extended crust forming the Victoria Land Basin in the Ross Sea, (2) the TAM rift shoulder, and (3) a long-wavelength down- ward forming the Wilkes Basin. Contrasting structures are mapped along the OPensacola/PoleO Front, the southern segment of the rift extending from the Nimrod Glacier to the Pensacola Mountains. Along this southern section no rift basin has been mapped to date and the down-ward along the East Antarctic, or ObacksideO, edge of the mountains is less pronounced. A flexural model linking the extension in the Ross Sea to the formation of both the mountains and the Wilkes Basin has been considered as a me chanism for uplift of the entire mountain range. The variability in fundamental architecture along the TAM indicates that neither a single event nor a sequence of identical events produced the rift flank uplift. The observation of variable architecture suggests complex mechanisms and possibly a fundamental limitation in maximum sustainable rift flank elevation. The motivation for studying the TAM is to try to understand the geodynamics of this extreme elevation rift flank. Are the geodynamics of the area unique, or does the history of glaciation and related erosion contribute to the extreme uplift? With the existing data sets it is difficult to confidently constrain the geological architecture across representative sections of the TAM. Any effort to refine geodynamic mechanisms requires this basic understanding of the TAM architecture. The goal of this project is to (1) constrain the architecture of the rift system as well as the distribution and structure of sedimentary basins, glacial erosion and mafic igneous rocks surrounding the rift flank by acquiring three long wavelength geophysical transects with integrated gravity, magnetics, ice- penetrating radar, and ice surface measurements, (2) quantify the contribution of various geodynamic mechanisms to understand the geological conditions which can lead to extreme rift flank uplift, and (3) use the improved understanding of architecture and geophysical data to test geodynamic models in order to improve our understanding both of the TAM geodynamics and the general problem of the geodynamics of rift flank uplift worldwide. This project will allow development of a generalized framework for understanding the development of rift flank uplift as well as address the question of the specific geodynamic evolution of the TAM.", "east": -140.0, "geometry": "POINT(170 -82)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; Transantarctic Mountains; GRAVITY FIELD; TECTONICS", "locations": "Transantarctic Mountains", "north": -74.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bell, Robin; Buck, W. Roger; Blankenship, Donald D.", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Contrasting Architecture and Dynamics of the Transantarctic Mountains", "uid": "p0010095", "west": 120.0}, {"awards": "1443470 Aydin, Murat", "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": "South Pole ice core (SPC14) discrete methane data; SP19 Gas Chronology; SPC14 carbonyl sulfide, methyl chloride, and methyl bromide measurements from South Pole, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601270", "doi": "10.15784/601270", "keywords": "Antarctica", "people": "Aydin, Murat", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "SPC14 carbonyl sulfide, methyl chloride, and methyl bromide measurements from South Pole, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601270"}, {"dataset_uid": "601380", "doi": "10.15784/601380", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ch4; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Ice Core Stratigraphy; Methane; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Epifanio, Jenna", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "SP19 Gas Chronology", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601380"}, {"dataset_uid": "601381", "doi": "10.15784/601381", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ch4; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; Methane; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Winski, Dominic A.; Epifanio, Jenna; Brook, Edward J.; Buizert, Christo; Kreutz, Karl; Aydin, Murat; Edwards, Jon S.; Sowers, Todd A.; Kahle, Emma; Steig, Eric J.; Osterberg, Erich; Fudge, T. J.; Hood, Ekaterina; Kalk, Michael; Ferris, David G.; Kennedy, Joshua A.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole ice core (SPC14) discrete methane data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601381"}], "date_created": "Thu, 26 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "In the past, Earth\u0027s climate underwent dramatic changes that influenced physical, chemical, geological, and biological processes on a global scale. Such changes left an imprint in Earth\u0027s atmosphere, as shown by the variability in abundances of trace gases like carbon dioxide and methane. In return, changes in the atmospheric trace gas composition affected Earth\u0027s climate. Studying compositional variations of the past atmosphere helps us understand the history of interactions between global biogeochemical cycles and Earth?s climate. The most reliable information on past atmospheric composition comes from analysis of air entrapped in polar ice cores. This project aims to generate ice-core records of relatively short-lived, very-low-abundance trace gases to determine the range of past variability in their atmospheric levels and investigate the changes in global biogeochemical cycles that caused this variability. This project measures three such gases: carbonyl sulfide, methyl chloride, and methyl bromide. Changes in carbonyl sulfide can indicate changes in primary productivity and photosynthetic update of carbon dioxide. Changes in methyl chloride and methyl bromide significantly impact natural variability in stratospheric ozone. In addition, the processes that control atmospheric levels of methyl chloride and methyl bromide are shared with those controlling levels of atmospheric methane. The measurements will be made in the new ice core from the South Pole, which is expected to provide a 40,000-year record. The primary focus of this project is to develop high-quality trace gas records for the entire Holocene period (the past 11,000 years), with additional, more exploratory measurements from the last glacial period including the period from 29,000-36,000 years ago when there were large changes in atmospheric methane. Due to the cold temperatures of the South Pole ice, the proposed carbonyl sulfide measurements are expected to provide a direct measure of the past atmospheric variability of this gas without the large hydrolysis corrections that are necessary for interpretation of measurements from ice cores in warmer settings. Furthermore, we will test the expectation that contemporaneous measurements from the last glacial period in the deep West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core will not require hydrolysis loss corrections. With respect to methyl chloride, we aim to verify and improve the existing Holocene atmospheric history from the Taylor Dome ice core in Antarctica. The higher resolution of our measurements compared with those from Taylor Dome will allow us to derive a more statistically significant relationship between methyl chloride and methane. With respect to methyl bromide, we plan to extend the existing 2,000-year database to 11,000 years. Together, the methyl bromide and methyl chloride records will provide strong measurement-based constraints on the natural variability of stratospheric halogens during the Holocene period. In addition, the methyl bromide record will provide insight into the correlation between methyl chloride and methane during the Holocene period due to common sources and sinks.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; CARBONYL SULFIDE; HALOCARBONS AND HALOGENS; TRACE GASES/TRACE SPECIES; Antarctic; USAP-DC", "locations": "Antarctic", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Aydin, Murat", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Carbonyl Sulfide, Methyl Chloride, and Methyl Bromide Measurements in the New Intermediate-depth South Pole Ice Core", "uid": "p0010089", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1643733 Trusel, Luke; 1643715 Moussavi, Mahsa Sadat", "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": "Supraglacial Lakes in Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601401", "doi": "10.15784/601401", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Landsat-8; Satellite Imagery; Supraglacial Lake", "people": "Halberstadt, Anna Ruth; Pope, Allen; Moussavi, Mahsa; Trusel, Luke; Abdalati, Waleed", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Supraglacial Lakes in Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601401"}], "date_created": "Mon, 16 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Melting of snow and ice at the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet can lead to the formation of meltwater lakes, an important precursor to ice-shelf collapse and accelerated ice-sheet mass loss. Understanding the present state of Antarctic surface melt provides a baseline to gauge how quickly melt impacts could evolve in the future and to reduce uncertainties in estimates of future sea-level rise. This project will use a suite of complimentary measurements from Earth-observing satellites, ground observations, and numerical climate and ice-shelf models to enhance understanding of surface melt and lakes, as well as the processes linking these systems. The project directly supports the scientific training of a postdoctoral associate and several undergraduate researchers. In addition, it will promote public scientific literacy and the broadening of quantitative skills for high-school students through the development and implementation of an educational unit in a partnership with an education and outreach expert and two high school teachers. Accurate prediction of sea-level contributions from Antarctica critically requires understanding current melting and supraglacial lake conditions. This project will quantify Antarctic surface melt and supraglacial lakes, and the linkages between the two phenomena. Scatterometer data will enable generation of a 19-year multi-sensor melt time series. Synthetic aperture radar data will document melt conditions across all Antarctic ice shelves at the highest spatial resolution to date (40 m). Multispectral satellite imagery will be used to delineate and measure the depth of supraglacial lakes--for the first time studying the spatial and temporal variations of Antarctic supraglacial lakes. Melt and lake observations will be compared to identify agreement and disagreement. Melt observations will be used to evaluate biases in a widely used, reanalysis-driven, regional climate model. This model will then be used to examine climatic and glaciological variables associated with supraglacial lakes. Finally, in situ observations and climate model output will drive a numerical model that simulates the entire lifecycle of surface melt and possible subsequent lake formation.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Amd/Us; Supraglacial Lake; ICE SHEETS; Satellite Imagery; LANDSAT; Antarctica; USAP-DC; AMD; USA/NSF; SENTINEL-2A", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Moussavi, Mahsa; Pope, Allen; Trusel, Luke", "platforms": "SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e LANDSAT \u003e LANDSAT; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e SENTINEL-2 \u003e SENTINEL-2A", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Water on the Antarctic Ice Sheet: Quantifying Surface Melt and Mapping Supraglacial Lakes", "uid": "p0010088", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1743035 Saba, Grace", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((164 -72.2,165 -72.2,166 -72.2,167 -72.2,168 -72.2,169 -72.2,170 -72.2,171 -72.2,172 -72.2,173 -72.2,174 -72.2,174 -72.74,174 -73.28,174 -73.82,174 -74.36,174 -74.9,174 -75.44,174 -75.98,174 -76.52,174 -77.06,174 -77.6,173 -77.6,172 -77.6,171 -77.6,170 -77.6,169 -77.6,168 -77.6,167 -77.6,166 -77.6,165 -77.6,164 -77.6,164 -77.06,164 -76.52,164 -75.98,164 -75.44,164 -74.9,164 -74.36,164 -73.82,164 -73.28,164 -72.74,164 -72.2))", "dataset_titles": "Grazing rates of Euphausia crystallorophias from RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP1801 in the Ross Sea, Jan.-Feb. 2018; NBP1801 Expedition data; ru32-20180109T0531; Zooplankton abundance from Isaacs-Kid Midwater Trawl (IKMT) hauls from RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP1801 in the Ross Sea, Jan.-Feb. 2018; Zooplankton abundance from ring net tows from RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP1801 in the Ross Sea, January 2018", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200056", "doi": "10.7284/907753", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1801 Expedition data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1801"}, {"dataset_uid": "200140", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ERDDAP", "science_program": null, "title": "ru32-20180109T0531", "url": "http://slocum-data.marine.rutgers.edu/erddap/tabledap/ru32-20180109T0531-profile-sci-delayed.html"}, {"dataset_uid": "200139", "doi": "10.1575/1912/bco-dmo.792478.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Grazing rates of Euphausia crystallorophias from RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP1801 in the Ross Sea, Jan.-Feb. 2018", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/792478"}, {"dataset_uid": "200138", "doi": "10.1575/1912/bco-dmo.792385.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Zooplankton abundance from Isaacs-Kid Midwater Trawl (IKMT) hauls from RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP1801 in the Ross Sea, Jan.-Feb. 2018", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/792385"}, {"dataset_uid": "200137", "doi": "10.1575/1912/bco-dmo.789299.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Zooplankton abundance from ring net tows from RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP1801 in the Ross Sea, January 2018", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/789299"}], "date_created": "Thu, 27 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Ross Sea is the one of the most productive regions in Antarctica and supports large populations of several key species in the Ross Sea food web, including copepods, crystal krill (Euphausia crystallorophias), and Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum). Copepods and crystal krill dominate the diets of Antarctic silverfish, the dominant fish species in the high Antarctic zone, and silverfish are a major link between lower (copepods, krill) and higher (fishes, marine mammals, flighted birds, Ad\u00e9lie and Emperor penguins) trophic levels. Despite the significance of these key species, there is limited understanding of copepod, krill, and silverfish mesoscale distribution, spatial structure of age/maturity classes, and their interactions with physical drivers within the Ross Sea. Autonomous underwater profiling gliders are a developing technology that offers the potential for providing high spatial, temporal, and depth resolution data on regional scales. The project will test the capability of a multi-frequency echo sounder integrated into a Slocum Webb glider with the aim of providing the first glider-based acoustic assessment of simultaneous distributions of three trophic levels in the Ross Sea. Complementary glider sensors measuring physical, chemical, and biological parameters will provide mesoscale and sub-mesoscale hydrographic information from which phytoplankton-zooplankton-fish interactions and the relationships between these organisms and physics drivers (sea ice, circulation features) will be investigated. The approach proposed here, glider acoustics, is relatively new and has the potential to be transformational for investigating food webs and the Ross Sea ecosystem. Researchers will modify and integrate an Acoustic Zooplankton and Fish Profiler (AZFP) multi-frequency echo sounder into a Slocum Webb G2 glider with the capability to differentiate between krill and other types of zooplankton, including copepods, and different sizes of krill and silverfish. The AZFP will be complemented with the existing glider sensors including a CTD, a WET Labs BB2FL ECO puck configured for simultaneous chlorophyll fluorescence (phytoplankton biomass) and optical backscatter measurements, and an Aanderaa Optode for measuring dissolved oxygen. The new sensor suite will be tested during a four-week glider deployment, where it will conduct acoustic surveys to map distribution and abundance of multiple zooplankton taxa and silverfish during the austral summer along the Terra Nova Bay polynya ice shelf and in adjacent continental shelf waters. The relationships between phytoplankton-zooplankton-fish distributions and the physical drivers of zooplankton and silverfish species and size distributions will be investigated. Coordinated ship-based acoustic sampling and net tows/trawls will be conducted multiple times during the glider deployment to validate glider acoustic-based species, size, and abundance measurements. Open accessible, automated data produced during this project will be made available through RUCOOL (Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership) and THREDDS (Thematic Real-time Environmental Data Distribution System). The production of consistent, vertically-resolved, high resolution glider-based acoustic measurements will define a successful outcome of this project that should help in identifying the challenges in their use as a potentially cost-effective, automated examination of food webs in the Antarctic.", "east": 174.0, "geometry": "POINT(169 -74.9)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; FISH; Terra Nova Bay; AQUATIC SCIENCES; PELAGIC; PLANKTON; USAP-DC; ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES", "locations": "Terra Nova Bay", "north": -72.2, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Saba, Grace", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "BCO-DMO; ERDDAP; R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.6, "title": "Using Bio-acoustics on an Autonomous Surveying Platform for the Examination of Phytoplankton-zooplankton and Fish Interactions in the Western Ross Sea", "uid": "p0010086", "west": 164.0}, {"awards": "1341432 Brzezinski, Mark; 1341464 Robinson, Rebecca", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-175 -54,-174 -54,-173 -54,-172 -54,-171 -54,-170 -54,-169 -54,-168 -54,-167 -54,-166 -54,-165 -54,-165 -55.3,-165 -56.6,-165 -57.9,-165 -59.2,-165 -60.5,-165 -61.8,-165 -63.1,-165 -64.4,-165 -65.7,-165 -67,-166 -67,-167 -67,-168 -67,-169 -67,-170 -67,-171 -67,-172 -67,-173 -67,-174 -67,-175 -67,-175 -65.7,-175 -64.4,-175 -63.1,-175 -61.8,-175 -60.5,-175 -59.2,-175 -57.9,-175 -56.6,-175 -55.3,-175 -54))", "dataset_titles": "Diatom assemblage counts from NBP17-02 shipboard carboy experiments; Dissolved nutrient profiles from along 170\u00b0W between 67 and 54\u00b0S; Expedition Data of NBP1702; Particle composition measurements from along 170\u00b0W between 67-54\u00b0S; Particulate silicon and nitrogen concentrations and isotopic composition measurements in McLane pump profiles from 67\u00b0S to 55\u00b0S latitude in the Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean; Silicon concentration and isotopic composition measurements in pore waters and sediments from 67\u00b0S to 55\u00b0S latitude in the Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean; Surface Southern Ocean community growouts to evaluate the diatom bound N isotope proxy", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601522", "doi": "10.15784/601522", "keywords": "Antarctica; Nitrogen Isotopes; Oceans; Paleoproxies; Southern Ocean", "people": "Robinson, Rebecca; Jones, Colin; Brzezinski, Mark; Riesselman, Christina; Kelly, Roger; Closset, Ivia; Robinson, Rebecca ", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Surface Southern Ocean community growouts to evaluate the diatom bound N isotope proxy", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601522"}, {"dataset_uid": "200126", "doi": "10.7284/907211", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data of NBP1702", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1702"}, {"dataset_uid": "601523", "doi": "10.15784/601523", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Carboy Growouts; Diatom; Diatom Assemblage Data; NBP1702; Oceans; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Southern Ocean; Southern Ocean Summer", "people": "Robinson, Rebecca; Riesselman, Christina; Robinson, Rebecca ; Jones, Colin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Diatom assemblage counts from NBP17-02 shipboard carboy experiments", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601523"}, {"dataset_uid": "601269", "doi": "10.15784/601269", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chlorophyll; Southern Ocean", "people": "Brzezinski, Mark; Robinson, Rebecca", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Dissolved nutrient profiles from along 170\u00b0W between 67 and 54\u00b0S", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601269"}, {"dataset_uid": "601276", "doi": "10.15784/601276", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biogenic Silica; Nitrogen Isotopes; Southern Ocean", "people": "Robinson, Rebecca; Brzezinski, Mark", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Particle composition measurements from along 170\u00b0W between 67-54\u00b0S", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601276"}, {"dataset_uid": "601562", "doi": "10.15784/601562", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biogenic Silica; Chemistry:sediment; Chemistry:Sediment; Lithogenic Silica; Marine Geoscience; NBP1702; Pore Water Biogeochemistry; Sediment; Silicon Cycle; Silicon Stable Isotope; Southern Ocean", "people": "Jones, Janice L.; Brzezinski, Mark; Closset, Ivia", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Silicon concentration and isotopic composition measurements in pore waters and sediments from 67\u00b0S to 55\u00b0S latitude in the Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601562"}, {"dataset_uid": "601576", "doi": "10.15784/601576", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biogenic Silica; Chemistry:sediment; Chemistry:Sediment; Diatom; Diatom Bound; Lithogenic Silica; Marine Geoscience; NBP1702; Nitrogen Isotopes; Silicon Cycle; Silicon Stable Isotope; Southern Ocean", "people": "Robinson, Rebecca; Jones, Janice L.; Closset, Ivia; Brzezinski, Mark", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": " Particulate silicon and nitrogen concentrations and isotopic composition measurements in McLane pump profiles from 67\u00b0S to 55\u00b0S latitude in the Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601576"}], "date_created": "Wed, 26 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Collaborative Proposal: A field and laboratory examination of the diatom N and Si isotope proxies: Implications for assessing the Southern Ocean biological pump The rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and associated climate changes make understanding the role of the ocean in large scale carbon cycle a priority. Geologic samples allow exploration of potential mechanisms for carbon dioxide drawdown during glacial periods through the use of geochemical proxies. Nitrogen and silicon isotope signatures from fossil diatoms (microscopic plants) are used to investigate changes in the physical supply and biological demand for nutrients (like nitrogen and silicon and carbon) in the Southern Ocean. The project will evaluate the use the nitrogen and silicon isotope proxies through a series of laboratory experiments and Southern Ocean field sampling. The results will provide quantification of real relationships between nitrogen and silicon isotopes and nutrient usage in the Southern Ocean and allow exploration of the role of other factors, including biological diversity, ice cover, and mixing, in altering the chemical signatures recorded by diatoms. Seafloor sediment samples will be used to evaluate how well the signal created in the water column is recorded by fossil diatoms buried in the seafloor. Improving the nutrient isotope proxies will allow for a more quantitative understanding of the role of polar biology in regulating natural variation in atmospheric carbon dioxide. The project will also result in the training of a graduate student and development of outreach materials targeting a broad popular audience. This project seeks to test the fidelity of the diatom nitrogen and silicon isotope proxies, two commonly used paleoceanographic tools for investigating the role of the Southern Ocean biological pump in regulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations on glacial-interglacial timescales. Existing ground-truthing data, including culture experiments, surface sediment data and downcore reconstructions, all suggest that nutrient utilization is the primary driver of isotopic variation in the Southern Ocean. However, strong contribution of interspecific variation is implied by recent culture results. Moreover, field and laboratory studies present some contradictory results in terms of the relative importance of interspecific variation and of inferred post-depositional alteration of the nutrient isotope signals. Here, a first order test of the N and Si diatom nutrient isotope paleo-proxies, involving water column dissolved and particulate sampling and laboratory culturing of field-isolates, is proposed. Southern Ocean water, biomass, live diatoms and fossil diatom sampling will be conducted to investigate species and assemblage related variability in diatom nitrogen and silicon isotopes and their relationship to surface nutrient fields and early diagenesis. Access to fresh materials produced in an analogous environmental context to the sediments of primary interest is critical for making robust paleoceanographic reconstructions. Field sampling will occur along 175\u00b0W, transecting the Antarctic Circumpolar Current from the subtropics to the marginal ice edge. Collection of water, sinking/suspended particles and multi-core samples from 13 stations and 3 shipboard incubation experiments will be used to test four proposed hypotheses that together evaluate the significance of existing culture results and seek to allow the best use of diatom nutrient isotope proxies in evaluating the biological pump.", "east": -165.0, "geometry": "POINT(-170 -60.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Southern Ocean; AMD; NITROGEN ISOTOPES; R/V NBP; NSF/USA; NUTRIENTS; USAP-DC; Amd/Us", "locations": "Southern Ocean", "north": -54.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Robinson, Rebecca; Brzezinski, Mark", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -67.0, "title": "Collaborative Proposal: A Field and Laboratory Examination of the Diatom N and Si Isotope Proxies: Implications for Assessing the Southern Ocean Biological Pump", "uid": "p0010083", "west": -175.0}, {"awards": "1341602 Crockett, Elizabeth; 1341663 O\u0027Brien, Kristin", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Acclimation of cardiovascular function in Notothenia coriiceps; Adrenergic and adenosinergic regulation of the cardiovascular system in the Antarctic icefish Chaenocephalus aceratus; Cardiac metabolism in Antarctic fishes in response to an acute increase in temperature; Chaenocephalus aceratus HIF-1A mRNA, complete cds; Chionodraco rastrospinosus HIF-1A mRNA, partial cds; Effects of acute warming on cardiovascular performance of Antarctic fishes; Eleginops maclovinus HIF-1A mRNA, partial cds; Gymnodraco acuticeps HIF-1A mRNA, partial cds; Hypoxia response of hearts of Antarctic fishes; Maximum cardiac performance of Antarctic fishes that lack haemoglobin and myoglobin: exploring the effect of warming on nature\u2019s natural knockouts; Measurements of splenic contraction in Antarctic fishes; Mitochondrial membranes in cardiac muscle from Antarctic notothenioid fishes vary in phospholipid composition and membrane fluidity; Notothenia coriiceps HIF-1A mRNA, complete cds; Parachaenichthys charcoti HIF-1A mRNA, partial cds; Physical, chemical, and functional properties of neuronal membranes vary between species of Antarctic notothenioids differing in thermal tolerance; Thermal sensitivity of membrane fluidity and integrity in hearts of Antarctic fishes that vary in expression of hemoglobin and myoglobin", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601410", "doi": "10.15784/601410", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Fish", "people": "O\u0027Brien, Kristin; Crockett, Elizabeth; Egginton, Stuart; Axelsson, Michael; Farrell, Anthony; Joyce, William", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Effects of acute warming on cardiovascular performance of Antarctic fishes", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601410"}, {"dataset_uid": "200189", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Eleginops maclovinus HIF-1A mRNA, partial cds", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/KX950830"}, {"dataset_uid": "601407", "doi": "10.15784/601407", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula", "people": "Axelsson, Michael; Joyce, William; O\u0027Brien, Kristin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Measurements of splenic contraction in Antarctic fishes", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601407"}, {"dataset_uid": "200184", "doi": "10.5061/dryad.83vc5", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Dryad", "science_program": null, "title": "Maximum cardiac performance of Antarctic fishes that lack haemoglobin and myoglobin: exploring the effect of warming on nature\u2019s natural knockouts", "url": "https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.83vc5"}, {"dataset_uid": "200185", "doi": "10.5061/dryad.k90h35k", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Dryad", "science_program": null, "title": "Mitochondrial membranes in cardiac muscle from Antarctic notothenioid fishes vary in phospholipid composition and membrane fluidity", "url": "https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.k90h35k"}, {"dataset_uid": "200186", "doi": "10.5061/dryad.qm0b25h", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Dryad", "science_program": null, "title": "Physical, chemical, and functional properties of neuronal membranes vary between species of Antarctic notothenioids differing in thermal tolerance", "url": "https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qm0b25h"}, {"dataset_uid": "200187", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Chaenocephalus aceratus HIF-1A mRNA, complete cds", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/KX950828"}, {"dataset_uid": "601408", "doi": "10.15784/601408", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula", "people": "Farrell, Anthony; Crockett, Elizabeth; Axelsson, Michael; O\u0027Brien, Kristin; Egginton, Stuart; Joyce, William", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Acclimation of cardiovascular function in Notothenia coriiceps", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601408"}, {"dataset_uid": "200188", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Notothenia coriiceps HIF-1A mRNA, complete cds", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/KX950829"}, {"dataset_uid": "601409", "doi": "10.15784/601409", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula", "people": "Joyce, Michael; O\u0027Brien, Kristin; Egginton, Stuart; Farrell, Anthony; Axelsson, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Adrenergic and adenosinergic regulation of the cardiovascular system in the Antarctic icefish Chaenocephalus aceratus", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601409"}, {"dataset_uid": "601414", "doi": "10.15784/601414", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula", "people": "Evans, Elizabeth; Farnoud, Amir; Crockett, Elizabeth; O\u0027Brien, Kristin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Thermal sensitivity of membrane fluidity and integrity in hearts of Antarctic fishes that vary in expression of hemoglobin and myoglobin", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601414"}, {"dataset_uid": "200190", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Parachaenichthys charcoti HIF-1A mRNA, partial cds", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/KX950833"}, {"dataset_uid": "601405", "doi": "10.15784/601405", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula", "people": "O\u0027Brien, Kristin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Cardiac metabolism in Antarctic fishes in response to an acute increase in temperature", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601405"}, {"dataset_uid": "200191", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Gymnodraco acuticeps HIF-1A mRNA, partial cds", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/kx950832"}, {"dataset_uid": "200192", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Chionodraco rastrospinosus HIF-1A mRNA, partial cds", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/kx950831"}, {"dataset_uid": "601406", "doi": "10.15784/601406", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula", "people": "O\u0027Brien, Kristin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Hypoxia response of hearts of Antarctic fishes", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601406"}], "date_created": "Wed, 26 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The ocean surrounding Antarctica is home to an extraordinary assemblage of fishes, dominated by a single group that are extremely well-suited to life in icy waters and which are of significant ecological importance there. Of great concern is the capacity of these fishes to withstand increases in temperature as the region of the Western Antarctic Peninsula warms at a rate faster than any other area in the Southern hemisphere. One particular group of Antarctic fishes, known as the icefishes, are particularly vulnerable to increases in temperature because unlike all other vertebrates on earth, icefishes are white-blooded due to their lack of the oxygen-binding protein hemoglobin. This greatly reduces their capacity to transport and deliver oxygen to tissues compared to red-blooded Antarctic fishes. Previous studies have shown that icefishes are indeed less tolerant to elevations in temperature but the underlying factors are completely unknown. Additionally, it is not understood if red- or white-blooded Antarctic fishes can adjust, or acclimate, to modest increases in temperature, similar to those changes in temperature the animals might experience as the earth warms. The investigators will determine if heart function and/or nervous system function limits thermal tolerance of Antarctic fishes, and will determine their capacity to acclimate to warmer temperatures. The project will further the NSF goal of training new generations of scientists by training graduate and undergraduate students. In addition, the project will collaborate with a high school biology teacher from a school which serves a largely minority student body. The students will learn about the marine environment, and will construct a camera to be used in the field to learn more about Antarctic fishes. Two students and the teacher will also attend a summer marine biology internship program. Antarctic fishes within the suborder Notothenioidei (called \"notothenioids\") are among the organisms on earth least able to deal with changes in temperature. The hemoglobinless icefish are even less able to withstand temperature changes than are red-blooded notothenioids. While this is well documented, the underlying physiological and biochemical mechanisms responsible are unknown. The investigators will test the hypotheses that cardiac work is significantly greater in icefishes compared to red-blooded species, and that as temperature increases, the greater cardiac work of icefishes, coupled with reduced blood oxygen-carrying capacity, results in cardiac failure at a lower temperature compared to red-blooded species. They also hypothesize that neuronal function limits thermal tolerance of red-blooded notothenioids. These hypotheses will be tested using a wide variety of experiments. For example, the investigators will measure heart rate concurrently with critical thermal maximum. They will also characterize metabolic and gene-expression responses to elevated temperature and determine if mitochondrial function contributes to thermal tolerance using a variety of techniques. To determine if neuronal function limits thermal tolerance they will quantify behavioral responses to warming of whole animals and to warming of only the brain area. They will also determine if acclimation to warmer temperatures impacts heart function and they will measure activities of a variety of enzymes from central metabolic pathways.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; Amd/Us; FISH; USA/NSF; FIELD INVESTIGATION; AMD; Antarctic Peninsula; LABORATORY; USAP-DC", "locations": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Crockett, Elizabeth; O\u0027Brien, Kristin", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "Dryad; GenBank; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: The Physiological and Biochemical Underpinnings of Thermal Tolerance in Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes", "uid": "p0010084", "west": null}, {"awards": "1341494 Gao, Yuan", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-64.05 -64.77)", "dataset_titles": "Concentrations and Particle Size Distributions of Aerosol Trace Elements; Particle sizes of aerosol iron", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601370", "doi": "10.15784/601370", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Palmer Station; Trace Elements", "people": "Gao, Yuan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Concentrations and Particle Size Distributions of Aerosol Trace Elements", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601370"}, {"dataset_uid": "601257", "doi": "10.15784/601257", "keywords": "Aerosol Concentration; Antarctica; Chemistry:gas; Chemistry:Gas; Iron; Palmer Station; Particle Size", "people": "Gao, Yuan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Particle sizes of aerosol iron", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601257"}], "date_created": "Thu, 20 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The research seeks to further quantify the input of atmospheric Fe into the sparsely sampled Southern Ocean (SO), specifically in the vicinity of the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) and adjacent continental shelf waters in the Drake Passage. This is typically a high nutrient low chlorophyll region where surface trace metal and primary productivity data are suggestive of Fe limitation. The WAP is characterized by high productivity in the austral summer, and at this time may be in the path of northern dust (aeolian Fe) input or subject to melt influx of elevated Fe accumulated from glacial and present-day sea ice sources. Primary scientific questions are: (1) to what extent does atmospheric Fe contribute to nutrient cycles and ecosystem dynamics in the SO? (2) How is warming climate occurring in the WAP affecting the aerosol composition of the maritime atmosphere. The primary productivity of the Southern Ocean is key to understanding oceanic uptake of anthropogenic greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.", "east": -64.05, "geometry": "POINT(-64.05 -64.77)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Aerosol Concentration; TRACE GASES/TRACE SPECIES; Particle Size; Palmer Station; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Trace Elements; Iron; AEROSOL OPTICAL DEPTH/THICKNESS; USAP-DC", "locations": "Palmer Station", "north": -64.77, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Gao, Yuan", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.77, "title": "Quantifying Atmospheric Iron Properties over West Antarctic Peninsula", "uid": "p0010082", "west": -64.05}, {"awards": "1644020 Sims, Kenneth W.; 1644027 Wallace, Paul; 1644013 Gaetani, Glenn", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((164.1 -77.1,164.65 -77.1,165.2 -77.1,165.75 -77.1,166.3 -77.1,166.85 -77.1,167.4 -77.1,167.95 -77.1,168.5 -77.1,169.05 -77.1,169.6 -77.1,169.6 -77.235,169.6 -77.37,169.6 -77.505,169.6 -77.64,169.6 -77.775,169.6 -77.91,169.6 -78.045,169.6 -78.18,169.6 -78.315,169.6 -78.45,169.05 -78.45,168.5 -78.45,167.95 -78.45,167.4 -78.45,166.85 -78.45,166.3 -78.45,165.75 -78.45,165.2 -78.45,164.65 -78.45,164.1 -78.45,164.1 -78.315,164.1 -78.18,164.1 -78.045,164.1 -77.91,164.1 -77.775,164.1 -77.64,164.1 -77.505,164.1 -77.37,164.1 -77.235,164.1 -77.1))", "dataset_titles": "G170 Electron Microprobe Analyses of Melt Inclusions and Host Olivines; G170 Raman Spectroscopy \u0026 Tomography Volumes of Melt Inclusions and Vapor Bubbles; G170 Sample Locations Ross Island \u0026 Discovery Province; G170 Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Analses of Melt Inclusion Volatiles; G170 Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Analyses of Melt Inclusion Hydrogen Isotopes; Location and Description of Tephra Samples from the Erebus and Discovery Sub-provinces", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601505", "doi": "10.15784/601505", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:rock; Chemistry:Rock; Electron Microprobe Analyses; Olivine; Petrography; Ross Island", "people": "Gaetani, Glenn", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "G170 Electron Microprobe Analyses of Melt Inclusions and Host Olivines", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601505"}, {"dataset_uid": "601507", "doi": "10.15784/601507", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:rock; Chemistry:Rock; Geochemistry; Hydrogen; Ion Mass Spectrometry; Ross Island", "people": "Gaetani, Glenn", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "G170 Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Analyses of Melt Inclusion Hydrogen Isotopes", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601507"}, {"dataset_uid": "601506", "doi": "10.15784/601506", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ion Mass Spectrometry; Ross Island; Volatiles", "people": "Gaetani, Glenn", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "G170 Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Analses of Melt Inclusion Volatiles", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601506"}, {"dataset_uid": "601250", "doi": "10.15784/601250", "keywords": "Antarctica; Hut Point Peninsula; Mt. Bird; Mt. Morning; Mt. Terror; Ross Island; Turks Head; Turtle Rock", "people": "Gaetani, Glenn; Pamukcu, Ayla", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Location and Description of Tephra Samples from the Erebus and Discovery Sub-provinces", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601250"}, {"dataset_uid": "601504", "doi": "10.15784/601504", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ross Island; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Sample Location", "people": "Gaetani, Glenn", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "G170 Sample Locations Ross Island \u0026 Discovery Province", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601504"}, {"dataset_uid": "601508", "doi": "10.15784/601508", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:rock; Chemistry:Rock; Geochemistry; Melt Inclusions; Raman Spectroscopy; Ross Island; Vapor Bubbles; Volcanic", "people": "Gaetani, Glenn", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "G170 Raman Spectroscopy \u0026 Tomography Volumes of Melt Inclusions and Vapor Bubbles", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601508"}], "date_created": "Sat, 08 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Nontechnical project description Globally, 500 million people live near and are threatened by active volcanoes. An important step in mitigating volcanic hazards is understanding the variables that influence the explosivity of eruptions. The rate at which a magma ascends from the reservoir within the Earth to the surface is one such variable. However, magma ascent rates are particularly difficult to determine because of the lack of reliable methods for investigating the process. This research applies a new approach to study magma storage depths and ascent rates at the Erebus volcanic province of Antarctica, one of Earth\u0027s largest alkaline volcanic centers. Small pockets of magma that become trapped within growing olivine crystals are called melt inclusions. The concentrations of water and carbon dioxide in these melt inclusions preserve information on the depth of magma reservoirs. Changes to the concentration and isotopic composition of water in the inclusions provide information on how long it took for the host magma to rise to the surface. In combination, these data from samples of olivine-rich volcanic deposits in the Erebus volcanic province will be used to determine the depths at which magmas are stored and their ascent rates. The project results will provide a framework for understanding volcanic hazards associated with alkaline volcanism worldwide. In addition, this project facilitates collaboration among three institutions, and provides an important educational opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher. Technical project description The depths at which magmas are stored, their pre-eruptive volatile contents, and the rates at which they ascend to the Earth\u0027s surface are important controls on the dynamics of volcanic eruptions. Basaltic magmas are likely to be vapor undersaturated as they begin their ascent from the mantle through the crust, but volatile solubility drops with decreasing pressure. Once vapor saturation is achieved and the magma begins to degas, its pre-eruptive volatile content is determined largely by the depth at which it resides within the crust. Magma stored in deeper reservoirs tend to experience less pre-eruptive degassing and to be richer in volatiles than magma shallower reservoirs. Eruptive style is influenced by the rate at which a magma ascends from the reservoir to the surface through its effect on the efficiency of vapor bubble nucleation, growth, and coalescence. The proposed work will advance our understanding of pre-eruptive storage conditions and syn-eruptive ascent rates through a combined field and analytical research program. Volatile measurements from olivine-hosted melt inclusions will be used to systematically investigate magma storage depths and ascent rates associated with alkaline volcanism in the Erebus volcanic province. A central goal of the project is to provide a spatial and temporal framework for interpreting results from studies of present-day volcanic processes at Mt Erebus volcano. The Erebus volcanic province of Antarctica is especially well suited to this type of investigation because: (1) there are many exposed mafic scoria cones, fissure vents, and hyaloclastites (exposed in sea cliffs) that produced rapidly quenched, olivine-rich tephra; (2) existing volatile data for Ross Island MIs show that magma storage was relatively deep compared to many mafic volcanic systems; (3) some of the eruptive centers ejected mantle xenoliths, allowing for comparison of ascent rates for xenolith-bearing and xenolith-free eruptions, and comparison of ascent rates for those bearing xenoliths with times estimated from settling velocities; and (4) the cold, dry conditions in Antarctica result in excellent tephra preservation compared to tropical and even many temperate localities. The project provides new tools for assessing volcanic hazards, facilitates collaboration involving researchers from three different institutions (WHOI, U Wyoming, and U Oregon), supports the researchers\u0027 involvement in teaching, advising, and outreach, and provides an educational opportunity for a promising young postdoctoral researcher. Understanding the interrelationships among magma volatile contents, reservoir depths, and ascent rates is vital for assessing volcanic hazards associated with alkaline volcanism across the globe.", "east": 169.6, "geometry": "POINT(166.85 -77.775)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Tephra; Turtle Rock; USA/NSF; Amd/Us; LABORATORY; AMD; Ross Island; Turks Head; Hut Point Peninsula; LAVA SPEED/FLOW; USAP-DC; Mt. Morning; Mt. Terror; ROCKS/MINERALS/CRYSTALS; Mt. Bird; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": "Ross Island; Mt. Morning; Mt. Bird; Mt. Terror; Hut Point Peninsula; Turtle Rock; Turks Head", "north": -77.1, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Gaetani, Glenn; Le Roux, Veronique; Sims, Kenneth; Wallace, Paul", "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": -78.45, "title": "Collaborative Research: Determining Magma Storage Depths and Ascent Rates for the Erebus Volcanic Province, Antarctica Using Diffusive Water Loss from Olivine-hosted Melt Inclusion", "uid": "p0010081", "west": 164.1}, {"awards": "1643864 Talghader, Joseph", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.467)", "dataset_titles": " Automated c-axis stage images of WDC-06A 420 vertical thin section from WAIS Divide, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601254", "doi": "10.15784/601254", "keywords": "Antarctica; C-axis; Ice; Microscopy; Thin Sections", "people": "Talghader, Joseph; Mah, Merlin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": " Automated c-axis stage images of WDC-06A 420 vertical thin section from WAIS Divide, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601254"}], "date_created": "Sat, 08 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Part I: Nontechnical One of the most interesting historical records that science can provide is contained in the ice of Antarctica. Layer by layer over hundreds of thousands of years, snow has precipitated on the ice sheet, become compacted, and turned into additional ice. Any dust or other impurities in the air or snow have been precipitated as well and thus each snowfall leaves a snapshot record of the atmosphere that existed at or near the time of deposition. A detailed chronology of volcanic eruptions can be obtained from the ice layers where ash and other volcanic products were deposited. Normally, the analysis of volcanic layers requires the physical extraction of a core from the ice sheet; however, chronologies from cores have discontinuities and are difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to obtain. Borehole logging is a measurement method where one lowers instrumentation into a drilled hole in the ice, whether or not core has been retrieved. To date, this technology has only been used to measure optical systems to identify volcanic ash and other impurity layers. In this program, a profiling technology will be developed that measures the conductivity of the ice. A radio-frequency emitter lowered into the borehole will create a return signal that changes depending on the local conductivity, which depends on the concentration of dissolved ions. For example, dissolved sulfates are a critical marker of volcanic activity that may not be coincident with deposited ash. Other dissolved ions, such as chloride, can be indicative of other processes. It is expected that this borehole profiling instrument will be able to help rapidly identify volcanic eruptions that had potentially global impact, distinguish between different dissolved ions via their frequency dependencies, and assist in establishing chronologies between different ice cores and boreholes. Part II: Technical Description Borehole logging of the polar ice sheets is one of the most important methods that earth scientists have to identify and date volcanic eruptions. However, current technology only indicates the presence and depth of ash from an eruption. In order to extract more detailed information, one must obtain an ice core, and laboriously measure each section in the laboratory using electrical conductivity or dielectric measurements to determine the presence or absence of dissolved sulfate and its location relative to the corresponding ash, if any. This program will investigate and demonstrate a borehole logging-compatible radio-frequency dielectric sensor to detect and measure spikes in dissolved major ions chemistry in ice, particularly in intervals corresponding to volcanically produced sulfates. The sulfate layers are one of the primary signatures of volcanic products. However, other ions, such as chlorides, calcium, and others are also commonly seen in ice, and the dielectric logging technology of this program would also measure these. It is expected that certain sets of ions will be distinguishable by their frequency dependencies. This technique could guide other investigators, who are using conventional core scanning and sampling methods, to regions of special interest in corresponding core. We plan to construct a ring-based electrode system and test this system on a variety of artificial ice boreholes and ice cores. This unit will not include a pressure vessel or other borehole logger packing. We will test different means of applying electrical signals including short pulses and periodic waves. We will further utilize differential measurements with low noise circuits and filters to achieve maximum sensitivity. We will correlate the signals extracted with known molarities of sulfates and other ions and measured ECM records. We will perform scaled-down experiments using real ice cores stored in Bay?s lab at UC Berkeley. This will permit testing of different designs in ice with natural impurities and polycrystalline structure. This small collection includes cores from a variety of locations in Antarctica and Greenland, and a variety of ages as old as a million years.", "east": -112.085, "geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.467)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "WAIS Divide; USAP-DC; Amd/Us; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; USA/NSF; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Ice Core; AMD", "locations": "WAIS Divide", "north": -79.467, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Instrumentation and Facilities; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Talghader, Joseph", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.467, "title": "Collaborative Research: Borehole Logging to Classify Volcanic Signatures in Antarctic Ice", "uid": "p0010080", "west": -112.085}, {"awards": "1341496 Girton, James", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-142 -66,-135.3 -66,-128.6 -66,-121.9 -66,-115.2 -66,-108.5 -66,-101.8 -66,-95.1 -66,-88.4 -66,-81.7 -66,-75 -66,-75 -66.8,-75 -67.6,-75 -68.4,-75 -69.2,-75 -70,-75 -70.8,-75 -71.6,-75 -72.4,-75 -73.2,-75 -74,-81.7 -74,-88.4 -74,-95.1 -74,-101.8 -74,-108.5 -74,-115.2 -74,-121.9 -74,-128.6 -74,-135.3 -74,-142 -74,-142 -73.2,-142 -72.4,-142 -71.6,-142 -70.8,-142 -70,-142 -69.2,-142 -68.4,-142 -67.6,-142 -66.8,-142 -66))", "dataset_titles": "Bottom Photographs from the Antarctic Peninsula acquired during R/V Laurence M. Gould expedition LMG1703; Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP1701", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601302", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Benthic Images; Benthos; Biota; LMG1708; Oceans; Photo; Photo/video; Photo/Video; R/v Laurence M. Gould; Ship; Yoyo Camera", "people": "Girton, James", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Bottom Photographs from the Antarctic Peninsula acquired during R/V Laurence M. Gould expedition LMG1703", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601302"}, {"dataset_uid": "001369", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1701"}, {"dataset_uid": "002661", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP1701", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1701"}], "date_created": "Tue, 10 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Current oceanographic interest in the interaction of relatively warm water of the Southern Ocean Circumpolar Deep Water ( CDW) as it moves southward to the frigid waters of the Antarctic continental shelves is based on the potential importance of heat transport from the global ocean to the base of continental ice shelves. This is needed to understand the longer term mass balance of the continent, the stability of the vast Antarctic ice sheets and the rate at which sea-level will rise in a warming world. Improved observational knowledge of the mechanisms of how warming CDW moves across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is needed. Understanding this dynamical transport, believed to take place by the eddy flux of time-varying mesoscale circulation features, will improve coupled ocean-atmospheric climate models. The development of the next generation of coupled ocean-ice- climate models help us understand future changes in atmospheric heat fluxes, glacial and sea-ice balance, and changes in the Antarctic ecosystems. A recurring obstacle to our understanding is the lack of data in this distant region. In this project, a number of subsurface profiling EM-APEX floats adapted to operate under sea ice will be launched on up to 4 cruises of opportunity to the Pacific sector during Austral summer. The floats will be launched south of the Polar Front and measure shear, turbulence, temperature, and salinity to 2000m depth for up to 2 year missions while following the CDW layer.", "east": -75.0, "geometry": "POINT(-108.5 -70)", "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 ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MBES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e THERMOSALINOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e CAMERAS \u003e CAMERA", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "OCEAN TEMPERATURE; R/V NBP; USAP-DC; ICE DEPTH/THICKNESS; HEAT FLUX; OCEAN CURRENTS; SALINITY/DENSITY; LMG1703; Bellingshausen Sea; Yoyo Camera; WATER MASSES; R/V LMG; NBP1701", "locations": "Bellingshausen Sea", "north": -66.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Girton, James; Rynearson, Tatiana", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -74.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Pathways of Circumpolar Deep Water to West Antarctica from Profiling Float and Satellite Measurements", "uid": "p0010074", "west": -142.0}, {"awards": "1443296 Cottle, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -76.85314,-179.4383642 -76.85314,-178.8767284 -76.85314,-178.3150926 -76.85314,-177.7534568 -76.85314,-177.191821 -76.85314,-176.6301852 -76.85314,-176.0685494 -76.85314,-175.5069136 -76.85314,-174.9452778 -76.85314,-174.383642 -76.85314,-174.383642 -77.658865,-174.383642 -78.46459,-174.383642 -79.270315,-174.383642 -80.07604,-174.383642 -80.881765,-174.383642 -81.68749,-174.383642 -82.493215,-174.383642 -83.29894,-174.383642 -84.104665,-174.383642 -84.91039,-174.9452778 -84.91039,-175.5069136 -84.91039,-176.0685494 -84.91039,-176.6301852 -84.91039,-177.191821 -84.91039,-177.7534568 -84.91039,-178.3150926 -84.91039,-178.8767284 -84.91039,-179.4383642 -84.91039,180 -84.91039,177.4459565 -84.91039,174.891913 -84.91039,172.3378695 -84.91039,169.783826 -84.91039,167.2297825 -84.91039,164.675739 -84.91039,162.1216955 -84.91039,159.567652 -84.91039,157.0136085 -84.91039,154.459565 -84.91039,154.459565 -84.104665,154.459565 -83.29894,154.459565 -82.493215,154.459565 -81.68749,154.459565 -80.881765,154.459565 -80.07604,154.459565 -79.270315,154.459565 -78.46459,154.459565 -77.658865,154.459565 -76.85314,157.0136085 -76.85314,159.567652 -76.85314,162.1216955 -76.85314,164.675739 -76.85314,167.2297825 -76.85314,169.783826 -76.85314,172.3378695 -76.85314,174.891913 -76.85314,177.4459565 -76.85314,-180 -76.85314))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 02 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Subduction takes place at convergent plate boundaries and involves sinking of one tectonic plate underneath another. Although this process is a key aspect of plate tectonics that shapes the planet over geologic time, and is a primary cause of earthquakes, it is not known what causes subduction to cease, and what effect it has on the deepest portions of the crust and the upper part of the mantle. By studying the age and composition of igneous rocks emplaced at the very end of the subduction cycle, this project seeks to understand what causes subduction to cease, and how this changes the composition and structure of the crust and upper mantle. Because this process occurs deep within the earth, the project will focus on rocks in the root of an ancient subduction zone, now exposed in the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. In addition, Antarctica remains relatively poorly understood, and this project will contribute directly to increasing our understanding of the geologic history of this region. The project will focus on training graduate and undergraduate students - incorporating hands-on experience with an array of state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation. Students will also gain a range of more general skills including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), written and oral communication, and data management - strengths that are highly relevant to careers both in the academic and Geosciences industry. Each summer, high school students will be incorporated into aspects of the laboratory-based research through the UCSB research mentorship program. The PI and graduate students will engage the general public through a purpose-built iPhone App and multimedia website. Activities will include live phone and video conversations from the field between elementary school students and members of the team in Antarctica. The mechanisms by which the deep crustal delaminates or \"founders\" and is returned to the mantle remains a fundamental problem in earth science. Specifically, little is known about the temporal and spatial scales over which this process occurs or the mechanisms that trigger such catastrophic events. Igneous rocks highly enriched in potassium, called lamprophyres, are often emplaced during, and immediately after, termination of subduction and therefore potentially provide direct insight into foundering. These enigmatic rocks are important because they represent near-primary mantle melt compositions and therefore their age, geochemistry and petrologic evolution reveal key information on both the composition of the upper mantle and its thermal state. Of equal importance, they reveal how these key parameters vary through both space and time. By evaluating lamprophyres along a subduction zone margin it is possible to extract: 1) local-scale information, such as the timing and duration of melting and the role of igneous crystallization processes in generation of isotopic heterogeneities; 2) along-strike variations in mantle source composition, temperature, and depth of melting 3) the plate-scale forces that control foundering and termination of subduction. This project will study a suite of lamprophyres along the axis of the Transantarctic Mountains, emplaced during the latest stages of the Neoproterozoic - Ordovician Ross orogeny, Antarctica (roughly 505 to 470 million years before present). High-precision geochronology (age determinations) will be combined with geochemical measurements on the rocks and minerals to understand the mechanisms and timing of deep crustal foundering/delamination.", "east": -174.383642, "geometry": "POINT(170.0379615 -80.881765)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AGE DETERMINATIONS; ISOTOPES; PLATE TECTONICS; Antarctica; USAP-DC; NOT APPLICABLE", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -76.85314, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Cottle, John", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -84.91039, "title": "Petrologic Constraints on Subduction Termination From Lamprophyres, Ross Orogen, Antarctica", "uid": "p0010071", "west": 154.459565}, {"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 Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "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": "1443105 Steig, Eric", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "dataset_titles": "Continuous-flow measurements of the complete water isotope ratios (D/H, 17O/16O, 18O/16) from the South Pole ice core; South Pole high resolution ice core water stable isotope record for dD, d18O; South Pole Ice Core Holocene Major Ion Dataset; South Pole Ice Core Sea Salt and Major Ions; SP19 Gas Chronology; Temperature, accumulation rate, and layer thinning from the South Pole ice core (SPC14)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601850", "doi": "10.15784/601850", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Records; Major Ion; Sea Ice; Sea Salt; Sodium; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Winski, Dominic A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole Ice Core Holocene Major Ion Dataset", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601850"}, {"dataset_uid": "601239", "doi": "10.15784/601239", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cavity Ring Down Spectrometers; Delta 18O; Delta Deuterium; Deuterium Isotopes; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Core; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Data; Oxygen Isotope; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Stable Isotopes", "people": "Jones, Tyler R.; Vaughn, Bruce; Kahle, Emma; Steig, Eric J.; Schauer, Andrew; Morris, Valerie; White, James", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole high resolution ice core water stable isotope record for dD, d18O", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601239"}, {"dataset_uid": "601851", "doi": "10.15784/601851", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Records; Major Ion; Sea Ice; Sea Salt; Sodium; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Winski, Dominic A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole Ice Core Sea Salt and Major Ions", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601851"}, {"dataset_uid": "601380", "doi": "10.15784/601380", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ch4; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Ice Core Stratigraphy; Methane; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Epifanio, Jenna", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "SP19 Gas Chronology", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601380"}, {"dataset_uid": "601396", "doi": "10.15784/601396", "keywords": "Accumulation; Antarctica; Diffusion Length; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Ice Dynamic; Layer Thinning; Oxygen Isotope; South Pole; SPICEcore; Temperature", "people": "Jones, Tyler R.; Kahle, Emma; Steig, Eric J.; White, James; Epifanio, Jenna; Buizert, Christo; Waddington, Edwin D.; Conway, Howard; Stevens, Max; Schauer, Andrew; Vaughn, Bruce; Morris, Valerie; Koutnik, Michelle; Fudge, T. J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "Temperature, accumulation rate, and layer thinning from the South Pole ice core (SPC14)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601396"}, {"dataset_uid": "601429", "doi": "10.15784/601429", "keywords": "Antarctica; Climate; Deuterium; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Hydrogen; Ice; Ice Core; Ice Core Chemistry; Oxygen; Paleoclimate; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; Stable Isotopes", "people": "Vaughn, Bruce; Jones, Tyler R.; White, James; Morris, Valerie; Schauer, Andrew; Steig, Eric J.; Kahle, Emma", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "Continuous-flow measurements of the complete water isotope ratios (D/H, 17O/16O, 18O/16) from the South Pole ice core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601429"}], "date_created": "Sun, 17 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project will develop a record of the stable-isotope ratios of water from an ice core at the South Pole, Antarctica. Water-isotope ratio measurements provide a means to determine variability in temperature through time. South Pole is distinct from most other locations in Antarctica in showing no warming in recent decades, but little is known about temperature variability in this location prior to the installation of weather stations in 1957. The measurements made as part of this project will result in a much longer temperature record, extending at least 40,000 years, aiding our ability to understand what controls Antarctic climate, and improving projections of future Antarctic climate change. Data from this project will be critical to other investigators working on the South Pole ice core, and of general interest to other scientists and the public. Data will be provided rapidly to other investigators and made public as soon as possible. This project will obtain records of the stable-isotope ratios of water on the ice core currently being obtained at South Pole. The core will reach a depth of 1500 m and an age of 40,000 years. The project will use laser spectroscopy to obtain both an ultra-high-resolution record of oxygen 18/16 and deuterium-hydrogen ratios, and a lower-resolution record of oxygen 17/16 ratios. The high-resolution measurements will be used to aid in dating the core, and to provide estimates of isotope diffusion that constrain the process of firn densification. The novel 17/16 measurement provides additional constraints on the isotope fractionation due to the temperature-dependent supersaturation ratio, which affects the fractionation of water during the liquid-solid condensate transition. Together, these techniques will allow for improved accuracy in the use of the water isotope ratios as proxies for ice-sheet temperature, sea-surface temperature, and atmospheric circulation. The result will be a record of decadal through centennial and millennial scale climate change in a climatically distinct region in East Antarctica that has not been previously sampled by deep ice coring. The project will support a graduate student who will be co-advised by faculty at the University of Washington and the University of Colorado, and will be involved in all aspects of the work.", "east": 0.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "SPICEcore; D18O; LABORATORY; OXYGEN ISOTOPE ANALYSIS; Oxygen Isotope; South Pole; USAP-DC; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; Antarctica; AMD; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Ice Core", "locations": "Antarctica; South Pole", "north": -90.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Steig, Eric J.; White, James", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "SPICEcore", "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Record of the Triple-oxygen Isotope and Hydrogen Isotope Composition of Ice from an Ice Core at South Pole", "uid": "p0010065", "west": 0.0}, {"awards": "1738942 Wellner, Julia", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-120 -71,-118 -71,-116 -71,-114 -71,-112 -71,-110 -71,-108 -71,-106 -71,-104 -71,-102 -71,-100 -71,-100 -71.5,-100 -72,-100 -72.5,-100 -73,-100 -73.5,-100 -74,-100 -74.5,-100 -75,-100 -75.5,-100 -76,-102 -76,-104 -76,-106 -76,-108 -76,-110 -76,-112 -76,-114 -76,-116 -76,-118 -76,-120 -76,-120 -75.5,-120 -75,-120 -74.5,-120 -74,-120 -73.5,-120 -73,-120 -72.5,-120 -72,-120 -71.5,-120 -71))", "dataset_titles": "A multibeam-bathymetric compilation for the southern Amundsen Sea shelf, 1999-2019; Expedition Data of NBP2002; Expedition Data of NBP2202; NBP1902 Expedition data; Physical and geochemical data from sediment cores collected offshore Thwaites Glacier", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200161", "doi": "10.5285/F2DFEDA9-BF44-4EF5-89A3-EE5E434A385C", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UK PDC", "science_program": null, "title": "A multibeam-bathymetric compilation for the southern Amundsen Sea shelf, 1999-2019", "url": "https://doi.org/10.5285/F2DFEDA9-BF44-4EF5-89A3-EE5E434A385C"}, {"dataset_uid": "200311", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data of NBP2202", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP2202"}, {"dataset_uid": "200248", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data of NBP2002", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP2002"}, {"dataset_uid": "200083", "doi": "10.7284/908147", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1902 Expedition data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1902"}, {"dataset_uid": "601514", "doi": "10.15784/601514", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:sediment; Chemistry:Sediment; Glaciomarine Sediment; Grain Size; Magnetic Susceptibility; Marine Geoscience; Marine Sediments; NBP1902; NBP2002; Physical Properties; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sediment Core Data; Thwaites Glacier; Trace Elements; XRF", "people": "Lepp, Allison", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "title": "Physical and geochemical data from sediment cores collected offshore Thwaites Glacier", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601514"}], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project contributes to the joint initiative launched by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to substantially improve decadal and longer-term projections of ice loss and sea-level rise originating from Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. Satellite observations extending over the last 25 years show that Thwaites Glacier is rapidly thinning and accelerating. Over this same period, the Thwaites grounding line, the point at which the glacier transitions from sitting on the seabed to floating, has retreated. Oceanographic studies demonstrate that the main driver of these changes is incursion of warm water from the deep ocean that flows beneath the floating ice shelf and causes basal melting. The period of satellite observation is not long enough to determine how a large glacier, such as Thwaites, responds to long-term and near-term changes in the ocean or the atmosphere. As a result, records of glacier change from the pre-satellite era are required to build a holistic understanding of glacier behavior. Ocean-floor sediments deposited at the retreating grounding line and further offshore contain these longer-term records of changes in the glacier and the adjacent ocean. An additional large unknown is the topography of the seafloor and how it influences interactions of landward-flowing warm water with Thwaites Glacier and affects its stability. Consequently, this project focuses on the seafloor offshore from Thwaites Glacier and the records of past glacial and ocean change contained in the sediments deposited by the glacier and surrounding ocean. Uncertainty in model projections of the future of Thwaites Glacier will be significantly reduced by cross-disciplinary investigations seaward of the current grounding line, including extracting the record of decadal to millennial variations in warm water incursion, determining the pre-satellite era history of grounding-line migration, and constraining the bathymetric pathways that control flow of warm water to the grounding line. Sedimentary records and glacial landforms preserved on the seafloor will allow reconstruction of changes in drivers and the glacial response to them over a range of timescales, thus providing reference data that can be used to initiate and evaluate the reliability of models. Such data will further provide insights on the influence of poorly understood processes on marine ice sheet dynamics. This project will include an integrated suite of marine and sub-ice shelf research activities aimed at establishing boundary conditions seaward of the Thwaites Glacier grounding line, obtaining records of the external drivers of change, improving knowledge of processes leading to collapse of Thwaites Glacier, and determining the history of past change in grounding line migration and conditions at the glacier base. These objectives will be achieved through high-resolution geophysical surveys of the seafloor and analysis of sediments collected in cores from the inner shelf seaward of the Thwaites Glacier grounding line using ship-based equipment, and from beneath the ice shelf using a corer deployed through the ice shelf via hot water drill holes. 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": -100.0, "geometry": "POINT(-110 -73.5)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SEDIMENT CORERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ECHO SOUNDERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "BATHYMETRY; Antarctica; MARINE SEDIMENTS; AMD; MARINE GEOPHYSICS; Amd/Us; USAP-DC; Thwaites Glacier; LABORATORY; Southern Ocean; ICE SHEETS; USA/NSF; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; R/V NBP", "locations": "Antarctica; Southern Ocean; Thwaites Glacier", "north": -71.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Wellner, Julia; Larter, Robert; Minzoni, Rebecca; Hogan, Kelly; Anderson, John; Graham, Alastair; Hillenbrand, Claus-Dieter; Nitsche, Frank O.; Simkins, Lauren; Smith, James A.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "UK PDC", "repositories": "R2R; UK PDC; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Thwaites (ITGC)", "south": -76.0, "title": "NSF-NERC: THwaites Offshore Research (THOR)", "uid": "p0010062", "west": -120.0}, {"awards": "1443578 Schmidt, Steven", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((161.5 -77.5,161.7 -77.5,161.9 -77.5,162.1 -77.5,162.3 -77.5,162.5 -77.5,162.7 -77.5,162.9 -77.5,163.1 -77.5,163.3 -77.5,163.5 -77.5,163.5 -77.53,163.5 -77.56,163.5 -77.59,163.5 -77.62,163.5 -77.65,163.5 -77.68,163.5 -77.71,163.5 -77.74,163.5 -77.77,163.5 -77.8,163.3 -77.8,163.1 -77.8,162.9 -77.8,162.7 -77.8,162.5 -77.8,162.3 -77.8,162.1 -77.8,161.9 -77.8,161.7 -77.8,161.5 -77.8,161.5 -77.77,161.5 -77.74,161.5 -77.71,161.5 -77.68,161.5 -77.65,161.5 -77.62,161.5 -77.59,161.5 -77.56,161.5 -77.53,161.5 -77.5))", "dataset_titles": "16S and 18S amplicon sequencing of Antarctic cryoconite holes; Genomes of Antarctic ssDNA viruses (GenBank accession numbers MN311489-MN311492 and MN328267-MN328291); Metadata from samples (in the process of submitting to EDI; will update with DOI once completed); Microbial species-area relationships in Antarctic cryoconite holes; Soil microbial communities of a mountain landscape, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200279", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GitHub", "science_program": null, "title": "Metadata from samples (in the process of submitting to EDI; will update with DOI once completed)", "url": "https://github.com/pacificasommers/Cryoconite-metadata"}, {"dataset_uid": "200081", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "16S and 18S amplicon sequencing of Antarctic cryoconite holes", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA480849/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200280", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Soil microbial communities of a mountain landscape, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA721735/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200281", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Microbial species-area relationships in Antarctic cryoconite holes", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA668398/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200084", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Genomes of Antarctic ssDNA viruses (GenBank accession numbers MN311489-MN311492 and MN328267-MN328291)", "url": ""}], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Cryoconite holes are pockets of life completely encased in otherwise barren glacial ice. These pockets of life form when dust blown onto the ice melts a small, largely isolated hole that can function as its own tiny ecosystem. This dust can contain microorganisms such as bacteria, algae, or microscopic animals. The microorganisms within the hole interact and carry out functions typical of a larger ecosystem, such as a forest. Cryoconite holes are especially important in extreme cold environments such as the Antarctic Dry Valleys, where they function as repositories of life. Because cryoconite holes are mostly enclosed and persist for years, they can be tracked over time to test fundamental scientific questions about how communities of interacting organisms develop to become fully functioning ecosystems. This project will sample existing and experimentally created cryoconite holes to understand how these ecosystems develop and to what degree random processes (such as which organisms get there first) affect the final community composition and functioning. The results will not only improve our understanding of how microbial communities assemble and affect the functioning of microecosystems such as cryoconite holes, but also how the processes of community assembly affect functioning of larger ecosystems, such as forests. A better understanding of community establishment, development, and response to abiotic factors are essential to forecasting ecological responses to environmental change. It is essential to unravel the links between community assembly, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling across numerous ecosystems because these are critical factors determining ecological responses to environmental change. The unique, largely isolated nature of cryoconite holes provides an experimental system that will advance fundamental understanding of the processes (e.g., stochastic dynamics such as dispersal limitation, assembly order, and ecological drift) driving community assembly. This project will use a field sampling campaign and a number of manipulative experiments to test a hypothesis that unites theory in community and ecosystem ecology: the degree to which stochastic processes guide microbial community assembly and affects regional patterns in biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Cryoconite holes will be sampled to compare community composition, environmental factors, and ecosystem functioning between hydrologically connected and isolated holes. New cryoconite holes will also be constructed and monitored over the course of two growing seasons to specifically alter assembly order and community size, thereby pairing a unique manipulative experiment with field surveys to address questions with relevance to the Antarctic and beyond. Amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, microscopy, sensitive environmental chemistry methods, and photosynthesis and respiration measurements will be used to test a series of sub-hypotheses that relate stochasticity to patterns in regional biodiversity, heterogeneity in environmental factors, and ecosystem processes.", "east": 163.5, "geometry": "POINT(162.5 -77.65)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GLACIERS; Antarctica; USAP-DC; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -77.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Schmidt, Steven; Cawley, Kaelin; Fountain, Andrew", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "GitHub", "repositories": "GitHub; NCBI GenBank", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.8, "title": "Collaborative Research: Stochasticity and Cryoconite Community Assembly and Function", "uid": "p0010063", "west": 161.5}, {"awards": "1443566 Bay, Ryan", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(90 -90)", "dataset_titles": "Laser Dust Logging of the South Pole Ice Core (SPICE)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601222", "doi": "10.15784/601222", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dust; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; SPICEcore", "people": "Bay, Ryan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "Laser Dust Logging of the South Pole Ice Core (SPICE)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601222"}], "date_created": "Thu, 31 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Bay/1443566 This award supports the deployment and analysis of data from an oriented laser dust logger in the South Pole ice core borehole to complement study of the ice core record. Before the core is even processed, data from the borehole probe will immediately determine the depth-age relationship, augment 3D mapping of South Pole stratigraphy, aid in searches for the oldest ice in Antarctica, and reveal layers of volcanic or extraterrestrial fallout. Regarding the intellectual merit, the oriented borehole log will be essential for investigating features in the ice sheet that may have implications for ice core chronology, ice flow, ice sheet physical properties and stability in response to climate change. The tools and techniques developed in this program have applications in glaciology, biogeoscience and exploration of other planetary bodies. The program aims for a deeper understanding of the consequences and causes of abrupt climate change. The broader impacts of the project are that it will include outreach and education, providing a broad training ground for students and post-docs. Data and metadata will be made available through data centers and repositories such as the National Snow and Ice Data Center web portal. The laser dust logger detects reproducible paleoclimate features at sub-centimeter depth scale. Dust logger data are being used for synchronizing records and dating any site on the continent, revealing accumulation anomalies and episodes of rapid ice sheet thinning, and discovering particulate horizons of special interest. In this project we will deploy a laser dust logger equipped with a magnetic compass to find direct evidence of preferentially oriented dust. Using optical scattering measurements from IceCube calibration studies at South Pole and borehole logs at WAIS Divide, we have detected a persistent anisotropy correlated with flow and crystal fabric which suggests that the majority of insoluble particulates must be located within ice grains. With typical concentrations of parts-per-billion, little is known about the location of impurities within the polycrystalline structure of polar ice. While soluble impurities are generally thought to concentrate at inter-grain boundaries and determine electrical conductivity, the fate of insoluble particulates is much less clear, and microscopic examinations are extremely challenging. These in situ borehole measurements will help to unravel intimate relationships between impurities, flow, and crystal fabric. Data from this project will further develop a unique record of South Pole surface roughness as a proxy for paleowind and provide new insights for understanding glacial radar propagation. This project has field work in Antarctica.", "east": 90.0, "geometry": "POINT(90 -90)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; Antarctica; ICE CORE RECORDS; USAP-DC", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -90.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bay, Ryan", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Laser Dust Logging of a South Pole Ice Core", "uid": "p0010061", "west": 90.0}, {"awards": "1745137 Schroeder, Dustin", "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": "Antarctic topographic and subglacial lake geostatistical simulations; Radar Sounding Observations of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, 2004-2005", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601436", "doi": "10.15784/601436", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Bed Reflectivity; Ice Penetrating Radar; Radar Echo Sounder", "people": "Chu, Winnie; Schroeder, Dustin; Culberg, Riley; Hilger, Andrew M.; Young, Duncan A.; Vaughan, David G.; Seroussi, Helene; Jordan, Thomas M.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Radar Sounding Observations of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, 2004-2005", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601436"}, {"dataset_uid": "601213", "doi": "10.15784/601213", "keywords": "Active Lakes; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Sheet Model; Model Data; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Subglacial Lakes; Topography", "people": "Caers, Jef; Scheidt, Celine; Siegfried, Matthew; MacKie, Emma; Schroeder, Dustin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic topographic and subglacial lake geostatistical simulations", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601213"}], "date_created": "Sat, 12 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Earth\u0027s geologic record shows that the great ice sheets have contributed to rates of sea-level rise that have been much higher than those observed today. That said, some sectors of the current Antarctic ice sheet are losing mass at large and accelerating rates. One of the primary challenges for placing these recent and ongoing changes in the context of geologically historic rates, and for making projections decades to centuries into the future, is the difficulty of observing conditions and processes beneath the ice sheet. Whereas satellite observations allow tracking of the ice-surface velocity and elevation on the scale of glacier catchments to ice sheets, airborne ice-penetrating radar has been the only approach for assessing conditions on this scale beneath the ice. These radar observations have been made since the late 1960s, but, because many different instruments have been used, it is difficult to track change in subglacial conditions through time. This project will develop the technical tools and approaches required to cross-compare among these measurements and thus open up opportunities for tracking and understanding changes in the critical subglacial environment. Intertwined with the research and student training on this project will be an outreach education effort to provide middle school and high school students with improved resources and enhanced exposure to geophysical, glaciological, and remote-sensing topics through partnership with the National Science Olympiad. The radar sounding of ice sheets is a powerful tool for glaciological science with broad applicability across a wide range of cryosphere problems and processes. Radar sounding data have been collected with extensive spatial and temporal coverage across the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, including areas where multiple surveys provide observations that span decades in time or entire cross-catchment ice-sheet sectors. However, one major obstacle to realizing the scientific potential of existing radar sounding observations in Antarctica is the lack of analysis approaches specifically developed for cross-instrument interpretation. This project aims to directly address these barriers to full utilization of the collective Antarctic radar sounding record by developing a suite of processing and interpretation techniques to enable the synthesis of radar sounding data sets collected with systems that range from incoherent to coherent, single-channel to swath-imaging, and digital to optically-recorded radar sounders. The approaches will be assessed for two target regions: the Amundsen Sea Embayment and the Siple Coast. All pre- and post-processed sounding data produced by this project will be publically hosted for use by the wider research community. 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": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e IMAGING RADARS \u003e IMAGING RADAR SYSTEMS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GLACIER TOPOGRAPHY/ICE SHEET TOPOGRAPHY; Amd/Us; Airborne Radar; USA/NSF; ICE DEPTH/THICKNESS; Antarctica; Radar; AMD; USAP-DC", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Schroeder, Dustin; MacKie, Emma", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "CAREER: Cross-Instrument Synthesis of Antarctic Radar Sounding Observations", "uid": "p0010058", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1341728 Stone, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-86.3 -81,-86.17 -81,-86.04 -81,-85.91 -81,-85.78 -81,-85.65 -81,-85.52 -81,-85.39 -81,-85.26 -81,-85.13 -81,-85 -81,-85 -81.03,-85 -81.06,-85 -81.09,-85 -81.12,-85 -81.15,-85 -81.18,-85 -81.21,-85 -81.24,-85 -81.27,-85 -81.3,-85.13 -81.3,-85.26 -81.3,-85.39 -81.3,-85.52 -81.3,-85.65 -81.3,-85.78 -81.3,-85.91 -81.3,-86.04 -81.3,-86.17 -81.3,-86.3 -81.3,-86.3 -81.27,-86.3 -81.24,-86.3 -81.21,-86.3 -81.18,-86.3 -81.15,-86.3 -81.12,-86.3 -81.09,-86.3 -81.06,-86.3 -81.03,-86.3 -81))", "dataset_titles": "Cosmogenic nuclide data, Harter Nunatak; Cosmogenic nuclide data, John Nunatak; Cosmogenic nuclide data, Mt Axtell; Cosmogenic nuclide data, Mt Goodwin; Cosmogenic nuclide data, Mt Tidd; Cosmogenic nuclide data, Mt Turcotte; Pirrit Hills subglacial bedrock core RB-2, cosmogenic Be-10, Al-26 data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200078", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Cosmogenic nuclide data, Mt Goodwin", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200077", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Cosmogenic nuclide data, Mt Turcotte", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601214", "doi": "10.15784/601214", "keywords": "Aluminum-26; Antarctica; Be-10; Bedrock Core; Beryllium-10; Chemistry:rock; Chemistry:Rock; Cosmogenic; Cosmogenic Dating; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope Data; Pirrit Hills; Rocks; Solid Earth; Subglacial Bedrock", "people": "Stone, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Pirrit Hills subglacial bedrock core RB-2, cosmogenic Be-10, Al-26 data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601214"}, {"dataset_uid": "200080", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Cosmogenic nuclide data, John Nunatak", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200079", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Cosmogenic nuclide data, Harter Nunatak", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200076", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Cosmogenic nuclide data, Mt Tidd", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200075", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Cosmogenic nuclide data, Mt Axtell", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}], "date_created": "Tue, 08 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Stone/1341728 This award supports a project to determine if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) has thinned and collapsed in the past and if so, when did this occur. This topic is of interest to geologists who have long been studying the history and behavior of ice sheets (including the WAIS) in order to determine what climatic conditions allow an ice sheet to survive and what conditions have caused them to collapse in the past. The bulk of this research has focused on the last ice age, when climate conditions were far colder than the present; this project will focus on the response of ice sheets to warmer climates in the past. A new and potentially transformative approach that uses the analysis of atoms transformed by cosmic-rays in bedrock beneath the WAIS will allow a definitive test for ice free conditions in the past. This is because the cosmic rays capable of producing the necessary reactions can penetrate only a few meters through glacier ice. Therefore, if they are detected in samples from hundreds of meters below the current ice sheet surface this would provide definitive proof of mostly ice-free conditions in the past. The concentrations of different cosmic ray products in cores from different depths will help answer the question of how frequently bedrock has been exposed, how much the ice sheet has thinned, and which time periods in the past produced climatic conditions capable of making the ice sheet unstable. Short bedrock cores beneath the ice sheet near the Pirrit Hills in West Antarctica will be collected using a new agile sub-ice geological drill (capable of drilling up to 200 meters beneath the ice surface) that is being developed by the Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) to support this and other projects. Favorable drilling sites have already been identified based on prior reconnaissance mapping, sample analysis and radar surveys of the ice-sheet bed. The cores collected in this study will be analyzed for cosmic-ray-produced isotopes of different elements with a range of half-lives from 5700 yr (C-14) to 1.4 Myr (Be-10), as well as stable Ne-21. The presence or absence of these isotopes will provide a definitive test of whether bedrock surfaces were ice-free in the past and due to their different half-lives, ratios of the isotopes will place constraints on the age, frequency and duration of past exposure episodes. Results from bedrock surfaces at different depths will indicate the degree of past ice-sheet thinning. The aim is to tie evidence of deglaciation in the past to specific periods of warmer climate and thus to gauge the ice sheet\u0027s response to known climate conditions. This project addresses the broad question of ice-sheet sensitivity to climate warming, which previously has been largely determined indirectly from sea-level records. In contrast, this project will provide direct measurements that provide evidence of ice-sheet thinning in West Antarctica. Results from this work will help to identify the climatic factors and thresholds capable of endangering the WAIS in future. The project will make a significant contribution to the ongoing study of climate change, ice-sheet melting and associated sea-level rise. This project has field work in Antarctica.", "east": -85.0, "geometry": "POINT(-85.65 -81.15)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "DEPTH AT SPECIFIC AGES; USAP-DC; Antarctica; NOT APPLICABLE", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -81.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Stone, John", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "ICE-D", "repositories": "ICE-D; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -81.3, "title": "EXPROBE-WAIS: Exposed Rock Beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, A Test for Interglacial Ice Sheet Collapse", "uid": "p0010057", "west": -86.3}, {"awards": "1443248 Hall, Brenda; 1443346 Stone, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-174 -84.2,-172.4 -84.2,-170.8 -84.2,-169.2 -84.2,-167.6 -84.2,-166 -84.2,-164.4 -84.2,-162.8 -84.2,-161.2 -84.2,-159.6 -84.2,-158 -84.2,-158 -84.36,-158 -84.52,-158 -84.68,-158 -84.84,-158 -85,-158 -85.16,-158 -85.32,-158 -85.48,-158 -85.64,-158 -85.8,-159.6 -85.8,-161.2 -85.8,-162.8 -85.8,-164.4 -85.8,-166 -85.8,-167.6 -85.8,-169.2 -85.8,-170.8 -85.8,-172.4 -85.8,-174 -85.8,-174 -85.64,-174 -85.48,-174 -85.32,-174 -85.16,-174 -85,-174 -84.84,-174 -84.68,-174 -84.52,-174 -84.36,-174 -84.2))", "dataset_titles": "Cosmogenic nuclide data from glacial deposits along the Liv Glacier coast; Ice-D Antarctic Cosmogenic Nuclide database - site DUNCAN; Ice-D Antarctic Cosmogenic Nuclide database - site MAASON; Liv and Amundsen Glacier Radiocarbon Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601226", "doi": "10.15784/601226", "keywords": "Antarctica; Be-10; Beryllium-10; Cosmogenic; Cosmogenic Dating; Cosmogenic Radionuclides; Deglaciation; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Liv Glacier; Rocks; Ross Ice Sheet; Surface Exposure Dates; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Stone, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Cosmogenic nuclide data from glacial deposits along the Liv Glacier coast", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601226"}, {"dataset_uid": "200087", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice-D Antarctic Cosmogenic Nuclide database - site MAASON", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}, {"dataset_uid": "200088", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice-D Antarctic Cosmogenic Nuclide database - site DUNCAN", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601208", "doi": "10.15784/601208", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon; Glaciology; Holocene; Radiocarbon; Ross Embayment; Ross Sea; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Hall, Brenda", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Liv and Amundsen Glacier Radiocarbon Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601208"}], "date_created": "Thu, 05 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The response of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to future climatic changes is recognized as the greatest uncertainty in projections of future sea level. An understanding of past ice fluctuations affords insight into ice-sheet response to climate and sea-level change and thus is critical for improving sea-level predictions. This project will examine deglaciation of the southern Ross Sea over the past few thousand years to document oscillations in Antarctic ice volume during a period of relatively stable climate and sea level. We will help quantify changes in ice volume, improve understanding of the ice dynamics responsible, and examine the implications for future sea-level change. The project will train future scientists through participation of graduate students, as well as undergraduates who will develop research projects in our laboratories. Previous research indicates rapid Ross Sea deglaciation as far south as Beardmore Glacier early in the Holocene epoch (which began approximately 11,700 years before present), followed by more gradual recession. However, deglaciation in the later half of the Holocene remains poorly constrained, with no chronological control on grounding-line migration between Beardmore and Scott Glaciers. Thus, we do not know if mid-Holocene recession drove the grounding line rapidly back to its present position at Scott Glacier, or if the ice sheet withdrew gradually in the absence of significant climate forcing or eustatic sea level change. The latter possibility raises concerns for future stability of the Ross Sea grounding line. To address this question, we will map and date glacial deposits on coastal mountains that constrain the thinning history of Liv and Amundsen Glaciers. By extending our chronology down to the level of floating ice at the mouths of these glaciers, we will date their thinning history from glacial maximum to present, as well as migration of the Ross Sea grounding line southwards along the Transantarctic Mountains. High-resolution dating will come from Beryllium-10 surface-exposure ages of erratics collected along elevation transects, as well as Carbon-14 dates of algae within shorelines from former ice-dammed ponds. Sites have been chosen specifically to allow close comparison of these two dating methods, which will afford constraints on Antarctic Beryllium-10 production rates.", "east": -158.0, "geometry": "POINT(-166 -85)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS; NOT APPLICABLE; Antarctica; ICE SHEETS; USAP-DC", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -84.2, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hall, Brenda; Stone, John", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "ICE-D; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -85.8, "title": "Collaborative Research: High-resolution Reconstruction of Holocene Deglaciation in the Southern Ross Embayment", "uid": "p0010053", "west": -174.0}, {"awards": "1443663 Cole-Dai, Jihong; 1443397 Kreutz, Karl; 1443336 Osterberg, Erich", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-180 -90)", "dataset_titles": "Preliminary SPC14 high-resolution Fe and Mn biologically relevant and dissolved trace metal concentrations spanning -42 \u2013 54,300 years BP.; South Pole Ice Core Holocene Major Ion Dataset; South Pole Ice Core Sea Salt and Major Ions; South Pole ice core (SPC14) discrete methane data; South Pole (SPC14) microparticle concentration, mass concentration, flux, particle-size-distribution mode, and aspect ratio measurements; SPICEcore 400-480 m Major Ions SDSU; The South Pole Ice Core (SPICEcore) chronology and supporting data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601381", "doi": "10.15784/601381", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ch4; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; Methane; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Winski, Dominic A.; Epifanio, Jenna; Brook, Edward J.; Buizert, Christo; Kreutz, Karl; Aydin, Murat; Edwards, Jon S.; Sowers, Todd A.; Kahle, Emma; Steig, Eric J.; Osterberg, Erich; Fudge, T. J.; Hood, Ekaterina; Kalk, Michael; Ferris, David G.; Kennedy, Joshua A.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole ice core (SPC14) discrete methane data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601381"}, {"dataset_uid": "601675", "doi": "10.15784/601675", "keywords": "Antarctica; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Kreutz, Karl", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "Preliminary SPC14 high-resolution Fe and Mn biologically relevant and dissolved trace metal concentrations spanning -42 \u2013 54,300 years BP.", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601675"}, {"dataset_uid": "601553", "doi": "10.15784/601553", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dust; Ice Core; South Pole", "people": "Kreutz, Karl", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole (SPC14) microparticle concentration, mass concentration, flux, particle-size-distribution mode, and aspect ratio measurements", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601553"}, {"dataset_uid": "601430", "doi": "10.15784/601430", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ions; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Cole-Dai, Jihong; Larrick, Carleigh", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "SPICEcore 400-480 m Major Ions SDSU", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601430"}, {"dataset_uid": "601206", "doi": "10.15784/601206", "keywords": "Antarctica; Calcium (ca); Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Depth; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciochemistry; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Core; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; Ice Core Stratigraphy; Nitrate; Nitrogen Isotopes; Paleoclimate; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Buizert, Christo; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Osterberg, Erich; Waddington, Edwin D.; Alley, Richard; Casey, Kimberly A.; Nicewonger, Melinda R.; Aydin, Murat; Ferris, David G.; Kahle, Emma; Morris, Valerie; Steig, Eric J.; Sowers, Todd A.; Beaudette, Ross; Brook, Edward J.; Ortman, Nikolas; Epifanio, Jenna; Kreutz, Karl; Cox, Thomas S.; Thundercloud, Zayta; Cole-Dai, Jihong; Fegyveresi, John; McConnell, Joseph; Sigl, Michael; Souney, Joseph Jr.; Bay, Ryan; Dunbar, Nelia; Fudge, T. J.; Winski, Dominic A.; Iverson, Nels; Jones, Tyler R.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "The South Pole Ice Core (SPICEcore) chronology and supporting data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601206"}, {"dataset_uid": "601851", "doi": "10.15784/601851", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Records; Major Ion; Sea Ice; Sea Salt; Sodium; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Winski, Dominic A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole Ice Core Sea Salt and Major Ions", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601851"}, {"dataset_uid": "601850", "doi": "10.15784/601850", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Records; Major Ion; Sea Ice; Sea Salt; Sodium; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Winski, Dominic A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole Ice Core Holocene Major Ion Dataset", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601850"}], "date_created": "Thu, 29 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This collaborative project explores the signatures and causes of natural climate change in the region surrounding Antarctica over the last 40,000 years as the Earth transitioned from an ice age into the modern warm period. The researchers will investigate how the wind belts that surround Antarctica changed in their strength and position through time, and document explosive volcanic eruptions and CO2 cycling in the Southern Ocean as potential climate forcing mechanisms over this interval. Understanding how and why the climate varied naturally in the past is critical for improving understanding of modern climate change and projections of future climate under higher levels of atmospheric CO2. The investigators plan to conduct a suite of chemical measurements along the 1500m length of the South Pole Ice Core, including major ion and trace element concentrations, and microparticle (dust) concentrations and size distributions. These measurements will (1) extend the South Pole record of explosive volcanic eruptions to 40,000 years using sulfate and particle data; (2) establish the relative timing of climate changes in dust source regions of Patagonia, New Zealand, and Australia using dust flux data; (3) investigate changes in the strength and position of the westerly wind belt using dust size distribution data; and (4) quantify the flux of bioavailable trace metals deposited as dust to the Southern Ocean over time. These chemistry records will also be critical for creating the timescale that will be used by all researchers studying records from the South Pole core. The project will support four graduate students and several undergraduate students across three different institutions, and become a focus of the investigators\u0027 efforts to disseminate outcomes of climate change science to the broader community.", "east": -180.0, "geometry": "POINT(-180 -90)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; ICE CORE RECORDS; USAP-DC; Amd/Us; USA/NSF; LABORATORY; AMD", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -90.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Osterberg, Erich", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "SPICEcore", "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: South Pole Ice Core Chronology and Climate Records using Chemical and Microparticle Measurements", "uid": "p0010051", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1443585 Polito, Michael; 1443424 McMahon, Kelton; 1826712 McMahon, Kelton; 1443386 Emslie, Steven", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-166 -60,-152 -60,-138 -60,-124 -60,-110 -60,-96 -60,-82 -60,-68 -60,-54 -60,-40 -60,-40 -61.8,-40 -63.6,-40 -65.4,-40 -67.2,-40 -69,-40 -70.8,-40 -72.6,-40 -74.4,-40 -76.2,-40 -78,-54 -78,-68 -78,-82 -78,-96 -78,-110 -78,-124 -78,-138 -78,-152 -78,-166 -78,180 -78,178 -78,176 -78,174 -78,172 -78,170 -78,168 -78,166 -78,164 -78,162 -78,160 -78,160 -76.2,160 -74.4,160 -72.6,160 -70.8,160 -69,160 -67.2,160 -65.4,160 -63.6,160 -61.8,160 -60,162 -60,164 -60,166 -60,168 -60,170 -60,172 -60,174 -60,176 -60,178 -60,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "Amino acid nitrogen isotope values of modern and ancient Ad\u00e9lie penguin eggshells from the Ross Sea and Antarctic Peninsula regions; Amino acid nitrogen isotope values of penguins from the Antarctic Peninsula region 1930s to 2010s; Ancient Adelie penguin colony revealed by snowmelt at Cape Irizar, Ross Sea, Antarctica; Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values of Antarctic Krill from the South Shetland Islands and the northern Antarctic Peninsula 2007 and 2009; Radiocarbon dates from pygoscelid penguin tissues excavated at Stranger Point, King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula; Radiocarbon dating and stable isotope values of penguin and seal tissues recovered from ornithogenic soils on Platter Island, Danger Islands Archipelago, Antarctic Peninsula in December 2015.; Radioisotope dates and carbon (\u03b413C) and nitrogen (\u03b415N) stable isotope values from modern and mummified Ad\u00e9lie Penguin chick carcasses and tissue from the Ross Sea, Antarctica; Radiometric dating, geochemical proxies, and predator biological remains obtained from aquatic sediment cores on South Georgia Island.; Receding ice drove parallel expansions in Southern Ocean penguin; SNP data from \"Receding ice drove parallel expansions in Southern Ocean penguins\".; Stable isotope analysis of multiple tissues from chick carcasses of three pygoscelid penguins in Antarctica; Stable isotopes of Adelie Penguin chick bone collagen; The rise and fall of an ancient Adelie penguin \u0027supercolony\u0027 at Cape Adare, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601232", "doi": "10.15784/601232", "keywords": "Amino Acids; Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Isotope Data; Nitrogen Isotopes; Oceans; Penguin; Southern Ocean; Stable Isotope Analysis", "people": "Polito, Michael; McMahon, Kelton", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Amino acid nitrogen isotope values of penguins from the Antarctic Peninsula region 1930s to 2010s", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601232"}, {"dataset_uid": "601327", "doi": "10.15784/601327", "keywords": "Adelie Penguin; Antarctica; Biota; Cape Adare; East Antarctica; Population Movement; Pygoscelis Adeliae; Radiocarbon; Ross Sea; Sea Level Rise; Stable Isotopes", "people": "Patterson, William; McKenzie, Ashley; Emslie, Steven D.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "The rise and fall of an ancient Adelie penguin \u0027supercolony\u0027 at Cape Adare, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601327"}, {"dataset_uid": "601509", "doi": "10.15784/601509", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Fur Seal; Elemental Concentrations; King Penguin; Population Dynamics; South Atlantic Ocean; South Georgia Island; Stable Isotope Analysis; Sub-Antarctic", "people": "Polito, Michael; Kristan, Allyson; McMahon, Kelton; Maiti, Kanchan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Radiometric dating, geochemical proxies, and predator biological remains obtained from aquatic sediment cores on South Georgia Island.", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601509"}, {"dataset_uid": "601374", "doi": "10.15784/601374", "keywords": "Adelie Penguin; Antarctica; Cape Irizar; Drygalski Ice Tongue; Ross Sea; Stable Isotopes", "people": "Emslie, Steven D.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ancient Adelie penguin colony revealed by snowmelt at Cape Irizar, Ross Sea, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601374"}, {"dataset_uid": "601210", "doi": "10.15784/601210", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Krill; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Carbon Isotopes; Isotope Data; Krill; Nitrogen Isotopes; Oceans; Southern Ocean; Stable Isotope Analysis", "people": "Polito, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values of Antarctic Krill from the South Shetland Islands and the northern Antarctic Peninsula 2007 and 2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601210"}, {"dataset_uid": "601760", "doi": "10.15784/601760", "keywords": "Adelie Penguin; Amino Acids; Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Ross Sea; Stable Isotope Analysis; Trophic Position", "people": "Emslie, Steven D.; Wonder, Michael; McCarthy, Matthew; Patterson, William; McMahon, Kelton; Michelson, Chantel; Polito, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Amino acid nitrogen isotope values of modern and ancient Ad\u00e9lie penguin eggshells from the Ross Sea and Antarctic Peninsula regions", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601760"}, {"dataset_uid": "601212", "doi": "10.15784/601212", "keywords": "Abandoned Colonies; Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Beach Deposit; Geochronology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Holocene; Penguin; Radiocarbon; Radiocarbon Dates; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Stranger Point", "people": "Emslie, Steven D.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Radiocarbon dates from pygoscelid penguin tissues excavated at Stranger Point, King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601212"}, {"dataset_uid": "601382", "doi": "10.15784/601382", "keywords": "25 De Mayo/King George Island; Antarctica; Biota; Delta 13C; Delta 15N; Dietary Shifts; Opportunistic Sampling; Penguin; Pygoscelis Penguins; Stranger Point", "people": "Ciriani, Yanina; Emslie, Steven D.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Stable isotope analysis of multiple tissues from chick carcasses of three pygoscelid penguins in Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601382"}, {"dataset_uid": "601263", "doi": "10.15784/601263", "keywords": "Abandoned Colonies; Antarctica; Holocene; Penguin; Ross Sea; Stable Isotope Analysis", "people": "Emslie, Steven D.; Patterson, William; Kristan, Allyson", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Radioisotope dates and carbon (\u03b413C) and nitrogen (\u03b415N) stable isotope values from modern and mummified Ad\u00e9lie Penguin chick carcasses and tissue from the Ross Sea, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601263"}, {"dataset_uid": "601364", "doi": "10.15784/601364", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Arctocephalus Gazella; Carbon; Holocene; Nitrogen; Paleoecology; Penguin; Pygoscelis Spp.; Stable Isotope Analysis; Weddell Sea", "people": "Clucas, Gemma; Kalvakaalva, Rohit; Polito, Michael; Herman, Rachael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Radiocarbon dating and stable isotope values of penguin and seal tissues recovered from ornithogenic soils on Platter Island, Danger Islands Archipelago, Antarctic Peninsula in December 2015.", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601364"}, {"dataset_uid": "200181", "doi": "10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4475300.v1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Figshare", "science_program": null, "title": "SNP data from \"Receding ice drove parallel expansions in Southern Ocean penguins\".", "url": "https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4475300.v1"}, {"dataset_uid": "200180", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI BioProject", "science_program": null, "title": "Receding ice drove parallel expansions in Southern Ocean penguin", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/?term=PRJNA589336"}, {"dataset_uid": "601913", "doi": "10.15784/601913", "keywords": "Adelie Penguin; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Foraging; Polynya; Pygoscelis Adeliae; Ross Sea; Stable Isotopes", "people": "Reaves, Megan; Emslie, Steven D.; Powers, Shannon", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Stable isotopes of Adelie Penguin chick bone collagen", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601913"}], "date_created": "Thu, 08 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Antarctic marine ecosystem is highly productive and supports a diverse range of ecologically and commercially important species. A key species in this ecosystem is Antarctic krill, which in addition to being commercially harvested, is the principle prey of a wide range of marine organisms including penguins, seals and whales. The aim of this study is to use penguins and other krill predators as sensitive indicators of past changes in the Antarctic marine food web resulting from climate variability and the historic harvesting of seals and whales by humans. Specifically this study will recover and analyze modern (\u003c20 year old), historic (20-200 year old) and ancient (200-10,000 year old) penguin and other krill predator tissues to track their past diets and population movements relative to shifts in climate and the availability of Antarctic krill. Understanding how krill predators were affected by these factors in the past will allow us to better understand how these predators, the krill they depend on, and the Antarctic marine ecosystem as a whole will respond to current challenges such as global climate change and an expanding commercial fishery for Antarctic krill. The project will further the NSF goals of training new generations of scientists and of making scientific discoveries available to the general public. This project will support the cross-institutional training of undergraduate and graduate students in advanced analytical techniques in the fields of ecology and biogeochemistry. In addition, this project includes educational outreach aimed encouraging participation in science careers by engaging K-12 students in scientific issues related to Antarctica, penguins, marine ecology, biogeochemistry, and global climate change. This research will help place recent ecological changes in the Southern Ocean into a larger historical context by examining decadal and millennial-scale shifts in the diets and population movements of Antarctic krill predators (penguins, seals, and squid) in concert with climate variability and commercial harvesting. This will be achieved by coupling advanced stable and radio isotope techniques, particularly compound-specific stable isotope analysis, with unprecedented access to modern, historical, and well-preserved paleo-archives of Antarctic predator tissues dating throughout the Holocene. This approach will allow the project to empirically test if observed shifts in Antarctic predator bulk tissue stable isotope values over the past millennia were caused by climate-driven shifts at the base of the food web in addition to, or rather than, shifts in predator diets due to a competitive release following the historic harvesting of krill eating whale and seals. In addition, this project will track the large-scale abandonment and reoccupation of penguin colonies around Antarctica in response to changes in climate and sea ice conditions over the past several millennia. These integrated field studies and laboratory analyses will provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms that influenced past shifts in the diets and population movements of charismatic krill predators such as penguins. This will allow for improved projections of the ecosystem consequences of future climate change and anthropogenic harvesting scenarios in the Antarctica that are likely to affect the availability of Antarctic krill.", "east": -40.0, "geometry": "POINT(-120 -69)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ANIMAL ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR; South Shetland Islands; Penguin; Stable Isotopes; Polar; Ross Sea; USA/NSF; Weddell Sea; AMD; MARINE ECOSYSTEMS; USAP-DC; Antarctica; PENGUINS; Southern Hemisphere; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Amd/Us; Krill; MACROFOSSILS", "locations": "Southern Hemisphere; Ross Sea; South Shetland Islands; Weddell Sea; Polar; Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Polito, Michael; Kelton, McMahon; Patterson, William; McCarthy, Matthew", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "Figshare; NCBI BioProject; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Investigating Holocene Shifts in the Diets and Paleohistory of Antarctic Krill Predators", "uid": "p0010047", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "1644073 DiTullio, Giacomo; 1643684 Saito, Mak", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -72,-173.6 -72,-167.2 -72,-160.8 -72,-154.4 -72,-148 -72,-141.6 -72,-135.2 -72,-128.8 -72,-122.4 -72,-116 -72,-116 -72.7,-116 -73.4,-116 -74.1,-116 -74.8,-116 -75.5,-116 -76.2,-116 -76.9,-116 -77.6,-116 -78.3,-116 -79,-122.4 -79,-128.8 -79,-135.2 -79,-141.6 -79,-148 -79,-154.4 -79,-160.8 -79,-167.2 -79,-173.6 -79,180 -79,178 -79,176 -79,174 -79,172 -79,170 -79,168 -79,166 -79,164 -79,162 -79,160 -79,160 -78.3,160 -77.6,160 -76.9,160 -76.2,160 -75.5,160 -74.8,160 -74.1,160 -73.4,160 -72.7,160 -72,162 -72,164 -72,166 -72,168 -72,170 -72,172 -72,174 -72,176 -72,178 -72,-180 -72))", "dataset_titles": "Algal pigment concentrations from the Ross Sea; Biogenic silica concentrations from the Ross Sea; NBP1801 Expedition data; Nutrients from NBP18-01 CICLOPS", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601205", "doi": "10.15784/601205", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Chlorophyll; Chromatography; Liquid Chromatograph; Oceans; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sea Water; Seawater Measurements; Southern Ocean; Water Measurements; Water Samples", "people": "Ditullio, Giacomo", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Algal pigment concentrations from the Ross Sea", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601205"}, {"dataset_uid": "601225", "doi": "10.15784/601225", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biogenic Silica; Biogenic Silica Concentrations; Chemistry:Water; Geochemistry; NBP1801; Oceans; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sea Water; Southern Ocean; Spectroscopy; Water Measurements; Water Samples", "people": "Ditullio, Giacomo; Schanke, Nicole", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Biogenic silica concentrations from the Ross Sea", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601225"}, {"dataset_uid": "200056", "doi": "10.7284/907753", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1801 Expedition data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1801"}, {"dataset_uid": "601428", "doi": "10.15784/601428", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; NBP1801; Nitrate; Nitrite; Nutrients; Phosphate; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Silicic Acid; Terra Nova Bay", "people": "Saito, Mak", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Nutrients from NBP18-01 CICLOPS", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601428"}], "date_created": "Thu, 08 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Phytoplankton blooms in the coastal waters of the Ross Sea, Antarctica are typically dominated by either diatoms or Phaeocystis Antarctica (a flagellated algae that often can form large colonies in a gelatinous matrix). The project seeks to determine if an association of bacterial populations with Phaeocystis antarctica colonies can directly supply Phaeocystis with Vitamin B12, which can be an important co-limiting micronutrient in the Ross Sea. The supply of an essential vitamin coupled with the ability to grow at lower iron concentrations may put Phaeocystis at a competitive advantage over diatoms. Because Phaeocystis cells can fix more carbon than diatoms and Phaeocystis are not grazed as efficiently as diatoms, the project will help in refining understanding of carbon dynamics in the region as well as the basis of the food web webs. Such understanding also has the potential to help refine predictive ecological models for the region. The project will conduct public outreach activities and will contribute to undergraduate and graduate research. Engagement of underrepresented students will occur during summer student internships. A collaboration with Italian Antarctic researchers, who have been studying the Terra Nova Bay ecosystem since the 1980s, aims to enhance the project and promote international scientific collaborations. The study will test whether a mutualistic symbioses between attached bacteria and Phaeocystis provides colonial cells a mechanism for alleviating chronic Vitamin B12 co-limitation effects thereby conferring them with a competitive advantage over diatom communities. The use of drifters in a time series study will provide the opportunity to track in both space and time a developing algal bloom in Terra Nova Bay and to determine community structure and the physiological nutrient status of microbial populations. A combination of flow cytometry, proteomics, metatranscriptomics, radioisotopic and stable isotopic labeling experiments will determine carbon and nutrient uptake rates and the role of bacteria in mitigating potential vitamin B12 and iron limitation. Membrane inlet and proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry will also be used to estimate net community production and release of volatile organic carbon compounds that are climatically active. Understanding how environmental parameters can influence microbial community dynamics in Antarctic coastal waters will advance an understanding of how changes in ocean stratification and chemistry could impact the biogeochemistry and food web dynamics of Southern Ocean ecosystems.", "east": 160.0, "geometry": "POINT(-158 -75.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES; NBP1801; Amd/Us; USA/NSF; USAP-DC; NUTRIENTS; PIGMENTS; CHLOROPHYLL; R/V NBP; Ross Sea; AMD", "locations": "Ross Sea", "north": -72.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "DiTullio, Giacomo; Lee, Peter", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -79.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Cobalamin and Iron Co-Limitation Of Phytoplankton Species in Terra Nova Bay", "uid": "p0010045", "west": -116.0}, {"awards": "1643735 Li, Yun; 1643901 Zhang, Weifeng; 2021245 Li, Yun", "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": "Dynamic fine-scale sea-icescape shapes adult emperor penguin foraging habitat in East Antarctica; Monthly Stratification Climatology (1978-2021) in Antarctic Coastal Polynyas", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601209", "doi": "10.15784/601209", "keywords": "Animal Behavior Observation; Antarctica; Biota; East Antarctica; GPS; Oceans; Penguin; Southern Ocean", "people": "Pinaud, David; Wienecke, Barbara; Kirkwood, Roger; Ropert-Coudert, Yan; Resinger, Ryan; Jonsen, Ian; Porter-Smith, Rick; Barbraud, Christophe; Ji, Rubao; Jenouvrier, Stephanie; Sumner, Michael; Bost, Charles-Andr\u00e9; Labrousse, Sara; Fraser, Alexander; Tamura, Takeshi", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Dynamic fine-scale sea-icescape shapes adult emperor penguin foraging habitat in East Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601209"}, {"dataset_uid": "601628", "doi": "10.15784/601628", "keywords": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Antarctic Coastal Polynyas; Polynya", "people": "Zhang, Weifeng; Shunk, Nathan; Li, Yun", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Monthly Stratification Climatology (1978-2021) in Antarctic Coastal Polynyas", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601628"}], "date_created": "Wed, 07 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "During winter, sea-ice coverage along the Antarctic coast is punctuated by numerous polynyas--isolated openings of tens to hundreds of kilometer wide. These coastal polynyas are hotspots of sea ice production and the primary source regions of the bottom water in the global ocean. They also host high levels of biological activities and are the feeding grounds of Emperor penguins and marine mammals. The polynyas are a key component of the Antarctic coastal system and crucial for the survival of penguins and many other species. These features also differ dramatically from each other in timing of formation, duration, phytoplankton growth season, and overall biological productivity. Yet, the underlying reasons for differences among them are largely unknown. This project studies the fundamental biophysical processes at a variety of polynyas, examines the connection between the physical environment and the phytoplankton and penguin ecology, and investigates the mechanisms behind polynya variability. The results of this interdisciplinary study will provide a context for interpretation of field measurements in Antarctic coastal polynyas, set a baseline for future polynya studies, and examine how polynya ecosystems may respond to local and large-scale environmental changes. The project will include educational and outreach activities that convey scientific messages to a broad audience. It aims to increase public awareness of the interconnection between large-scale environmental change and Antarctic coastal systems. The main objectives of this study are to form a comprehensive understanding of the temporal and spatial variability of Antarctic coastal polynyas and the physical controls of polynya ecosystems. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach and seeks to establish a modeling system centered on the Regional Ocean Modeling System. This system links the ice and ocean conditions to the plankton ecology and penguin population. Applications of the modeling system in representative polynyas, in conjunction with analysis of existing observations, will determine the biophysical influences of individual forcing factors. In particular, this study will test a set of hypothesized effects of winds, offshore water intrusion, ice-shelf melting, sea-ice formation, glacier tongues, and ocean stratification on the timing of polynya phytoplankton bloom and the overall polynya biological productivity. The project will also examine how changing polynya state affects penguin breeding success, adult survival, and population growth. The team will conduct idealized sensitivity analysis to explore implications of forcing variability, including local and large-scale environmental change, on Antarctic coastal ecosystems.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Southern Ocean; Animal Behavior; Penguin; FIELD INVESTIGATION; USAP-DC; COASTAL; PENGUINS; SEA ICE; Antarctica; OCEAN MIXED LAYER", "locations": "Southern Ocean; Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Zhang, Weifeng; Ji, Rubao; Jenouvrier, Stephanie; Maksym, Edward; Li, Yun", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Polynyas in Coastal Antarctica (PICA): Linking Physical Dynamics to Biological Variability", "uid": "p0010044", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1443420 Dodd, Justin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((167.07 -77.87,167.073 -77.87,167.076 -77.87,167.079 -77.87,167.082 -77.87,167.085 -77.87,167.088 -77.87,167.091 -77.87,167.094 -77.87,167.097 -77.87,167.1 -77.87,167.1 -77.873,167.1 -77.876,167.1 -77.879,167.1 -77.882,167.1 -77.885,167.1 -77.888,167.1 -77.891,167.1 -77.894,167.1 -77.897,167.1 -77.9,167.097 -77.9,167.094 -77.9,167.091 -77.9,167.088 -77.9,167.085 -77.9,167.082 -77.9,167.079 -77.9,167.076 -77.9,167.073 -77.9,167.07 -77.9,167.07 -77.897,167.07 -77.894,167.07 -77.891,167.07 -77.888,167.07 -77.885,167.07 -77.882,167.07 -77.879,167.07 -77.876,167.07 -77.873,167.07 -77.87))", "dataset_titles": "Diatom Oxygen Isotope Evidence of Pliocene (~4.68 to 3.44 Ma) Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics and Ross Sea Paleoceanography", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601220", "doi": "10.15784/601220", "keywords": "And-1B; Andrill; Antarctica; Chemistry:sediment; Chemistry:Sediment; Delta 18O; Diatom; Mass Spectrometer; Oxygen Isotope; Paleoclimate; Pliocene; Sediment; Wais Project; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Dodd, Justin; Abbott, Tirzah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "ANDRILL", "title": "Diatom Oxygen Isotope Evidence of Pliocene (~4.68 to 3.44 Ma) Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics and Ross Sea Paleoceanography", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601220"}], "date_created": "Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Abstract During the Early Pliocene, 4.8 to 3.4 million years ago, warmer-than-present global temperatures resulted in a retreat of the Ross Ice Shelf and West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Understanding changes in ocean dynamics during times of reduced ice volume and increased temperatures in the geologic past will improve the predictive models for these conditions. The primary goal of the proposed research is to develop a new oxygen isotope record of Pliocene oceanographic conditions near the Antarctic continent. Oxygen isotope values from the carbonate tests of benthic foraminifera have become the global standard for paleo-oceanographic studies, but foraminifera are sparse in high-latitude sediment cores. This research will instead make use of oxygen isotope measurements from diatom silica preserved in a marine sediment core from the Ross Sea. The project is the first attempt at using this method and will advance understanding of global ocean dynamics and ice sheet-ocean interactions during the Pliocene. The project will foster the professional development of two early-career scientists and serve as training for graduate and undergraduate student researchers. The PIs will use this project to introduce High School students to polar/oceanographic research, as well as stable isotope geochemistry. Collaboration with teachers via NSTA and Polar Educators International will ensure the implementation of excellent STEM learning activities and curricula for younger students. Technical Description This project will produce a high-resolution oxygen isotope record from well-dated diatom rich sediments that have been cross-correlated with global benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope records. Diatom silica frustules deposited during the Early Pliocene and recovered by the ANDRILL Project (AND-1B) provide ideal material for this objective. Diatomite unites in the AND-1B core are nearly pure, with little evidence of opal formation. A diatom oxygen isotope record from this core offers the potential to constrain lingering uncertainties about Ross Sea and Southern Ocean paleoceanography and Antarctic Ice Sheet history during a time of high atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Specifically, oxygen isotope variations will be used to constrain changes in the water temperature and/or freshwater flux in the Pliocene Ross Sea. Diatom species data from the AND-1B core have been used to infer variations in the extent and duration of seasonal sea ice coverage, sea surface temperatures, and mid-water advection onto the continental shelf. However, the diatom oxygen isotope record will provide the first direct measure of water/oxygen isotope values at the Antarctic continental margin during the Pliocene.", "east": 167.1, "geometry": "POINT(167.085 -77.885)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "OXYGEN ISOTOPES; USAP-DC; Antarctica; NOT APPLICABLE", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -77.87, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Dodd, Justin; Scherer, Reed Paul; Warnock, Jonathan", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "ANDRILL", "south": -77.9, "title": "Diatom and Oxygen Isotope Evidence of Pliocene Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics and Ross Sea Paleoceanography", "uid": "p0010042", "west": 167.07}, {"awards": "1443550 Brook, Edward J.", "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": "Polar Ice Cores 3,000 Year Nitrous Oxide d15N and d18O Data; SPICEcore Holocene CO2 and N2O data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601197", "doi": "10.15784/601197", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon Dioxide; Ice Core Gas Records; Nitrous Oxide; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "SPICEcore Holocene CO2 and N2O data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601197"}, {"dataset_uid": "200055", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Polar Ice Cores 3,000 Year Nitrous Oxide d15N and d18O Data", "url": "https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo-search/study/25530"}], "date_created": "Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The temperature of the earth is controlled, in part, by heat trapping gases that include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Despite their importance to climate, direct measurements of these gases in the atmosphere are limited to the last 50 years at best. Air trapped in ice cores extends those data back hundreds of millennia, and measurements of greenhouse gases in ice cores underpin much of our understanding of global chemical cycles relevant to modern climate change. Existing records vary in quality and detail. The proposed work fills gaps in our knowledge of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide over the last 10,000 years. New measurements from an ice core from the South Pole will be used to determine what role changes in ocean and land based processes played in controlling these gases, which decreased during the first 2,000 years of this time period, then gradually increased toward the present. The work will address a major controversy over whether early human activities could have impacted the atmosphere, and provide data to improve mathematical models of the land-ocean-atmosphere system that predict how future climate change will impact the composition of the atmosphere and climate. For nitrous oxide the work will improve on existing concentration records and provide a novel, detailed Holocene stable isotope record. It will also develop measurement of the isotopomers of nitrous oxide and explore their utility for understanding aspects of the Holocene nitrous oxide budget. The primary goal is to determine if marine and/or terrestrial emissions of nitrous oxide change in response to changes in Holocene climate. A new Holocene isotopic record for carbon dioxide (stable carbon and oxygen isotopes), will improve the precision of existing records by a factor 5 and increase the temporal resolution. These data will be used to evaluate controversial hypotheses about why carbon dioxide concentrations changed in the Holocene and provide insight into millennial scale processes in the carbon cycle, which are not resolved by current isotopic data. A graduate student will receive advanced training during and the student and principle investigator will conduct outreach efforts targeted at local middle school students. The proposed work will also contribute to teaching efforts by the PI and to public lectures on climate and climate change. The results will be disseminated through publications, data archive, and the OSU Ice Core Lab web site. New analytical methods of wide utility will also be developed and documented.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; ICE CORE RECORDS; CARBON DIOXIDE; NOT APPLICABLE; USAP-DC; TRACE GASES/TRACE SPECIES; NITROUS OXIDE", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Brook, Edward J.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "NCEI; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "SPICEcore", "south": -90.0, "title": "Controls on Variations in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Nitrous Oxide During the Last 10,000 years", "uid": "p0010043", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1744645 Young, Jodi", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-64.4 -64.2,-64.38 -64.2,-64.36 -64.2,-64.34 -64.2,-64.32 -64.2,-64.3 -64.2,-64.28 -64.2,-64.26 -64.2,-64.24 -64.2,-64.22 -64.2,-64.2 -64.2,-64.2 -64.26,-64.2 -64.32,-64.2 -64.38,-64.2 -64.44,-64.2 -64.5,-64.2 -64.56,-64.2 -64.62,-64.2 -64.68,-64.2 -64.74,-64.2 -64.8,-64.22 -64.8,-64.24 -64.8,-64.26 -64.8,-64.28 -64.8,-64.3 -64.8,-64.32 -64.8,-64.34 -64.8,-64.36 -64.8,-64.38 -64.8,-64.4 -64.8,-64.4 -64.74,-64.4 -64.68,-64.4 -64.62,-64.4 -64.56,-64.4 -64.5,-64.4 -64.44,-64.4 -64.38,-64.4 -64.32,-64.4 -64.26,-64.4 -64.2))", "dataset_titles": "Dataset: Particulate Organic Carbon and Particulate Nitrogen; Dataset: Photosynthetic Pigments; Dataset: Physical Profiles of Temperature, Salinity, and Brine Volume; Sea-ice diatom compatible solute shifts", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200322", "doi": "10.21228/M84386", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Metabolomics workbench", "science_program": null, "title": "Sea-ice diatom compatible solute shifts", "url": "https://www.metabolomicsworkbench.org/data/DRCCMetadata.php?Mode=Study\u0026StudyID=ST001393"}, {"dataset_uid": "200378", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.913655.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Dataset: Physical Profiles of Temperature, Salinity, and Brine Volume", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/913655"}, {"dataset_uid": "200377", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.913222.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Dataset: Photosynthetic Pigments", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/913222"}, {"dataset_uid": "200376", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.913566.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Dataset: Particulate Organic Carbon and Particulate Nitrogen", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/913566"}], "date_created": "Tue, 23 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Rapid changes in the extent and thickness of sea ice during the austral spring subject microorganisms within or attached to the ice to large fluctuations in temperature, salinity, light and nutrients. This project aims to identify cellular responses in sea-ice algae to increasing temperature and decreasing salinity during the spring melt along the western Antarctic Peninsula and to determine how associated changes at the cellular level can potentially affect dynamic, biologically driven processes. Understanding how sea-ice algae cope with, and are adapted to, their environment will not only help predict how polar ecosystems may change as the extent and thickness of sea ice change, but will also provide a better understanding of the widespread success of photosynthetic life on Earth. The scientific context and resulting advances from the research will be communicated to the general public through outreach activities that includes work with Science Communication Fellows and the popular Polar Science Weekend at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington. The project will provide student training to college students as well as provide for educational experiences for K-12 school children. There is currently a poor understanding of feedback relationships that exist between the rapidly changing environment in the western Antarctic Peninsula region and sea-ice algal production. The large shifts in temperature and salinity that algae experience during the spring melt affect critical cellular processes, including rates of enzyme-catalyzed reactions involved in photosynthesis and respiration, and the production of stress-protective compounds. These changes in cellular processes are poorly constrained but can be large and may have impacts on local ecosystem productivity and biogeochemical cycles. In particular, this study will focus on the thermal sensitivity of enzymes and the cycling of compatible solutes and exopolymers used for halo- and cryo-protection, and how they influence primary production and the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nitrogen. Approaches will include field sampling during spring melt, incubation experiments of natural sea-ice communities under variable temperature and salinity conditions, and controlled manipulation of sea-ice algal species in laboratory culture. Employment of a range of techniques, from fast repetition rate fluorometry and gross and net photosynthetic measurements to metabolomics and enzyme kinetics, will tease apart the mechanistic effects of temperature and salinity on cell metabolism and primary production with the goal of quantifying how these changes will impact biogeochemical processes along the western Antarctic Peninsula. 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": -64.2, "geometry": "POINT(-64.3 -64.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; SHIPS; DIATOMS; Antarctic Peninsula", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula", "north": -64.2, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Young, Jodi; Deming, Jody", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e SHIPS", "repo": "Metabolomics workbench", "repositories": "BCO-DMO; Metabolomics workbench", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.8, "title": "Spring Blooms of Sea Ice Algae Along the Western Antarctic Peninsula: Effects of Warming and Freshening on Cell Physiology and Biogeochemical Cycles.", "uid": "p0010039", "west": -64.4}, {"awards": "1745053 Salvatore, Mark; 1744849 Sokol, Eric; 1744785 Barrett, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((162.92 -77.56,162.971 -77.56,163.022 -77.56,163.073 -77.56,163.124 -77.56,163.175 -77.56,163.226 -77.56,163.277 -77.56,163.328 -77.56,163.379 -77.56,163.43 -77.56,163.43 -77.571,163.43 -77.582,163.43 -77.593,163.43 -77.604,163.43 -77.615,163.43 -77.626,163.43 -77.637,163.43 -77.648,163.43 -77.659,163.43 -77.67,163.379 -77.67,163.328 -77.67,163.277 -77.67,163.226 -77.67,163.175 -77.67,163.124 -77.67,163.073 -77.67,163.022 -77.67,162.971 -77.67,162.92 -77.67,162.92 -77.659,162.92 -77.648,162.92 -77.637,162.92 -77.626,162.92 -77.615,162.92 -77.604,162.92 -77.593,162.92 -77.582,162.92 -77.571,162.92 -77.56))", "dataset_titles": "McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER: Microbial mat biomass and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values from Lake Fryxell Basin, Antarctica, January 2018", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200344", "doi": "10.6073/pasta/9acbbde9abc1e013f8c9fd9c383327f4", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "EDI", "science_program": null, "title": "McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER: Microbial mat biomass and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values from Lake Fryxell Basin, Antarctica, January 2018", "url": "https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?packageid=knb-lter-mcm.263.1"}], "date_created": "Wed, 03 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Microbial mats are found throughout the McMurdo Dry Valleys where summer snowmelt provides liquid water that allows these mats to flourish. Researchers have long studied the environmental conditions microbial mats need to grow. Despite these efforts, it has been difficult to develop a broad picture of these unique ecosystems. Recent advances in satellite technology now provide researchers an exciting new tool to study these special Antarctic ecosystems from space using the unique spectral signatures associated with microbial mats. This new technology not only offers the promise that microbial mats can be mapped and studied from space, this research will also help protect these delicate environments from potentially harmful human impacts that can occur when studying them from the ground. This project will use satellite imagery and spectroscopic techniques to identify and map microbial mat communities and relate their properties and distributions to both field and lab-based measurements. This research provides an exciting new tool to help document and understand the distribution of a major component of the Antarctic ecosystem in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The goal of this project is to establish quantitative relationships between spectral signatures derived from orbit and the physiological status and biogeochemical properties of microbial mat communities in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, as measured by field and laboratory analyses on collected samples. The goal wioll be met by (1) refining atmospheric correction techniques using in situ radiometric rectification to derive accurate surface spectra; (2) collecting multispectral orbital images concurrent with in situ sampling and spectral measurements in the field to ensure temporal comparability; (3) measuring sediment, water, and microbial mat samples for organic and inorganic carbon content, essential biogeochemical nutrients, and chlorophyll-a to determine relevant mat characteristics; and (4) quantitatively associating these laboratory-derived characteristics with field-derived and orbital spectral signatures and parameters. The result of this work will be a more robust quantitative link between the distribution of microbial mat communities and their biogeochemical properties to landscape-scale spectral signatures. 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": 163.43, "geometry": "POINT(163.175 -77.615)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "RIVERS/STREAM; CYANOBACTERIA (BLUE-GREEN ALGAE); USAP-DC; Taylor Valley; INFRARED IMAGERY; WORLDVIEW-2; WORLDVIEW-3; Antarctica; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Amd/Us; ACTIVE LAYER", "locations": "Antarctica; Taylor Valley", "north": -77.56, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Salvatore, Mark; Barrett, John; Sokol, Eric", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e WORLDVIEW \u003e WORLDVIEW-2; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e WORLDVIEW \u003e WORLDVIEW-3", "repo": "EDI", "repositories": "EDI", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.67, "title": "COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Remote Characterization of Microbial Mats in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, through In Situ Sampling and Spectral Validation", "uid": "p0010036", "west": 162.92}, {"awards": "1744760 Hopkinson, Brian; 1745036 Marchetti, Adrian", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-77 -61,-75.2 -61,-73.4 -61,-71.6 -61,-69.8 -61,-68 -61,-66.2 -61,-64.4 -61,-62.6 -61,-60.8 -61,-59 -61,-59 -62.1,-59 -63.2,-59 -64.3,-59 -65.4,-59 -66.5,-59 -67.6,-59 -68.7,-59 -69.8,-59 -70.9,-59 -72,-60.8 -72,-62.6 -72,-64.4 -72,-66.2 -72,-68 -72,-69.8 -72,-71.6 -72,-73.4 -72,-75.2 -72,-77 -72,-77 -70.9,-77 -69.8,-77 -68.7,-77 -67.6,-77 -66.5,-77 -65.4,-77 -64.3,-77 -63.2,-77 -62.1,-77 -61))", "dataset_titles": "Photosynthetic physiological data of Proteorhodopsin containing diatoms under differing iron availabilities", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601530", "doi": "10.15784/601530", "keywords": "Antarctica; Diatom", "people": "Marchetti, Adrian; Andrew, Sarah; Hopkinson, Brian; Plumb, Kaylie", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Photosynthetic physiological data of Proteorhodopsin containing diatoms under differing iron availabilities", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601530"}], "date_created": "Sun, 16 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Proteorhodopsins are proteins that are embedded in membranes that can act as light-driven proton pumps to generate energy for metabolism and growth. The discovery of proteorhodopsins in many diverse marine prokaryotic microbes has initiated extensive investigation into their distributions and functional roles. Recently, a proton-pumping, rhodopsin-like gene was identified in diatoms, a group of marine phytoplankton that dominates the base of the food web in much of the Southern Ocean. Since this time, proteorhodopsins have been identified in many, but not all, diatom species. The proteorhodopsin gene is more frequently found in diatoms residing in cold, iron-limited regions of the ocean, including the Southern Ocean, than in diatoms from other regions. It is thought that proteorhodopsin is especially suited for use energy production in the Southern Ocean since it uses no iron and its reaction rate is insensitive to temperature (unlike conventional photosynthesis). The overall objective of the project is to characterize Antarctic diatom-proteorhodopsin and determine its role in the adaptation of these diatoms to low iron concentrations and extremely low temperatures found in Antarctic waters. This research will provide new information on the genetic underpinnings that contribute to the success of diatoms in the Southern Ocean and how this unique molecule may play a pivotal role in providing energy to the base of the Antarctic food web. Broader impact activities are aimed to promote the teaching and learning of polar marine-sciences related topics by translating research objectives into readily accessible educational materials for middle-school students. This project will combine molecular, biochemical and physiological measurements to determine the role and importance of proteorhodopsin in diatom isolates from the Western Antarctic Peninsula region. Proton-pumping characteristics and pumping rates of proteorhodopsin as a function of light intensity and temperature, the resultant proteorhodopsin-linked intracellular ATP production rates, and the cellular localization of the protein will be determined. The project will examine the environmental conditions where Antarctic diatom-proteorhodopsin is most highly expressed and construct a cellular energy budget that includes diatom-proteorhodopsin when grown under these different environmental conditions. Estimates of the energy flux generated by proteorhodopsin will be compared to total energy generation by the photosynthetic light reactions and metabolically coupled respiration rates. Finally, the characteristics and gene expression of diatom-proteorhodopsin in Antarctic diatoms and a proteorhodopsin-containing diatom isolates from temperate regions will be compared in order to determine if there is a preferential dependence on energy production through proteorhodopsin in diatoms residing in cold, iron-limited regions of the ocean. Educational activities will be performed in collaboration with the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center who co-ordinates the SciVentures program, a popular summer camp for middle-school students from Chapel Hill and surrounding areas. In collaboration with the Planetarium, the researchers will develop activities that focus on phytoplankton and the important role they play within polar marine food webs for the SciVentures participants. Additionally, a teaching module on Antarctic phytoplankton will be developed for classrooms and made available to educational networking websites and presented at workshops for science educators nationwide. 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": -59.0, "geometry": "POINT(-68 -66.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD INVESTIGATION; NSF/USA; Southern Ocean; AMD; Amd/Us; LABORATORY; USAP-DC; BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES", "locations": "Southern Ocean", "north": -61.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Marchetti, Adrian; Septer, Alecia; Hopkinson, Brian", "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": -72.0, "title": "Collaborative research: Antarctic diatom proteorhodopsins: Characterization and a potential role in the iron-limitation response", "uid": "p0010033", "west": -77.0}, {"awards": "1341717 Ackley, Stephen; 1341513 Maksym, Edward; 1341606 Stammerjohn, Sharon; 1543483 Sedwick, Peter; 1341725 Guest, Peter", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -55,-177 -55,-174 -55,-171 -55,-168 -55,-165 -55,-162 -55,-159 -55,-156 -55,-153 -55,-150 -55,-150 -57.3,-150 -59.6,-150 -61.9,-150 -64.2,-150 -66.5,-150 -68.8,-150 -71.1,-150 -73.4,-150 -75.7,-150 -78,-153 -78,-156 -78,-159 -78,-162 -78,-165 -78,-168 -78,-171 -78,-174 -78,-177 -78,180 -78,178 -78,176 -78,174 -78,172 -78,170 -78,168 -78,166 -78,164 -78,162 -78,160 -78,160 -75.7,160 -73.4,160 -71.1,160 -68.8,160 -66.5,160 -64.2,160 -61.9,160 -59.6,160 -57.3,160 -55,162 -55,164 -55,166 -55,168 -55,170 -55,172 -55,174 -55,176 -55,178 -55,-180 -55))", "dataset_titles": "ASPeCt Visual Ice Observations on PIPERS Cruise NBP1704 April-June 2017; Expedition data of NBP1704; Impact of Convective Processes and Sea Ice Formation on the Distribution of Iron in the Ross Sea: Closing the Seasonal Cycle; NBP1704 CTD sensor data; NBP1704 Expedition Data; PIPERS Airborne LiDAR Data; PIPERS Meteorology Rawinsonde Data; PIPERS Meteorology Time Series; PIPERS Noble Gases; Sea Ice Layer Cakes, PIPERS 2017; SUMO unmanned aerial system (UAS) atmospheric data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601191", "doi": "10.15784/601191", "keywords": "Air Temperature; Antarctica; Atmosphere; Meteorology; NBP1704; PIPERS; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Southern Ocean; Temperature Profiles; UAV; Unmanned Aircraft", "people": "Cassano, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SUMO unmanned aerial system (UAS) atmospheric data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601191"}, {"dataset_uid": "601188", "doi": "10.15784/601188", "keywords": "Aerogeophysics; Airborne Laser Altimetry; Antarctica; LIDAR; PIPERS; Ross Sea; Sea Ice", "people": "Dhakal, Tejendra; Bertinato, Christopher; Xie, Hongjie; Bell, Robin; Locke, Caitlin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "PIPERS Airborne LiDAR Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601188"}, {"dataset_uid": "601185", "doi": "10.15784/601185 ", "keywords": "Air Temperature; Antarctica; Atmosphere; Atmospheric Surface Winds; Meteorology; NBP1704; PIPERS; Pressure; Radiosonde; Rawinsonde; Relative Humidity; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Wind Direction; Wind Speed", "people": "Guest, Peter", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "PIPERS Meteorology Rawinsonde Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601185"}, {"dataset_uid": "200150", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Impact of Convective Processes and Sea Ice Formation on the Distribution of Iron in the Ross Sea: Closing the Seasonal Cycle", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/project/815403"}, {"dataset_uid": "601183", "doi": "10.15784/601183", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciology; Ice Concentration; Ice Thickness; Ice Type; NBP1704; Oceans; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sea Ice; Snow Depth; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Visual Observations", "people": "Ackley, Stephen", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "ASPeCt Visual Ice Observations on PIPERS Cruise NBP1704 April-June 2017", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601183"}, {"dataset_uid": "601207", "doi": "10.15784/601207", "keywords": "Antarctica; Digital Elevation Model; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Thickness; Ice Thickness Distribution; LIDAR; NBP1704; PIPERS; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sea Ice; Snow; Snow Depth; Surface Elevation", "people": "Mei, M. Jeffrey; Maksym, Edward; Jeffrey Mei, M.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Sea Ice Layer Cakes, PIPERS 2017", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601207"}, {"dataset_uid": "002663", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP1704", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1704"}, {"dataset_uid": "601609", "doi": "10.15784/601609", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Mass Spectrometer; NBP1704; Noble Gas; Oceans; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer", "people": "Loose, Brice", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "PIPERS Noble Gases", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601609"}, {"dataset_uid": "001363", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1704 Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1704"}, {"dataset_uid": "601422", "doi": "10.15784/601422", "keywords": "Antarctica; CTD; CTD Data; NBP1704; Ocean Profile Data; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Salinity; Temperature", "people": "Stammerjohn, Sharon", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1704 CTD sensor data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601422"}, {"dataset_uid": "601184", "doi": "10.15784/601184 ", "keywords": "Air Temperature; Antarctica; Atmosphere; Meteorology; Near-Surface Air Temperatures; PIPERS; Radiation; Sea Ice Temperatures; Temperature; Weather Station Data; Wind Direction; Wind Speed", "people": "Guest, Peter", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "PIPERS Meteorology Time Series", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601184"}], "date_created": "Mon, 10 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Proposal Title: Collaborative Research: Seasonal Sea Ice Production in the Ross Sea, Antarctica (working title changed from submitted title) Institutions: UT-San Antonio; Columbia University; Naval Postgraduate School; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; UC@Boulder The one place on Earth consistently showing increases in sea ice area, duration, and concentration is the Ross Sea in Antarctica. Satellite imagery shows about half of the Ross Sea increases are associated with changes in the austral fall, when the new sea ice is forming. The most pronounced changes are also located near polynyas, which are areas of open ocean surrounded by sea ice. To understand the processes driving the sea ice increase, and to determine if the increase in sea ice area is also accompanied by a change in ice thickness, this project will conduct an oceanographic cruise to the polynyas of the Ross Sea in April and May, 2017, which is the austral fall. The team will deploy state of the art research tools including unmanned airborne systems (UASs, commonly called drones), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs). Using these tools and others, the team will study atmospheric, oceanic, and sea ice properties and processes concurrently. A change in sea ice production will necessarily change the ocean water below, which may have significant consequences for global ocean circulation patterns, a topic of international importance. All the involved institutions will be training students, and all share the goal of expanding climate literacy in the US, emphasizing the role high latitudes play in the Earth\u0027s dynamic climate. The main goal of the project is to improve estimates of sea ice production and water mass transformation in the Ross Sea. The team will fully capture the spatial and temporal changes in air-ice-ocean interactions when they are initiated in the austral fall, and then track the changes into the winter and spring using ice buoys, and airborne mapping with the newly commissioned IcePod instrument system, which is deployed on the US Antarctic Program\u0027s LC-130 fleet. The oceanographic cruise will include stations in and outside of both the Terra Nova Bay and Ross Ice Shelf polynyas. Measurements to be made include air-sea boundary layer fluxes of heat, freshwater, and trace gases, radiation, and meteorology in the air; ice formation processes, ice thickness, snow depth, mass balance, and ice drift within the sea ice zone; and temperature, salinity, and momentum in the ocean below. Following collection of the field data, the team will improve both model parameterizations of air-sea-ice interactions and remote sensing algorithms. Model parameterizations are needed to determine if sea-ice production has increased in crucial areas, and if so, why (e.g., stronger winds or fresher oceans). The remote sensing validation will facilitate change detection over wider areas and verify model predictions over time. Accordingly this project will contribute to the international Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) goal of measuring essential climate variables continuously to monitor the state of the ocean and ice cover into the future.", "east": -150.0, "geometry": "POINT(-175 -66.5)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e LIDAR/LASER SOUNDERS \u003e LIDAR; 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; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e XBT; 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 ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MBES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e THERMOSALINOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "OCEAN MIXED LAYER; TRACE ELEMENTS; CARBON DIOXIDE; ATMOSPHERIC RADIATION; ICE GROWTH/MELT; AMD; BOUNDARY LAYER TEMPERATURE; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; NBP1704; HEAT FLUX; ICE DEPTH/THICKNESS; R/V NBP; USA/NSF; BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS; SNOW DEPTH; VERTICAL PROFILES; METHANE; POLYNYAS; CONDUCTIVITY; SEA ICE; Ross Sea; WATER MASSES; TURBULENCE; USAP-DC; Amd/Us", "locations": "Ross Sea", "north": -55.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Ackley, Stephen; Bell, Robin; Weissling, Blake; Nuss, Wendell; Maksym, Edward; Stammerjohn, Sharon; Cassano, John; Guest, Peter; Sedwick, Peter; Xie, Hongjie", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "BCO-DMO; R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Seasonal Sea Ice Production in the Ross Sea, Antarctica", "uid": "p0010032", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "1637708 Gooseff, Michael", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160 -77.25,160.5 -77.25,161 -77.25,161.5 -77.25,162 -77.25,162.5 -77.25,163 -77.25,163.5 -77.25,164 -77.25,164.5 -77.25,165 -77.25,165 -77.375,165 -77.5,165 -77.625,165 -77.75,165 -77.875,165 -78,165 -78.125,165 -78.25,165 -78.375,165 -78.5,164.5 -78.5,164 -78.5,163.5 -78.5,163 -78.5,162.5 -78.5,162 -78.5,161.5 -78.5,161 -78.5,160.5 -78.5,160 -78.5,160 -78.375,160 -78.25,160 -78.125,160 -78,160 -77.875,160 -77.75,160 -77.625,160 -77.5,160 -77.375,160 -77.25))", "dataset_titles": "EDI Data Portal: McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER; McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER Data Repository", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200036", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "LTER", "science_program": null, "title": "McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER Data Repository", "url": "http://mcm.lternet.edu/power-search/data-set"}, {"dataset_uid": "200037", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "EDI", "science_program": null, "title": "EDI Data Portal: McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER", "url": "https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/browseServlet?searchValue=MCM"}], "date_created": "Fri, 31 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, are a mosaic of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in a cold desert. The McMurdo Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project has been observing these ecosystems since 1993 and this award will support key long-term measurements, manipulation experiments, synthesis, and modeling to test current theories on ecosystem structure and function. Data collection is focused on meteorology and physical and biological dimensions of soils, streams, lakes, glaciers, and permafrost. The long-term measurements show that biological communities have adapted to the seasonally cold, dark, and arid conditions that prevail for all but a short period in the austral summer. Physical (climate and geological) drivers impart a dynamic connectivity among portions of the Dry Valley landscape over seasonal to millennial time scales. For instance, lakes and soils have been connected through cycles of lake-level rise and fall over the past 20,000 years while streams connect glaciers to lakes over seasonal time scales. Overlaid upon this physical system are biotic communities that are structured by the environment and by the movement of individual organisms within and between the glaciers, streams, lakes, and soils. The new work to be conducted at the McMurdo LTER site will explore how the layers of connectivity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys influence ecosystem structure and function. This project will test the hypothesis that increased ecological connectivity following enhanced melt conditions within the McMurdo Dry Valleys ecosystem will amplify exchange of biota, energy, and matter, homogenizing ecosystem structure and functioning. This hypothesis will be tested with new and continuing experiments that examine: 1) how climate variation alters connectivity among landscape units, and 2) how biota are connected across a heterogeneous landscape using state-of-the-science tools and methods including automated sensor networks, analysis of seasonal satellite imagery, biogeochemical analyses, and next-generation sequencing. McMurdo LTER education programs and outreach activities will be continued, and expanded with new programs associated with the 200th anniversary of the first recorded sightings of Antarctica. These activities will advance societal understanding of how polar ecosystems respond to change. McMurdo LTER will continue its mission of training and mentoring students, postdocs, and early career scientists as the next generation of leaders in polar ecosystem science, and lead the development of international environmental stewardship protocols for human activities in the region.", "east": 165.0, "geometry": "POINT(162.5 -77.875)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS; NOT APPLICABLE; Antarctica; RIVERS/STREAM; USAP-DC; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; LAKE/POND; Polar", "locations": "Antarctica; Polar", "north": -77.25, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Gooseff, Michael N.; Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina; Howkins, Adrian; McKnight, Diane; Doran, Peter; Adams, Byron; Barrett, John; Morgan-Kiss, Rachael; Priscu, John", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "LTER", "repositories": "EDI; LTER", "science_programs": "LTER", "south": -78.5, "title": "LTER: Ecosystem Response to Amplified Landscape Connectivity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "uid": "p0010031", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "1443552 Paul Winberry, J.; 1443356 Conway, Howard", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-175 -82.7,-173.9 -82.7,-172.8 -82.7,-171.7 -82.7,-170.6 -82.7,-169.5 -82.7,-168.4 -82.7,-167.3 -82.7,-166.2 -82.7,-165.1 -82.7,-164 -82.7,-164 -82.77,-164 -82.84,-164 -82.91,-164 -82.98,-164 -83.05,-164 -83.12,-164 -83.19,-164 -83.26,-164 -83.33,-164 -83.4,-165.1 -83.4,-166.2 -83.4,-167.3 -83.4,-168.4 -83.4,-169.5 -83.4,-170.6 -83.4,-171.7 -83.4,-172.8 -83.4,-173.9 -83.4,-175 -83.4,-175 -83.33,-175 -83.26,-175 -83.19,-175 -83.12,-175 -83.05,-175 -82.98,-175 -82.91,-175 -82.84,-175 -82.77,-175 -82.7))", "dataset_titles": "2015_Antarctica_Ground; Geophysical data from Crary Ice Rise, Ross Sea Embayment", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200177", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "CReSIS/ku.edu", "science_program": null, "title": "2015_Antarctica_Ground", "url": "https://data.cresis.ku.edu/data/accum/2015_Antarctica_Ground/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601181", "doi": "10.15784/601181", "keywords": "Antarctica; Bed Elevation; Crary Ice Rise; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPR; Ice Penetrating Radar; Ice Sheet Elevation; Ice Shelf; Ice Thickness; Internal Stratigraphy; Radar; Ross Ice Shelf; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Surface Elevation", "people": "Conway, Howard; Koutnik, Michelle; Winberry, Paul; Paden, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Geophysical data from Crary Ice Rise, Ross Sea Embayment", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601181"}], "date_created": "Mon, 06 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Recent observations and model results suggest that collapse of the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica may already be underway. However, the timeline of collapse and the effects of ongoing climatic and oceanographic changes are key unanswered questions. Complete disintegration of the ice sheet would raise global sea level by more than 3 m, which would have significant societal impacts. Improved understanding of the controls on ice-sheet evolution is needed to make better predictions of ice-sheet behavior. Results from numerical models show that buttressing from surrounding ice shelves and/or from small-scale grounded ice rises should act to slow the retreat and discharge of ice from the interior ice sheet. However, there are very few field observations with which to develop and validate models. Field observations conducted in the early 1980s on Crary Ice Rise in the Ross Sea Embayment are a notable exception. This project will revisit Crary Ice Rise with new tools to make a suite of measurements designed to address questions about how the ice rise affects ice discharge from the Ross Sea sector of West Antarctica. The team will include a graduate and undergraduate student, and will participate in a range of outreach activities. New tools including radar, seismic, and GPS instruments will be used to conduct targeted geophysical measurements both on Crary Ice Rise and across its grounding line. The project will use these new measurements, together with available ancillary data to inform a numerical model of grounding line dynamics. The model and measurements will be used to address the (1) How has the ice rise evolved over timescales ranging from: the past few decades; the past millennia after freeze-on; and through the deglaciation? (2) What history of ice dynamics is preserved in the radar-detected internal stratigraphy? (3) What dynamical effect does the presence/absence of the ice rise have on discharge of the Ross Ice Streams today? (4) How is it contributing to the slow-down of the proximal Whillans and Mercer ice streams? (5) What dynamical response will the ice rise have under future environmental change?", "east": -164.0, "geometry": "POINT(-169.5 -83.05)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR ECHO SOUNDERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Amd/Us; FIELD SURVEYS; Antarctica; USA/NSF; AMD; USAP-DC; Radar; GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -82.7, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Conway, Howard; Koutnik, Michelle; Winberry, Paul", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "CReSIS/ku.edu", "repositories": "CReSIS/ku.edu; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -83.4, "title": "Collaborative Research: Grounding Line Dynamics: Crary Ice Rise Revisited", "uid": "p0010026", "west": -175.0}, {"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": "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"}, {"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/"}], "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": "USAP-DC", "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": "9725024 Jacobs, Stanley", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((140 -65,141 -65,142 -65,143 -65,144 -65,145 -65,146 -65,147 -65,148 -65,149 -65,150 -65,150 -65.3,150 -65.6,150 -65.9,150 -66.2,150 -66.5,150 -66.8,150 -67.1,150 -67.4,150 -67.7,150 -68,149 -68,148 -68,147 -68,146 -68,145 -68,144 -68,143 -68,142 -68,141 -68,140 -68,140 -67.7,140 -67.4,140 -67.1,140 -66.8,140 -66.5,140 -66.2,140 -65.9,140 -65.6,140 -65.3,140 -65))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP0008 - Expedition Data; \r\nSummer Oceanographic Measurements near the Mertz Polynya NBP0008", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200023", "doi": "10.7284/905461", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP0008 - Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0008"}, {"dataset_uid": "200022", "doi": "10.15784/601161 ", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "\r\nSummer Oceanographic Measurements near the Mertz Polynya NBP0008", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601161"}, {"dataset_uid": "001885", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0008"}], "date_created": "Mon, 11 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project will study the dynamics of Circumpolar Deep Water intruding on the continental shelf of the West Antarctic coast, and the effect of this intrusion on the production of cold, dense bottom water, and melting at the base of floating glaciers and ice tongues. It will concentrate on the Amundsen Sea shelf, specifically in the region of the Pine Island Glacier, the Thwaites Glacier, and the Getz Ice Shelf. Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) is a relatively warm water mass (warmer than +1.0 deg Celsius) which is normally confined to the outer edge of the continental shelf by an oceanic front separating this water mass from colder and saltier shelf waters. In the Amundsen Sea however, the deeper parts of the continental shelf are filled with nearly undiluted CDW, which is mixed upward, delivering significant amounts of heat to the base of the floating glacier tongues and the ice shelf. The melt rate beneath the Pine Island Glacier averages ten meters of ice per year with local annual rates reaching twenty meters. By comparison, melt rates beneath the Ross Ice Shelf are typically twenty to forty centimeters of ice per year. In addition, both the Pine Island and the Thwaites Glacier are extremely fast-moving, and have a significant effect on the regional ice mass balance of West Antarctica. This project therefore has an important connection to antarctic glaciology, particularly in assessing the combined effect of global change on the antarctic environment. The particular objectives of the project are (1) to delineate the frontal structure on the continental shelf sufficiently to define quantitatively the major routes of CDW inflow, meltwater outflow, and the westward evolution of CDW influence; (2) to use the obtained data set to validate a three-dimensional model of sub-ice ocean circulation that is currently under construction, and (3) to refine the estiamtes of in situ melting on the mass balance of the antarctic ice sheet. The observational program will be carried out from the research vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer in February and March, 1999.", "east": 150.0, "geometry": "POINT(145 -66.5)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; USAP-DC; Southern Ocean; WATER MASSES; Antarctica", "locations": "Southern Ocean; Antarctica", "north": -65.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Jacobs, Stanley; Visbeck, Martin", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -68.0, "title": "Circumpolar Deep Water and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "uid": "p0010019", "west": 140.0}, {"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": "1443733 Winsor, Peter; 1443680 Smith, Craig; 1443705 Vernet, Maria", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-66 -64,-65.6 -64,-65.2 -64,-64.8 -64,-64.4 -64,-64 -64,-63.6 -64,-63.2 -64,-62.8 -64,-62.4 -64,-62 -64,-62 -64.1,-62 -64.2,-62 -64.3,-62 -64.4,-62 -64.5,-62 -64.6,-62 -64.7,-62 -64.8,-62 -64.9,-62 -65,-62.4 -65,-62.8 -65,-63.2 -65,-63.6 -65,-64 -65,-64.4 -65,-64.8 -65,-65.2 -65,-65.6 -65,-66 -65,-66 -64.9,-66 -64.8,-66 -64.7,-66 -64.6,-66 -64.5,-66 -64.4,-66 -64.3,-66 -64.2,-66 -64.1,-66 -64))", "dataset_titles": "Andvord Bay Glacier Timelapse; Andvord Bay sediment core data collected during the FjordEco project (LMG1510 and NBP1603); Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG1702; FjordEco Phytoplankton Ecology Dataset in Andvord Bay ; Fjord-Eco Sediment OrgC OrgN Data - Craig Smith; LMG1510 Expedition data; NBP1603 Expedition data; Sediment macrofaunal abundance and family richness from inner Andvord Bay to the open continental shelf", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601193", "doi": "10.15784/601193", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geochronology; Grain Size; LMG1510; NBP1603; Sediment; Sediment Core Data", "people": "Nittrouer, Charles; Eidam, Emily; Smith, Craig; Homolka, Khadijah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Andvord Bay sediment core data collected during the FjordEco project (LMG1510 and NBP1603)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601193"}, {"dataset_uid": "601157", "doi": "10.15784/601157", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Smith, Craig", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "FjordEco", "title": "Fjord-Eco Sediment OrgC OrgN Data - Craig Smith", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601157"}, {"dataset_uid": "601111", "doi": "10.15784/601111", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Iceberg; Photo; Photo/video; Photo/Video", "people": "Truffer, Martin; Winsor, Peter", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "FjordEco", "title": "Andvord Bay Glacier Timelapse", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601111"}, {"dataset_uid": "200040", "doi": "10.7284/907085", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "LMG1510 Expedition data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1510"}, {"dataset_uid": "601236", "doi": "10.15784/601236", "keywords": "Abundance; Andvord Bay; Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Fjord; LMG1510; Marine Sediments; Oceans; Polychaete; Polychaete Family Richness; R/v Laurence M. Gould; Sediment Core Data; Sediment Macrofauna", "people": "Smith, Craig", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "FjordEco", "title": "Sediment macrofaunal abundance and family richness from inner Andvord Bay to the open continental shelf", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601236"}, {"dataset_uid": "200039", "doi": "10.7284/907205", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1603 Expedition data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1603"}, {"dataset_uid": "002733", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG1702", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1702"}, {"dataset_uid": "601158", "doi": "10.15784/601158", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Ecology; Fjord; Phytoplankton", "people": "Manck, Lauren; Vernet, Maria; Pan, B. Jack; Forsch, Kiefer", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "FjordEco", "title": "FjordEco Phytoplankton Ecology Dataset in Andvord Bay ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601158"}, {"dataset_uid": "001366", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1702"}, {"dataset_uid": "000402", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1702"}], "date_created": "Wed, 13 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Marine communities along the western Antarctic Peninsula are highly productive ecosystems which support a diverse assemblage of charismatic animals such as penguins, seals, and whales as well as commercial fisheries such as that on Antarctic krill. Fjords (long, narrow, deep inlets of the sea between high cliffs) along the central coast of the Peninsula appear to be intense, potentially climate sensitive, hotspots of biological production and biodiversity, yet the structure and dynamics of these fjord ecosystems are very poorly understood. Because of this intense biological activity and the charismatic fauna it supports, these fjords are also major destinations for a large Antarctic tourism industry. This project is an integrated field and modeling program to evaluate physical oceanographic processes, glacial inputs, water column community dynamics, and seafloor bottom community structure and function in these important yet little understood fjord systems. These Antarctic fjords have characteristics that are substantially different from well-studied Arctic fjords, likely yielding much different responses to climate warming. This project will provide major new insights into the dynamics and climate sensitivity of Antarctic fjord ecosystems, highlighting contrasts with Arctic sub-polar fjords, and potentially transforming our understanding of the ecological role of fjords in the rapidly warming west Antarctic coastal marine landscape. The project will also further the NSF goal of training new generations of scientists, providing scientific training for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students. This includes the unique educational opportunity for undergraduates to participate in research cruises in Antarctica and the development of a novel summer graduate course on fjord ecosystems. Internet based outreach activities will be enhanced and extended by the participation of a professional photographer who will produce magazine articles, websites, radio broadcasts, and other forms of public outreach on the fascinating Antarctic ecosystem. This project will involve a 15-month field program to test mechanistic hypotheses concerning oceanographic and glaciological forcing, and phytoplankton and benthic community response in the Antarctic fjords. Those efforts will be followed by a coupled physical/biological modeling effort to evaluate the drivers of biogeochemical cycles in the fjords and to explore their potential sensitivity to enhanced meltwater and sediment inputs. Fieldwork over two oceanographic cruises will utilize moorings, weather stations, and glacial, sea-ice and seafloor time-lapse cameras to obtain an integrated view of fjord ecosystem processes. The field team will also make multiple shipboard measurements and will use towed and autonomous underwater vehicles to intensively evaluate fjord ecosystem structure and function during spring/summer and autumn seasons. These integrated field and modeling studies are expected to elucidate fundamental properties of water column and sea bottom ecosystem structure and function in the fjords, and to identify key physical-chemical-glaciological forcing in these rapidly warming ecosystems.", "east": -62.0, "geometry": "POINT(-64 -64.5)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FLUOROMETERS; 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", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "OCEAN CURRENTS; Bellingshausen Sea; LMG1702; COMMUNITY DYNAMICS; FJORDS; R/V LMG; MARINE ECOSYSTEMS; USAP-DC; ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS; ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES; SEDIMENTATION; NOT APPLICABLE; BENTHIC", "locations": "Bellingshausen Sea", "north": -64.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Winsor, Peter; Truffer, Martin; Smith, Craig; Powell, Brian; Merrifield, Mark; Vernet, Maria; Kohut, Josh", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "FjordEco", "south": -65.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Fjord Ecosystem Structure and Function on the West Antarctic Peninsula - Hotspots of Productivity and Biodiversity? (FjordEco)", "uid": "p0010010", "west": -66.0}, {"awards": "1443710 Severinghaus, Jeffrey; 1443472 Brook, Edward J.; 1443464 Sowers, Todd", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "dataset_titles": "South Pole CH4 data for termination; South Pole Ice Core Isotopes of N2 and Ar; South Pole ice core (SPC14) discrete methane data; South Pole ice core total air content; South Pole (SPICECORE) 15N, 18O, O2/N2 and Ar/N2; SP19 Gas Chronology", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601517", "doi": "10.15784/601517", "keywords": "Antarctica; Argon; Argon Isotopes; Firn; Firn Temperature Gradient; Firn Thickness; Gas Isotopes; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Nitrogen; Nitrogen Isotopes; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Morgan, Jacob", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole Ice Core Isotopes of N2 and Ar", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601517"}, {"dataset_uid": "601230", "doi": "10.15784/601230", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmospheric CH4; Ch4; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Data; Methane; Methane Concentration; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Sowers, Todd A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole CH4 data for termination", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601230"}, {"dataset_uid": "601231", "doi": "10.15784/601231", "keywords": "Air Content; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Sowers, Todd A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole ice core total air content", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601231"}, {"dataset_uid": "601381", "doi": "10.15784/601381", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ch4; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; Methane; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Winski, Dominic A.; Epifanio, Jenna; Brook, Edward J.; Buizert, Christo; Kreutz, Karl; Aydin, Murat; Edwards, Jon S.; Sowers, Todd A.; Kahle, Emma; Steig, Eric J.; Osterberg, Erich; Fudge, T. J.; Hood, Ekaterina; Kalk, Michael; Ferris, David G.; Kennedy, Joshua A.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole ice core (SPC14) discrete methane data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601381"}, {"dataset_uid": "601380", "doi": "10.15784/601380", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ch4; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Ice Core Stratigraphy; Methane; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Epifanio, Jenna", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "SP19 Gas Chronology", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601380"}, {"dataset_uid": "601152", "doi": "10.15784/601152", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Chemistry:gas; Chemistry:Gas; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Delta 18O; Dole Effect; Firn Thickness; Gas Isotopes; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Gravitational Settling; Ice; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Gas Records; Ice Core Records; Inert Gases; Nitrogen; Nitrogen Isotopes; Oxygen; Oxygen Isotope; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole (SPICECORE) 15N, 18O, O2/N2 and Ar/N2", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601152"}], "date_created": "Sat, 02 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Gases trapped in ice cores have revealed astonishing things about the greenhouse gas composition of the past atmosphere, including the fact that carbon dioxide concentrations never rose above 300 parts per million during the last 800,000 years. This places today\u0027s concentration of 400 parts per million in stark contrast. Furthermore, these gas records show that natural sources of greenhouse gas such as oceans and ecosystems act as amplifiers of climate change by increasing emissions of gases during warmer periods. Such amplification is expected to occur in the future, adding to the human-produced gas burden. The South Pole ice core will build upon these prior findings by expanding the suite of gases to include, for the first time, those potent trace gases that both trapped heat and depleted ozone during the past 40,000 years. The present project on inert gases and methane in the South Pole ice core will improve the dating of this crucial record, to unprecedented precision, so that the relative timing of events can be used to learn about the mechanism of trace gas production and destruction, and consequent climate change amplification. Ultimately, this information will inform predictions of future atmospheric chemical cleansing mechanisms and climate in the context of our rapidly changing atmosphere. This award also engages young people in the excitement of discovery and polar research, helping to entrain the next generations of scientists and educators. Education of graduate students, a young researcher (Buizert), and training of technicians, will add to the nation?s human resource base. This award funds the construction of the gas chronology for the South Pole 1500m ice core, using measured inert gases (d15N and d40Ar--Nitrogen and Argon isotope ratios, respectively) and methane in combination with a next-generation firn densification model that treats the stochastic nature of air trapping and the role of impurities on densification. The project addresses fundamental gaps in scientific understanding that limit the accuracy of gas chronologies, specifically a poor knowledge of the controls on ice-core d15N and the possible role of layering and impurities in firn densification. These gaps will be addressed by studying the gas enclosure process in modern firn at the deep core site. The work will comprise the first-ever firn air pumping experiment that has tightly co-located measurements of firn structural properties on the core taken from the same borehole. The project will test the hypothesis that the lock-in horizon as defined by firn air d15N, CO2, and methane is structurally controlled by impermeable layers, which are in turn created by high-impurity content horizons in which densification is enhanced. Thermal signals will be sought using the inert gas measurements, which improve the temperature record with benefits to the firn densification modeling. Neon, argon, and oxygen will be measured in firn air and a limited number of deep core samples to test whether glacial period layering was enhanced, which could explain low observed d15N in the last glacial period. Drawing on separate volcanic and methane synchronization to well-dated ice cores to create independent ice and gas tie points, independent empirical estimates of the gas age-ice age difference will be made to check the validity of the firn densification model-inert gas approach to calculating the gas age-ice age difference. These points will also be used to test whether the anomalously low d15N seen during the last glacial period in east Antarctic ice cores is due to deep air convection in the firn, or a missing impurity dependence in the firn densification models. The increased physical understanding gained from these studies, combined with new high-precision measurements, will lead to improved accuracy of the gas chronology of the South Pole ice core, which will enhance the overall science return from this gas-oriented core. This will lead to clarification of timing of atmospheric gas variations and temperature, and aid in efforts to understand the biogeochemical feedbacks among trace gases. These feedbacks bear on the future response of the Earth System to anthropogenic forcing. Ozone-depleting substances will be measured in the South Pole ice core record, and a precise gas chronology will add value. Lastly, by seeking a better understanding of the physics of gas entrapment, the project aims to have an impact on ice-core science in general.", "east": 0.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; AMD; LABORATORY; Antarctica; NITROGEN ISOTOPES; USA/NSF; METHANE; Amd/Us; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -90.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Sowers, Todd A.; Brook, Edward J.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "SPICEcore", "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Inert Gas and Methane Based Climate Records throughout the South Pole Deep Ice Core", "uid": "p0010005", "west": 0.0}, {"awards": "1341476 Moran, Amy", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(166.666 -77.84999)", "dataset_titles": "Cuticle morphology and oxygen gradients of Antarctic sea spiders; Physiological and biochemical measurements on Pycnogonida from McMurdo Sound; Physiological, biomechanical, and locomotory data on Antarctic sea spiders fouled and unfouled with epibionts; Size scaling of oxygen physiology and metabolic rate of Antarctic sea spiders", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601150", "doi": "10.15784/601150", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Body Size; Cuticle; Metabolic Rate; Oxygen; Polar Gigantism; Respiration; Size Limits; Southern Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Shishido, Caitlin; Woods, H. Arthur; Lane, Steven J.; Moran, Amy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Size scaling of oxygen physiology and metabolic rate of Antarctic sea spiders", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601150"}, {"dataset_uid": "601142", "doi": "10.15784/601142", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biomechanics; Biota; Cold Adaptation; McMurdo Sound; Metabolism; Oceans; Oxygen; Pycnogonida; Southern Ocean", "people": "Tobalske, Bret; Woods, H. Arthur; Moran, Amy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Physiological and biochemical measurements on Pycnogonida from McMurdo Sound", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601142"}, {"dataset_uid": "601145", "doi": "10.15784/601145", "keywords": "Antarctica; Benthos; Biota; Body Size; Cuticle; McMurdo Sound; Microelectrodes; Microscope; Microscopy; Oxygen; Pore; Respiration; Sea Spider; Southern Ocean", "people": "Arthur Woods, H.; Woods, H. Arthur", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Cuticle morphology and oxygen gradients of Antarctic sea spiders", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601145"}, {"dataset_uid": "601149", "doi": "10.15784/601149", "keywords": "Antarctica; Barnacles; Biota; Cuticle; Epibionts; Fouling; Grooming; Locomotion; Oxygen; Respiration", "people": "Tobalske, Bret; Lane, Steven J.; Moran, Amy; Shishido, Caitlin; Woods, H. Arthur", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Physiological, biomechanical, and locomotory data on Antarctic sea spiders fouled and unfouled with epibionts", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601149"}], "date_created": "Mon, 10 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Beginning with the earliest expeditions to the poles, scientists have noted that many polar taxa grow to unusually large body sizes, a phenomenon now known as \u0027polar gigantism.\u0027 Although scientists have been interested in polar giants for many years, many questions still remain about the biology of this significant form of polar diversity. This award from the Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems program within the Polar Sciences Division at the National Science Foundation will investigate the respiratory and biomechanical mechanisms underlying polar gigantism in Antarctic pycnogonids (commonly known as sea spiders). The project will use a series of manipulative experiments to investigate the effects of temperature and oxygen availability on respiratory capacity and biomechanical strength, and will compare Antarctic sea spiders to related species from temperate and tropical regions. The research will provide insight into the ability of polar giants to withstand the warming polar ocean temperatures associated with climate change.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe prevailing hypothesis to explain the evolution of gigantism invokes shifts in respiratory relationships in extremely cold ocean waters: in the cold, oxygen is more plentiful while at the same time metabolic rates are very low. Together these effects alleviate constraints on oxygen supply that restrict organisms living in warmer waters. Respiratory capacity must evolve in the context of adaptive tradeoffs, so for organisms including pycnogonids there must be tradeoffs between respiratory capacity and resistance to biomechanical stresses. The investigators will test a novel hypothesis that respiratory challenges are not associated with particular body sizes, and will answer the following questions: What are the dynamics of oxygen transport and consumption in Antarctic pycnogonids; how do structural features related to oxygen diffusion trade off with requirements for body support and locomotion; how does body size influence vulnerability to environmental hypoxia and to temperature-oxygen interactions; and does the cold-driven high oxygen availability in the Antarctic raise the limit on body size by reducing trade-offs between diffusivity and structural integrity? The research will explore the effects of increased ocean temperatures upon organisms that have different body sizes. In addition, it will provide training for graduate and undergraduate students affiliated with universities in EPSCOR states.", "east": 166.666, "geometry": "POINT(166.666 -77.84999)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; NOT APPLICABLE", "locations": null, "north": -77.84999, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Moran, Amy; Woods, H. Arthur", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.84999, "title": "Collaborative Research: Body Size, Oxygen, and Vulnerability to Climate Change in Antarctic Pycnogonida", "uid": "p0000007", "west": 166.666}, {"awards": "1144177 Pettit, Erin; 1144176 Lyons, W. Berry; 1144192 Tulaczyk, Slawek; 1727387 Mikucki, Jill", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((161.8 -77.7,161.88 -77.7,161.96 -77.7,162.04000000000002 -77.7,162.12 -77.7,162.2 -77.7,162.28 -77.7,162.36 -77.7,162.44 -77.7,162.51999999999998 -77.7,162.6 -77.7,162.6 -77.70700000000001,162.6 -77.714,162.6 -77.721,162.6 -77.728,162.6 -77.735,162.6 -77.742,162.6 -77.749,162.6 -77.756,162.6 -77.76299999999999,162.6 -77.77,162.51999999999998 -77.77,162.44 -77.77,162.36 -77.77,162.28 -77.77,162.2 -77.77,162.12 -77.77,162.04000000000002 -77.77,161.96 -77.77,161.88 -77.77,161.8 -77.77,161.8 -77.76299999999999,161.8 -77.756,161.8 -77.749,161.8 -77.742,161.8 -77.735,161.8 -77.728,161.8 -77.721,161.8 -77.714,161.8 -77.70700000000001,161.8 -77.7))", "dataset_titles": "Ablation Stake Data from of Taylor Glacier near Blood Falls; Antarctica Support 2014/2015 - C-528 Blood Falls GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset; Blood Falls, McMurdo Dry Va. International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks. Dataset/Seismic Network; FLIR thermal imaging data near Blood Falls, Taylor Glacier; Ground Penetrating Radar Data near Blood Falls, Taylor Glacier; Ice Temperature in Shallow Boreholes Near Blood Falls at the Terminus of Taylor Glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica; NCBI short read archive -Metagenomic survey of Antarctic Groundwater; Terrestrial Radar Interferometry near Blood Falls, Taylor Glacier; The Geochemistry of englacial brine from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica; Time Lapse imagery of the Blood Falls feature, Antarctica ; Vaisala Integrated Met Station near Blood Falls, Taylor Glacier", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601166", "doi": "10.15784/601166", "keywords": "Antarctica; Basal Crevassing; Glacier Hydrology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPR; Radar; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Pettit, Erin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Terrestrial Radar Interferometry near Blood Falls, Taylor Glacier", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601166"}, {"dataset_uid": "601167", "doi": "10.15784/601167", "keywords": "Antarctica; Basal Crevassing; Glacier Hydrology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Photo; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Taylor Glacier; Timelaps Images", "people": "Pettit, Erin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Time Lapse imagery of the Blood Falls feature, Antarctica ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601167"}, {"dataset_uid": "601168", "doi": "10.15784/601168", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Basal Crevassing; Glacier Hydrology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Meteorology; Taylor Glacier; Temperature; Weather Station Data; Wind Speed", "people": "Pettit, Erin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Vaisala Integrated Met Station near Blood Falls, Taylor Glacier", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601168"}, {"dataset_uid": "601169", "doi": "10.15784/601169", "keywords": "Antarctica; Basal Crevassing; Glacier Hydrology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Infrared Imagery; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Taylor Glacier; Thermal Camera; Timelaps Images", "people": "Pettit, Erin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "FLIR thermal imaging data near Blood Falls, Taylor Glacier", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601169"}, {"dataset_uid": "601179", "doi": "10.15784/601179", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Subglacial Brine", "people": "Lyons, W. Berry; Gardner, Christopher B.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "The Geochemistry of englacial brine from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601179"}, {"dataset_uid": "601139", "doi": "10.15784/601139", "keywords": "Antarctica; Borehole; Borehole Logging; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Temperature; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Temperature; Temperature Profiles", "people": "Tulaczyk, Slawek", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice Temperature in Shallow Boreholes Near Blood Falls at the Terminus of Taylor Glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601139"}, {"dataset_uid": "200074", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "NCBI short read archive -Metagenomic survey of Antarctic Groundwater", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sra/?term=SRR6667787"}, {"dataset_uid": "200029", "doi": "10.7914/SN/YW_2013", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "Blood Falls, McMurdo Dry Va. International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks. Dataset/Seismic Network", "url": "http://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/YW_2013/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601164", "doi": "10.15784/601164", "keywords": "Antarctica; Basal Crevassing; Glacier Hydrology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Pettit, Erin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ablation Stake Data from of Taylor Glacier near Blood Falls", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601164"}, {"dataset_uid": "601165", "doi": "10.15784/601165", "keywords": "Antarctica; Basal Crevassing; Glacier Hydrology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPR; Radar; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Pettit, Erin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ground Penetrating Radar Data near Blood Falls, Taylor Glacier", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601165"}, {"dataset_uid": "200028", "doi": "10.7283/FCEN-8050", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctica Support 2014/2015 - C-528 Blood Falls GPS/GNSS Observations Dataset", "url": "https://www.unavco.org/data/doi/10.7283/fcen-8050"}], "date_created": "Wed, 28 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Recent discoveries of widespread liquid water and microbial ecosystems below the Antarctic ice sheets have generated considerable interest in studying Antarctic subglacial environments. Understanding subglacial hydrology, the persistence of life in extended isolation and the evolution and stability of subglacial habitats requires an integrated, interdisciplinary approach. The collaborative project, Minimally Invasive Direct Glacial Exploration (MIDGE) of the Biogeochemistry, Hydrology and Glaciology of Blood Falls, McMurdo Dry Valleys will integrate geophysical measurements, molecular microbial ecology and geochemical analyses to explore a unique Antarctic subglacial system known as Blood Falls. Blood Falls is a hypersaline, subglacial brine that supports an active microbial community. The subglacial brine is released from a crevasse at the surface of the Taylor Glacier providing an accessible portal into an Antarctic subglacial ecosystem. Recent geochemical and molecular analyses support a marine source for the salts and microorganisms in Blood Falls. The last time marine waters inundated this part of the McMurdo Dry Valleys was during the Late Tertiary, which suggests the brine is ancient. Still, no direct samples have been collected from the subglacial source to Blood Falls and little is known about the origin of this brine or the amount of time it has been sealed below Taylor Glacier. Radar profiles collected near Blood Falls delineate a possible fault in the subglacial substrate that may help explain the localized and episodic nature of brine release. However it remains unclear what triggers the episodic release of brine exclusively at the Blood Falls crevasse or the extent to which the brine is altered as it makes its way to the surface. The MIDGE project aims to determine the mechanism of brine release at Blood Falls, evaluate changes in the geochemistry and the microbial community within the englacial conduit and assess if Blood Falls waters have a distinct impact on the thermal and stress state of Taylor Glacier, one of the most studied polar glaciers in Antarctica. The geophysical study of the glaciological structure and mechanism of brine release will use GPR, GPS, and a small passive seismic network. Together with international collaborators, the \u0027Ice Mole\u0027 team from FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Germany (funded by the German Aerospace Center, DLR), MIDGE will develop and deploy innovative, minimally invasive technologies for clean access and brine sample retrieval from deep within the Blood Falls drainage system. These technologies will allow for the collection of samples of the brine away from the surface (up to tens of meters) for geochemical analyses and microbial structure-function experiments. There is concern over the contamination of pristine subglacial environments from chemical and biological materials inherent in the drilling process; and MIDGE will provide data on the efficacy of thermoelectric probes for clean access and retrieval of representative subglacial samples. Antarctic subglacial environments provide an excellent opportunity for researching survivability and adaptability of microbial life and are potential terrestrial analogues for life habitats on icy planetary bodies. The MIDGE project offers a portable, versatile, clean alternative to hot water and mechanical drilling and will enable the exploration of subglacial hydrology and ecosystem function while making significant progress towards developing technologies for minimally invasive and clean sampling of icy systems.", "east": 162.6, "geometry": "POINT(162.2 -77.735)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; BACTERIA/ARCHAEA; USAP-DC", "locations": null, "north": -77.7, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Tulaczyk, Slawek; Pettit, Erin; Lyons, W. Berry; Mikucki, Jill", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "IRIS; NCBI GenBank; UNAVCO; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.77, "title": "Collaborative Research: MIDGE: Minimally Invasive Direct Glacial Exploration of Biogeochemistry, Hydrology and Glaciology of Blood Falls, McMurdo Dry Valleys", "uid": "p0000002", "west": 161.8}, {"awards": "1644245 Aydin, Murat", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Ice Core Air Ethane and Acetylene Measurements - South Pole SPC14 Ice Core (SPICEcore project); Ice core ethane measurements, Greenland and Antarctica, 1000-1900 CE.", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601367", "doi": "10.15784/601367", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ethane", "people": "Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "Ice Core Air Ethane and Acetylene Measurements - South Pole SPC14 Ice Core (SPICEcore project)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601367"}, {"dataset_uid": "002574", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Arctic Data Center", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice core ethane measurements, Greenland and Antarctica, 1000-1900 CE.", "url": "https://arcticdata.io/catalog/view/doi:10.18739/A2CR5NC1B"}], "date_created": "Tue, 13 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Aydin/1644245 This award supports a project to measure ethane in ice core air extracted from the recently drilled intermediate depth South Pole ice core (SPICECORE). Ethane is an abundant hydrocarbon in the atmosphere. The ice core samples that will be used in this analysis will span about 150 years before present to about 55,000 years before present and therefore, ethane emissions linked to human activities are not a subject of this study. The study will focus on quantifying the variability in the natural sources of ethane and the processes that govern its removal from the atmosphere. A long-term ice core ethane record will provide new knowledge on the chemistry of Earth?s atmosphere during time periods when human influence was either much smaller than present day or non-existent. The broader impacts of this work include education and training of students and a contribution to a better understanding of the chemistry of the atmosphere in the past and how it has been impacted by past changes in climate. Natural sources that emit ethane are both geologic (e.g. seeps, vents, mud volcanoes etc.) and pyrogenic (wild fires) which is commonly called biomass burning. Ethane is removed from the atmosphere via oxidation reactions. The ice core ethane measurements have great potential as a proxy for gaseous emissions from biomass burning. This is especially true for time periods preceding the industrial revolution when atmospheric variability of trace gases was largely controlled by natural processes. Another objective of this study is to improve understanding of the causes of atmospheric methane variability apparent which are in the existing ice core records. Methane is a simpler hydrocarbon than ethane and more abundant in the atmosphere. Even though the project does not include any methane measurements; the commonalities between the sources and removal of atmospheric ethane and methane mean that ethane measurements can be used to gain insight into the causes of changes in atmospheric methane levels. The broader impacts of the project include partial support for one Ph.D. student and support for undergraduate researchers at UC Irvine. The PIs group currently has 4 undergraduate researchers. The PI and the graduate students in the UCI ice core laboratory regularly participate in on- and off-campus activities such as laboratory tours and lectures directed towards educating high-school students and science teachers, and the local community at large about the scientific value of polar ice cores as an environmental record of our planet\u0027s past. The results of this research will be disseminated via peer-review publications and will contribute to policy-relevant activities such as the IPCC Climate Assessment. Data resulting from this project will be archived in a national data repository. This award does not have field work in Antarctica.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; NOT APPLICABLE", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Aydin, Murat", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "Arctic Data Center; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "SPICEcore", "south": null, "title": "Ethane Measurements in the Intermediate Depth South Pole Ice Core (SPICECORE)", "uid": "p0000762", "west": null}, {"awards": "1543313 VanTongeren, Jill", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "U-Pb ages and mineral compositions from Dufek Intrusion", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601132", "doi": "10.15784/601132", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemical Composition; Chemistry:rock; Chemistry:Rock; Crystallization; Dufek Complex; Geochemistry; Magma Chamber Procesess; Mass Spectrometry; Rocks; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Solid Earth; TIMS; Volcanic Deposits", "people": "VanTongeren, Jill", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "U-Pb ages and mineral compositions from Dufek Intrusion", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601132"}], "date_created": "Mon, 29 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The solidified remnants of large magma bodies within the continental crust hold the key to understanding the chemical and physical evolution of volcanic provinces through time. These deposits also commonly contain some of the world\u0027s most important ore deposits. Exposed deposits in South Africa, Greenland, USA, Canada, and Antarctica have led researchers to propose that the bigger the magma body, the faster it will crystallize. While this might seem counter-intuitive (typically it is thought that more magma = hotter = harder to cool), the comparison of these exposures show that bigger magma chambers maintain a molten top that is always in contact with the colder crust; whereas smaller magma chambers insulate themselves by crystallizing at the margins. The process is similar to the difference between a large cup of coffee with no lid, and a smaller cup of coffee held in a thermos. The large unprotected cup of coffee will cool down much faster than that held in the thermos. This research project of VanTongeren and Schoene will use previously collected rocks from the large (~8-9 km thick) Dufek Intrusion in Antarctica to precisely quantify how fast the magma chamber crystallized, and compare that rate to the much smaller magma chamber exposed in the Skaergaard Intrusion of E. Greenland. The work is an important step towards improving our understanding of time-scales associated with the thermal and chemical evolution of nearly all magma chambers on Earth, which will ultimately lead to better predictions of volcanic hazards globally. The work will also yield important insights into the timescales and conditions necessary for developing vast magmatic ore deposits, which is essential to the platinum and steel industries in the USA and abroad. Based on observations of solidification fronts in six of the world\u0027s most completely exposed layered mafic intrusions, it was recently proposed that bigger magma chambers must crystallize faster than small magma chambers. While this is initially counter-intuitive, the hypothesis falls out of simple heat balance equations and the observation that the thickness of cumulates at the roofs of such intrusions is negatively proportional to the size of the intrusion. In this study, VanTongeren and Schoene will directly test the hypothesis that bigger magma chambers crystallize faster by applying high precision U-Pb zircon geochronology on 5-10 samples throughout the large Dufek Intrusion of Antarctica. Due to uncertainties in even the highest-precision ID-TIMS analyses, the Dufek Intrusion of Antarctica is the only large layered mafic intrusion on Earth where this research can be accomplished. VanTongeren and Schoene will place the geochronological measurements of the Dufek Intrusion into a comprehensive petrologic framework by linking zircon crystallization to other liquidus phases using mineral geochemistry, zircon saturation models, and petrologic models for intrusion crystallization. The research has the potential to radically change the way that we understand the formation and differentiation of large magma bodies within the shallow crust. Layered intrusions are typically thought to cool and crystallize over very long timescales allowing for significant differentiation of the magmas and reorganization of the cumulate rocks. If the \u0027bigger magma chambers crystallize faster hypothesis\u0027 holds this could reduce the calculated solidification time scales of the early earth and lunar magma oceans and have important implications for magma chamber dynamics of active intraplate volcanism and long-lived continental arcs. Furthermore, while the Dufek Intrusion is one of only two large layered intrusions exposed on Earth, very little is known about its petrologic evolution. The detailed geochemical and petrologic work of VanTongeren and Schoene based on analyses of previously collected samples will provide important observations with which to compare the Dufek and other large magma chambers.", "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 Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "VanTongeren, Jill", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Testing the Hypothesis that Bigger Magma Chambers Crystallize Faster", "uid": "p0000135", "west": null}, {"awards": "1443306 Mayewski, Paul; 1443263 Higgins, John", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Allan Hills ice water stable isotope record for dD, d18O; Carbon dioxide concentration and its stable carbon isotope composition in Allan Hills ice cores; Elemental and isotopic composition of heavy noble gases in Allan Hills ice cores; Elemental and isotopic composition of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon in Allan Hills ice cores; Greenhouse gas composition in the Allan Hills S27 ice core; Methane concentration in Allan Hills ice cores; Stable isotope composition of the trapped air in the Allan Hills S27 ice core; Stable water isotope data for the AH-1502 ice core drilled at the Allan Hills Blue ice area; Stable water isotope data for the AH-1503 ice core drilled at the Allan Hills Blue ice area; Stable water isotope data for the surface samples collected at the Allan Hills Blue ice area", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601203", "doi": "10.15784/601203", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Allan Hills Project; Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Gas Chromatography; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Greenhouse Gas; Ice; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Gas Records; Methane; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Higgins, John; Yan, Yuzhen; Bender, Michael; Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Methane concentration in Allan Hills ice cores", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601203"}, {"dataset_uid": "601425", "doi": "10.15784/601425", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Blue Ice; Carbon Dioxide; Ice Core; Methane", "people": "Yan, Yuzhen; Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Greenhouse gas composition in the Allan Hills S27 ice core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601425"}, {"dataset_uid": "601201", "doi": "10.15784/601201", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Allan Hills Project; Antarctica; Argon; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Gas Records; Krypton; Mass Spectrometer; Noble Gas; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Xenon", "people": "Ng, Jessica; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Yan, Yuzhen; Bender, Michael; Higgins, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Elemental and isotopic composition of heavy noble gases in Allan Hills ice cores", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601201"}, {"dataset_uid": "601129", "doi": "10.15784/601129", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Allan Hills Project; Antarctica; Blue Ice; Delta 18O; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Records; Isotope Data; Oxygen; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Stable Water Isotopes; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Yan, Yuzhen; Introne, Douglas; Mayewski, Paul A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Stable water isotope data for the AH-1502 ice core drilled at the Allan Hills Blue ice area", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601129"}, {"dataset_uid": "601863", "doi": null, "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Isotope Data", "people": "Mayewski, Paul A.; Introne, Douglas; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Higgins, John; Brook, Edward", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Allan Hills ice water stable isotope record for dD, d18O", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601863"}, {"dataset_uid": "601130", "doi": "10.15784/601130", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Allan Hills Project; Antarctica; Blue Ice; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Delta 18O; Delta Deuterium; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Gas Records; Ice Core Records; Oxygen; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Stable Water Isotopes; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Introne, Douglas; Mayewski, Paul A.; Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Yan, Yuzhen", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Stable water isotope data for the surface samples collected at the Allan Hills Blue ice area", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601130"}, {"dataset_uid": "601863", "doi": null, "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Isotope Data", "people": "Higgins, John; Introne, Douglas; Brook, Edward; Mayewski, Paul A.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Kurbatov, Andrei V.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "COLDEX", "title": "Allan Hills ice water stable isotope record for dD, d18O", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601863"}, {"dataset_uid": "601128", "doi": "10.15784/601128", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Blue Ice; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Delta 18O; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope Record; Mass Spectrometry; Stable Water Isotopes", "people": "Introne, Douglas; Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Yan, Yuzhen; Mayewski, Paul A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Stable water isotope data for the AH-1503 ice core drilled at the Allan Hills Blue ice area", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601128"}, {"dataset_uid": "601483", "doi": "10.15784/601483", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Argon; Ice; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Gas Records; Isotope; Mass Spectrometry; Nitrogen; Oxygen", "people": "Yan, Yuzhen; Bender, Michael; Higgins, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Elemental and isotopic composition of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon in Allan Hills ice cores", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601483"}, {"dataset_uid": "601202", "doi": "10.15784/601202", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Allan Hills Project; Antarctica; Carbon Dioxide; Carbon Isotopes; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; CO2; Gas Chromatography; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Gas Records; Ice Core Records; Mass Spectrometer; Mass Spectrometry; Methane; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Yan, Yuzhen; Bender, Michael; Brook, Edward J.; Higgins, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Carbon dioxide concentration and its stable carbon isotope composition in Allan Hills ice cores", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601202"}, {"dataset_uid": "601512", "doi": "10.15784/601512", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Blue Ice; Ice Core; Ice Core Gas Records; Isotope; Nitrogen; Oxygen", "people": "Bender, Michael; Yan, Yuzhen; Higgins, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Allan Hills", "title": "Stable isotope composition of the trapped air in the Allan Hills S27 ice core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601512"}], "date_created": "Thu, 18 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Bubbles of ancient air trapped in ice cores permit the direct reconstruction of atmospheric composition and allow us to link greenhouse gases and global climate over the last 800,000 years. Previous field expeditions to the Allan Hills blue ice area, Antarctica, have recovered ice cores that date to one million years, the oldest ice cores yet recovered from Antarctica. These records have revealed that interglacial CO2 concentrations decreased by 800,000 years ago and that, in the warmer world 1 million years ago, CO2 and Antarctic temperature were linked as during the last 800,000 years. This project will return to the Allan Hills blue ice area to recover additional ice cores that date to 1 million years or older. The climate records developed from the drilled ice cores will provide new insights into the chemical composition of the atmosphere and Antarctic climate during times of comparable or even greater warmth than the present day. Our results will help answer questions about issues associated with anthropogenic change. These include the relationship between temperature change and the mass balance of Antarctic ice; precipitation and aridity variations associated with radiatively forced climate change; and the climate significance of sea ice extent. The project will entrain two graduate students and a postdoctoral scholar, and will conduct outreach including workshops to engage teachers in carbon science and ice cores. Between about 2.8-0.9 million years ago, Earth\u0027s climate was characterized by 40,000-year cycles, driven or paced by changes in the tilt of Earth\u0027s spin axis. Much is known about the \"40,000-year\" world from studies of deep-sea sediments, but our understanding of climate change during this period is incomplete because we lack records of Antarctic climate and direct records of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. We propose to address these issues by building on our recent studies of ancient ice from the Main Ice Field, Allan Hills, Antarctica. During previous field seasons we recovered ice extending, discontinuously, from 0.1-1.0 million years old. Ice was dated by measuring the 40Ar/38Ar (Argon) ratio of the trapped gases. Our discovery of million year-old ice demonstrates that there is gas-record-quality ice from the 40,000-year world in the Allan Hills Main Ice Field. We have identified two different sites, each overlying bedrock at ~ 200 m depth, that are attractive targets for coring ice dating to 1 million years and older. This project aims to core the ice at these two sites, re-occupy a previous site with million year-old ice and drill it down to the bedrock, and generate 10-20 short (~10-meter) cores in areas where our previous work and terrestrial meteorite ages suggest ancient surface ice. We plan to date the ice using the 40Ar/38Ar ages of trapped Argon. We also plan to characterize the continuity of our cores by measuring the deuterium and oxygen isotope ratios in the ice, methane, ratios of Oxygen and Argon to Nitrogen in trapped gas, the Nitrogen-15 isotope (d15N) of Nitrogen, and the Oxygen-18 isotope (d18O) of Oxygen. As the ice may be stratigraphically disturbed, these measurements will provide diagnostic properties for assessing the continuity of the ice-core records. Successful retrieval of ice older than one million years will provide the opportunity for follow-up work to measure the CO2 concentration and other properties within the ice to inform on the temperature history of the Allan Hills region, dust sources and source-area aridity, moisture sources, densification conditions, global average ocean temperature, and greenhouse gas concentrations. We will analyze the data in the context of leading hypotheses of the 40,000-year world and the Mid-Pleistocene Transition to the 100,000-year world. We expect to advance understanding of climate dynamics during these periods.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Amd/Us; AMD; Allan Hills; USA/NSF; FIELD INVESTIGATION; USAP-DC; Ice Core; LABORATORY", "locations": "Allan Hills", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Mayewski, Paul A.; Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Higgins, John; Bender, Michael", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Allan Hills", "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Window into the World with 40,000-year Glacial Cycles from Climate Records in Million Year-old Ice from the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area", "uid": "p0000760", "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": "Walker, Ben; Kaluzienski, Lynn; Lever, Jim; Ray, Laura; Koons, Peter; Arcone, Steven", "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": "0839142 Tulaczyk, Slawek; 0839059 Powell, Ross; 0838764 Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; 0838947 Tulaczyk, Slawek; 0838855 Jacobel, Robert; 0838763 Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; 0839107 Powell, Ross", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Basal melt rates of the Ross Ice Shelf near the Whillans Ice Stream grounding line; Integrative Study of Marine Ice Sheet Stability and Subglacial Life Habitats in W Antarctica - Lake and Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (LISSARD); Integrative Study of Marine Ice Sheet Stability and Subglacial Life Habitats - Robotic Access to Grounding-zones for Exploration and Science (RAGES); IRIS ID#s 201035, 201162, 201205; IRIS offers free and open access to a comprehensive data store of raw geophysical time-series data collected from a large variety of sensors, courtesy of a vast array of US and International scientific networks, including seismometers (permanent and temporary), tilt and strain meters, infrasound, temperature, atmospheric pressure and gravimeters, to support basic research aimed at imaging the Earth\u0027s interior.; Paleogene marine and terrestrial development of the West Antarctic Rift System: Biomarker Data Set; Paleogene marine and terrestrial development of the West Antarctic Rift System: Palynomorph Data Set; Radar Studies of Subglacial Lake Whillans and the Whillans Ice Stream Grounding Zone; The IRIS DMC archives and distributes data to support the seismological research community.; UNAVCO ID#s WHL1, WHL2, LA02, LA09 (full data link not provided)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609594", "doi": "10.7265/N54J0C2W", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPR; GPS; Radar; Whillans Ice Stream", "people": "Jacobel, Robert", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Radar Studies of Subglacial Lake Whillans and the Whillans Ice Stream Grounding Zone", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609594"}, {"dataset_uid": "001406", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "The IRIS DMC archives and distributes data to support the seismological research community.", "url": "http://ds.iris.edu/ds/nodes/dmc/"}, {"dataset_uid": "001405", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "IRIS offers free and open access to a comprehensive data store of raw geophysical time-series data collected from a large variety of sensors, courtesy of a vast array of US and International scientific networks, including seismometers (permanent and temporary), tilt and strain meters, infrasound, temperature, atmospheric pressure and gravimeters, to support basic research aimed at imaging the Earth\u0027s interior.", "url": "http://www.iris.edu/hq/data_and_software"}, {"dataset_uid": "601234", "doi": "10.15784/601234", "keywords": "ACL; Antarctica; Biomarker; BIT Index; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Stream; Whillans Ice Stream; WISSARD", "people": "Scherer, Reed Paul; Baudoin, Patrick; Warny, Sophie; Coenen, Jason; Askin, Rosemary; Casta\u00f1eda, Isla", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WISSARD", "title": "Paleogene marine and terrestrial development of the West Antarctic Rift System: Biomarker Data Set", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601234"}, {"dataset_uid": "601245", "doi": "10.15784/601245", "keywords": "Antarctica; Pollen; West Antarctica; WISSARD", "people": "Baudoin, Patrick; Coenen, Jason; Warny, Sophie; Askin, Rosemary; Scherer, Reed Paul; Casta\u00f1eda, Isla", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WISSARD", "title": "Paleogene marine and terrestrial development of the West Antarctic Rift System: Palynomorph Data Set", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601245"}, {"dataset_uid": "601122", "doi": "10.15784/601122", "keywords": "Antarctica; Flexure Zone; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Shelf; Ice-Shelf Basal Melting; Ice-Shelf Strain Rate", "people": "Begeman, Carolyn", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WISSARD", "title": "Basal melt rates of the Ross Ice Shelf near the Whillans Ice Stream grounding line", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601122"}, {"dataset_uid": "600155", "doi": "10.15784/600155", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciology; Oceans; Southern Ocean; WISSARD", "people": "Powell, Ross", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Integrative Study of Marine Ice Sheet Stability and Subglacial Life Habitats - Robotic Access to Grounding-zones for Exploration and Science (RAGES)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600155"}, {"dataset_uid": "600154", "doi": "10.15784/600154", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Diatom; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Lake Whillans; Paleoclimate; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean; Subglacial Lake; WISSARD", "people": "Powell, Ross", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Integrative Study of Marine Ice Sheet Stability and Subglacial Life Habitats in W Antarctica - Lake and Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (LISSARD)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600154"}, {"dataset_uid": "000150", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "UNAVCO", "science_program": null, "title": "UNAVCO ID#s WHL1, WHL2, LA02, LA09 (full data link not provided)", "url": "http://www.unavco.org/"}, {"dataset_uid": "000148", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "IRIS ID#s 201035, 201162, 201205", "url": "http://ds.iris.edu/"}], "date_created": "Mon, 10 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The LISSARD project (Lake and Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling) is one of three research components of the WISSARD integrative initiative (Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling) that is being funded by the Antarctic Integrated System Science Program of NSF\u0027s Office of Polar Programs, Antarctic Division. The overarching scientific objective of WISSARD is to assess the role of water beneath a West Antarctic ice stream in interlinked glaciological, geological, microbiological, geochemical, and oceanographic systems. The LISSARD component of WISSARD focuses on the role of active subglacial lakes in determining how fast the West Antarctic ice sheet loses mass to the global ocean and influences global sea level changes. The importance of Antarctic subglacial lakes has only been recently recognized, and the lakes have been identified as high priority targets for scientific investigations because of their unknown contributions to ice sheet stability under future global warming scenarios. LISSARD has several primary science goals: A) To provide an observational basis for improving treatments of subglacial hydrological and mechanical processes in models of ice sheet mass balance and stability; B) To reconstruct the past history of ice stream stability by analyzing archives of past basal water and ice flow variability contained in subglacial sediments, porewater, lake water, and basal accreted ice; C) To provide background understanding of subglacial lake environments to benefit RAGES and GBASE (the other two components of the WISSARD project); and D) To synthesize data and concepts developed as part of this project to determine whether subglacial lakes play an important role in (de)stabilizing Antarctic ice sheets. We propose an unprecedented synthesis of approaches to studying ice sheet processes, including: (1) satellite remote sensing, (2) surface geophysics, (3) borehole observations and measurements and, (4) basal and subglacial sampling. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eINTELLECTUAL MERIT: The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recognized that the greatest uncertainties in assessing future global sea-level change stem from a poor understanding of ice sheet dynamics and ice sheet vulnerability to oceanic and atmospheric warming. Disintegration of the WAIS (West Antarctic Ice Sheet) alone would contribute 3-5 m to global sea-level rise, making WAIS a focus of scientific concern due to its potential susceptibility to internal or ocean-driven instability. The overall WISSARD project will test the overarching hypothesis that active water drainage connects various subglacial environments and exerts major control on ice sheet flow, geochemistry, metabolic and phylogenetic diversity, and biogeochemical transformations. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eBROADER IMPACTS: Societal Relevance: Global warming, melting of ice sheets and consequential sea-level rise are of high societal relevance. Science Resource Development: After a 9-year hiatus WISSARD will provide the US-science community with a renewed capability to access and study sub-ice sheet environments. Developing this technological infrastructure will benefit the broader science community and assets will be accessible for future use through the NSF-OPP drilling contractor. Furthermore, these projects will pioneer an approach implementing recommendations from the National Research Council committee on Principles of Environmental Stewardship for the Exploration and Study of Subglacial Environments (2007). Education and Outreach (E/O): These activities are grouped into four categories: i) increasing student participation in polar research by fully integrating them in our research programs; ii) introducing new investigators to the polar sciences by incorporating promising young investigators in our programs, iii) promotion of K-12 teaching and learning programs by incorporating various teachers and NSTA programs, and iv) reaching a larger public audience through such venues as popular science magazines, museum based activities and videography and documentary films. In summary, WISSARD will promote scientific exploration of Antarctica by conveying to the public the excitement of accessing and studying what may be some of the last unexplored aquatic environments on Earth, and which represent a potential analogue for extraterrestrial life habitats on Europa and Mars.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; 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 SEISMOMETERS \u003e SEISMOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e SEISMOMETERS \u003e SEISMOMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; Ice Penetrating Radar; Antarctic; Subglacial Lake; Subglacial Hydrology; Grounding Line; Sea Level Rise; Bed Reflectivity; Ice Sheet Stability; Stability; Radar; Sub-Ice-Shelf; Geophysics; Biogeochemical; LABORATORY; Sediment; Sea Floor Sediment; Ice Thickness; Model; Ice Stream Stability; Basal Ice; SATELLITES; Ice Sheet Thickness; Subglacial; Antarctica; NOT APPLICABLE; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Ice Sheet; FIELD SURVEYS; Surface Elevation; Geochemistry; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Not provided", "locations": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Tulaczyk, Slawek; Fisher, Andrew; Powell, Ross; Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; Jacobel, Robert; Scherer, Reed Paul", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e SATELLITES", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "IRIS; UNAVCO; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WISSARD", "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Integrative Study of Marine Ice Sheet Stability \u0026 Subglacial Life Habitats in W Antarctica - Lake \u0026 Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (LISSARD)", "uid": "p0000105", "west": null}, {"awards": "1141889 Winberry, J. Paul; 1141866 Conway, Howard", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Beardmore Glacier High-Frequency Impulse Radar Data; Geophysical measurements Beardmore Glacier, Antarctica; Project code ZF for passive seismic and 17-030 for active source", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601713", "doi": "10.15784/601713", "keywords": "Antarctica; Beardmore Glacier; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPR; Ice Penetrating Radar; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Christianson, Knut; Conway, Howard; Hoffman, Andrew", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Beardmore Glacier High-Frequency Impulse Radar Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601713"}, {"dataset_uid": "000210", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "Project code ZF for passive seismic and 17-030 for active source", "url": "https://ds.iris.edu/mda/17-030"}, {"dataset_uid": "601121", "doi": "10.15784/601121", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Thickness; Radar", "people": "Conway, Howard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Geophysical measurements Beardmore Glacier, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601121"}], "date_created": "Sun, 09 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Conway/1141866 This award supports a project to conduct a suite of experiments to study spatial and temporal variations of basal conditions beneath Beardmore Glacier, an East Antarctic outlet glacier that discharges into the Ross Sea Embayment. The intellectual merit of the project is that it should help verify whether or not global warming will play a much larger role in the future mass balance of ice sheets than previously considered. Recent observations of rapid changes in discharge of fast-flowing outlet glaciers and ice streams suggest that dynamical responses to warming could affect that ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. Assessment of possible consequences of these responses is hampered by the lack of information about the basal boundary conditions. The leading hypothesis is that variations in basal conditions exert strong control on the discharge of outlet glaciers. Airborne and surface-based radar measurements of Beardmore Glacier will be made to map the ice thickness and geometry of the sub-glacial trough and active and passive seismic experiments, together with ground-based radar and GPS measurements will be made to map spatial and temporal variations of conditions at the ice-bed interface. The observational data will be used to constrain dynamic models of glacier flow. The models will be used to address the primary controls on the dynamics of Antarctic outlet glaciers, the conditions at the bed, their spatial and temporal variation, and how such variability might affect the sliding and flow of these glaciers. The work will also explore whether or not these outlet glaciers could draw down the interior of East Antarctica, and if so, how fast. The study will take three years including two field seasons to complete and results from the work will be disseminated through public and professional meetings and journal publications. All data and metadata will be made available through the NSIDC web portal. The broader impacts of the work are that it will help elucidate the fundamental physics of outlet glacier dynamics which is needed to improve predictions of the response of ice sheets to changing environmental conditions. The project will also provide support for early career investigators and will provide training and support for one graduate and two undergraduate students. All collaborators are currently involved in scientific outreach and graduate student education and they are committed to fostering diversity.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; USAP-DC; Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Conway, Howard; Winberry, Paul", "platforms": "Not provided; OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "IRIS; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: East Antarctic Outlet Glacier Dynamics", "uid": "p0000437", "west": null}, {"awards": "1443126 MacAyeal, Douglas", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((166.1631 -77.9007,166.19736 -77.9007,166.23162 -77.9007,166.26588 -77.9007,166.30014 -77.9007,166.3344 -77.9007,166.36866 -77.9007,166.40292 -77.9007,166.43718 -77.9007,166.47144 -77.9007,166.5057 -77.9007,166.5057 -77.90423,166.5057 -77.90776,166.5057 -77.91129,166.5057 -77.91482,166.5057 -77.91835,166.5057 -77.92188,166.5057 -77.92541,166.5057 -77.92894,166.5057 -77.93247,166.5057 -77.936,166.47144 -77.936,166.43718 -77.936,166.40292 -77.936,166.36866 -77.936,166.3344 -77.936,166.30014 -77.936,166.26588 -77.936,166.23162 -77.936,166.19736 -77.936,166.1631 -77.936,166.1631 -77.93247,166.1631 -77.92894,166.1631 -77.92541,166.1631 -77.92188,166.1631 -77.91835,166.1631 -77.91482,166.1631 -77.91129,166.1631 -77.90776,166.1631 -77.90423,166.1631 -77.9007))", "dataset_titles": "McMurdo Ice Shelf AWS data; McMurdo Ice Shelf GPS survey of vertical motion; Supraglacial Lake Depths on McMurdo Ice Shelf, Antarctica; Time-lapse video of McMurdo Ice Shelf surface melting and hydrology", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601113", "doi": "10.15784/601113", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Shelf; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Supraglacial Meltwater", "people": "Banwell, Alison; MacAyeal, Douglas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Time-lapse video of McMurdo Ice Shelf surface melting and hydrology", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601113"}, {"dataset_uid": "601107", "doi": "10.15784/601107", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPS; Ice Flow Velocity; Ice Shelf; Ice-Shelf Flexure; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Surface Melt", "people": "MacAyeal, Douglas; Banwell, Alison", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "McMurdo Ice Shelf GPS survey of vertical motion", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601107"}, {"dataset_uid": "601106", "doi": "10.15784/601106", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Hydrology; Ice Shelf; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Surface Hydrology; Surface Mass Balance; Weather Station Data", "people": "Banwell, Alison; MacAyeal, Douglas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "McMurdo Ice Shelf AWS data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601106"}, {"dataset_uid": "601116", "doi": "10.15784/601116", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Shelf; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Subglacial And Supraglacial Water Depth; Supraglacial Lake; Supraglacial Meltwater; Water Depth", "people": "MacAyeal, Douglas; Banwell, Alison", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Supraglacial Lake Depths on McMurdo Ice Shelf, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601116"}], "date_created": "Tue, 24 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Meltwater lakes that sit on top of Antarctica\u0027s floating ice shelves have likely contributed to the dramatic changes seen in Antarctica\u0027s glacial ice cover over the past two decades. In 2002, the 1,600-square-kilometer Larsen B Ice Shelf located on the Eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula, for example, broke into thousands of small icebergs, which subsequently floated away as a result of the formation of more than 2,000 meltwater lakes on its surface over the prior decade. Our research project addresses the reasons why surface lakes form on Antarctic ice shelves and how these surface lakes subsequently contribute to the forces that may contribute to ice-shelf breakup like that of the Larsen B. Our project focuses primarily on making precise global positioning system (GPS) measurements of ice-shelf bending in response to the filling and draining of a surface lake on the McMurdo Ice Shelf. The observed vertical displacements (on the order of tens of centimeters) in response to lake filling will be used to calibrate and test computer simulation models that predict the response of ice shelves to surface lakes more generally and in a variety of future climate conditions. Our project will make hourly measurements of both vertical ice-shelf movements (using GPS surveying instruments) and of temperature and sunlight conditions (that drive melting) around a surface lake located close to the McMurdo Station airfield. Following this initial data-gathering effort, computer simulations and other more theoretical analysis will be undertaken to determine the suitability of the chosen McMurdo Ice Shelf surface lake as a field-laboratory for continued study. Ultimately, the research will contribute to understanding of the glaciological processes that link climate change to rising sea level. A successful outcome of the research will allow glaciologists to better assess the processes that promote or erode the influence Antarctic ice shelves have in controlling the transfer of ice from the interior of Antarctica into the ocean. The project will undertake two outreach activities: (1) web-posting of a field-activity journal and (2) establishing an open-access glaciological teaching and outreach web-sharing site for the International Glaciological Society. The proposed project seeks to experimentally verify a theory of ice-shelf instability proposed to explain the explosive break-up of Larsen B Ice Shelf in 2002. This theory holds that the filling and draining of supraglacial lakes on floating ice shelves induces sufficient flexure stress within the ice to (a) induce upward/downward propagating fractures originating at the base/surface of the ice shelf that (b) dissect the ice shelf into fragments that tend to have widths less than about half the ice thickness. The significance of narrow widths is that they promote capsize of the ice-shelf fragments during the break-up process. This capsize releases large amounts of gravitational potential energy (comparable to thousands of kilotons of TNT for the Larsen B Ice Shelf) thereby promoting explosiveness of the Larsen B event. The observational motivation for experimentally verifying the surface-lake mechanism for ice-shelf breakup is based on the fact that \u003e2,000 surface lakes developed on the Larsen B Ice Shelf in the decade prior to its break up, and that these lakes were observed (via satellite imagery) to drain in a coordinated fashion during the day prior to the initiation of the break up. The field-observation component of the project will focus on a supraglacial lake on the McMurdo Ice Shelf where there is persistent summer season surface melting. The lake will be studied during a single provisional field season to determine whether grooming of surrounding surface streams and shorelines with heavy construction equipment will allow surface water to be manually encouraged to fill the lake. If successfully encouraged to develop, the McMurdo Ice Shelf surface lake will allow measurements of key ice-shelf flexure and stress variables needed to develop the theory of ice-shelf surface lakes without having to access the much more logistically demanding surface lakes of ice-shelves located elsewhere in Antarctica. Data to be gathered during the 6-week provisional field season include: energy- and water-balance parameters determining how the surface lake grows and fills, and various global positioning system measurements of the vertical bending of the ice sheet in response to the changing meltwater load contained within the surface lake. These data will be used to (1) constrain a computer model of viscoelastic flexure and possible fracture of the ice shelf in response to the increasing load of meltwater in the lake, and (2) determine whether continued study of the incipient surface-meltwater lake features on the McMurdo Ice Shelf provides a promising avenue for constraining the more-general behavior of surface meltwater lakes on other ice shelves located in warmer parts of Antarctica. Computer models constrained by the observational data obtained from the field project will inform energy- and water-balance models of ice shelves in general, and allow more accurate forecasts of changing ice-shelf conditions surrounding the inland ice of Antarctica. The project will create the first-ever ground-based observations useful for spawning the development of models capable of predicting viscoelastic and fracture behavior of ice shelves in response to supraglacial lake evolution, including slow changes due to energy balance effects, as well as fast changes due to filling and draining.", "east": 166.5057, "geometry": "POINT(166.3344 -77.91835)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; AWOS", "locations": null, "north": -77.9007, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "MacAyeal, Douglas", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e AWOS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.936, "title": "Impact of Supraglacial Lakes on Ice-Shelf Stability", "uid": "p0000138", "west": 166.1631}, {"awards": "1443471 Koutnik, Michelle; 1443341 Hawley, Robert", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((110 -89,117 -89,124 -89,131 -89,138 -89,145 -89,152 -89,159 -89,166 -89,173 -89,180 -89,180 -89.1,180 -89.2,180 -89.3,180 -89.4,180 -89.5,180 -89.6,180 -89.7,180 -89.8,180 -89.9,180 -90,173 -90,166 -90,159 -90,152 -90,145 -90,138 -90,131 -90,124 -90,117 -90,110 -90,110 -89.9,110 -89.8,110 -89.7,110 -89.6,110 -89.5,110 -89.4,110 -89.3,110 -89.2,110 -89.1,110 -89))", "dataset_titles": "7MHz radar in the vicinity of South Pole; Firn density and compaction rates 50km upstream of South Pole; Firn temperatures 50km upstream of South Pole; Shallow radar near South Pole; South Pole area GPS velocities; SPICEcore Advection", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601266", "doi": "10.15784/601266", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ice Core Data; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Fudge, T. J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "SPICEcore Advection", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601266"}, {"dataset_uid": "601100", "doi": "10.15784/601100", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPS; Ice Velocity", "people": "Waddington, Edwin D.; Lilien, David; Fudge, T. J.; Koutnik, Michelle; Conway, Howard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole area GPS velocities", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601100"}, {"dataset_uid": "601369", "doi": "10.15784/601369", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ice Sheet", "people": "Lilien, David; Stevens, Max; Koutnik, Michelle; Conway, Howard; Waddington, Edwin D.; Fudge, T. J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "7MHz radar in the vicinity of South Pole", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601369"}, {"dataset_uid": "601525", "doi": "10.15784/601525", "keywords": "Antarctica; Firn; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; SPICEcore; Temperature", "people": "Waddington, Edwin D.; Stevens, Christopher Max; Lilien, David; Conway, Howard; Fudge, T. J.; Koutnik, Michelle", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "Firn temperatures 50km upstream of South Pole", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601525"}, {"dataset_uid": "601099", "doi": "10.15784/601099", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Radar; Snow Accumulation; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Conway, Howard; Koutnik, Michelle; Waddington, Edwin D.; Lilien, David; Fudge, T. J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "Shallow radar near South Pole", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601099"}, {"dataset_uid": "601680", "doi": "10.15784/601680", "keywords": "Antarctica; Firn; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; Temperature", "people": "Stevens, Christopher Max; Conway, Howard; Waddington, Edwin D.; Fudge, T. J.; Lilien, David; Koutnik, Michelle", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Firn density and compaction rates 50km upstream of South Pole", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601680"}], "date_created": "Thu, 14 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ice-core records are critical to understanding past climate variations. An Antarctic ice core currently being drilled at the South Pole will allow detailed investigation of atmospheric gases and fill an important gap in understanding the pattern of climate variability across Antarctica. Critical to the interpretation of any ice core are: 1) accurate chronologies for both the ice and the trapped gas and 2) demonstration that records from the ice core reliably reflect climate. The proposed research will improve the ice and gas chronologies by making measurements of snow compaction in the upstream catchment in order to constrain age models of the ice. These measurements will be a key data set needed for better understanding and predicting time-varying conditions in the upper part of the ice sheet. The research team will measure the modern spatial gradients in accumulation rate, surface temperature, and water stable isotopes from shallow ice cores in the upstream catchment in order to determine the climate history from the ice-core record. The new ice-flow measurements will make it possible to define the path of ice from upstream to the South Pole ice-core drill site to assess spatial gradients in snowfall and to infer histories of snowfall from internal layers within the ice sheet. The project will be led by an early-career scientist, provide broad training to graduate students, and engage in public outreach on polar science. Ice-core records of stable isotopes, aerosol-born particles, and atmospheric gases are critical to understanding past climate variations. The proposed research will improve the ice and gas chronologies in the South Pole ice core by making in situ measurements of firn compaction in the upstream catchment to constrain models of the gas-age ice-age difference. The firn measurements will be a key data set needed to form a constitutive relationship for firn, and will drive better understanding and prediction of transient firn evolution. The research team will measure the modern gradients in accumulation rate, surface temperature, and water stable isotopes in the upstream catchment to separate spatial (advection) variations from temporal (climate) variations in the ice-core records. The ice-flow measurements will define the flowline upstream of the drill site, assess spatial gradients in accumulation, and infer histories of accumulation from radar-observed internal layers. Results will directly enhance interpretation of South Pole ice-core records, and also advance understanding of firn densification and drive next-generation firn models.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(145 -89.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIRN; Firn; USAP-DC; South Pole; Radar; FIELD SURVEYS; ICE CORE RECORDS", "locations": "South Pole", "north": -89.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Koutnik, Michelle; Conway, Howard; Waddington, Edwin D.; Fudge, T. J.; Hawley, Robert L.; Osterberg, Erich", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "SPICEcore", "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Characterization of Upstream Ice and Firn Dynamics affecting the South Pole Ice Core", "uid": "p0000200", "west": 110.0}, {"awards": "1443232 Waddington, Edwin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((110 -89,117 -89,124 -89,131 -89,138 -89,145 -89,152 -89,159 -89,166 -89,173 -89,180 -89,180 -89.1,180 -89.2,180 -89.3,180 -89.4,180 -89.5,180 -89.6,180 -89.7,180 -89.8,180 -89.9,180 -90,173 -90,166 -90,159 -90,152 -90,145 -90,138 -90,131 -90,124 -90,117 -90,110 -90,110 -89.9,110 -89.8,110 -89.7,110 -89.6,110 -89.5,110 -89.4,110 -89.3,110 -89.2,110 -89.1,110 -89))", "dataset_titles": "AC-ECM for SPICEcore; ECM (DC and AC) multi-track data and images from 2016 processing season", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601189", "doi": " 10.15784/601189 ", "keywords": "Antarctica; Electrical Conductivity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; SPICEcore; Volcanic", "people": "Fudge, T. J.; Waddington, Edwin D.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "AC-ECM for SPICEcore", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601189"}, {"dataset_uid": "601366", "doi": "10.15784/601366", "keywords": "Antarctica", "people": "Fudge, T. J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "ECM (DC and AC) multi-track data and images from 2016 processing season", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601366"}], "date_created": "Tue, 08 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ice cores record detailed histories of past climate variations. The South Pole ice core will allow investigation of atmospheric trace gases and fill an important gap in understanding the pattern of climate variability across Antarctica. An accurate timescale that assigns an age to the ice at each depth in the core is essential to interpretation of the ice-core records. This work will use electrical methods to identify volcanic eruptions throughout the past ~40,000 years in the core by detecting the enhanced electrical conductance in those layers due to volcanic impurities in the ice. These eruptions will be pattern-matched to other cores across Antarctica, synchronizing the timing of climate variations among cores and allowing the precise timescales developed for other Antarctic ice cores to be transferred to the South Pole ice core. The well-dated records of volcanic forcing will be combined with records of atmospheric gases, stable water-isotopes, and aerosols to better understand the large natural climate variations of the past 40,000 years. The electrical conductance method and dielectric profiling measurements will be made along the length of each section of the South Pole ice core at the National Ice Core Lab. These measurements will help to establish a timescale for the core. Electrical measurements will provide a continuous record of volcanic events for the entire core including through the brittle ice (550-1250m representing ~10,000-20,000 year-old ice) where the core quality and thin annual layers may prevent continuous melt analysis and cause discrete measurements to miss volcanic events. The electrical measurements also produce a 2-D image of the electrical layering on a longitudinal cut surface of each core. These data will be used to identify any irregular or absent layering that would indicate a stratigraphic disturbance in the core. A robust chronology is essential to interpretation of the paleoclimate records from the South Pole ice core. The investigators will engage teachers through talks and webinars with the National Science Teachers Association and will share information with the public at events such as Polar Science Weekend at the Pacific Science Center. Results will be disseminated through publications and conference presentations and the data will be archived and publicly available.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(145 -89.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; USA/NSF; Amd/Us; AMD; LABORATORY", "locations": null, "north": -89.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Fudge, T. J.; Waddington, Edwin D.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "SPICEcore", "south": -90.0, "title": "Using Electrical Conductance Measurements to Develop the South Pole Ice Core Chronology", "uid": "p0000378", "west": 110.0}, {"awards": "1142084 Nevitt, Gabrielle", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((40 -25,46 -25,52 -25,58 -25,64 -25,70 -25,76 -25,82 -25,88 -25,94 -25,100 -25,100 -28.5,100 -32,100 -35.5,100 -39,100 -42.5,100 -46,100 -49.5,100 -53,100 -56.5,100 -60,94 -60,88 -60,82 -60,76 -60,70 -60,64 -60,58 -60,52 -60,46 -60,40 -60,40 -56.5,40 -53,40 -49.5,40 -46,40 -42.5,40 -39,40 -35.5,40 -32,40 -28.5,40 -25))", "dataset_titles": "Satellite tracks of Black-browed Albatross in the Southern Indian Ocean", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601093", "doi": "10.15784/601093", "keywords": "Albatross; Antarctica; Biota; Birds; Foraging; GPS Data; Southern Ocean; Stomach Temperature", "people": "Losekoot, Marcel; Nevitt, Gabrielle", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Satellite tracks of Black-browed Albatross in the Southern Indian Ocean", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601093"}], "date_created": "Thu, 12 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "With 70% of the Earth\u0027s surface being covered by oceans, a longstanding question of interest to the ecology of migratory seabirds is how they locate their prey across such vast distances. The project seeks to investigate the sensory strategies used in the foraging behavior of procellariiform seabirds, such as petrels, albatrosses and shearwaters. These birds routinely travel over thousands of kilometers of open ocean, apparently using their pronounced olfactory abilities (known to be up to a million times more sensitive than other birds) to identify productive marine areas or locate prey. High resolution tracking, such as provided by miniaturized GPS data loggers (+/- 5m; 10 second sampling), are needed to gain insight into some of the questions as to the sensory mechanisms birds use to locate their prey. Combining these tracking and positioning devices along with stomach temperature recorders capable of indicating prey ingestion, will provide a wealth of new behavioral information. Species specific foraging based on prey specific odors (e.g. krill vs fisheries vs. squid), and mixed strategies using olfaction and visual cues appear to be different for these different marine predators. Albatrosses are increasingly an endangered species globally, and additional information as to their foraging strategies might lead to better conservation measures such as the avoidance of by-catch by long-line fisheries. Intimate details of each species foraging activity patterns during the day and night and insight into the conservation of these top predators in pelagic Southern Ocean ecosystems are a few of the research directions these novel fine scale resolution approaches are yielding.", "east": 100.0, "geometry": "POINT(70 -42.5)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; USAP-DC", "locations": null, "north": -25.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Nevitt, Gabrielle", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -60.0, "title": "Applying High-resolution GPS Tracking to Characterize Sensory Foraging Strategies of the Black-browed Albatross, a Top Predator of the Southern Ocean Ecosystem", "uid": "p0000420", "west": 40.0}, {"awards": "1246045 Waddington, Edwin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -70,-144 -70,-108 -70,-72 -70,-36 -70,0 -70,36 -70,72 -70,108 -70,144 -70,180 -70,180 -72,180 -74,180 -76,180 -78,180 -80,180 -82,180 -84,180 -86,180 -88,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -88,-180 -86,-180 -84,-180 -82,-180 -80,-180 -78,-180 -76,-180 -74,-180 -72,-180 -70))", "dataset_titles": "Code for inference of fabric from sonic velocity and thin-section measurements.; Code for models involving stochastic treatment of ice fabric", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000244", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GitHub", "science_program": null, "title": "Code for models involving stochastic treatment of ice fabric", "url": "https://github.com/mjhay/stochastic_fabric"}, {"dataset_uid": "000243", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GitHub", "science_program": null, "title": "Code for inference of fabric from sonic velocity and thin-section measurements.", "url": "https://github.com/mjhay/neem_sonic_model"}], "date_created": "Mon, 02 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Waddington/1246045 This award supports a project to investigate the onset and growth of folds and other disturbances seen in the stratigraphic layers of polar ice sheets. The intellectual merit of the work is that it will lead to a better understanding of the grain-scale processes that control the development of these stratigraphic features in the ice and will help answer questions such as what processes can initiate such disturbances. Snow is deposited on polar ice sheets in layers that are generally flat, with thicknesses that vary slowly along the layers. However, ice cores and ice-penetrating radar show that in some cases, after conversion to ice, and following lengthy burial, the layers can become folded, develop pinch-and-swell structures (boudinage), and be sheared by ice flow, at scales ranging from centimeters to hundreds of meters. The processes causing these disturbances are still poorly understood. Disturbances appear to develop first at the ice-crystal scale, then cascade up to larger scales with continuing ice flow and strain. Crystal-scale processes causing distortions of cm-scale layers will be modeled using Elle, a microstructure-modeling package, and constrained by fabric thin-sections and grain-elongation measurements from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet divide ice-core. A full-stress continuum anisotropic ice-flow model coupled to an ice-fabric evolution model will be used to study bulk flow of anisotropic ice, to understand evolution and growth of flow disturbances on the meter and larger scale. Results from this study will assist in future ice-core site selection, and interpretation of stratigraphy in ice cores and radar, and will provide improved descriptions of rheology and stratigraphy for ice-sheet flow models.The broader impacts are that it will bring greater understanding to ice dynamics responsible for stratigraphic disturbance. This information is valuable to constrain depth-age relationships in ice cores for paleoclimate study. This will allow researchers to put current climate change in a more accurate context. This project will provide three years of support for a graduate student as well as support and research experience for an undergraduate research assistant; this will contribute to development of talent needed to address important future questions in glaciology and climate change. The research will be communicated to the public through outreach events and results from the study will be disseminated through public and professional meetings as well as journal publications. The project does not require field work in Antarctica.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; USAP-DC", "locations": null, "north": -70.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Waddington, Edwin D.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "GitHub", "repositories": "GitHub", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Anisotropic Ice and Stratigraphic Disturbances", "uid": "p0000073", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1341669 DeMaster, David", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-70 -62,-68.8 -62,-67.6 -62,-66.4 -62,-65.2 -62,-64 -62,-62.8 -62,-61.6 -62,-60.4 -62,-59.2 -62,-58 -62,-58 -62.6,-58 -63.2,-58 -63.8,-58 -64.4,-58 -65,-58 -65.6,-58 -66.2,-58 -66.8,-58 -67.4,-58 -68,-59.2 -68,-60.4 -68,-61.6 -68,-62.8 -68,-64 -68,-65.2 -68,-66.4 -68,-67.6 -68,-68.8 -68,-70 -68,-70 -67.4,-70 -66.8,-70 -66.2,-70 -65.6,-70 -65,-70 -64.4,-70 -63.8,-70 -63.2,-70 -62.6,-70 -62))", "dataset_titles": "DeMaster Compiled Larsen Ice Shelf and the West Antarctic Peninsula C14 Data; Expedition Data of NBP1203; Labile Organic Carbon distributions on the West Antarctic Peninsula Shelf; Radioisotope data (C-14 and Pb-210) from bulk sediments, Larsen A Ice Shelf; Species Abundance Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf Ice acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1203", "datasets": [{"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": "601319", "doi": "10.15784/601319", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Bioturbation Coefficients; Diagenesis; Labile Organic Carbon; LOC Mean Residence Times; Marguerite Bay; Oceans; Organic Carbon Degradation Rates; Sediment Core", "people": "Taylor, Richard; DeMaster, David; Thomas, Carrie; Smith, Craig; Isla, Enrique", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Labile Organic Carbon distributions on the West Antarctic Peninsula Shelf", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601319"}, {"dataset_uid": "001438", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data of NBP1203", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1203"}, {"dataset_uid": "601082", "doi": "10.15784/601082", "keywords": null, "people": "DeMaster, David", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "DeMaster Compiled Larsen Ice Shelf and the West Antarctic Peninsula C14 Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601082"}, {"dataset_uid": "601304", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Box Corer; LARISSA; Larsen Ice Shelf; Macrofauna; Megafauna; NBP1203; Oceans; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Seafloor Sampling; Species Abundance", "people": "Smith, Craig", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Species Abundance Data from the Larsen Ice Shelf Ice acquired during R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1203", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601304"}], "date_created": "Sat, 03 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: The PI requests support to analyze sediments from multi-cores and mega-cores previously collected from beneath the former Larsen B and Larsen A ice shelves. These unique cores will allow the PI to develop a time-integrated understanding of the benthic response to ice shelf collapse off the East Antarctic Peninsula over time periods as short as 5 years following ice shelf collapse up to \u003e170 years after collapse. High latitudes are responding to climate change more rapidly than the rest of the planet and the disappearance of ice shelves are a key manifestation of climate warming. The PI will investigate the newly created benthic environments and associated ecosystems that have resulted from the re-initiation of fresh planktonic material to the sediment-water interface. This proposal will use a new geochemical technique, based on naturally occurring 14C that can be used to assess the distribution and inventory of recently produced organic carbon accumulating in the sediments beneath the former Larsen A and B ice shelves. The PI will couple 14C measurements with 210Pb analyses to assess turnover times for sedimentary labile organic matter. By comparing the distributions and inventories of labile organic matter as well as the bioturbation intensities among different locations as a function of time following ice shelf collapse/retreat, the nature and timing of the benthic response to ice shelf collapse can be assessed. Broader impacts: This study will provide important information characterizing changes occurring on the seafloor after the collapse of ice shelves. This research will support the research project of a graduate student. This project brings together researchers from both the European community and the LARISSA Project.", "east": -58.0, "geometry": "POINT(-64 -65)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Pb-210; C-14; NBP1203; Radioisotop; USAP-DC; R/V NBP; Species Abundance; Labile Organic Carbon; LABORATORY", "locations": null, "north": -62.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "DeMaster, David; Smith, Craig", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "LARISSA", "south": -68.0, "title": "Using Radiochemical Data from Collapsed Ice Shelf Sediments to Understand the Nature and Timing of the Benthic Response to High-Latitude Climate Change", "uid": "p0000382", "west": -70.0}, {"awards": "0732711 Smith, Craig; 0732625 Leventer, Amy; 0732655 Mosley-Thompson, Ellen; 0732602 Truffer, Martin; 0732651 Gordon, Arnold; 0732983 Vernet, Maria", "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": "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": "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": "Huber, Bruce; Gordon, Arnold", "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": "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": "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": "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": "Thompson, Lonnie G.; Mosley-Thompson, Ellen", "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"}, {"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": "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": "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": "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": "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": "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": "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": "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": "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": "Huber, Bruce; Gordon, Arnold", "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"}], "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": "1115245 McKnight, Diane", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160.5 -77.35,160.83 -77.35,161.16 -77.35,161.49 -77.35,161.82 -77.35,162.15 -77.35,162.48 -77.35,162.81 -77.35,163.14 -77.35,163.47 -77.35,163.8 -77.35,163.8 -77.4,163.8 -77.45,163.8 -77.5,163.8 -77.55,163.8 -77.6,163.8 -77.65,163.8 -77.7,163.8 -77.75,163.8 -77.8,163.8 -77.85,163.47 -77.85,163.14 -77.85,162.81 -77.85,162.48 -77.85,162.15 -77.85,161.82 -77.85,161.49 -77.85,161.16 -77.85,160.83 -77.85,160.5 -77.85,160.5 -77.8,160.5 -77.75,160.5 -77.7,160.5 -77.65,160.5 -77.6,160.5 -77.55,160.5 -77.5,160.5 -77.45,160.5 -77.4,160.5 -77.35))", "dataset_titles": "McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER data at EDI Data Portal", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000204", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "LTER", "science_program": null, "title": "McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER data at EDI Data Portal", "url": "https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/browseServlet?searchValue=MCM "}], "date_created": "Mon, 08 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) is a polar desert on the coast of East Antarctica, a region that has not yet experienced climate warming. The McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research (MCMLTER) project has documented the ecological responses of the glacier, soil, stream and lake ecosystems in the MDV during a cooling trend (from 1986 to 2000) which was associated with the depletion of atmospheric ozone. In the past decade, warming events with strong katabatic winds occurred during two summers and the resulting high streamflows and sediment deposition changed the dry valley landscape, possibly presaging conditions that will occur when the ozone hole recovers. In anticipation of future warming in Antarctica, the overarching hypothesis of the proposed project is: Climate warming in the McMurdo Dry Valley ecosystem will amplify connectivity among landscape units leading to enhanced coupling of nutrient cycles across landscapes, and increased biodiversity and productivity within the ecosystem. Warming in the MDV is hypothesized to act as a slowly developing, long-term press of warmer summers, upon which transient pulse events of high summer flows and strong katabatic winds will be overprinted. Four specific hypotheses address the ways in which pulses of water and wind will influence contemporary and future ecosystem structure, function and connectivity. Because windborne transport of biota is a key aspect of enhanced connectivity from katabatic winds, new monitoring will include high-resolution measurements of aeolian particle flux. Importantly, integrative genomics will be employed to understand the responses of specific organisms to the increased connectivity. The project will also include a novel social science component that will use environmental history to examine interactions between human activity, scientific research, and environmental change in the MDV over the past 100 years. To disseminate this research broadly, MCM scientists will participate in a wide array of outreach efforts ranging from presentations in K-12 classrooms to bringing undergraduates and teachers to the MDV to gain research experience. Planned outreach programs will build upon activities conducted during the International Polar Year (2007-2008), which include development of an interactive DVD for high school students and teachers and publication of a children\u0027s book in the LTER Schoolyard Book Series. A teacher\u0027s edition of the book with a CD containing lesson plans will be distributed. The project will develop programs for groups traditionally underrepresented in science arenas by publishing some outreach materials in Spanish.", "east": 163.8, "geometry": "POINT(162.15 -77.6)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -77.35, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "McKnight, Diane; Gooseff, Michael N.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "LTER", "repositories": "LTER", "science_programs": "LTER", "south": -77.85, "title": "Increased Connectivity in a Polar Desert Resulting from Climate Warming: McMurdo Dry Valley LTER Program", "uid": "p0000301", "west": 160.5}, {"awards": "1143981 Domack, Eugene", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-69.9517 -52.7581,-69.02971 -52.7581,-68.10772 -52.7581,-67.18573 -52.7581,-66.26374 -52.7581,-65.34175 -52.7581,-64.41976 -52.7581,-63.49777 -52.7581,-62.57578 -52.7581,-61.65379 -52.7581,-60.7318 -52.7581,-60.7318 -54.31551,-60.7318 -55.87292,-60.7318 -57.43033,-60.7318 -58.98774,-60.7318 -60.54515,-60.7318 -62.10256,-60.7318 -63.65997,-60.7318 -65.21738,-60.7318 -66.77479,-60.7318 -68.3322,-61.65379 -68.3322,-62.57578 -68.3322,-63.49777 -68.3322,-64.41976 -68.3322,-65.34175 -68.3322,-66.26374 -68.3322,-67.18573 -68.3322,-68.10772 -68.3322,-69.02971 -68.3322,-69.9517 -68.3322,-69.9517 -66.77479,-69.9517 -65.21738,-69.9517 -63.65997,-69.9517 -62.10256,-69.9517 -60.54515,-69.9517 -58.98774,-69.9517 -57.43033,-69.9517 -55.87292,-69.9517 -54.31551,-69.9517 -52.7581))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Processed Camera Images acquired during the Laurence M. Gould expedition LMG1311", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000402", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1702"}, {"dataset_uid": "601311", "doi": "10.15784/601311", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Benthic Images; Camera; LARISSA; LMG1311; Marine Geoscience; Photo; Photo/video; Photo/Video; R/v Laurence M. Gould", "people": "Domack, Eugene Walter", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LARISSA", "title": "Processed Camera Images acquired during the Laurence M. Gould expedition LMG1311", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601311"}, {"dataset_uid": "001366", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1702"}], "date_created": "Fri, 29 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project aims to identify which portions of the glacial cover in the Antarctic Peninsula are losing mass to the ocean. This is an important issue to resolve because the Antarctic Peninsula is warming at a faster rate than any other region across the earth. Even though glaciers across the Antarctic Peninsula are small, compared to the continental ice sheet, defining how rapidly they respond to both ocean and atmospheric temperature rise is critical. It is critical because it informs us about the exact mechanisms which regulate ice flow and melting into the ocean. For instance, after the break- up of the Larsen Ice Shelf in 2002 many glaciers began to flow rapidly into the sea. Measuring how much ice was involved is difficult and depends upon accurate estimates of volume and area. One way to increase the accuracy of our estimates is to measure how fast the Earth\u0027s crust is rebounding or bouncing back, after the ice has been removed. This rebound effect can be measured with very precise techniques using instruments locked into ice free bedrock surrounding the area of interest. These instruments are monitored by a set of positioning satellites (the Global Positioning System or GPS) in a continuous fashion. Of course the movement of the Earth\u0027s bedrock relates not only to the immediate response but also the longer term rate that reflects the long vanished ice masses that once covered the entire Antarctic Peninsula?at the time of the last glaciation. These rebound measurements can, therefore, also tell us about the amount of ice which covered the Antarctic Peninsula thousands of years ago. Glacial isostatic rebound is one of the complicating factors in allowing us to understand how much the larger ice sheets are losing today, something that can be estimated by satellite techniques but only within large errors when the isostatic (rebound) correction is unknown. The research proposed consists of maintaining a set of six rebound stations until the year 2016, allowing for a longer time series and thus more accurate estimates of immediate elastic and longer term rebound effects. It also involves the establishment of two additional GPS stations that will focus on constraining the \"bull\u0027s eye\" of rebound suggested by measurements over the past two years. In addition, several more geologic data points will be collected that will help to reconstruct the position of the ice sheet margin during its recession from the full ice sheet of the last glacial maximum. These will be based upon the coring of marine sediment sequences now recognized to have been deposited along the margins of retreating ice sheets and outlets. Precise dating of the ice margin along with the new and improved rebound data will help to constrain past ice sheet configurations and refine geophysical models related to the nature of post glacial rebound. Data management will be under the auspices of the UNAVCO polar geophysical network or POLENET and will be publically available at the time of station installation. This project is a small scale extension of the ongoing LARsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica Project (LARISSA), an IPY (International Polar Year)-funded interdisciplinary study aimed at understanding earth system connections related to the Larsen Ice Shelf and the northern Antarctic Peninsula.", "east": -60.7318, "geometry": "POINT(-65.34175 -60.54515)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e CAMERAS \u003e CAMERAS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e SEISMIC REFLECTION PROFILERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FLUOROMETERS; 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", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "LMG1702; R/V LMG", "locations": null, "north": -52.7581, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kohut, Josh; Domack, Eugene Walter", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -68.3322, "title": "Continuation of the LARISSA Continuous GPS Network in View of Observed Dynamic Response to Antarctic Peninsula Ice Mass Balance and Required Geologic Constraints", "uid": "p0000233", "west": -69.9517}, {"awards": "1543245 Rynearson, Tatiana", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP1701; NCBI Popset of 43 Southern Ocean diatom isolates, including accessions ON678208.1 - ON678250.1; Specific growth rate measurements for 43 Southern Ocean diatoms", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002661", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP1701", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1701"}, {"dataset_uid": "001369", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1701"}, {"dataset_uid": "200328", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI", "science_program": null, "title": "NCBI Popset of 43 Southern Ocean diatom isolates, including accessions ON678208.1 - ON678250.1", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/popset/?term=2248543458"}, {"dataset_uid": "601586", "doi": "10.15784/601586", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; NBP1701; Phytoplankton; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Specific Growth Rate; Thermal Optimum Temperature", "people": "Bishop, Ian", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Specific growth rate measurements for 43 Southern Ocean diatoms", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601586"}], "date_created": "Fri, 29 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The research will examine how diatoms (an important group of plankton in the Southern Ocean) adapt to environmental change. Diatoms will be sampled from different regions of the Southern Ocean, including the Drake Passage, the Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean and the Ross Sea and examined to determine the range of genetic variation among diatoms in these regions. Experiments on a range of diatoms will be conducted in home laboratories and will be aimed at measuring shifts in physiological capacities over many generations in response to directional changes in the environment (temperature and pH). The information on the genetic diversity of field populations combined with information on potential rates of adaptability and genome changes will provide insight into ways in which polar marine diatoms populations may respond to environmental changes that may occur in surface oceans in the future or may have occurred during past climate conditions. Such information allows better modeling of biogeochemical cycles in the ocean as well as improves our abilities to interpret records of past ocean conditions. The project will support a doctoral student and a postdoctoral researcher as well as several undergraduate students. These scientists will learn the fundamentals of experimental evolution, a skill set that is being sought in the fields of biology and oceanography. The project also includes a collaboration with the Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting that will design and facilitate a session focused on current research related to evolution and climate change to be held at the annual conference of the National Association of Science Writers (NASW). Both physiological and genetic variation are key parameters for understanding evolutionary processes in phytoplankton but they are essentially unknown for Southern Ocean diatoms. The extent to which these two factors determine plasticity and adaptability in field populations and the interaction between them will influence how and whether cold-adapted diatoms can respond to changing environments. This project includes a combination of field work to identify genetic diversity within diatoms using molecular approaches and experiments in the lab to assess the range of physiological variation in contemporary populations of diatoms and evolution experiments in the lab to assess how the combination of genetic diversity and physiological variation influence the evolutionary potential of diatoms under a changing environment. This research will uncover general relationships between physiological variation, genetic diversity, and evolutionary potential that may apply across microbial taxa and geographical regions, substantially improving efforts to predict shifts in marine ecosystems. Results from this study can be integrated into developing models that incorporate evolution to predict ecosystem changes under future climate change scenarios.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "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 ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MBES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e THERMOSALINOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; NBP1701; R/V NBP; AMD; USA/NSF; Amd/Us; DIATOMS", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Rynearson, Tatiana; Bishop, Ian", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "NCBI; R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "NSFGEO-NERC: Evolutionary Response of Southern Ocean Diatoms to Environmental Change", "uid": "p0000850", "west": null}, {"awards": "1543256 Shuster, David", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Detrital low-temperature thermochronometry from Bourgeois Fjord, AP; Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG1702", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002733", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG1702", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1702"}, {"dataset_uid": "000402", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1702"}, {"dataset_uid": "601259", "doi": "10.15784/601259", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula", "people": "Clinger, Anna", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Detrital low-temperature thermochronometry from Bourgeois Fjord, AP", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601259"}], "date_created": "Fri, 29 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The extreme mountain topographies of alpine landscapes at mid latitudes (e.g., European Alps, Patagonia, Alaska) are thought to have formed by the erosive action of glaciers, yet our understanding of exactly when and how those topographies developed is limited. If glacial ice was responsible for forming them, then those landscapes must have developed primarily over the last 2-3 million years when ice was present at those latitudes; this timing has only recently been confirmed by observations. In contrast, the Antarctic Peninsula, which contains similarly spectacular topographic relief, is known to have hosted alpine glaciers as early as 37 million years ago, and is currently covered by ice. Thus, if caused by glacial erosion, the high relief of the peninsula should have formed much earlier than what has been observed at mid latitude sites, yet we know nearly nothing about the timing of its development. The primary benefit of this research will be to study the timing of topography development along the Antarctic Peninsula by applying state of the art chemical analyses to sediments collected offshore. This research is important because studying a high latitude site will enable comparison with sites at mid latitudes and test current hypotheses on the development of glacial landscapes in general. This project aims to apply low-temperature thermochronometry based on the (U-Th)/He system in apatite to investigate the exhumation history, the development of the present topography, and the pattern of glacial erosion in the central Antarctic Peninsula. A number of recent studies have used this approach to study the dramatic, high-relief landscapes formed by Pleistocene alpine glacial erosion in temperate latitudes: New Zealand, the Alps, British Columbia, Alaska, and Patagonia. These studies have not only revealed when these landscapes formed, but have also provided new insights into the physical mechanisms of glacial erosion. The Antarctic Peninsula is broadly akin to temperate alpine landscapes in that the dominant landforms are massive glacial troughs. However, what we know about Antarctic glacial history suggests that the timing and history of glacial erosion was most likely very different from the temperate alpine setting: The Antarctic Peninsula has been glaciated since the Eocene, and Pleistocene climate cooling is hypothesized to have suppressed, rather than enhanced, glacial erosion. Our goal is to evaluate these hypotheses by developing a direct thermochronometric record of when and how the present glacial valley relief formed. We propose to learn about the timing and process of glacial valley formation through apatite (U-Th)/He and 4He/3He measurements on glacial sediment collected near the grounding lines of major glaciers draining the Peninsula. In effect, since we cannot sample bedrock directly that is currently covered by ice, we will rely on these glaciers to do it for us.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "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 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", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V LMG; LMG1702; Antarctic Peninsula; ICE SHEETS", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kohut, Josh; Shuster, David; Balco, Gregory; Jenkins, Bethany", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Antarctic Peninsula Exhumation and Landscape Development Investigated by Low-Temperature Detrital Thermochronometry", "uid": "p0000876", "west": null}, {"awards": "1141939 Lubin, Dan", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-167.0365 -77.5203,-166.96385 -77.5203,-166.8912 -77.5203,-166.81855 -77.5203,-166.7459 -77.5203,-166.67325 -77.5203,-166.6006 -77.5203,-166.52795 -77.5203,-166.4553 -77.5203,-166.38265 -77.5203,-166.31 -77.5203,-166.31 -77.52527,-166.31 -77.53024,-166.31 -77.53521,-166.31 -77.54018,-166.31 -77.54515,-166.31 -77.55012,-166.31 -77.55509,-166.31 -77.56006,-166.31 -77.56503,-166.31 -77.57,-166.38265 -77.57,-166.4553 -77.57,-166.52795 -77.57,-166.6006 -77.57,-166.67325 -77.57,-166.7459 -77.57,-166.81855 -77.57,-166.8912 -77.57,-166.96385 -77.57,-167.0365 -77.57,-167.0365 -77.56503,-167.0365 -77.56006,-167.0365 -77.55509,-167.0365 -77.55012,-167.0365 -77.54515,-167.0365 -77.54018,-167.0365 -77.53521,-167.0365 -77.53024,-167.0365 -77.52527,-167.0365 -77.5203))", "dataset_titles": "Shortwave Spectroradiometer Data from Ross Island, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601074", "doi": "10.15784/601074", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Meteorology; Radiosounding; Ross Island", "people": "Lubin, Dan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Shortwave Spectroradiometer Data from Ross Island, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601074"}], "date_created": "Wed, 20 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Antarctic clouds constitute an important parameter of the surface radiation budget and thus play a significant role in Antarctic climate and climate change. The variability in, and long term trends of, cloud optical and microphysical properties are therefore fundamental in parameterizing the mixed phase (water-snow-ice) coastal Antarctic stratiform clouds experienced around the continent. Using a spectoradiometer that covers the wavelength range of 350 to 2200nm, the downwelled spectral irradiance at the earth surface (Ross Island) will be used to retrieve the optical depth, thermodynamic phase, liquid water droplet effective radius, and ice-cloud effective particle size of overhead clouds, at hourly intervals and for an austral summer season (Oct-March). Based on the very limited data sets that exist for the maritime Antarctic, expectations are that Ross Island (Lat 78 S) should exhibit clouds with: a) An abundance of supercooled liquid water, and related mixed-phase cloud processes b) Cloud nucleation from year round biogenic and oceanic sources, in an otherwise pristine environment c) Simple cloud geometries of predominantly stratiform cloud decks Increased understanding of the cloud properties in the region of the main USAP base, McMurdo station is also relevant to operational weather forecasting relevant to aviation. A range of educational and outreach activities are associate with the project, including provision of workshops for high school teachers will be carried out.", "east": -166.31, "geometry": "POINT(-166.67325 -77.54515)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided; USAP-DC", "locations": null, "north": -77.5203, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lubin, Dan", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.57, "title": "Antarctic Cloud Physics: Fundamental Observations from Ross Island", "uid": "p0000327", "west": -167.0365}, {"awards": "1543452 Blankenship, Donald", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((90 -64,97 -64,104 -64,111 -64,118 -64,125 -64,132 -64,139 -64,146 -64,153 -64,160 -64,160 -64.6,160 -65.2,160 -65.8,160 -66.4,160 -67,160 -67.6,160 -68.2,160 -68.8,160 -69.4,160 -70,153 -70,146 -70,139 -70,132 -70,125 -70,118 -70,111 -70,104 -70,97 -70,90 -70,90 -69.4,90 -68.8,90 -68.2,90 -67.6,90 -67,90 -66.4,90 -65.8,90 -65.2,90 -64.6,90 -64))", "dataset_titles": "EAGLE/ICECAP II GEOPHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS (SURFACE AND BED ELEVATION, ICE THICKNESS, GRAVITY DISTURBANCE AND MAGNETIC ANOMALIES); EAGLE/ICECAP II INSTRUMENT MEASUREMENTS (LASER, MAGNETICS and POSITIONING); EAGLE/ICECAP II RADARGRAMS; EAGLE/ICECAP II Raw data (gps, raw serial packet data, raw radar records, gravimeter data and camera images); ICECAP Basal Interface Specularity Content Profiles: IPY and OIB", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200043", "doi": "http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.26179/5bcff4afc287d", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AADC", "science_program": null, "title": "EAGLE/ICECAP II RADARGRAMS", "url": "https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/AAS_4346_EAGLE_ICECAP_LEVEL2_RADAR_DATA"}, {"dataset_uid": "601371", "doi": "10.15784/601371", "keywords": "Antarctica; East Antarctica; ICECAP; Ice Penetrating Radar; Radar Echo Sounder; Radar Echo Sounding; Subglacial Hydrology", "people": "Schroeder, Dustin; Young, Duncan A.; Roberts, Jason; Blankenship, Donald D.; Siegert, Martin; van Ommen, Tas; Greenbaum, Jamin", "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": "200044", "doi": "https://dx.doi.org/10.26179/5bbedd001756b", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AADC", "science_program": null, "title": "EAGLE/ICECAP II Raw data (gps, raw serial packet data, raw radar records, gravimeter data and camera images)", "url": "https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/AAS_4346_EAGLE_ICECAP_LEVEL0_RAW_DATA"}, {"dataset_uid": "200041", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.26179/5bcfffdabcf92", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AADC", "science_program": null, "title": "EAGLE/ICECAP II GEOPHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS (SURFACE AND BED ELEVATION, ICE THICKNESS, GRAVITY DISTURBANCE AND MAGNETIC ANOMALIES)", "url": "https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/AAS_4346_EAGLE_ICECAP_LEVEL2_AEROGEOPHYSICS"}, {"dataset_uid": "200042", "doi": "http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.26179/5bcfef4e3a297", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "AADC", "science_program": null, "title": "EAGLE/ICECAP II INSTRUMENT MEASUREMENTS (LASER, MAGNETICS and POSITIONING)", "url": "https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/AAS_4346_EAGLE_ICECAP_Level1B_AEROGEOPHYSICS"}], "date_created": "Tue, 05 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Previous studies of the Indo-Pacific region of Antarctica show that the margin of the ice sheet in this region has advanced and retreated into deep interior basins many times in the past. The apparent instability of this region makes it an important target for study in terms of understanding the future of the East Antarctic ice sheet and sea level rise. This project will study a number of processes that control the ice-shelf stability of this region, with the aim of improving projections of the rate and magnitude of future sea-level rise. This project will engage a range of students and train this next generation of scientists in the complex, interdisciplinary issue of ice-ocean interaction. The project will integrate geophysical data collected from aircraft over three critical sections of the East Antarctic grounding line (Totten Glacier, Denman Glacier, and Cook Ice Shelf) with an advanced ocean model. Using Australian and French assets, the team will collect new data around Denman Glacier and Cook Ice Shelf whereas analysis of Totten Glacier will be based on existing data. The project will assess three hypotheses to isolate the processes that drive the differences in observed grounding line thinning among these three glaciers: 1. bathymetry and large-scale ocean forcing control cavity circulation; 2. ice-shelf draft and basal morphology control cavity circulation; 3. subglacial freshwater input across the grounding line controls cavity circulation. The key outcomes of this new project will be to: 1. evaluate of ice-ocean coupling in areas of significant potential sea-level contribution; 2. relate volume changes of grounded and floating ice to regional oceanic heat transport and sub-ice shelf ocean dynamics in areas of significant potential sea-level and meridional overturning circulation impacts; and 3. improve boundary conditions to evaluate mass, heat, and freshwater budgets of East Antarctica\u0027s continental margins.", "east": 160.0, "geometry": "POINT(125 -67)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e MAGNETIC FIELD/ELECTRIC FIELD INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETOMETERS \u003e GEOMET 823A; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR ECHO SOUNDERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "BT-67; Antarctica; GLACIER TOPOGRAPHY/ICE SHEET TOPOGRAPHY; USAP-DC; SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY; GRAVITY ANOMALIES; MAGNETIC ANOMALIES; Polar; Sea Floor", "locations": "Antarctica; Sea Floor; Polar", "north": -64.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Young, Duncan A.; Grima, Cyril; Blankenship, Donald D.", "platforms": "AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PROPELLER \u003e BT-67", "repo": "AADC", "repositories": "AADC; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -70.0, "title": "East Antarctic Grounding Line Experiment (EAGLE)", "uid": "p0000254", "west": 90.0}, {"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": "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": "1341364 Todd, Claire; 1460449 Goehring, Brent; 1341420 Balco, Gregory", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((164.08 -74.6,164.0842 -74.6,164.0884 -74.6,164.0926 -74.6,164.0968 -74.6,164.101 -74.6,164.1052 -74.6,164.1094 -74.6,164.1136 -74.6,164.1178 -74.6,164.122 -74.6,164.122 -74.6023,164.122 -74.6046,164.122 -74.6069,164.122 -74.6092,164.122 -74.6115,164.122 -74.6138,164.122 -74.6161,164.122 -74.6184,164.122 -74.6207,164.122 -74.623,164.1178 -74.623,164.1136 -74.623,164.1094 -74.623,164.1052 -74.623,164.101 -74.623,164.0968 -74.623,164.0926 -74.623,164.0884 -74.623,164.0842 -74.623,164.08 -74.623,164.08 -74.6207,164.08 -74.6184,164.08 -74.6161,164.08 -74.6138,164.08 -74.6115,164.08 -74.6092,164.08 -74.6069,164.08 -74.6046,164.08 -74.6023,164.08 -74.6))", "dataset_titles": "Interface to observational data associated with exposure-age measurements and resulting calculated ages. Dynamic content, updated.", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200196", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "ICE-D", "science_program": null, "title": "Interface to observational data associated with exposure-age measurements and resulting calculated ages. Dynamic content, updated.", "url": "https://version2.ice-d.org/antarctica/nsf/"}], "date_created": "Wed, 18 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The investigators will map glacial deposits and date variations in glacier variability at several ice-free regions in northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. These data will constrain the nature and timing of past ice thickness changes for major glaciers that drain into the northwestern Ross Sea. This is important because during the Last Glacial Maximum (15,000 - 18,000 years ago) these glaciers were most likely flowing together with grounded ice from both the East and West Antarctic Ice Sheets that expanded across the Ross Sea continental shelf to near the present shelf edge. Thus, the thickness of these glaciers was most likely controlled in part by the extent and thickness of the Ross Sea ice sheet and ice shelf. The data the PIs propose to collect can provide constraints on the position of the grounding line in the western Ross Sea during the Last Glacial Maximum, the time that position was reached, and ice thickness changes that occurred after that time. The primary intellectual merit of this project will be to improve understanding of a period of Antarctic ice sheet history that is relatively unconstrained at present and also potentially important in understanding past ice sheet-sea level interactions. This proposal will support an early career researcher\u0027s ongoing program of undergraduate education and research that is building a socio-economically diverse student body with students from backgrounds underrepresented in the geosciences. This proposal will also bring an early career researcher into Antarctic research.", "east": 164.122, "geometry": "POINT(164.101 -74.6115)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AMD; Cosmogenic Dating; Exposure Age; LABORATORY; NOT APPLICABLE; Amd/Us; Ross Sea", "locations": "Ross Sea", "north": -74.6, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e PLEISTOCENE", "persons": "Goehring, Brent; Balco, Gregory; Todd, Claire", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "ICE-D", "repositories": "ICE-D", "science_programs": null, "south": -74.623, "title": "Collaborative Research: Terrestrial Exposure-Age Constraints on the last Glacial Maximum Extent of the Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Western Ross Sea", "uid": "p0000306", "west": 164.08}, {"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": "Hallet, Bernard; Sletten, Ronald S.; 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": "1246317 Mittal, Rajat; 1246296 Yen, Jeannette", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Hydrodynamics of Spongiobranchaea australis; Tomographic PIV measurements of swimming shelled Antarctic pteropod", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601058", "doi": "10.15784/601058", "keywords": "Biota; Fish; Southern Ocean", "people": "Mittal, Rajat", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Hydrodynamics of Spongiobranchaea australis", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601058"}, {"dataset_uid": "601108", "doi": "10.15784/601108", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Glaciology", "people": "Yen, Jeannette; Adhikari, Deepak; Webster, Donald R", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Tomographic PIV measurements of swimming shelled Antarctic pteropod", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601108"}], "date_created": "Fri, 29 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ocean acidification (OA) poses a serious threat, particularly to organisms that precipitate calcium carbonate from seawater. One organism with an aragonite shell that is a key to high latitude ecosystems is the pteropod. With OA, the pteropod shell will thin because the aragonite is highly soluble. As the shell thins, it changes the mass distribution and buoyancy of the animal, which will affect locomotion and through it, all locomotion dependent behavior such as foraging, mating, predator avoidance and migratory patterns. A lower shell weight will be counterbalanced by a smaller mucus web potentially decreasing ingestion rates and carbon flux rates. This interdisciplinary research relies on biological studies of swimming behavior of the pteropod mollusk Limacina helicina in their natural environments with fluid mechanics analyses of swimming hydrodynamics via 3D tomographic particle-image velocimetry and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This work will: (a) determine how the L. helicina uses its \u0027wings\u0027 (parapodia) to propel itself; (b) examine whether its locomotory kinematics provide efficient propulsion; (c) identify the factors that influence swimming trajectory and \u0027wobble\u0027; and (d) synthesize all data and insights into guidelines for the potential use of pteropod swimming behavior as a bioassay for OA. The loss of these sentinels of anthropogenic increases in CO2 may result in an ecological shift since thecosome pteropods are responsible for ingesting nearly half the primary production in the Southern Ocean and also serve as a primary food resource to upper trophic levels like fish. Since locomotory data can be gathered immediately, the bioassay being developed in this proposal may serve as an early warning of the impending onset of OA effects on this important member of the plankton. Students and researchers will collaborate in a rich interdisciplinary research environment by working with a biological oceanographer, a fluid mechanics expert and a CFD expert coupled with the teamsmanship needed for work in the Antarctic. By setting up a one-of-a-kind 3D tomography system for visualizing flow around planktonic organisms in Norway and at Palmer Station, we increase international exchange of state-of-the-art techniques. The educational impact of the current research will be multiplied by including in the research team, undergraduate students, high-school students and underrepresented minorities in addition to graduate students.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; NOT APPLICABLE; Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Yen, Jeannette; Mittal, Rajat; Webster, Donald R", "platforms": "Not provided; OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Pteropod Swimming Behavior as a Bio Assay for Ocean Acidification", "uid": "p0000139", "west": null}, {"awards": "1542778 Alley, Richard", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "c-Axis Fabric of the South Pole Ice Core, SPC14; South Pole Ice Core (SPC14) Bubble Number-Density Data; South Pole Ice Core (SPIcecore) Visual Observations", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601088", "doi": "10.15784/601088", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; Visual Observations", "people": "Fegyveresi, John; Alley, Richard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole Ice Core (SPIcecore) Visual Observations", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601088"}, {"dataset_uid": "601057", "doi": "10.15784/601057", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; South Pole; SPICEcore", "people": "Voigt, Donald E.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "c-Axis Fabric of the South Pole Ice Core, SPC14", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601057"}, {"dataset_uid": "601880", "doi": "10.15784/601880", "keywords": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Bubble Number Density; Cryosphere; Glaciers; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; NSF-ICF Microtome and Photography Stage; Paleoclimate; Physical Properties; Snow; South Pole", "people": "Fegyveresi, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "SPICEcore", "title": "South Pole Ice Core (SPC14) Bubble Number-Density Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601880"}], "date_created": "Fri, 29 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Alley/1542778 This award supports a three-year effort to study physical properties of the South Pole ice core to help provide a high-time-resolution history of trace gases and other paleoclimatic indicators from an especially cold site with high preservation potential for important signals. The physical-properties studies include visual inspection to identify any flow disturbances and for identifying annual layers and other features, and combined bubble, grain and ice crystal orientation studies to better understand the processes occurring in the ice that affect the climate record and the ice-sheet behavior. Success of these efforts will provide necessary support for dating and quality control to others studying the ice core, as well as determining the climate history of the site, flow state, and key physical processes in ice. The intellectual merits of the project include better understanding of physical processes, paleoclimatic reconstruction, dating of the ice, and quality assurance. Visual inspection of the core will help identify evidence of flow disturbances that would disrupt the integrity of the climate record and will reveal volcanic horizons and other features of interest. Annual layer counting will be conducted to help estimate accumulation rate over time as recorded in the ice core. Measurements of C-axis fabric, grain size and shapes, and bubble characteristics will provide information about processes occurring in the ice sheet as well as the history of ice flow, current flow state and how the ice is flowing and how easily it will flow in the future. Analysis of this data in conjunction with microCT data will help to reveal grain-scale processes. The broader impacts of the project include support for an early-career, post-doctoral researcher, and improved paleoclimatic data of societal relevance. The results will be incorporated into the active program of education and outreach which have educated many students, members of the public and policy makers through the sharing of information and educational materials about all aspects of ice core science and paleoclimate.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Alley, Richard; Fegyveresi, John; Voigt, Donald E.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "SPICEcore", "south": null, "title": "Climate History and Flow Processes from Physical Analyses of the SPICECORE South Pole Ice Core", "uid": "p0000141", "west": null}, {"awards": "1142122 Miller, Nathan", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((166.163 -76.665,166.2635 -76.665,166.364 -76.665,166.4645 -76.665,166.565 -76.665,166.6655 -76.665,166.766 -76.665,166.8665 -76.665,166.967 -76.665,167.0675 -76.665,167.168 -76.665,167.168 -76.782,167.168 -76.899,167.168 -77.016,167.168 -77.133,167.168 -77.25,167.168 -77.367,167.168 -77.484,167.168 -77.601,167.168 -77.718,167.168 -77.835,167.0675 -77.835,166.967 -77.835,166.8665 -77.835,166.766 -77.835,166.6655 -77.835,166.565 -77.835,166.4645 -77.835,166.364 -77.835,166.2635 -77.835,166.163 -77.835,166.163 -77.718,166.163 -77.601,166.163 -77.484,166.163 -77.367,166.163 -77.25,166.163 -77.133,166.163 -77.016,166.163 -76.899,166.163 -76.782,166.163 -76.665))", "dataset_titles": "Antarctic emerald rockcod have the capacity to compensate for warming when uncoupled from CO2-acidification; Physiological and biochemical measurements on Antarctic dragonfish (Gymnodraco acuticeps) from McMurdo Sound; Physiological and biochemical measurements on juvenile Antarctic rockcod (Trematomus bernacchii) from McMurdo Sound; Thermal windows and metabolic performance curves in a developing Antarctic fish", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601025", "doi": "10.15784/601025", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Fish; McMurdo Sound; Oceans; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean", "people": "Miller, Nathan; Todgham, Anne; Davis, Brittany; Flynn, Erin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Physiological and biochemical measurements on juvenile Antarctic rockcod (Trematomus bernacchii) from McMurdo Sound", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601025"}, {"dataset_uid": "601040", "doi": "10.15784/601040", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Fish; McMurdo Sound; Oceans; Ross Sea; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean", "people": "Miller, Nathan; Todgham, Anne", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Thermal windows and metabolic performance curves in a developing Antarctic fish", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601040"}, {"dataset_uid": "601039", "doi": "10.15784/601039", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; CTD Data; Fish; McMurdo Sound; Ocean Acidification; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean", "people": "Miller, Nathan; Todgham, Anne", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic emerald rockcod have the capacity to compensate for warming when uncoupled from CO2-acidification", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601039"}, {"dataset_uid": "601026", "doi": "10.15784/601026", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; CTD Data; Fish; McMurdo Sound; Ocean Acidification; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean", "people": "Davis, Brittany; Flynn, Erin; Miller, Nathan; Todgham, Anne", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Physiological and biochemical measurements on Antarctic dragonfish (Gymnodraco acuticeps) from McMurdo Sound", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601026"}], "date_created": "Tue, 15 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ocean acidification and increased temperatures are projected to be the primary impacts of global climate change on polar marine ecosystems over the next century. While recent research has focused on the effects of these drivers on calcifying organisms, less is known about how these changes may affect vertebrates. This research will focus on two Antarctic fishes, Trematomus bernacchii and Pagothenia borchgrevinki. Fish eggs and larvae will be collected in McMurdo Sound and reared under different temperature and pH regimes. Modern techniques will be used to examine subsequent changes in physiology, growth, development and gene expression over both short and long timescales. The results will fill a missing gap in our knowledge about the response of non-calcifying organisms to projected changes in pH and temperature. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings; raw data will also be made available through open-access, web-based databases. This project will support the research and training of three graduate and three undergraduate students. As well, this project will foster the development of two modules on climate change and ocean acidification for an Introduction to Biology course.", "east": 167.168, "geometry": "POINT(166.6655 -77.25)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -76.665, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Miller, Nathan; Todgham, Anne", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.835, "title": "RUI: Synergistic effects of Ocean Acidification and Warming on Larval Development in Antarctic Fishes", "uid": "p0000411", "west": 166.163}, {"awards": "1245879 Nitsche, Frank O.", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "NBP1503 data collected during field expedition", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200001", "doi": "10.7284/901478", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1503 data collected during field expedition", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1503"}], "date_created": "Sun, 30 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: This project will determine the potential vulnerability of key ice streams to incursions of warmer ocean water onto the continental shelf and if this mechanism could already explain any of the observed thinning of the ice sheet. It will provide important constrains on ice dynamic of the investigated section of the EAIS, and thus will be critical for future ice sheet models and provide mechanisms for EAIS contributions to past sea level high-stand. The PI proposes to investigate four key ice stream systems on the continental shelf between ~90\u00b0E and 160\u00b0E. They will use multibeam bathymetry to identify if and where cross-shelf troughs exist to help determine whether these troughs could provide potential pathways for warmer ocean water. Furthermore, detailed analysis of morphological features of these troughs could provide information on past ice dynamic, maximum extent, and flow direction of related paleo ice streams. The PIs will also conduct water column measurements along these troughs and on the continental slope to determine whether warmer ocean water could enter the shelf in the near future, or if such water has already entered any troughs, and thus might be causing the observed thinning of some ice streams. Broader impacts: This project includes the participation and support of undergraduate and graduate students in field work and data analysis. The possible involvement of a PolarTREC teacher and the Earth2Class teachers program will reach out to K-12 students.", "east": 134.6, "geometry": "POINT(125.05 -64.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "WATER TEMPERATURE; Polar; SALINITY; Antarctica; Southern Ocean; R/V NBP; BATHYMETRY", "locations": "Polar; Antarctica; Southern Ocean", "north": -63.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Nitsche, Frank O.", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -66.0, "title": "Vulnerability of East Antarctic Ice Streams to warm Ocean Water Incursions", "uid": "p0000394", "west": 115.5}, {"awards": "1341360 Steig, Eric", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(106 -77.5)", "dataset_titles": "Seasonal 17O Isotope Data from Lake Vostok and WAIS Divide Snow Pits", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601031", "doi": "10.15784/601031", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Lake Vostok; Snow Pit; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Steig, Eric J.; Schoenemann, Spruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Seasonal 17O Isotope Data from Lake Vostok and WAIS Divide Snow Pits", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601031"}], "date_created": "Tue, 06 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Steig/1341360 This award supports a two-year project to develop a method for rapid and precise measurements of the difference in 18O/16O and 17O/16O isotope ratios in water, referred to as the 17O-excess. Measurement of 17O-excess is a recent innovation in geochemistry, complementing traditional measurements of the ratios of hydrogen (D/H) and oxygen (18O/16O). Conventional measurements of 17O/16O are limited in number because of the time-consuming and laborious nature of the analyses, which involves the conversion of water to oxygen via fluorination, followed by high-precision mass spectrometry. This project will use a novel cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) system developed by a joint effort of the University of Washington and Picarro, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA), along with the Centre for Ice and Climate (Neils Bohr Institute, Copenhagen). The primary intellectual merit of the research is the improvement of the CRDS method for measurements of 17Oexcess of discrete samples of water, to obtain precision and accuracy competitive with conventional methods using mass spectrometry. This will be achieved by quantification of the effects of water vapor concentration variability and instrument memory, precise calibration of the instrument against standard waters, and improvements to the spectroscopic analyses. The CRDS system will also be coupled to continuous-flow systems for ice core analysis, in collaboration with the University of Colorado, Boulder. The goal is to have an operational system available for ice core processing associated with the next major U.S.-led ice core project at South Pole, in 2015-2017. The broader impacts of the research include the ability to measure 17O-excess in ambient atmospheric water vapor, which can be used to improve understanding of convection, moisture transport, and condensation. The instrument development work proposed here is relevant to research supported by several NSF-GEO programs, including Hydrology, Climate and Large Scale Dynamics, Paleoclimate, Atmosphere Chemistry, and both the Arctic and Antarctic Programs. This proposal will support a postdoctoral researcher.", "east": 106.0, "geometry": "POINT(106 -77.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -77.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Steig, Eric J.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -77.5, "title": "Development of a Laser Spectroscopy System for Analysis of 17Oexcess on Ice Cores", "uid": "p0000316", "west": 106.0}, {"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": "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": "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"}, {"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": "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"}], "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": "1246463 Burns, Jennifer", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(149 -80)", "dataset_titles": "1970s - 1980s Kooyman-Billups TDR Dive Records from Weddell Seals in McMurdo Sound; Cortisol levels in Weddell seal fur; Seasonal Dive Data ; Specimen logs and observations from Weddell Seal colonies in Erebus Bay, 2013-2017; Weddell Seal Heat Flux Dataset; Weddell seal iron dynamics and oxygen stores across lactation; Weddell seal metabolic hormone data; Weddell Seal Molt Phenology Dataset; Weddell Seal Molt Survey Data; Weddell seal summer diving behavior", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601560", "doi": "10.15784/601560", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Diving Behavior; McMurdo Sound; Weddell Seal", "people": "Tsai, EmmaLi", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "1970s - 1980s Kooyman-Billups TDR Dive Records from Weddell Seals in McMurdo Sound", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601560"}, {"dataset_uid": "601587", "doi": "10.15784/601587", "keywords": "Aerobic; Antarctica; Dive Capacity; Iron; McMurdo Sound; Weddell Seal", "people": "Shero, Michelle", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Weddell seal iron dynamics and oxygen stores across lactation", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601587"}, {"dataset_uid": "601840", "doi": "10.15784/601840", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cryosphere; Hormones; McMurdo Sound; Ross Sea; Weddell Seal", "people": "Kirkham, Amy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Weddell seal metabolic hormone data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601840"}, {"dataset_uid": "601338", "doi": "10.15784/601338", "keywords": "Animal Behavior Observation; Antarctica; Biota; McMurdo Sound; Ross Sea; Seal Dive Data; Weddell Seal", "people": "Burns, Jennifer", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Seasonal Dive Data ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601338"}, {"dataset_uid": "601027", "doi": "10.15784/601027", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; McMurdo Sound; Oceans; Ross Sea; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Seals", "people": "Burns, Jennifer", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Specimen logs and observations from Weddell Seal colonies in Erebus Bay, 2013-2017", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601027"}, {"dataset_uid": "601271", "doi": "10.15784/601271", "keywords": "Antarctica; Heat Flux; Infrared Thermography; Physiological Conditions; Surface Temperatures; Thermoregulation; Weddell Seal", "people": "Walcott, Skyla", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Weddell Seal Heat Flux Dataset", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601271"}, {"dataset_uid": "601131", "doi": "10.15784/601131", "keywords": "Antarctica; B-292-M; Biota; Ross Sea; Seals; Southern Ocean; Weddell Seal", "people": "Burns, Jennifer", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Weddell Seal Molt Phenology Dataset", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601131"}, {"dataset_uid": "601137", "doi": "10.15784/601137", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Ross Sea; Seals; Southern Ocean; Weddell Seal", "people": "Beltran, Roxanne; Burns, Jennifer", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Weddell seal summer diving behavior", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601137"}, {"dataset_uid": "601134", "doi": "10.15784/601134", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Cortisol; Fur; Ross Sea; Seals; Southern Ocean; Visual Observations; Weddell Seal", "people": "Burns, Jennifer", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Cortisol levels in Weddell seal fur", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601134"}, {"dataset_uid": "601133", "doi": "10.15784/601133", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Ross Sea; Seals; Visual Observations; Weddell Seal", "people": "Burns, Jennifer", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Weddell Seal Molt Survey Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601133"}], "date_created": "Wed, 24 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Marine mammals that inhabit high latitude environments have evolved unique mechanisms to execute a suite of energetically-costly life history events (CLHEs) within a relatively short timeframe when conditions are most favorable. Understanding the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate CLHEs is particularly important in species such as Weddell seals, as both reproduction and molt are associated with large reductions in foraging effort, and the timing and outcome of each appears linked with the other. The long-term mark recapture program on Erebus Bay\u0027s Weddell seals provides a unique opportunity to examine CLHEs in a known-history population. The proposed work will monitor physiological condition, pregnancy status, and behavior at various times throughout the year to determine if molt timing is influenced by prior reproductive outcome, and if it, in turn, influences future reproductive success. These data will then be used to address the demographic consequences of trade-offs between CLHEs in Weddell seals. The impact of environmental conditions and CLHE timing on population health will also be modeled so that results can be extended to other climates and species. An improved understanding of the interactions between CLHEs and the environment is important in predicting the response of organisms from higher trophic levels to climate change. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings. In addition, raw data will be made available through open-access databases. This project will support the research and training of graduate students and a post-doctoral researcher and will further foster an extensive public outreach collaboration.", "east": 165.0, "geometry": "POINT(165 -77)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD INVESTIGATION; USAP-DC; Seal Dive Data; Weddell Seal", "locations": null, "north": -77.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Burns, Jennifer", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.0, "title": "The Cost of A New Fur Coat: Interactions between Molt and Reproduction in Weddell Seals", "uid": "p0000229", "west": 165.0}, {"awards": "1246223 Hastings, Meredith", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.1115 -79.481)", "dataset_titles": "WAIS Divide WDC06A Nitrate Isotope Record", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601022", "doi": "10.15784/601022", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Nitrate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Hastings, Meredith; Buffen, Aron", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide WDC06A Nitrate Isotope Record", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601022"}], "date_created": "Tue, 02 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Hastings/1246223 This award supports a project with the aim of distinguishing the sources of nitrate deposition to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) using isotopic ratios snow in archive snow and ice samples. The isotopic composition of nitrate has been shown to contain information about the source of the nitrate (i.e. nitrogen oxides = NOx = NO+NO2) and the oxidation processes that convert NOx to nitrate in the atmosphere prior to deposition. A difficulty in interpreting records in the context of NOx sources is that nitrate can be post-depositionally processed in surface snow, such that the archived record does not reflect the composition of the atmosphere. This intellectual merit of this work specifically aims to investigate variability in the isotopic composition of nitrate in snow and ice from the WAIS in the context of accumulation rate, NOx source emissions, and atmospheric chemistry. These records will be interpreted in the context of our understanding of biospheric (biomass burning, microbial processes in soils), atmospheric (lightning, transport, chemistry), and climate (temperature, accumulation rate) changes over time. A graduate student will be supported as part of this project, and both graduate student and PI will be involved in communicating the utility and results of polar research to elementary school students in the Providence, RI area. The broader impacts of the project also include making efforts to attract more young, female scientists to polar research by establishing a connection between the Earth Science Women\u0027s Network (ESWN), an organization PI Hastings helped to establish, and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS). Finally, results of all measurements will be presented at relevant conferences, made available publicly and published in peer-reviewed journals.", "east": -112.1115, "geometry": "POINT(-112.1115 -79.481)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -79.481, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hastings, Meredith", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.481, "title": "Investigating Source, Chemistry and Climate changes using the Isotopic Composition of Nitrate in Antarctic Snow and Ice", "uid": "p0000399", "west": -112.1115}, {"awards": "0538427 McConnell, Joseph", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.1115 -79.481)", "dataset_titles": "Gas measurement from Higgins et al., 2015 - PNAS; WAIS Divide Ice-Core Aerosol Records from 1.5 to 577 m; WAIS Divide Ice-Core Aerosol Records from Intermediate Core WDC05A; WAIS Divide Ice-Core Aerosol Records from Intermediate Core WDC05Q; WAIS Divide Ice-Core Chronology from Intermediate Core WDC05A; WAIS Divide Ice-Core Chronology from Intermediate Core WDC05Q", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601010", "doi": "10.15784/601010", "keywords": "Aerosol; Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "McConnell, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Ice-Core Aerosol Records from Intermediate Core WDC05A", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601010"}, {"dataset_uid": "601011", "doi": "10.15784/601011", "keywords": "Aerosol; Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "McConnell, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Ice-Core Aerosol Records from Intermediate Core WDC05Q", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601011"}, {"dataset_uid": "601012", "doi": "10.15784/601012", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; Snow Accumulation; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "McConnell, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Ice-Core Chronology from Intermediate Core WDC05A", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601012"}, {"dataset_uid": "601009", "doi": "10.15784/601009", "keywords": "Aerosol; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "McConnell, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Ice-Core Aerosol Records from 1.5 to 577 m", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601009"}, {"dataset_uid": "601013", "doi": "10.15784/601013", "keywords": "Antarctica; Depth-Age-Model; Geochronology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "McConnell, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Ice-Core Chronology from Intermediate Core WDC05Q", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601013"}, {"dataset_uid": "601014", "doi": "10.15784/601014", "keywords": "Allan Hills; Antarctica; Argon; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope", "people": "Higgins, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Gas measurement from Higgins et al., 2015 - PNAS", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601014"}], "date_created": "Tue, 25 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0538427\u003cbr/\u003eMcConnell \u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to use unique, high-depth-resolution records of a range of elements, chemical species, and ice properties measured in two WAIS Divide shallow ice cores and one shallow British ice core from West Antarctic to address critical paleoclimate, environmental, and ice-sheet mass-balance questions. Recent development of the CFA-TE method for ice-core analysis presents the opportunity to develop high-resolution, broad-spectrum glaciochemical records at WAIS Divide at relatively modest cost. Together with CFA-TE measurements from Greenland and other Antarctic sites spanning recent decades to centuries, these rich data will open new avenues for using glaciochemical data to investigate environmental and global changes issues ranging from anthropogenic and volcanic-trace-element fallout to changes in hemispheric-scale circulation, biogeochemistry, rapid-climate-change events, long-term climate change, and ice-sheet mass balance. As part of the proposed research, collaborations with U.S., Argentine, and British researchers will be initiated and expanded to directly address three major IPY themes (i.e., present environmental status, past and present environmental and human change, and polar-global interactions). Included in the contributions from these international collaborators will be ice-core samples, ice-core and meteorological model data, and extensive expertise in Antarctic glaciology, climatology, meteorology, and biogeochemistry. The broader impacts of the work include the training of students. The project will partially support one Ph.D. student and hourly undergraduate involvement. Every effort will be made to attract students from underrepresented groups to these positions. To address the challenge of introducing results of scientific research to the public policy debate, we will continue efforts to publish findings in high visibility journals, provide research results to policy makers, and work with the NSF media office to reach the public through mass-media programs. K-12 teacher and classroom involvement will be realized through outreach to local schools and NSF\u0027s Teachers Experiencing the Antarctic and Arctic (or similar) program in collaboration with WAIS Divide and other polar researchers.", "east": -112.1115, "geometry": "POINT(-112.1115 -79.481)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -79.481, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bender, Michael; McConnell, Joseph", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.481, "title": "Trace and Ultra-Trace Chemistry Measurements of the WAIS Divide Ice Core", "uid": "p0000148", "west": -112.1115}, {"awards": "1142166 McConnell, Joseph", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.1115 -79.481)", "dataset_titles": "WAIS Divide Ice-Core Aerosol Records from 1300 to 3404 m", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601008", "doi": "10.15784/601008", "keywords": "Aerosol; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "McConnell, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Ice-Core Aerosol Records from 1300 to 3404 m", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601008"}], "date_created": "Tue, 25 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "McConnell/1142166 This award supports a project to use unprecedented aerosol and continuous gas (methane, carbon monoxide) measurements of the deepest section of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core to investigate rapid climate changes in Antarctica during the ~60,000 year long Marine Isotope Stage 3 period of the late Pleistocene. These analyses, combined with others, will take advantage of the high snow accumulation of the WAIS Divide ice core to yield the highest time resolution glaciochemical and gas record of any deep Antarctic ice core for this time period. The research will expand already funded discrete gas measurements and extend currently funded continuous aerosol measurements on the WAIS Divide ice core from ~25,000 to ~60,000 years before present, spanning Heinrich events 3 to 6 and Antarctic Isotope Maximum (AIM, corresponding to the Northern Hemisphere Dansgaard-Oeschger) events 3 to 14. With other high resolution Greenland cores and lower resolution Antarctic cores, the combined record will yield new insights into worldwide climate dynamics and abrupt change. The intellectual merit of the work is that it will be used to address the science goals of the WAIS Divide project including the identification of dust and biomass burning tracers such as black carbon and carbon monoxide which reflect mid- and low-latitude climate and atmospheric circulation patterns, and fallout from these sources affects marine and terrestrial biogeochemical cycles. Similarly, sea salt and ocean productivity tracers reflect changes in sea ice extent, marine primary productivity, wind speeds above the ocean, and atmospheric circulation. Volcanic tracers address the relationship between northern, tropical, and southern climates as well as stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet and sea level change. When combined with other gas records from WAIS Divide, the records developed here will transform understanding of mid- and low-latitude drivers of Antarctic, Southern Hemisphere, and global climate rapid changes and the timing of such changes. The broader impacts of the work are that it will enhance infrastructure through expansion of continuous ice core analytical techniques, train students and support collaboration between two U.S. institutions (DRI and OSU). All data will be made available to the scientific community and the public and will include participation the WAIS Divide Outreach Program. Extensive graduate and undergraduate student involvement is planned. Student recruitment will be made from under-represented groups building on a long track record. Broad outreach will be achieved through collaborations with the global and radiative modeling communities, NESTA-related and other educational outreach efforts, and public lectures. This proposed project does not require field work in the Antarctic.", "east": -112.1115, "geometry": "POINT(-112.1115 -79.481)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -79.481, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "McConnell, Joseph", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.481, "title": "Collaborative Research: Investigating Upper Pleistocene Rapid Climate Change using Continuous, Ultra-High-Resolution Aerosol and Gas Measurements in the WAIS Divide Ice Core", "uid": "p0000287", "west": -112.1115}, {"awards": "0944191 Taylor, Kendrick; 0944197 Waddington, Edwin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -79,-173.3 -79,-166.6 -79,-159.9 -79,-153.2 -79,-146.5 -79,-139.8 -79,-133.1 -79,-126.4 -79,-119.7 -79,-113 -79,-113 -79.1,-113 -79.2,-113 -79.3,-113 -79.4,-113 -79.5,-113 -79.6,-113 -79.7,-113 -79.8,-113 -79.9,-113 -80,-119.7 -80,-126.4 -80,-133.1 -80,-139.8 -80,-146.5 -80,-153.2 -80,-159.9 -80,-166.6 -80,-173.3 -80,180 -80,150.9 -80,121.8 -80,92.7 -80,63.6 -80,34.5 -80,5.4 -80,-23.7 -80,-52.8 -80,-81.9 -80,-111 -80,-111 -79.9,-111 -79.8,-111 -79.7,-111 -79.6,-111 -79.5,-111 -79.4,-111 -79.3,-111 -79.2,-111 -79.1,-111 -79,-81.9 -79,-52.8 -79,-23.7 -79,5.4 -79,34.5 -79,63.6 -79,92.7 -79,121.8 -79,150.9 -79,-180 -79))", "dataset_titles": "Accumulation Rates from the WAIS Divide Ice Core; WAIS Divide Ice Core Electrical Conductance Measurements, Antarctica; WAIS Divide Multi Track Electrical Measurements; WD2014: Timescale for WAIS Divide Core 2006 A (WDC-06A)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601004", "doi": "10.15784/601004", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Snow Accumulation; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Waddington, Edwin D.; Buizert, Christo; Conway, Howard; Fudge, T. J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Accumulation Rates from the WAIS Divide Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601004"}, {"dataset_uid": "601172", "doi": "10.15784/601172", "keywords": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Electrical Conductivity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core; Wais Project; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Taylor, Kendrick C.; Fudge, T. J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "WAIS Divide Multi Track Electrical Measurements", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601172"}, {"dataset_uid": "609591", "doi": "10.7265/N5B56GPJ", "keywords": "Antarctica; Electrical Conductivity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Fudge, T. J.; Taylor, Kendrick C.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Ice Core Electrical Conductance Measurements, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609591"}, {"dataset_uid": "601015", "doi": "10.15784/601015", "keywords": "Antarctica; Depth-Age-Model; Geochronology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Fudge, T. J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WD2014: Timescale for WAIS Divide Core 2006 A (WDC-06A)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601015"}], "date_created": "Tue, 25 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to help to establish the depth-age chronology and the histories of accumulation and ice dynamics for the WAIS Divide ice core. The depth-age relationship and the histories of accumulation and ice dynamics are coupled. An accurate age scale is needed to infer histories of accumulation rate and ice-thickness change using ice-flow models. In turn, the accumulation-rate history is needed to calculate the age difference of ice to determine the age of the trapped gases. The accumulation history is also needed to calculate atmospheric concentrations of impurities trapped in the ice and is an important characteristic of climate. The history of ice-thickness change is also fundamental to understanding the stability of the WAIS. The primary goals of the WAIS Divide ice core project are to investigate climate forcing by greenhouse gases, the initiation of climate changes, and the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). An accurate age scale is fundamental for achieving these goals. The first objective of this project is to establish an annually resolved depth-age relationship for the past 40,000 years. This will be done by measuring variations in electrical conductivity along the ice core, which are caused by seasonal variations in chemistry. We expect to be able to resolve annual layers back to 40,000 years before present (3,000 m depth) using this method. The second objective is to search for stratigraphic disturbances in the core that would compromise the paleoclimate record. Irregular layering will be identified by measuring the electrical conductivity of the ice in a vertical plan through the core. The third objective is to derive a preliminary chronology for the entire core. For the deeper ice we will use an ice-flow model to interpolate between known age markers, such as dated volcanic horizons and tie points from the methane gas chronology. The fourth objective is to derive a refined chronology simultaneously with histories of accumulation and ice-sheet thickness. An ice-flow model and all available data will be used to formulate an inverse problem, in which we infer the most appropriate histories of accumulation and ice-thickness, together with estimates of uncertainties. The flow model associated with those preferred histories then produces the best estimate of the chronology. The research contributes directly to the primary goals of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Initiative. The project will help develop the next generation of scientists through the education and training of one Ph.D. student and several undergraduate students. This project will result in instrumentation for measuring the electrical conductivity of ice cores being available at the National Ice Core Lab for other researchers to use on other projects. All collaborators are committed to fostering diversity and currently participate in scientific outreach and most participate in undergraduate education. Outreach will be accomplished through regularly scheduled community and K-12 outreach events at UW, talks and popular writing by the PIs, as well as through our respective press offices.", "east": -111.0, "geometry": "POINT(-112 -79.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Core Depth; National Ice Core Lab; Electrical Conductivity; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -79.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Conway, Howard; Fudge, T. J.; Taylor, Kendrick C.; Waddington, Edwin D.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -80.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Establishing the Chronology and Histories of Accumulation and Ice Dynamics for the WAIS Divide Core", "uid": "p0000026", "west": -113.0}, {"awards": "1141978 Foreman, Christine", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160 -76,160.1 -76,160.2 -76,160.3 -76,160.4 -76,160.5 -76,160.6 -76,160.7 -76,160.8 -76,160.9 -76,161 -76,161 -76.1,161 -76.2,161 -76.3,161 -76.4,161 -76.5,161 -76.6,161 -76.7,161 -76.8,161 -76.9,161 -77,160.9 -77,160.8 -77,160.7 -77,160.6 -77,160.5 -77,160.4 -77,160.3 -77,160.2 -77,160.1 -77,160 -77,160 -76.9,160 -76.8,160 -76.7,160 -76.6,160 -76.5,160 -76.4,160 -76.3,160 -76.2,160 -76.1,160 -76))", "dataset_titles": "FT-ICR MS Metadata; Respiration Metadata; UPLC-Q-TOF data of Cotton Glacier exometabolites", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601089", "doi": "10.15784/601089", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Exometabolites; Mass Spectrometry; Microbes; Microbiology", "people": "Foreman, Christine; Tigges, Michelle; Bothner, Brian", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "UPLC-Q-TOF data of Cotton Glacier exometabolites", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601089"}, {"dataset_uid": "601077", "doi": "10.15784/601077", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Fluorescence Spectroscopy; Mass Spectrometry", "people": "Foreman, Christine; D\u0027Andrilli, Juliana", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "FT-ICR MS Metadata", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601077"}, {"dataset_uid": "601076", "doi": "10.15784/601076", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Fluorescence Spectroscopy; Mass Spectrometry", "people": "Foreman, Christine; Smith, Heidi", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Respiration Metadata", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601076"}], "date_created": "Tue, 25 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Uncovering the dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is central to an understanding of the global carbon cycle, as organic material from lakes, streams, oceans and soils passes through this pool. DOM acts as a key energy source for microbes in many ecosystems and therefore can affect regional nutrient cycling patterns. For example, preliminary results suggest that organisms isolated from a supraglacial stream on Cotton Glacier, Antarctica, may be important in DOM cycling in this relatively simple, low temperature system. However, little is known about the functional attributes of the microbes that interact with DOM in the environment. This project will use state-of-the-art genomics, proteomics and metabolomics approaches to understand the mechanisms by which two microbial isolates, CG3 and CG9_1, affect DOM cycling. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry will also be used to better characterize the microbially-derived DOM from this ecosystem. This project will support the research and training of one undergraduate and two graduate students. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings. In addition, raw data will be made available through open-access databases. Understanding the relationship between cold-adapted microbial metabolisms and DOM pools is important as more than 90% of the Earth?s oceans are below 5 degrees Celsius.", "east": 161.0, "geometry": "POINT(160.5 -76.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -76.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Foreman, Christine; Bothner, Brian", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.0, "title": "Multidimensional \"omics\" characterization of microbial metabolism and dissolved organic matter in Antarctica", "uid": "p0000408", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "0538520 Thiemens, Mark; 0538049 Steig, Eric", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.5)", "dataset_titles": "Multiple Isotope Analysis of Sulfate in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core; WAIS Divide sulfate and nitrate isotopes; WAIS ice core isotope data #387, 385 (full data link not provided)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002512", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Project website", "science_program": null, "title": "WAIS ice core isotope data #387, 385 (full data link not provided)", "url": "http://www.waisdivide.unh.edu/"}, {"dataset_uid": "609479", "doi": "10.7265/N5BG2KXH", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Thiemens, Mark H.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Multiple Isotope Analysis of Sulfate in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609479"}, {"dataset_uid": "601007", "doi": "10.15784/601007", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Nitrate; Oxygen Isotope; Sulfate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Alexander, Becky; Steig, Eric J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide sulfate and nitrate isotopes", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601007"}], "date_created": "Tue, 25 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0538520\u003cbr/\u003eThiemens\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to develop the first complete record of multiple isotope ratios of nitrate and sulfate covering the last ~100,000 years, from the deep ice core planned for the central ice divide of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The WAIS Divide ice core will be the highest resolution long ice core obtained from Antarctica and we can expect important complementary information to be available, including accurate knowledge of past accumulation rates, temperatures, and compounds such as H2O2, CO and CH4. These compounds play significant roles in global atmospheric chemistry and climate. Especially great potential lies in the use of multiple isotope signatures. The unique mass independent fractionation (MIF) 17O signature of ozone is observed in both nitrate and sulfate, due to the interaction of their precursors with ozone. The development of methods to measure the multiple-isotope composition of small samples of sulfate and nitrate makes continuous high resolution measurements on ice cores feasible for the first time. Recent work has shown that such measurements can be used to determine the hydroxyl radial (OH) and ozone (O3) concentrations in the paleoatmosphere as well as to apportion sulfate and nitrate sources. There is also considerable potential in using these isotope measurements to quantify post depositional changes. In the first two years, continuous measurements from the upper ~100-m of ice at WAIS divide will be obtained, to provide a detailed look at seasonal through centennial scale variability. In the third year, measurements will be made throughout the available depth of the deep core (expected to reach ~500 m at this time). The broader impacts of the project include applications to diverse fields including atmospheric chemistry, glaciology, meteorology, and paleoclimatology. Because nitrate and sulfate are important atmospheric pollutants, the results will also have direct and relevance to global environmental policy. This project will coincide with the International Polar Year (2007-2008), and contributes to goals of the IPY, which include the fostering of interdisciplinary research toward enhanced understanding of atmospheric chemistry and climate in the polar regions.", "east": -112.085, "geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.5)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Isotope Ratios; Temperature; Sulfate; West Antarctic; Paleoatmosphere; LABORATORY; Ice Core; Ice Core Data; Mass Independent Fractionation; FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; Accumulation Rate; Oxygen Isotope; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Ice Core Chemistry; Isotope", "locations": "West Antarctic", "north": -79.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Alexander, Becky; Steig, Eric J.; Thiemens, Mark H.", "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": "Project website", "repositories": "Project website; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.5, "title": "Collaborative Research: Multiple-isotope Analysis of Nitrate and Sulfate in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core", "uid": "p0000020", "west": -112.085}, {"awards": "1245283 Passchier, Sandra", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((66 -68,67.3 -68,68.6 -68,69.9 -68,71.2 -68,72.5 -68,73.8 -68,75.1 -68,76.4 -68,77.7 -68,79 -68,79 -68.2,79 -68.4,79 -68.6,79 -68.8,79 -69,79 -69.2,79 -69.4,79 -69.6,79 -69.8,79 -70,77.7 -70,76.4 -70,75.1 -70,73.8 -70,72.5 -70,71.2 -70,69.9 -70,68.6 -70,67.3 -70,66 -70,66 -69.8,66 -69.6,66 -69.4,66 -69.2,66 -69,66 -68.8,66 -68.6,66 -68.4,66 -68.2,66 -68))", "dataset_titles": "Antarctic Geochemistry Data and Mean Annual Temperature Reconstruction through the Eocene-Oligocene Transition; GSA Data Repository Item 2016298 - Passchier, S., Ciarletta, D.J., Miriagos, T.E., Bijl, P.K., and Bohaty, S.M., 2016, An Antarctic stratigraphic record of step-wise ice growth through the Eocene-Oligocene transition: GSA Bulletin, doi:10.1130/B31482.1.; Particle-size distributions of Eocene-Oligocene sediment from ODP Site 739, Prydz Bay; Particle-size distributions of Eocene-Oligocene sediment from ODP Site 742, Prydz Bay; Particle-size distributions of Eocene sediment from ODP Site 1166, Prydz Bay", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601454", "doi": "10.15784/601454", "keywords": "Antarctica; Eocene; Marine Geoscience; ODP742; Oligocene; Particle Size; Prydz Bay; Sediment Core Data", "people": "Passchier, Sandra; Ciarletta, Daniel", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Particle-size distributions of Eocene-Oligocene sediment from ODP Site 742, Prydz Bay", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601454"}, {"dataset_uid": "200200", "doi": "10.1130/2016298", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": " GSA Data Repository Item 2016298 - Passchier, S., Ciarletta, D.J., Miriagos, T.E., Bijl, P.K., and Bohaty, S.M., 2016, An Antarctic stratigraphic record of step-wise ice growth through the Eocene-Oligocene transition: GSA Bulletin, doi:10.1130/B31482.1.", "url": "https://gsapubs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Supplemental_material_An_Antarctic_stratigraphic_record_of_step-wise_ice_growth_through_the_Eocene-Oligocene_transition/12534185"}, {"dataset_uid": "601453", "doi": "10.15784/601453", "keywords": "Antarctica; Eocene; Marine Geoscience; ODP739; Oligocene; Particle Size; Prydz Bay; Sediment Core Data", "people": "Ciarletta, Daniel; Passchier, Sandra", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Particle-size distributions of Eocene-Oligocene sediment from ODP Site 739, Prydz Bay", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601453"}, {"dataset_uid": "601455", "doi": "10.15784/601455", "keywords": "Antarctica; Eocene; Marine Geoscience; ODP1166; Particle Size; Prydz Bay; Sediment Core Data", "people": "Ciarletta, Daniel; Passchier, Sandra", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Particle-size distributions of Eocene sediment from ODP Site 1166, Prydz Bay", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601455"}, {"dataset_uid": "000192", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Geochemistry Data and Mean Annual Temperature Reconstruction through the Eocene-Oligocene Transition", "url": "https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo-search/study/21770"}], "date_created": "Tue, 25 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: This project will investigate glacial advance and retreat of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet through the Eocene-Oligocene transition, a major episode of ice growth. In Prydz Bay, East Antarctica, a 130-170 m thick Eocene-Oligocene transition interval of glaciomarine sediments was cored in drillholes of the Ocean Drilling Program at Sites 739, 742 and 1166. Correlations between the Prydz Bay drillholes have recently been made through well-log and multichannel seismic interpretations. Recent drilling on the Wilkes Land margin of East Antarctica recovered earliest Oligocene sediments overlying a major regional unconformity in two drillholes. The PI will study the lithostratigraphy and weathering history of cores in the five drillholes, to establish a unique Eocene-Oligocene transition record within Antarctic continental margin sediments of glacial advance and retreat cycles, the onset of physical weathering, and glacio-isostasy and self-gravitation processes with implications for the margin architecture, sediment routing, and off-shore sediment dispersal. Cores from the five drillholes will be re-examined through detailed core description using an updated classification scheme, so that lithofacies can be compared between drillholes. Samples will be collected for detailed laser particle size and bulk major element geochemistry via ICP-AES to determine the degree of chemical alteration of the sediments. Phases of major ice growth will be recognized as marker beds of physically eroded sediment and will be correlated to isotopic records documenting Antarctic ice growth offshore in the Southern Ocean. Broader impacts: This project will benefit a large minority undergraduate student population through the availability of up to two paid laboratory internships, a classroom exercise, and the availability of research equipment supported by this award. The project also allows support and training of a graduate student.", "east": 79.0, "geometry": "POINT(72.5 -69)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "ICE SHEETS; Not provided; Prydz Bay; SEDIMENTS", "locations": "Prydz Bay", "north": -68.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Passchier, Sandra", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "NCEI; Publication; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -70.0, "title": "The Stratigraphic Expression of the Onset of Glaciation in Eocene-Oligocene Successions on the Antarctic Continental Margin", "uid": "p0000309", "west": 66.0}, {"awards": "1340905 Doran, Peter", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((161 -77,161.3 -77,161.6 -77,161.9 -77,162.2 -77,162.5 -77,162.8 -77,163.1 -77,163.4 -77,163.7 -77,164 -77,164 -77.05,164 -77.1,164 -77.15,164 -77.2,164 -77.25,164 -77.3,164 -77.35,164 -77.4,164 -77.45,164 -77.5,163.7 -77.5,163.4 -77.5,163.1 -77.5,162.8 -77.5,162.5 -77.5,162.2 -77.5,161.9 -77.5,161.6 -77.5,161.3 -77.5,161 -77.5,161 -77.45,161 -77.4,161 -77.35,161 -77.3,161 -77.25,161 -77.2,161 -77.15,161 -77.1,161 -77.05,161 -77))", "dataset_titles": "Lake Bonney Autonomous Lake Profiler and Samplers (ALPS): Particulate Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Concentrations. doi:10.6073/pasta/0043c1728b4e51879970d59f2d0ce575", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002521", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "LTER", "science_program": null, "title": "Lake Bonney Autonomous Lake Profiler and Samplers (ALPS): Particulate Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Concentrations. doi:10.6073/pasta/0043c1728b4e51879970d59f2d0ce575", "url": "http://www.mcmlter.org/node/3957"}], "date_created": "Fri, 13 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "EAGER: Collaborative Research: Habitability of Antarctic lakes and detectability of microbial life in icy environments by autonomous year-round instrumentation, is supported by the Antarctic Integrated System Science (AISS) and the Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems (AOE) programs within the Antarctic Sciences section in the Division of Polar Programs within the Geosciences Directorate of the National Sciences Foundation (NSF). The funds will allow the measurement of year-round properties of the microbes and the surrounding water in Lake Bonney, a lake with four meters of permanent ice cover over forty meters of liquid water in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. NSF funds will be used to support the deployment, and the science enabled by the deployment, and NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) funds will be used to purchase the equipment. Intellectual Merit: This research will be the first to make year-round measurements of the microbial community, and several associated environmental variables, in the continuously liquid portions of Lake Bonney, Antarctica. Three different types of equipment will be deployed in each of the lobes of Lake Bonney. The first instrument is an ITP (an ice-tethered profiler) that will measure physical parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll throughout the full depth of the liquid water portion of the lake, making measurements at least once each week. The second and third instruments will be used to collect discrete water samples at least every two weeks to determine A) the biological community (assessing metabolic and phylogenetic diversity) and B) the geochemistry (e.g., dissolved organic carbon, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen species). Such samplers have never been used to measure these properties year-round in the Antarctic. Cold temperatures, bottom lake water salinities that are four times greater than the ocean, the thick permanent ice cover, and the lack of sunlight to recharge batteries all present significant challenges for the project, thus classifying the work as an early, high-risk, high-reward activity (the acronym EAGER stands for Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research). Broader Impacts: There is much interest in understanding the ecosystems of the Polar regions in an era of climate change. Logistical limitations dictate much of this work only take place in the summer, until new autonomous technologies can open the door for year-round measurements. This award will be the first to attempt year-round microbial sampling in Antarctica. The McMurdo Dry Valleys region is also the site of a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program, and the research conducted on this project with benefit from, and contribute to, the larger LTER project. The instruments used in the project will be purchased by NASA, so two separate agencies have agreed to explore the feasibility of an early stage project. There will be at least three graduate student trained during the project, and the team will also participate in outreach activities at several venues including the Crow Reservation in Montana.", "east": 164.0, "geometry": "POINT(162.5 -77.25)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -77.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Doran, Peter; Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina; Priscu, John", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "LTER", "repositories": "LTER", "science_programs": "LTER", "south": -77.5, "title": "EAGER: Collaborative Research: Habitability of Antarctic Lakes and Detectability of Microbial Life in Icy Environments by Aautonomous Year-round Instrumentation", "uid": "p0000326", "west": 161.0}, {"awards": "0944794 Winberry, J. Paul; 0944671 Wiens, Douglas", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-163 -83.7,-161.9 -83.7,-160.8 -83.7,-159.7 -83.7,-158.6 -83.7,-157.5 -83.7,-156.4 -83.7,-155.3 -83.7,-154.2 -83.7,-153.1 -83.7,-152 -83.7,-152 -83.8,-152 -83.9,-152 -84,-152 -84.1,-152 -84.2,-152 -84.3,-152 -84.4,-152 -84.5,-152 -84.6,-152 -84.7,-153.1 -84.7,-154.2 -84.7,-155.3 -84.7,-156.4 -84.7,-157.5 -84.7,-158.6 -84.7,-159.7 -84.7,-160.8 -84.7,-161.9 -84.7,-163 -84.7,-163 -84.6,-163 -84.5,-163 -84.4,-163 -84.3,-163 -84.2,-163 -84.1,-163 -84,-163 -83.9,-163 -83.8,-163 -83.7))", "dataset_titles": "Geophysical Study of Ice Stream Stick Slip; Whillans Ice Stream Stick-slip", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000169", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "Geophysical Study of Ice Stream Stick Slip", "url": "http://ds.iris.edu/mda/2C/?timewindow=2010-2011"}, {"dataset_uid": "609632", "doi": "10.7265/N5PC309V", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPS; Whillans Ice Stream", "people": "Wiens, Douglas; Winberry, Paul; Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; Alley, Richard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Whillans Ice Stream Stick-slip", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609632"}], "date_created": "Wed, 16 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a three-year study of the ongoing deceleration and stick-slip motion of Whillans Ice Stream (WIS), West Antarctica. Understanding the dynamic behavior of ice streams is essential for predicting the future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). Despite being one of the best-studied ice streams in Antarctica, the surprising flow characteristics of WIS continue to demand interdisciplinary research. Recent estimates indicate that the WIS may stagnate within 50 years, resulting in a significant change to the mass balance of the Siple Coast sector of West Antarctica. The reasons for the ongoing stagnation are not well known, and are possibly linked (causally or coincidentally) to the stick-slip behavior. Our recent work on WIS stick-slip motion suggest that all slip events nucleate from a common location on the ice stream, suggesting that a relatively small (approximately 10 km in diameter) region of the exerts fundamental control over the flow of this large ice stream (100s of km long and 100 kilometers wide). We hypothesize that this is a region of increased bed strength and our measurements will address that hypothesis. We will deploy a series of GPS receivers and seismometers on the ice stream to accurately locate the nucleation region so that a comprehensive ground based geophysical survey can be conducted to determine the physical properties of bed at the nucleation point. The ground geophysical program will consist of reflection seismic and ice-penetrating radar studies that will better constrain the properties of both the hypothesized higher-friction nucleation zone and the surrounding regions. Slip events also generate seismic energy that can be recorded 100s of km away from the ice stream, thus, the GPS and seismometer deployment will also aid us in relating seismic waveforms directly with the rapid motion that occurs during slip events. The increased ability to relate rupture processes with seismic emissions will allow us to use archived seismic records to explore changes in the behavior of WIS during the later half of the 20th century. Broader impacts of this study include improved knowledge ice sheet dynamics, which remain a poorly constrained component of the climate system, thus, limiting our ability to predict the Earth\u0027s response to climate change. The scientific work includes the education of two graduate students and continued training of one post-doctoral scholar, thus helping to train the next generation of polar scientists. We will expose the broader public to polar science through interactions with the media and by take advantaging of programs to include K-12 educators in our field work.", "east": -152.0, "geometry": "POINT(-157.5 -84.2)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e SEISMOMETERS \u003e SEISMOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Geodesy; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; Seismic; Geodetic Gps Data", "locations": "West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -83.7, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Winberry, Paul; Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; Alley, Richard; Wiens, Douglas", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided", "repo": "IRIS", "repositories": "IRIS; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -84.7, "title": "Collaborative Research: Geophysical Study of Ice Stream Stick-slip Dynamics", "uid": "p0000053", "west": -163.0}, {"awards": "1043092 Steig, Eric; 1043167 White, James", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.08 -79.47)", "dataset_titles": "Resampling of Deep Polar Ice Cores using Information Theory; Seasonal temperatures in West Antarctica during the Holocene ; Stable Isotopes of Ice in the Transition and Glacial Sections of the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core; WAIS Divide Ice Core Discrete CH4 (80-3403m)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601741", "doi": "10.15784/601741", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ch4; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Methane; WAIS", "people": "Brook, Edward J.; Sowers, Todd A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Ice Core Discrete CH4 (80-3403m)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601741"}, {"dataset_uid": "601603", "doi": "10.15784/601603", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Seasonality; Seasonal Temperatures; Temperature; Water Isotopes; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Jones, Tyler R.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Seasonal temperatures in West Antarctica during the Holocene ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601603"}, {"dataset_uid": "601365", "doi": "10.15784/601365", "keywords": "Antarctica; Delta 18O; Isotope; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Jones, Tyler R.; Morris, Valerie; Garland, Joshua; Vaughn, Bruce; White, James", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Resampling of Deep Polar Ice Cores using Information Theory", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601365"}, {"dataset_uid": "600169", "doi": "10.15784/600169", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Paleoclimate; Snow Accumulation; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Morris, Valerie; White, James; Jones, Tyler R.; Vaughn, Bruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Stable Isotopes of Ice in the Transition and Glacial Sections of the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600169"}, {"dataset_uid": "601274", "doi": "10.15784/601274", "keywords": "Antarctica; Delta 18O; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Jones, Tyler R.; Vaughn, Bruce; White, James; Price, Michael; Garland, Joshua; Bradley, Elizabeth; Morris, Valerie", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Stable Isotopes of Ice in the Transition and Glacial Sections of the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601274"}], "date_created": "Thu, 15 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Steig/1043092 This award supports a project to contribute one of the cornerstone analyses, stable isotopes of ice (Delta-D, Delta-O18) to the ongoing West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS) deep ice core. The WAIS Divide drilling project, a multi-institution project to obtain a continuous high resolution ice core record from central West Antarctica, reached a depth of 2560 m in early 2010; it is expected to take one or two more field seasons to reach the ice sheet bed (~3300 m), plus an additional four seasons for borehole logging and other activities including proposed replicate coring. The current proposal requests support to complete analyses on the WAIS Divide core to the base, where the age will be ~100,000 years or more. These analyses will form the basis for the investigation of a number of outstanding questions in climate and glaciology during the last glacial period, focused on the dynamics of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the relationship of West Antarctic climate to that of the Northern polar regions, the tropical Pacific, and the rest of the globe, on time scales ranging from years to tens of thousands of years. One new aspect of this work is the growing expertise at the University of Washington in climate modeling with isotope-tracer-enabled general circulation models, which will aid in the interpretation of the data. Another major new aspect is the completion and use of a high-resolution, semi-automated sampling system at the University of Colorado, which will permit the continuous analysis of isotope ratios via laser spectroscopy, at an effective resolution of ~2 cm or less, providing inter-annual time resolution for most of the core. Because continuous flow analyses of stable ice isotopes is a relatively new measurement, we will complement them with parallel measurements, every ~10-20 m, using traditional discrete sampling and analysis by mass spectrometry at the University of Washington. The intellectual merit and the overarching goal of the work are to see Inland WAIS become the reference ice isotope record for West Antarctica. The broader impacts of the work are that the data generated in this project pertain directly to policy-relevant and immediate questions of the stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet, and thus past and future changes in sea level, as well as the nature of climate change in the high southern latitudes. The project will also contribute to the development of modern isotope analysis techniques using laser spectroscopy, with applications well beyond ice cores. The project will involve a graduate student and postdoc who will work with both P.I.s, and spend time at both institutions. Data will be made available rapidly through the Antarctic Glaciological Data Center, for use by other researchers and the public.", "east": -112.08, "geometry": "POINT(-112.08 -79.47)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "LABORATORY", "locations": null, "north": -79.47, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "White, James; Vaughn, Bruce; Jones, Tyler R.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.47, "title": "Collaborative Research: Stable Isotopes of Ice in the Transition and Glacial Sections of the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core", "uid": "p0000078", "west": -112.08}, {"awards": "1141877 Aronson, Richard", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-111.18 -49.98,-105.429 -49.98,-99.678 -49.98,-93.927 -49.98,-88.176 -49.98,-82.425 -49.98,-76.674 -49.98,-70.923 -49.98,-65.172 -49.98,-59.421 -49.98,-53.67 -49.98,-53.67 -52.826,-53.67 -55.672,-53.67 -58.518,-53.67 -61.364,-53.67 -64.21,-53.67 -67.056,-53.67 -69.902,-53.67 -72.748,-53.67 -75.594,-53.67 -78.44,-59.421 -78.44,-65.172 -78.44,-70.923 -78.44,-76.674 -78.44,-82.425 -78.44,-88.176 -78.44,-93.927 -78.44,-99.678 -78.44,-105.429 -78.44,-111.18 -78.44,-111.18 -75.594,-111.18 -72.748,-111.18 -69.902,-111.18 -67.056,-111.18 -64.21,-111.18 -61.364,-111.18 -58.518,-111.18 -55.672,-111.18 -52.826,-111.18 -49.98))", "dataset_titles": "Climate Change and Predatory Invasion of the Antarctic Benthos; Expedition Data; Material properties of the exoskeleton of Paralomis birsteini", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601109", "doi": "10.15784/601109", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Callinectes; Exoskeleton; Fish; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Paralomis", "people": "Steffel, Brittan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Material properties of the exoskeleton of Paralomis birsteini", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601109"}, {"dataset_uid": "600385", "doi": "10.15784/600385", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Anvers Island; Benthos; Biota; Camera Tow; LMG1502; Marguerite Bay; NBP1002; NBP1310; Oceans; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean", "people": "Aronson, Richard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Climate Change and Predatory Invasion of the Antarctic Benthos", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600385"}, {"dataset_uid": "001417", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1310"}, {"dataset_uid": "600171", "doi": "10.15784/600171", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Anvers Island; Benthos; Biota; Camera Tow; LMG1502; Marguerite Bay; NBP1002; NBP1310; Oceans; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean", "people": "Aronson, Richard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Climate Change and Predatory Invasion of the Antarctic Benthos", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600171"}], "date_created": "Wed, 14 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Elevated temperatures and ocean acidification are both threatening the Southern Ocean. The effects of these environmental changes are poorly understood, but preliminary data suggest that they are driving a biological invasion. Specifically, large populations of skeleton-crushing king crabs, Paralomis birsteini, have been detected off Marguerite Bay on the West Antarctic Peninsula. These crabs appear to be invading the continental shelf region where benthic communities have evolved in the absence of such top-predators. Thus, this invasion could result in a wholesale restructuring of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem. The proposed work seeks to document this invasion and better understand the effects of the introduction of P. birsteini on the ecology of this region. A towed underwater vehicle will be used to photographically image communities, and communities with and without P. birsteini will be compared quantitatively. Additionally, crabs will trapped and various aspects of their morphology and physiology will be assessed. This research is unique in that it will document a biological invasion in real-time and it will therefore enhance our general understandings of the drivers of invasion and resilience in biological communities. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings. In addition, raw data will be made available through open-access databases. This project will support the research and training of undergraduate and graduate students and will foster an international collaboration with British scientists. Researchers on this project will participate in outreach thorough the development of K-12 curricular materials.", "east": -53.67, "geometry": "POINT(-82.425 -64.21)", "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 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 ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MBES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e THERMOSALINOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "R/V NBP; Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -49.98, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Aronson, Richard", "platforms": "Not provided; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.44, "title": "Collaborative Research: Climate Change and Predatory Invasion of the Antarctic Benthos", "uid": "p0000303", "west": -111.18}, {"awards": "1246202 Hofmann, Gretchen", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((163.317388 -77.3354,163.6520742 -77.3354,163.9867604 -77.3354,164.3214466 -77.3354,164.6561328 -77.3354,164.990819 -77.3354,165.3255052 -77.3354,165.6601914 -77.3354,165.9948776 -77.3354,166.3295638 -77.3354,166.66425 -77.3354,166.66425 -77.386975,166.66425 -77.43855,166.66425 -77.490125,166.66425 -77.5417,166.66425 -77.593275,166.66425 -77.64485,166.66425 -77.696425,166.66425 -77.748,166.66425 -77.799575,166.66425 -77.85115,166.3295638 -77.85115,165.9948776 -77.85115,165.6601914 -77.85115,165.3255052 -77.85115,164.990819 -77.85115,164.6561328 -77.85115,164.3214466 -77.85115,163.9867604 -77.85115,163.6520742 -77.85115,163.317388 -77.85115,163.317388 -77.799575,163.317388 -77.748,163.317388 -77.696425,163.317388 -77.64485,163.317388 -77.593275,163.317388 -77.5417,163.317388 -77.490125,163.317388 -77.43855,163.317388 -77.386975,163.317388 -77.3354))", "dataset_titles": "mRNA sequencing - RNAseq; Nearshore pH, temperature, (salinity, depth) at mooring sites in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, Overwinter 2011-2016; pH temp sal measurement data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601141", "doi": "10.15784/601141", "keywords": "Antarctica; McMurdo Sound; Mcmurdo Station; Mooring; Oceans; Ocean Temperature; PH; Physical Oceanography; Ross Sea; Sea Surface Temperature; Seawater Measurements; Southern Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Kapsenberg, Lydia; Hofmann, Gretchen; Hoshijima, Umihiko", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Nearshore pH, temperature, (salinity, depth) at mooring sites in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, Overwinter 2011-2016", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601141"}, {"dataset_uid": "000181", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "mRNA sequencing - RNAseq", "url": "http://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/639502"}, {"dataset_uid": "002576", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "pH temp sal measurement data", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/639502"}], "date_created": "Tue, 13 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The research supported in this project will examine the effects of environmental change on a key Antarctic marine invertebrate, a pelagic mollusk, the pteropod, Limacina helicina antarctica. There are two main activities in this project: (1) to deploy oceanographic equipment ? in this case, autonomously recording pH sensors called SeaFETs and other devices that record temperature and salinity, and (2) to use these environmental data in the laboratory at McMurdo Station to study the response of the marine invertebrates to future changes in water quality that is expected in the next few decades. Notably, changes in oceanic pH (aka ocean acidification) and ocean warming are projected to be particularly threatening to calcifying marine organisms in cold-water, high latitude seas, making tolerance data on these organisms a critical research need in Antarctic marine ecosystems. These Antarctic shelled-animals are especially vulnerable to dissolution stress from ocean acidification because they currently inhabit seawater that is barely at the saturation level to support biogenic calcification. Indeed, these polar animals are considered to be the \u0027first responders\u0027 to chemical changes in the surface oceans. Thus, this project will lead to information about the adaptive capacity of L. helcina antarctica. From an ecological perspective this is important because this animal is a critical part of the Antarctic food chain in coastal waters and changes in its abundance will impact other species. Finally, the research conducted in this project will serve as a training and educational opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral scholars.", "east": 166.66425, "geometry": "POINT(164.990819 -77.593275)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -77.3354, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Hofmann, Gretchen", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "BCO-DMO; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.85115, "title": "Ocean Acidification Seascape: Linking Natural Variability and Anthropogenic changes in pH and Temperature to Performance in Calcifying Antarctic Marine Invertebrates", "uid": "p0000390", "west": 163.317388}, {"awards": "1043750 Chen, Jianli", "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": "Long-Term and Interannual Variability of Antarctic Ice Sheet Mass Balance From Satellite Gravimetry and Other Geodetic Measurements", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600159", "doi": "10.15784/600159", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPS; GRACE; Potential Field; Satellite Data", "people": "Chen, Jianli", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Long-Term and Interannual Variability of Antarctic Ice Sheet Mass Balance From Satellite Gravimetry and Other Geodetic Measurements", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600159"}], "date_created": "Fri, 13 May 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "1043750/Chen This award supports a project to improve the estimate of long-term and inter-annual variability of Antarctic ice sheet mass balance at continental, regional, and catchment scales, using satellite gravity measurements from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and other geodetic measurements. The work will improve the quantification of long-term mass change rates over Antarctica using GRACE gravity data with a longer record and newer generation(s) of products and will develop advanced numerical forward modeling techniques that can accurately correct leakage effects associated with GRACE data processing, and significantly improve spatial resolution of GRACE mass rate estimates over Antarctica. The work will also contribute to a better understanding of crustal uplift rates due to postglacial rebound (PGR) and present day ice load change over Antarctica via PGR models, GPS measurements, and combined analysis of GRACE and ICESat elevation changes. Inter-annual variations of ice mass over Antarctica will be investigated at continental and catchment scales and connections to regional climate change will be studied. The major deliverables from this study will be improved assessments of ice mass balance for the entire Antarctic ice sheet and potential contribution to global mean sea level rise. The work will also provide estimates of regional ice mass change rates over Antarctica, with a focus along the coast in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, the Peninsula in West Antarctica, and in Wilkes Land and Victoria Land in East Antarctica. Estimates of inter-annual ice mass change over Antarctica at various spatial scales, and assessments of uncertainty of GRACE ice rate estimates and PGR models errors over Antarctica will also be made. The intellectual merits of the proposed investigation include 1) providing improved assessments of Antarctic ice mass balance at different temporal and spatial scales with unprecedented accuracy, an important contribution to broad areas of polar science research; 2) combining high accuracy GPS vertical uplift measurements and PGR models to better quantify long-term crust uplift effects that are not distinguishable from ice mass changes by GRACE; and 3) unifying the work of several investigations at the forefront of quantifying ice sheet and glacier mass balance and crustal uplift based on a variety of modern space geodetic observations. The broader impacts include the fact that the project will actively involve student participation and training, through the support of two graduate students. In addition the project will contribute to general education and public outreach (E/PO) activities and the results from this investigation will help inspire future geoscientists and promote public awareness of significant manifestations of climate change.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e LASER RANGING \u003e GRACE LRR", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "SATELLITES; GRACE; Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Chen, Jianli; Wilson, Clark; Blankenship, Donald D.; Tapley, Byron", "platforms": "Not provided; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e NASA EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE PATHFINDER \u003e GRACE; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e SATELLITES", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Long-Term and Interannual Variability of Antarctic Ice Sheet Mass Balance From Satellite Gravimetry and Other Geodetic Measurements", "uid": "p0000415", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0839031 Severinghaus, Jeffrey; 0838936 Brook, Edward J.", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(161.75 -77.75)", "dataset_titles": "Measurements of 14C-methane for the Younger Dryas - Preboreal Transition from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica; Measurements of in situ cosmogenic 14C from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica; Taylor Glacier chemistry data and Taylor Dome TD2015 time scale; Taylor Glacier CO2 record; Taylor Glacier Gas Isotope Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601033", "doi": "10.15784/601033", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Solid Earth; Taylor Glacier; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Taylor Glacier Gas Isotope Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601033"}, {"dataset_uid": "000158", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Taylor Glacier CO2 record", "url": "ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/icecore/antarctica/taylor/taylor2016d13co2.txt"}, {"dataset_uid": "600165", "doi": "10.15784/600165", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cosmogenic; Geochemistry; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Radiocarbon; Taylor Glacier; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Measurements of in situ cosmogenic 14C from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600165"}, {"dataset_uid": "601029", "doi": "10.15784/601029", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:rock; Chemistry:Rock; Critical Zone; Geochemistry; Methane; Paleoclimate; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Solid Earth; Taylor Glacier; Transantarctic Mountains; Younger Dryas", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Petrenko, Vasilii", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Measurements of 14C-methane for the Younger Dryas - Preboreal Transition from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601029"}, {"dataset_uid": "601103", "doi": "10.15784/601103", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Horizontal Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Taylor Dome; Taylor Dome Ice Core", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Taylor Glacier chemistry data and Taylor Dome TD2015 time scale", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601103"}], "date_created": "Tue, 29 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Severinghaus/0839031 \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to develop a precise gas-based chronology for an archive of large-volume samples of the ancient atmosphere, which would enable ultra-trace gas measurements that are currently precluded by sample size limitations of ice cores. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is that it will provide a critical test of the \"clathrate hypothesis\" that methane clathrates contributed to the two abrupt atmospheric methane concentration increases during the last deglaciation 15 and 11 kyr ago. This approach employs large volumes of ice (\u003e1 ton) to measure carbon-14 on past atmospheric methane across the abrupt events. Carbon-14 is an ideal discriminator of fossil sources of methane to the atmosphere, because most methane sources (e.g., wetlands, termites, biomass burning) are rich in carbon-14, whereas clathrates and other fossil sources are devoid of carbon-14. The proposed work is a logical extension to Taylor Glacier, Antarctica, of an approach pioneered at the margin of the Greenland ice sheet over the past 7 years. The Greenland work found higher-than-expected carbon-14 values, likely due in part to contaminants stemming from the high impurity content of Greenland ice and the interaction of the ice with sediments from the glacier bed. The data also pointed to the possibility of a previously unknown process, in-situ cosmogenic production of carbon-14 methane (radiomethane) in the ice matrix. Antarctic ice in Taylor Glacier is orders of magnitude cleaner than the ice at the Greenland site, and is much colder and less stratigraphically disturbed, offering the potential for a clear resolution of this puzzle and a definitive test of the cosmogenic radiomethane hypothesis. Even if cosmogenic radiomethane in ice is found, it still may be possible to reconstruct atmospheric radiomethane with a correction enabled by a detailed understanding of the process, which will be sought by co-measuring carbon-14 in carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The broader impacts of the proposed work are that the clathrate test may shed light on the stability of the clathrate reservoir and its potential for climate feedbacks under human-induced warming. Development of Taylor Glacier as a \"horizontal ice core\" would provide a community resource for other researchers. Education of one postdoc, one graduate student, and one undergraduate, would add to human resources. This award has field work in Antarctica.", "east": 161.75, "geometry": "POINT(161.75 -77.75)", "instruments": "NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "NOT APPLICABLE; Not provided; USAP-DC", "locations": null, "north": -77.75, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e PLEISTOCENE", "persons": "Brook, Edward J.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "platforms": "Not provided; OTHER \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "NCEI; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.75, "title": "Collaborative Research: A \"Horizontal Ice Core\" for Large-Volume Samples of the Past Atmosphere, Taylor Glacier, Antarctica", "uid": "p0000099", "west": 161.75}, {"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": "1141326 Rotella, Jay", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((163.1 -70.3,163.59 -70.3,164.08 -70.3,164.57 -70.3,165.06 -70.3,165.55 -70.3,166.04 -70.3,166.53 -70.3,167.02 -70.3,167.51 -70.3,168 -70.3,168 -70.98,168 -71.66,168 -72.34,168 -73.02,168 -73.7,168 -74.38,168 -75.06,168 -75.74,168 -76.42,168 -77.1,167.51 -77.1,167.02 -77.1,166.53 -77.1,166.04 -77.1,165.55 -77.1,165.06 -77.1,164.57 -77.1,164.08 -77.1,163.59 -77.1,163.1 -77.1,163.1 -76.42,163.1 -75.74,163.1 -75.06,163.1 -74.38,163.1 -73.7,163.1 -73.02,163.1 -72.34,163.1 -71.66,163.1 -70.98,163.1 -70.3))", "dataset_titles": "Demographic data for Weddell Seal colonies in Erebus Bay through the 2017 Antarctic field season", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601125", "doi": "10.15784/601125", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Sea Ice", "people": "Rotella, Jay", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Demographic data for Weddell Seal colonies in Erebus Bay through the 2017 Antarctic field season", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601125"}], "date_created": "Mon, 08 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Abstract The Erebus Bay population of Weddell seals in Antarctica?s Ross Sea is the most southerly breeding population of mammal in the world, closely associated with persistent shore-fast ice, and one that has been intensively studied since 1968. The resulting long-term database, which includes data for 20,586 marked individuals, contains detailed population information that provides an excellent opportunity to study linkages between environmental conditions and demographic processes in the Antarctic. The population?s location is of special interest as the Ross Sea is one of the most productive areas of the Southern Ocean, one of the few pristine marine environments remaining on the planet, and, in contrast to the Antarctic Peninsula and Arctic, is undergoing a gradual lengthening of the sea-ice season. The work to be continued here capitalizes on (1) long-term data for individual seals and their polar environment; (2) experience collecting and analyzing data from the extensive study population; and (3) recent statistical advances in hierarchical modeling that allow for rigorous treatment of individual heterogeneity (in mark-recapture and body mass data) and inclusion of diverse covariates hypothesized to explain variation in fitness components. Covariates to be considered include traits of individuals and their mothers and environmental conditions throughout life. The study will continue to (1) provide detailed data on known-age individuals to other science projects and (2) educate and mentor the next generation of ecologists through academic and professional training and research experiences.", "east": 168.0, "geometry": "POINT(165.55 -73.7)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -70.3, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Rotella, Jay; Garrott, Robert", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.1, "title": "The Demographic Consequences of Environmental Variability and Individual Heterogeneity in Life-history Tactics of a Long-lived Antarctic Marine Predator", "uid": "p0000299", "west": 163.1}, {"awards": "1043518 Brook, Edward J.", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.08648 -79.46763)", "dataset_titles": "Continuous, Ultra-high Resolution WAIS-Divide Ice Core Methane Record 9.8-67.2 ka BP; Early Holocene methane records from Siple Dome, Antarctica; Methan record", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000176", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Methan record", "url": "https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data/datasets/ice-core"}, {"dataset_uid": "609628", "doi": "10.7265/N5JM27K4", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Methane; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Rhodes, Rachel; Brook, Edward J.; McConnell, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Continuous, Ultra-high Resolution WAIS-Divide Ice Core Methane Record 9.8-67.2 ka BP", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609628"}, {"dataset_uid": "601055", "doi": "10.15784/601055", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Methane; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core", "people": "Yang, Ji-Woong; Ahn, Jinho", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Early Holocene methane records from Siple Dome, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601055"}, {"dataset_uid": "601055", "doi": "10.15784/601055", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Methane; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core", "people": "Ahn, Jinho; Yang, Ji-Woong", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Early Holocene methane records from Siple Dome, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601055"}], "date_created": "Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "1043500/Sowers This award supports a project to develop a 50 yr resolution methane data set that will play a pivotal role in developing the WAIS Divide timescale as well as providing a common stratigraphic framework for comparing climate records from Greenland and West Antarctica. Even higher resolution data are proposed for key intervals to assist in precisely defining the phasing of abrupt climate change between the hemispheres. Concurrent analysis of a suit of samples from both the WAIS Divide and GISP-2 cores throughout the last 110,000 years is also proposed, to establish the interpolar methan (CH4) gradient that will be used to identify geographic areas responsible for the climate related methane emission changes. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is that it will provide chronological control needed to examine the timing of changes in climate proxies, and critical chronological ties to the Greenland ice core records via methane variations. One main objective is to understand the interpolar timing of millennial-scale climate change. This is an important scientific goal relevant to understanding climate change mechanisms in general. The proposed work will help establish a chronological framework for addressing these issues. In addition, this proposal addresses the question of what methane sources were active during the ice age, through the work on the interpolar methane gradient. This work is directed at the fundamental question of what part of the biosphere controlled past methane variations, and is important for developing more sophisticated understanding of those variations. The broader impacts of the work are that the ultra-high resolution CH4 record will directly benefit all ice core paleoclimate research and the chronological refinements will impact paleoclimate studies that rely on ice core timescales for correlation purposes. The project will support both graduate and undergraduate students and the PIs will participate in outreach to the public.", "east": -112.08648, "geometry": "POINT(-112.08648 -79.46763)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e INFRARED LASER SPECTROSCOPY", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "WAIS Divide; Not provided; LABORATORY; Wais Divide-project; Methane Concentration", "locations": "WAIS Divide", "north": -79.46763, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Rhodes, Rachel; Brook, Edward J.; McConnell, Joseph", "platforms": "Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "NCEI", "repositories": "NCEI; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.46763, "title": "Collaborative Research: Completing an ultra-high resolution methane record from the WAIS Divide ice core", "uid": "p0000185", "west": -112.08648}, {"awards": "0948247 Pettit, Erin", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-123.35 -75.1)", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 06 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Pettit/0948247\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to study of the relationship between fabric and climate for the ice near the EPICA Dome C ice core site, East Antarctica. The work builds on an ongoing study at Siple Dome, West Antarctica and takes advantage of collaborations with European scientists and access to the Dome C borehole to make measurements of sonic velocity. The intellectual merit of the project is that a better understanding of how fabric preserves past climate information can improve models of the ice flow near ice core sites and the interpreta-tion of ice core data (particularly paleo-accumulation), and it may allow us to extract climate information directly from fabric data. In addition, because ice deformation is sensitive to the orientation of crystals, ice flow patterns are sensitive to the fabric. Thus, variations in the fabric between glacial and interglacial ice can affect how ice deforms and how fabric in the ice sheet develops. The Dome C site is particularly important for answering these questions, because the ice core shows evidence of eight glacial cycles, not just one as found at Siple Dome or the Greenland sites. The research will improve the understanding of the proxy relationship between sonic-velocity data and fabric; will help to model the pattern of ice flow caused by the fabric variation between glacial and interglacial time periods using these data, existing ice core chemistry and existing and new thin section data, improved surface strain data, and borehole deformation data; and will help to better understand the positive feedback mechanism that enhances fabric (and corresponding rheological) variability through a focused study of several climate transitions and the associated fabric changes. Borehole compressional-wave sonic-velocity will be measured which will complement the sonic-velocity data that already exist for boreholes in Greenland and West Antarctica. These will be the first sonic-velocity measurements in East Antarctica and the first measurements that extend for more than a single glacial/interglacial transition. The project will ultimately contribute to better interpretation of ice core records for both paleoclimate studies and for ice flow history, both of which connect to the broader questions of the role of ice in the climate system. This project will also strengthen the international collaborations within the paleoclimate and ice sheet modeling communities. This project will partially support a graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who is currently working on modeling ice including anisotropy and it will support the growth of a young scientist through a Post-Doc position. This Post Doc will gain important experience collaborating with the EPICA scientists in studying the climate-fabric relationship. Erin Pettit is active in field-science education for high school students, under-graduates, teachers, and adults. This project will help support the continued development and enhancement of Girls on Ice a program that encourages young women to explore science and the natural world.", "east": -123.35, "geometry": "POINT(-123.35 -75.1)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "LABORATORY; Crystals; Deformation; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Model; Sonic Logger; Ice Flow; Rheology; FIELD SURVEYS; Borehole; Climate; Ice Fabric; Antarctica; Interglacial", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -75.1, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Pettit, Erin; Hansen, Sharon", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -75.1, "title": "The Relationship between Climate and Ice Rheology at Dome C, East Antarctica", "uid": "p0000708", "west": -123.35}, {"awards": "0944659 Kiene, Ronald; 0944686 Kieber, David", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -68,-177 -68,-174 -68,-171 -68,-168 -68,-165 -68,-162 -68,-159 -68,-156 -68,-153 -68,-150 -68,-150 -69,-150 -70,-150 -71,-150 -72,-150 -73,-150 -74,-150 -75,-150 -76,-150 -77,-150 -78,-153 -78,-156 -78,-159 -78,-162 -78,-165 -78,-168 -78,-171 -78,-174 -78,-177 -78,180 -78,178 -78,176 -78,174 -78,172 -78,170 -78,168 -78,166 -78,164 -78,162 -78,160 -78,160 -77,160 -76,160 -75,160 -74,160 -73,160 -72,160 -71,160 -70,160 -69,160 -68,162 -68,164 -68,166 -68,168 -68,170 -68,172 -68,174 -68,176 -68,178 -68,-180 -68))", "dataset_titles": "Ecophysiology of DMSP and related compounds and their contributions to carbon and sulfur dynamics in Phaeocystis antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600117", "doi": "10.15784/600117", "keywords": "Biota; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean", "people": "Kieber, David John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ecophysiology of DMSP and related compounds and their contributions to carbon and sulfur dynamics in Phaeocystis antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600117"}, {"dataset_uid": "600150", "doi": "10.15784/600150", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Oceans; Ross Sea", "people": "Kiene, Ronald", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ecophysiology of DMSP and related compounds and their contributions to carbon and sulfur dynamics in Phaeocystis antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600150"}], "date_created": "Wed, 16 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Spectacular blooms of Phaeocystis antarctica in the Ross Sea, Antarctica are the source of some of the world\u0027s highest concentrations of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and its volatile degradation product, dimethylsulfide (DMS). The flux of DMS from the oceans to the atmosphere in this region and its subsequent gas phase oxidation generates aerosols that have a strong influence on cloud properties and possibly climate. In the oceans, DMS and DMSP are quantitatively significant components of the carbon, sulfur, and energy flows in marine food webs, especially in the Ross Sea. Despite its central role in carbon and sulfur biogeochemistry in the Ross Sea, surprisingly little is known about the physiological functions of DMSP in P. Antarctica. The research will isolate and characterize DMSP lyases from P. antarctica, with the goal of obtaining amino acid and gene sequence information on these important enzymes. The physiological studies will focus on the effects of varying intensities of photosynthetically active radiation, with and without ultraviolet radiation as these are factors that we have found to be important controls on DMSP and DMS dynamics. The research also will examine the effects of prolonged darkness on the dynamics of DMSP and related compounds in P. antarctica, as survival of this species during the dark Antarctic winter and at sub-euphotic depths appears to be an important part of the Phaeocystis? ecology. A unique aspect of this work is the focus on measurements of intracellular MSA, which if detected, would provide strong evidence for in vivo radical scavenging functions for methyl sulfur compounds. The study will advance understanding of what controls DMSP cycling and ultimately DMS emissions from the Ross Sea and also provide information on what makes P. antarctica so successful in this extreme environment. The research will directly benefit and build on several interrelated ocean-atmosphere programs including the International Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) program. The PIs will participate in several activities involving K-12 education, High School teacher training, public education and podcasting through the auspices of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Discovery Hall program and SUNY ESF. Two graduate students will be employed full time, and six undergraduates (2 each summer) will be trained as part of this project.", "east": -150.0, "geometry": "POINT(-175 -73)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Amd/Us; Not provided; Ecophysiology; AMD; USAP-DC; FIELD SURVEYS", "locations": null, "north": -68.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kiene, Ronald; Kieber, David John", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Ecophysiology of DMSP and related compounds and their contributions to carbon and sulfur dynamics in Phaeocystis antarctica", "uid": "p0000085", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "0944411 Ainley, David; 0944141 Ballard, Grant; 0944358 Dugger, Katie", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((165.9 -76.9,166.25 -76.9,166.6 -76.9,166.95 -76.9,167.3 -76.9,167.65 -76.9,168 -76.9,168.35 -76.9,168.7 -76.9,169.05 -76.9,169.4 -76.9,169.4 -76.97,169.4 -77.04,169.4 -77.11,169.4 -77.18,169.4 -77.25,169.4 -77.32,169.4 -77.39,169.4 -77.46,169.4 -77.53,169.4 -77.6,169.05 -77.6,168.7 -77.6,168.35 -77.6,168 -77.6,167.65 -77.6,167.3 -77.6,166.95 -77.6,166.6 -77.6,166.25 -77.6,165.9 -77.6,165.9 -77.53,165.9 -77.46,165.9 -77.39,165.9 -77.32,165.9 -77.25,165.9 -77.18,165.9 -77.11,165.9 -77.04,165.9 -76.97,165.9 -76.9))", "dataset_titles": "Adelie penguin banding data 1994-2009; Adelie penguin chick counts 1997-2009; Adelie penguin chick measurements 1996 - 2009; Adelie penguin diet data 1996 - 2009; Adelie penguin dive data 1999-2009; Adelie penguin Geolocation Sensor data 2003-2007; Adelie penguin resighting data 1997-2009; Adelie penguin resighting data 1997-2021 from the California Avian Data Center hosted by Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science; Adelie penguin satellite position data 2000-2009; Adelie penguin weighbridge data 1994-2009; Daily weather observations 1996-2009; Leopard Seal counts 1997-2009; PRBO/California Avian Data Center (CADC)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600008", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Adelie penguin diet data 1996 - 2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600008"}, {"dataset_uid": "600006", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Adelie penguin chick measurements 1996 - 2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600006"}, {"dataset_uid": "600005", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Adelie penguin banding data 1994-2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600005"}, {"dataset_uid": "000154", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "CADC", "science_program": null, "title": "PRBO/California Avian Data Center (CADC)", "url": "http://data.prbo.org/apps/penguinscience/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601444", "doi": "10.15784/601444", "keywords": "Adelie Penguin; Antarctica; Biota; Demography; Mark-Recapture; Monitoring; Penguin; Ross Island", "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Adelie penguin resighting data 1997-2021 from the California Avian Data Center hosted by Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601444"}, {"dataset_uid": "600015", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Daily weather observations 1996-2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600015"}, {"dataset_uid": "600014", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Adelie penguin weighbridge data 1994-2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600014"}, {"dataset_uid": "600013", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Adelie penguin dive data 1999-2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600013"}, {"dataset_uid": "600012", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Adelie penguin satellite position data 2000-2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600012"}, {"dataset_uid": "600011", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Adelie penguin resighting data 1997-2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600011"}, {"dataset_uid": "600010", "doi": "", "keywords": "Biota; Oceans", "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Leopard Seal counts 1997-2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600010"}, {"dataset_uid": "600009", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Adelie penguin Geolocation Sensor data 2003-2007", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600009"}, {"dataset_uid": "600007", "doi": "", "keywords": "Biota", "people": "Ballard, Grant", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Adelie penguin chick counts 1997-2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600007"}], "date_created": "Sun, 13 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "While changes in populations typically are tracked to gauge the impact of climate or habitat change, the process involves the response of individuals as each copes with an altered environment. In a study of Adelie penguins that spans 13 breeding seasons, results indicate that only 20% of individuals within a colony successfully raise offspring, and that they do so because of their exemplary foraging proficiency. Moreover, foraging appears to require more effort at the largest colony, where intraspecific competition is higher than at small colonies, and also requires more proficiency during periods of environmental stress. When conditions are particularly daunting, emigration dramatically increases, countering the long-standing assumption that Ad\u00e9lie penguins are highly philopatric. The research project will 1) determine the effect of age, experience and physiology on individual foraging efficiency; 2) determine the effect of age, experience, and individual quality on breeding success and survival in varying environmental and competitive conditions at the colony level; and 3) develop a comprehensive model for the Ross-Beaufort Island metapopulation dynamics. Broader impacts include training of interns, continuation of public outreach through the highly successful project website penguinscience.com, development of classroom materials and other standards-based instructional resources.", "east": 169.4, "geometry": "POINT(167.65 -77.25)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -76.9, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Ainley, David; Dugger, Katie; Ballard, Grant", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "CADC; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.6, "title": "COLLABORATIVE: Adelie Penguin Response to Climate Change at the Individual, Colony and Metapopulation Levels", "uid": "p0000318", "west": 165.9}, {"awards": "1043761 Young, Duncan", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-145 -74,-141.6 -74,-138.2 -74,-134.8 -74,-131.4 -74,-128 -74,-124.6 -74,-121.2 -74,-117.8 -74,-114.4 -74,-111 -74,-111 -74.6,-111 -75.2,-111 -75.8,-111 -76.4,-111 -77,-111 -77.6,-111 -78.2,-111 -78.8,-111 -79.4,-111 -80,-114.4 -80,-117.8 -80,-121.2 -80,-124.6 -80,-128 -80,-131.4 -80,-134.8 -80,-138.2 -80,-141.6 -80,-145 -80,-145 -79.4,-145 -78.8,-145 -78.2,-145 -77.6,-145 -77,-145 -76.4,-145 -75.8,-145 -75.2,-145 -74.6,-145 -74))", "dataset_titles": "AGASEA 4.7 ka Englacial Isochron over the Thwaites Glacier Catchment; Geophysical Investigations of Marie Byrd Land Lithospheric Evolution (GIMBLE) Airborne VHF Radar Transects: 2012/2013 and 2014/2015; Gravity disturbance data over central Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica (GIMBLE.GGCMG2); Ice thickness and related data over central Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica (GIMBLE.GR2HI2); Magnetic anomaly data over central Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica (GIMBLE.GMGEO2)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200407", "doi": "10.18738/T8/BMXUHX", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Texas Data Repository", "science_program": null, "title": "Geophysical Investigations of Marie Byrd Land Lithospheric Evolution (GIMBLE) Airborne VHF Radar Transects: 2012/2013 and 2014/2015", "url": "https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/BMXUHX"}, {"dataset_uid": "601673", "doi": "10.15784/601673", "keywords": "Antarchitecture; Antarctica; Ice Penetrating Radar; Isochron; Layers; Radar; Radioglaciology; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Blankenship, Donald D.; Muldoon, Gail R.; Young, Duncan A.; Jackson, Charles", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "AGASEA 4.7 ka Englacial Isochron over the Thwaites Glacier Catchment", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601673"}, {"dataset_uid": "601003", "doi": "10.15784/601003", "keywords": "Antarctica; Gimble; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Gravity; Marie Byrd Land; Navigation; Potential Field; Solid Earth", "people": "Holt, John W.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Young, Duncan A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Gravity disturbance data over central Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica (GIMBLE.GGCMG2)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601003"}, {"dataset_uid": "601002", "doi": "10.15784/601002", "keywords": "Antarctica; Gimble; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Magnetic; Marie Byrd Land; Navigation; Potential Field; Solid Earth", "people": "Holt, John W.; Young, Duncan A.; Blankenship, Donald D.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Magnetic anomaly data over central Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica (GIMBLE.GMGEO2)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601002"}, {"dataset_uid": "601001", "doi": "10.15784/601001", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Gimble; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Thickness; Marie Byrd Land; Navigation; Radar", "people": "Young, Duncan A.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Holt, John W.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice thickness and related data over central Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica (GIMBLE.GR2HI2)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601001"}], "date_created": "Tue, 01 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: The PIs propose to use airborne geophysics to provide detailed geophysical mapping over the Marie Byrd Land dome of West Antarctica. They will use a Basler equipped with advanced ice penetrating radar, a magnetometer, an airborne gravimeter and laser altimeter. They will test models of Marie Byrd Land lithospheric evolution in three ways: 1) constrain bedrock topography and crustal structure of central Marie Byrd Land for the first time; 2) map subglacial geomorphology of Marie Byrd Land to constrain landscape evolution; and 3) map the distribution of subglacial volcanic centers and identify active sources. Marie Byrd Land is one of the few parts of West Antarctica whose bedrock lies above sea level; as such, it has a key role to play in the formation and decay of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), and thus on eustatic sea level change during the Neogene. Several lines of evidence suggest that the topography of Marie Byrd Land has changed over the course of the Cenozoic, with significant implications for the origin and evolution of the ice sheet. Broader impacts: This work will have important implications for both the cryospheric and geodynamic communities. These data will also leverage results from the POLENET project. The PIs will train both graduate and undergraduate students in the interpretation of large geophysical datasets providing them with the opportunity to co-author peer-reviewed papers and present their work to the broader science community. This research will also support a young female researcher. The PIs will conduct informal education using their Polar Studies website and contribute formally to K-12 curriculum development. The research will incorporate microblogging and data access to allow the project?s first-order hypothesis to be confirmed or denied in public.", "east": -111.0, "geometry": "POINT(-128 -77)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e HICARS1; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e ALTIMETERS \u003e LIDAR/LASER ALTIMETERS \u003e LIDAR ALTIMETERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e MAGNETIC FIELD/ELECTRIC FIELD INSTRUMENTS \u003e NUCLEAR PRECESSION MAGNETOMETER; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e CMG-GT-1A", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "BT-67; Marie Byrd Land; ICE SHEETS", "locations": "Marie Byrd Land", "north": -74.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Young, Duncan A.; Holt, John W.; Blankenship, Donald D.", "platforms": "AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PROPELLER \u003e BT-67", "repo": "Texas Data Repository", "repositories": "Texas Data Repository; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -80.0, "title": "Geophysical Investigations of Marie Byrd Land Lithospheric Evolution (GIMBLE)", "uid": "p0000435", "west": -145.0}, {"awards": "1039982 Anandakrishnan, Sridhar", "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": "Seismological Data at IRIS (full data link not provided)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000170", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IRIS", "science_program": null, "title": "Seismological Data at IRIS (full data link not provided)", "url": "http://ds.iris.edu/"}], "date_created": "Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: Knowledge of englacial and subglacial conditions are critical for ice sheet models and predictions of sea-level change. Some of the critical variables that are poorly known but essential for improving flow models and predictions of sea-level change are: basal roughness, subglacial sedimentary and hydrologic conditions, and the temporal and spatial variability of the ice sheet flow field. Seismic reflection and refraction imaging and dense arrays of continuously operating GPS receivers can determine these parameters. The PIs propose to develop a network of wirelessly interconnected geophysical sensors (geoPebble) that will allow glaciologists to carry out these experiments simultaneously. This sensor web will provide a new way of imaging the ice sheet that is not possible with current instruments. With this sensor web, the PIs will extend the range of existing instruments from 2D to 3D, from low resolution to high resolution, but more importantly, all the geophysical measurements will be conducted synchronously. By the end of the proposal period the PIs will produce a network of 150-200 geoPebbles that will be available for NSF-sponsored glaciology research projects. Broader impacts: Improved knowledge of the flow law of ice, the sliding of glaciers and ice streams, and paleoclimate history will contribute to assessments of the potential for abrupt ice-sheet mass change, with consequent sea-level effects and significant societal impacts. This improved modeling ability will be a direct consequence of better knowledge of the physical properties of ice sheets, which this project will facilitate. The development effort will be integrated with the undergraduate education program via the capstone design classes in EE and the senior thesis requirement in Geoscience. The PIs will also form a cohort of first-year and sophomore students who will work in their labs from the beginning of the project to develop specifications through the commissioning of the network.", "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": "Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; Bilen, Sven; Urbina, Julio", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "IRIS", "repositories": "IRIS", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "MRI: Development of a Wirelessly-Connected Network of Seismometers and GPS Instruments for Polar and Geophysical Research", "uid": "p0000405", "west": -180.0}, {"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": "1142010 Talghader, Joseph; 1142173 Bay, Ryan", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(112.085 -79.467)", "dataset_titles": "Optical Fabric and Fiber Logging of Glacial Ice (1142010)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600172", "doi": "10.15784/600172", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ash Layer; Borehole Camera; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Talghader, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Optical Fabric and Fiber Logging of Glacial Ice (1142010)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600172"}], "date_created": "Thu, 05 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "1142010/Talghader This award supports a project to combine the expertise of both glaciologists and optical engineers to develop polarization- preserving optical scattering techniques for borehole tools to identify changes in high-resolution crystal structure (fabric) and dust content of glacial ice. The intellectual merit of this work is that the fabric and impurity content of the ice contain details on climate, volcanic activity and ice flow history. Such fabric measurements are currently taken by slicing an ice core into sections after it has started to depressurize which is an extremely time-intensive process that damages the core and does not always preserve the properties of ice in its in-situ state. In addition the ice core usually must be consumed in order to measure the components of the dust. The fabric measurements of this study utilize the concept that singly-scattered light in ice preserves most of its polarization when it is backscattered once from bubbles or dust; therefore, changes to the polarization of singly-backscattered light must originate with the birefringence. Measurements based on this concept will enable this program to obtain continuous records of fabric and correlate them to chronology and dust content. The project will also develop advanced borehole instruments to replace current logging tools, which require optical sources, detectors and power cables to be submerged in borehole fluid and lowered into the ice sheet at temperatures of -50oC. The use of telecommunications fiber will allow all sources and detectors to remain at the surface and enable low-noise signal processing techniques such as lock-in amplification that increase signal integrity and reduce needed power. Further, fiber logging systems would be much smaller and more flexible than current tools and capable of navigating most boreholes without a heavy winch. In order to assess fabric in situ and test fiber-optic borehole tools, field measurements will be made at WAIS Divide and a deep log will also be made at Siple Dome, both in West Antarctica. If successful, the broader impacts of the proposed research would include the development of new analytical methods and lightweight logging tools for ice drilling research that can operate in boreholes drilled in ice. Eventually the work could result in the development of better prehistoric records of glacier flow, atmospheric particulates, precipitation, and climate forcing. The project encompasses a broad base of theoretical, experimental, and design work, which makes it ideal for training graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Collaboration with schools and classroom teachers will help bring aspects of optics, climate, and polar science to an existing Middle School curriculum.", "east": 112.085, "geometry": "POINT(112.085 -79.467)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e OPTICAL DUST LOGGERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Fabric; Optical Scattering; Not provided; FIELD SURVEYS; Ice Core; Siple Dome; Antarctic; Dust; WAIS Divide; LABORATORY; Crystal Structure; Chronology; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Borehole", "locations": "Antarctic; WAIS Divide; Siple Dome", "north": -79.467, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Talghader, Joseph; 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": -79.467, "title": "Optical Fabric and Fiber Logging of Glacial Ice", "uid": "p0000339", "west": 112.085}, {"awards": "1043780 Aydin, Murat", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Ice Core Air Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements - Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core; Ultra-trace Measurements in the WAIS Divide 06A Ice Core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609659", "doi": "10.7265/N5CV4FPK", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Aydin, Murat; Saltzman, Eric", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Ultra-trace Measurements in the WAIS Divide 06A Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609659"}, {"dataset_uid": "601361", "doi": "10.15784/601361", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbonyl Sulfide; Trace Gases", "people": "Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice Core Air Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements - Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601361"}], "date_created": "Tue, 27 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Aydin/1043780 This award supports the analysis of the trace gas carbonyl sulfide (COS) in a deep ice core from West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS-D), Antarctica. COS is the most abundant sulfur gas in the troposphere and a precursor of stratospheric sulfate. It has a large terrestrial COS sink that is tightly coupled to the photosynthetic uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The primary goal of this project is to develop high a resolution Holocene record of COS from the WAIS-D 06A ice core. The main objectives are 1) to assess the natural variability of COS and the extent to which its atmospheric variability was influenced by climate variability, and 2) to examine the relationship between changes in atmospheric COS and CO2. This project also includes low-resolution sampling and analysis of COS from 10,000-30,000 yrs BP, covering the transition from the Last Glacial Maximum into the early Holocene. The goal of this work is to assess the stability of COS in ice core air over long time scales and to establish the COS levels during the last glacial maximum and the magnitude of the change between glacial and interglacial conditions. The results of this work will be disseminated via peer-review publications and will contribute to environmental assessments such as the WMO Stratospheric Ozone Assessment and IPCC Climate Assessment. This project will support a PhD student and undergraduate researcher in the Department of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine, and will create summer research opportunities for undergraduates from non-research active Universities.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ethane; LABORATORY; N-Butane; Carbonyl Sulfide; Propane; Methyl Bromide; Methyl Chloride; Carbon Disulfide", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Aydin, Murat; Saltzman, Eric", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements in the Deep West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core", "uid": "p0000055", "west": null}, {"awards": "1343649 Levy, Joseph", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((162.852 -77.6111,162.9893 -77.6111,163.1266 -77.6111,163.2639 -77.6111,163.4012 -77.6111,163.5385 -77.6111,163.6758 -77.6111,163.8131 -77.6111,163.9504 -77.6111,164.0877 -77.6111,164.225 -77.6111,164.225 -77.65331,164.225 -77.69552,164.225 -77.73773,164.225 -77.77994,164.225 -77.82215,164.225 -77.86436,164.225 -77.90657,164.225 -77.94878,164.225 -77.99099,164.225 -78.0332,164.0877 -78.0332,163.9504 -78.0332,163.8131 -78.0332,163.6758 -78.0332,163.5385 -78.0332,163.4012 -78.0332,163.2639 -78.0332,163.1266 -78.0332,162.9893 -78.0332,162.852 -78.0332,162.852 -77.99099,162.852 -77.94878,162.852 -77.90657,162.852 -77.86436,162.852 -77.82215,162.852 -77.77994,162.852 -77.73773,162.852 -77.69552,162.852 -77.65331,162.852 -77.6111))", "dataset_titles": "Cryptic Hydrology of the McMurdo Dry Valleys: Water Track Contributions to Water and Geochemical Budgets in Taylor Valley, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600139", "doi": "10.15784/600139", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:soil; Chemistry:Soil; Critical Zone; Dry Valleys; Permafrost; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Well Measurements", "people": "Levy, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Cryptic Hydrology of the McMurdo Dry Valleys: Water Track Contributions to Water and Geochemical Budgets in Taylor Valley, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600139"}], "date_created": "Mon, 05 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: The PIs propose to quantify the hillslope water, solute, and carbon budgets for Taylor Valley in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, using water tracks to investigate near-surface geological processes and challenge the paradigm that shallow groundwater is minimal or non-exixtant. Water tracks are linear zones of high soil moisture that route shallow groundwater downslope in permafrost dominated soils. Four hypotheses will be tested: 1) water tracks are important pathways for water and solute transport; 2) water tracks transport more dissolved silica than streams in Taylor Valley indicating they are the primary site of chemical weathering for cold desert soils and bedrock; 3) water tracks that drain highland terrains are dominated by humidity-separated brines while water tracks that drain lowland terrains are dominated by marine aerosols; 4) water tracks are the sites of the highest terrestrial soil carbon concentrations and the strongest CO2 fluxes in Taylor Valley and their carbon content increases with soil age, while carbon flux decreases with age. To test these hypotheses the PIs will carry out a suite of field measurements supported by modeling and remote sensing. They will install shallow permafrost wells in water tracks that span the range of geological, climatological, and topographic conditions in Taylor Valley. Multifrequency electromagnetic induction sounding of the upper ~1 m of the permafrost will create the first comprehensive map of soil moisture in Taylor Valley, and will permit direct quantification of water track discharge across the valley. The carbon contents of water track soils will be measured and linked to global carbon dynamics. Broader impacts: Non-science majors at Oregon State University will be integrated into the proposed research through a new Global Environmental Change course focusing on the scientific method in Antarctica. Three undergraduate students, members of underrepresented minorities, will be entrained in the research, will contribute to all aspects of field and laboratory science, and will present results at national meetings.", "east": 164.225, "geometry": "POINT(163.5385 -77.82215)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -77.6111, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Levy, Joseph", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0332, "title": "Cryptic Hydrology of the McMurdo Dry Valleys: Water Track Contributions to Water and Geochemical Budgets in Taylor Valley, Antarctica", "uid": "p0000407", "west": 162.852}, {"awards": "0632282 Jacobs, Stanley", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-129.6 -54.2,-124.44 -54.2,-119.28 -54.2,-114.12 -54.2,-108.96 -54.2,-103.8 -54.2,-98.64 -54.2,-93.48 -54.2,-88.32 -54.2,-83.16 -54.2,-78 -54.2,-78 -56.29,-78 -58.38,-78 -60.47,-78 -62.56,-78 -64.65,-78 -66.74,-78 -68.83,-78 -70.92,-78 -73.01,-78 -75.1,-83.16 -75.1,-88.32 -75.1,-93.48 -75.1,-98.64 -75.1,-103.8 -75.1,-108.96 -75.1,-114.12 -75.1,-119.28 -75.1,-124.44 -75.1,-129.6 -75.1,-129.6 -73.01,-129.6 -70.92,-129.6 -68.83,-129.6 -66.74,-129.6 -64.65,-129.6 -62.56,-129.6 -60.47,-129.6 -58.38,-129.6 -56.29,-129.6 -54.2))", "dataset_titles": "Amundsen Sea Continental Shelf Mooring Data (2006-2007); Calibrated Hydrographic Data acquired with a LADCP from the Amundsen Sea acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0901; NBP07-09 cruise data; NBP07-09 processed CTD data; NBP09-01 cruise data; NBP09-01 processed CTD data; Processed Temperature, Salinity, and Current Measurement Data from the Amundsen Sea acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0901", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000127", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP07-09 cruise data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0709"}, {"dataset_uid": "601809", "doi": "10.15784/601809", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Mooring; Ocean Currents; Pressure; Salinity; Temperature", "people": "Jacobs, Stanley; Giulivi, Claudia F.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Amundsen Sea Continental Shelf Mooring Data (2006-2007)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601809"}, {"dataset_uid": "000128", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP07-09 processed CTD data", "url": "http://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0120761"}, {"dataset_uid": "000129", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP09-01 cruise data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0901"}, {"dataset_uid": "000130", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP09-01 processed CTD data", "url": "http://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0071179"}, {"dataset_uid": "601350", "doi": null, "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctic; Antarctica; CTD; CTD Data; Current Measurements; NBP0901; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Pine Island Bay; Pine Island Glacier; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Salinity; Southern Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Jacobs, Stanley; Huber, Bruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Processed Temperature, Salinity, and Current Measurement Data from the Amundsen Sea acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0901", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601350"}, {"dataset_uid": "601349", "doi": null, "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Current Measurements; LADCP; NBP0901; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Pine Island Bay; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Southern Ocean", "people": "Thurnherr, Andreas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Calibrated Hydrographic Data acquired with a LADCP from the Amundsen Sea acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0901", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601349"}], "date_created": "Fri, 25 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Office of Polar Programs, Antarctic Science Division, Ocean \u0026 Climate Systems Program has made this award to support a multidisciplinary effort to study the upwelling of relatively warm deep water onto the Amundsen Sea continental shelf and how it relates to atmospheric forcing and bottom bathymetry and how the warm waters interact with both glacial and sea ice. This study constitutes a contribution of a coordinated research effort in the region known as the Amundsen Sea Embayment Project or ASEP. Previous work by the PI and others has shown that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has been found to be melting faster, perhaps by orders of magnitude, than ice sheets elsewhere around Antarctica, excluding those on the Peninsula. Submarine channels that incise the continental shelf are thought to provide fairly direct access of relatively warm circum polar deep water to the cavity under the floating extension of the ice shelf. Interactions with sea ice en route can modify the upwelled waters. The proposed investigations build on previous efforts by the PI and colleagues to use hydrographic measurements to put quantitative bounds on the rate of glacial ice melt by relatively warm seawater. \u003cbr/\u003eThe region can be quite difficult to access due to sea ice conditions and previous hydrographic measurements have been restricted to the austral summer time frame. In this project it was proposed to obtain the first austral spring hydrographic data via CTD casts and XBT drops (September-October 2007) as part of a separately funded cruise (PI Steve Ackley) the primary focus of which is sea-ice conditions to be studied while the RV Nathanial B Palmer (RV NBP) drifts in the ice pack. This includes opportunistic sampling for pCO2 and TCO2. A dedicated cruise in austral summer 2009 will follow this opportunity. The principal objectives of the dedicated field program are to deploy a set of moorings with which to characterize temporal variability in warm water intrusions onto the shelf and to conduct repeat hydrographic surveying and swath mapping in targeted areas, ice conditions permitting. Automatic weather stations are to be deployed in concert with the program, sea-ice observations will be undertaken from the vessel and the marine cavity beneath the Pine Island may be explored pending availability of the British autonomous underwater vehicle Autosub 3. These combined ocean-sea ice-atmosphere observations are aimed at a range of model validations. A well-defined plan for making data available as well as archiving in a timely fashion should facilitate a variety of modeling efforts and so extend the value of the spatially limited observations. \u003cbr/\u003eBroader impacts: This project is relevant to an International Polar Year research emphasis on ice sheet dynamics focusing in particular on the seaward ocean-ice sheet interactions. Such interactions must be clarified for understanding the potential for sea level rise by melt of the West Antarctic ice Sheet. The project entails substantive international partnerships (British Antarctic Survey and Alfred Wegner Institute) and complements other Amundsen Sea Embayment Project proposals covering other elements of ice sheet dynamics. The proposal includes partial support for 2 graduate students and 2 post docs. Participants from the Antarctic Artists and Writers program are to take part in the cruise and so aid in outreach. In addition, the project is to be represented in the Lamont-Doherty annual open house.", "east": -78.0, "geometry": "POINT(-103.8 -64.65)", "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; 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": "Not provided; R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -54.2, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Jacobs, Stanley; Hellmer, Hartmut; Jenkins, Adrian", "platforms": "Not provided; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "NCEI; R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -75.1, "title": "Collaborative International Research: Amundsen Sea Influence on West Antarctic Ice Sheet Stability and Sea Level Rise - IPY/ASEP", "uid": "p0000332", "west": -129.6}, {"awards": "0939628 Barletta, Robert", "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, 06 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Biogenic sulfur compounds, such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS), its precursors dimethyl sulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and its atmospheric oxidation product, methane sulfonic acid (MSA), are important components of the global sulfur cycle that significantly impact global climate. The roles of DMSP and DMSO within the organisms that produce them, as well as their intracellular concentrations, are poorly understood. DMSO has been speculated to play a role in intracellular osmoregulation, cryoprotection and scavenging of reactive oxygen species, but its intracellular concentration in plankton has only been inferred. Quantitative measurement of the concentration of biogenic sulfur compounds in vivo is necessary to more completely understand their biogeochemistry. The principal investigator has developed methods for the quantitative analysis of biogenic sulfur compounds using Raman spectroscopy, which have resulted in the detection of DMSO with a sensitivity of \u003c10 mM - far lower than the current estimates of its intracellular concentrations. The research will extend this technique to DMSP. The direct determination of the intracellular DMSP and DMSO, will allow the proposed roles of these compounds in phytoplankton to be investigated. Lastly, using field-collected cores, measurements will be made of the intracellular sulfur compounds as well as the concentration of molecular anions in the sea ice micro-environment. As an RUI project, successful completion of this work will have a substantial impact on undergraduate education in the Chemistry Department at the University of South Alabama, exposing undergraduates and, particularly, under-represented minorities in the sciences to cutting-edge research. It will provide financial support for their education and allow them to present research in journal articles and at technical meetings. Contacts with scientists in the field of Antarctic research at other institutions will give students the opportunity to interact with researchers in related fields, broadening their experience base.", "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 Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Barletta, Robert", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "RUI: Analysis of Intracellular Biogenic Sulfur Using micro-Raman Spectroscopy", "uid": "p0000403", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1043522 Brook, Edward J.; 1043421 Severinghaus, Jeffrey", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.09 -79.47)", "dataset_titles": "WAIS Divide Replicate Core Methane Isotopic Data Set", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601059", "doi": "10.15784/601059", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Replicate Core Methane Isotopic Data Set", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601059"}], "date_created": "Mon, 13 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "1043421/Severinghaus This award supports a project to obtain samples of ice in selected intervals for replication and verification of the validity and spatial representativeness of key results in the WAIS Divide ice core, and to obtain additional ice samples in areas of intense scientific interest where demand is high. The US Ice Core Working Group recommended in 2003 that NSF pursue the means to take replicate samples, termed \"replicate coring\". This recommendation was part of an agreement to reduce the diameter of the (then) new drilling system (the DISC drill) core to 12.2 cm to lighten logistics burdens, and the science community accepted the reduction in ice sample with the understanding that replicate coring would be able to provide extra sample volume in key intervals. The WAIS Divide effort would particularly benefit from replicate coring, because of the unique quality of the expected gas record and the large samples needed for gases and gas isotopes; thus this proposal to employ replicate coring at WAIS Divide. In addition, scientific demand for ice samples has been, and will continue to be, very unevenly distributed, with the ice core archive being completely depleted in depth intervals of high scientific interest (abrupt climate changes, volcanic sulfate horizons, meteor impact horizons, for example). The broader impacts of the proposed research may include identification of leads and lags between Greenland, tropical, and Antarctic climate change, enabling critical tests of hypotheses for the mechanism of abrupt climate change. Improved understanding of volcanic impacts on atmospheric chemistry and climate may also emerge. This understanding may ultimately help improve climate models and prediction of the Earth System feedback response to ongoing human perturbation in coming centuries. Outreach and public education about climate change are integral components of the PIs\u0027 activities and the proposed work will enhance these efforts. Broader impacts also include education and training of 2 postdoctoral scholars and 1 graduate student, and invaluable field experience for the graduate and undergraduate students who will likely make up the core processing team at WAIS Divide.", "east": -112.09, "geometry": "POINT(-112.09 -79.47)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Ice Core Gas Records; Firn Air Isotopes; LABORATORY; FIELD SURVEYS; Mass Spectrometry; Not provided; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Ice Core; WAIS Divide", "locations": "WAIS Divide", "north": -79.47, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Brook, Edward J.", "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": -79.47, "title": "Collaborative Research: Replicate Coring at WAIS Divide to Obtain Additional Samples at Events of High Scientific Interest", "uid": "p0000751", "west": -112.09}, {"awards": "1143619 Severinghaus, Jeffrey", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.09 -79.47)", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 13 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "1143619/Severinghaus This award supports a project to extend the study of gases in ice cores to those gases whose small molecular diameters cause them to escape rapidly from ice samples (the so-called \"fugitive gases\"). The work will employ helium, neon, argon, and oxygen measurements in the WAIS Divide ice core to better understand the mechanism of the gas close-off fractionation that occurs while air bubbles are incorporated into ice. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is that corrections for this fractionation using neon (which is constant in the atmosphere) may ultimately enable the first ice core-based atmospheric oxygen and helium records. Neon may also illuminate the mechanistic link between local insolation and oxygen used for astronomical dating of ice cores. Helium measure-ments in the deepest ~100 m of the core will also shed light on the stratigraphic integrity of the basal ice, and serve as a probe of solid earth-ice interaction at the base of the West Antarctic ice sheet. Past atmospheric oxygen records, currently unavailable prior to 1989 CE, would reveal changes in the size of the terrestrial biosphere carbon pool that accompany climate variations and place constraints on the biogeochemical feedback response to future warming. An atmospheric helium-3/helium-4 record would test the hypothesis that the solar wind (which is highly enriched in helium-3) condensed directly into Earth?s atmosphere during the collapse of the geomagnetic field that occurred 41,000 years ago, known as the Laschamp Event. Fugitive-gas samples will be taken on-site immediately after recovery of the ice core by the PI and one postdoctoral scholar, under the umbrella of an existing project to support replicate coring and borehole deepening. This work will add value to the scientific return from field work activity with little additional cost to logistical resources. The broader impacts of the work on atmospheric oxygen are that it may increase understanding of how terrestrial carbon pools and atmospheric greenhouse gas sources will respond in a feedback sense to the coming warming. Long-term atmospheric oxygen trends are also of interest for understanding biogeochemical regulatory mechanisms and the impact of atmospheric evolution on life. Helium records have value in understanding the budget of this non-renewable gas and its implications for space weather and solar activity. The project will train one graduate student and one postdoctoral scholar. The fascination of linking solid earth, cryosphere, atmosphere, and space weather will help to entrain and excite young scientists and efforts to understand the Earth as a whole interlinked system will provide fuel to outreach efforts at all ages.", "east": -112.09, "geometry": "POINT(-112.09 -79.47)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "WAIS Divide; Not provided; Tracers; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Past Biospheric Carbon Storage; LABORATORY; Fugitive Gases; Basal Processes; Neon; Helium; FIELD SURVEYS; Antarctica", "locations": "WAIS Divide; Antarctica", "north": -79.47, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "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", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -79.47, "title": "Fugitive Gases (Helium, Neon, and Oxygen) in the WAIS Divide Ice Core as Tracers of Basal Processes and Past Biospheric Carbon Storage", "uid": "p0000441", "west": -112.09}, {"awards": "1245659 Petrenko, Vasilii; 1246148 Severinghaus, Jeffrey; 1245821 Brook, Edward J.", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(162.167 -77.733)", "dataset_titles": "Gas and Dust Measurements for Taylor Glacier and Taylor Dome Ice Cores; Last Interglacial Mean Ocean Temperature; Mean Ocean Temperature in Marine Isotope Stage 4; Measurements of 14CH4 and 14CO in ice from Taylor Glacier: Last Deglaciation; N2O Concentration and Isotope Data for 74-59 ka from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica; Taylor Glacier CO2 Isotope Data 74-59 kyr; Taylor Glacier Noble Gases - Younger Dryas; The Taylor Glacier, Antarctica, Horizontal Ice Core: Exploring changes in the Natural Methane Budget in a Warming World and Expanding the Paleo-archive", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601176", "doi": "10.15784/601176", "keywords": "Antarctica; CO2; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Methane; Noble Gas; Noble Gas Isotopes; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Taylor Glacier; Younger Dryas", "people": "Shackleton, Sarah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Taylor Dome Ice Core", "title": "Taylor Glacier Noble Gases - Younger Dryas", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601176"}, {"dataset_uid": "601198", "doi": "10.15784/601198", "keywords": "Antarctica; Blue Ice; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; CO2; Dust; Gas; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Mass Spectrometer; Methane; Nitrogen Isotopes; Oxygen Isotope; Paleoclimate; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Taylor Dome; Taylor Dome Ice Core", "people": "Dyonisius, Michael; Menking, James; Brook, Edward J.; Marcott, Shaun; Barker, Stephen; Shackleton, Sarah; Petrenko, Vasilii; McConnell, Joseph; Rhodes, Rachel; Bauska, Thomas; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Baggenstos, Daniel", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Gas and Dust Measurements for Taylor Glacier and Taylor Dome Ice Cores", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601198"}, {"dataset_uid": "600163", "doi": "10.15784/600163", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Geochemistry; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Paleoclimate; Taylor Glacier; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "The Taylor Glacier, Antarctica, Horizontal Ice Core: Exploring changes in the Natural Methane Budget in a Warming World and Expanding the Paleo-archive", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600163"}, {"dataset_uid": "601398", "doi": "10.15784/601398", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Gas Records; Ice Core Records; Marine Isotope Stage 4; MIS 4; Nitrous Oxide; Pleistocene; Taylor Dome Ice Core; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Menking, James; Brook, Edward J.; Schilt, Adrian; Shackleton, Sarah; Dyonisius, Michael; Petrenko, Vasilii", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Taylor Dome Ice Core", "title": "N2O Concentration and Isotope Data for 74-59 ka from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601398"}, {"dataset_uid": "601218", "doi": "10.15784/601218", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon-14; Carbon Dioxide; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; CO2; Dome C Ice Core; Epica; Epica Dome C; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Gas Records; Ice Core Records; Isotope Data; Last Interglacial; Mass Spectrometer; Mass Spectrometry; Methane; Oxygen; Oxygen Isotope; Paleotemperature; Pleistocene; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Taylor Dome Ice Core; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Shackleton, Sarah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Dome C Ice Core", "title": "Last Interglacial Mean Ocean Temperature", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601218"}, {"dataset_uid": "601218", "doi": "10.15784/601218", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon-14; Carbon Dioxide; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; CO2; Dome C Ice Core; Epica; Epica Dome C; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Core Chemistry; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Gas Records; Ice Core Records; Isotope Data; Last Interglacial; Mass Spectrometer; Mass Spectrometry; Methane; Oxygen; Oxygen Isotope; Paleotemperature; Pleistocene; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Taylor Dome Ice Core; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Shackleton, Sarah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Taylor Dome Ice Core", "title": "Last Interglacial Mean Ocean Temperature", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601218"}, {"dataset_uid": "601600", "doi": "10.15784/601600", "keywords": "Antarctica; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Bauska, Thomas; Buffen, Aron; Brook, Edward J.; Shackleton, Sarah; Menking, James; Menking, Andy; Petrenko, Vasilii; Dyonisius, Michael; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Barker, Stephen", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Taylor Glacier CO2 Isotope Data 74-59 kyr", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601600"}, {"dataset_uid": "601260", "doi": "10.15784/601260", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon-14; Cosmogenic; Ice Core; Methane", "people": "Dyonisius, Michael; Petrenko, Vasilii", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Taylor Dome Ice Core", "title": "Measurements of 14CH4 and 14CO in ice from Taylor Glacier: Last Deglaciation", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601260"}, {"dataset_uid": "601415", "doi": "10.15784/601415", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciology; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Paleotemperature; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Shackleton, Sarah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Mean Ocean Temperature in Marine Isotope Stage 4", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601415"}], "date_created": "Mon, 13 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "1245659/Petrenko This award supports a project to use the Taylor Glacier, Antarctica, ablation zone to collect ice samples for a range of paleoenvironmental studies. A record of carbon-14 of atmospheric methane (14CH4) will be obtained for the last deglaciation and the Early Holocene, together with a supporting record of CH4 stable isotopes. In-situ cosmogenic 14C content and partitioning of 14C between different species (14CH4, C-14 carbon monoxide (14CO) and C-14 carbon dioxide (14CO2)) will be determined with unprecedented precision in ice from the surface down to ~67 m. Further age-mapping of the ablating ice stratigraphy will take place using a combination of CH4, CO2, \u0026#948;18O of oxygen gas and H2O stable isotopes. High precision, high-resolution records of CO2, \u0026#948;13C of CO2, nitrous oxide (N2O) and N2O isotopes will be obtained for the last deglaciation and intervals during the last glacial period. The potential of 14CO2 and Krypton-81 (81Kr) as absolute dating tools for glacial ice will be investigated. The intellectual merit of proposed work includes the fact that the response of natural methane sources to continuing global warming is uncertain, and available evidence is insufficient to rule out the possibility of catastrophic releases from large 14C-depleted reservoirs such as CH4 clathrates and permafrost. The proposed paleoatmospheric 14CH4 record will improve our understanding of the possible magnitude and timing of CH4 release from these reservoirs during a large climatic warming. A thorough understanding of in-situ cosmogenic 14C in glacial ice (production rates by different mechanisms and partitioning between species) is currently lacking. Such an understanding will likely enable the use of in-situ 14CO in ice at accumulation sites as a reliable, uncomplicated tracer of the past cosmic ray flux and possibly past solar activity, as well as the use of 14CO2 at both ice accumulation and ice ablation sites as an absolute dating tool. Significant gaps remain in our understanding of the natural carbon cycle, as well as in its responses to global climate change. The proposed high-resolution, high-precision records of \u0026#948;13C of CO2 would provide new information on carbon cycle changes both during times of rising CO2 in a warming climate and falling CO2 in a cooling climate. N2O is an important greenhouse gas that increased by ~30% during the last deglaciation. The causes of this increase are still largely uncertain, and the proposed high-precision record of N2O concentration and isotopes would provide further insights into N2O source changes in a warming world. The broader impacts of proposed work include an improvement in our understanding of the response of these greenhouse gas budgets to global warming and inform societally important model projections of future climate change. The continued age-mapping of Taylor Glacier ablation ice will add value to this high-quality, easily accessible archive of natural environmental variability. Establishing 14CO as a robust new tracer for past cosmic ray flux would inform paleoclimate studies and constitute a valuable contribution to the study of the societally important issue of climate change. The proposed work will contribute to the development of new laboratory and field analytical systems. The data from the study will be made available to the scientific community and the broad public through the NSIDC and NOAA Paleoclimatology data centers. 1 graduate student each will be trained at UR, OSU and SIO, and the work will contribute to the training of a postdoc at OSU. 3 UR undergraduates will be involved in fieldwork and research. The work will support a new, junior UR faculty member, Petrenko. All PIs have a strong history of and commitment to scientific outreach in the forms of media interviews, participation in filming of field projects, as well as speaking to schools and the public about their research, and will continue these activities as part of the proposed work. This award has field work in Antarctica.", "east": 162.167, "geometry": "POINT(162.167 -77.733)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided; USAP-DC; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Stratigraphy; FIELD SURVEYS; Antarctica; Paleoenvironment; Methane; Ice Core; Carbon Dioxide; FIXED OBSERVATION STATIONS; Stable Isotopes; Ablation Zone; Taylor Glacier; Nitrous Oxide; USA/NSF; LABORATORY; AMD; Cosmogenic; Amd/Us", "locations": "Taylor Glacier; Antarctica", "north": -77.733, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Petrenko, Vasilii; Brook, Edward J.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; PETRENKO, VASILLI", "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; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Taylor Dome Ice Core", "south": -77.733, "title": "Collaborative Research: The Taylor Glacier, Antarctica, Horizontal Ice Core: Exploring changes in the Natural Methane Budget in a Warming World and Expanding the Paleo-archive", "uid": "p0000283", "west": 162.167}, {"awards": "1141890 Huber, Bruce", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-62.176502 -57.913998,-61.4764715 -57.913998,-60.776441 -57.913998,-60.0764105 -57.913998,-59.37638 -57.913998,-58.6763495 -57.913998,-57.976319 -57.913998,-57.2762885 -57.913998,-56.576258 -57.913998,-55.8762275 -57.913998,-55.176197 -57.913998,-55.176197 -58.6469082,-55.176197 -59.3798184,-55.176197 -60.1127286,-55.176197 -60.8456388,-55.176197 -61.578549,-55.176197 -62.3114592,-55.176197 -63.0443694,-55.176197 -63.7772796,-55.176197 -64.5101898,-55.176197 -65.2431,-55.8762275 -65.2431,-56.576258 -65.2431,-57.2762885 -65.2431,-57.976319 -65.2431,-58.6763495 -65.2431,-59.37638 -65.2431,-60.0764105 -65.2431,-60.776441 -65.2431,-61.4764715 -65.2431,-62.176502 -65.2431,-62.176502 -64.5101898,-62.176502 -63.7772796,-62.176502 -63.0443694,-62.176502 -62.3114592,-62.176502 -61.578549,-62.176502 -60.8456388,-62.176502 -60.1127286,-62.176502 -59.3798184,-62.176502 -58.6469082,-62.176502 -57.913998))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data of NBP1203; 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 near Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1203", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001438", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data of NBP1203", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1203"}, {"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": "Huber, Bruce; Gordon, Arnold", "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": "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"}], "date_created": "Wed, 17 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Time series data, from ocean moorings, on key aspects of evolving ocean properties are of considerable importance in assessing the condition of the ocean system. They are needed, for example, their understand how the oceans are warming, and how they continue to uptake greenhouse gases such as CO2. The Cape Adare Long Term Mooring (CALM) program goal was to observe the bottom water export from the Ross Sea to the deep ocean. To accomplish this two instrumented moorings were set on the continental slope off Cape Adare (western Ross Sea, Antarctica), positioned to capture the export of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), some of the coldest and densest water found in the global ocean. Data records for the moorings spans over some four years in this very remote part of the ocean. The CALM analysis will address some specific objectives: ? Characterize the temperature, salinity and current variability associated with the Ross Sea AABW export. ? Examine the linkages between observed variability to regional tides, atmosphere and sea ice forcing. ? Relate the Ross Sea AABW export fluctuations to the larger scale climate system dynamics, such as ENSO and SAM, and to AABW formation along other margins of Antarctica, e.g. the Weddell Sea", "east": -55.176197, "geometry": "POINT(-58.6763495 -61.578549)", "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 RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e XBT; 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 ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MBES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e THERMOSALINOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -57.913998, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Huber, Bruce; Vernet, Maria", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -65.2431, "title": "Cape Adare Long Term Moorings (CALM): Analysis Phase", "uid": "p0000495", "west": -62.176502}, {"awards": "1043217 Zagorodnov, Victor", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Fiber-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing at Windless Bight", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609604", "doi": "10.7265/N5V122QS", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ice Shelf; McMurdo Sound; Mooring; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Ross Ice Shelf; Southern Ocean", "people": "Zagorodnov, Victor; Holland, David; Tyler, Scott W.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Fiber-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing at Windless Bight", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609604"}], "date_created": "Tue, 05 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Abstract Researchers will explore the use of a distributed temperature sensing monitoring system (DTS), using fiber-optical (FO) technology, as the basis of a sustainable, sub-ice cavity sensing array. FO cable systems, such as may be deployed through a hot-water drilled hole through an ice shelf, passing through the underlying cavity to the sea floor, are capable of measuring temperatures down fiber at 1 meter intervals, and at time frequencies as high as 15 seconds. DTS FO systems operate via optical time domain reflectometry along the fiber waveguide using inelastic backscatter of coherent laser light as a probe beam in the FO environment. The introduction of new technologies to the harsh environmental conditions of the Antarctic are often associated with high risk. However, the potential rewards of this approach (e.g. multiyear capability, minimal submerged mechanical or electrical components that may fail, relative simplicity of deployment and measurement principle, yet yielding distributed real time and spatial observation) are attractive enough to conduct a pilot project at a field-ready location (McMurdo). Current indications are that the instability of some of the world\u0027s largest ice sheets located around the Antarctic and Greenland may be caused by the presence of warming, deep ocean waters, shoaling over continental shelves, and melting the underside of floating ice shelves. Additional knowledge of the temporal and spatial variability of the temperature fields underneath terminal ice shelves, such as those draining the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, are needed to accurately project future global climate effects on ice-shelf ocean interactions, and in order to inform societal and technological aspects of adaption to changing sea-level.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e PRESSURE SENSORS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e TEMPERATURE LOGGERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e TEMPERATURE SENSORS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GROUND STATIONS; Not provided; Conservative Temperature; MOORINGS; Ice Shelf Temperature; Ocean Temperature", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Zagorodnov, Victor; Holland, David; Tyler, Scott W.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; Not provided; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e BUOYS \u003e MOORED \u003e MOORINGS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Application of Distributed Temperature Sensors (DTS) for Antarctic Ice Shelves and Cavities", "uid": "p0000183", "west": null}, {"awards": "0229314 Stone, John", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Reedy Glacier Exposure Ages, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609601", "doi": "10.7265/N5MG7MF1", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:rock; Chemistry:Rock; Cosmogenic; Geochemistry; Geochronology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Reedy Glacier; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description", "people": "Stone, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Reedy Glacier Exposure Ages, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609601"}], "date_created": "Mon, 30 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The stability of the marine West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) remains an important, unresolved problem for predicting future sea level change. Recent studies indicate that the mass balance of the ice sheet today may be negative or positive. The apparent differences may stem in part from short-term fluctuations in flow. By comparison, geologic observations provide evidence of behavior over much longer time scales. Recent work involving glacial-geologic mapping, dating and ice-penetrating radar surveys suggests that deglaciation of both the Ross Sea Embayment and coastal Marie Byrd Land continued into the late Holocene, and leaves open the possibility of ongoing deglaciation and grounding-line retreat. However, previous work in the Ross Sea Embayment was based on data from just three locations that are all far to the north of the present grounding line. Additional data from farther south in the Ross Sea Embayment are needed to investigate whether recession has ended, or if the rate and pattern of deglaciation inferred from our previous study still apply to the present grounding line. This award provides support to reconstruct the evolution of Reedy Glacier, in the southern Transantarctic Mountains, since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Because Reedy Glacier emerges from the mountains above the grounding line, its surface slope and elevation should record changes in thickness of grounded ice in the Ross Sea up to the present day. The deglaciation chronology of Reedy Glacier therefore can indicate whether Holocene retreat of the WAIS ended thousands of years ago, or is still continuing at present. This integrated glaciologic, glacial-geologic, and cosmogenic-isotope exposure- dating project will reconstruct past levels of Reedy Glacier. Over two field seasons, moraines will be mapped, dated and correlated at sites along the length of the glacier. Radar and GPS measurements will be made to supplement existing ice thickness and velocity data, which are needed as input for a model of glacier dynamics. The model will be used to relate geologic measurements to the grounding-line position downstream. Ultimately, the mapping, dating and ice-modeling components of the study will be integrated into a reconstruction that defines changes in ice thickness in the southern Ross Sea since the LGM, and relates these changes to the history of grounding-line retreat. This work directly addresses key goals of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Initiative, which are to understand the dynamics, recent history and possible future behavior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Surface Exposure Dates; FIELD SURVEYS; Aluminum-26; Erosion; Rock Samples; Beryllium-10; Exposure Age", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Stone, John", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Late Quaternary History of Reedy Glacier", "uid": "p0000029", "west": null}, {"awards": "1246484 Balco, Gregory", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-62 -63.5,-61.8 -63.5,-61.6 -63.5,-61.4 -63.5,-61.2 -63.5,-61 -63.5,-60.8 -63.5,-60.6 -63.5,-60.4 -63.5,-60.2 -63.5,-60 -63.5,-60 -63.6,-60 -63.7,-60 -63.8,-60 -63.9,-60 -64,-60 -64.1,-60 -64.2,-60 -64.3,-60 -64.4,-60 -64.5,-60.2 -64.5,-60.4 -64.5,-60.6 -64.5,-60.8 -64.5,-61 -64.5,-61.2 -64.5,-61.4 -64.5,-61.6 -64.5,-61.8 -64.5,-62 -64.5,-62 -64.4,-62 -64.3,-62 -64.2,-62 -64.1,-62 -64,-62 -63.9,-62 -63.8,-62 -63.7,-62 -63.6,-62 -63.5))", "dataset_titles": "Data repositories for UC-Berkeley/BGC thermochronometry and thermochronology research", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001232", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PI website", "science_program": null, "title": "Data repositories for UC-Berkeley/BGC thermochronometry and thermochronology research", "url": "http://noblegas.berkeley.edu/~noblegas/datarepository.html"}], "date_created": "Mon, 02 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Intellectual Merit: The PIs propose to use the (U-Th)/He system in apatite to investigate the exhumation history, development of the present topography, and pattern of glacial erosion in the central Antarctic Peninsula. The Antarctic Peninsula has been glaciated since the Eocene and Pleistocene climate cooling is hypothesized to have suppressed, rather than enhanced, glacial erosion. To achieve these goals, the PIs will use a thermochronometric record of when and how the present glacial valley relief formed. A challenge to the proposed research is that, unlike Pleistocene glacial landscapes in temperate areas, the Peninsula is ice-covered and it is not possible to directly sample the bedrock surface. The PIs hope to learn about the timing and process of glacial valley formation through apatite (U-Th)/He and 4He/3He measurements on glacial sediment collected near the grounding lines of major glaciers draining the Peninsula. Learning how the Antarctic Peninsula landscape formed is important to discern how the mechanics of glacial erosion operate on long time scales, and to understand how glaciers mediate the interaction between climate change and orogenic mass balance. This work addresses a fundamental question in Antarctic earth science of how to infer geologic and geomorphic processes active on an ice-covered and inaccessible landscape. Broader impacts: This proposal will bring new researchers into the Antarctic research community. A proposed collaboration with British Antarctic Survey researchers will build an international collaboration. The outcomes of this project have ancillary importance to other fields and addresses fundamental challenges in Antarctic Earth Science.", "east": -60.0, "geometry": "POINT(-61 -64)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Antarctica; Not provided; ICE SHEETS; Antarctic Peninsula", "locations": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula", "north": -63.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Shuster, David; Balco, Gregory", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "PI website", "repositories": "PI website", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.5, "title": "Antarctic Peninsula Exhumation and Landscape Development Investigated by Low-temperature Detrital Thermochronometry", "uid": "p0000067", "west": -62.0}, {"awards": "1141275 Warren, Stephen", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Antarctic field campaign data page", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001399", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PI website", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic field campaign data page", "url": "http://www.atmos.washington.edu/articles/EastAntarctica_SeaIceAlbedos_SnowImpurities/"}], "date_created": "Fri, 30 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The albedo, or reflection coefficient, is a measure of the diffuse reflectivity of an irradiated surface. With the sunlit atmosphere as a light source, and sea-ice as a diffuse reflecting surface, the albedo would be the fraction of incident light that is returned to the atmosphere. A perfect (white) reflecting surface would have an albedo of 1; a perfect (black) absorbing surface would have an albedo of 0. The albedo of sea-ice is needed to assess the solar energy budget of the marginal ice zone, to compute the partial solar bands in radiation budgets in general circulation and earth system models, and is also needed to interpret remote sensing imagery data products. Applications requiring albedos further into the near IR, out to 2500nm, are assumed or approximated. Modern spectral radiometers, such as will be used in this campaign on a Southern Ocean voyage from Hobart to Antarctica, can extend these measurements of albedo from 350 to 2500nm, allowing earlier estimates to be verified, or corrected. Surfaces to be encountered on this research cruise are expected to include open water, grease ice, nila ice, pancake ice, young grey ice, young grey-white ice, along with first year ice. The presence of variable amounts of snow on these surfaces is also of interest. Light absorbing impurities in the snow and ice, including black carbon and organic matter (brown carbon) are different from those found in Arctic Sea ice, the Antarctic being so remote from combustion sources. This may allow better understanding of the seasonal cycles, energy budgets and their recent trends in spatial extent and thickness. The project will also broaden the educational experiences of both US and Australian students participating in the measurement campaign", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Radiometers; Radiation Budgets; Sea Ice; Energy Budgets; Impurities; COMPUTERS; Albedo; Spectral; LABORATORY; Antarctica; Snow Temperature; Reflecting Surface; Snow Density; R/V AA", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Warren, Stephen; Zatko, Maria", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e COMPUTERS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V AA", "repo": "PI website", "repositories": "PI website", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Spectral and Broadband Albedo of Antarctic Sea-ice Types", "uid": "p0000375", "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": "1447291 Place, Sean; 1040945 Place, Sean; 1040957 Sarmiento, Jorge", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 90,-144 90,-108 90,-72 90,-36 90,0 90,36 90,72 90,108 90,144 90,180 90,180 72,180 54,180 36,180 18,180 0,180 -18,180 -36,180 -54,180 -72,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -72,-180 -54,-180 -36,-180 -18,-180 0,-180 18,-180 36,-180 54,-180 72,-180 90))", "dataset_titles": "Does the strength of the carbonate pump change with ocean stratification and acidification and how? Project data; NCBI GenBank RNA sequences, Pagothenia borchgrevinki; NCBI GenBank RNA sequences, Trematomus bernacchii; NCBI GenBank RNA sequences, Trematomus newnesi; NCBI links to BioProjects of total RNA isolated from Trematomus bernacchii gill tissues acclimated to elevated temperature and pCO2, July 2015", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000166", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "NCBI links to BioProjects of total RNA isolated from Trematomus bernacchii gill tissues acclimated to elevated temperature and pCO2, July 2015", "url": "http://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/665853"}, {"dataset_uid": "000164", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "NCBI GenBank RNA sequences, Pagothenia borchgrevinki", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA294774"}, {"dataset_uid": "000163", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "NCBI GenBank RNA sequences, Trematomus bernacchii", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA289753"}, {"dataset_uid": "000184", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "NCBI GenBank RNA sequences, Trematomus bernacchii", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA289753"}, {"dataset_uid": "000219", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Does the strength of the carbonate pump change with ocean stratification and acidification and how? Project data", "url": "http://www.bco-dmo.org/project/521216"}, {"dataset_uid": "000186", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "NCBI GenBank RNA sequences, Trematomus newnesi", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA294787"}, {"dataset_uid": "000185", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "NCBI GenBank RNA sequences, Pagothenia borchgrevinki", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA294774"}, {"dataset_uid": "000165", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "NCBI GenBank RNA sequences, Trematomus newnesi", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA294787"}], "date_created": "Mon, 12 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The proposed research will investigate the interacting and potentially synergistic influence of two oceanographic features - ocean acidification and the projected rise in mean sea surface temperature - on the performance of Notothenioids, the dominant fish of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Understanding the joint effects of acidification and temperature rise on these fish is a vital component of predicting the resilience of coastal marine ecosystems. Notothenioids have repeatedly displayed a narrow window of physiological tolerances when subjected to abiotic stresses. Given that evolutionary adaptation may have led to finely-tuned traits with narrow physiological limits in these organisms, this system provides a unique opportunity to examine physiological trade-offs associated with acclimation to the multi-stressor environment expected from future atmospheric CO2 projections. Understanding these trade-offs will provide valuable insight into the capacity species have for responses to climate change via phenotypic plasticity. As an extension to functional measurements, this study will use evolutionary approaches to map variation in physiological responses onto the phylogeny of these fishes and the genetic diversity within species. These approaches offer insight into the historical constraints and future potential for evolutionary optimization. The research will significantly expand the genomic resources available to polar researchers and will support the training of graduate students and a post doc at an EPSCoR institution. Research outcomes will be incorporated into classroom curriculum.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": 90.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Place, Sean; Sarmiento, Jorge; Dudycha, Jeffry; Kwon, Eun-Young", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "BCO-DMO", "repositories": "BCO-DMO; NCBI GenBank", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Ocean Acidification Category 1: Identifying Adaptive Responses of Polar Fishes in a Vulnerable Ecosystem", "uid": "p0000006", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1441432 Scambos, Ted", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 30 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The investigators propose to build and test a multi-sensor, automated measurement station for monitoring Arctic and Antarctic ice-ocean environments. The system, based on a previously successful design, will incorporate weather and climate sensors, camera, snow and firn sensors, instruments to measure ice motion, ice and ocean thermal profilers, hydrophone, and salinity sensors. This new system will have two-way communications for real-time data delivery and is designed for rapid deployment by a small field group. AMIGOS-II will be capable of providing real time information on geophysical processes such as weather, snowmelt, ice motion and strain, fractures and melt ponds, firn thermal profiling, and ocean conditions from multiple levels every few hours for 2-4 years. Project personnel will conduct a field test of the new system at a location with a deep ice-covered lake. Development of AMIGOS-II is motivated by recent calls by the U.S. Antarctic Program Blue-Ribbon Panel to increase Antarctic logistical effectiveness, which cites a need for greater efficiency in logistical operations. Installation of autonomous stations with reduced logistical requirements advances this goal.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CURRENT/WIND METERS \u003e CURRENT METERS; 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 PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e TEMPERATURE PROFILERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Ice Ocean Interface; FIELD SURVEYS; Climate; Firn Temperature Measurements; Snowmelt; Strain; Ice Movement; Melt Ponds; LABORATORY; Not provided; Multi-Sensor; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Scambos, Ted", "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", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "A Low-power, Quick-install Polar Observation System (\u0027AMIGOS-II\u0027) for Monitoring Climate-ice-ocean Interactions", "uid": "p0000443", "west": null}, {"awards": "1043092 Steig, Eric; 1043167 White, James", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "17O excess from WAIS Divide, 0 to 25 ka BP; WAIS Divide Ice Core Discrete CH4 (80-3403m); WAIS Divide WDC06A Oxygen Isotope Record", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609629", "doi": "10.7265/N5GT5K41", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Steig, Eric J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide WDC06A Oxygen Isotope Record", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609629"}, {"dataset_uid": "601741", "doi": "10.15784/601741", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ch4; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; Methane; WAIS", "people": "Brook, Edward J.; Sowers, Todd A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Ice Core Discrete CH4 (80-3403m)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601741"}, {"dataset_uid": "601413", "doi": "10.15784/601413", "keywords": "Antarctica; Ice Core; Oxygen Isotope; WAIS Divide", "people": "Steig, Eric J.; Schoenemann, Spruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "17O excess from WAIS Divide, 0 to 25 ka BP", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601413"}], "date_created": "Sat, 06 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to contribute one of the cornerstone analyses, stable isotopes of ice (Delta-D, Delta-O18) to the ongoing West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS) deep ice core. The WAIS Divide drilling project, a multi-institution project to obtain a continuous high resolution ice core record from central West Antarctica, reached a depth of 2560 m in early 2010; it is expected to take one or two more field seasons to reach the ice sheet bed (~3300 m), plus an additional four seasons for borehole logging and other activities including proposed replicate coring. The current proposal requests support to complete analyses on the WAIS Divide core to the base, where the age will be ~100,000 years or more. These analyses will form the basis for the investigation of a number of outstanding questions in climate and glaciology during the last glacial period, focused on the dynamics of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the relationship of West Antarctic climate to that of the Northern polar regions, the tropical Pacific, and the rest of the globe, on time scales ranging from years to tens of thousands of years. One new aspect of this work is the growing expertise at the University of Washington in climate modeling with isotope-tracer-enabled general circulation models, which will aid in the interpretation of the data. Another major new aspect is the completion and use of a high-resolution, semi-automated sampling system at the University of Colorado, which will permit the continuous analysis of isotope ratios via laser spectroscopy, at an effective resolution of ~2 cm or less, providing inter-annual time resolution for most of the core. Because continuous flow analyses of stable ice isotopes is a relatively new measurement, we will complement them with parallel measurements, every ~10-20 m, using traditional discrete sampling and analysis by mass spectrometry at the University of Washington. The intellectual merit and the overarching goal of the work are to see Inland WAIS become the reference ice isotope record for West Antarctica. The broader impacts of the work are that the data generated in this project pertain directly to policy-relevant and immediate questions of the stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet, and thus past and future changes in sea level, as well as the nature of climate change in the high southern latitudes. The project will also contribute to the development of modern isotope analysis techniques using laser spectroscopy, with applications well beyond ice cores. The project will involve a graduate student and postdoc who will work with both P.I.s, and spend time at both institutions. Data will be made available rapidly through the Antarctic Glaciological Data Center, for use by other researchers and the public.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e INFRARED LASER SPECTROSCOPY; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e INFRARED LASER SPECTROSCOPY", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AMD; ANALYTICAL LAB; USAP-DC; Amd/Us; LABORATORY; ICE CORE RECORDS; Antarctica; Wais Divide-project; FIELD SURVEYS; USA/NSF", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e PLEISTOCENE", "persons": "Steig, Eric J.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e ANALYTICAL LAB; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Stable Isotopes of Ice in the Transition and Glacial Sections of the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core", "uid": "p0000010", "west": null}, {"awards": "0944220 Ponganis, Paul", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -68,-147 -68,-114 -68,-81 -68,-48 -68,-15 -68,18 -68,51 -68,84 -68,117 -68,150 -68,150 -69,150 -70,150 -71,150 -72,150 -73,150 -74,150 -75,150 -76,150 -77,150 -78,117 -78,84 -78,51 -78,18 -78,-15 -78,-48 -78,-81 -78,-114 -78,-147 -78,180 -78,178 -78,176 -78,174 -78,172 -78,170 -78,168 -78,166 -78,164 -78,162 -78,160 -78,160 -77,160 -76,160 -75,160 -74,160 -73,160 -72,160 -71,160 -70,160 -69,160 -68,162 -68,164 -68,166 -68,168 -68,170 -68,172 -68,174 -68,176 -68,178 -68,-180 -68))", "dataset_titles": "The Physiological Ecology of Two Antarctic Icons: Emperor Penguins and Leopard Seals", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600113", "doi": "10.15784/600113", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Electrocardiogram; Penguin; Southern Ocean", "people": "Ponganis, Paul", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "The Physiological Ecology of Two Antarctic Icons: Emperor Penguins and Leopard Seals", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600113"}], "date_created": "Mon, 24 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) and leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are iconic, top predators in Antarctica. Understanding their physiological ecology is essential to the assessment of their adaptability to the threats of climate change, pollution, and overfishing. The proposed research has multipronged objectives. Prior results suggest that Emperor penguins have flexible (vs. static) aerobic dive limits (ADL) that vary with the type of dive, and that the role of heart rate in utilization of oxygen stores also varies with dive type. A series of physiological measurements are proposed with backpack electrocardiogram recorders, that will allow further delineation of patterns and interrelationships among heart rate, dive behavior, and oxygen stores. Importantly, the research will be done on free diving emperors, and not individuals confined to a dive hole, thereby providing a more genuine measure of diving physiology and behavior. A separate objective is to examine foraging behavior of leopard seals, using a backpack digital camera and time depth recorder. Leopard seal behavior and prey intake is poorly quantified, but known to be significant. Accordingly the research is somewhat exploratory but will provide important baseline data. Finally, the P.I. proposes to continue long term overflight censuses of Emperor penguin colonies in the Ross Sea. Broader impacts include collaboration with National Geographic television, graduate student training, and development of sedation techniques for leopard seals.", "east": 150.0, "geometry": "POINT(-25 -73)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -68.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Ponganis, Paul", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "The Physiological Ecology of Two Antarctic Icons: Emperor Penguins and Leopard Seals", "uid": "p0000349", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "0944199 Waddington, Edwin", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "WAIS Divide Sonic Log Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609592", "doi": "10.7265/N5T72FD2", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; Sonic Log; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "McCarthy, Michael; Waddington, Edwin D.; Matsuoka, Kenichi; Kluskiewicz, Dan; Anandakrishnan, Sridhar", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Sonic Log Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609592"}], "date_created": "Wed, 03 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0944199/Matsuoka\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to test the hypothesis that abrupt changes in fabric exist and are associated with both climate transitions and volcanic eruptions. It requires depth-continuous measurements of the fabric. By lowering a new logging tool into the WAIS Divide borehole after the completion of the core drilling, this project will measure acoustic-wave speeds as a function of depth and interpret it in terms of ice fabrics. This interpretation will be guided by ice-core-measured fabrics at sparse depths. This project will apply established analytical techniques for the ice-sheet logging and estimate depth profiles of both compressional- and shear-wave speeds at short intervals (~ 1 m). Previous logging projects measured only compressional-wave speeds averaged over typically 5-7 m intervals. Thus the new logger will enable more precise fabric interpretations. Fabric measurements using thin sections have revealed distinct fabric patterns separated by less than several meters; fabric measurements over a shorter period are crucial. At the WAIS Divide borehole, six two-way logging runs will be made with different observational parameters so that multiple wave-propagation modes will be identified, yielding estimates of both compressional- and shear-wave speeds. Each run takes approximately 24 hours to complete; we propose to occupy the boreholes in total eight days. The logging at WAIS Divide is temporarily planned in December 2011, but the timing is not critical. This project?s scope is limited to the completion of the logging and fabric interpretations. Results will be immediately shared with other WAIS Divide researchers. Direct benefits of this data sharing include guiding further thin-section analysis of the fabric, deriving a precise thinning function that retrieves more accurate accumulation history and depth-age scales. The PIs of this project have conducted radar and seismic surveys in this area and this project will provide a ground truth for these regional remote-sensing assessments of the ice interior. In turn, these remote sensing means can extend the results from the borehole to larger parts of the central West Antarctica. This project supports education for two graduate students for geophysics, glaciology, paleoclimate, and polar logistics. The instrument that will be acquired in this project can be used at other boreholes for ice-fabric characterizations and for englacial hydrology (wetness of temperate ice).", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROBES \u003e PROBES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "WAIS Divide; GROUND STATIONS; Western Divide Core; Antarctic Ice Sheet", "locations": "Antarctic Ice Sheet; WAIS Divide", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Matsuoka, Kenichi; Kluskiewicz, Dan; Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; McCarthy, Michael; Waddington, Edwin D.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Collaborative research: acoustic logging of the WAIS Divide borehole", "uid": "p0000051", "west": null}, {"awards": "0087345 Conway, Howard", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(112 79)", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 15 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a program of ground-based geophysical measurements to map in detail the spatial variations of ice flow, accumulation rate, internal layering and ice thickness at the sites which have been identified as promising locations to drill the next deep ice core in West Antarctica. The main investigative tools are a high- and low-frequency ice penetrating radar to image the topography of internal layers and the bed, repeat GPS surveys to calculate the present day surface velocity field, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry to calculate the regional velocity field, and short firn cores to calculate present day accumulation rates. The data which will be collected will be used to as input to time-dependent ice flow and temperature models that will predict depth variation of age, layer thickness, and temperature. As well as yielding an estimate of expected conditions before drilling, the mismatch between the model prediction and data eventually recovered from the core will help infer thinning and climate (accumulation and temperature) histories for the region. The Western Divide, between the Ross Sea Embayment and the Amundsen Sea, has been identified as the region which best satisfies the criteria which have been established for a deep drilling site. Preliminary site selection using airborne geophysical methods has identified several potential drill sites on the Western Divide where the climate record should be best preserved. This work will contribute in a major way to the final site selection for the next deep ice core in West Antarctica.", "east": -112.0, "geometry": "POINT(-112 -79)", "instruments": "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 IMAGING RADARS \u003e SAR", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS; Internal Layering; Radar; Accumulation Rate; FIELD INVESTIGATION; LABORATORY; Not provided; Internal Layers; Antarctica; Ice Flow; Interferometry; Ice Thickness", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -79.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Conway, Howard; Waddington, Edwin D.", "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", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -79.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Western Divide West Antarctic Ice Cores (WAISCORES) Site Selection", "uid": "p0000557", "west": -112.0}, {"awards": "0944343 Severinghaus, Jeffrey", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.05 -79.28)", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 15 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Severinghaus/0944343\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to develop both a record of past local temperature change at the WAIS Divide site, and past mean ocean temperature using solubility effects on atmospheric krypton and xenon. The two sets of products share some of the same measurements, because the local temperature is necessary to make corrections to krypton and xenon, and thus synergistically support each other. Further scientific synergy is obtained by the fact that the mean ocean temperature is constrained to vary rather slowly, on a 1000-yr timescale, due to the mixing time of the deep ocean. Thus rapid changes are not expected, and can be used to flag methodological problems if they appear in the krypton and xenon records. The mean ocean temperature record produced will have a temporal resolution of 500 years, and will cover the entire 3400 m length of the core. This record will be used to test hypotheses regarding the cause of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) variations, including the notion that deep ocean stratification via a cold salty stagnant layer caused atmospheric CO2 drawdown during the last glacial period. The local surface temperature record that results will synergistically combine with independent borehole thermometry and water isotope records to produce a uniquely precise and accurate temperature history for Antarctica, on a par with the Greenland temperature histories. This history will be used to test hypotheses that the ?bipolar seesaw? is forced from the North Atlantic Ocean, which makes a specific prediction that the timing of Antarctic cooling should slightly lag abrupt Greenland warming. The WAIS Divide ice core is expected to be the premier atmospheric gas record of the past 100,000 years for the foreseeable future, and as such, making this set of high precision noble gas measurements adds value to the other gas records because they all share a common timescale and affect each other in terms of physical processes such as gravitational fractionation. Broader impact of the proposed work: The clarification of timing of atmospheric CO2 and Antarctic surface temperature, along with deep ocean temperature, will aid in efforts to understand the feedbacks among CO2, temperature, and ocean circulation. These feedbacks bear on the future response of the Earth System to anthropogenic forcing. A deeper understanding of the mechanism of deglaciation, and the role of atmospheric CO2, will go a long way towards clarifying a topic that has become quite confused in the public mind in the public debate over climate change. Elucidating the role of the bipolar seesaw in ending glaciations and triggering CO2 increases may also provide an important warning that this represents a potential positive feedback, not currently considered by IPCC. Education of one graduate student, and training of one technician, will add to the nation?s human resource base. Outreach activities will be enhanced and will to continue to entrain young people in discovery, and excitement will enhance the training of the next generation of scientists and educators.", "east": -112.05, "geometry": "POINT(-112.05 -79.28)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Noble Gas; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Climate; Xenon; FIELD SURVEYS; Ice Core; Antarctica; Krypton; LABORATORY", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -79.28, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -79.28, "title": "Noble Gases in the WAIS Divide Ice Core as Indicators of Local and Mean-ocean Temperature", "uid": "p0000430", "west": -112.05}, {"awards": "0944078 Albert, Mary", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(112.05 79.28)", "dataset_titles": "Firn Permeability and Density at WAIS Divide", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609602", "doi": "10.7265/N57942NT", "keywords": "Antarctica; Firn; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Albert, Mary R.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Firn Permeability and Density at WAIS Divide", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609602"}], "date_created": "Fri, 15 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to investigate the transformations from snow to firn to ice and the underlying physics controlling firn\u0027s ability to store atmospheric samples from the past. Senior researchers, a graduate student, and several undergraduates will make high-resolution measurements of both the diffusivity and permeability profiles of firn cores from several sites in Antarctica and correlate the results with their microstructures quantified using advanced materials characterization techniques (scanning electron microscopy and x-ray computed tomography). The use of cores from different sites will enable us to examine the influence of different local climate conditions on the firn structure. We will use the results to help interpret existing measurements of firn air chemical composition at several sites where firn air measurements exist. There are three closely-linked goals of this project: to quantify the dependence of interstitial transport properties on firn microstructure from the surface down to the pore close-off depth, to determine at what depths bubbles form and entrap air, and investigate the extent to which these features exhibit site-to-site differences, and to use the measurements of firn air composition and firn structure to better quantify the differences between atmospheric composition (present and past), and the air trapped in both the firn and in air bubbles within ice by comparing the results of the proposed work with firn air measurements that have been made at the WAIS Divide and Megadunes sites. The broader impacts of this project are that the study will this study will enable us to elucidate the fundamental controls on the metamorphism of firn microstructure and its impact on processes of gas entrapment that are important to understanding ice core evidence of past atmospheric composition and climate change. The project will form the basis for the graduate research of a PhD student at Dartmouth, with numerous opportunities for undergraduate involvement in cold room measurements and outreach. The investigators have a track record of successfully mentoring women students, and will build on this experience. In conjunction with local earth science teachers, and graduate and undergraduate students will design a teacher-training module on the role of the Polar Regions in climate change. Once developed and tested, this module will be made available to the broader polar research community for their use with teachers in their communities.", "east": -112.05, "geometry": "POINT(-112.05 -79.28)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e MICROTOMOGRAPHY; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e MICROSCOPES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Firn Air; FIELD SURVEYS; Physics; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Antarctica; Megadunes; Tomography; Wais Divide-project; Firn Core; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Not provided; Firn Permeability; LABORATORY; Visual Observations; Ice; Firn; WAIS Divide; Microstructure; Density", "locations": "Antarctica; WAIS Divide", "north": -79.28, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Baker, Ian; Albert, Mary R.", "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-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.28, "title": "Firn Metamorphism: Microstructure and Physical Properties", "uid": "p0000049", "west": -112.05}, {"awards": "0538672 Palo, Scott", "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, 31 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT), at an altitude between 80 and 120 km above the Earth\u0027s surface, is a highly dynamic region that couples the lower terrestrial atmosphere (troposphere and stratosphere) with the upper atmosphere near-Earth space environment (thermosphere and ionosphere). Of particular importance in this region are both the upward propagating thermally forced atmospheric tides and global scale planetary waves. Both of these phenomena transport heat and momentum from the lower atmosphere into the upper atmosphere. Studies in recent years have indicated that the Arctic and Antarctic MLT possess a rich spectrum waves and may be more sensitive to global change than the lower atmosphere. The primary goal of this research is to observe, quantify, model, and further understand the spatial-temporal structure and variability of the MLT circulation above Antarctica and its commonalities with the Arctic. A secondary goal is to quantify and understand the deposition of mass into the upper atmosphere through the ablation of meteors and the resulting effect on local and regional aeronomic processes. This includes the effect of meteor flux, temperature and dynamics on the seasonal distribution of sodium over the South Pole. Meteor radar was installed at the South Pole Amundsen-Scott station and has been running continuously since January 2002. A new sodium nightglow imager will be installed at the South Pole to infer the sodium abundance in the MLT. Observations from this instrument will be combined with the South Pole Fabry-Perot interferometer temperature measurements and the meteor radar wind and meteor flux measurements to improve our understanding of the sodium chemistry and dynamics. These observations will be interpreted using sophisticated numerical models and interpreted in conjunction with Arctic measurements along with current linear and nonlinear atmospheric models to advance the current understanding of processes important to the MLT region. This research also contributes to the training and education of the graduate and undergraduate students, a postdoc and early career tenure track faculty.", "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": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Palo, Scott; Avery, James; Avery, Susan", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Studies of the Antarctic Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere", "uid": "p0000491", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0839122 Saltzman, Eric; 0839093 McConnell, Joseph; 0839075 Priscu, John", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(112.05 -79.28)", "dataset_titles": "Fluorescence spectroscopy data from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core, WDC06A; Holocene Black Carbon in Antarctica; Ice Core Air Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements - Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core; Prokaryotic cell concentration record from the WAIS Divide ice core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601006", "doi": "10.15784/601006", "keywords": "Antarctica; Fluorescence Spectroscopy; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Priscu, John; D\u0027Andrilli, Juliana", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Fluorescence spectroscopy data from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core, WDC06A", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601006"}, {"dataset_uid": "601072", "doi": "10.15784/601072", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Cell Counts; Glaciology; Microbiology; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Santibanez, Pamela; Priscu, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Prokaryotic cell concentration record from the WAIS Divide ice core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601072"}, {"dataset_uid": "601034", "doi": "10.15784/601034", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Black Carbon; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Arienzo, Monica; McConnell, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Holocene Black Carbon in Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601034"}, {"dataset_uid": "601361", "doi": "10.15784/601361", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbonyl Sulfide; Trace Gases", "people": "Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice Core Air Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements - Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601361"}], "date_created": "Fri, 30 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to use the WAIS Divide deep core to investigate the Last Deglaciation at sub-annual resolution through an integrated set of chemical and biological analyses. The intellectual merit of the project is that these analyses, combined with others, will take advantage of the high snow accumulation WAIS Divide site yielding the highest time resolution glacio-biogeochemical and gas record of any deep Antarctic ice core. With other high resolution Greenland cores (GISP2 and GRIP) and lower resolution Antarctic cores, the combined record will yield new insights into worldwide climate dynamics and abrupt change. The proposed chemical, biological, and elemental tracer measurements will also be used to address all of the WAIS Divide science themes. The broader impacts of the project include education and outreach activities such as numerous presentations to local K-12 students; opportunities for student and teacher involvement in the laboratory work; a teacher training program in Earth sciences in the heavily minority Santa Ana, Compton, and Costa Mesa, California school districts; and development of high school curricula. Extensive graduate and undergraduate student involvement also is planned and will include one post doctoral associate, one graduate student, and undergraduate hourly involvement at DRI; a graduate student and undergraduates at University of California, Irvine (UCI); and a post doctoral fellow at MSU. Student recruitment will be made from underrepresented groups building on a long track record of involvement and will include the NSF funded California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) and the Montana American Indian Research Opportunities (AIRO).\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award does not involve field work in Antarctica.", "east": 112.05, "geometry": "POINT(112.05 -79.28)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e CARBON ANALYZERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FLUOROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e WAS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e ICP-MS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e ICE CORE MELTER; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e PHOTOMETERS \u003e SPECTROPHOTOMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS; Bacteria Ice Core; LABORATORY; Ice Core; FIELD INVESTIGATION; West Antarctica; Not provided; Dissolved Organic Carbon", "locations": "West Antarctica", "north": -79.28, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY", "persons": "Foreman, Christine; Skidmore, Mark; Saltzman, Eric; McConnell, Joseph; Priscu, John", "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": -79.28, "title": "Collaborative Research: Integrated High Resolution Chemical and Biological Measurements on the Deep WAIS Divide Core", "uid": "p0000273", "west": 112.05}, {"awards": "0839066 Cole-Dai, Jihong", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Major Ion Chemistry Data of WAIS Divide Ice Core Brittle Ice", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609546", "doi": "10.7265/N5RF5S0D", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Ion Chromatograph; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Cole-Dai, Jihong", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Major Ion Chemistry Data of WAIS Divide Ice Core Brittle Ice", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609546"}], "date_created": "Wed, 19 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Cole-Dai/0839066\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to make continuous major ion analyses in the West Antarctica Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS Divide) ice core by sampling the brittle ice zone (approximately from 500 m to 1500 m). The intellectual merit of the project is that these will likely be the only chemical measurements on the brittle ice zone and, therefore, will bridge the gap in the expected continuous records of climate, ice sheet dynamics and biological evolution based on chemical measurements. High resolution sampling and analysis, probably on selected portions and depth intervals in the brittle ice zone, will help with the independent, high-precision dating of the WAIS Divide core and contribute to the achievement of the major objectives of the WAIS Divide project?development of high resolution climate records with which to investigate issues of climate forcing by greenhouse gases and the role of Antarctica and Southern Hemisphere in the global climate system. Planned collaboration with other WAIS Divide investigators will develop the longest and most detailed volcanic record from Antarctica ice cores. The broader impacts of this project include a contribution to enhancing our knowledge of the climate system. Such improvements in understanding of the global climate system and the ability to predict the magnitude and uncertainty of future changes are highly relevant to the global community. The project will support post-doctoral scientists and graduate students, including those from under-represented groups, will contribute to education, an help to train future scientists and promote diversity in research and education. Public outreach activities of this project will contribute to informal science education of school age children in the Eastern South Dakota region.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e ION CHROMATOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Paleoclimate; LABORATORY; Ions; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; WAISCORES; Ion Chromatograph; Not provided; Ice Core", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "NOT APPLICABLE", "persons": "Cole-Dai, Jihong", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Major Ion Chemical Analysis of Brittle Ice in the WAIS Divide Ice Core", "uid": "p0000047", "west": null}, {"awards": "0739698 Doran, Peter; 0739681 Murray, Alison", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(161.931 -77.3885)", "dataset_titles": "Geochemistry and Microbiology of the Extreme Aquatic Environment in Lake Vida, East Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600080", "doi": "10.15784/600080", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Carbon-14; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Dry Valleys; Geochronology; Ice Core Records; Lake Vida; Microbiology", "people": "Murray, Alison", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Geochemistry and Microbiology of the Extreme Aquatic Environment in Lake Vida, East Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600080"}], "date_created": "Thu, 12 Dec 2013 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Lake Vida is the largest lake of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, with an approximately 20 m ice cover overlaying a brine of unknown depth with at least 7 times seawater salinity and temperatures below -10 degrees C year-round. Samples of brine collected from ice above the main water body contain 1) the highest nitrous oxide levels of any natural water body on Earth, 2) unusual geochemistry including anomalously high ammonia and iron concentrations, 3) high microbial counts with an unusual proportion (99%) of ultramicrobacteria. The microbial community is unique even compared to other Dry Valley Lakes. The research proposes to enter, for the first time the main brine body below the thick ice of Lake Vida and perform in situ measurements, collect samples of the brine column, and collect sediment cores from the lake bottom for detailed geochemical and microbiological analyses. The results will allow the characterization of present and past life in the lake, assessment of modern and past sedimentary processes, and determination of the lake\u0027s history. The research will be conducted by a multidisciplinary team that will uncover the biogeochemical processes associated with a non-photosynthetic microbial community isolated for a significant period of time. This research will address diversity, adaptive mechanisms and evolutionary processes in the context of the physical evolution of the environment of Lake Vida. Results will be widely disseminated through publications, presentations at national and international meetings, through the Subglacial Antarctic Lake Exploration (SALE) web site and the McMurdo LTER web site. The research will support three graduate students and three undergraduate research assistants. The results will be incorporated into a new undergraduate biogeosciences course at the University of Illinois at Chicago which has an extremely diverse student body, dominated by minorities.", "east": 161.931, "geometry": "POINT(161.931 -77.3885)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -77.3885, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Murray, Alison; Doran, Peter", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.3885, "title": "Collaborative Research: Geochemistry and Microbiology of the Extreme Aquatic Environment in Lake Vida, East Antarctica", "uid": "p0000485", "west": 161.931}, {"awards": "0944042 Warren, Joseph", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-70 -59,-68 -59,-66 -59,-64 -59,-62 -59,-60 -59,-58 -59,-56 -59,-54 -59,-52 -59,-50 -59,-50 -59.7,-50 -60.4,-50 -61.1,-50 -61.8,-50 -62.5,-50 -63.2,-50 -63.9,-50 -64.6,-50 -65.3,-50 -66,-52 -66,-54 -66,-56 -66,-58 -66,-60 -66,-62 -66,-64 -66,-66 -66,-68 -66,-70 -66,-70 -65.3,-70 -64.6,-70 -63.9,-70 -63.2,-70 -62.5,-70 -61.8,-70 -61.1,-70 -60.4,-70 -59.7,-70 -59))", "dataset_titles": "Data from expdition LMG1010; Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG1010; Expedition data of LMG1110", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002671", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG1110", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1110"}, {"dataset_uid": "002723", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG1010", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1010"}, {"dataset_uid": "000153", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Data from expdition LMG1010", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1010"}, {"dataset_uid": "001445", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG1110"}], "date_created": "Tue, 03 Dec 2013 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The importance of gelatinous zooplankton in marine systems worldwide is increasing. In Southern Ocean, increasing salp densities could have a detrimental effect on higher predators, including penguins, fur seals, and baleen whales. The proposed research is a methods-develoment project that will improve the capability to indirectly assess abundances and distributions of salps in the Southern Ocean through acoustic surveys. Hydrographic, net tow, and acoustic backscatter data will be collected in the waters surrounding the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic peninsula, where both krill and salps are found and compete for food. Shipboard experimental manipulations and measurements will lead to improved techniques for assessment of salp biomass acoustically. Experiments will focus on material properties (density and sound speed), size and shape of salps, as well as how these physical properties will vary with the salp\u0027s environment, feeding rate, and reproductive status. In the field, volume backscattering data from an acoustic echosounder will be collected at the same locations as the net tows to enable comparison of net and acoustic estimates of salp abundance. A physics-based scattering model for salps will be developed and validated, to determine if multiple acoustic frequencies can be used to discriminate between scattering associated with krill swarms and that from salp blooms. During the same period as the Antarctic field work, a parallel outreach and education study will be undertaken in Long Island, New York examining local gelatinous zooplankton. This study will enable project participants to learn and practice research procedures and methods before traveling to Antarctica; provide a comparison time-series that will be used for educational purposes; and include many more students and teachers in the research project than would be able to participate in the Antarctic field component.", "east": -50.0, "geometry": "POINT(-60 -62.5)", "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 RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e XBT; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; 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", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "R/V LMG; Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -59.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Warren, Joseph", "platforms": "Not provided; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -66.0, "title": "Acoustic Assessment of Southern Ocean Salps and Their Ecosystem Impact", "uid": "p0000481", "west": -70.0}, {"awards": "1043367 Aciego, Sarah", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 01 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Aciego/1043367 This award supports the development of a new method for determining the absolute age of samples from deep ice cores. The project will: (1) prove the efficacy of the Uranium-series dating method on a high accumulation rate ice core, and (2) address the uncertainties in the age dating of the EPICA Dronning-Maud Land (EDML) ice core in the lower 300 m. The well-dated upper section of the ice core (down to 150,000 years at 2415.7 m) will provide excellent constraints to validate the ages determined by the U-series method. After verification, and possible adjustments to the laboratory chemistry, the method will be applied to a suite of ice samples of unknown age in the lower part of the EDML ice core. Within the lower 300 m of this ice core, the climate records are disturbed by tilting and folding of the ice, and, due to the uncertainties in how the ice has flowed, it is impossible to determine if accurate age dates can be obtained to access the record of climate change, or if mixing of the ice is too incoherent. As part of the methodology, the PI will measure surface area of dust included in the ice using a gas adsorption technique developed for ultra-small samples; these measurements will be made on a BET nano-scale which is to be purchased from the funding of this project. Intellectual Merit: The proposed research will contribute to our understanding of geophysical processes that fold and tilt ice. This will allow new paleoclimate records to be recovered from ice cores that have been physically deformed and disturbed and previously did not permit accurate dating. Broader Impacts: This funding will provide support for one PhD graduate student and contribute to their training as a researcher in geochemistry and paleoclimate studies. The PI will teach classes in earth surface processes (including glaciology) and in advanced isotope geochemistry. Work related to this research will be integrated as a teaching tool into the classroom to provide a hands-on, relevant learning experience. Furthermore, samples examined as part of this research will be made available from the AWI archive in Bremerhaven, Germany as part of the collaboration between the PI in the United States and the European ice core community.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Aciego, Sarah", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Detangling Flow Regimes and Paleoclimate in the Deepest Section of the EDML Ice Core using U-series Ages.", "uid": "p0000712", "west": null}, {"awards": "0839078 Brook, Edward J.", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Thu, 31 Oct 2013 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to develop a robust analytical technique for measuring the stable isotopes of CO2 in air trapped in polar ice, and to reconstruct the \u00e413C of CO2 over the last glacial to interglacial transition (20,000 to 10,000 years BP) and through the Holocene. The bulk of these measurements will be made on newly cored ice from the WAIS Divide Ice Core. A robust record \u00e413C of CO2 will be a valuable addition to the rich data produced from this project. The intellectual merit of the proposed work relates to the fact that explaining glacial-interglacial changes in atmospheric CO2 remains a major challenge for paleoclimatology. The lack of a coherent, widely accepted explanation underscores uncertainties in the basic mechanisms that control the carbon cycle, and that lack of understanding limits our ability to confidently predict how the carbon cycle will change in the future, in the face of a potentially major perturbation of both global temperature and the CO2 content of the atmosphere. A widely accepted record of this parameter could transform our understanding of how the carbon cycle and climate change are linked. The broader impacts of the work include training of graduate student at OSU who will conduct much of the lab work and will also participate in fieldwork at the WAIS Divide Core site. The student will also participate in a number of organized outreach efforts and will develop his own outreach effort, through weblogs and other communication of his research. The PIs will communicate the results from this project to a variety of audiences through academic courses and public talks. The proposed work addresses a major topic in biogeochemistry, the origin of glacial-interglacial CO2 cycles. The results are relevant to understanding changes in the carbon cycle due to human activities because the lack of clear understanding of past variations contributes to public uncertainty about the importance of modern climate change. The proposed funding will also contribute to analytical infrastructure at OSU and develop an analytical capability for an ice core measurement currently not available in the United States.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Brook, Edward J.; Mix, Alan", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Developing a glacial-interglacial record of delta-13C of atmospheric CO2", "uid": "p0000260", "west": null}, {"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": "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": "200030", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GitHub", "science_program": null, "title": "Database of Erebus cave field seasons", "url": "https://github.com/foobarbecue/troggle"}, {"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": "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": "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": "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"}], "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": "IRIS", "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": "9615420 Kamb, Barclay", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-136.404633 -82.39955)", "dataset_titles": "Temperature of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Videos of Basal Ice in Boreholes on the Kamb Ice Stream in West Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609528", "doi": "10.7265/N5028PFH", "keywords": "Antarctica; Borehole Video; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Kamb Ice Stream; Photo/video; Photo/Video", "people": "Engelhardt, Hermann", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Videos of Basal Ice in Boreholes on the Kamb Ice Stream in West Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609528"}, {"dataset_uid": "609537", "doi": "10.7265/N5PN93J8", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Temperature", "people": "Engelhardt, Hermann", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Temperature of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609537"}], "date_created": "Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for support for a four year program to study the basal conditions of ice stream D using techniques previously applied to ice stream B. The objective is to determine whether the physical conditions and processes to be observed by borehole geophysics at the base of this large ice stream are consistent with what has been observed at ice stream B and to point to a common basal mechanism of ice streaming. This project includes a comparison between two parts of ice stream D, an upstream reach where flow velocities are modest (about 80 meters/year) and a downstream reach of high velocity (about 400 meters/year). The comparison will help to reveal what physical variable or combination of variables is mainly responsible for the streaming flow. The variables to be monitmred by borehole observation include basal water pressure, basal sliding velocity, flow properties and sedimentological characteristics of subglacial till if present, ice temperature profile including basal water transport velocity, connection time to the basal water system, basal melting rate and others.", "east": -136.404633, "geometry": "POINT(-136.404633 -82.39955)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e CAMERAS \u003e CAMERAS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMISTORS \u003e THERMISTORS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Raymond Ridge; Kamb Ice Stream; Engelhardt Ridge; Basal Ice; Unicorn; Alley Ice Stream; Borehole Video; Basal Freeze-on; Ice Stream Flow; Basal Freezing; West Antarctic Ice Sheet Instability; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Whillans Ice Stream; Basal Debris; Simple Dome; Basal Water; Bindschadler Ice Stream; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "locations": "Kamb Ice Stream; Alley Ice Stream; Bindschadler Ice Stream; Engelhardt Ridge; Raymond Ridge; Simple Dome; Unicorn; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Whillans Ice Stream", "north": -82.39955, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kamb, Barclay; Engelhardt, Hermann", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -82.39955, "title": "Basal Conditions of Ice Stream D and Related Borehole Studies of Antarctic Ice Stream Mechanics", "uid": "p0000181", "west": -136.404633}, {"awards": "0738975 Baker, Ian", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Siple Dome A (SDMA) Grain Orientation 640 - 790 Meters", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609526", "doi": "10.7265/N53T9F5X", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; South Pole; WAISCORES", "people": "Baker, Ian; Sieg, Katherine; Obbard, Rachel", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Siple Dome A (SDMA) Grain Orientation 640 - 790 Meters", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609526"}], "date_created": "Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to fully characterize the microstructure in ice cores, in particular the microstructural locations of impurities, grain orientations and strain gradients. This work will complement the optical observations, electrical conductivity measurement, and precise, detailed measurements of the soluble ion and gas contents that are performed by others. Linking the concentrations of soluble ions and gases, measured to a few parts per billion, to the optically determined annual layer structure and the stable isotope data in ice cores has enabled a great deal to be established about the concentrations and depth/age distributions of particles, trace gases and impurities for several polar ice cores. Ice core studies carried out by several groups contribute immensely to our understanding of paleoclimate and, to our ability to predict future climate change. The work will build on previous measurements and technique development in this area, as well as focusing on new techniques to characterize ice cores. The work will use both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and confocal scanning optical microscopy coupled with Raman spectroscopy (RS) to determine the microstructural locations of impurities and correlate this information with depth/age, and impurity type and concentration for several polar ice cores. The Broader Impacts of the proposed work are that knowledge of the location of impurities coupled with the grain orientation (both c- and a-axis) and grain misorientation information will allow paleoclimatologists to better interpret ice core data and other scientists to understand and model the physical and mechanical properties of natural ice sheets. Other Broader Impacts of the work are that the work will be performed and lead to the education of a Ph.D. student. At the end of the project, as well as the knowledge gained from coursework, the graduate student will have experience in ice core specimen preparation and characterization using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray microanalysis, confocal scanning microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and ion chromatography. Results from the research will be published in refereed journals, presented at conferences, and placed on a web page.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FEI Xl30 Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope - Field Emission Gun (esem - Feg); LABORATORY; Electron Backscatter Diffraction", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Baker, Ian; Obbard, Rachel; Sieg, Katherine", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Advanced Microstructural Characterization of Polar Ice Cores", "uid": "p0000178", "west": null}, {"awards": "0838914 Wannamaker, Philip", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((141.01732 -82.13,144.910279 -82.13,148.803238 -82.13,152.696197 -82.13,156.589156 -82.13,160.482115 -82.13,164.375074 -82.13,168.268033 -82.13,172.160992 -82.13,176.053951 -82.13,179.94691 -82.13,179.94691 -82.351835,179.94691 -82.57367,179.94691 -82.795505,179.94691 -83.01734,179.94691 -83.239175,179.94691 -83.46101,179.94691 -83.682845,179.94691 -83.90468,179.94691 -84.126515,179.94691 -84.34835,176.053951 -84.34835,172.160992 -84.34835,168.268033 -84.34835,164.375074 -84.34835,160.482115 -84.34835,156.589156 -84.34835,152.696197 -84.34835,148.803238 -84.34835,144.910279 -84.34835,141.01732 -84.34835,141.01732 -84.126515,141.01732 -83.90468,141.01732 -83.682845,141.01732 -83.46101,141.01732 -83.239175,141.01732 -83.01734,141.01732 -82.795505,141.01732 -82.57367,141.01732 -82.351835,141.01732 -82.13))", "dataset_titles": "Agglutinated Foraminifera, genome sequencing data; Rift Mechanisms and Thermal Regime of the Lithosphere across Beardmore Glacier Region, Central Transantarctic Mountains, from Magnetotelluric Measurements", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600102", "doi": "10.15784/600102", "keywords": "Antarctica; Magnetotelluric; Potential Field; Solid Earth; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Wannamaker, Philip", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Rift Mechanisms and Thermal Regime of the Lithosphere across Beardmore Glacier Region, Central Transantarctic Mountains, from Magnetotelluric Measurements", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600102"}, {"dataset_uid": "000211", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Agglutinated Foraminifera, genome sequencing data", "url": "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/collections/public/1vwfrm7rJme2hrzl6smGVhpk-/"}], "date_created": "Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The investigators will examine competing hypotheses for the mechanism of extension and creation of the Transantarctic Mountains, and evolution of the thermal regimes of rifted West Antarctica and stable East Antarctica using magnetotelluric (MT) profiles. Surrounded almost entirely by ocean ridges, Antarctica is a special tectonic situation because of the need to make accommodation space for rifting in the Transantarctic region. In the MT method, temporal variations in the Earth\u0027s natural electromagnetic field are used as source fields to probe the electrical resistivity structure in the depth range of 1 to 200 km, or more. Geophysical methods, such as MT, are appropriate in Antarctica because of the predominance of thick ice cover over most of the Continent and the difficult operating environment. The proposed effort will consist of approximately 50 sites over a distance approaching 500 km with a 10 km average spacing, oriented normal to the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM), in the Beardmore glacier area. High quality MT soundings will be collected over thick ice sheets using a custom electrode preamp design, updated from previous Antarctic projects. Data acquisition will take place over two field seasons. The primary goals are three-fold: to establish the location of the deeper tectonic transition between East and West Antarctica that may be offset from the physiographic transition at the surface, using deep resistivity structure distinguish between modes of extensional upwelling and magmatism that may be vertically non-uniform, depth and magnitude of quasi-layered deep crustal low resistivity, particularly below West Antarctica, will be used to estimate crustal heat flux into the ice sheet base.", "east": 179.94691, "geometry": "POINT(160.482115 -83.239175)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -82.13, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bowser, Samuel; Wannamaker, Philip", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "NCBI GenBank; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -84.34835, "title": "Rift Mechanisms and Thermal Regime of the Lithosphere across Beardmore Glacier Region, Central Transantarctic Mountains, from Magnetotelluric Measurements", "uid": "p0000247", "west": 141.01732}, {"awards": "0732946 Steffen, Konrad", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Larsen C automatic weather station data 2008\u20132011; Mean surface mass balance over Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica (1979-2014), assimilated to in situ GPR and snow height data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601445", "doi": "10.15784/601445", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; AWS; Foehn Winds; Ice Shelf; Larsen C Ice Shelf; Larsen Ice Shelf; Meteorology; Weather Station Data", "people": "Bayou, Nicolas; McGrath, Daniel; Steffen, Konrad", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Larsen C automatic weather station data 2008\u20132011", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601445"}, {"dataset_uid": "601056", "doi": "10.15784/601056", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPR; Larsen C Ice Shelf; Radar", "people": "Kuipers Munneke, Peter; Steffen, Konrad; McGrath, Daniel", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Mean surface mass balance over Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica (1979-2014), assimilated to in situ GPR and snow height data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601056"}], "date_created": "Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a field experiment, with partners from Chile and the Netherlands, to determine the state of health and stability of Larsen C ice shelf in response to climate change. Significant glaciological and ecological changes are taking place in the Antarctic Peninsula in response to climate warming that is proceeding at 6 times the global average rate. Following the collapse of Larsen A ice shelf in 1995 and Larsen B in 2002, the outlet glaciers that nourished them with land ice accelerated massively, losing a disproportionate amount of ice to the ocean. Further south, the much larger Larsen C ice shelf is thinning and measurements collected over more than a decade suggest that it is doomed to break up. The intellectual merit of the project will be to contribute to the scientific knowledge of one of the Antarctic sectors where the most significant changes are taking place at present. The project is central to a cluster of International Polar Year activities in the Antarctic Peninsula. It will yield a legacy of international collaboration, instrument networking, education of young scientists, reference data and scientific analysis in a remote but globally relevant glaciological setting. The broader impacts of the project will be to address the contribution to sea level rise from Antarctica and to bring live monitoring of climate and ice dynamics in Antarctica to scientists, students, the non-specialized public, the press and the media via live web broadcasting of progress, data collection, visualization and analysis. Existing data will be combined with new measurements to assess what physical processes are controlling the weakening of the ice shelf, whether a break up is likely, and provide baseline data to quantify the consequences of a breakup. Field activities will include measurements using the Global Positioning System (GPS), installation of automatic weather stations (AWS), ground penetrating radar (GPR) measurements, collection of shallow firn cores and temperature measurements. These data will be used to characterize the dynamic response of the ice shelf to a variety of phenomena (oceanic tides, iceberg calving, ice-front retreat and rifting, time series of weather conditions, structural characteristics of the ice shelf and bottom melting regime, and the ability of firn to collect melt water and subsequently form water ponds that over-deepen and weaken the ice shelf). This effort will complement an analysis of remote sensing data, ice-shelf numerical models and control methods funded independently to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the ice shelf evolution in a changing climate.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e GPR; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e TEMPERATURE PROFILERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Climate Warming; Firn; COMPUTERS; Ice Dynamic; USAP-DC; Glaciological; Thinning; Sea Level Rise; FIELD SURVEYS; FIELD INVESTIGATION; USA/NSF; AMD; Ice Edge Retreat; LABORATORY; Climate Change; Antarctic Peninsula; Amd/Us; Melting", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Steffen, Konrad", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e COMPUTERS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "IPY: Stability of Larsen C Ice Shelf in a Warming Climate", "uid": "p0000087", "west": null}, {"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": "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": "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": "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": "Schroeder, Dustin; Greenbaum, Jamin; Holt, John W.; Siegert, Martin; Young, Duncan A.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Gillespie, Mette", "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": "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": "Blankenship, Donald D.; Mulvaney, Robert; Cavitte, Marie G. P; Ritz, Catherine; Greenbaum, Jamin; Ng, Gregory; Kempf, Scott D.; Quartini, Enrica; Muldoon, Gail R.; Paden, John; Frezzotti, Massimo; Roberts, Jason; Tozer, Carly; Young, Duncan A.; Schroeder, Dustin", "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": "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"}, {"dataset_uid": "601371", "doi": "10.15784/601371", "keywords": "Antarctica; East Antarctica; ICECAP; Ice Penetrating Radar; Radar Echo Sounder; Radar Echo Sounding; Subglacial Hydrology", "people": "Schroeder, Dustin; Young, Duncan A.; Roberts, Jason; Blankenship, Donald D.; Siegert, Martin; van Ommen, Tas; Greenbaum, Jamin", "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": "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"}], "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": "NSIDC", "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": "1241487 Adams, Byron", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award will support the participation of US scientists in an international planning workshop devoted to discussions of how to best facilitate and coordinate international efforts for terrestrial system studies at the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. To date, various aspects of the different Dry Valley landscape features (lakes, soils, glaciers, streams) and their biota have been studied most intensively by US and New Zealand scientists, but these efforts could significantly improve their explanatory power if they were coordinated so as to reduce redundancy, decrease environmental degradation and, most importantly, produce comparable datasets. Additionally, many of the present environmental management programs are based on the past baseline composition and location of biotic communities. As these communities become rearranged across the valleys in the future there is interest in assessing whether today\u0027s management plans are adequate. To efficiently move these research programs forward for the McMurdo Dry Valleys requires a coordinated, interdisciplinary, long-term data monitoring and observation network. The ultimate objectives of the workshop are to: i) identify the optimal, complementary suites of measurements required to assess and address key processes associated with environmental change in Dry Valley ecosystems; ii) develop standards and protocols for gathering the most critical biotic and abiotic measurements associated with the key processes driving environmental change; iii) generate a draft data coordination and development plan that will maximize the utility of these data; iv) assess the effectiveness of current McMurdo Dry Valley ASMA (Antarctic Special Management Area) environmental protection guidelines.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Adams, Byron", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "A Planning Workshop for a McMurdo Dry Valleys Terrestrial Observation Network", "uid": "p0000126", "west": null}, {"awards": "0631973 Joughin, Ian; 0632031 Das, Sarah", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Joughin 0631973\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to gather data to better understand the mass balance of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, in the Pine Island and Thwaites region, through the combination of radar altimetry and surface-based ice-core measurements of accumulation. The intellectual merit of the project is that the results of the field work will provide information on decadal-scale average accumulation extending back through the last century and will help constrain a modeling effort to determine how coastal changes propagate inland, to allow better prediction of future change. Comparison of the basin averaged accumulation with ice discharge determined using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) velocity data will provide improved mass-balance estimates. Study of changes in flow speed will produce a record of mass balance over the last three decades. Analysis of the satellite altimeter record in conjunction with annual accumulation estimates also will provide estimates of changes and variability in mass balance. The broader impacts of the work are that it will make a significant contribution to future IPCC estimates of sea level, which are important for projection of the impacts of increased sea level on coastal communities. The research will contribute to the graduate education of students at the Universities of Washington and Kansas and will enrich K-12 education through the direct participation of the PIs in classroom activities. Informal science education includes 4-day glacier flow demonstrations at the Polar Science Weekend held annually at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. The project also will communicate results through Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) outreach effort. All field and remotely-sensed data sets will be archived and distributed by the National Snow and Ice Data Center. This project is relevant to IPY in that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is losing mass, in large part because of rapid thinning of the Amundsen Coast glaciers so, it will directly address the NSF IPY emphasis on \"ice sheet history and dynamics.\" The project is also international in scope.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR ECHO SOUNDERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Flow Speed; Antarctic; LABORATORY; Ice Sheet Accumulation Rate; Mass Balance; Accumulation; Insar; SATELLITES; FIELD SURVEYS; Ice Core; Radar Altimetry; Ice Velocity", "locations": "Antarctic", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Joughin, Ian; Medley, Brooke; Das, Sarah", "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; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e SATELLITES", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "IPY: Collaborative Proposal: Constraining the Mass-Balance Deficit of the Amundsen Coast\u0027s Glaciers", "uid": "p0000542", "west": null}, {"awards": "1043528 Alley, Richard; 1043313 Spencer, Matthew", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(112.1166 -79.4666)", "dataset_titles": "Average Annual Layer Thickness of the WAIS Divide Ice Core from Visual Stratigraphy; C-axis Fabric from Physical Properties Samples of the WAIS Divide Ice Core; Updated (2017) bubble number-density, size, shape, and modeled paleoclimate data; WAIS Divide 580m Bubble and Grain Hybrid Data; WAIS Divide Surface and Snow-pit Data, 2009-2013", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601224", "doi": "10.15784/601224", "keywords": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Bubble Number Density; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; NSF-ICF Microtome and Photography Stage; Paleoclimate; Physical Properties; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; WAIS Divide Ice Core; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Voigt, Donald E.; Fitzpatrick, Joan; Spencer, Matthew; Alley, Richard; Fegyveresi, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Updated (2017) bubble number-density, size, shape, and modeled paleoclimate data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601224"}, {"dataset_uid": "601079", "doi": "10.15784/601079", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; AWS; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Meteorology; Physical Properties; Snow Pit; Temperature; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core; Weatherstation", "people": "Fegyveresi, John; Alley, Richard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Surface and Snow-pit Data, 2009-2013", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601079"}, {"dataset_uid": "609605", "doi": "10.7265/N5W093VM", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Alley, Richard; Voigt, Donald E.; Fitzpatrick, Joan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "C-axis Fabric from Physical Properties Samples of the WAIS Divide Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609605"}, {"dataset_uid": "601087", "doi": "10.15784/601087", "keywords": "Air Bubbles; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Ice Strain; Physical Ice Properties; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Strain", "people": "Fegyveresi, John; Alley, Richard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide 580m Bubble and Grain Hybrid Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601087"}, {"dataset_uid": "609603", "doi": "10.7265/N53J39X3", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Spencer, Matthew", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Average Annual Layer Thickness of the WAIS Divide Ice Core from Visual Stratigraphy", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609603"}], "date_created": "Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "1043528/Alley This award supports a project to complete the physical-properties studies of the WAIS Divide deep ice core, now being collected in West Antarctica. Ongoing work funded by NSF, under a grant that is ending, has produced visible stratigraphy dating, inspection of the core for any melt layers, volcanic horizons, flow disturbances or other features, analysis of bubble number-densities allowing reconstruction of a two-millennial cooling trend in the latter Holocene at the site, characterization of other bubble characteristics (size, etc.), density studies, characterization of snow-surface changes at the site, preliminary c-axis studies, and more. The current proposal seeks to complete this work, once the rest of the core is recovered. The intellectual merit of the proposed activity starts with quality assurance for the core, by visual detection of any evidence of flow disturbances that would disrupt the integrity of the climate record. Inspection will also reveal any melt layers, volcanic horizons, etc. Annual-layer dating will be conducted; thus far, the visible strata have not been as useful as some other indicators, but the possibility (based on experience in Greenland) that visible examination will allow detection of thinner annual layers than other techniques motivates the effort. Bubble number-density will be used to reconstruct temperature changes through the rest of the bubbly part of the core, providing important paleoclimatic data for earlier parts of the Holocene. Coordinated interpretation of c-axis fabrics, grain sizes and shapes, and bubble characteristics will be used to learn about the history of ice flow, the processes of ice flow, and the softness of the ice for additional deformation. Analysis of surface data already collected will improve interpretation of the layering of the core. It is possible that the annual-layer dating will not be sufficiently successful, and that the core will be undisturbed with no melt layers; if so, then these efforts will not yield major publications. However, success of the other efforts should produce improved understanding of the history and stability of the ice sheet, and key processes controlling these, and the quality assurance provided by the visual examination is important for the project as a whole. The broader impacts of the proposed activity include education of a PhD student and multiple undergraduates, and research opportunities for a junior faculty member at an undergraduate institution. The proposed activity will help support an especially vigorous education and outreach effort providing undergraduate instruction for over 1000 students per year, reaching thousands more citizens and many policymakers, and preparing educational materials used at many levels.", "east": 112.1166, "geometry": "POINT(112.1166 -79.4666)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e VISUAL OBSERVATIONS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e MICROSCOPES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e ACFA; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE; NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE \u003e NOT APPLICABLE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Annual Layer Thickness; Ice Core; Visual Observations; Bubble; LABORATORY; Bubble Density; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Physical Properties; Stratigraphy; Climate Record; Annual Layers; Ice Fabric; C-axis; Model; WAIS Divide; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; FIELD SURVEYS; Melt Layers; Wais Divide-project; Not provided", "locations": "WAIS Divide; Antarctica; Antarctic", "north": -79.4666, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Spencer, Matthew; Alley, Richard; Fitzpatrick, Joan; Voigt, Donald E.", "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-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.4666, "title": "Collaborative Research: Continued Study of Physical Properties of the WAIS Divide Deep Core", "uid": "p0000027", "west": 112.1166}, {"awards": "0636740 Kreutz, Karl; 0636767 Dunbar, Nelia", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(112.11666 -79.46666)", "dataset_titles": "Microparticle, Conductivity, and Density Measurements from the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core, Antarctica; Snowpit Chemistry - Methods Comparison, WAIS Divide, Antarctica; Snowpit evidence of the 2011 Puyehue-Cordon Caulle (Chile) eruption in West Antarctica; WAIS Divide Microparticle Concentration and Size Distribution, 0-2400 ka; WAIS Divide Snowpit Chemical and Isotope Measurements, Antarctica; WAIS Divide WDC06A Discrete ICP-MS Chemistry", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609499", "doi": "10.7265/N5K07264", "keywords": "Antarctica; Density; Electrical Conductivity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Microparticle Concentration; Physical Properties; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Koffman, Bess; Breton, Daniel; Hamilton, Gordon S.; Kreutz, Karl", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Microparticle, Conductivity, and Density Measurements from the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609499"}, {"dataset_uid": "601036", "doi": "10.15784/601036", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Geochronology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Intracontinental Magmatism; IntraContinental Magmatism; Snow Pit; Tephra; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Koffman, Bess; Kreutz, Karl", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Snowpit evidence of the 2011 Puyehue-Cordon Caulle (Chile) eruption in West Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601036"}, {"dataset_uid": "609506", "doi": "10.7265/N5SJ1HHN", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Isotope; Microparticle Concentration; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Koffman, Bess; Kreutz, Karl", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Snowpit Chemical and Isotope Measurements, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609506"}, {"dataset_uid": "601023", "doi": "10.15784/601023", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; ICP-MS; Isotope; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Kreutz, Karl", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide WDC06A Discrete ICP-MS Chemistry", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601023"}, {"dataset_uid": "609620", "doi": "10.7265/N5Q81B1X", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Trace Elements; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Kreutz, Karl; Koffman, Bess", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Snowpit Chemistry - Methods Comparison, WAIS Divide, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609620"}, {"dataset_uid": "609616", "doi": "10.7265/N5KK98QZ", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dust; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Particle Size; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Koffman, Bess; Kreutz, Karl", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Microparticle Concentration and Size Distribution, 0-2400 ka", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609616"}], "date_created": "Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to perform continuous microparticle concentration and size distribution measurements (using coulter counter and state-of-the-art laser detector methods), analysis of biologically relevant trace elements associated with microparticles (Fe, Zn, Co, Cd, Cu), and tephra measurements on the WAIS Divide ice core. This initial three-year project includes analysis of ice core spanning the instrumental (~1850-present) to mid- Holocene (~5000 years BP) period, with sample resolution ranging from subannual to decadal. The intellectual merit of the project is that it will help in establishing the relationships among climate, atmospheric aerosols from terrestrial and volcanic sources, ocean biogeochemistry, and greenhouse gases on several timescales which remain a fundamental problem in paleoclimatology. The atmospheric mineral dust plays an important but uncertain role in direct radiative forcing, and the microparticle datasets produced in this project will allow us to examine changes in South Pacific aerosol loading, atmospheric dynamics, and dust source area climate. The phasing of changes in aerosol properties within Antarctica, throughout the Southern Hemisphere, and globally is unclear, largely due to the limited number of annually dated records extending into the glacial period and the lack of a\u003cbr/\u003etephra framework to correlate records. The broader impacts of the proposed research are an interdisciplinary approach to climate science problems, and will contribute to several WAIS Divide science themes as well as the broader paleoclimate and oceanographic communities. Because the research topics have a large and direct societal relevance, the project will form a centerpiece of various outreach efforts at UMaine and NMT including institution websites, public speaking, local K-12 school interaction, media interviews and news releases, and popular literature. At least one PhD student and one MS student will be directly supported by this project, including fieldwork, core processing, laboratory analysis, and data interpretation/publication. We expect that one graduate student per year will apply for a core handler/assistant driller position through the WAIS Divide Science Coordination Office, and that undergraduate student involvement will result in several Capstone experience projects (a UMaine graduation requirement). Data and ideas generated from the project will be integrated into undergraduate and graduate course curricula at both institutions.", "east": 112.11666, "geometry": "POINT(112.11666 -79.46666)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e ION CHROMATOGRAPHS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e PARTICLE DETECTORS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROBES \u003e ELECTRON MICROPROBES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e LOPC-PMS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e ICP-MS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e ICE CORE MELTER; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e PARTICLE DETECTORS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Core Dust; Tephra; Radiative Forcing; Greenhouse Gas; West Antarctica; Atmospheric Aerosols; Oxygen Isotope; Not provided; WAIS Divide; Snow Pit; Ice Core Chemistry; Microparticle; Wais Divide-project; Microparticles Size; Paleoclimate; LABORATORY; Ice Core Data; Atmospheric Dynamics; Antarctica; FIELD SURVEYS; Ice Core; Trace Elements; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Holocene; Isotope; Snow Chemistry", "locations": "Antarctica; WAIS Divide; West Antarctica", "north": -79.46666, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Koffman, Bess; Kreutz, Karl; Breton, Daniel; Dunbar, Nelia; Hamilton, Gordon S.", "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": -79.46666, "title": "Collaborative Research: Microparticle/tephra analysis of the WAIS Divide ice core", "uid": "p0000040", "west": 112.11666}, {"awards": "0440819 Taylor, Kendrick", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(112.1 -79.46667)", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project that is part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS Divide) program; which is a multi-disciplinary multi-institutional program to investigate the causes of natural changes in climate, the influence of the West Antarctic ice sheet on sea level, and the biology of deep ice. The WAIS Divide core will be unique among Antarctic ice cores in that it will have discernable annual layers for the last 40,000 years. A critical element of the program is to determine the age of the ice so that the climate proxies measured on the core can be interpreted in terms of age, not just depth. This project will make electrical measurements that can identify the annual layers. This information will be combined with information from other investigators to develop an annually resolved timescale over the last 40,000 years. This timescale will be the foundation on which the recent climate records are interpreted. Electrical measurements will also be used to produce two-dimensional images of the ice core stratigraphy; allowing sections of the core with abnormal stratigraphy to be identified. The broader impacts of this project include exposing a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students to ice core research and assisting the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C to develop a paleoclimate/ice core display.", "east": 112.1, "geometry": "POINT(112.1 -79.46667)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Annual Layers; Time Scale; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Stratigraphy; FIELD SURVEYS; Glaciology; Electrical Measurements; Antarctic; Not provided; Ice Sheet; Ice Core; LABORATORY; Climate Proxies", "locations": "Antarctic", "north": -79.46667, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Taylor, Kendrick C.", "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", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -79.46667, "title": "Investigation of the Stratigraphy and Time Scale of the WAIS Divide Ice Core Using Electrical Methods", "uid": "p0000373", "west": 112.1}, {"awards": "0636218 Gillies, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((161.85075 -77.37241,161.990843 -77.37241,162.130936 -77.37241,162.271029 -77.37241,162.411122 -77.37241,162.551215 -77.37241,162.691308 -77.37241,162.831401 -77.37241,162.971494 -77.37241,163.111587 -77.37241,163.25168 -77.37241,163.25168 -77.395964,163.25168 -77.419518,163.25168 -77.443072,163.25168 -77.466626,163.25168 -77.49018000000001,163.25168 -77.513734,163.25168 -77.537288,163.25168 -77.56084200000001,163.25168 -77.584396,163.25168 -77.60795,163.111587 -77.60795,162.971494 -77.60795,162.831401 -77.60795,162.691308 -77.60795,162.551215 -77.60795,162.411122 -77.60795,162.271029 -77.60795,162.130936 -77.60795,161.990843 -77.60795,161.85075 -77.60795,161.85075 -77.584396,161.85075 -77.56084200000001,161.85075 -77.537288,161.85075 -77.513734,161.85075 -77.49018000000001,161.85075 -77.466626,161.85075 -77.443072,161.85075 -77.419518,161.85075 -77.395964,161.85075 -77.37241))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project characterizes wind-driven sediment transport in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of \u003cbr/\u003eAntarctica during both winter and summer periods. Wind is the primary sculptor of\u003cbr/\u003eterrain in this region and winter measurements, which have never been undertaken, are\u003cbr/\u003eessential for determining the frequency and magnitude of transport events. The projects\u003cbr/\u003egoal is to determine if the existing landforms represent relics from past climate regimes\u003cbr/\u003eor contemporary processes. The project involves two major activities: (1) dynamic and\u003cbr/\u003etime-integrated measurements of sand transport to characterize the seasonal behavior,\u003cbr/\u003efrequency, and magnitude at four sites and (2) detailed surveying of an unusual\u003cbr/\u003ewind-formed surface feature, the gravel megaripples found in the Wright Valley. In\u003cbr/\u003eaddition to interpreting Dry Valleys geomorphology, these data will provide a more\u003cbr/\u003equantitative assessment of wind-aided distribution of nutrients, plants, and animals to\u003cbr/\u003eterrestrial and aquatic ecosystems throughout the Dry Valleys. This research will also\u003cbr/\u003eprovide quantitative information on the effects of extreme cold and low humidity on\u003cbr/\u003etransport thresholds and rates, which can be applied to cold desert environments of the\u003cbr/\u003eArctic, Antarctic, and Mars.", "east": 163.25168, "geometry": "POINT(162.551215 -77.49018)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -77.37241, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Gillies, John", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -77.60795, "title": "Dynamics of Aeolian Processes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "uid": "p0000739", "west": 161.85075}, {"awards": "0739766 Brook, Edward J.", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.08 -79.47)", "dataset_titles": "WAIS Divide Ice Core CO2", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609651", "doi": "10.7265/N5DV1GTZ", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Marcott, Shaun; Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide Ice Core CO2", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609651"}], "date_created": "Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Brook 0739766\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to create a 25,000-year high-resolution record of atmospheric CO2 from the WAIS Divide ice core. The site has high ice accumulation rate, relatively cold temperatures, and annual layering that should be preserved back to 40,000 years, all prerequisite for preserving a high quality, well-dated CO2 record. The new record will be used to examine relationships between Antarctic climate, Northern Hemisphere climate, and atmospheric CO2 on glacial-interglacial to centennial time scales, at unprecedented temporal resolution. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is simply that CO2 is the most important greenhouse gas that humans directly impact, and understanding the sources, sinks, and controls of atmospheric CO2 is a major goal for the global scientific community. Accurate chronology and detailed records are primary requirements for developing and testing models that explain and predict CO2 variability. The proposed work has several broader impacts. It contributes to the training of a post-doctoral researcher, who will transfer to a research faculty position during the award period and who will participate in graduate teaching and guest lecture in undergraduate courses. An undergraduate researcher will gain valuable lab training and conduct independent research. Bringing the results of\u003cbr/\u003ethe proposed work to the classroom will enrich courses taught by the PI. Outreach efforts will expose pre-college students to ice core research. The proposed work will enhance the laboratory facilities for ice core research at OSU, insuring that the capability for CO2 measurements exists for future projects. All data will be archived at the National Snow and Ice Data Center and other similar archives, per OPP policy. Highly significant results will be disseminated to the news media through OSU?s very effective News and Communications group. Carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas that humans are directly changing. Understanding how CO2 and climate are linked on all time scales is necessary for predicting the future behavior of the carbon cycle and climate system, primarily to insure that the appropriate processes are represented in carbon cycle/climate models. Part of the proposed work emphasizes the relationship of CO2 and abrupt climate change. Understanding how future abrupt change might impact the carbon cycle is an important issue for society.", "east": -112.08, "geometry": "POINT(-112.08 -79.47)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Carbon Dioxide; FIELD INVESTIGATION; CO2; Wais Divide-project; Ice Core; Antarctica; Climate; Gas Chromatography; Antarctic Ice Core; LABORATORY", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -79.47, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Marcott, Shaun; Ahn, Jinho; Brook, Edward J.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.47, "title": "Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Climate Change: The WAIS Divide Ice Core Record", "uid": "p0000044", "west": -112.08}, {"awards": "0758274 Parizek, Byron; 0636724 Blankenship, Donald", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-110.058 -74.0548,-109.57993 -74.0548,-109.10186 -74.0548,-108.62379 -74.0548,-108.14572 -74.0548,-107.66765 -74.0548,-107.18958 -74.0548,-106.71151 -74.0548,-106.23344 -74.0548,-105.75537 -74.0548,-105.2773 -74.0548,-105.2773 -74.31383,-105.2773 -74.57286,-105.2773 -74.83189,-105.2773 -75.09092,-105.2773 -75.34995,-105.2773 -75.60898,-105.2773 -75.86801,-105.2773 -76.12704,-105.2773 -76.38607,-105.2773 -76.6451,-105.75537 -76.6451,-106.23344 -76.6451,-106.71151 -76.6451,-107.18958 -76.6451,-107.66765 -76.6451,-108.14572 -76.6451,-108.62379 -76.6451,-109.10186 -76.6451,-109.57993 -76.6451,-110.058 -76.6451,-110.058 -76.38607,-110.058 -76.12704,-110.058 -75.86801,-110.058 -75.60898,-110.058 -75.34995,-110.058 -75.09092,-110.058 -74.83189,-110.058 -74.57286,-110.058 -74.31383,-110.058 -74.0548))", "dataset_titles": "Access to data; AGASEA 4.7 ka Englacial Isochron over the Thwaites Glacier Catchment; AGASEA Ice Thickness Profile Data from the Amundsen Sea Embayment, Antarctica; Airborne Laser Altimetry of the Thwaites Glacier Catchment, West Antarctica; ICECAP Basal Interface Specularity Content Profiles: IPY and OIB; Subglacial water flow paths under Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica; Synthesis of Thwaites Glacier Dynamics: Diagnostic and Prognostic Sensitivity Studies of a West Antarctic Outlet System", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609518", "doi": "10.7265/N5RJ4GC8", "keywords": "AGASEA; Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Elevation; Flow Paths; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Carter, Sasha P.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Young, Duncan A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Subglacial water flow paths under Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609518"}, {"dataset_uid": "601673", "doi": "10.15784/601673", "keywords": "Antarchitecture; Antarctica; Ice Penetrating Radar; Isochron; Layers; Radar; Radioglaciology; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Blankenship, Donald D.; Muldoon, Gail R.; Young, Duncan A.; Jackson, Charles", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "AGASEA 4.7 ka Englacial Isochron over the Thwaites Glacier Catchment", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601673"}, {"dataset_uid": "002536", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NASA", "science_program": null, "title": "Access to data", "url": "http://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/panoply/"}, {"dataset_uid": "601371", "doi": "10.15784/601371", "keywords": "Antarctica; East Antarctica; ICECAP; Ice Penetrating Radar; Radar Echo Sounder; Radar Echo Sounding; Subglacial Hydrology", "people": "Schroeder, Dustin; Young, Duncan A.; Roberts, Jason; Blankenship, Donald D.; Siegert, Martin; van Ommen, Tas; Greenbaum, Jamin", "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": "609517", "doi": "10.7265/N5W95730", "keywords": "AGASEA; Airborne Radar; Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Elevation; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Thickness", "people": "Blankenship, Donald D.; Young, Duncan A.; Kempf, Scott D.; Holt, John W.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "AGASEA Ice Thickness Profile Data from the Amundsen Sea Embayment, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609517"}, {"dataset_uid": "000248", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Access to data", "url": "http://nsidc.org/data/netcdf/tools.html"}, {"dataset_uid": "609334", "doi": "10.7265/N5HD7SK8", "keywords": "AGASEA; Airborne Altimetry; Antarctica; Elevation; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Holt, John W.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Kempf, Scott D.; Morse, David L.; Young, Duncan A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Airborne Laser Altimetry of the Thwaites Glacier Catchment, West Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609334"}, {"dataset_uid": "609619", "doi": "10.7265/N58913TN", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Sheet Model; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Blankenship, Donald D.; Dupont, Todd K.; Holt, John W.; Parizek, Byron R.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Synthesis of Thwaites Glacier Dynamics: Diagnostic and Prognostic Sensitivity Studies of a West Antarctic Outlet System", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609619"}], "date_created": "Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a three-year study to isolate essential physical processes affecting Thwaites Glacier (TG) in the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) of West Antarctica using a suite of existing numerical models in conjunction with existing and International Polar Year (IPY)-proposed data sets. Four different models will be utilized to explore the effects of embayment geometry, ice-shelf buttressing, basal-stress distribution, surface mass balance, surface climate, and inland dynamic perturbations on the present and future dynamics of TG. This particular collection of models is ideally suited for the broad nature of this investigation, as they incorporate efficient and complementary simplifications of the stress field (shallow-ice and shelf-stream), system geometry (1-d and 2-d plan-view and flowline; depth-integrated and depth-dependent), and mass-momentum energy coupling (mechanical and thermo-mechanical). The models will be constrained and validated by data sets (including regional maps of ice thickness, surface elevation, basal topography, ice surface velocity, and potential fields) and geophysical data analyses (including increasing the spatial resolution of surface elevations, improving regional estimates of geothermal flux, and characterizing the sub-glacial interface of grounded ice as well as the grounding-zone transition between grounded and floating ice). The intellectual merit of the research focuses on several of the NSF Glaciology program\u0027s emphases, including: ice dynamics, numerical modeling, and remote sensing of ice sheets. In addition, the research directly addresses the following specific NSF objectives: \"investigation of the physics of fast glacier flow with emphasis on processes at glacier beds\"; \"investigation of ice-shelf stability\"; and \"identification and quantification of the feedback between ice dynamics and climate change\". The broader impacts of this research effort will help answer societally relevant questions of future ice sheet stability and sea-level change. The research also will aid in the early career development of two young investigators and will contribute to the education of both graduate and undergraduate students directly involved in the research, and results will be incorporated into courses and informal presentations.", "east": -105.2773, "geometry": "POINT(-107.66765 -75.34995)", "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; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e ALTIMETERS \u003e RADAR ALTIMETERS \u003e ALTIMETERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e RADIO \u003e INS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Sheet Thickness; Ice Sheet Elevation; Glacier Dynamics; Ice Stream; Numerical Model; West Antarctic; Surface Elevation; Basal Rheology; Ice Surface Velocity; Embayment Geometry; Amundsen Sea; Hydrology; FIELD SURVEYS; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Glacier; Subglacial; DHC-6; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Model Output; Surface Climate; Glaciers; Basal Topography; Grounding Zone; Model Input Data; Airborne Laser Altimeters; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Thwaites Glacier; Airborne Laser Altimetry; Diagnostic; Ice-Shelf Buttressing; Ice Sheet; Prognostic; Glacier Surface; Airborne Radar Sounding; Digital Elevation Model; Ice Dynamic; Antarctica; Altimetry; Antarctica (agasea); Bed Elevation; Basal Stress; LABORATORY", "locations": "Antarctica; Thwaites Glacier; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Antarctic Ice Sheet; West Antarctic; Amundsen Sea", "north": -74.0548, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Carter, Sasha P.; Dupont, Todd K.; Holt, John W.; Morse, David L.; Parizek, Byron R.; Young, Duncan A.; Kempf, Scott D.; Blankenship, Donald D.", "platforms": "AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PROPELLER \u003e DHC-6; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "NASA; NSIDC; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -76.6451, "title": "Collaborative Research: Synthesis of Thwaites Glacier Dynamics: Diagnostic and Prognostic Sensitivity Studies of a West Antarctic Outlet System", "uid": "p0000174", "west": -110.058}, {"awards": "0538578 Brook, Edward J.; 0538538 Sowers, Todd", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Late Holocene Methane Concentrations from WAIS Divide and GISP2; Methane Concentrations from the WAIS Divide Ice Core (WDC06A), 60 to 11,300 ybp; The Antarctic Glaciological Data Center (AGDC) at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) archives and distributes Antarctic glaciological and cryospheric system data collected by the U.S. Antarctic Program.", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001303", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "The Antarctic Glaciological Data Center (AGDC) at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) archives and distributes Antarctic glaciological and cryospheric system data collected by the U.S. Antarctic Program.", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/agdc"}, {"dataset_uid": "609509", "doi": "10.7265/N5J1013R", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Methane; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Sowers, Todd A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Methane Concentrations from the WAIS Divide Ice Core (WDC06A), 60 to 11,300 ybp", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609509"}, {"dataset_uid": "609586", "doi": "10.7265/N5W66HQQ", "keywords": "Antarctica; Arctic; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; GISP2; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Methane; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Mitchell, Logan E", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Late Holocene Methane Concentrations from WAIS Divide and GISP2", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609586"}], "date_created": "Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Sowers/Brook\u003cbr/\u003e0538538\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to develop a high-resolution (every 50 yr) methane data set that will play a pivotal role in developing the timescale for the new deep ice core being drilled at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS Divde) site as well as providing a common stratigraphic framework for comparing climate records from Greenland and WAIS Divide. Certain key intervals will be measured at even higher resolution to assist in precisely defining the phasing of abrupt climate change between the northern and southern hemispheres. Concurrent analysis of a suit of samples from both the WAIS Divide and GISP2 ice cores throughout the last 110kyr is also proposed, to establish the inter-hemispheric methane gradient which will be used to identify geographic areas responsible for the climate-related methane emission changes. A large gas measurement inter-calibration of numerous laboratories, utilizing both compressed air cylinders and WAIS Divide ice core samples, will also be performed. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is that it will provide the chronological control needed to examine the timing of changes in climate proxies, and critical chronological ties to the Greenland ice core records via methane variations. In addition, the project addresses the question of what methane sources were active during the ice age and will help to answer the fundamental question of what part of the biosphere controlled past methane variations. The broader impact of the proposed work is that it will directly benefit all ice core paleoclimate research and will impact the paleoclimate studies that rely on ice core timescales for correlation purposes. The project will also support a Ph.D. student at Oregon State University who will have the opportunity to be involved in a major new ice coring effort with international elements. Undergraduates at Penn State will gain valuable laboratory experience and participate fully in the project. The proposed work will underpin the WAIS Divide chronology, which will be fundamental to all graduate student projects that involve the core. The international inter-calibration effort will strengthen ties between research institutions on four continents and will be conducted as part of the International Polar Year research agenda.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; Ch4; West Antarctica; Wais Divide-project; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; FIELD INVESTIGATION; FIELD SURVEYS; Methane Concentration; Methane; Ice Core; WAIS Divide; Antarctic; LABORATORY", "locations": "Antarctic; WAIS Divide; Antarctica; West Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE; NOT APPLICABLE; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Lee, James; Buizert, Christo; Brook, Edward J.; Mitchell, Logan E; Sowers, Todd A.", "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-BASED OBSERVATIONS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "NSIDC", "repositories": "NSIDC; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Constructing an Ultra-high Resolution Atmospheric Methane Record for the Last 140,000 Years from WAIS Divide Core.", "uid": "p0000025", "west": null}, {"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": "Waddington, Edwin D.; Alley, Richard; 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": "0537661 Cuffey, Kurt; 0537593 White, James; 0537930 Steig, Eric", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.08 -79.47)", "dataset_titles": "Stable Isotope Lab at INSTAAR, University of Colorado; WAIS ice core isotope data #342, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351 (full data link not provided)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000140", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Project website", "science_program": null, "title": "WAIS ice core isotope data #342, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351 (full data link not provided)", "url": "http://www.waisdivide.unh.edu/"}, {"dataset_uid": "002561", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Project website", "science_program": null, "title": "Stable Isotope Lab at INSTAAR, University of Colorado", "url": "http://instaar.colorado.edu/sil/about/index.php"}], "date_created": "Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports analyses of stable isotopes of water, dD, d18O and deuterium excess in the proposed West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS) deep ice core. The project will produce a continuous and high-resolution reconstruction of stable isotope ratios for the new core. dD and d18O values provide estimates of temperature change at the ice core site. Deuterium excess provides estimates of ocean surface conditions, such as sea surface temperature, at the moisture source areas. This new ice core is ideally situated to address questions ranging from ice sheet stability to abrupt climate change. WAIS Divide has high enough snowfall rates to record climate changes on annual to decadal time scales. It should also have ice old enough to capture the last interglacial period in detail. The West Antarctic ice sheet is the subject of great scrutiny as our modern climate warms and sea level rises. What are the prospects for added sea level rise from ice released by this ice sheet? Understanding how this ice sheet has responded to climate change in the past, which the data collected in this project will help to assess, is critical to answering this question. The high temporal resolution available in the WAIS Divide core will provide the best available basis for inter-comparison of millennial-scale climate changes between the poles, and thus a better understanding of the spatial expression and dynamics of rapid climate change events. Finally, the location of this core in the Pacific sector of West Antarctica makes it well situated for examining the influence of the tropical Pacific on Antarctica climate, on longer timescales than are available from the instrumental climate record. Analyses will include the measurement of sub-annually resolved isotope variations in the uppermost parts of the core, measurements at annual resolution throughout the last 10,000 years and during periods of rapid climate change prior to that, and measurements at 50-year resolution throughout the entire length of the core that is collected and processed during the period of this grant. We anticipate that this will be about half of the full core expected to be drilled. In terms of broader impacts, the PIs will share the advising of two graduate students, who will make this ice core the focus of their thesis projects. It will be done in an innovative multi-campus approach designed to foster a broader educational experience. As noted above, the data and interpretations generated by this proposal will address climate change questions not only of direct and immediate scientific interest, but also of direct and immediate policy interest.", "east": -112.08, "geometry": "POINT(-112.08 -79.47)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MBES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide; Not provided; Ice Core; WAIS Divide; LABORATORY; FIELD SURVEYS; Isotope; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Antarctica; West Antarctica; Stable Isotope Ratios; Antarctic; Ice Sheet; Deuterium", "locations": "WAIS Divide; West Antarctica; Antarctic; Antarctica; West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide", "north": -79.47, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e PLEISTOCENE; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY", "persons": "White, James; Steig, Eric J.; Cuffey, Kurt M.; Souney, Joseph Jr.; Vaughn, Bruce", "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": "Project website", "repositories": "Project website", "science_programs": null, "south": -79.47, "title": "Collaborative Research: Stable Isotopes of Ice in the WAIS Divide Deep Ice Core", "uid": "p0000294", "west": -112.08}, {"awards": "0636996 Waddington, Edwin; 0940650 Pettit, Erin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-165 -75,-159 -75,-153 -75,-147 -75,-141 -75,-135 -75,-129 -75,-123 -75,-117 -75,-111 -75,-105 -75,-105 -76,-105 -77,-105 -78,-105 -79,-105 -80,-105 -81,-105 -82,-105 -83,-105 -84,-105 -85,-111 -85,-117 -85,-123 -85,-129 -85,-135 -85,-141 -85,-147 -85,-153 -85,-159 -85,-165 -85,-165 -84,-165 -83,-165 -82,-165 -81,-165 -80,-165 -79,-165 -78,-165 -77,-165 -76,-165 -75))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Pettit/0636795\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to constrain the accumulation rate, thickness, and temperature history for Siple Dome using a vertical velocity profile that includes the effects of an evolving fabric on deformation through time, to invert the depth-profile of fabric determined from sonic velocity measurements and grain size observed in thin sections in Siple Dome for the surface temperature and accumulation rate changes in the past, focusing on the apparent abrupt climate change events at 22ka and 15ka. The intellectual merit of the work is that it will extract past climate information from a number of physical properties of the deep ice using a coupled fabric evolution and ice-sheet flow model. The focus will be on the deep ice-age ice at Siple Dome, where the ice-core record shows puzzling signals and where modeling results imply intriguing deformation patterns. The method will also be applied to the records from Byrd Station and Taylor Dome to ultimately form a basis for future analysis of the West Antarctic Divide core. The broader impacts of the project are that it will ultimately contribute to our understanding of the effects of anisotropy on ice flow dynamics in West Antarctica. It will contribute to our understanding of the connection between ice flow and the paleoclimate record in ice cores, particularly with respect to the relationship between the chemical record and ice deformation. And it will contribute a new ice-flow model that includes the effects of anisotropy and fabric evolution. The project will also contribute to advancing the career of a new, young, female investigator and will support a couple of graduate students. Finally, the work will encouraging diversity in the physical sciences by directly helping to support the Girls on Ice a program that encourages young women to explore science and the natural world.", "east": -105.0, "geometry": "POINT(-135 -80)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "LABORATORY; FIELD SURVEYS; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Vertical Velocity; COMPUTERS; Ice Core; Firn; Accumulation Rate; Siple Dome; Ice Thickness; Abrupt Climate Change; Ice Temperature; Metamorphism; Anisotropy; Antarctica", "locations": "Siple Dome; Antarctica", "north": -75.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Pettit, Erin; Waddington, Edwin D.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e COMPUTERS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -85.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Anisotropy, Abrupt Climate Change, and the Deep Ice in West Antarctica", "uid": "p0000741", "west": -165.0}, {"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": "Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Spikes, Vandy Blue; Hamilton, Gordon S.; 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": "0636898 Winckler, Gisela", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Winckler/0636898\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to study dust sources in Antarctic ice cores. Atmospheric aerosols play an important role both in global biogeochemical cycles as well as in the climate system of the Earth. Records extracted from Antarctic ice cores inform us that dust deposition from the atmosphere to the ice sheet was 15-20 times greater during glacial periods than during interglacials, which raises the possibility that dust may be a key player in climate change on glacial-interglacial timescales. By characterizing potential source areas from South America, South Africa, and Australia as well as fresh glacial flour from Patagonia, the project will determine if the interglacial dust was mobilized from a distinct geographical region (e.g., Australia) or from a more heavily weathered source region in South America. The intellectual merit of the project is that it will contribute to reconstructing climate-related changes in the rate of dust deposition, and in the provenance of the dust, it will provide critical constraints on hydrology and vegetation in the source regions, as well as on the nature of the atmospheric circulation transporting dust to the archive location. In a recent pilot study it was found that there is a dramatic glacial to Holocene change in the 4He/Ca ratio in the dust extracted from ice from Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, indicating a shift in the source of dust transported to Antarctica. The broader impacts of the project are that Helium isotopes and calcium measurements provide a wealth of information that can then be turned into critical input for dust-climate models. Improved models, which are able to accurately reconstruct paleo dust distribution, will help us to predict changes in dust in response to future climate variability. This information will contribute to an improvement of our integrated understanding of the Earth\u0027s climate system and, in turn, will better inform policy makers of those processes and conditions most susceptible to perturbation by climate change, thereby leading to more meaningful climate-change policy. The project will support a graduate student in the dual masters Earth and Environmental Science Journalism program. The lead-PI manages the rock noble gas laboratory at Lamont. Her leadership role in this facility impacts the training of undergraduate and graduate students as well as visiting scientists.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Deposition; LABORATORY; Dust; Climate; Not provided; Climate Change; Helium Isotopes; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Biogeochemical Cycles", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Winckler, Gisela", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Tracing Glacial-interglacial Changes in the Dust Source to Antarctica using Helium Isotopes", "uid": "p0000265", "west": null}, {"awards": "0542164 Taylor, Michael", "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": "Quantifying the Role of Short-Period Gravity Waves on the Antarctic Mesospheric Dynamics Using an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600060", "doi": "10.15784/600060", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Meteorology; Radiosonde; South Pole", "people": "Taylor, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Quantifying the Role of Short-Period Gravity Waves on the Antarctic Mesospheric Dynamics Using an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600060"}], "date_created": "Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "A focused plan is presented to investigate the role and importance of short period (\u003c1 hour) gravity waves on the dynamics of the Antarctic Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT) region (~80-100 km). Excited primarily by deep convection, frontal activity, topography, and strong wind shears in the lower atmosphere, these waves transport energy and momentum upwards where they have a profound influence on the MLT dynamics. Most of the wave forcing is expected to occur at mid-and low-latitudes where such sources predominate. However, short-period waves (exhibiting similar characteristics to mid-latitude events) have now been detected in copious quantities from research sites on the Antarctic Peninsula and the coastal regions exhibiting strong anisotropy in their dominant horizontal motions (and hence their momentum fluxes). Radiosonde measurements have established the existence of ubiquitous gravity wave activity at South Pole but, to date, there have been no detailed measurements of the properties of short-period waves at MLT heights deep in the Antarctic interior. In particular, the South Pole Station is uniquely situated to investigate the filtering and penetration of these waves into the MLT region, a substantial fraction of which may be ducted waves traveling over vast geographic distances (several thousand km). Novel image measurements at South Pole Station combined with existing measurement programs will provide an unprecedented capability for quantifying the role of these gravity waves on the regional MLT dynamics over central Antarctica. This research also contributes to the training and education of both the graduate and undergraduate students.", "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 Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Taylor, Michael", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Quantifying the Role of Short-Period Gravity Waves on the Antarctic Mesospheric Dynamics Using an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper", "uid": "p0000684", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0838866 Buesseler, Ken", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-75 -62,-74 -62,-73 -62,-72 -62,-71 -62,-70 -62,-69 -62,-68 -62,-67 -62,-66 -62,-65 -62,-65 -62.8,-65 -63.6,-65 -64.4,-65 -65.2,-65 -66,-65 -66.8,-65 -67.6,-65 -68.4,-65 -69.2,-65 -70,-66 -70,-67 -70,-68 -70,-69 -70,-70 -70,-71 -70,-72 -70,-73 -70,-74 -70,-75 -70,-75 -69.2,-75 -68.4,-75 -67.6,-75 -66.8,-75 -66,-75 -65.2,-75 -64.4,-75 -63.6,-75 -62.8,-75 -62))", "dataset_titles": "data deposited with Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) repository.", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000215", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "LTER", "science_program": null, "title": "data deposited with Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) repository.", "url": "http://pal.lternet.edu/data/"}], "date_created": "Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Abstract\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eBy using a tool-box of particle flux and characterization techniques appropriate to the study of particulate organic carbon fluxes out of the upper sunlit zone, WHOI researchers will attempt to evaluate the so called \u0027biological pump\u0027 term at the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (PAL) site in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). The goal of these measurements is to describe the seasonal dynamics of production, export (sinking) and at-depth remineralization rates of organic matter produced in the Antarctic photic zone. This should lead to a better understanding of the biogeochemical controls on the carbon cycle in this difficult to access region. Additionally, how much of the newly fixed organic carbon is exported off the shelf, effectively driving an influx of atmospheric (including anthropogenic) CO2 to be sequestered into the deep ocean is not presently known. Comparison of prior time series sediment traps in the WAP seem to indicate smaller sinking C fluxes than other, as equally as productive Antarctic coastal regions, e.g. the Ross Sea. New observations and modeling activities will attempt to explain this discrepancy, and to account for the apparently inefficient particle export. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).\"", "east": -65.0, "geometry": "POINT(-70 -66)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -62.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Buesseler, Ken; Valdes, James", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "LTER", "repositories": "LTER", "science_programs": "LTER", "south": -70.0, "title": "WAPflux - New Tools to Study the Fate of Phytoplankton Production in the West Antarctic Peninsula", "uid": "p0000686", "west": -75.0}, {"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": "Power, Donovan; Rasmussen, Al; Matsuoka, Kenichi", "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": "Matsuoka, Kenichi; Power, Donovan; Raymond, Charles; Fujita, Shuji", "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": "0739491 Sowers, Todd; 0739598 Aydin, Murat", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Alkanes in Firn Air Samples, Antarctica and Greenland; Methane Isotopes in South Pole Firn Air, 2008", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609504", "doi": "10.7265/N5X9287C", "keywords": "Antarctica; Arctic; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Greenland; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; WAIS Divide", "people": "Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Alkanes in Firn Air Samples, Antarctica and Greenland", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609504"}, {"dataset_uid": "609502", "doi": "10.7265/N55T3HFP", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Isotope; Paleoclimate; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole", "people": "Sowers, Todd A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Methane Isotopes in South Pole Firn Air, 2008", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609502"}], "date_created": "Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to make measurements of methane and other trace gases in firn air collected at South Pole, Antarctica. The analyses will include: methane isotopes (delta-13CH4 and delta-DCH4), light non-methane hydrocarbons (ethane, propane, and n-butane), sulfur gases (COS, CS2), and methyl halides (CH3Cl and CH3Br). The atmospheric burdens of these trace gases reflect changes in atmospheric OH, biomass burning, biogenic activity in terrestrial, oceanic, and wetland ecosystems, and industrial/agricultural activity. The goal of this project is to develop atmospheric histories for these trace gases over the last century through examination of depth profiles of these gases in South Pole firn air. The project will involve two phases: 1) a field campaign at South Pole, Antarctica to drill two firn holes and fill a total of ~200 flasks from depths reaching 120 m, 2) analysis of firn air at University of California, Irvine, Penn State University, and several other collaborating laboratories. Atmospheric histories will be inferred from the measurements using a one dimensional advective/diffusive model of firn air transport. This study will provide new information about the recent changes in atmospheric levels of these gases, providing about a 90 year long time series record that connects the earlier surface and firn air measurements to present day. The project will also explore the possibility of in- situ production of light non-methane hydrocarbons in firn air that is relevant to the interpretation of ice core records. The broader impacts of this research are that it has the potential for significant societal impact by improving our understanding of climate change and man\u0027s input to the atmosphere. The results of this work will be disseminated through the peer review process, and will contribute to environmental assessments, such as the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Climate Assessment and the Word Meteorological Organization (WMO) Stratospheric Ozone Assessment. This research will provide educational opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, and will contribute to a teacher training program for K-12 teachers in minority school districts.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GC-MS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD INVESTIGATION; Isotope; Firn Air Chemistry; Firn Air Isotope Measurements; Not provided; LABORATORY; South Pole; Firn; Delta 13C; Carbon-13; Mass Spectrometer; Deuterium; Mass Spectrometry; Firn Air Samples; Carbon; Gas Chromatography; Polar Firn Air; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Methane; Antarctica; Firn Air Isotopes; Delta Deuterium; FIELD SURVEYS; Firn Air; Chromatography; Methane Isotopes; Carbon Isotopes; Stable Isotopes", "locations": "Antarctica; South Pole", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Aydin, Murat; Saltzman, Eric; Sowers, Todd A.", "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-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Methane Isotopes, Hydrocarbons, and other Trace Gases in South Pole Firn Air", "uid": "p0000162", "west": null}, {"awards": "0839084 Ortland, David", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-63 -59,-62 -59,-61 -59,-60 -59,-59 -59,-58 -59,-57 -59,-56 -59,-55 -59,-54 -59,-53 -59,-53 -59.6,-53 -60.2,-53 -60.8,-53 -61.4,-53 -62,-53 -62.6,-53 -63.2,-53 -63.8,-53 -64.4,-53 -65,-54 -65,-55 -65,-56 -65,-57 -65,-58 -65,-59 -65,-60 -65,-61 -65,-62 -65,-63 -65,-63 -64.4,-63 -63.8,-63 -63.2,-63 -62.6,-63 -62,-63 -61.4,-63 -60.8,-63 -60.2,-63 -59.6,-63 -59))", "dataset_titles": "Large- and Small-scale Dynamics and Meteor Studies in the MLT with a New-generation Meteor Radar on King George Island", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600107", "doi": "10.15784/600107", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Meteorology; Meteor Radar", "people": "Fritts, David; Janches, Diego", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Large- and Small-scale Dynamics and Meteor Studies in the MLT with a New-generation Meteor Radar on King George Island", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600107"}], "date_created": "Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The project will employ a sophisticated meteor radar at the Brazilian Antarctic station Comandante Ferraz on King George Island for a number of synergetic research efforts of high interest to the international aeronomical community. The location of the radar will be at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula - at a critical southern latitude of 62 degrees - to fill a current measurement gap from 54 to 68 degrees south. The radar will play a key role in Antarctic and inter-hemispheric studies of neutral atmosphere dynamics, defining global mesosphere and lower thermosphere structure and variability (from 80 to 105 km) and guiding advances of models accounting for the dynamics of this high-altitude region, including general circulation models, and climate and numerical weather prediction models. The unique radar measurement sensitivity will enable studies of: (1) the large-scale circulation and planetary waves, (2) the tidal structure and variability, (3) the momentum transport by small-scale gravity waves, (4) important, but unquantified, gravity wave - tidal interactions, (5) polar mesosphere summer echoes, and (6) meteor fluxes, head echoes, and non-specular trails, a number of which exhibit high latitudinal gradients at these latitudes. This radar will support extensive collaborations with U.S. and other scientists making measurements at other Antarctic and Arctic conjugate sites, including Brazilian scientists at C. Ferraz and U.S. and international colleagues having other instrumentation in the Antarctic, Arctic, and within South America. Links to the University of Colorado in the U.S., Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) in Brazil and Universidad Nacional de La Plata in Argentina will provide unique research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students in the U.S. and South America.", "east": -53.0, "geometry": "POINT(-58 -62)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -59.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Fritts, David; Janches, Diego", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -65.0, "title": "Large- and Small-scale Dynamics and Meteor Studies in the MLT with a New-generation Meteor Radar on King George Island", "uid": "p0000670", "west": -63.0}, {"awards": "0636929 Bales, Roger", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Measurements of Air and Snow Photochemical Species at WAIS Divide, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609585", "doi": "10.7265/N5GX48HW", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Bales, Roger", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Measurements of Air and Snow Photochemical Species at WAIS Divide, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609585"}], "date_created": "Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to understand how recent changes in atmospheric chemistry, and historical changes as recorded in snow, firn and ice, have affected atmospheric photochemistry over Antarctica. Atmospheric, snow and firn core measurements of selected gas, meteorological and snow physical properties will be made and modeling of snow-atmosphere exchange will be carried out. The intellectual merit of the project is that it will lead to a better an understanding of the atmospheric chemistry in West Antarctica, its bi-directional linkages with the snowpack, and how it responds to regional influences. There are at least four broader impacts of this work. First is education of university students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. One postdoctoral researcher and one graduate student will carry out much of the work, and a number of undergraduates will be involved. Second, involvement with the WAIS-Divide coring program will be used to help recruit under-represented groups as UC Merced students. As part of UC Merced\u0027s outreach efforts in the San Joaquin Valley, whose students are under-represented in the UC system, the PI and co-PI give short research talks to groups of prospective students, community college and high school educators and other groups. They will develop one such talk highlighting this project. Including high-profile research in these recruiting talks has proven to be an effective way to promote dialog, and interest students in UC Merced. Third, talks such as this also contribute to the scientific literacy of the general public. The PI and grad student will all seek opportunities to share project information with K-14 and community audiences. Fourth, results of the research will be disseminated broadly to the scientific community, and the researchers will seek additional applications for the transfer functions as tools to improve interpretation of ice-cores. This research is highly collaborative, and leverages the expertise and data from a number of other groups.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e CHEMILUMINESCENCE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Snow; Atmospheric Chemistry; Not provided; LABORATORY; Antarctica; FIELD SURVEYS; Snow Physical Properties; Meteorology; Wais Divide-project; Firn; Atmosphere Exchange; WAIS Divide; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": "Antarctica; WAIS Divide", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bales, Roger", "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": null, "title": "Atmospheric, Snow and Firn Chemistry Studies for Interpretation of WAIS-Divide Cores", "uid": "p0000041", "west": null}, {"awards": "0424589 Gogineni, S. Prasad", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-137 -74,-132.1 -74,-127.2 -74,-122.3 -74,-117.4 -74,-112.5 -74,-107.6 -74,-102.7 -74,-97.8 -74,-92.9 -74,-88 -74,-88 -74.65,-88 -75.3,-88 -75.95,-88 -76.6,-88 -77.25,-88 -77.9,-88 -78.55,-88 -79.2,-88 -79.85,-88 -80.5,-92.9 -80.5,-97.8 -80.5,-102.7 -80.5,-107.6 -80.5,-112.5 -80.5,-117.4 -80.5,-122.3 -80.5,-127.2 -80.5,-132.1 -80.5,-137 -80.5,-137 -79.85,-137 -79.2,-137 -78.55,-137 -77.9,-137 -77.25,-137 -76.6,-137 -75.95,-137 -75.3,-137 -74.65,-137 -74))", "dataset_titles": "Airborne radar profiles of the Whillans, Bindschadler, and Kamb Ice Streams; Archive of data; Ice-penetrating radar internal stratigraphy over Dome C and the wider East Antarctic Plateau; Ku-band Radar Echograms; Radar Depth Sounder Echograms and Ice Thickness; Snow Radar Echograms", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601049", "doi": "10.15784/601049", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Navigation; Radar; Snow", "people": "Gogineni, Prasad; Allen, Chris; Paden, John; Li, Jilu; Rodriguez, Fernando; Leuschen, Carl", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Snow Radar Echograms", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601049"}, {"dataset_uid": "600384", "doi": "10.15784/600384", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Basler; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Kamb Ice Stream; Radar; Siple Coast; Whillans Ice Stream", "people": "Paden, John; Hale, Richard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Airborne radar profiles of the Whillans, Bindschadler, and Kamb Ice Streams", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600384"}, {"dataset_uid": "002497", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Project website", "science_program": null, "title": "Archive of data", "url": "https://www.cresis.ku.edu/data/accumulation"}, {"dataset_uid": "601047", "doi": "10.15784/601047", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; MCoRDS; Navigation; Radar", "people": "Gogineni, Prasad; Li, Jilu; Allen, Chris; Leuschen, Carl; Paden, John; Rodriguez, Fernando", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Radar Depth Sounder Echograms and Ice Thickness", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601047"}, {"dataset_uid": "601048", "doi": "10.15784/601048", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ku-Band; Navigation; Radar", "people": "Paden, John; Allen, Chris; Li, Jilu; Leuschen, Carl; Gogineni, Prasad; Rodriguez, Fernando", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ku-band Radar Echograms", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601048"}, {"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": "Blankenship, Donald D.; Mulvaney, Robert; Cavitte, Marie G. P; Ritz, Catherine; Greenbaum, Jamin; Ng, Gregory; Kempf, Scott D.; Quartini, Enrica; Muldoon, Gail R.; Paden, John; Frezzotti, Massimo; Roberts, Jason; Tozer, Carly; Young, Duncan A.; Schroeder, Dustin", "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"}], "date_created": "Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for the continuation of the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS), an NSF Science and Technology Center (STC) established in June 2005 to study present and probable future contributions of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to sea-level rise. The Center?s vision is to understand and predict the role of polar ice sheets in sea level change. In particular, the Center?s mission is to develop technologies, to conduct field investigations, to compile data to understand why many outlet glaciers and ice streams are changing rapidly, and to develop models that explain and predict ice sheet response to climate change. The Center?s mission is also to educate and train a diverse population of graduate and undergraduate students in Center-related disciplines and to encourage K-12 students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM-fields). The long-term goals are to perform a four-dimensional characterization (space and time) of rapidly changing ice-sheet regions, develop diagnostic and predictive ice-sheet models, and contribute to future assessments of sea level change in a warming climate. In the first five years, significant progress was made in developing, testing and optimizing innovative sensors and platforms and completing a major aircraft campaign, which included sounding the channel under Jakobshavn Isbr\u00e6. In the second five years, research will focus on the interpretation of integrated data from a suite of sensors to understand the physical processes causing changes and the subsequent development and validation of models. Information about CReSIS can be found at http://www.cresis.ku.edu.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe intellectual merits of the STC are the multidisciplinary research it enables its faculty, staff and students to pursue, as well as the broad education and training opportunities it provides to students at all levels. During the first phase, the Center provided scientists and engineers with a collaborative research environment and the opportunity to interact, enabling the development of high-sensitivity radars integrated with several airborne platforms and innovative seismic instruments. Also, the Center successfully collected data on ice thickness and bed conditions, key variables in the study of ice dynamics and the development of models, for three major fast-flowing glaciers in Greenland. During the second phase, the Center will collect additional data over targeted sites in areas undergoing rapid changes; process, analyze and interpret collected data; and develop advanced process-oriented and ice sheet models to predict future behavior. The Center will continue to provide a rich environment for multidisciplinary education and mentoring for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, as well as for conducting K-12 education and public outreach. The broader impacts of the Center stem from addressing a global environmental problem with critical societal implications, providing a forum for citizens and policymakers to become informed about climate change issues, training the next generation of scientists and engineers to serve the nation, encouraging underrepresented students to pursue careers in STEM-related fields, and transferring new technologies to industry. Students involved in the Center find an intellectually stimulating atmosphere where collaboration between disciplines is the norm and exposure to a wide variety of methodologies and scientific issues enriches their educational experience. The next generation of researchers should reflect the diversity of our society; the Center will therefore continue its work with ECSU to conduct outreach and educational programs that attract minority students to careers in science and technology. The Center has also established a new partnership with ADMI that supports faculty and student exchanges at the national level and provides expanded opportunities for students and faculty to be involved in Center-related research and education activities. These, and other collaborations, will provide broader opportunities to encourage underrepresented students to pursue STEM careers. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eAs lead institution, The University of Kansas (KU) provides overall direction and management, as well as expertise in radar and remote sensing, Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and modeling and interpretation of data. Five partner institutions and a DOE laboratory play critical roles in the STC. The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) continues to participate in technology development for seismic measurements, field activities, and modeling. The Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing, Education and Research (CERSER) at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) contributes its expertise to analyzing satellite data and generating high-level data products. ECSU also brings to the Center their extensive experience in mentoring and educating traditionally under-represented students. ADMI, the Association of Computer and Information Science/Engineering Departments at Minority Institutions, expands the program?s reach to underrepresented groups at the national level. Indiana University (IU) provides world-class expertise in CI and high-performance computing to address challenges in data management, processing, distribution and archival, as well as high-performance modeling requirements. The University of Washington (UW) provides expertise in satellite observations of ice sheets and process-oriented interpretation and model development. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) contributes in the area of ice sheet modeling. All partner institutions are actively involved in the analysis and interpretation of observational and numerical data sets.", "east": -88.0, "geometry": "POINT(-112.5 -77.25)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR ECHO SOUNDERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Remote Sensing; Not provided; Pine Island; Ice Sheet; DHC-6; Antarctic; Thwaites Region; Antarctica; Mass Balance; Accumulation; Velocity; Insar", "locations": "Antarctica; Antarctic; Pine Island; Thwaites Region", "north": -74.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Braaten, David; Joughin, Ian; Steig, Eric J.; Das, Sarah; Paden, John; Gogineni, Prasad", "platforms": "AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PROPELLER \u003e DHC-6; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "Project website; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -80.5, "title": "Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS)", "uid": "p0000102", "west": -137.0}, {"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": "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": "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": "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"}, {"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": "Huber, Bruce; Gordon, Arnold", "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": "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": "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/"}], "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": "9726186 Pilskaln, Cynthia", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition data of NBP0101", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002641", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0101", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0101"}, {"dataset_uid": "002580", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0101", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0101"}], "date_created": "Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "*** 9726186 Pilskaln This proposed work is a study of the biological production and export flux of biogenic matter in response to ventilation of intermediate and deep water masses within the Polar Front zone. It is a collaborative work between the University of Maine and the Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE). The shipboard work is proposed for the Chinese antarctic resupply vessel off Prydz Bay in the Indian Ocean sector. In the austral Spring, this region experiences phytoplankton blooms that are thought to be the result of nutrient transport by the ventilation of intermediate and deep water masses. On an annual basis, it is believed that such blooms are the primary source of particulate organic carbon and biogenic silica flux to the ocean bottom. At this time however no data exists on the amount of particulate organic matter that sinks through the water column, leaving the quantitative relationships between production and export largely undefined in this region. The initial phase of the work consists of setting out a time-series sediment trap mooring at approximately 64 deg S latitude and 73 deg E longitude to take advantage of the historical data set that CHINARE has obtained in this area over the past decade. The biweekly to monthly trap samples will be analyzed for their organic constituents, and in conjunction with primary productivity observations will provide the basic data from which export values can be derived. This work will be carried out in collaboration with the State Oceanic Administration of the People\u0027s Republic of China, and the Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition. In addition to providing time on the antarctic resupply vessel, the SOA will sponsor the shipboard primary productivity experiments and the supporting hydrographic measurements. The collaborating American scientists will provide guidance in making these observations to standards developed for the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study, and provide the hardware for the moored sediment trap. There will be a mutual sharing between the U.S. and Chinese investigators of all samples and data sets, and the data analysis will be carried out jointly. ***", "east": null, "geometry": null, "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": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Leventer, Amy", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "POC Production and Export in the Indian Ocean Sector of the Southern Ocean: A US-China Collaborative Research Program", "uid": "p0000800", "west": null}, {"awards": "0636731 Bender, Michael; 0636705 Marchant, David", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160.48705 -77.84513,160.501913 -77.84513,160.516776 -77.84513,160.531639 -77.84513,160.546502 -77.84513,160.561365 -77.84513,160.576228 -77.84513,160.591091 -77.84513,160.605954 -77.84513,160.620817 -77.84513,160.63568 -77.84513,160.63568 -77.8515624,160.63568 -77.8579948,160.63568 -77.8644272,160.63568 -77.8708596,160.63568 -77.877292,160.63568 -77.8837244,160.63568 -77.8901568,160.63568 -77.8965892,160.63568 -77.9030216,160.63568 -77.909454,160.620817 -77.909454,160.605954 -77.909454,160.591091 -77.909454,160.576228 -77.909454,160.561365 -77.909454,160.546502 -77.909454,160.531639 -77.909454,160.516776 -77.909454,160.501913 -77.909454,160.48705 -77.909454,160.48705 -77.9030216,160.48705 -77.8965892,160.48705 -77.8901568,160.48705 -77.8837244,160.48705 -77.877292,160.48705 -77.8708596,160.48705 -77.8644272,160.48705 -77.8579948,160.48705 -77.8515624,160.48705 -77.84513))", "dataset_titles": "Dating and Paleoenvironmental Studies on Ancient Ice in the Dry Valleys, Antarctica; Measurements of Trapped Air from Mullins Valley, Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600069", "doi": "10.15784/600069", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dry Valleys; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope Record; Lake Vostok; Paleoclimate", "people": "Bender, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Dating and Paleoenvironmental Studies on Ancient Ice in the Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600069"}, {"dataset_uid": "609597", "doi": "10.7265/N50R9MBM", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Dry Valleys; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Paleoclimate; Radar Interferometer", "people": "Yau, Audrey M.; Bender, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Measurements of Trapped Air from Mullins Valley, Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609597"}], "date_created": "Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project studies ancient ice buried in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. The ice, which may approach ten million years in age, will be dated using argon and uranium radioisotope techniques. High-risk work, if successful it will offer the first and perhaps only samples of the Earth\u0027s atmosphere from millions of years in the past. These samples could offer critically important tests of paleoclimate records and proxies, as well as a glimpse into the characteristics of a past world much like the predicted future, warmer Earth. The broader impacts are graduate student education, and potentially contributing to society\u0027s understanding of global climate change and sea level rise.", "east": 160.63568, "geometry": "POINT(160.561365 -77.877292)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Elemental Ratios; Oxygen Isotope; Not provided; Nitrogen Isotopes; LABORATORY; Argon Isotopes; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": null, "north": -77.84513, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bender, Michael; Yau, Audrey M.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.909454, "title": "Collaborative Research: Dating and Paleoenvironmental Studies on Ancient Ice in the Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "uid": "p0000039", "west": 160.48705}, {"awards": "0636928 Gill, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -90,-144 -90,-108 -90,-72 -90,-36 -90,0 -90,36 -90,72 -90,108 -90,144 -90,180 -90,180 -90,180 -90,180 -90,180 -90,180 -90,180 -90,180 -90,180 -90,180 -90,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -90,-180 -90,-180 -90,-180 -90,-180 -90,-180 -90,-180 -90,-180 -90,-180 -90,-180 -90))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "A VLF Beacon Transmitter at South Pole\u003cbr/\u003ePI: Umran S. Inan, Stanford University\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis proposal seeks funding to resume operation of the VLF Beacon Transmitter at the South Pole Station used to quantify temporal and spatial variations in the state of the lower ionosphere between the polar cap and subauroral zone, to determine the ionosphere\u0027s response to precipitation of highly energetic radiation belt electrons and solar protons, and to monitor the loss of these particles into the atmosphere. Although fluctuations in the relativistic particle population are extensively observed on satellites, little is known about the extent of associated precipitation into the ionosphere. Upon precipitation, these highly energetic particles penetrate to altitudes as low as 30-40 km, producing ionization, X-rays, and possibly affecting chemical reactions involving ozone production. It is proposed to continue recording the VLF beacon\u0027s signal at various Antarctic coastal stations (Palmer, Halley, etc). The broader impact of the proposed program includes the synergistic use of the South Pole VLF beacon with ongoing satellite-based measurements of trapped and precipitating high-energy electrons both at low and high altitudes and with other Antarctic Upper Atmospheric research efforts, such as the Automatic Geophysical Observatory programs and routine upper atmospheric observations at manned bases. The proposed project also promotes international collaboration via multi-points recording of the South Pole VLF beacon signal while providing the basis of a graduate or doctoral student thesis.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -90)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -90.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Gill, John; Inan, Umran", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "A VLF Beacon Transmitter at South Pole", "uid": "p0000512", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0838842 Passchier, Sandra", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -68,-177 -68,-174 -68,-171 -68,-168 -68,-165 -68,-162 -68,-159 -68,-156 -68,-153 -68,-150 -68,-150 -69,-150 -70,-150 -71,-150 -72,-150 -73,-150 -74,-150 -75,-150 -76,-150 -77,-150 -78,-153 -78,-156 -78,-159 -78,-162 -78,-165 -78,-168 -78,-171 -78,-174 -78,-177 -78,180 -78,178 -78,176 -78,174 -78,172 -78,170 -78,168 -78,166 -78,164 -78,162 -78,160 -78,160 -77,160 -76,160 -75,160 -74,160 -73,160 -72,160 -71,160 -70,160 -69,160 -68,162 -68,164 -68,166 -68,168 -68,170 -68,172 -68,174 -68,176 -68,178 -68,-180 -68))", "dataset_titles": "Particle-size measurements for diamictites AND-2A sediment core, McMurdo Sound", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601452", "doi": "10.15784/601452", "keywords": "Antarctica; McMurdo Sound; Miocene; Particle Size; Pleistocene; Pliocene", "people": "Hansen, Melissa A.; Passchier, Sandra", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "ANDRILL", "title": "Particle-size measurements for diamictites AND-2A sediment core, McMurdo Sound", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601452"}], "date_created": "Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The project aims on studying sediment cores collected from Prydz Bay and the Ross Sea to unravel the Neogene paleoclimatic history of the East Antarctic ice sheet. In the light of current measurements and predictions of a substantial rise in global temperature, investigations into the sensitivity of the East Antarctic ice sheet to climate change and its role in the climate system are essential. Geological records of former periods of climate change provide an opportunity to ground truth model predictions. The scientific objective of this project is to identify a previously proposed middle Miocene transition from a more dynamic wet-based East Antarctic ice sheet to the present semi-permanent ice sheet that is partially frozen to its bed. The timing and significance of this transition is controversial due to a lack of quantitative studies on well-dated ice-proximal sedimentary sequences. This project partially fills that gap using the composition and physical properties of diamictites and sandstones to establish shifts in ice-sheet drainage pathways, paleoenvironments and basal ice conditions. The results from the two key areas around the Antarctic continental margin will provide insight into the behavior of the East Antarctic ice sheet across the middle Miocene transition and through known times of warming in the late Miocene and Pliocene.", "east": -150.0, "geometry": "POINT(-175 -73)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -68.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Passchier, Sandra", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Determining Middle Miocene through Pliocene Changes in Paleo Ice-flow and Basal Ice Conditions in East Antarctica through Sedimentological Analyses of Core Samples", "uid": "p0000147", "west": 160.0}, {"awards": "0538553 Cole-Dai, Jihong", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.467)", "dataset_titles": "Major Ion Concentrations in WDC05Q and WDC06A Ice Cores (WAIS Divide)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609544", "doi": "10.7265/N54M92H3", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Ion Chromatograph; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Cole-Dai, Jihong", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Major Ion Concentrations in WDC05Q and WDC06A Ice Cores (WAIS Divide)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609544"}], "date_created": "Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Cole-Dai\u003cbr/\u003e0538553\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project that will contribute to the US West Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Divide ice core (WAIS Divide) project by developing new instrumentation and analytical procedures to measure concentrations of major ions (Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, Na+, K+, NH4+, Mg2+, Ca2+). A melter-based, continuous flow, multi-ion-chromatograph technique (CFA-IC) has been developed recently at South Dakota State University (SDSU). This project will further expand and improve the CFA-IC technique and instrumentation and develop procedures for routine analysis of major ions in ice cores. In addition, training of personnel (operators) to perform continuous, high resolution major ion analysis of the deep core will be accomplished through this project. The temporal resolution of the major ion measurement will be as low as 0.5 cm with the fully developed CFA-IC technique. At this resolution, it will be possible to use annual cycles of sulfate and sea-salt ion concentrations to determine annual layers in the WAIS Divide ice core. Annual layer counting using CFA-IC chemical measurements and other high resolution measurements will contribute significantly to the major WAIS Divide project objective of producing precisely (i.e., annually) dated climate records. The project will support the integration of research and education, train future scientists and promote human resource development through the participation of graduate and undergraduate students. In particular, undergraduate participation will contribute to a current REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) chemistry site program at SDSU. Development and utilization of multi-user instrumentation will promote research collaboration and advance environmental science. NSF support for SDSU will contribute to the economic development and strengthen the infrastructure for research and education in South Dakota.", "east": -112.085, "geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.467)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e ION CHROMATOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e ION CHROMATOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "LABORATORY; WAIS Divide; Ice Core; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Ion Chromatograph; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; Major Ion; Ions", "locations": "WAIS Divide; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -79.467, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Cole-Dai, Jihong", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.467, "title": "Major Ion Chemistry of WAIS Divide Ice Core", "uid": "p0000035", "west": -112.085}, {"awards": "0840398 Mende, Stephen", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -75,-144 -75,-108 -75,-72 -75,-36 -75,0 -75,36 -75,72 -75,108 -75,144 -75,180 -75,180 -76.5,180 -78,180 -79.5,180 -81,180 -82.5,180 -84,180 -85.5,180 -87,180 -88.5,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -88.5,-180 -87,-180 -85.5,-180 -84,-180 -82.5,-180 -81,-180 -79.5,-180 -78,-180 -76.5,-180 -75))", "dataset_titles": "PENGUIn - A High-Latitude Window to Geospace Dynamics", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600109", "doi": "10.15784/600109", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Keogram; Potential Field", "people": "Frey, Harald; Mende, Stephen", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "PENGUIn - A High-Latitude Window to Geospace Dynamics", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600109"}], "date_created": "Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). \u003cbr/\u003eThe PENGUIn team will continue investigating in depth a multi-scale electrodynamic system that comprises space environment of Planet Earth (geospace). Several science topics important to the space physics and aeronomy are outlines in this proposal that can be broadly categorized as the following objectives: (a) to study reconnection and waves in the southern cusp region; (b) to investigate unraveling global geomagnetic substorm signatures; (c) to understand the dayside wave-particle interactions; and (d) to observe and investigate various polar cap phenomena and neutral atmosphere dynamics. Cutting-edge science on these critical topics will be accomplished by acquiring multi-instrument data from a distributed network of autonomous observatories in Antarctica, built and deployed with the matured technological achievements. In the last several years, advances in power supply systems and Iridium data transmission for the Automatic Geophysical Observatories (AGOs) have proven effective for providing real-time geophysical data reliably. Five AGOs that span from the auroral zone to deep in the polar cap will be maintained providing a wealth of data for science analyses. Additional instrumentation as GPS-based receivers measuring total electron content in the ionosphere will be deployed at AGOs. These scientific investigations will be enriched by complementary measurements from manned stations in the Antarctic, from magnetically conjugate regions in the Arctic, and from a fleet of magnetospheric and ionospheric spacecraft. Continued reliance on students provides a broader impact to this proposed research and firmly grounds this effort in its educational mission.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -75.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Mende, Stephen; Frey, Harald", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: PENGUIn - A High-Latitude Window to Geospace Dynamics", "uid": "p0000685", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0840733 Murr, David", "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, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The overall goal of this project is to increase understanding of the conjugate nature of the polar ionospheres, which in part helps understanding the multi-scale global solar wind, magnetosphere, and ionosphere system. The project utilizes numerous types of ionospheric remote sensing instrumentation, including: terrestrial GPS receivers, GPS satellite occultation receivers, all-sky imagers, riometers, and magnetometers currently deployed in the Arctic and Antarctic to estimate the 3-D time histories of the ionospheric electron density and also to estimate the polar wind in these polar regions. Furthermore, additional GPS instrumentation will be deployed in Antarctica to increase the number and improve the spatial distribution of GPS receivers in this region. Import aspects of this investigation are: (1) utilization of a large array of instrumentation in the Arctic and Antarctic regions to provide the maximum number of measurements of the ionosphere, (2) the modification and deployment of commercial-off-the-shelf GPS receivers in remote Antarctic locations to improve spatial distribution of GPS measurements, (3) development of a new estimation algorithm for estimating the polar wind, and (4) estimation of 3-D electron density time histories and conductances in conjugate polar ionospheres. The fieldwork and analysis efforts associated with this project are highly suitable for involvement and research training of graduate and undergraduate students.", "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": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Murr, David", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Imaging, Estimation, and Analysis of Density Distributions in the Conjugate Polar Ionospheres", "uid": "p0000671", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0839858 Clauer, Calvin Robert", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-1 -77,9.4 -77,19.8 -77,30.2 -77,40.6 -77,51 -77,61.4 -77,71.8 -77,82.2 -77,92.6 -77,103 -77,103 -77.8,103 -78.6,103 -79.4,103 -80.2,103 -81,103 -81.8,103 -82.6,103 -83.4,103 -84.2,103 -85,92.6 -85,82.2 -85,71.8 -85,61.4 -85,51 -85,40.6 -85,30.2 -85,19.8 -85,9.4 -85,-1 -85,-1 -84.2,-1 -83.4,-1 -82.6,-1 -81.8,-1 -81,-1 -80.2,-1 -79.4,-1 -78.6,-1 -77.8,-1 -77))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "\"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).\"\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe solar wind - magnetosphere - ionosphere system and the space weather phenomena it controls is a complex and dynamic environment that has increasing recognition of potentially impacting critical human technological infrastructure. To be able to forecast, and thus adapt to, the impact space weather events may have on infrastructure as diverse as satellite communications and power grids, it is necessary to develop accurate geomagnetic models of the Sun-Earth environment. Due to the dipole nature of the planet\u0027s magnetic field, the Earth\u0027s outer magnetosphere maps to relatively small regions in the polar and auroral latitudes in both hemispheres. The northern hemisphere is relatively well instrumented. However, lack of sufficient observations particularly notable in the Southern hemisphere lessens our ability to validate global models of the geospace environment. The main magnetic dipole is offset and tilted, resulting in a weaker polar field in the southern hemisphere. Seasonal ionospheric electrodynamic asymetries similarly result. The magnitudes of both these effects need to be measured and more fully understood to build reliable Space Weather models.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis project seeks continued development and deployment of a chain of magnetometers located along the southern high latitude 40 degree magnetic meridian to provide conjugate inter-hemispheric measurements complementing the data from the existing dense Greenland west coast magnetometer array. Such measurements open the promise of simultaneous data from northern and southern hemispheres to enable the investigation of inter-hemispheric electrodynamic coupling throughout the entire outer magnetosphere.", "east": 103.0, "geometry": "POINT(51 -81)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -77.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Clauer, Calvin; Ledvina, Brent", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -85.0, "title": "Polar Experimantal Network for Geospace Upper-atmosphere Investigations (PENGUIn): Interhemispheric Investigations along the 40 Degree Magnetic Meridian", "uid": "p0000480", "west": -1.0}, {"awards": "9024544 Andreas, Edgar", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-53.8 -61.2,-52.74 -61.2,-51.68 -61.2,-50.62 -61.2,-49.56 -61.2,-48.5 -61.2,-47.44 -61.2,-46.38 -61.2,-45.32 -61.2,-44.26 -61.2,-43.2 -61.2,-43.2 -62.22,-43.2 -63.24,-43.2 -64.26,-43.2 -65.28,-43.2 -66.3,-43.2 -67.32,-43.2 -68.34,-43.2 -69.36,-43.2 -70.38,-43.2 -71.4,-44.26 -71.4,-45.32 -71.4,-46.38 -71.4,-47.44 -71.4,-48.5 -71.4,-49.56 -71.4,-50.62 -71.4,-51.68 -71.4,-52.74 -71.4,-53.8 -71.4,-53.8 -70.38,-53.8 -69.36,-53.8 -68.34,-53.8 -67.32,-53.8 -66.3,-53.8 -65.28,-53.8 -64.26,-53.8 -63.24,-53.8 -62.22,-53.8 -61.2))", "dataset_titles": "Atmospheric Boundary Layer Measurements on the Weddell Sea Drifting Station", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600141", "doi": "10.15784/600141", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Critical Zone; Meteorology; Oceans; Radiosounding; Southern Ocean; Weddell Sea", "people": "Andreas, Edgar", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Atmospheric Boundary Layer Measurements on the Weddell Sea Drifting Station", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600141"}], "date_created": "Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The proposed work is part of an integrated research program into the oceanographic structure of the western Weddell Sea. It is to be carried out from an ice camp jointly occupied by U.S. and USSR scientists from February to June 1992. This project concerns the determination of the energy exchange between the sea ice cover and the atmospheric boundary layer. The objectives are to measure time series of the individual components of the sea ice/atmosphere energy budget for the duration of the drift, and to determine the bulk transfer coefficients for the exchange of momentum and sensible and latent heat. The purpose of the measurements is to expand our capability for numerical and analytical modelling of the antarctic environment. Turbulent fluctuations in the temperature, wind, and humidity fields will be measured directly with small, fast-responding sensors. These observations will be complemented by other synoptic meteorological data and with upper air soundings.", "east": -43.2, "geometry": "POINT(-48.5 -66.3)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Radiative Fluxes; Atmospheric Boundary Layer; Turbulent Surface Fluxes; Eddy-Covariance Measurements; Ice Station Weddell; FIELD SURVEYS", "locations": null, "north": -61.2, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Andreas, Edgar", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -71.4, "title": "Atmospheric Boundary Layer Measurements on the Weddell Sea Drifting Station", "uid": "p0000655", "west": -53.8}, {"awards": "0636506 Mayewski, Paul", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-137.7 -75.7,-137.4 -75.7,-137.1 -75.7,-136.8 -75.7,-136.5 -75.7,-136.2 -75.7,-135.9 -75.7,-135.6 -75.7,-135.3 -75.7,-135 -75.7,-134.7 -75.7,-134.7 -75.773,-134.7 -75.846,-134.7 -75.919,-134.7 -75.992,-134.7 -76.065,-134.7 -76.138,-134.7 -76.211,-134.7 -76.284,-134.7 -76.357,-134.7 -76.43,-135 -76.43,-135.3 -76.43,-135.6 -76.43,-135.9 -76.43,-136.2 -76.43,-136.5 -76.43,-136.8 -76.43,-137.1 -76.43,-137.4 -76.43,-137.7 -76.43,-137.7 -76.357,-137.7 -76.284,-137.7 -76.211,-137.7 -76.138,-137.7 -76.065,-137.7 -75.992,-137.7 -75.919,-137.7 -75.846,-137.7 -75.773,-137.7 -75.7))", "dataset_titles": "Ion Concentrations from SPRESSO Ice Core, Antarctica; Mt. Moulton Ice Trench Mass Spectrometry Data, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609472", "doi": "10.7265/N5VH5KSV", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Mt Moulton; Paleoclimate", "people": "Mayewski, Paul A.; Korotkikh, Elena", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Mt. Moulton Ice Trench Mass Spectrometry Data, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609472"}, {"dataset_uid": "609471", "doi": "10.7265/N508638J", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; ITASE; Paleoclimate; South Pole; SPRESSO Ice Core", "people": "Korotkikh, Elena; Mayewski, Paul A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ion Concentrations from SPRESSO Ice Core, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609471"}], "date_created": "Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to examine an existing ice core of opportunity from South Pole (SPRESO core) to develop a 2000+ year long climate record. SPRESO ice core will be an annually dated, sub-annually-resolved reconstruction of past climate (atmospheric circulation, temperature, precipitation rate, and atmospheric chemistry) utilizing continuous, co-registered measurements (n=45) of: major ions, trace elements, and stable isotope series, plus selected sections for microparticle size and composition. The intellectual merit of this project relates to the fact that few 2000+ year records of this quality exist in Antarctica despite increasing scientific interest in this critical time period as the framework within which to understand modern climate. The scientific impact of this ice core investigation are that it will provide an in-depth understanding of climate variability; a baseline for assessing modern climate variability in the context of human activity; and a contribution to the prediction of future climate variability. The broader impact of this work is that the proposed research addresses important questions concerning the role of Antarctica in past, present, and future global change. Results will be translated into publicly accessible information through public lectures, media appearances, and an extensive outreach activity housed in our Institute. Our ice core activities provide a major basis for curriculum in K-12 and University plus a basis for several field and laboratory based graduate theses and undergraduate student projects. The project will support one PhD student for 3 years and undergraduate salaries. The Climate Change Institute has a long history of gender and ethnically diverse student and staff involvement in research.", "east": -134.7, "geometry": "POINT(-136.2 -76.065)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e ICP-MS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e ION CHROMATOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Core Interpretation; Ions; US ITASE; Explorations; LABORATORY; Ice Core Data; Ice Core; Ice Analysis; Ice; Not provided; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Laboratory Investigation; Field Investigations; Ice Core Chemistry; Horizontal Ice Core; Ice Chemistry; Ice Sheet", "locations": "Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -75.7, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Korotkikh, Elena; Kreutz, Karl; Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Mayewski, Paul A.", "platforms": "Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -76.43, "title": "Collaborative Proposal: 2000+ Year Detailed, Calibrated Climate Reconstruction from a South Pole Ice Core Set in an Antarctic - Global Scale Context", "uid": "p0000209", "west": -137.7}, {"awards": "0538657 Severinghaus, Jeffrey", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Borehole Temperature Measurement in WDC05A in January 2008 and January 2009; d15N and d18O of air in the WAIS Divide ice core; Low-res d15N and d18O of O2 in the WAIS Divide 06A Deep Core; Ultra-High Resolution LA-ICP-MS Results: DO-21 Rapid Warming Event; WAIS Divide d18Oatm and Siple Dome/WAIS Divide composite and individual delta epsilon LAND", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601041", "doi": "10.15784/601041", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Gas; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Isotope; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Seltzer, Alan; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS Divide d18Oatm and Siple Dome/WAIS Divide composite and individual delta epsilon LAND", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601041"}, {"dataset_uid": "609660", "doi": "10.7265/N5S46PWD", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Low-res d15N and d18O of O2 in the WAIS Divide 06A Deep Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609660"}, {"dataset_uid": "609637", "doi": "10.7265/N5B27S7S", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Temperature; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Orsi, Anais J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Borehole Temperature Measurement in WDC05A in January 2008 and January 2009", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609637"}, {"dataset_uid": "609635", "doi": "10.7265/N51J97PS", "keywords": "Arctic; Geochemistry; GISP; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate", "people": "Mayewski, Paul A.; Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Haines, Skylar", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ultra-High Resolution LA-ICP-MS Results: DO-21 Rapid Warming Event", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609635"}, {"dataset_uid": "601747", "doi": "10.15784/601747", "keywords": "Antarctica; Delta 15N; Delta 18O; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Gas Records; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Nitrogen; Nitrogen Isotopes; Oxygen; Oxygen Isotope; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; WAIS; WAIS Divide", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "d15N and d18O of air in the WAIS Divide ice core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601747"}], "date_created": "Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0538657\u003cbr/\u003eSeveringhaus\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to develop high-resolution (20-yr) nitrogen and oxygen isotope records on trapped gases in the WAIS Divide ice core (Antarctica), with a comparison record for chronological purposes in the GISP2 (Greenland) ice core. The main scientific objective is to provide an independent temperature-change record for the past 100,000 years in West Antarctica that is not subject to the uncertainty inherent in ice isotopes (18O and deuterium), the classical paleothermometer. Nitrogen isotopes (Delta 15N) in air bubbles in glacial ice record rapid surface temperature change because of thermal fractionation of air in the porous firn layer, and this isotopic anomaly is recorded in bubbles as the firn becomes ice. Using this gas-based temperature-change record, in combination with methane data as interpolar stratigraphic markers, the proposed work will define the precise relative timing of abrupt warming in Greenland and abrupt cooling at the WAIS Divide site during the millennial-scale climatic oscillations of Marine Isotopic Stage 3 (30-70 kyr BP) and the last glacial termination. The nitrogen isotope record also provides constraints on past firn thickness, which inform temperature and accumulation rate histories from the ice core. A search for possible solar-related cycles will be conducted with the WAIS Divide Holocene (Delta 15N.) Oxygen isotopes of O2 (Delta 18Oatm) are obtained as a byproduct of the (Delta 15N) measurement. The gas-isotopic records will enhance the value of other atmospheric gas measurements in WAIS Divide, which are expected to be of unprecedented quality. The high-resolution (Delta 18Oatm) records will provide chronological control for use by the international ice coring community and for surface glacier ice dating. Education of a graduate student, and training of a staff member in the laboratory, will contribute to the nation\u0027s human resource base. Outreach activities in the context of the International Polar Year will be enhanced. International collaboration is planned with the laboratory of LSCE, University of Paris.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMISTORS \u003e THERMISTORS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e LA-ICP-MS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Borehole Temperature; LABORATORY; Depth; Not provided; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Wais Divide-project; Ice Core; WAIS Divide", "locations": "WAIS Divide", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e PLEISTOCENE", "persons": "Haines, Skylar; Mayewski, Paul A.; Orsi, Anais J.; Kurbatov, Andrei V.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Nitrogen and Oxygen Gas Isotopes in the WAIS Divide Ice Core as Constraints on Chronology, Temperature, and Accumulation Rate", "uid": "p0000036", "west": null}, {"awards": "0839042 Caffee, Marc", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.467)", "dataset_titles": "Cosmogenic 10Be in WAIS Divide Ice core, 1190-2453 m; Cosmogenic Radionuclides in the WAIS Divide Ice Core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600383", "doi": "10.15784/600383", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cosmogenic Radionuclides; Geochronology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Hydrothermal Vent; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Welten, Kees", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Cosmogenic Radionuclides in the WAIS Divide Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600383"}, {"dataset_uid": "601466", "doi": "10.15784/601466", "keywords": "Antarctica; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "people": "Caffee, M. W.; Welten, Kees; Nishiizumi, Kunihiko; Woodruff, T. E.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Cosmogenic 10Be in WAIS Divide Ice core, 1190-2453 m", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601466"}], "date_created": "Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Caffee/0839042 \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to measure the concentration of the cosmogenic radionuclide, Beryllium-10 in the deep WAIS divide ice core. Since cosmogenic radionuclides are one of the key parameters used for absolute dating of the ice core and deriving paleoaccumulation rates, it is essential that these measurements be made quickly and efficiently, and that the information is disseminated as soon as the results are available. The intellectual merit of the project is that it will allow a comparison to be made between the core from WAIS Divide and previously measured cosmogenic radionuclide records from Arctic ice cores, particularly GISP2 and GRIP This project will enable scientists to delineate those processes acting at a local level from those that produce global effects and will provide independent chronological markers to aid in the reconstruction of the WAIS Divide ice core chronology. The cosmogenic 10Be profile can also be used to investigate the possible role of solar activity on climate. The direct comparison of radionuclide concentrations with paleoclimate records in ice cores from different sites will provide more insight in the timing and magnitude of solar forcing of climate. The broader impacts of this project include: (i) the formation of a multi-disciplinary team of collaborators for the interpretation of future analyses of cosmogenic radionuclide data from the WAIS divide and other ice cores. (ii) the involvement and training of graduate and undergraduate students in the large scale project of climate research through detailed studies of ice samples. (iii) the opportunity to highlight to a wide range of lab visitors and students from local K-12 schools the importance of ice core and climate change studies.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award does not involve field work in Antarctica.", "east": -112.085, "geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.467)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e AMS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Ice Core; WAIS Divide; Antarctica; Not provided; Radionulides; Accelerator Mass Spectrometry; Cosmogenic", "locations": "WAIS Divide; Antarctica", "north": -79.467, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Welten, Kees; Nishiizumi, Kunihiko; Caffee, Marc; Woodruff, Thomas", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.467, "title": "Collaborative Research: Cosmogenic Radionuclides in the Deep WAIS Divide Core", "uid": "p0000103", "west": -112.085}, {"awards": "0801392 Swanson, Brian", "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": "Ice Nucleation by Marine Psychrophiles", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600087", "doi": "10.15784/600087", "keywords": "Biota; Microbiology; Oceans; Raman Spectroscopy; Sea Ice; Sea Surface; Southern Ocean", "people": "Swanson, Brian", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice Nucleation by Marine Psychrophiles", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600087"}], "date_created": "Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The primary objective of this research is to investigate polar marine psychrophilic bacteria for their potential to nucleate ice using a combination of microbiological, molecular biological and atmospheric science approaches in the laboratory. Very little is known about how psychrophiles interact and cope with ice or their adaptations to conditions of extreme cold and salinity. This work will involve a series of laboratory experiments using a novel freeze-tube technique for assaying freezing spectra which will provide quantitative information on: (i) the temperature-dependent freezing rates for heterogeneously frozen droplets containing sea-ice bacteria, (ii) the proportional occurrence of ice-nucleation activity versus anti-freeze activity among sea-ice bacterial isolates and (iii) the temperature-dependent freezing rates of bacteria with ice-nucleation activity grown at a range of temperatures and salinities. The compound(s) responsible for the observed activity will be identified, which is an essential step towards the development of an in-situ bacterial ice-nucleation detection assay that can be applied in the field to Antarctic water and cloud samples.\u003cbr/\u003e One of the goals of this work is to better understand survival and cold adaptation processes of polar marine bacteria confronted with freezing conditions in sea ice. Since sea ice strongly impacts polar, as well as the global climates, this research is of significant interest because it will also provide data for accessing the importance of bacterial ice nucleation in the formation of sea ice. These measurements of ice-nucleation rates will be the first high-resolution measurements for psychrophilic marine bacteria. Another goal is to better understand the impact of bacterial ice initiation processes in polar clouds by making high-resolution measurements of nucleation rates for cloud bacteria found over Arctic and Antarctic regions. Initial measurements indicate these bacteria nucleate ice at warmer temperatures and the effect in polar regions may be quite important, since ice can strongly impact cloud dynamics, cloud radiative properties, precipitation formation, and cloud chemistry. If these initial measurements are confirmed, the data collected here will be important for improving the understanding of polar cloud processes and models. A third goal is to better understand the molecular basis of marine bacterial ice nucleation by characterizing the ice-nucleation compound and comparing it with those of known plant-derived ice-nucleating bacteria, which are the only ice-nucleating bacteria examined in detail to date. The proposed activity will support the beginning academic career of a post-doctoral researcher and will serve as the basis for several undergraduate student laboratory projects. Results from this research will be widely published in various scientific journals and outreach venues.", "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 Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Swanson, Brian", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Ice Nucleation by Marine Psychrophiles", "uid": "p0000195", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0538494 Meese, Debra", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Microstructural Location and Composition of Impurities in Polar Ice Cores", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609436", "doi": "10.7265/N5DF6P5P", "keywords": "Antarctica; Arctic; Byrd Glacier; Byrd Ice Core; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; GISP2; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Lake Vostok; Paleoclimate; Vostok Ice Core", "people": "Obbard, Rachel; Baker, Ian", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Microstructural Location and Composition of Impurities in Polar Ice Cores", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609436"}], "date_created": "Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0538494\u003cbr/\u003eMeese\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project for physical properties research on snow pits and firn/ice cores with specific objectives that include stratigraphic analysis including determination of accumulation rates, annual layers, depth hoar, ice and wind crusts and rates of grain growth with depth. Studies of firn densification rates and how these parameters relate to the meteorology and climatology over the last 200 years of snow accumulation in Antarctica will also be investigated. The project will also determine the seasonality of accumulation by co-registration of stratigraphy and chemistry and determination of chemical species at the grain boundaries, how these may change with depth/densification (and therefore temperature), precipitation, and may affect grain growth. Fabric analyses will be made, including variation with depth, location on undulations and if any variation exists with climate/chemistry. The large spatial coverage of the US ITASE program offers the opportunity to determine how these parameters are affected by a large range of temperature, precipitation and topographic effects. The intellectual merit of the project includes the fact that ITASE is the terrestrial equivalent of a polar research vessel that provides a unique, logistically efficient, multi-dimensional (x, y, z and time) view of the atmosphere, ice sheet and their histories. Physical properties measurements/ analyses are an integral part of understanding the dynamic processes to which the accumulated snow is subjected. Recent advancements in the field along with multiple core sites provide an excellent opportunity to gain a much broader understanding of the spatial, temporal and physical variables that impact firnification and the possible resultant impact on climatic interpretation. In terms of broader impacts, the data collected by US ITASE and its international ITASE partners is available to a broad scientific community. US ITASE has an extensive program of public outreach and provides significant opportunities for many students to experience multidisciplinary Antarctic research. A graduate student, a post-doctoral fellow and at least one undergraduate would be funded by this work. Dr. Meese is also a member of the New England Science Collaborative, an organization that educates the public on climate change based on recent scientific advancements.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e MICROSCOPES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPES", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "LABORATORY; Grain Growth; FIELD SURVEYS; Accumulation Rate; Firn Core; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Chemistry; Snow Pit; Depth Hoar; Firn Density; Ice Core; Not provided; Stratigraphic Analysis; Firn; US ITASE; Annual Layers", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Meese, Deb; MEESE, DEBRA", "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": "The Physical Properties of the US ITASE Firn and Ice Cores from South Pole to Taylor Dome", "uid": "p0000289", "west": null}, {"awards": "0529815 Smith, Kenneth", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-68.12004 -52.65918,-65.348168 -52.65918,-62.576296 -52.65918,-59.804424 -52.65918,-57.032552 -52.65918,-54.26068 -52.65918,-51.488808 -52.65918,-48.716936 -52.65918,-45.945064 -52.65918,-43.173192 -52.65918,-40.40132 -52.65918,-40.40132 -53.972709,-40.40132 -55.286238,-40.40132 -56.599767,-40.40132 -57.913296,-40.40132 -59.226825,-40.40132 -60.540354,-40.40132 -61.853883,-40.40132 -63.167412,-40.40132 -64.480941,-40.40132 -65.79447,-43.173192 -65.79447,-45.945064 -65.79447,-48.716936 -65.79447,-51.488808 -65.79447,-54.26068 -65.79447,-57.032552 -65.79447,-59.804424 -65.79447,-62.576296 -65.79447,-65.348168 -65.79447,-68.12004 -65.79447,-68.12004 -64.480941,-68.12004 -63.167412,-68.12004 -61.853883,-68.12004 -60.540354,-68.12004 -59.226825,-68.12004 -57.913296,-68.12004 -56.599767,-68.12004 -55.286238,-68.12004 -53.972709,-68.12004 -52.65918))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG0514A", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001484", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0902"}, {"dataset_uid": "002668", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0514A", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0514A"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project seeks to examine the importance of icebergs to the pelagic ecosystem of the North-West Weddell Sea. Atmospheric warming has been associated with retreating glaciers and the increasing prevalence of icebergs in the Southern Ocean over the last decade. The highest concentration of icebergs occurs in the NW Weddell Sea, where they drift in a clockwise pattern to the northeast, following the contours of the Antarctic Peninsula through an area dubbed \"Iceberg Alley\". Little is known about the impact of free-drifting icebergs on the pelagic ecosystem of the Weddell Sea or on the Southern Ocean as a whole. It is hypothesized that as drifting islands, icebergs of small to intermediate size (\u003c 10 km in largest dimension) impart unique physical, chemical and biological characteristics to the surrounding water. Three general questions will be asked to address this hypothesis: 1) What are the dynamics (approximate size, abundance and spatial distribution) of free-drifting icebergs on temporal scales of days to months, based on correlation of field measurements with imagery derived from satellite sensors? 2) What is the relationship between the size of free-drifting icebergs and the structure of the associated pelagic communities? 3) What is the estimated combined impact of free-drifting icebergs in the NW Weddell Sea on the biological characteristics of the pelagic zone? This interdisciplinary study will use standard oceanographic sampling coupled with unique methodology for staging shipboard data from all types of sensors and survey methods to determine the sphere of influence for a diverse set of biological factors as a function of iceberg size. The exploratory research proposed here will provide critical data on the effects of atmospheric warming in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The recent prevalence of free drifting icebergs in the Southern Ocean should have a pronounced enrichment effect on the surrounding pelagic ecosystem, altering community dynamics. Enhanced primary production associated with these icebergs could influence the global carbon cycle since the Southern Ocean is considered a major sink for excess CO2 from the atmosphere. \u003cbr/\u003eThe proposed research will include an innovative education component through the Ocean Exploration Center (OEC), whose focus is to provide a comprehensive view of the oceans, intelligible to non-scientists and researchers alike, with direct access to state-of-the-art databases and selected websites. The OEC will allow users to access content which has been classified to one of four levels: entry (grade K-6), student (grade 6-12), college, and research. The results from this iceberg project will be incorporated into the Antarctic Research division of the OEC, providing databases documenting the impact of free-drifting icebergs on the surrounding pelagic ecosystem. These data then will be extrapolated to evaluate the impact of icebergs on the ecosystem of the Weddell Sea. Graduate students, undergraduates, teachers and volunteers are an important part of the proposed field and laboratory work.", "east": -40.40132, "geometry": "POINT(-54.26068 -59.226825)", "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; 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; R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.65918, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Smith, Ken", "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": -65.79447, "title": "Free Drifting Icebergs: Influence of Floating Islands on Pelagic Ecosystems in the Weddell Sea.", "uid": "p0000551", "west": -68.12004}, {"awards": "9528807 Gordon, Arnold", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-69.58631 -52.35405,-66.572039 -52.35405,-63.557768 -52.35405,-60.543497 -52.35405,-57.529226 -52.35405,-54.514955 -52.35405,-51.500684 -52.35405,-48.486413 -52.35405,-45.472142 -52.35405,-42.457871 -52.35405,-39.4436 -52.35405,-39.4436 -53.54563,-39.4436 -54.73721,-39.4436 -55.92879,-39.4436 -57.12037,-39.4436 -58.31195,-39.4436 -59.50353,-39.4436 -60.69511,-39.4436 -61.88669,-39.4436 -63.07827,-39.4436 -64.26985,-42.457871 -64.26985,-45.472142 -64.26985,-48.486413 -64.26985,-51.500684 -64.26985,-54.514955 -64.26985,-57.529226 -64.26985,-60.543497 -64.26985,-63.557768 -64.26985,-66.572039 -64.26985,-69.58631 -64.26985,-69.58631 -63.07827,-69.58631 -61.88669,-69.58631 -60.69511,-69.58631 -59.50353,-69.58631 -58.31195,-69.58631 -57.12037,-69.58631 -55.92879,-69.58631 -54.73721,-69.58631 -53.54563,-69.58631 -52.35405))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002142", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9705"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9528807 Gordon The proposed project is part of a multi-institutional integrated study of the outflow of newly formed bottom water from the Weddell Sea and its dispersion into the South Atlantic Ocean. It builds upon earlier successful studies of the inflow of intermediate water masses into the Eastern Weddell Sea, their modification within the Weddell Gyre, and their interaction with bottom water formation processes in the western Weddell Sea. The study is called Deep Ocean Ventilation Through Antarctic Intermediate Layers (DOVETAIL) and includes six components involving hydrographic measurements, natural tracer experiments, and modeling studies. The study will be centered east of the Drake Passage where water masses from the Weddell Sea and the Scotia Sea come together in the Weddell-Scotia Confluence, and will be carried out in cooperation with the national antarctic programs of Germany and Spain. This particular component concerns observations of the temperature and salinity structure, as well as the chemical nature of the water column in the confluence region. The study has four related objectives. The first is to assess the quantity and the physical and chemical characteristics of Weddell Sea source waters for the confluence. The second is to describe the dominant processes associated with spreading and sinking of dense antarctic waters within the Weddell-Scotia Confluence. The third is to estimate the ventilation rate of the world ocean, and the fourth is to estimate seasonal fluctuations in the regional ocean transport and hydrographic structure and to assess the likely influence of seasonal to interannual variability on rates of ventilation by Weddell Sea waters. Ventilation of the deep ocean -- the rising of sub-surface water masses to the surface to be recharged with atmospheric gases and to give up heat to the atmosphere -- is a uniquely antarctic phenomenon that has significant consequences for global change by affecting the g lobal reservoir of carbon dioxide, and by modulating the amount and extent of seasonal sea ice in the southern hemisphere. This component will make systematic observations of the temperature salinity structure of the water and undertake an extensive sampling program for other chemical studies. The purpose is to identify the individual water masses and to relate their temperature and salinity characteristics to the modification processes within the Weddell Sea. ***", "east": -39.4436, "geometry": "POINT(-54.514955 -58.31195)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.35405, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Gordon, Arnold", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.26985, "title": "Deep Ocean Ventilation Through Antarctic Intermediate Layers (DOVETAIL)", "uid": "p0000630", "west": -69.58631}, {"awards": "0087401 Smith, Walker", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Current Meter Data from the Ross Sea acquired with a Mooring deployed in December 2005 and recovered during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0601A (2006); Expedition data of NBP0301B; Expedition data of NBP0305A; Expedition data of NBP0501; Expedition data of NBP0601A; Fluorometer Data acquired on Moorings deployed the Ross Sea and recovered during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0601A (2006); Processed Fluid Chemistry Data from the Ross Sea acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0601A", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002623", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0601A", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0601A"}, {"dataset_uid": "601333", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Flourometer; Mooring; NBP0601A; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean", "people": "Smith, Walker; Asper, Vernon", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Fluorometer Data acquired on Moorings deployed the Ross Sea and recovered during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0601A (2006)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601333"}, {"dataset_uid": "601339", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Current Meter; Mooring; NBP0601A; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean", "people": "Smith, Walker; Asper, Vernon", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Current Meter Data from the Ross Sea acquired with a Mooring deployed in December 2005 and recovered during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0601A (2006)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601339"}, {"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": "601341", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Fluid Chemistry Data; Mooring; NBP0601A; Oceans; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Seawater Measurements; Southern Ocean", "people": "Smith, Walker; Asper, Vernon", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Processed Fluid Chemistry Data from the Ross Sea acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0601A", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601341"}, {"dataset_uid": "002622", "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": "002583", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0301B", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0301B"}, {"dataset_uid": "002621", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0305A", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0305A"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "During the past few decades of oceanographic research, it has been recognized that significant variations in biogeochemical processes occur among years. Interannual variations in the Southern Ocean are known to occur in ice extent and concentration, in the composition of herbivore communities, and in bird and marine mammal distributions and reproductive success. However, little is known about the interannual variations in production of phytoplankton or the role that these variations play in the food web. This project will collect time series data on the seasonal production of phytoplankton in the southern Ross Sea, Antarctica. Furthermore, it will assess the interannual variations of the production of the two major functional groups of the system, diatoms and Phaeocystis Antarctica, a colonial haptophyte. The Ross Sea provides a unique setting for this type of investigation for a number of reasons. For example, a de facto time-series has already been initiated in the Ross Sea through the concentration of a number of programs in the past ten years. It also is well known that the species diversity is reduced relative to other systems and its seasonal production is as great as anywhere in the Antarctic. Most importantly, seasonal production of both the total phytoplankton community (as well as its two functional groups) can be estimated from late summer nutrient profiles. The project will involve short cruises on the US Coast Guard ice breakers in the southern Ross Sea that will allow the collection of water column nutrient and particulate after data at specific locations in the late summer of each of five years. Additionally, two moorings with in situ nitrate analyzers moored at fifteen will be deployed, thus collecting for the first time in the in the Antarctic a time-series of euphotic zone nutrient concentrations over the entire growing season. All nutrient data will be used to calculate seasonal production for each year in the southern Ross Sea and compared to previously collected information, thereby providing an assessment of interannual variations in net community production. Particulate matter data will allow us to estimate the amount of export from the surface layer by late summer, and therefore calculate the interannual variability of this ecosystem process. Interannual variations of seasonal production (and of the major taxa of producers) are a potentially significant feature in the growth and survival of higher trophic levels within the food web of the Ross Sea. They are also important in order to understand the natural variability in biogeochemical processes of the region. Because polar regions such as the Ross Sea are predicted to be impacted by future climate change, biological changes are also anticipated. Placing these changes in the context of natural variability is an essential element of understanding and predicting such alterations. This research thus seeks to quantify the natural variability of an Antarctic coastal system, and ultimately understand its causes and impacts on food webs and biogeochemical cycles of the Ross Sea.", "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; 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": "Ross Sea; AMD; USAP-DC; Amd/Us; USA/NSF; R/V NBP", "locations": "Ross Sea", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Smith, Walker; Gordon, Arnold", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Interannual Variability in the Antarctic-Ross Sea (IVARS): Nutrients and Seasonal Production", "uid": "p0000803", "west": null}, {"awards": "9725024 Jacobs, Stanley", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP0001; Expedition data of NBP0008; Summer Oceanographic Measurements near the Mertz Polynya NBP0008", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002599", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0008", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0008"}, {"dataset_uid": "001885", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0008"}, {"dataset_uid": "601161", "doi": "10.15784/601161 ", "keywords": "Antarctica; CTD; CTD Data; Mertz Polynya; NBP0008; Oceans; Oxygen; Physical Oceanography; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Salinity; Southern Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Jacobs, Stanley; Mele, Phil; Mortlock, R. A.; Smethie, William M", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Summer Oceanographic Measurements near the Mertz Polynya NBP0008", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601161"}, {"dataset_uid": "002598", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0001", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0001"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "*** 9725024 Jacobs This project will study the dynamics of Circumpolar Deep Water intruding on the continental shelf of the West Antarctic coast, and the effect of this intrusion on the production of cold, dense bottom water, and melting at the base of floating glaciers and ice tongues. It will concentrate on the Amundsen Sea shelf, specifically in the region of the Pine Island Glacier, the Thwaites Glacier, and the Getz Ice Shelf. Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) is a relatively warm water mass (warmer than +1.0 deg Celsius) which is normally confined to the outer edge of the continental shelf by an oceanic front separating this water mass from colder and saltier shelf waters. In the Amundsen Sea however, the deeper parts of the continental shelf are filled with nearly undiluted CDW, which is mixed upward, delivering significant amounts of heat to the base of the floating glacier tongues and the ice shelf. The melt rate beneath the Pine Island Glacier averages ten meters of ice per year with local annual rates reaching twenty meters. By comparison, melt rates beneath the Ross Ice Shelf are typically twenty to forty centimeters of ice per year. In addition, both the Pine Island and the Thwaites Glacier are extremely fast-moving, and have a significant effect on the regional ice mass balance of West Antarctica. This project therefore has an important connection to antarctic glaciology, particularly in assessing the combined effect of global change on the antarctic environment. The particular objectives of the project are (1) to delineate the frontal structure on the continental shelf sufficiently to define quantitatively the major routes of CDW inflow, meltwater outflow, and the westward evolution of CDW influence; (2) to use the obtained data set to validate a three-dimensional model of sub-ice ocean circulation that is currently under construction, and (3) to refine the estiamtes of in situ melting on the mass balance of the antarctic ice sheet. The observational program will be carried out from the research vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer in February and March, 1999. ***", "east": null, "geometry": null, "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": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Jacobs, Stanley", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Circumpolar Deep Water and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "uid": "p0000815", "west": null}, {"awards": "9118439 Karl, David", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-76.8432 -52.3533,-74.99221 -52.3533,-73.14122 -52.3533,-71.29023 -52.3533,-69.43924 -52.3533,-67.58825 -52.3533,-65.73726 -52.3533,-63.88627 -52.3533,-62.03528 -52.3533,-60.18429 -52.3533,-58.3333 -52.3533,-58.3333 -54.01689,-58.3333 -55.68048,-58.3333 -57.34407,-58.3333 -59.00766,-58.3333 -60.67125,-58.3333 -62.33484,-58.3333 -63.99843,-58.3333 -65.66202,-58.3333 -67.32561,-58.3333 -68.9892,-60.18429 -68.9892,-62.03528 -68.9892,-63.88627 -68.9892,-65.73726 -68.9892,-67.58825 -68.9892,-69.43924 -68.9892,-71.29023 -68.9892,-73.14122 -68.9892,-74.99221 -68.9892,-76.8432 -68.9892,-76.8432 -67.32561,-76.8432 -65.66202,-76.8432 -63.99843,-76.8432 -62.33484,-76.8432 -60.67125,-76.8432 -59.00766,-76.8432 -57.34407,-76.8432 -55.68048,-76.8432 -54.01689,-76.8432 -52.3533))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002292", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9302"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The annual advance and retreat of pack ice may be the major physical determinant of spatial/temporal changes in the structure and function of antarctic marine communities. Interannual cycles and/or trends in the annual extent of pack ice may also have significant effects on all levels of the food web, from total annual primary production to breeding success in seabirds. Historical records indicate a 6 to 8 year cycle in the maximum extent of pack ice in the winter. During this decade winters were colder in 1980 and 1981, and again in 1986 and 1987. In order to understand the interactions between pack ice and ecosystem dynamics, especially the influences of the well- documented interannual variability in ice cover on representative populations, a long-term ecological research (LTER) site has been established in the Antarctic Peninsula region near Palmer Station. The LTER project, will conduct comprehensive measurements of ice-dominated ecosystems in this region with a focus on primary production, krill populations and swarms and seabirds. A primary emphasis will be placed on the development of ecosystem models that will provide a predictive capability for issues related to global environmental change. This proposal will add to the existing LTER project detailed studies of the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and associated bioelements. The microbiology and carbon flux component of LTER will provide measurements of a suite of core parameters relevant to the carbon cycle and will test several hypotheses pertaining to carbon flux, including bacterial productivity and nutrient regeneration.", "east": -58.3333, "geometry": "POINT(-67.58825 -60.67125)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.3533, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Karl, David; Ross, Robin Macurda", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": "LTER", "south": -68.9892, "title": "Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) on the Antarctic Marine Ecosystem: Microbiology and Carbon Flux", "uid": "p0000651", "west": -76.8432}, {"awards": "0338090 Madin, Laurence; 0338290 Kremer, Patricia", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-69.9083 -52.7624,-68.96368 -52.7624,-68.01906 -52.7624,-67.07444 -52.7624,-66.12982 -52.7624,-65.1852 -52.7624,-64.24058 -52.7624,-63.29596 -52.7624,-62.35134 -52.7624,-61.40672 -52.7624,-60.4621 -52.7624,-60.4621 -54.01423,-60.4621 -55.26606,-60.4621 -56.51789,-60.4621 -57.76972,-60.4621 -59.02155,-60.4621 -60.27338,-60.4621 -61.52521,-60.4621 -62.77704,-60.4621 -64.02887,-60.4621 -65.2807,-61.40672 -65.2807,-62.35134 -65.2807,-63.29596 -65.2807,-64.24058 -65.2807,-65.1852 -65.2807,-66.12982 -65.2807,-67.07444 -65.2807,-68.01906 -65.2807,-68.96368 -65.2807,-69.9083 -65.2807,-69.9083 -64.02887,-69.9083 -62.77704,-69.9083 -61.52521,-69.9083 -60.27338,-69.9083 -59.02155,-69.9083 -57.76972,-69.9083 -56.51789,-69.9083 -55.26606,-69.9083 -54.01423,-69.9083 -52.7624))", "dataset_titles": "Data at U.S. JGOFS Data System; Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000118", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "JGOF", "science_program": null, "title": "Data at U.S. JGOFS Data System", "url": "http://usjgofs.whoi.edu/jg/dir/jgofs/"}, {"dataset_uid": "001573", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0602"}, {"dataset_uid": "001565", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0414"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Salps are planktonic grazers that have a life history, feeding biology and population dynamic strikingly different from krill, copepods or other crustacean zooplankton. Salps can occur in very dense population blooms that cover large areas and have been shown to have major impacts due to the their grazing and the production of fast-sinking fecal pellets. Although commonly acknowledged as a major component of the Southern Ocean zooplankton community, often comparable in biomass and distribution to krill, salps have received relatively little attention. Although extensive sampling has documented the seasonal abundance of salps in the Southern Ocean, there is a paucity of data on important rates that determine population growth and the role of this species in grazing and vertical flux of particulates. This proposed study will include: measurements of respiration and excretion rates for solitary and aggregate salps of all sizes; measurements of ingestion rates, including experiments to determine the size or concentration of particulates that can reduce ingestion; and determination of growth rates of solitaries and aggregates. In addition to the various rate measurements, this study will include quantitative surveys of salp horizontal and vertical distribution to determine their biomass and spatial distribution, and to allow a regional assessment of their effects. Measurements of the physical characteristics of the water column and the quantity and quality of particulate food available for the salps at each location will also be made. Satellite imagery and information on sea-ice cover will be used to test hypotheses about conditions that result in high densities of salps. Results will be used to construct a model of salp population dynamics, and both experimental and modeling results will be interpreted within the context of the physical and nutritional conditions to which the salps are exposed. This integrated approach will provide a good basis for understanding the growth dynamics of salp blooms in the Southern Ocean. Two graduate students will be trained on this project, and cruise and research experience will be provided for two undergraduate students. A portion of a website allowing students to be a virtual participant in the research will be created to strengthen students\u0027 quantitative skills. Both PI\u0027s will participate in teacher-researcher workshops, and collaboration with a regional aquarium will be developed in support of public education.", "east": -60.4621, "geometry": "POINT(-65.1852 -59.02155)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e PRESSURE SENSORS; 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", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided; R/V LMG", "locations": null, "north": -52.7624, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kremer, Patricia; Madin, Larry; Halanych, Kenneth", "platforms": "Not provided; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "JGOF", "repositories": "JGOF; R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -65.2807, "title": "Collaborative Research: Salpa Thompsoni in the Southern Ocean: Bioenergetics, Population Dynamics and Biogeochemical Impact", "uid": "p0000227", "west": -69.9083}, {"awards": "0003619 Dalziel, Ian", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG9810", "datasets": [{"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"}, {"dataset_uid": "002092", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "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": "9019247 Lawver, Lawrence", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-70.9123 -52.3523,-68.4947 -52.3523,-66.0771 -52.3523,-63.6595 -52.3523,-61.2419 -52.3523,-58.8243 -52.3523,-56.4067 -52.3523,-53.9891 -52.3523,-51.5715 -52.3523,-49.1539 -52.3523,-46.7363 -52.3523,-46.7363 -53.791011,-46.7363 -55.229722,-46.7363 -56.668433,-46.7363 -58.107144,-46.7363 -59.545855,-46.7363 -60.984566,-46.7363 -62.423277,-46.7363 -63.861988,-46.7363 -65.300699,-46.7363 -66.73941,-49.1539 -66.73941,-51.5715 -66.73941,-53.9891 -66.73941,-56.4067 -66.73941,-58.8243 -66.73941,-61.2419 -66.73941,-63.6595 -66.73941,-66.0771 -66.73941,-68.4947 -66.73941,-70.9123 -66.73941,-70.9123 -65.300699,-70.9123 -63.861988,-70.9123 -62.423277,-70.9123 -60.984566,-70.9123 -59.545855,-70.9123 -58.107144,-70.9123 -56.668433,-70.9123 -55.229722,-70.9123 -53.791011,-70.9123 -52.3523))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002294", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9301"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Major progress has been made with respect to our understanding of the tectonic evolution of the Antarctic Plate. Paleomagnetic data, marine magnetic anomaly identifications, Geosat-derived tectonic lineations, heat flow derived seafloor ages and mathematical solutions for plate motions around triple junctions have all contributed to a better model for the tectonic evolution of the circum- Antarctic region. Even so, major problems still exist with respect to the Mesozoic to Recent tectonic evolution of the Antarctic continental margin which can be tackled using heat flow measurements. This award supports the study of a tectonic problem that heat flow can address, the determination of the age of the Powell Basin at the end of the West Antarctic Peninsula and its relationship to the opening of Drake\u0027s Passage. Specifically, heat flow measurement will be used to study the age and mode of crustal extension of the Powell Basin, where standard age determination fails and heat flow is the only method that can be used to date its opening.", "east": -46.7363, "geometry": "POINT(-58.8243 -59.545855)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.3523, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lawver, Lawrence", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -66.73941, "title": "Antarctic Marine Heat Flow", "uid": "p0000652", "west": -70.9123}, {"awards": "0636787 Robinson, Laura", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-69.13317 -52.716503,-65.8622114 -52.716503,-62.5912528 -52.716503,-59.3202942 -52.716503,-56.0493356 -52.716503,-52.778377 -52.716503,-49.5074184 -52.716503,-46.2364598 -52.716503,-42.9655012 -52.716503,-39.6945426 -52.716503,-36.423584 -52.716503,-36.423584 -53.5798407,-36.423584 -54.4431784,-36.423584 -55.3065161,-36.423584 -56.1698538,-36.423584 -57.0331915,-36.423584 -57.8965292,-36.423584 -58.7598669,-36.423584 -59.6232046,-36.423584 -60.4865423,-36.423584 -61.34988,-39.6945426 -61.34988,-42.9655012 -61.34988,-46.2364598 -61.34988,-49.5074184 -61.34988,-52.778377 -61.34988,-56.0493356 -61.34988,-59.3202942 -61.34988,-62.5912528 -61.34988,-65.8622114 -61.34988,-69.13317 -61.34988,-69.13317 -60.4865423,-69.13317 -59.6232046,-69.13317 -58.7598669,-69.13317 -57.8965292,-69.13317 -57.0331915,-69.13317 -56.1698538,-69.13317 -55.3065161,-69.13317 -54.4431784,-69.13317 -53.5798407,-69.13317 -52.716503))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001510", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0805"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project uses radiocarbon in deep-sea corals to understand the Southern Ocean\u0027s role in modulating global climate. A key site of deep-water formation, the Southern Ocean is critical to exchange of heat and carbon between the deep-ocean and atmosphere. Changes in it may be linked to low atmospheric CO2 during the last glacial maximum through increased biologic carbon draw down or decreased air-sea CO2 exchange. Testing these hypotheses is challenging because of the scarcity of suitable records of the Southern Ocean\u0027s biogeochemistry and circulation. The aragonitic skeletons of deep-sea corals may offer insight because they are well suited for radiocarbon analyses-reflective of the 14C content of the past water column--while also allowing for timing of events through U-series age measurements. Overall, these measurements will put new constraints on the extent of air-sea gas exchange, polar water-column stratification, and the flux of Southern-sourced deep water to the rest of the world\u0027s oceans. As a part of this work, new sections of the Drake Passage sea floor will be mapped and imaged, along with the present and past distributions of deep-sea corals and their habitats. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eA significant broader impact of this work is characterizing the functioning of what may be a key control of atmospheric CO2 content, which could prove important for fully understanding the impacts of continued CO2 emissions and developing mitigation strategies. As well, the work will characterize deep marine ecologies that are poorly understood, but increasingly exploited as fisheries resources.", "east": -36.423584, "geometry": "POINT(-52.778377 -57.0331915)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; 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 MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.716503, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Dalziel, Ian W.", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -61.34988, "title": "Glacial Radiocarbon Constraints from Drake Passage Deep-Sea Corals", "uid": "p0000528", "west": -69.13317}, {"awards": "0538516 Ackley, Stephen", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition data of NBP0709", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002648", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0709", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0709"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project is a study of the evolution of the sea ice cover, and the mass balance of ice in the Amundsen Sea and the Bellingshausen Sea in the internationally collaborative context of the International Polar Year (2007-2008). In its simplest terms, the mass balance is the net freezing and melting that occurs over an annual cycle at a given location. If the ice were stationary and were completely to melt every year, the mass balance would be zero. While non-zero balances have significance in questions of climate and environmental change, the process itself has global consequences since the seasonal freeze-melt cycle has the effect of distilling the surface water. Oceanic salt is concentrated into brine and rejected from the ice into deeper layers in the freezing process, while during melt, the newly released and relatively fresh water stabilizes the surface layers. The observation program will be carried out during a drift program of the Nathaniel B. Palmer, and through a buoy network established on the sea ice that will make year-long measurements of ice thickness, and temperature profile, large-scale deformation, and other characteristics. The project is a component of the Antarctic Sea Ice Program, endorsed internationally by the Joint Committee for IPY. Additionally, the buoys to be deployed have been endorsed as an IPY contribution to the World Climate Research Program/Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (WCRP/SCAR) International Programme on Antarctic Buoys (IPAB). While prior survey information has been obtained in this region, seasonal and time-series measurements on sea ice mass balance are crucial data in interpreting the mechanisms of air-ice-ocean interaction. \u003cbr/\u003e The network will consist of an array of twelve buoys capable of GPS positioning. Three buoys will be equipped with thermister strings and ice and snow thickness measurement gauges, as well as a barometer. Two buoys will be equipped with meteorological sensors including wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, and incoming radiation. Seven additional buoys will have GPS positioning only, and will be deployed approximately 100 km from the central site. These outer buoys will be critical in capturing high frequency motion complementary to satellite-derived ice motion products. Additional buoys have been committed internationally through IPAB and will be deployed in the region as part of this program.\u003cbr/\u003e This project will complement similar projects to be carried out in the Weddell Sea by the German Antarctic Program, and around East Antarctica by the Australian Antarctic Program. The combined buoy and satellite deformation measurements, together with the mass balance measurements, will provide a comprehensive annual data set on sea ice thermodynamics and dynamics for comparison with both coupled and high-resolution sea ice models.", "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 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 MSBS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Ackley, Stephen", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Sea Ice Mass Balance in the Antarctic-SIMBA Drift Station", "uid": "p0000839", "west": null}, {"awards": "9316767 Jeffries, Martin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -43.56571,-144 -43.56571,-108 -43.56571,-72 -43.56571,-36 -43.56571,0 -43.56571,36 -43.56571,72 -43.56571,108 -43.56571,144 -43.56571,180 -43.56571,180 -46.304308,180 -49.042906,180 -51.781504,180 -54.520102,180 -57.2587,180 -59.997298,180 -62.735896,180 -65.474494,180 -68.213092,180 -70.95169,144 -70.95169,108 -70.95169,72 -70.95169,36 -70.95169,0 -70.95169,-36 -70.95169,-72 -70.95169,-108 -70.95169,-144 -70.95169,-180 -70.95169,-180 -68.213092,-180 -65.474494,-180 -62.735896,-180 -59.997298,-180 -57.2587,-180 -54.520102,-180 -51.781504,-180 -49.042906,-180 -46.304308,-180 -43.56571))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002231", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9505"}, {"dataset_uid": "002234", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9503"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The goal of this investigation is to understand the role of snow in sea ice development processes and air-ice-ocean heat exchange interactions in the seasonal and perennial sea ice zones of the Ross Sea, the Amundsen Sea, and the Bellingshausen Sea. Observations and measurements of the characteristics of sea ice and snow will be combined with numerical models of sea-ice flooding and the entrainment of snow into the ice cover in order to gain an understanding of the sea-ice heat and mass balance, and to quantify the energy exchange within the antarctic sea-ice cover. The snow measurement program, using the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer, will include depth, grain size and morphology, density, temperature, thermal conductivity, water content, and stable isotope ratio. The ice measurement program will include thickness, salinity, temperature, density, brine content, and included gas volume, as well as such structural properties as the fraction of frazil, platelet, and congelation ice in the seasonal antarctic pack ice. Differences in ice types are the result of differences in the environment in which the ice forms: frazil ice is formed in supercooled sea water, normally through wind or wave-induced turbulence, while platelet and congelation ice is formed under quiescent conditions. The fraction of frazil ice is an important variable in the energy budget of the upper ocean, and contributes significantly to the stabilization of the surface layers. The numerical models will involve the thermodynamics of phase changes from liquid water to ice, along with the resulting energy transfer, brine expulsion, and the modulating effect of a snow cover. The results are expected to have broad relevance and application to understanding the effects of sea-ice processes in global change, and atmospheric, oceanographic, and remote sensing investigations of the Southern Ocean.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -43.56571, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Jeffries, Martin", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -70.95169, "title": "The Role of Snow in Antarctic Sea Ice Development and Ocean-Atmosphere Energy Exchange", "uid": "p0000642", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0636773 DeMaster, David; 0636806 Smith, Craig", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-71.2358 -52.7603,-69.75336 -52.7603,-68.27092 -52.7603,-66.78848 -52.7603,-65.30604 -52.7603,-63.8236 -52.7603,-62.34116 -52.7603,-60.85872 -52.7603,-59.37628 -52.7603,-57.89384 -52.7603,-56.4114 -52.7603,-56.4114 -54.29969,-56.4114 -55.83908,-56.4114 -57.37847,-56.4114 -58.91786,-56.4114 -60.45725,-56.4114 -61.99664,-56.4114 -63.53603,-56.4114 -65.07542,-56.4114 -66.61481,-56.4114 -68.1542,-57.89384 -68.1542,-59.37628 -68.1542,-60.85872 -68.1542,-62.34116 -68.1542,-63.8236 -68.1542,-65.30604 -68.1542,-66.78848 -68.1542,-68.27092 -68.1542,-69.75336 -68.1542,-71.2358 -68.1542,-71.2358 -66.61481,-71.2358 -65.07542,-71.2358 -63.53603,-71.2358 -61.99664,-71.2358 -60.45725,-71.2358 -58.91786,-71.2358 -57.37847,-71.2358 -55.83908,-71.2358 -54.29969,-71.2358 -52.7603))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG0802; Expedition data of LMG0902; Expedition Data of LMG0902; Expedition data of NBP0808; Labile Organic Carbon distributions on the West Antarctic Peninsula Shelf; Species List, Species Abundance, and Sediment Geochemistry processed data acquired during Laurence M. Gould expedition LMG0802", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002611", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0808", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0808"}, {"dataset_uid": "002725", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0802", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0802"}, {"dataset_uid": "601319", "doi": "10.15784/601319", "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Bioturbation Coefficients; Diagenesis; Labile Organic Carbon; LOC Mean Residence Times; Marguerite Bay; Oceans; Organic Carbon Degradation Rates; Sediment Core", "people": "Taylor, Richard; DeMaster, David; Thomas, Carrie; Smith, Craig; Isla, Enrique", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Labile Organic Carbon distributions on the West Antarctic Peninsula Shelf", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601319"}, {"dataset_uid": "601303", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Box Corer; Chlorophyll Concentration; LMG0802; Marcofauna; Megafauna; Oceans; R/v Laurence M. Gould; Seafloor Sampling; Species Abundance", "people": "DeMaster, David; Smith, Craig", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Species List, Species Abundance, and Sediment Geochemistry processed data acquired during Laurence M. Gould expedition LMG0802", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601303"}, {"dataset_uid": "001486", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data of LMG0902", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0902"}, {"dataset_uid": "001513", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0802"}, {"dataset_uid": "002669", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0902", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0902"}, {"dataset_uid": "002727", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0902", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0902"}, {"dataset_uid": "002726", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0802", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0802"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Antarctic Peninsula region exhibits one of the largest warming trends in the world. Climate change in this region will reduce the duration of winter sea-ice cover, altering both the pelagic ecosystem and bentho-pelagic coupling. We postulate that shelf benthic ecosystems are highly suitable for tracking climate change because they act as \"low-pass\" filters, removing high-frequency seasonal noise and responding to longer-term trends in pelagic ecosystem structure and export production. We propose to conduct a 3-year study of bentho-pelagic coupling along a latitudinal climate gradient on the Antarctic Peninsula to explore the potential impacts of climate change (e.g., reduction in sea-ice duration) on Antarctic shelf ecosystems. We will conduct three cruises during summer and winter regimes along a 5- station transect from Smith Island to Marguerite Bay, evaluating a broad range of benthic ecological and biogeochemical processes. Specifically, we will examine the feeding strategies of benthic deposit feeders along this climatic gradient to elucidate the potential response of this major trophic group to climatic warming. In addition, we will (1) quantify carbon and nitrogen cycling and burial at the seafloor and (2) document changes in megafaunal, macrofaunal, and microbial community structure along this latitudinal gradient. We expect to develop predictive insights into the response of Antarctic shelf ecosystems to some of the effects of climate warming (e.g., a reduction in winter sea-ice duration). The proposed research will considerably broaden the ecological and carbon-flux measurements made as parts of the Palmer Station LTER and GLOBEC programs by providing a complementary benthic component. This project also will promote science education from the 9th grade to graduate-student levels. We will partner with the NSF-sponsored Southeastern Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence to reach students of all races in all areas of NC, SC and GA. The project will also benefit students at the post secondary level by supporting three graduate and two undergraduate students. During each of the three field excursions, NCSU and UH students will travel to Chile and Antarctica to participate in scientific research. Lastly, all three PIs will incorporate material from this project into their undergraduate and graduate courses.", "east": -56.4114, "geometry": "POINT(-63.8236 -60.45725)", "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 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 PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "LMG0802; R/V LMG; AMD; Amd/Us; LMG0902; USA/NSF; NBP0808; USAP-DC; R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -52.7603, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "DeMaster, David; Smith, Craig", "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; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -68.1542, "title": "Collaborative Research: Benthic Faunal Feeding Dynamics on the Antarctic Shelf and the Effects of Global Climate Change on Bentho-Pelagic Coupling", "uid": "p0000552", "west": -71.2358}, {"awards": "0650034 Smith, Kenneth", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP0806; Expedition data of NBP0902", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002649", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0806", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0806"}, {"dataset_uid": "002650", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0902", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0902"}, {"dataset_uid": "001484", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0902"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project seeks to examine the importance of icebergs to the pelagic ecosystem of the North-West Weddell Sea. Atmospheric warming has been associated with retreating glaciers and the increasing prevalence of icebergs in the Southern Ocean over the last decade. The highest concentration of icebergs occurs in the NW Weddell Sea, where they drift in a clockwise pattern to the northeast, following the contours of the Antarctic Peninsula through an area dubbed \"Iceberg Alley\". Little is known about the impact of free-drifting icebergs on the pelagic ecosystem of the Weddell Sea or on the Southern Ocean as a whole. It is hypothesized that as drifting islands, icebergs of small to intermediate size (\u003c 10 km in largest dimension) impart unique physical, chemical and biological characteristics to the surrounding water. Three general questions will be asked to address this hypothesis: 1) What are the dynamics (approximate size, abundance and spatial distribution) of free-drifting icebergs on temporal scales of days to months, based on correlation of field measurements with imagery derived from satellite sensors? 2) What is the relationship between the size of free-drifting icebergs and the structure of the associated pelagic communities? 3) What is the estimated combined impact of free-drifting icebergs in the NW Weddell Sea on the biological characteristics of the pelagic zone? This interdisciplinary study will use standard oceanographic sampling coupled with unique methodology for staging shipboard data from all types of sensors and survey methods to determine the sphere of influence for a diverse set of biological factors as a function of iceberg size. The exploratory research proposed here will provide critical data on the effects of atmospheric warming in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The recent prevalence of free drifting icebergs in the Southern Ocean should have a pronounced enrichment effect on the surrounding pelagic ecosystem, altering community dynamics. Enhanced primary production associated with these icebergs could influence the global carbon cycle since the Southern Ocean is considered a major sink for excess CO2 from the atmosphere. \u003cbr/\u003eThe proposed research will include an innovative education component through the Ocean Exploration Center (OEC), whose focus is to provide a comprehensive view of the oceans, intelligible to non-scientists and researchers alike, with direct access to state-of-the-art databases and selected websites. The OEC will allow users to access content which has been classified to one of four levels: entry (grade K-6), student (grade 6-12), college, and research. The results from this iceberg project will be incorporated into the Antarctic Research division of the OEC, providing databases documenting the impact of free-drifting icebergs on the surrounding pelagic ecosystem. These data then will be extrapolated to evaluate the impact of icebergs on the ecosystem of the Weddell Sea. Graduate students, undergraduates, teachers and volunteers are an important part of the proposed field and laboratory work.", "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; 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 NBP", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Smith, Ken", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Free Drifting Icebergs: Influence of Floating Islands on Pelagic Ecosystems in the Weddell Sea.", "uid": "p0000840", "west": null}, {"awards": "0125818 Gargett, Ann", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP0508", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001584", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0508"}, {"dataset_uid": "002610", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0508", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0508"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ultraviolet radiation influences the dynamics of plankton processes in the near-surface waters of most aquatic ecosystems. In particular, the Southern Ocean is affected in the austral spring period when biologically damaging ultraviolet radiation is enhanced by ozone depletion. While progress has been made in estimating the quantitative impact of ultraviolet radiation on bacteria and phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean, some important issues remain to be resolved. Little is known about responses in systems dominated by the colonial haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica, which dominates spring blooms in a polyna that develops in the southern Ross Sea. The Ross Sea is also of interest because of the occurrence of open water at a far southerly location in the spring, well within the ozone hole, and continuous daylight, with implications for the regulation of DNA repair. A number of studies suggest that vertical mixing can significant modify the impact of ultraviolet radiation in the Southern Ocean and elsewhere. However, there are limited measurements of turbulence intensity in the surface layer and measurements have not been integrated with parallel studies of ultraviolet radiation effects on phytoplankton and bacterioplankton. To address these issues, this collaborative study will focus on vertical mixing and the impact of ultraviolet radiation in the Ross Sea. The spectral and temporal responses of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton to ultraviolet radiation will be characterized in both laboratory and solar incubations. These will lead to the definition of biological weighting functions and response models capable of predicting the depth and time distribution of ultraviolet radiation impacts on photosynthesis, bacterial incorporation and DNA damage in the surface layer. Diel sampling will measure depth-dependent profiles of DNA damage, bacterial incorporation, photosynthesis and fluorescence parameters over a 24 h cycle. Sampling will include stations with contrasting wind-driven mixing and stratification as the polyna develops. The program of vertical mixing measurements is optimized for the typical springtime Ross Sea situation in which turbulence of intermediate intensity is insufficient to mix the upper layer thoroughly in the presence of stabilizing influences like solar heating and/or surface freshwater input from melting ice. Fine-scale vertical density profiles will be measured with a free-fall CTD unit and the profiles will be used to directly estimate large-eddy scales by determining Thorpe scales. Eddy scales and estimated turbulent diffusivities will be directly related to surface layer effects, and used to generate lagrangian depth-time trajectories in models of ultraviolet radiation responses in the surface mixed layer. The proposed research will be the first in-depth study of ultraviolet radiation effects in the Ross Sea and provide a valuable comparison with previous work in the Weddell-Scotia Confluence and Palmer Station regions. It will also enhance the understanding of vertical mixing processes, trophic interactions and biogeochemical cycling in the Ross Sea.", "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 PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP; B-15J", "locations": "B-15J", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Neale, Patrick", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Interactive effects of UV and vertical mixing on phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in the Ross Sea", "uid": "p0000822", "west": null}, {"awards": "0126472 Taylor, Frederick", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG0209", "datasets": [{"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"}, {"dataset_uid": "001743", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "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": "0636975 Sweeney, Colm", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition data of LMG0909", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002721", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0909", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0909"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The proposed project will expand the suite of observations and lengthen the existing time series of underway surface dissolved carbon dioxide (pCO2) measurements transects across the Drake Passage on the R/VIB L.M. Gould. The additional observations include oxygen, nutrients and total CO2 (TCO2) concentrations, and the 13C to 12C ratio of TCO2. The continued and expanded time series will contribute towards two main scientific goals: the quantification of the spatial and temporal variability and the trends of surface carbon dioxide species in four major water mass regimes in the Drake Passage, and the understanding of the dominant processes and changes in those processes that contribute to the variability in surface pCO2 and the resulting air-sea flux of CO2 in the Drake Passage. The expanded program will also include the analysis of the 14C/12C of TCO2 and the specific study of the observations on one short wintertime cruise, with the objective of testing the hypothesis that the dissolved carbon dioxide in surface waters of the Drake Passage is determined by the degree of winter mixing. This is of special significance in light of two scenarios that may be affecting the ventilation of Southern Ocean deep water now and in the future: a decrease in water column stratification with the observations of higher zonal winds, or an increase in stratification due to higher precipitation and warming from climate change. If winter mixing determines the mean annual pCO2 in the Drake Passage, the increasing trend in atmospheric pCO2 should have little effect on sea surface pCO2.", "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", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V LMG", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Sweeney, Colm; Sweeney, Colm", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Surface pCO2 and the effects of Winter Time Overturning in the Drake Passage", "uid": "p0000872", "west": null}, {"awards": "9419605 Dunbar, Robert; 9896356 Dunbar, Robert", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -43.56493,-144.00001 -43.56493,-108.00002 -43.56493,-72.00003 -43.56493,-36.00004 -43.56493,-0.000049999999987 -43.56493,35.99994 -43.56493,71.99993 -43.56493,107.99992 -43.56493,143.99991 -43.56493,179.9999 -43.56493,179.9999 -47.023783,179.9999 -50.482636,179.9999 -53.941489,179.9999 -57.400342,179.9999 -60.859195,179.9999 -64.318048,179.9999 -67.776901,179.9999 -71.235754,179.9999 -74.694607,179.9999 -78.15346,143.99991 -78.15346,107.99992 -78.15346,71.99993 -78.15346,35.99994 -78.15346,-0.000050000000016 -78.15346,-36.00004 -78.15346,-72.00003 -78.15346,-108.00002 -78.15346,-144.00001 -78.15346,-180 -78.15346,-180 -74.694607,-180 -71.235754,-180 -67.776901,-180 -64.318048,-180 -60.859195,-180 -57.400342,-180 -53.941489,-180 -50.482636,-180 -47.023783,-180 -43.56493))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002094", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9807"}, {"dataset_uid": "002132", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9709"}, {"dataset_uid": "002154", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9606"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project is an interdisciplinary study, titled Research on Ocean-Atmosphere Variability and Ecosystem Response in the Ross Sea (ROAVERRS), of atmospheric forcing, ocean hydrography, sea ice dynamics, primary productivity, and pelagic-benthic coupling in the southwestern Ross Sea, Antarctica. The primary goal is to examine how changes in aspects of the polar climate system, in this case wind and temperature, combine to influence marine productivity on a large antarctic continental shelf. In the Ross Sea, katabatic winds and mesocyclones influence the spatial and temporal distribution of sea ice as well as the upper ocean mixed layer depth, and thus control primary production within the sea ice as well as in the open water system. The structure, standing stock and productivity of bottom- dwelling biological communities are also linked to meteorological processes through interseasonal and interannual variations in horizontal and vertical fluxes of organic carbon produced in the upper ocean. Linkages among the atmospheric, oceanic, and biological systems will be investigated during a three-year field study of the southwestern Ross Sea ecosystem. Direct measurements will include regional wind and air temperatures derived from automatic weather stations; ice cover, ice movement, and sea surface temperatures derived from a variety of satellite-based sensors; hydrographic characteristics of the upper ocean and primary productivity in the ice and in the water derived from research cruises and satellite studies; vertical flux of organic material and water movement derived from oceanographic moorings containing sediment traps and current meters, and the abundance, distribution, and respiration rates of biological communities on the sea floor, derived from box cores, benthic photographs and shipboard incubations. Based on archived meteorological data, it is expected that the atmospheric variability during the study period will be such that changes in airflow pat terns and their influence on oceanographic and biological patterns can be monitored, and their direct and indirect linkages that are the focus of the research can be deduced. Results from this study will contribute to our knowledge of atmospheric and oceanic forcing of marine ecosystems, and lead to a better understanding of marine ecosystem response to climatic variations. ***", "east": 179.9999, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V NBP", "locations": null, "north": -43.56493, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Dunbar, Robert", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.15346, "title": "Research on Ocean-Atmosphere Variability and Ecosystem Response in the Ross Sea (ROAVERRS)", "uid": "p0000635", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0732995 Barbeau, David", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-67.9988 -52.7596,-66.83756 -52.7596,-65.67632 -52.7596,-64.51508 -52.7596,-63.35384 -52.7596,-62.1926 -52.7596,-61.03136 -52.7596,-59.87012 -52.7596,-58.70888 -52.7596,-57.54764 -52.7596,-56.3864 -52.7596,-56.3864 -54.15258,-56.3864 -55.54556,-56.3864 -56.93854,-56.3864 -58.33152,-56.3864 -59.7245,-56.3864 -61.11748,-56.3864 -62.51046,-56.3864 -63.90344,-56.3864 -65.29642,-56.3864 -66.6894,-57.54764 -66.6894,-58.70888 -66.6894,-59.87012 -66.6894,-61.03136 -66.6894,-62.1926 -66.6894,-63.35384 -66.6894,-64.51508 -66.6894,-65.67632 -66.6894,-66.83756 -66.6894,-67.9988 -66.6894,-67.9988 -65.29642,-67.9988 -63.90344,-67.9988 -62.51046,-67.9988 -61.11748,-67.9988 -59.7245,-67.9988 -58.33152,-67.9988 -56.93854,-67.9988 -55.54556,-67.9988 -54.15258,-67.9988 -52.7596))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001520", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0717"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project studies the relationship between opening of the Drake Passage and formation of the Antarctic ice sheet. Its goal is to answer the question: What drove the transition from a greenhouse to icehouse world thirty-four million years ago? Was it changes in circulation of the Southern Ocean caused by the separation of Antarctica from South America or was it a global effect such as decreasing atmospheric CO2 content? This study constrains the events and timing through fieldwork in South America and Antarctica and new work on marine sediment cores previously collected by the Ocean Drilling Program. It also involves an extensive, multidisciplinary analytical program. Compositional analyses of sediments and their sources will be combined with (U-Th)/He, fission-track, and Ar-Ar thermochronometry to constrain uplift and motion of the continental crust bounding the Drake Passage. Radiogenic isotope studies of fossil fish teeth found in marine sediment cores will be used to trace penetration of Pacific seawater into the Atlantic. Oxygen isotope and trace metal measurements on foraminifera will provide additional information on the timing and magnitude of ice volume changes. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe broader impacts include graduate and undergraduate education; outreach to the general public through museum exhibits and presentations, and international collaboration with scientists from Argentina, Ukraine, UK and Germany.\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\". This project is also a key component of the IPY Plates \u0026 Gates initiative (IPY Project #77), focused on determining the role of tectonic gateways in instigating polar environmental change.", "east": -56.3864, "geometry": "POINT(-62.1926 -59.7245)", "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", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V LMG", "locations": null, "north": -52.7596, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "MacPhee, Ross", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": -66.6894, "title": "Collaborative Research: IPY: Testing the Polar Gateway Hypothesis: An Integrated Record of Drake Passage Opening \u0026 Antarctic Glaciation", "uid": "p0000120", "west": -67.9988}, {"awards": "0538148 Huber, Bruce", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP0801; Processed CurrentMeter Data from the Adare Basin near Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1101 ; Processed CurrentMeter Data from the Ross Sea near Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0801", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601344", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Cape Adare; Mooring; NBP0801; Physical Oceanography; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Salinity; Southern Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Huber, Bruce; Gordon, Arnold", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Processed CurrentMeter Data from the Ross Sea near Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0801", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601344"}, {"dataset_uid": "601343", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Mooring; NBP1101; Ross Sea; Salinity; Southern Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Gordon, Arnold; Huber, Bruce", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Processed CurrentMeter Data from the Adare Basin near Antarctica acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP1101 ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601343"}, {"dataset_uid": "001517", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0801"}, {"dataset_uid": "002647", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP0801", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0801"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "An array of moorings will be deployed and maintained east of Cape Adare, Antarctica, at the northwestern corner of the Ross Sea to observe the properties of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) exiting the Ross Sea. This location has been identified from recent studies as an ideal place to make such measurements. Antarctic Bottom Water has the highest density of the major global water masses, and fills the deepest parts of the world\u0027s oceans. Because it obtains many of its characteristics during its contact with the atmosphere and with glacial ice along the continental margins of Antarctica, it is expected that changes in newly-formed AABW may represent an effective indicator for abrupt climate change. The heterogeneous nature of the source regions around Antarctica complicates the observation of newly-formed AABW properties. The two most important source regions for AABW are within the Weddell and the Ross Seas, with additional sources drawn from the east Antarctic margins. In the northwestern Weddell Sea, several programs have been undertaken in the last decade to monitor the long term variability of Weddell Sea Deep and Bottom Water, precursors of AABW originating from the Weddell Sea, however no such systematic efforts have yet been undertaken to make longterm measurements of outflow from the Ross Sea. The proposed study will significantly improve our knowledge of the long term variability in the outflow of deep and bottom water from the Ross Sea, and will provide the beginnings of a long-term monitoring effort which ultimately will allow detection of changes in the ocean in the context of global climate change. When joined with similar efforts ongoing in the Weddell Sea, long-term behavior and possible coupling of these two important sources of the ocean\u0027s deepest water mass can be examined in detail.", "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; 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 Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Caron, Bruce", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Cape Adare Long-term Mooring (CALM)", "uid": "p0000838", "west": null}, {"awards": "0636696 DeVries, Arthur", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-68.0025 -52.7599,-67.07254 -52.7599,-66.14258 -52.7599,-65.21262 -52.7599,-64.28266 -52.7599,-63.3527 -52.7599,-62.42274 -52.7599,-61.49278 -52.7599,-60.56282 -52.7599,-59.63286 -52.7599,-58.7029 -52.7599,-58.7029 -53.98242,-58.7029 -55.20494,-58.7029 -56.42746,-58.7029 -57.64998,-58.7029 -58.8725,-58.7029 -60.09502,-58.7029 -61.31754,-58.7029 -62.54006,-58.7029 -63.76258,-58.7029 -64.9851,-59.63286 -64.9851,-60.56282 -64.9851,-61.49278 -64.9851,-62.42274 -64.9851,-63.3527 -64.9851,-64.28266 -64.9851,-65.21262 -64.9851,-66.14258 -64.9851,-67.07254 -64.9851,-68.0025 -64.9851,-68.0025 -63.76258,-68.0025 -62.54006,-68.0025 -61.31754,-68.0025 -60.09502,-68.0025 -58.8725,-68.0025 -57.64998,-68.0025 -56.42746,-68.0025 -55.20494,-68.0025 -53.98242,-68.0025 -52.7599))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of LMG0809; Metadata associated with the description of Akarotaxis gouldae n. sp. (Bathydraconidae)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601811", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Bellingshausen Sea; Cryosphere; Southern Ocean", "people": "Hilton, Eric; Corso, Andrew; Desvignes, Thomas; McDowell, Jan; Cheng, Chi-Hing; Biesack, Ellen; Steinberg, Deborah", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "LTER", "title": "Metadata associated with the description of Akarotaxis gouldae n. sp. (Bathydraconidae)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601811"}, {"dataset_uid": "001504", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0809"}, {"dataset_uid": "002728", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG0809", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0809"}, {"dataset_uid": "001493", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG0810"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Antarctic notothenioid fish evolved antifreeze (AF) proteins that prevent ice crystals that enter their body fluids from growing, and thereby avoid freezing in their icy habitats. However, even in the extreme cold Antarctic marine environment, regional gradations of severity are found. The biological correlate for environmental severity in fish is the endogenous ice load, which likely determines the tolerable limit of environmental severity for notothenioid habitation. The endogenous ice load develops from environmental ice crystals entering through body surfaces and somehow localizing to the spleen. How prone the surface tissues are to ice entry, how ice reaches the spleen, and what the fate of splenic ice is, requires elucidation. Spleen sequestration of ice raises the hypothesis that macrophages may play a role in the translocation and perhaps elimination of AF-bound ice crystals. Antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGP) act in concert with a second, recently discovered antifreeze called antifreeze potentiating protein (AFPP), necessitating an assessment of the contribution of AFPP to freezing avoidance. Recent research suggests that the exocrine pancreas and the anterior stomach, not the liver, synthesize AFGPs and secrete them into the intestine, from where they may be returned to the blood. A GI-to-blood transport is a highly unconventional path for a major plasma protein and also begs the questions, What is the source of blood AFPP?. Why are two distinct AF proteins needed and what is the chronology of their evolution? What genomic changes in the DNA are associated with the development or loss of the antifreeze trait? Experiments described in this proposal address these interrelated questions of environmental, organismal, and evolutionary physiology, and will further our understanding of novel vertebrate physiologies, the limits of environmental adaptation, and climatically driven changes in the genome. The proposed research will (1) determine the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of environmental temperature and iciness in progressively more severe fish habitats in the greater McMurdo Sound area, and in the milder Arthur Harbor at Palmer Station. The splenic ice load in fishes inhabiting these sites will be determined to correlate to environmental severity and habitability. (2) Assess the surface tissue site of ice entry and their relative barrier properties in intact fish and isolated tissues preparations (3) Assess the role of immune cells in the fate of endogenous ice, (4) determine whether the blood AFGPs are from intestinal/rectal uptake, (5) examine the contribution of AFPP to the total blood AF activity (6) evaluate the progression of genomic changes in the AFGP locus across Notothenioidei as modulated by disparate thermal environments, in four selected species through the analyses of large insert DNA BAC clones. The origin and evolution of AFPP will be examined also by analyzing BAC clones encompassing the AFPP genomic locus. The broader impacts of the proposed research include training of graduate and undergraduate students in research approaches ranging from physical field measurements to cutting edge genomics. Undergraduate research projects have lead to co-authored publications and will continue to do so. Outreach includes establishing Wiki websites on topics of Antarctic fish biology and freeze avoidance, providing advisory services to the San Francisco Science Exploratorium, and making BAC libraries available to interested polar biologists. This research theme has repeatedly received national and international science news coverage and will continue to be disseminated to the public in that manner.", "east": -58.7029, "geometry": "POINT(-63.3527 -58.8725)", "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", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V LMG", "locations": null, "north": -52.7599, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Devries, Arthur", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.9851, "title": "Environmental, Organismal and Evolutionary Physiology of Freeze Avoidance in Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes", "uid": "p0000560", "west": -68.0025}, {"awards": "0338350 Dunbar, Robert; 0741411 Hutchins, David; 0338097 DiTullio, Giacomo; 0338157 Smith, Walker; 0127037 Neale, Patrick", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((173.31833 -46.5719,173.757539 -46.5719,174.196748 -46.5719,174.635957 -46.5719,175.075166 -46.5719,175.514375 -46.5719,175.953584 -46.5719,176.392793 -46.5719,176.832002 -46.5719,177.271211 -46.5719,177.71042 -46.5719,177.71042 -48.759516,177.71042 -50.947132,177.71042 -53.134748,177.71042 -55.322364,177.71042 -57.50998,177.71042 -59.697596,177.71042 -61.885212,177.71042 -64.072828,177.71042 -66.260444,177.71042 -68.44806,177.271211 -68.44806,176.832002 -68.44806,176.392793 -68.44806,175.953584 -68.44806,175.514375 -68.44806,175.075166 -68.44806,174.635957 -68.44806,174.196748 -68.44806,173.757539 -68.44806,173.31833 -68.44806,173.31833 -66.260444,173.31833 -64.072828,173.31833 -61.885212,173.31833 -59.697596,173.31833 -57.50998,173.31833 -55.322364,173.31833 -53.134748,173.31833 -50.947132,173.31833 -48.759516,173.31833 -46.5719))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Interactive Effects of Iron, Light and Carbon Dioxide on Phytoplankton Community Dynamics in the Ross Sea; Processed Fluid Chemistry Data from the Ross Sea acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0601", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001687", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0305"}, {"dataset_uid": "001545", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0608"}, {"dataset_uid": "001584", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0508"}, {"dataset_uid": "601340", "doi": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Fluid Chemistry Data; Geochemistry; NBP0601; Niskin Bottle; Oceans; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Southern Ocean; Water Measurements", "people": "Smith, Walker; DiTullio, Giacomo", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Processed Fluid Chemistry Data from the Ross Sea acquired during the Nathaniel B. Palmer expedition NBP0601", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601340"}, {"dataset_uid": "001580", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0601"}, {"dataset_uid": "600036", "doi": "10.15784/600036", "keywords": "Biota; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Diatom; Oceans; Phytoplankton; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean", "people": "DiTullio, Giacomo", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Interactive Effects of Iron, Light and Carbon Dioxide on Phytoplankton Community Dynamics in the Ross Sea", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600036"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The objectives of this proposal are to investigate the controls on the large-scale distribution and production of the two major bloom-forming phytoplankton taxa in the Southern Ocean, diatoms and Phaeocystis Antarctica. These two groups, through their involvement in the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, sulfur and nutrient elements, may have played important roles in the climate variations of the late Quaternary, and they also may be key players in future environmental change. A current paradigm is that irradiance and iron availability drive phytoplankton dynamics in the Southern Ocean. Recent work, however, suggests that carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations may also be important in structuring algal assemblages, due to species-specific differences in the physiology. This proposal examines the interactive effects of iron, light and CO2 on the physiology, ecology and relative dominance of Phaeocystis and diatoms in the Southern Ocean. The Ross Sea is an ideal system in which to investigate the environmental factors that regulate the distribution and production of these two algal groups, since it is characterized by seasonal blooms of both P. Antarctica and diatoms that are typically separated in both space and time. This study will take the form of an interdisciplinary investigation that includes a field survey and statistical analysis of algal assemblage composition, iron, mixed layer depth, and CO2 levels in the southern Ross Sea, coupled with shipboard experiments to examine the response of diatom and P. Antarctica assemblages to high and low levels of iron, light and CO2 during spring and summer. \u003cbr/\u003eThis project will provide information on some of the major factors controlling the production and distribution of the two major bloom forming phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean and the related biogeochemical cycling of carbon, sulfur and nutrient elements. The results may ultimately advance the ability to predict how the Southern Ocean will be affected by and possibly modulate future climate change. This project will also make significant educational contributions at several levels, including the planned research involvement of graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral associates, a student teacher, and community outreach and educational activities. A number of activities are planned to interface the project with K-12 education. Presentations will be made at local schools to discuss the research and events of the research cruise. During the cruise there will be daily interactive email contact with elementary classrooms. Established websites will be used to allow students to learn about the ongoing research, and to allow researchers to communicate with students through text and downloaded images.", "east": 177.71042, "geometry": "POINT(175.514375 -57.50998)", "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 PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FLUOROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FRRF; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FLUOROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FRRF", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "B-15J; OCEAN PLATFORMS; FIELD SURVEYS; R/V NBP", "locations": "B-15J", "north": -46.5719, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Ditullio, Giacomo; Smith, Walker; Dryer, Jennifer; Neale, Patrick", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIXED PLATFORMS \u003e SURFACE \u003e OCEAN PLATFORMS; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -68.44806, "title": "Collaborative Research: Interactive Effects of Iron, Light and Carbon Dioxide on Phytoplankton Community Dynamics in the Ross Sea", "uid": "p0000540", "west": 173.31833}, {"awards": "9909374 Fairbanks, Richard", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((140.21983 -45.80239,141.197867 -45.80239,142.175904 -45.80239,143.153941 -45.80239,144.131978 -45.80239,145.110015 -45.80239,146.088052 -45.80239,147.066089 -45.80239,148.044126 -45.80239,149.022163 -45.80239,150.0002 -45.80239,150.0002 -47.983436,150.0002 -50.164482,150.0002 -52.345528,150.0002 -54.526574,150.0002 -56.70762,150.0002 -58.888666,150.0002 -61.069712,150.0002 -63.250758,150.0002 -65.431804,150.0002 -67.61285,149.022163 -67.61285,148.044126 -67.61285,147.066089 -67.61285,146.088052 -67.61285,145.110015 -67.61285,144.131978 -67.61285,143.153941 -67.61285,142.175904 -67.61285,141.197867 -67.61285,140.21983 -67.61285,140.21983 -65.431804,140.21983 -63.250758,140.21983 -61.069712,140.21983 -58.888666,140.21983 -56.70762,140.21983 -54.526574,140.21983 -52.345528,140.21983 -50.164482,140.21983 -47.983436,140.21983 -45.80239))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Summer Oceanographic Measurements near the Mertz Polynya NBP0008", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601161", "doi": "10.15784/601161 ", "keywords": "Antarctica; CTD; CTD Data; Mertz Polynya; NBP0008; Oceans; Oxygen; Physical Oceanography; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Salinity; Southern Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Jacobs, Stanley; Mele, Phil; Mortlock, R. A.; Smethie, William M", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Summer Oceanographic Measurements near the Mertz Polynya NBP0008", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601161"}, {"dataset_uid": "001885", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0008"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9909374 Fairbanks This study will investigate how the formation of dense water masses on the antarctic continental shelves is affected by the periodic flushing by relatively warm circumpolar deep water, and whether the intrusion of warm water cna enhance the rate of formation of dense antarctic water. The study involves the observation of water mass modification processes on the continental shelf off the Adelie Coast in East Antarctica, near a quasi-permanent area of open water in the vicinity of the Mertz and Ninnis Glacier tongues - the so-called Mertz polynya. Antarctic coastal polynyas, formed by strong offshore winds, are often referred to as major sea ice and salt \"factories\" because the newly formed ice is blown seaward, allowing more ice to be formed along the coast, and because the freezing process increases the salinity of the continental shelf water. The thin ice, or even open water, implies significant heat losses from the ocean to the atmosphere, which also increases the density of the shelf water. The shelf water sinks, fills any depressions in the bottom, and is gravitationally driven down the continental slope. An additional process is identified for this study and is expected to be at work in this area: the intrusion of relatively warm water onto the continental shelf, overriding the shelf water and essentially shutting down the densification processes. The study will make use of the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer to obtain a closely spaced array of hydrographic stations over the continental shelf and slope along the George V Coast in the austral summer. The dat obtained here will complement a similar winter study by the Australian National Antarctic Program. ***", "east": 150.0002, "geometry": "POINT(145.110015 -56.70762)", "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": -45.80239, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Fairbanks, Richard; Jacobs, Stanley", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -67.61285, "title": "Shelf and Bottom Water Formation Near East Antarctic Polynyas and Glaciers", "uid": "p0000612", "west": 140.21983}, {"awards": "9615342 Neale, Patrick", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition data of LMG9809", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002719", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG9809", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG9809"}, {"dataset_uid": "002720", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of LMG9809", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG9809"}], "date_created": "Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Neale 9615342 Increases in ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 280-320) associated with the Antarctic ozone hole have been shown to inhibit the photosynthesis of phytoplankton, but the overall effect on water column production is still a matter of debate and continued investigation. Investigations have also revealed that even at \"normal\" levels of Antarctic stratospheric ozone, UV-B and UV-A (320-400 nm) appear to have strong effects on water column production. The role of UV in the ecology of phytoplankton primary production has probably been underappreciated in the past and could be particularly important to the estimation of primary production in the presence of vertical mixing. This research focuses on quantifying UV effects on photosynthesis of Antarctic phytoplankton by defining biological weighting functions for UV-inhibition. In the past, techniques were developed to describe photosynthesis as a function of UV and visible irradiance using laboratory cultures. Further experimentation with natural assemblages from McMurdo Station in Antarctica showed that biological weighting functions are strongly related to light history. Most recently, measurements in the open waters of the Southern Ocean confirmed that there is substantial variability in the susceptibility of phytoplankton assemblages to UV. It was also discovered that inhibition of photosynthesis in Antarctic phytoplankton got progressively worse on the time scale of hours, with no evidence of recovery. Even under benign conditions, losses of photosynthetic capability persisted unchanged for several hours. This was in contrast with laboratory cultures and some natural assemblages which quickly attained a steady- state rate of photosynthesis during exposure to UV, reflecting a balance between damage and recovery processes. Slow reversal of UV-induced damage has profound consequences for water-column photosynthesis, especially during vertical mixing. Results to date have been used to model th e influence of UV, ozone depletion and vertical mixing on photosynthesis in Antarctic waters. Data indicate that normal levels of UV can have a significant impact on natural phytoplankton and that the effects can be exacerbated by ozone depletion as well as vertical mixing. Critical questions remain poorly resolved, however, and these are the focus of the present proposal. New theoretical and experimental approaches will be used to investigate UV responses in both the open waters of the Weddell-Scotia confluence and coastal waters near Palmer Station. In particular, measurements will be made of the kinetics of UV inhibition and recovery on time scales ranging from minutes to days. Variability in biological weighting functions between will be calculated for pelagic and coastal phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean. The results will provide absolute estimates of photosynthesis under in situ, as well as under altered, UV irradiance; broaden the range of assemblages for which biological weighting functions have been determined; and clarify how kinetics of inhibition and recovery should be represented in mixed layer models.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "R/V LMG", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Mopper, Kenneth; Neale, Patrick", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "New Approaches to Measuring and Understanding the Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation on Photosynthesis by Antarctic Phytoplankton", "uid": "p0000871", "west": null}, {"awards": "0335330 Waddington, Edwin", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-60 83,-55.8 83,-51.6 83,-47.4 83,-43.2 83,-39 83,-34.8 83,-30.6 83,-26.4 83,-22.2 83,-18 83,-18 80.5,-18 78,-18 75.5,-18 73,-18 70.5,-18 68,-18 65.5,-18 63,-18 60.5,-18 58,-22.2 58,-26.4 58,-30.6 58,-34.8 58,-39 58,-43.2 58,-47.4 58,-51.6 58,-55.8 58,-60 58,-60 60.5,-60 63,-60 65.5,-60 68,-60 70.5,-60 73,-60 75.5,-60 78,-60 80.5,-60 83))", "dataset_titles": "Borehole Optical Stratigraphy Modeling, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609468", "doi": "10.7265/N5H70CR5", "keywords": "Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Modeling Code", "people": "Hawley, Robert L.; Fudge, T. J.; Waddington, Edwin D.; Smith, Ben", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Borehole Optical Stratigraphy Modeling, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609468"}], "date_created": "Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a study of the physical nature and environmental origin of optical features (light and dark zones) observed by video in boreholes in polar ice. These features appear to include an annual signal, as well as longer period signals. Borehole logs exist from a previous project, and in this lab-based project the interpretation of these logs will be improved. The origin of the features is of broad interest to the ice-core community. If some components relate to changes in the depositional environment beyond seasonality, important climatic cycles may be seen. If some components relate to post-depositional reworking, insights will be gained into the physical processes that change snow and firn, and the implications for interpretation of the chemical record in terms of paleoclimate. In order to exploit these features to best advantage in future ice-core and climate-change research, the two principal objectives of this project are to determine what physically causes the optical differences that we see and to determine the environmental processes that give rise to these physical differences. In the laboratory at NICL the conditions of a log of a borehole wall will be re-created as closely as possible by running the borehole video camera along sections of ice core, making an optical log of light reflected from the core. Combinations of physical variables that are correlated with optical features will be identified. A radiative-transfer model will be used to aid in the interpretation of these measurements, and to determine the optimum configuration for an improved future logging tool. An attempt will be made to determine the origin of the features. Two broad possibilities exist: 1) temporal changes in the depositional environment, and 2) post-depositional reworking. This project represents an important step toward a new way of learning about paleoclimate with borehole optical methods. Broader impacts include enhancing the infrastructure for research and education, since this instrument will complement high-resolution continuous-melter chemistry techniques and provide a rapid way to log physical variables using optical features as a proxy for climate signals. Since no core is required for this method, it can be used in rapidly drilled access holes or where core quality is poor. This project will support a graduate student who will carry out this project under the direction of the Principal Investigator. K-12 education will be enhanced through an ongoing collaboration with a science and math teacher from a local middle school. International collaboration will be expanded through work on this project with colleagues at the Norwegian Polar Institute and broad dissemination of results will occur through a project website for the general public.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e OPTICAL DUST LOGGERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice; Stratigraphy; Optical; Glaciers; Polar Ice; Ice Microphysics; Snow; Firn; Climate Change; LABORATORY; Snow Stratigraphy; Borehole", "locations": null, "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Smith, Ben; Waddington, Edwin D.; Hawley, Robert L.; Fudge, T. J.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Borehole Optical Stratigraphy: Ice Microphysics, Climate Change, and the Optical Properties of Firn", "uid": "p0000016", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0632399 Jefferies, Stuart", "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": "Tomographic Imaging of the Velocity and Magnetic Fields in the Sun\u0027s Atmosphere", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600152", "doi": "10.15784/600152", "keywords": "Antarctica; Cosmos; Satellite Remote Sensing; Sun", "people": "Jefferies, Stuart M.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Tomographic Imaging of the Velocity and Magnetic Fields in the Sun\u0027s Atmosphere", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600152"}], "date_created": "Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The proposal is to develop an instrument that can simultaneously measure the sound speed and magnetic fields at three heights in the solar atmosphere. The instrument will use magneto-optical filters tuned to the solar absorption lines at 422 nm (Ca I), 589 nm (Na D2), and 770 nm (K) to make measurements of Doppler velocities and longitudinal magnetic field. These lines form in the mid- and low-chromosphere and photosphere, respectively. In addition, the instrument will also use a Fabry-Perot etalon as a narrowband filter to measure the intensity variations of the 1083 nm (He I) line that is formed high in the chromosphere and which shows the location of the \"foot points\" of coronal holes. Together, the four lines will allow studying wave motions throughout the solar atmosphere. The instrument will record images of the Sun every 10 seconds with a spatial resolution of 1 arc-second. Thus, the project will be fostering the development of existing magneto-optical filter technology to a new level. Upon construction, the telescope will be tested at South Pole for a long period of uninterrupted observations. Both the local and global helioseismic analysis procedures will be utilized to identify and to characterize different types of waves present in the solar atmosphere. These observations will allow determining the structure and dynamics of the Sun\u0027s atmosphere through seismic measurements and, thus, improve the atmosphere models, assess the role of waves in heating the chromosphere/corona and driving the solar wind, and better understand how the Sun\u0027s atmosphere couples to the interior. The broader impact of the proposed project is two fold. First, there is a potential benefit to the science and to the society because it is believed that the solar atmosphere is a \"home\" to many phenomena that can have a direct effect on the solar activity, including flares, coronal mass ejections, and the solar wind. Understanding the structure and dynamics of the solar atmosphere will therefore lead to a better understanding of the Sun-Earth connection. The collected data will be made available to other researchers at DVDs. The broader audience of general public will be reached through presentations at high schools, libraries, and community events, and news articles in the general press. Most of the research materials will also be placed in the Web.", "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 Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Jefferies, Stuart M.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Tomographic Imaging of the Velocity and Magnetic Fields in the Sun\u0027s Atmosphere", "uid": "p0000526", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0741510 Yuan, Xiaojun", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -69,-172 -69,-164 -69,-156 -69,-148 -69,-140 -69,-132 -69,-124 -69,-116 -69,-108 -69,-100 -69,-100 -70,-100 -71,-100 -72,-100 -73,-100 -74,-100 -75,-100 -76,-100 -77,-100 -78,-100 -79,-108 -79,-116 -79,-124 -79,-132 -79,-140 -79,-148 -79,-156 -79,-164 -79,-172 -79,180 -79,178.5 -79,177 -79,175.5 -79,174 -79,172.5 -79,171 -79,169.5 -79,168 -79,166.5 -79,165 -79,165 -78,165 -77,165 -76,165 -75,165 -74,165 -73,165 -72,165 -71,165 -70,165 -69,166.5 -69,168 -69,169.5 -69,171 -69,172.5 -69,174 -69,175.5 -69,177 -69,178.5 -69,-180 -69))", "dataset_titles": "Temperature and salinity measurements collected using XBT, XCTD from the Oden and other platforms in the Southern Oceans from 2003-2008 (NODC Accession 0053045)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000214", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Temperature and salinity measurements collected using XBT, XCTD from the Oden and other platforms in the Southern Oceans from 2003-2008 (NODC Accession 0053045)", "url": "https://data.nodc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0053045"}], "date_created": "Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Abstract\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe project goal is to investigate the ocean-atmosphere-ice (OAI) interactions in the Amundsen and Ross Seas during the austral summer of 2007-08 using hydrographic measurements (CTD and XBT) in conjunction with (1) ship-based observations and satellite-derived estimates of sea ice concentration, and (2) ship-based observations and re-analyses of meteorological variables. The major scientific objectives are as follows: (1) to examine upper ocean characteristics along three transects in the Amundsen Sea and two transects in the Ross Sea within the context of ice-atmosphere variability over the preceding winter-spring season and as compared to other years where data are available; (2) to determine if there is additional evidence of increased upwelling of warm Circumpolar Deep Water onto the shelf in the Amundsen Sea and/or increased freshening in the Ross Sea as has been inferred by previous, but limited, ocean surveys in these regions; and (3) to examine the spatial variability in ocean thermal structure along the ship\u0027s track (outside the transects) to provide greater regional context and to compare with ocean XBT data collected during Oden 2006-07. A repeated temperature survey between the Amundsen and Ross Sea is particularly invaluable, given that this sector is the regional center of the high latitude OAI response to ENSO, thus providing opportunity for examining and linking regional oceanic temporal variability to global climate variability. The research will improve our understanding of the high latitude OAI response to climate change, and provide the physical context for the observed biology and geochemistry (investigated by our colleagues. Our results will be made widely available through research publications and internet-available databases, and through the strong public outreach efforts of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. The outreach efforts will help increase awareness and understanding of anthropogenic climate change, melting ice, and ecosystem alteration in the highly sensitive Antarctic.", "east": -100.0, "geometry": "POINT(-147.5 -74)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -69.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Yuan, Xiaojun; Stammerjohn, Sharon", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "NCEI", "repositories": "NCEI", "science_programs": null, "south": -79.0, "title": "SGER: Science-of-Opportunity Aboard Icebreaker Oden: Ocean-Atmosphere-Ice Interactions and Changes", "uid": "p0000562", "west": 165.0}, {"awards": "0230284 Yuan, Xiaojun", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-40 -35,-24 -35,-8 -35,8 -35,24 -35,40 -35,56 -35,72 -35,88 -35,104 -35,120 -35,120 -38.5,120 -42,120 -45.5,120 -49,120 -52.5,120 -56,120 -59.5,120 -63,120 -66.5,120 -70,104 -70,88 -70,72 -70,56 -70,40 -70,24 -70,8 -70,-8 -70,-24 -70,-40 -70,-40 -66.5,-40 -63,-40 -59.5,-40 -56,-40 -52.5,-40 -49,-40 -45.5,-40 -42,-40 -38.5,-40 -35))", "dataset_titles": "CTD station data WOD Accession# 0053045.", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000200", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "CTD station data WOD Accession# 0053045.", "url": "http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/"}], "date_created": "Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This work is the continuation of a joint project with the Polar Research Institute of China to make measurements of the structure of the upper ocean in the northern Weddell Sea along the route taken by the PRI\u0027s antarctic supply vessel, R/V Xue Long. The observations, obtained from expendable instruments, complement existing hydrographic observations along various transects through the northwestern Weddell Sea region and data from moored current meter arrays in the Weddell-Scotia confluence zone. This effort builds upon a successful series of expendable bathythermographs and conductivity-temperature-depth probes obtained by the science party on board the R/V Xue Long for the past four years.\u003cbr/\u003eThe west-to-east transit of the Weddell Sea by the ship makes it possible to obtain a series of ocean soundings that are otherwise unobtainable. The information is particularly important because strong correlative links between the upper ocean temperature and salinity, the sea ice edge, and extra-polar climate features have been established. It has been shown that the Indian Ocean sector is an anomalous region with respect to connections between antarctic and lower latitude climatic features and indices. Here the Antarctic Circumpolar Current makes its closest approach to the continent and the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave is least well expressed in the existing data. The necessary instrumentation, both software and hardware, has been installed in the ship and an excellent working relationship with Chinese antarctic scientists has been developed.", "east": 120.0, "geometry": "POINT(40 -52.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -35.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Yuan, Xiaojun; Martinson, Douglas", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "NCEI", "repositories": "NCEI", "science_programs": null, "south": -70.0, "title": "U.S./Chinese Ship of Opportunity Sampling Program Phase II", "uid": "p0000558", "west": -40.0}, {"awards": "0338008 Wemple, Beverley", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Laboratory Studies of Isotopic Exchange in Snow; Snow Accumulation and Snow Melt in a Mixed Northern Hardwood-Conifer Forest", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609445", "doi": "10.7265/N51834DX", "keywords": "Atmosphere; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Snow Sublimation Rate", "people": "Neumann, Thomas A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Laboratory Studies of Isotopic Exchange in Snow", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609445"}, {"dataset_uid": "609441", "doi": "10.7265/N54X55R2", "keywords": "Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Wemple, Beverley C.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Snow Accumulation and Snow Melt in a Mixed Northern Hardwood-Conifer Forest", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609441"}], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to develop a quantitative understanding of the processes active in isotopic exchange between snow/firn and water vapor, which is of paramount importance to ice core interpretation. Carefully controlled laboratory studies will be conducted at a variety of temperatures to empirically measure the mass transfer coefficient (the rate at which water moves from the solid to the vapor phase) for sublimating snow and to determine the time scale for isotopic equilibration between water vapor and ice. In addition the isotopic fractionation coefficient for vapor derived from sublimating ice will be determined and the results will be used to update existing models of mass transfer and isotopic evolution in firn. It is well known that water vapor moves through firn due to diffusion, free convection and forced convection. Although vapor movement through variably-saturated firn due to these processes has been modeled, because of a lack of laboratory data the mass transfer coefficient had to be estimated. Field studies have documented the magnitudes of post-depositional changes, but field studies do not permit rigorous analysis of the relative importance of the many processes which are likely to act in natural snow packs. The results of these laboratory investigations will be broadly applicable to a number of studies and will allow for improvement of existing physically-based models of post-depositional isotopic change, isotopic diffusion in firn, and vapor motion in firn. A major component of this project will be the design and fabrication of the necessary, novel experimental apparatus, which will be facilitated by existing technical expertise, cold room facilities, and laboratory equipment at CRREL. This project is a necessary step toward a quantitative understanding of the isotopic effects of water vapor movement in firn. The proposed work has broader impacts in several different areas. The modeling results will be applicable to a wide range of studies of water in the polar environment, including studies of wind-blown or drifting snow. The proposed collaborative study will partially support a Dartmouth graduate student for three years. This project will also provide support for a young first-time NSF investigator at the University of Vermont. Undergraduate students from Dartmouth will be involved in the research through the Women in Science Project and undergraduate students at the University of Vermont will be supported through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. The principal investigators and graduate student will continue their tradition of k-12 school outreach by giving science lessons and talks in local schools each year. Research results will be disseminated through scientific conferences, journal publications, and institutional seminars.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e CAMERAS \u003e CAMERAS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROBES \u003e SNOW TUBE; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e HYGROMETERS \u003e HYGROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Snow Accumulation; Snow Chemistry; Snow Melt; Snowfall; Snow Water Equivalent; LABORATORY; Seasonal Snow Cover; Not provided; Snow; Sublimation Rate; FIELD SURVEYS; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Neumann, Thomas A.; Wemple, Beverley C.", "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": "Collaborative Research: Laboratory Studies of Isotopic Exchange in Snow and Firn", "uid": "p0000132", "west": null}, {"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": "0520523 Brook, Edward J.", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Methane Measurements from the GISP2 and Siple Dome Ice Cores", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609440", "doi": "10.7265/N58P5XFZ", "keywords": "Antarctica; Arctic; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; GISP2; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core", "people": "Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Methane Measurements from the GISP2 and Siple Dome Ice Cores", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609440"}], "date_created": "Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Not Available", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Methane; Greenland Ice Cap; Ice Core Data; Siple Dome; Not provided; Ice Core Gas Records; DRILLING PLATFORMS; LABORATORY; Ice Core; Ice Core Chemistry; Antarctica; Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2", "locations": "Antarctica; Greenland Ice Cap; Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Arctic Natural Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Brook, Edward J.", "platforms": "Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIXED PLATFORMS \u003e SURFACE \u003e DRILLING PLATFORMS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: New insights into the Holocene methane budget from dual isotope systematics and a high resolution record of the interpolar gradient", "uid": "p0000131", "west": null}, {"awards": "0196105 Steig, Eric", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "US ITASE Stable Isotope Data, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609425", "doi": "10.7265/N5NZ85MD", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Isotope; ITASE; Paleoclimate; WAIS", "people": "Steig, Eric J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "ITASE", "title": "US ITASE Stable Isotope Data, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609425"}], "date_created": "Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Not Available", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e AMS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e LIDAR/LASER SPECTROMETERS \u003e PALMS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Isotope; Depth; Ice Core Gas Records; Ice Core; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Chemistry; LABORATORY; Firn Isotopes; FIELD SURVEYS; Deuterium; Ice Age; Oxygen Isotope; Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Steig, Eric J.", "platforms": "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": "ITASE", "south": null, "title": "Stable Isotope Studies at West Antarctic ITASE Sites", "uid": "p0000013", "west": null}, {"awards": "0538627 Gill, John", "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": "Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This proposal is focused on experimental studies of the thunderstorms electrodynamic coupling to the Earth\u0027s radiation belts through the upward lightning flashes that lead to ionospheric parameters variability, and the global lightning effects on climate. The intellectual merit of the proposed program lies in the importance of the electrodynamic coupling of lightning discharges to the overlying ionosphere and the radiation belts, both in terms of lightning-induced electron precipitation, and in terms of high altitude optical and gamma-ray emissions produced by energy originating in lightning discharges. Precipitation of the radiation belt particles by whistler waves launched by lightning discharges will be measured as associated localized and transient disturbances of the lower ionosphere, which are sensed remotely by means of their effect on the phase and amplitude of very low frequency (VLF) signals propagating in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. The broader impacts of the proposed research program will include the development of new technologies of lightning detection, with few observation sites and on a global scale, which can then be implemented for the benefit of society, both in terms of agriculture, navigation and other ways in which lightning and thunderstorms may affect human life. The proposed program is a part of the international collaboration between the Antarctic Peninsula stations, as well as complements a similar set of measurements that are conducted by the Stanford University in the northern hemisphere under support from other sources. Coordinated measurements in both hemispheres are needed to study the geomagnetic conjugacy of the observed phenomena.", "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": null, "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Inan, Umran", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "ELF/VLF Observations of Lightning Discharges, Whistler-mode waves and Electron Precipitation at Palmer Station, Antarctica.", "uid": "p0000687", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0086645 Fountain, Andrew", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((161.04 -77.3,161.239 -77.3,161.438 -77.3,161.637 -77.3,161.836 -77.3,162.035 -77.3,162.234 -77.3,162.433 -77.3,162.632 -77.3,162.831 -77.3,163.03 -77.3,163.03 -77.378,163.03 -77.456,163.03 -77.534,163.03 -77.612,163.03 -77.69,163.03 -77.768,163.03 -77.846,163.03 -77.924,163.03 -78.002,163.03 -78.08,162.831 -78.08,162.632 -78.08,162.433 -78.08,162.234 -78.08,162.035 -78.08,161.836 -78.08,161.637 -78.08,161.438 -78.08,161.239 -78.08,161.04 -78.08,161.04 -78.002,161.04 -77.924,161.04 -77.846,161.04 -77.768,161.04 -77.69,161.04 -77.612,161.04 -77.534,161.04 -77.456,161.04 -77.378,161.04 -77.3))", "dataset_titles": "McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological Research (MCM LTER) Core Glacier Mass Balance Data, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609421", "doi": "", "keywords": "Antarctica; Dry Valleys; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; LTER; LTER Mcmurdo Dry Valleys", "people": "Lyons, W. Berry; Basagic, Hassan; Nylen, Thomas; Fountain, Andrew; Langevin, Paul", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological Research (MCM LTER) Core Glacier Mass Balance Data, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609421"}], "date_created": "Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0086645\u003cbr/\u003eFountain\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) to study glaciological change in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica under the category of \"application of new expertise or new approaches to established research topics\". The purpose of the project is to assess the application of classified imagery to the study of the magnitude and rate of change of glacier extent and lake area as an indicator of climate change. Because the rate of change of both glacier extent and lake area is small compared to the resolution of unclassified imagery, the increased resolution of classified imagery is clearly needed. Access to classified imagery with 1 meter or better resolution will provide a baseline measurement against which future changes can be compared. Maximum use will be made of archived imagery but if necessary, one request will be made for new imagery to supplement the existing archive. This work will support on-going field measurements which are part of the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in the McMurdo Dry Valleys but which are limited by logistic constraints to only a few measurements during limited times of the year. If successful, the information gained in this project will enable researchers to better direct their efforts to identify the important physical processes controlling the changes in the valleys. The information acquired in conducting this project will be made available to the public, using appropriate security procedures to declassify the data. The \"exploratory\" and \"high risk\" nature of the proposed work and its \"potential\" to make an important \"impact\" on the field of Antarctic glacier studies are all reasons that this work is appropriate to support as an SGER.", "east": 163.03, "geometry": "POINT(162.035 -77.69)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e SNOW DENSITY CUTTER", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Glacier Surface; Antarctic; LABORATORY; Byrd Polar Research Center; FIELD INVESTIGATION; FIELD SURVEYS; Antarctica; Not provided; Glacier; Mass Balance; Snow Density; Ice Core; Taylor Glacier", "locations": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Taylor Glacier", "north": -77.3, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Nylen, Thomas; Basagic, Hassan; Langevin, Paul; Lyons, W. Berry; Fountain, Andrew", "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": -78.08, "title": "SGER Proposal:Glaciological change in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica", "uid": "p0000541", "west": 161.04}, {"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": "0440975 Severinghaus, Jeffrey", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-119.533333 -80.016667)", "dataset_titles": "Nitrogen and Oxygen Gas Isotopes in the Siple Dome and Byrd Ice Cores, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609407", "doi": "10.7265/N55X26V0", "keywords": "Antarctica; Arctic; Atmosphere; Byrd Glacier; Byrd Ice Core; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; GISP2; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core", "people": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Nitrogen and Oxygen Gas Isotopes in the Siple Dome and Byrd Ice Cores, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609407"}], "date_created": "Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The award supports the development of high-resolution nitrogen and oxygen isotope records on trapped gases in the Byrd and Siple Dome ice cores, and the Holocene part of the GISP2 ice core. The primary scientific goals of this work are to understand the enigmatic d15N anomalies seen thus far in the Siple Dome record at 15.3 ka and 35 ka, and to find other events that may occur in both cores. At these events, d15N of trapped air approaches zero, implying little or no gravitational fractionation of gases in the firn layer at the time of formation of the ice. These events may represent times of low accumulation rate and arid meteorological conditions, and thus may contain valuable information about the climatic history of West Antarctica. Alternatively, they may stem from crevassing and thus may reveal ice-dynamical processes. Finding the events in the Byrd core, which is located 500 km from Siple Dome, would place powerful constraints on their origin and significance. A second major goal is to explore the puzzling absence of the abrupt warming event at 22 ka (seen at Siple Dome) in the nearby Byrd 18O/16O record in the ice (d18Oice), and search for a possible correlative signal in Byrd d15N. A third goal takes advantage of the fact that precise measurements of the oxygen isotopic composition of atmospheric O2 (d18Oatm) are obtained as a byproduct of the d15N measurement. The proposed gas-isotopic measurements will underpin an integrated suite of West Antarctic climate and atmospheric gas records, which will ultimately include the WAIS Divide core. These records will help separate regional from global climate signals, and may place constraints on the cause of abrupt climate change. Education of two graduate students, and training of two staff members in the laboratory, contribute to the nation\u0027s human resource base. Education and outreach will be an important component of the project.", "east": -119.533333, "geometry": "POINT(-119.533333 -80.016667)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; Firn Air Isotopes; Not provided; Nitrogen Isotopes; LABORATORY; Firn Isotopes; Paleoclimate; FIELD SURVEYS; Ice Core; Oxygen Isotope; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Siple Dome", "locations": "Antarctica; Siple Dome", "north": -80.016667, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "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": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": -80.016667, "title": "Nitrogen and oxygen gas isotopes in the Siple Dome and Byrd ice cores", "uid": "p0000450", "west": -119.533333}, {"awards": "0122520 Gogineni, S. Prasad", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-110 -62,-105 -62,-100 -62,-95 -62,-90 -62,-85 -62,-80 -62,-75 -62,-70 -62,-65 -62,-60 -62,-60 -63.5,-60 -65,-60 -66.5,-60 -68,-60 -69.5,-60 -71,-60 -72.5,-60 -74,-60 -75.5,-60 -77,-65 -77,-70 -77,-75 -77,-80 -77,-85 -77,-90 -77,-95 -77,-100 -77,-105 -77,-110 -77,-110 -75.5,-110 -74,-110 -72.5,-110 -71,-110 -69.5,-110 -68,-110 -66.5,-110 -65,-110 -63.5,-110 -62))", "dataset_titles": "Antarctic Radar Echograms and Derived Ice Thickness Data from CReSIS", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609414", "doi": "", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Radar", "people": "Gogineni, Prasad", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Radar Echograms and Derived Ice Thickness Data from CReSIS", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609414"}], "date_created": "Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0122520\u003cbr/\u003eGogineni\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eSea level has been rising over the last century. Although the immediate impact of sea level rise may be less severe than other effects of global climate change, the long-term consequences can be much more devastating since nearly 60% of the world population lives in coastal regions. Scientists have postulated that excess water is being released from polar ice sheets due to long-term, global climate change, but there are insufficient data to confirm these theories. Understanding the interactions between the ice sheets, oceans and atmosphere is essential to quantifying the role of ice sheets in sea level rise. Toward that end, this research project involves the innovative application of information technology in the development and deployment of intelligent radar sensors for measuring key glaciological parameters. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eRadar instrumentation will consist of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that can operate in bistatic or monostatic mode. One important application of the SAR will be in the determination of basal conditions, particularly the presence and distribution of basal water. Basal water lubricates the ice/bed interface, enhancing flow, and increasing the amount of ice discharged into the ocean. Another application of the SAR will be to measure ice thickness and map internal layers in both shallow and deep ice. Information on near-surface internal layers will be used to estimate the average, recent accumulation rate, while the deeper layers provide a history of past accumulation and flow rates. A tracked vehicle and an automated snowmobile will be used to test and demonstrate the utility of an intelligent radar in glaciological investigations.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe system will be developed to collect, process and analyze data in real time and in conjunction with a priori information derived from archived sources. The combined real time and archived information will be used onboard the vehicles to select and generate an optimum sensor configuration. This project thus involves innovative research in intelligent systems, sounding radars and ice sheet modeling. In addition it has a very strong public outreach and education program, which include near-real-time image broadcasts via the world wide web", "east": -60.0, "geometry": "POINT(-85 -69.5)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e IMAGING RADARS \u003e AIRSAR; 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; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR ECHO SOUNDERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e IMAGING RADARS \u003e SAR", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Radar Echo Sounding; Not provided; FIELD SURVEYS; Airborne Radar Sounding; Radar Echo Sounder; Antarctic Ice Sheet; LABORATORY; Antarctica; Ice Sheet Thickness; Antarctic; Ice Sheet; Synthetic Aperture Radar Imagery; Radar Altimetry; Ice Sheet Elevation; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Radar", "locations": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -62.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Gogineni, Prasad", "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": -77.0, "title": "ITR/SI+AP: A Mobile Sensor Web for Polar Ice Sheet Measurements", "uid": "p0000583", "west": -110.0}, {"awards": "9220373 Neale, Patrick", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Expedition data of NBP9306", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002282", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9306"}, {"dataset_uid": "002589", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP9306", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP9306"}], "date_created": "Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Increases in middle ultraviolet radiation associated with the Antarctic ozone hole have been shown to inhibit the photosynthesis of phytoplankton, and results have been extrapolated to estimate the effect of ozone depletion on primary productivity in the marginal ice zone. This research will refine the assessment by specifying detailed wavelength-dependent biological weighting functions for the inhibition of photosynthesis by ultraviolet radiation, and by considering the mitigating effects of vertical mixing. Biological weighting functions of phytoplankton in the marginal ice zone will be measured under controlled conditions and applied in a new model of photosynthesis to predict primary productivity in situ, as well as under altered ultraviolet irradiance. These predictions will be compared with observations on samples from the water column and with measurements during incubations of several hours under different irradiance regimes. Results of these comparisons will be used to test the model and to quantify the potential artifact of long incubations. Assumptions about the kinetics of photoinhibition and recovery, critical to modeling the effects of vertical mixing, will be examined with time-course experiments. Results will be incorporated into a model of photosynthesis and photoinhibition in the water column that will be used to predict the influence of ozone depletion on marine primary production, particularly in the marginal zone.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "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": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Neale, Patrick", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "R2R", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation on the Photosynthesis of Phytoplankton in the Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone", "uid": "p0000808", "west": null}, {"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": "600054", "doi": "10.15784/600054", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glacial Till; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Lab Experiment; Marine Sediments; Physical Properties; Solid Earth", "people": "Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; Marone, Chris", "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"}, {"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"}], "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": "9814810 Bales, Roger", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-124 -76,-120 -76,-116 -76,-112 -76,-108 -76,-104 -76,-100 -76,-96 -76,-92 -76,-88 -76,-84 -76,-84 -77.4,-84 -78.8,-84 -80.2,-84 -81.6,-84 -83,-84 -84.4,-84 -85.8,-84 -87.2,-84 -88.6,-84 -90,-88 -90,-92 -90,-96 -90,-100 -90,-104 -90,-108 -90,-112 -90,-116 -90,-120 -90,-124 -90,-124 -88.6,-124 -87.2,-124 -85.8,-124 -84.4,-124 -83,-124 -81.6,-124 -80.2,-124 -78.8,-124 -77.4,-124 -76))", "dataset_titles": "Atmospheric Mixing Ratios of Hydroperoxides above the West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Twenty-Three Century-scale Ice Core Records of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) from West Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609392", "doi": "10.7265/N5TM7826", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; WAIS", "people": "Bales, Roger; Frey, Markus; McConnell, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Twenty-Three Century-scale Ice Core Records of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) from West Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609392"}, {"dataset_uid": "609394", "doi": "10.7265/N5PZ56RS", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; ITASE; WAIS", "people": "McConnell, Joseph; Bales, Roger; Frey, Markus", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Atmospheric Mixing Ratios of Hydroperoxides above the West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609394"}], "date_created": "Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to improve understanding of atmospheric photochemistry over West Antarctica, as recorded in snow, firn and ice. Atmospheric and firn sampling will be undertaken as part of the U.S. International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (US ITASE) traverses. Measurements of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and formaldehyde (HCHO) will be made on these samples and a recently developed, physically based atmosphere-to-snow transfer model will be used to relate photochemical model estimates of these components to the concentrations of these parameters in the atmosphere and snow. The efficiency of atmosphere-to-snow transfer and the preservation of these components is strongly related to the rate and timing of snow accumulation. This information will be obtained by analyzing the concentration of seasonally dependent species such as hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid and stable isotopes of oxygen. Collection of samples along the US ITASE traverses will allow sampling at a wide variety of locations, reflecting both a number of different depositional environments and covering much of the West Antarctic region.", "east": -84.0, "geometry": "POINT(-104 -83)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS SENSORS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Core; Ice Core Chemistry; FIELD INVESTIGATION; FIELD SURVEYS; Antarctica; West Antarctica; Antarctic; LABORATORY; Ice Core Gas Records; Not provided; Ice Core Data; Polar Firn Air; Hydrogen Peroxide; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Shallow Firn Air; US ITASE; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Snow Chemistry", "locations": "Antarctica; West Antarctica; Antarctic; Antarctic Ice Sheet; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -76.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bales, Roger; Frey, Markus; McConnell, Joseph", "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": -90.0, "title": "Hydrogen Peroxide, Formaldehyde, and Sub-Annual Snow Accumulation in West Antarctica: Participation in West Antarctic Traverse", "uid": "p0000253", "west": -124.0}, {"awards": "0453680 Sigman, Daniel", "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": "Robinson et al. 2004 Southern Ocean Diatom-bound Nitrogen and d15N Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000119", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "Robinson et al. 2004 Southern Ocean Diatom-bound Nitrogen and d15N Data", "url": "https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo-search/study/8751"}], "date_created": "Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Southern Ocean may play a central role in causing ice ages and general global climate change. This work will reveal key characteristics of the glacial ocean, and may explain the cause of glacial/interglacial cycles by measuring the abundances of certain isotopes of nitrogen found in fossil diatoms from Antarctic marine sediments. Diatom-bound N is a potentially important recorder of nutrient utilization. The Southern Ocean\u0027s nutrient status, productivity and circulation may be central to setting global atmospheric CO2 contents and other aspects of climate. Previous attempts to make these measurements have yielded ambiguous results. This project includes both technique development and analyses, including measurements on diatoms from both sediment traps and culture experiments. With regard to broader impacts, this grant is focused around the education and academic development of a graduate student, by coupling their research with mentorship of an undergraduate researcher", "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": "Sigman, Daniel", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "NCEI", "repositories": "NCEI", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Application of a New Method for Isotopic Analysis of Diatom Microfossil-bound Nitrogen", "uid": "p0000550", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0538630 Severinghaus, Jeffrey", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0538630\u003cbr/\u003eSeveringhaus\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to produce the first record of Kr/N2 in the paleo-atmosphere as measured in air bubbles trapped in ice cores. These measurements may be indicative of past variations in mean ocean temperature. Knowing the mean ocean temperature in the past will give insight into past variations in deep ocean temperature, which remain poorly understood. Deep ocean temperature variations are important for understanding the mechanisms of climate change. Krypton is highly soluble in water, and its solubility varies with temperature, with higher solubilities at colder water temperatures. A colder ocean during the last glacial period would therefore hold more krypton than today\u0027s ocean. Because the total amount of krypton in the ocean-atmosphere system is constant, the increase in the krypton inventory in the glacial ocean should cause a resultant decrease in the atmospheric inventory of krypton. The primary goal of this work is to develop the use of Kr/N2 as an indicator of paleo-oceanic mean temperature. This will involve improving the analytical technique for the Kr/N2 measurement itself, and measuring the Kr/N2 in air bubbles in ice from the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the late Holocene in the Vostok and GISP2 ice cores. This provides an estimate of LGM mean ocean temperature change, and allows for a comparison between previous estimates of deep ocean temperature during the LGM. The Vostok ice core is ideal for this purpose because of the absence of melt layers, which compromise the krypton and xenon signal. Another goal is to improve precision on the Xe/N2 measurement, which could serve as a second, independent proxy of ocean temperature change. A mean ocean temperature time series during this transition may help to explain these observations. Additionally, the proposed work will measure the Kr/N2 from marine isotope stage (MIS) 3 in the GISP2 ice core. Knowing the past ocean temperature during MIS 3 will help to constrain sea level estimates during this time period. The broader impacts of the proposed work: are that it will provide the first estimate of the extent and timing of mean ocean temperature change in the past. This will help to constrain previously proposed mechanisms of climate change involving large changes in deep ocean temperature. This project will also support the education of a graduate student. The PI gives interviews and talks to the media and public about climate change, and the work will enhance these outreach activities. Finally, the work will occur during the International Polar Year (IPY), and will underscore the unique importance of the polar regions for understanding the global atmosphere and ocean system.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Paleoatmospheric Krypton and Xenon Abundances from Trapped Air in Polar Ice as Indicators of Past Mean Ocean Temperature", "uid": "p0000553", "west": null}, {"awards": "0742057 Gallager, Scott", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-168.291 -64.846,-165.018 -64.846,-161.745 -64.846,-158.472 -64.846,-155.199 -64.846,-151.926 -64.846,-148.653 -64.846,-145.38 -64.846,-142.107 -64.846,-138.834 -64.846,-135.561 -64.846,-135.561 -66.0269,-135.561 -67.2078,-135.561 -68.3887,-135.561 -69.5696,-135.561 -70.7505,-135.561 -71.9314,-135.561 -73.1123,-135.561 -74.2932,-135.561 -75.4741,-135.561 -76.655,-138.834 -76.655,-142.107 -76.655,-145.38 -76.655,-148.653 -76.655,-151.926 -76.655,-155.199 -76.655,-158.472 -76.655,-161.745 -76.655,-165.018 -76.655,-168.291 -76.655,-168.291 -75.4741,-168.291 -74.2932,-168.291 -73.1123,-168.291 -71.9314,-168.291 -70.7505,-168.291 -69.5696,-168.291 -68.3887,-168.291 -67.2078,-168.291 -66.0269,-168.291 -64.846))", "dataset_titles": "SGER: Primary and Secondary Production and Carbon Flux Through the Microbial Community Along the Western Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone on the Oden Southern Ocean 2007 Expeditions", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600086", "doi": "10.15784/600086", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Biota; Microbiology; Navigation; Oceans; Oden; OSO2007; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean", "people": "Dennett, Mark; Gallager, Scott", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SGER: Primary and Secondary Production and Carbon Flux Through the Microbial Community Along the Western Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone on the Oden Southern Ocean 2007 Expeditions", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600086"}], "date_created": "Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Abstract\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe research will continue and extend the study in the Southern Ocean that was initiated during the Oden Southern Ocean 2006 expedition in collaboration with Swedish scientist Mellissa Chierici. We will quantify carbon flux through the food web in the marginal ice zone (MIZ) by measuring size fractionated primary and secondary production, grazing and carbon flux through nanoplankton (2-20 um), microplankton (20-200um), and mesoplankton (200-2000 um). Community structure, species abundance and size specific grazing rates will be quantified using a variety of techniques both underway and at ice stations along the MIZ. The proposed cruise track extends across the Drake Passage to the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) with three station transects along a gradient from the open ocean through the marginal ice zone (MIZ) in the Bellinghausen and Amundsen Seas and into the Ross Sea Polynya. Ice stations along each transect will provide material to characterize production associated with annual ice. Underway measurements of primary and secondary production (chlorophyll, CDOM, microplankton, and mesoplankton) and hydrography (temperature, salinity, pH, DO, turbidity) will establish a baseline for future cruises and as support for other projects such as biogeochemical studies on carbon dioxide drawdown and trace metal work on primary production. The outcome of these measurements will be a description of nano to mesoplankton standing stocks, community structure, and carbon flux along the MIZ in the Bellinghausen and Amundsen Seas and the Ross Sea Polynya.", "east": -135.561, "geometry": "POINT(-151.926 -70.7505)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -64.846, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Gallager, Scott; Dennett, Mark", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -76.655, "title": "SGER: Primary and Secondary Production and Carbon Flux Through the Microbial Community Along the Western Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone on the Oden Southern Ocean 2007 Expeditions", "uid": "p0000563", "west": -168.291}, {"awards": "0438777 Fritts, David", "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": "Correlative Antarctic and Inter-Hemispheric Dynamics Studies Using the MF Radar at Rothera", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600040", "doi": "10.15784/600040", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Meteorology; Radar", "people": "Fritts, David", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Correlative Antarctic and Inter-Hemispheric Dynamics Studies Using the MF Radar at Rothera", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600040"}], "date_created": "Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This proposal is to continue operation and scientific studies with the middle-frequency (MF, 1-30 MHz) mesospheric radar deployed at the British Antarctic station Rothera in 1996. This system is now a key site in the Antarctic MF radar chain near 68 deg. S, which includes also MF radars at Syowa (Japan) and Davis (Australia) stations. This radar comprises the winds component of a developing instrument suite for the mesosphere-thermosphere (MLT) studies at Rothera - a focus of the new BAS 5-year plan, which also includes the Fe temperature lidar (formerly at South Pole) and the mesopause airglow imager for gravity wave studies (formerly at Halley). The Rothera MF radar has just had its antennas and electronics upgraded to achieve better signal-to-noise ratio and more continuous measurements in height and time. The main focus of the proposed research is to extend the knowledge of the polar mesosphere dynamics. The instrument suite at Rothera is ideally positioned for correlative interhemispheric studies with northern hemisphere sites at Poker Flat, Alaska (65 deg. N) and ALOMAR, Norway (69 deg. N) having comparable instrumentation. Further research efforts performed with continued funding will focus on: (1) multi-instrument collaborative studies at Rothera to quantify as fully as possible the dynamics, structure, and variability of the MLT at that location, (2) multi-site (and multi-instrument) studies of large-scale dynamics and variability in the Antarctic (together with the radars and other instrumentation at Davis and Syowa), and (3) interhemispheric studies employing instruments (e.g., the Na resonance lidar and MF radar) at Poker Flat and ALOMAR. It is expected that these studies will lead to a more detailed understanding of (1) mean, tidal, and planetary wave structures at polar latitudes, (2) seasonal, inter-annual, and short-term variability of these structures, (3) hemispheric differences in the tidal and planetary wave structures arising from different source and wave interaction conditions, and (4) the relative influences of gravity waves in the two hemispheres. Such studies will also contribute more generally to an increased awareness of the role of high-latitude processes in global atmospheric dynamics and variability.", "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 Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Fritts, David", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Correlative Antarctic and Inter-Hemispheric Dynamics Studies Using the MF Radar at Rothera", "uid": "p0000021", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0538683 Lal, Devendra", "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": "Solar activity during the last millennium, estimated from cosmogenic in-situ C14 in South Pole and GISP2 ice cores", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600058", "doi": "10.15784/600058", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon-14; Cosmos; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Solar Activity; South Pole", "people": "Lal, Devendra", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Solar activity during the last millennium, estimated from cosmogenic in-situ C14 in South Pole and GISP2 ice cores", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600058"}], "date_created": "Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0538683\u003cbr/\u003eLal\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to continue development of a new method for estimating solar activity in the past. It is based on measurements of the concentrations of in-situ produced C-14 in polar ice by cosmic rays, which depend only on (i) the cosmic ray flux, and (ii) ice accumulation rate. This is the only direct method available to date polar ice, since it does not involve any uncertain climatic transfer functions as are encountered in the applications of cosmogenic C-14 data in tree rings, or of Be-10 in ice and sediments. An important task is to improve on the temporal resolution during identified periods of high/low solar activity in the past 32 Kyr. The plan is to undertake a study of changes in the cosmic ray flux during the last millennium (1100-1825 A.D.), during which time 4 low and 1 high solar activity epoch has been identified from historical records. Sunspot data during most of these periods are sparse. Adequate ice samples are available from ice cores from the South Pole and from Summit, Greenland and a careful high resolution study of past solar activity levels during this period will be undertaken. The intellectual merit of the work includes providing independent verification of estimated solar activity levels from the two polar ice records of cosmic ray flux and greatly improve our understanding of solar-terrestrial relationships. \u003cbr/\u003eThe broader impacts include collaboration with other scientists who are experts in the application of the atmospheric cosmogenic C-14 and student training. Both undergraduates and a graduate student will be involved in the proposed research. Various forms of outreach will also be used to disseminate the results of this project, including public presentations and interactions with the media.", "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 Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lal, Devendra", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Solar Activity during the Last Millennium, Estimated from Cosmogenic in-situ 14C in South Pole and GISP2 Ice Cores", "uid": "p0000555", "west": -180.0}, {"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": "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": "Young, Duncan A.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Bell, Robin; Buck, W. Roger", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "RBG - Robb Glacier Survey", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601604"}, {"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": "Studinger, Michael S.; Bell, Robin", "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": "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": "Bell, Robin; Studinger, Michael S.", "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": "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": "Bell, Robin; Studinger, Michael S.", "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"}, {"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": "Bell, Robin; Studinger, Michael S.", "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": "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": "609240", "doi": "", "keywords": "Airborne Radar; Antarctica; Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Navigation; Potential Field; SOAR; Solid Earth", "people": "Dalziel, Ian W.; Morse, David L.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Holt, John W.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Aerogeophysics Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609240"}, {"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": "0440602 Saltzman, Eric; 0440701 Severinghaus, Jeffrey; 0440509 Battle, Mark; 0440759 Sowers, Todd; 0440498 White, James; 0440615 Brook, Edward J.", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.467)", "dataset_titles": "Gases in Firn Air and Shallow Ice at the WAIS Drilling Site, Antarctica; Ice Core Air Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements - SPRESSO Ice Core; Methane Isotopes from the WAIS Divide Ice Core; Surface Temperature Reconstruction from Borehole Temperature Measurement in WDC05A; WAIS ice core Methane Data, Carbon Dioxide Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609493", "doi": "10.7265/N5319SV3", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Brook, Edward J.; Mitchell, Logan E; Sowers, Todd A.; Taylor, Kendrick C.; McConnell, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "WAIS ice core Methane Data, Carbon Dioxide Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609493"}, {"dataset_uid": "609638", "doi": "10.7265/N56971HF", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Temperature; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Orsi, Anais J.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Surface Temperature Reconstruction from Borehole Temperature Measurement in WDC05A", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609638"}, {"dataset_uid": "609412", "doi": "10.7265/N5251G40", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Saltzman, Eric", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Gases in Firn Air and Shallow Ice at the WAIS Drilling Site, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609412"}, {"dataset_uid": "601357", "doi": "10.15784/601357", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmospheric Gases; Gas Measurement; Ice Core; Ice Core Gas Records; Trace Gases", "people": "Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice Core Air Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements - SPRESSO Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601357"}, {"dataset_uid": "609435", "doi": "10.7265/N5J67DW0", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Methane; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Sowers, Todd A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Methane Isotopes from the WAIS Divide Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609435"}], "date_created": "Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to measure the elemental and isotopic composition of firn air and occluded air in shallow boreholes and ice cores from the WAIS Divide site, the location of a deep ice-coring program planned for 2006-07 and subsequent seasons. The three primary objectives are: 1) to establish the nature of firn air movement and trapping at the site to aid interpretations of gas data from the deep core; 2) to expand the suite of atmospheric trace gas species that can be measured in ice and replicate existing records of other species; and 3) to inter-calibrate all collaborating labs to insure that compositional and isotopic data sets are inter-comparable. The program will be initiated with a shallow drilling program during the 05/06 field season which will recover two 300+m cores and firn air samples. The ice core and firn air will provide more than 700 years of atmospheric history that will be used to address a number of important questions related to atmospheric change over this time period. The research team consists of six US laboratories that also plan to participate in the deep core program. This collaborative research program has a number of advantages. First, the scientists will be able to coordinate sample allocation a priori to maximize the resolution and overlap of records of interrelated species. Second, sample registration will be exact, allowing direct comparison of all records. Third, a coherent data set will be produced at the same time and all PI.s will participate in interpreting and publishing the results. This will insure that the best possible understanding of gas records at the WAIS Divide site will be achieved, and that all work necessary to interpret the deep core is conducted in a timely fashion. The collaborative structure created by the proposal will encourage sharing of techniques, equipment, and ideas between the laboratories. The research will identify impacts of various industrial/agricultural activities and help to distinguish them from natural variations, and will include species for which there are no long records of anthropogenic impact. The work will also help to predict future atmospheric loadings. The project will contribute to training scientists at several levels, including seven undergraduates, two graduate students and one post doctoral fellow.", "east": -112.085, "geometry": "POINT(-112.085 -79.467)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GC-MS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e SPECTROMETERS \u003e SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMISTORS \u003e THERMISTORS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SAMPLERS \u003e BOTTLES/FLASKS/JARS \u003e FLASKS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMISTORS \u003e THERMISTORS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Core Chemistry; WAIS Divide; Firn; LABORATORY; Ice Core; Firn Air Isotope Measurements; Shallow Firn Air; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Ice Core Gas Records; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Firn Isotopes; Wais Divide-project; Gas Data; Polar Firn Air; Not provided; Trace Gas Species; Trapped Gases; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Deep Core; Ice Sheet; Gas; Firn Air Isotopes; FIELD SURVEYS; Air Samples; Atmospheric Gases; Isotope; Cores; Atmosphere; Ice Core Data; Surface Temperatures; Firn Air; Borehole; Antarctica", "locations": "West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Antarctica; WAIS Divide", "north": -79.467, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Battle, Mark; Mischler, John; Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat; White, James; Brook, Edward J.; Orsi, Anais J.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Sowers, Todd A.", "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-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.467, "title": "Collaborative Research: Gases in Firn Air and Shallow Ice at the Proposed WAIS Divide Drilling Site", "uid": "p0000368", "west": -112.085}, {"awards": "0126057 Brook, Edward J.; 0512971 Brook, Edward J.", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Antarctic and Greenland Climate Change Comparison; GISP2 (B and D Core) Methane Concentrations; GISP2 (D Core) Helium Isotopes from Interplanetary Dust; GISP2 (D Core) Methane Concentration Data; Siple Dome Methane Record", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609253", "doi": "", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Vostok Ice Core", "people": "Stauffer, Bernhard; Blunier, Thomas; Chappellaz, Jerome; Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic and Greenland Climate Change Comparison", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609253"}, {"dataset_uid": "609125", "doi": "", "keywords": "Arctic; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; GISP2; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Greenland; Ice Core Records; Methane; Paleoclimate", "people": "Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "GISP2 (B and D Core) Methane Concentrations", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609125"}, {"dataset_uid": "609361", "doi": "", "keywords": "Antarctica; Arctic; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; GISP2; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Isotope; Lake Vostok; Paleoclimate; Vostok Ice Core", "people": "Brook, Edward J.; Kurz, Mark D.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "GISP2 (D Core) Helium Isotopes from Interplanetary Dust", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609361"}, {"dataset_uid": "609360", "doi": "", "keywords": "Antarctica; Arctic; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; GISP2; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Methane; Paleoclimate; Taylor Dome", "people": "Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "GISP2 (D Core) Methane Concentration Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609360"}, {"dataset_uid": "609124", "doi": "10.7265/N5KH0K8R", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Methane; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; WAISCORES", "people": "Brook, Edward J.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Siple Dome Methane Record", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609124"}], "date_created": "Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports work on trapped gases in Antarctic and other ice cores for paleoenvironmental and chronological purposes. The project will complete a ~ 100,000 year, high-resolution record of atmospheric methane from the Siple Dome ice core and use these data to construct a precise chronology for climate events recorded by the Siple Dome record. In addition, the resolution of the GISP2 (Greenland) ice core record will be increased in some critical intervals to help with the Siple Dome chronology and that of future ice cores. Finally, an upgrade to the analytical capabilities of the laboratory, including increasing precision and throughput and decreasing sample size needed for ice core methane measurements will be an important goal of this work. The proposed work will contribute to the understanding of the timing of rapid climate change in the Northern and Southern hemispheres during the last glacial period, the evolution of the global methane budget in the late Quaternary, and the late Quaternary climate history of Antarctica. It will also improve our ability to generate methane records for future ice coring projects, and inform and enrich the educational and outreach activities of our laboratory.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Isotope; Siple Coast; WAISCORES; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Interplanetary Dust; FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; Ice Sheet; Snow; GROUND STATIONS; Gas Measurement; Ice Core; Siple; Antarctica; Methane; Glaciology; Stratigraphy; Siple Dome", "locations": "Antarctica; Siple; Siple Coast; Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Blunier, Thomas; Chappellaz, Jerome; Stauffer, Bernhard; Kurz, Mark D.; Brook, Edward J.", "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 GROUND STATIONS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "High Resolution Records of Atmospheric Methane in Ice Cores and Implications for Late Quaternary Climate Change", "uid": "p0000034", "west": null}, {"awards": "0636706 Sivjee, Gulamabas", "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": "NCAR Coupling, Energetics and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions (CEDAR) Data System ID# 5700 (full data link not provided)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000137", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCAR", "science_program": null, "title": "NCAR Coupling, Energetics and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions (CEDAR) Data System ID# 5700 (full data link not provided)", "url": "http://cedarweb.hao.ucar.edu/"}], "date_created": "Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project will provide for the continued operation and data analysis of an electro-optical remote sensing facility at South Pole Station. The facility will be used to examine 1) the source(s) and propagation of patches of enhanced plasma density in the F-region of the Antarctic ionosphere, 2) changes in the Antarctic E-region O/N2 ratio in the center of the night-sector of the auroral oval and compare the ratios with those found in the sun-aligned auroral arcs in the Polar Cap region, 3) Antarctic middle atmosphere disturbances generated by Stratospheric Warming Events (SWE), 4) quantitative characterization of the effects of solar variability on the temperature of the upper mesosphere region, 5) Antarctic thermospheric response to Solar Magnetic Cloud/Coronal Mass Ejection (SMC/CME) events, and 6) the effects of Joule heating on the thermodynamics of the Antarctic F-region. Data for all these studies will come from two sets of remote-sensing facilities at SPS: 1) Auroral emissions brightness measurements from the sun-synchronous Meridian Scanning Photon Counting Multichannel photometer; 2) Airglow and Auroral emission spectra recorded continuously during Austral winter at SPS with the high throughput, high resolution Infrared Michelson Interferometer as well as Visible - Near Infrared CCD spectrographs. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eMeridional variations in the brightness of F-region\u0027s auroral emissions provide the necessary data for investigations of the dynamics and IMF control, as well as the excitation mechanism(s), of the F-region patches. The brightness of auroral emissions from O and N relative to those from molecular species (O2 and N2) can be analyzed to assess, quantitatively, changes in the thermospheric composition. These data (from continuous (24 hours a day) measurements during the totally dark six months of each Austral winter at SPS) will be used to investigate the effects of solar-terrestrial disturbances on Antarctic thermospheric composition and thermodynamics, including response of the mesopause to solar cycle variations. Changes in airglow temperature (derived from OH and O2 bands), from different mesosphere/lower-thermosphere (MLT) heights, permit studies of the dynamical effects of Planetary, Tidal and Gravity waves propagating in the MLT regions as well as non-linear interactions among these waves. Coupling of different atmospheric regions over SPS, through enhanced gravity wave activities during SWE that lead to a precursor as Mesospheric cooling, will be investigated through the observed changes in MLT kinetic air temperature and density. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe project will enhance the infrastructure for research and education at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, bringing together the PI/Co-I and students from Departments of Physical Sciences and Aerospace Engineering. Graduate and undergraduate students will participate in modern research and software development.", "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 Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Gulamabas, Sivjee; Azeem, Syed", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "NCAR", "repositories": "NCAR", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Observations of Upper Atmospheric Energetics, Dynamics, and Long-Term Variations over the South Pole Station", "uid": "p0000292", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0636953 Saltzman, Eric", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-148.82 -81.66)", "dataset_titles": "Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements in the Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core; Ice Core Air Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements - Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core; Methyl Bromide Measurements in the Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core; Methyl Chloride Measurements from the Siple Dome A Deep Core, Antarctica; Methyl Chloride Measurements in the Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609599", "doi": "10.7265/N5S75D8P", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Taylor Dome; Taylor Dome Ice Core", "people": "Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Taylor Dome Ice Core", "title": "Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements in the Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609599"}, {"dataset_uid": "609598", "doi": "10.7265/N5X0650D", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Taylor Dome; Taylor Dome Ice Core", "people": "Aydin, Murat; Saltzman, Eric", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Taylor Dome Ice Core", "title": "Methyl Bromide Measurements in the Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609598"}, {"dataset_uid": "609600", "doi": "10.7265/N5PG1PPB", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Taylor Dome; Taylor Dome Ice Core", "people": "Aydin, Murat; Saltzman, Eric", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Taylor Dome Ice Core", "title": "Methyl Chloride Measurements in the Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609600"}, {"dataset_uid": "609356", "doi": "10.7265/N56W9807", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core", "people": "Aydin, Murat; Saltzman, Eric; Williams, Margaret", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Methyl Chloride Measurements from the Siple Dome A Deep Core, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609356"}, {"dataset_uid": "601361", "doi": "10.15784/601361", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbonyl Sulfide; Trace Gases", "people": "Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice Core Air Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements - Taylor Dome M3C1 Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601361"}], "date_created": "Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Saltzman/0636953\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to measure methyl chloride, methyl bromide, and carbonyl sulfide in air extracted from Antarctic ice cores. Previous measurements in firn air and shallow ice cores suggest that the ice archive contains paleo-atmospheric signals for these gases. The goal of this study is to extend these records throughout the Holocene and into the last Glacial period to examine the behavior of these trace gases over longer time scales and a wider range of climatic conditions. These studies are exploratory, and both the stability of these trace gases and the extent to which they may be impacted by in situ processes will be assessed. This project will involve sampling and analyzing archived ice core samples from the Siple Dome, Taylor Dome, Byrd, and Vostok ice cores. The ice core samples will be analyzed by dry extraction, with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with isotope dilution. The ice core measurements will generate new information about the range of natural variability of these trace gases in the atmosphere. The intellectual merit of this project is that this work will provide an improved basis for assessing the impact of anthropogenic activities on biogeochemical cycles, and new insight into the climatic sensitivity of the biogeochemical processes controlling atmospheric composition. The broader impact of this project is that there is a strong societal interest in understanding how man\u0027s activities impact the atmosphere, and how atmospheric chemistry may be altered by future climate change. The results of this study will contribute to the development of scenarios used for future projections of stratospheric ozone and climate change. In terms of human development, this project will support the doctoral dissertation of a graduate student in Earth System Science, and undergraduate research on polar ice core chemistry. This project will also contribute to the development of an Earth Sciences teacher training curriculum for high school teachers in the Orange County school system in collaboration with an established, NSF-sponsored Math and Science Partnership program (FOCUS).", "east": -148.82, "geometry": "POINT(-148.82 -81.66)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; Methyl Bromide; Antarctic; Ice Core Gas Records; Ice Core Data; Carbonyl Sulfide; Methyl Chloride; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Siple Dome; Trace Gases; Ice Core Chemistry; Biogeochemical; Atmospheric Chemistry; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; LABORATORY; Ice Core; West Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Siple Dome; West Antarctica; West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": -81.66, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE; PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat; Williams, Margaret", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Taylor Dome Ice Core; Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": -81.66, "title": "Methyl Chloride, Methyl Bromide, and Carbonyl Sulfide in Deep Antarctic Ice Cores", "uid": "p0000042", "west": -148.82}, {"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": "Thom, Jonathan; MacAyeal, Douglas; Sergienko, Olga", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Iceberg Firn Temperatures, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609352"}, {"dataset_uid": "609353", "doi": "10.7265/N5GF0RFF", "keywords": "Glaciology; Iceberg; Oceans; Ross Ice Shelf; Sea Ice; Southern Ocean; Tiltmeter", "people": "Kim, Young-Jin; Bliss, Andrew; MacAyeal, Douglas", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Iceberg Tiltmeter Measurements, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609353"}, {"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": "609350", "doi": "10.7265/N5VM496K", "keywords": "AWS; Glaciology; GPS; Iceberg; Meteorology; Oceans; Ross Sea; Sea Ice; Southern Ocean; Weatherstation", "people": "Okal, Emile; MacAyeal, Douglas; Aster, Richard; Bassis, Jeremy", "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": "609349", "doi": "10.7265/N5445JD6", "keywords": "Geology/Geophysics - Other; Glaciology; Iceberg; Oceans; Ross Sea; Sea Ice; Seismometer; Southern Ocean", "people": "MacAyeal, Douglas; Okal, Emile; Aster, Richard; Bassis, Jeremy", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Iceberg Harmonic Tremor, Seismometer Data, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609349"}, {"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": "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"}, {"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": "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": "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": "609354", "doi": "10.7265/N5BP00Q3", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ross Ice Shelf; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Temperature", "people": "Muto, Atsu; Sergienko, Olga; MacAyeal, Douglas; Scambos, Ted", "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/"}], "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": "0648509 Sletten, Ronald", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This Small Grant for Exploratory Research explores the use of magnesium isotopes in understanding the preservation of ice in soils from the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. With such little precipitation in the region, this ice should have completely sublimed away, nonetheless there is geologic evidence of ten-million-year-old ice in some areas. Its ubiquitous presence in Dry Valley\u0027s soils implies some form of recharge, seemingly incompatible with the low precipitation rates. This project studies the Mg-isotopes found in soluble salts and, by association, water transport. Magnesium isotopes undergo mass dependent fractionation during the volatilization and condensation, and thus offer the possibility to constrain both the water source and other processes by which ice is mobilized. The measurements require the high precision made possible only recently by development of the MC-ICPMS. The method will be applied to Mg-salts extracted from archived Antarctic soils, as well as cores recovered by the 1970s Dry Valley Drilling Project. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIn terms of broader impacts, this project would support a graduate student, who would learn cutting edge geochemical techniques while applying them to an exciting earth science question. This work is critical to understanding the environmental record offered by the Dry Valleys, including the deep ice records that may give seven-million year old samples of the earth\u0027s atmosphere. The work also has applications to understanding permafrost on Mars and interpreting recent rover observations.", "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": "Sletten, Ronald S.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Small Grant Exploratory Research: The Application of Mg Isotopes as an Indictor for Water and Brine Migration into Dry Valley Permafrost", "uid": "p0000089", "west": null}, {"awards": "0233823 Fountain, Andrew; 0230338 Hallet, Bernard", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((162.132 -77.73,162.1495 -77.73,162.167 -77.73,162.1845 -77.73,162.202 -77.73,162.2195 -77.73,162.237 -77.73,162.2545 -77.73,162.272 -77.73,162.2895 -77.73,162.307 -77.73,162.307 -77.7303,162.307 -77.7306,162.307 -77.7309,162.307 -77.7312,162.307 -77.7315,162.307 -77.7318,162.307 -77.7321,162.307 -77.7324,162.307 -77.7327,162.307 -77.733,162.2895 -77.733,162.272 -77.733,162.2545 -77.733,162.237 -77.733,162.2195 -77.733,162.202 -77.733,162.1845 -77.733,162.167 -77.733,162.1495 -77.733,162.132 -77.733,162.132 -77.7327,162.132 -77.7324,162.132 -77.7321,162.132 -77.7318,162.132 -77.7315,162.132 -77.7312,162.132 -77.7309,162.132 -77.7306,162.132 -77.7303,162.132 -77.73))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a comprehensive study of land-based polar ice cliffs. Through field measurements, modeling, and remote sensing, the physics underlying the formation of ice cliffs at the margin of Taylor Glacier in the McMurdo Dry Valleys will be investigated. At three sites, measurements of ice deformation and temperature fields near the cliff face will be combined with existing energy balance data to quantify ice-cliff evolution over one full seasonal cycle. In addition, a small seismic network will monitor local \"ice quakes\" associated with calving events. Numerical modeling, validated by the field data, will enable determination of the sensitivity of ice cliff evolution to environmental variables. There are both local and global motivations for studying the ice cliffs of Taylor Glacier. On a global scale, this work will provide insight into the fundamental processes of calving and glacier terminus A better grasp of ice cliff processes will also improve boundary conditions required for predicting glaciers\u0027 response to climate change. Locally, the Taylor Glacier is an important component of the McMurdo Dry Valleys landscape and the results of this study will aid in defining ecologically-important sources of glacial meltwater and will lead to a better understanding of moraine formation at polar ice cliffs. This study will help launch the career of a female scientist, will support one graduate student, and provide experiential learning experiences for two undergraduates. The post-doctoral researcher will also use this research in the curriculum of a wilderness science experiential education program for high school girls.", "east": 162.307, "geometry": "POINT(162.2195 -77.7315)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMOCOUPLES \u003e THERMOCOUPLES; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e SEISMOMETERS \u003e SEISMOMETERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e GPR; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e SURVEYING TOOLS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "SEISMOLOGICAL STATIONS; Ice Quakes; Ice Cliffs; Not provided; Taylor Glacier; FIELD SURVEYS; Remote Sensing; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Modeling; Ice Deformation; Glacial Meltwater; FIELD INVESTIGATION; McMurdo Dry Valleys", "locations": "McMurdo Dry Valleys; Taylor Glacier", "north": -77.73, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Pettit, Erin; Hallet, Bernard; Fountain, Andrew", "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-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e SEISMOLOGICAL STATIONS; Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -77.733, "title": "Collaborative Research: Mechanics of Dry-Land Calving of Ice Cliffs", "uid": "p0000721", "west": 162.132}, {"awards": "0127022 Jeffrey, Wade", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-177.639 -43.5676,-143.1091 -43.5676,-108.5792 -43.5676,-74.0493 -43.5676,-39.5194 -43.5676,-4.9895 -43.5676,29.5404 -43.5676,64.0703 -43.5676,98.6002 -43.5676,133.1301 -43.5676,167.66 -43.5676,167.66 -46.99877,167.66 -50.42994,167.66 -53.86111,167.66 -57.29228,167.66 -60.72345,167.66 -64.15462,167.66 -67.58579,167.66 -71.01696,167.66 -74.44813,167.66 -77.8793,133.1301 -77.8793,98.6002 -77.8793,64.0703 -77.8793,29.5404 -77.8793,-4.9895 -77.8793,-39.5194 -77.8793,-74.0493 -77.8793,-108.5792 -77.8793,-143.1091 -77.8793,-177.639 -77.8793,-177.639 -74.44813,-177.639 -71.01696,-177.639 -67.58579,-177.639 -64.15462,-177.639 -60.72345,-177.639 -57.29228,-177.639 -53.86111,-177.639 -50.42994,-177.639 -46.99877,-177.639 -43.5676))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data; Ross Sea microbial biomass and production", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600029", "doi": "10.15784/600029", "keywords": "Biota; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; CTD Data; Microbiology; Oceans; Phytoplankton; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean", "people": "Jeffrey, Wade H.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ross Sea microbial biomass and production", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600029"}, {"dataset_uid": "001584", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0508"}, {"dataset_uid": "001690", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP0304B"}], "date_created": "Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Ultraviolet radiation influences the dynamics of plankton processes in the near-surface waters of most aquatic ecosystems. In particular, the Southern Ocean is affected in the austral spring period when biologically damaging ultraviolet radiation is enhanced by ozone depletion. While progress has been made in estimating the quantitative impact of ultraviolet radiation on bacteria and phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean, some important issues remain to be resolved. Little is known about responses in systems dominated by the colonial haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica, which dominates spring blooms in a polyna that develops in the southern Ross Sea. The Ross Sea is also of interest because of the occurrence of open water at a far southerly location in the spring, well within the ozone hole, and continuous daylight, with implications for the regulation of DNA repair. A number of studies suggest that vertical mixing can significant modify the impact of ultraviolet radiation in the Southern Ocean and elsewhere. However, there are limited measurements of turbulence intensity in the surface layer and measurements have not been integrated with parallel studies of ultraviolet radiation effects on phytoplankton and bacterioplankton. To address these issues, this collaborative study will focus on vertical mixing and the impact of ultraviolet radiation in the Ross Sea. The spectral and temporal responses of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton to ultraviolet radiation will be characterized in both laboratory and solar incubations. These will lead to the definition of biological weighting functions and response models capable of predicting the depth and time distribution of ultraviolet radiation impacts on photosynthesis, bacterial incorporation and DNA damage in the surface layer. Diel sampling will measure depth-dependent profiles of DNA damage, bacterial incorporation, photosynthesis and fluorescence parameters over a 24 h cycle. Sampling will include stations with contrasting wind-driven mixing and stratification as the polyna develops. The program of vertical mixing measurements is optimized for the typical springtime Ross Sea situation in which turbulence of intermediate intensity is insufficient to mix the upper layer thoroughly in the presence of stabilizing influences like solar heating and/or surface freshwater input from melting ice. Fine-scale vertical density profiles will be measured with a free-fall CTD unit and the profiles will be used to directly estimate large-eddy scales by determining Thorpe scales. Eddy scales and estimated turbulent diffusivities will be directly related to surface layer effects, and used to generate lagrangian depth-time trajectories in models of ultraviolet radiation responses in the surface mixed layer. The proposed research will be the first in-depth study of ultraviolet radiation effects in the Ross Sea and provide a valuable comparison with previous work in the Weddell-Scotia Confluence and Palmer Station regions. It will also enhance the understanding of vertical mixing processes, trophic interactions and biogeochemical cycling in the Ross Sea.", "east": 167.66, "geometry": "POINT(-4.9895 -60.72345)", "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 PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e TURBIDITY METERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ADCP; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SAMPLERS \u003e BOTTLES/FLASKS/JARS \u003e WATER BOTTLES; 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 MSBS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e MICROSCOPES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FLUOROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SAMPLERS \u003e BOTTLES/FLASKS/JARS \u003e GO-FLO BOTTLES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "R/V NBP; B-15J", "locations": "B-15J", "north": -43.5676, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Jeffrey, Wade H.; Neale, Patrick", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.8793, "title": "Collaborative Proposal: Interactive Effects of UV Radiation and Vertical Mixing on Phytoplankton and Bacterial Productivity of Ross See Phaeocystis Blooms", "uid": "p0000578", "west": -177.639}, {"awards": "0917509 Spencer, Matthew; 0440447 Spencer, Matthew", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-148.81 -81.65)", "dataset_titles": "Firn depth and bubble density for Siple Ice Core and other sites", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601746", "doi": "10.15784/601746", "keywords": "Antarctica; Density; Firn; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Data; Ice Core Records; Siple Dome; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Spencer, Matthew", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Firn depth and bubble density for Siple Ice Core and other sites", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601746"}], "date_created": "Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a two-year collaborative effort to more fully understand the climatic history and physical properties of the Siple Dome, Antarctica deep ice core, to develop a new paleoclimatic technique based on bubble number-density, and to improve the U.S. capability to analyze ice-core physical properties rapidly and accurately. The Siple Dome ice core from West Antarctica is yielding important paleoclimatic insights, but has proven more difficult than some cores to interpret owing to the large iceflow effects on the paleoclimatic record. Paleoclimatic indicators that do not rely on iceflow corrections thus would be of value. The bubble number-density offers one such indicator, because it preserves information on mean temperature and accumulation rate during the transformation of firn to ice. We will focus on thin-section characteristics that are important to ice flow and the interpretation of the ice-core history, such as c-axis fabrics, and will use indicators that we have been developing, such as the correlation between grain elongation and the c-axis orientation, to gain additional information. To achieve this quickly and accurately, and to prepare for future projects, we propose to upgrade the automatic caxis- fabric analyzer that Wilen has built and housed at the National Ice Core Laboratory. The intellectual merit of the proposed activity includes improved estimates of paleoclimatic conditions in an important region, improved understanding of a new paleoclimatic research tool, greater understanding of ice flow and of linkages to physical properties, and a better instrument for further U.S. research in ice-core physical properties at the National Ice Core Laboratory. The broader impacts resulting from the proposed activity include providing better understanding of abrupt climate change and of ice flow, which eventually should help policy-makers, as well as an improved U.S. capability to analyze ice cores. The proposed research will assist the studies of two promising young scientists. Results of the research will be incorporated into courses and public outreach reaching at least hundreds or thousands of people per year.", "east": -148.81, "geometry": "POINT(-148.81 -81.65)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided; Ice Core; Ice Flow; Bubble Number Density; LABORATORY; Thin Sections; Paleoclimate; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Fabric; Siple Dome; Climate; Antarctica; Antarctic; FIELD SURVEYS", "locations": "Siple Dome; Antarctica; Antarctic", "north": -81.65, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Spencer, Matthew; Wilen, Larry", "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": -81.65, "title": "Collaborative Research: Combined Physical Property Measurements at Siple Dome", "uid": "p0000658", "west": -148.81}, {"awards": "0636899 Mende, Stephen", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Antarctic Auroral Imaging", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600070", "doi": "10.15784/600070", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Aurora; Cosmos; Photo/video; Photo/Video", "people": "Frey, Harald; Mende, Stephen", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Auroral Imaging", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600070"}], "date_created": "Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The proposed work would modify an existing 4-channel all-sky camera at South Pole in order to observe several types of auroras, and to distinguish the cusp reconnection aurora from the normal plasma sheet precipitation. The camera will simultaneously operate in four wavelength regions that allow a distinction between auroras that are created by higher energy electrons (\u003e 1 keV) and those created by low energy (\u003c500 eV) precipitation. The cusp is the location where plasma enters the magnetosphere through the process of magnetic reconnection. This reconnection occurs where the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) and the terrestrial magnetic field are oriented in opposite directions. Using the IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause to Aurora Global Exploration) satellite ultraviolet optical data it has been shown that cusp precipitation can be seen in different regions, which depend on the orientation of the IMF. South Pole station is uniquely located for optical observations of the aurora because of the 24 hours of darkness during austral winter and the appearance of the auroral oval within the field of view of all-sky cameras.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Mende, Stephen; Frey, Harald", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Antarctic Auroral Imaging", "uid": "p0000361", "west": null}, {"awards": "0537960 Beardsley, Robert", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-110 -50,-104 -50,-98 -50,-92 -50,-86 -50,-80 -50,-74 -50,-68 -50,-62 -50,-56 -50,-50 -50,-50 -52.5,-50 -55,-50 -57.5,-50 -60,-50 -62.5,-50 -65,-50 -67.5,-50 -70,-50 -72.5,-50 -75,-56 -75,-62 -75,-68 -75,-74 -75,-80 -75,-86 -75,-92 -75,-98 -75,-104 -75,-110 -75,-110 -72.5,-110 -70,-110 -67.5,-110 -65,-110 -62.5,-110 -60,-110 -57.5,-110 -55,-110 -52.5,-110 -50))", "dataset_titles": "NODC Accession #0039274", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001519", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": null, "title": "NODC Accession #0039274", "url": "http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/search/prod/accessionsView.pl/details/0039274"}], "date_created": "Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Satellite-tracked drifters provide simple yet powerful tools to track the motion of near-surface water on time scales ranging from the tidal/inertial band to monthly and longer. The research described herein will deploy satellite-tracked surface drifters during the annual austral summer Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) cruises in January 2006 and 2007 in order to investigate the nearsurface Lagrangian currents over the western Antarctic Peninsula (wAP) shelf. This region is experiencing the highest surface air temperature increase (roughly +0.06 degrees C per year) in Antarctica, and LTER and other investigators have found that ecosystem responses to the rapid warming and sea ice decline are already apparent at all trophic levels from phytoplankton to penguins. Building a better understanding of the regional circulation and its variability seems an essential component to understand existing physical and biological processes and longer-term changes in this important and sensitive Antarctic ecosystem. These new Lagrangian measurements will complement those made during the 2001-2003 U.S. Southern Ocean (SO) GLOBEC program and provide the first detailed look at the near-surface flow in this important section of the wAP shelf. In particular, the combined 3-year LTER Lagrangian measurements should identify (a) the source region(s) of the buoyant coastal current discovered flowing southwest along the outer coast of Adelaide Island and into Marguerite Bay during SO GLOBEC and (b) if organized cross-shelf flows occur that help create a two gyre circulation over the shelf as suggested by Hofmann et al (1996) based on regional hydrography. The principal investigators will process and analyze the LTER 2005-2007 drifter data and collaborate with Palmer LTER investigators on the interpretation and integration of the Lagrangian data with their studies. The edited data, analysis results, and animations of the drifter data with surface weather data will be posted on the LTER website for use and viewing by scientists, students, and the public. Results will be presented at national meetings and published in referred journals.", "east": -50.0, "geometry": "POINT(-80 -62.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": null, "locations": null, "north": -50.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Beardsley, Robert; Limeburner, Richard", "platforms": null, "repo": "NCEI", "repositories": "NCEI", "science_programs": "LTER", "south": -75.0, "title": "Palmer LTER Lagrangian Current Measurements", "uid": "p0000232", "west": -110.0}, {"awards": "0540915 Scambos, Ted", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-57.9857 -48.444,-55.95557 -48.444,-53.92544 -48.444,-51.89531 -48.444,-49.86518 -48.444,-47.83505 -48.444,-45.80492 -48.444,-43.77479 -48.444,-41.74466 -48.444,-39.71453 -48.444,-37.6844 -48.444,-37.6844 -50.12802,-37.6844 -51.81204,-37.6844 -53.49606,-37.6844 -55.18008,-37.6844 -56.8641,-37.6844 -58.54812,-37.6844 -60.23214,-37.6844 -61.91616,-37.6844 -63.60018,-37.6844 -65.2842,-39.71453 -65.2842,-41.74466 -65.2842,-43.77479 -65.2842,-45.80492 -65.2842,-47.83505 -65.2842,-49.86518 -65.2842,-51.89531 -65.2842,-53.92544 -65.2842,-55.95557 -65.2842,-57.9857 -65.2842,-57.9857 -63.60018,-57.9857 -61.91616,-57.9857 -60.23214,-57.9857 -58.54812,-57.9857 -56.8641,-57.9857 -55.18008,-57.9857 -53.49606,-57.9857 -51.81204,-57.9857 -50.12802,-57.9857 -48.444))", "dataset_titles": "Atlas of the Cryosphere - View dynamic maps of snow, sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, permafrost, and more.; Climate, Drift, and Image Data from Antarctic Icebergs A22A and UK211, 2006-2007; MODIS Mosaic of Antarctica (MOA)", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000190", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "MODIS Mosaic of Antarctica (MOA)", "url": "http://nsidc.org/data/nsidc-0280.html"}, {"dataset_uid": "609466", "doi": "10.7265/N5N014GW", "keywords": "Ablation; Atmosphere; Glaciology; GPS; Meteorology; Oceans; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Sea Ice; Southern Ocean; Temperature", "people": "Thom, Jonathan; Bohlander, Jennifer; Scambos, Ted; Yermolin, Yevgeny; Bauer, Rob", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Climate, Drift, and Image Data from Antarctic Icebergs A22A and UK211, 2006-2007", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609466"}, {"dataset_uid": "000189", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Atlas of the Cryosphere - View dynamic maps of snow, sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, permafrost, and more.", "url": "http://nsidc.org/MMS/atlas/cryosphere_atlas_north.html"}], "date_created": "Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a small grant for exploratory research to study the processes that contribute to the melting and break-up of tabular polar icebergs as they drift north. This work will enable the participation of a group of U.S. scientists in this international project which is collaborative with the Instituto Antartico Argentino. The field team will place weather instruments, firn sensors, and a video camera on the iceberg to measure the processes that affect it as it drifts north. In contrast to icebergs in other sectors of Antarctica, icebergs in the northwestern Weddell Sea drift northward along relatively predictable paths, and reach climate and ocean conditions that lead to break-up within a few years. The timing of this study is critical due to the anticipated presence of iceberg A43A, which broke off the Ronne Ice Shelf in February 2000 and which is expected to be accessible from Marambio Station in early 2006. It has recently been recognized that the end stages of break-up of these icebergs can imitate the rapid disintegrations due to melt ponding and surface fracturing observed for the Larsen A and Larsen B ice shelves. However, in some cases, basal melting may play a significant role in shelf break-up. Resolving the processes (surface ponding/ fracturing versus basal melt) and observing other processes of iceberg drift and break up in-situ are of high scientific interest. An understanding of the mechanisms that lead to the distintegration of icebergs as they drift north may enable scientists to use icebergs as proxies for understanding the processes that could cause ice shelves to disintegrate in a warming climate. A broader impact would thus be an ability to predict ice shelf disintegration in a warming world. Glacier mass balance and ice shelf stability are of critical importance to sea level change, which also has broader societal relevance.", "east": -37.6844, "geometry": "POINT(-47.83505 -56.8641)", "instruments": "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; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e IMAGING SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MODIS; 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 POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e MMS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMOMETERS \u003e THERMOMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Air Temperature; Weddell Sea; Edge-Wasting; Ice Shelf Meltwater; TERRA; Antarctic; GPS; Iceberg; Ice Breakup; South Atlantic Ocean; AQUA; Tabular; Photo; Not provided; Icetrek; HELICOPTER; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctic; Weddell Sea; Antarctica; South Atlantic Ocean", "north": -48.444, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Scambos, Ted; Bohlander, Jennifer; Bauer, Rob; Yermolin, Yevgeny; Thom, Jonathan", "platforms": "AIR-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e ROTORCRAFT/HELICOPTER \u003e HELICOPTER; Not provided; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e AQUA; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e TERRA; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e NAVIGATION SATELLITES \u003e GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) \u003e GPS", "repo": "NSIDC", "repositories": "NSIDC; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -65.2842, "title": "Investigating Iceberg Evolution During Drift and Break-Up: A Proxy for Climate-Related Changes in Antarctic Ice Shelves", "uid": "p0000003", "west": -57.9857}, {"awards": "0337948 Bromwich, David", "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": "Access to data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001778", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PI website", "science_program": null, "title": "Access to data", "url": "http://polarmet.mps.ohio-state.edu/PolarMet/ant_hindcast.html"}], "date_created": "Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a comprehensive investigation of the spatial and temporal characteristics of the surface mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet and the governing mechanisms that affect it. A mesoscale atmospheric model, adapted for Antarctic conditions (Polar MM5), will be used in conjunction with the newly available reanalysis from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) to resolve the surface mass balance of Antarctica at a time resolution of 3 hours and a spatial resolution of 60 km from 1957 to 2001. Polar MM5 will be upgraded to account for key processes in the simulation, including explicit consideration of blowing snow transport and sublimation as well as surface melting/runoff. The proposed 45-y hindcast of all Antarctic surface mass balance components with a limited area model has not previously been attempted and will provide a dataset of unprecedented scope to complement existing ice core measurements of recent climate, especially those collected by the International Transantarctic Scientific Expedition (ITASE). The trends and variability in space and time over 4.5 decades will be resolved and the impact of the dominant modes of atmospheric variability (Antarctic Oscillation, El Nino-Southern Oscillation, etc.) will be isolated. Hypotheses concerning the Antarctic surface mass balance response to climate change will be tested. The research will provide a sound basis for evaluating the impact of future climate change on Antarctic surface mass balance and its contribution to global sea level change as well as providing an important perspective for the interpretation of Antarctic ice core records. The broader impacts include the education of a Ph.D. student, the development of material for use in university classes, and construction of an interactive educational webpage on Antarctic surface mass balance.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e MMS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "El Nino-Southern Oscillation; ITASE; Atmospheric Model; Enso; Not provided; Antarctic Oscillation; Mesoscale; Antarctic; Polar Mm5; Climate", "locations": "Antarctic", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bromwich, David; Monaghan, Andrew", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "PI website", "repositories": "PI website", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "A 45-Y Hindcast of Antarctic Surface Mass Balance Using Polar MM5", "uid": "p0000722", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "9526556 Sowers, Todd", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-148.3023 -81.403)", "dataset_titles": "Carbon-13 Isotopic Composition of Atmospheric Methane in Firn Air, South Pole and Siple Dome, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609310", "doi": "10.7265/N5ST7MR2", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Siple Dome; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole", "people": "Sowers, Todd A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Carbon-13 Isotopic Composition of Atmospheric Methane in Firn Air, South Pole and Siple Dome, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609310"}], "date_created": "Mon, 09 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for support for a program to reconstruct records of the isotopic composition of paleoatmospheric methane and nitrous oxide covering the last 200,000 years. High resolution measurements of the carbon-13 isotopic composition of methane from shallow ice cores will help to determine the relative contributions of biogenic (wetlands, rice fields and ruminants) and abiogenic (biomass burning and natural gas) methane emissions which have caused the concentrations of this gas to increase at an exponential rate during the anthropogenic period. Isotopic data on methane and nitrous oxide over glacial/interglacial timescales will help determine the underlying cause of the large concentration variations that are known to occur. This project will make use of a new generation mass spectrometer which is capable of generating precise isotopic information on nanomolar quantities of methane and nitrous oxide, which means that samples can be 1000 times smaller than those needed for a standard isotope ratio instrument. The primary objective of the work is to further our understanding of the biogeochemical cycles of these two greenhouse gases throughout the anthropogenic period as well as over glacial interglacial timescales.", "east": -148.3023, "geometry": "POINT(-148.3023 -81.403)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Core; Firn Air Isotope Measurements; Ice Core Chemistry; Firn Isotopes; Stable Isotopes; Methane; Carbon; Paleoclimate; LABORATORY; Siple Dome; Antarctica; Ice Core Data; Firn Air Isotopes; Antarctic Ice Sheet", "locations": "Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Siple Dome", "north": -81.403, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Sowers, Todd A.", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": -81.403, "title": "Constructing Paleoatmospheric Records of the Isotopic Composition of Methane and Nitrous Oxide", "uid": "p0000611", "west": -148.3023}, {"awards": "0233303 Jacobs, Stanley", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 09 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Major portions of the Antarctic Ice Sheet float in the surrounding ocean, at the physical and intellectual boundaries of oceanography and glaciology. These ice shelves lose mass continuously by melting into the sea, and periodically by the calving of icebergs. Those losses are compensated by the outflow of grounded ice, and by surface accumulation and basal freezing. Ice shelf sources and sinks vary on several time scales, but their wastage terms are not yet well known. Reports of substantial ice shelf retreat, regional ocean freshening and increased ice velocity and thinning are of particular concern at a time of warming ocean temperatures in waters that have access to deep glacier grounding lines.\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a study of the attrition of Antarctic ice shelves, using recent ocean geochemical measurements and drawing on numerical modeling and remote sensing resources. In cooperation with associates at Columbia University and the British Antarctic Survey, measurements of chlorofluorocarbon, helium, neon and oxygen isotopes will be used to infer basal melting beneath the Ross Ice Shelf, and a combination of oceanographic and altimeter data will be used to investigate the mass balance of George VI Ice Shelf. Ocean and remote sensing observations will also be used to help refine numerical models of ice cavity circulations. The objectives are to reduce uncertainties between different estimates of basal melting and freezing, evaluate regional variability, and provide an update of an earlier assessment of circumpolar net melting.\u003cbr/\u003eA better knowledge of ice shelf attrition is essential to an improved understanding of ice shelf response to climate change. Large ice shelf calving events can alter the ocean circulation and sea ice formation, and can lead to logistics problems such as those recently experienced in the Ross Sea. Broader impacts include the role of ice shelf meltwater in freshening and stabilizing the upper ocean, and in the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water, which can be traced far into the North Atlantic. To the extent that ice shelf attrition influences the flow of grounded ice, this work also has implications for ice sheet stability and sea level rise.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Ice Sheet; Basal Melting; Ice Shelf Meltwater; Not provided; Oceanography; Ice Velocity; Glaciology; Sea Level Rise; Ice Sheet Stability; Mass; Ross Ice Sheet; Numerical Model; Basal Freezing; Ice Cavity Circulations; George VI Ice Shelf; Outflow", "locations": "Ross Ice Sheet", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Jacobs, Stanley", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Melting and Calving of Antarctic Ice Shelves", "uid": "p0000730", "west": null}, {"awards": "9725882 Raymond, Charles", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-141.6722 -80.1678,-141.34195 -80.1678,-141.0117 -80.1678,-140.68145 -80.1678,-140.3512 -80.1678,-140.02095 -80.1678,-139.6907 -80.1678,-139.36045 -80.1678,-139.0302 -80.1678,-138.69995 -80.1678,-138.3697 -80.1678,-138.3697 -80.4863,-138.3697 -80.8048,-138.3697 -81.1233,-138.3697 -81.4418,-138.3697 -81.7603,-138.3697 -82.0788,-138.3697 -82.3973,-138.3697 -82.7158,-138.3697 -83.0343,-138.3697 -83.3528,-138.69995 -83.3528,-139.0302 -83.3528,-139.36045 -83.3528,-139.6907 -83.3528,-140.02095 -83.3528,-140.3512 -83.3528,-140.68145 -83.3528,-141.0117 -83.3528,-141.34195 -83.3528,-141.6722 -83.3528,-141.6722 -83.0343,-141.6722 -82.7158,-141.6722 -82.3973,-141.6722 -82.0788,-141.6722 -81.7603,-141.6722 -81.4418,-141.6722 -81.1233,-141.6722 -80.8048,-141.6722 -80.4863,-141.6722 -80.1678))", "dataset_titles": "Radar Investigations of Antarctic Ice Stream Margins, Siple Dome, 1998", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609303", "doi": "10.7265/N52B8VZP", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPR; Radar; Siple Dome", "people": "Raymond, Charles; Nereson, Nadine A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Radar Investigations of Antarctic Ice Stream Margins, Siple Dome, 1998", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609303"}], "date_created": "Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9725882 Raymond This award is for support for a program of surface-based radio echo sounding to examine the geometry of the internal layering and the presence or absence of thawed zones outside the margins of active Ice Streams B and E and across the flow band feeding Ice Stream D. Melting in the marginal shear zone and/or on the bed outside an ice stream relates to the amount of support of the ice stream from the sides compared to the bed and the conditions that limit expansion of its width. Radar observations will be extended over the crest of adjacent inter-ice-stream ridges (B/C and D/E) and areas next to the flow band in the onset of D. The purpose is to examine internal layering indicative of the histories of these areas adjacent to ice streams and to determine whether ice streams have expanded into these presently stable areas in the past. These goals concerning the physical controls and history of ice stream width relate to how the discharge of ice streams has changed in the past and could change in the future to affect sea level.", "east": -138.3697, "geometry": "POINT(-140.02095 -81.7603)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e GPR; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS RECEIVERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Stream; Antarctica; Bed Geometry; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Internal Layering; Internal Layer Geometry; Siple Dome; Shabtaie Ridge; Not provided; Engelhardt Ridge; Ice Stream Margins; Radar; Whillans Ice Stream; GPS; Bed Reflectivity; Macayeal Ice Stream; Surface Geometry", "locations": "Antarctica; Engelhardt Ridge; Macayeal Ice Stream; Shabtaie Ridge; Siple Dome; Whillans Ice Stream", "north": -80.1678, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Raymond, Charles; Nereson, Nadine A.", "platforms": "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": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": -83.3528, "title": "Internal Stratigraphy and Basal Conditions at the Margins ofActive Ice Streams of the Siple Coast, Antarctica", "uid": "p0000626", "west": -141.6722}, {"awards": "0229490 Conway, Howard", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to improve understanding of post-glacial retreat and thinning of the Siple Coast region. Research has shown how age-depth relationships from ice cores can be extrapolated over wide areas by tracking continuous radar layers. By comparing radar-derived timescales with one from a model of ice- flow, glacial conditions over regional scales were inferred. High-resolution radar profiles have been collected across most of the inter-stream ridges in the Siple Coast region, and an age- depth relationship has been established from the Siple Dome ice core. Application of the techniques used by others is problematic because the ice streams that surround Siple Dome have disrupted the continuity of the internal layers. A specific goal of this project is to search for other less direct ways to match radar layers between unconnected profiles. The correspondence between radar reflections and measurements of electrical conductivity and volcanic sulfates along the Siple Dome core will be investigated. The strategy is to search for distinctive patterns in the echoes that will facilitate layer matching. Preliminary results are encouraging: at least four distinct echoes at Siple Dome can be matched to spikes in the conductivity profile and the signature of one (at 210m depth, which is ~1,800 yrs BP) closely resembles that of a layer at ~200m on Ridge BC. Matching layers (and hence timescales) across the ice streams will allow reconstruction of spatial patterns of past flow, thinning and accumulation rate in the Siple Coast region, which is needed to predict future possible changes of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Data necessary for the proposed work are already available; additional fieldwork in Antarctica is not required. The project will take two years to complete and will provide core education for a doctoral student in Earth and Space Sciences, with an emphasis on radioglaciology.", "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 ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e GPR", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Conway, Howard; Sylvester, John; Winebrenner, Dale", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Investigation of the Glacial History of the Siple Coast Using Radar-Detected Internal Layers and the Ice Core from Siple Dome", "uid": "p0000723", "west": null}, {"awards": "0125610 Waddington, Edwin", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0125610\u003cbr/\u003eWaddington\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award provides three years of funding to study the transition from slow inland flow to fast ice stream flow by making use of a suite of geophysical measurements that have been made near the onset region of ice stream D in West Antarctica. These data provide a unique opportunity to develop and validate glaciological models of the controlling processes in ice stream onset zones. Important processes to quantify are motion at the bed and deformation in the ice. Previous analyses indicate that the controlling resistive forces shift from the bed to the sides during the transition from slow inland flow to fast, streaming flow. Model sensitivity analyses will be used to investigate the relative importance of feedbacks between basal processes and ice deformation in the transition from inland to ice stream flow. Model experiments will determine what factors control the location of the onset of streaming flow, and how that location might migrate when conditions at the bed, or along the flow direction, changes over time. The overall goal of this work is to improve understanding of the evolution of the WAIS drainage system. This study is a first step towards understanding the physics that govern the transition from slow inland flow to fast streaming flow.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "FIXED OBSERVATION STATIONS", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Price, Stephen", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e FIXED OBSERVATION STATIONS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Model Investigations of the Transition from Inland to Ice Stream Flow", "uid": "p0000759", "west": null}, {"awards": "0229573 Mayewski, Paul", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Antarctic Mean Annual Temperature Map", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609318", "doi": "10.7265/N51C1TTV", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Temperature", "people": "Dixon, Daniel A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Mean Annual Temperature Map", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609318"}], "date_created": "Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a science management office for a pilot ice-core drilling and analysis program to test the feasibility of obtaining well-dated, high-resolution isotope and chemistry records from East Antarctica. Shallow ice cores will be obtained from two locations: 1) ~100 km from South Pole towards the Pole of Inaccessibility, as an extension of the Byrd Station-to-South Pole ITASE traverse [International Trans Antarctic Scientific Expedition]; 2) at Taylor Dome, near the original deep coring site, and (3) possibly at AGO 3 and AGO 4 as part of a logistics traverse to these sites. All of the cores collected will be sampled at very high resolution (~1/2 cm) and analyzed for major ions. Results from this calibration work, along with those from another project that is analyzing stable isotopes will be used to help plan a program of larger scope, with the objective of mapping the spatial expression of climate variability in East Antarctica. Funds are also provided to organize a community workshop for coordination of the second phase of US ITASE and for one workshop per year for two years dedicated to writing and preparation of scientific papers from phase one of US ITASE. In addition, route selection activities for the follow-on traverse activities in East Antarctica will be conducted using satellite image mapping. A summary document will be produced and made available to the community to help with planning of related field programs (e.g. deep ice radar, firn radar profiling, atmospheric chemistry, ice coring, snow surface properties for satellite observations, ice surface elevation and mass balance).", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMOCOUPLES \u003e THERMOCOUPLES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMOMETERS \u003e THERMOMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctic Ice Sheet; West Antarctica; FIELD INVESTIGATION; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Antarctic; Temperature; East Antarctic Plateau; FIELD SURVEYS; Antarctica; Not provided", "locations": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet; West Antarctica; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; East Antarctic Plateau", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Dixon, Daniel A.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "A Science Management Office for the U. S. Component of the International Trans Antarctic Expedition (US ITASE SMO)A Collaborative Pgrm of Research from S. Pole to N. Victoria Land", "uid": "p0000199", "west": null}, {"awards": "0230288 Anastasio, Cort", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((123.30014 -75.093445,123.307404 -75.093445,123.314668 -75.093445,123.321932 -75.093445,123.329196 -75.093445,123.33646 -75.093445,123.343724 -75.093445,123.350988 -75.093445,123.358252 -75.093445,123.365516 -75.093445,123.37278 -75.093445,123.37278 -75.0952669,123.37278 -75.0970888,123.37278 -75.0989107,123.37278 -75.1007326,123.37278 -75.1025545,123.37278 -75.1043764,123.37278 -75.1061983,123.37278 -75.1080202,123.37278 -75.1098421,123.37278 -75.111664,123.365516 -75.111664,123.358252 -75.111664,123.350988 -75.111664,123.343724 -75.111664,123.33646 -75.111664,123.329196 -75.111664,123.321932 -75.111664,123.314668 -75.111664,123.307404 -75.111664,123.30014 -75.111664,123.30014 -75.1098421,123.30014 -75.1080202,123.30014 -75.1061983,123.30014 -75.1043764,123.30014 -75.1025545,123.30014 -75.1007326,123.30014 -75.0989107,123.30014 -75.0970888,123.30014 -75.0952669,123.30014 -75.093445))", "dataset_titles": "Light Absorption Coefficients for Soluble Species in Snow, Dome C, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609519", "doi": "10.7265/N5MS3QP0", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Dome C Ice Core; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Robles, Tony; Anastasio, Cort", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Dome C Ice Core", "title": "Light Absorption Coefficients for Soluble Species in Snow, Dome C, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609519"}], "date_created": "Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Photochemical reactions in snow can have important effects on the chemistry and composition of the snowpack as well as the overlying atmosphere. For example, recent measurements in the Antarctic and Arctic have revealed that sunlit snow releases a number of important pollutants to the atmosphere. Our ability to understand and model this chemistry is currently limited, in part because we lack fundamental photochemical information for a number of important chemical species in snow. This award supports research that will help fill this gap by characterizing the low-temperature photochemistry of three of these key species: nitrite (NO2-), nitrous acid (HNO2), and hydrogen peroxide (HOOH). We will measure quantum yields for these reactions on ice using a sensitive technique that we recently developed during a study of nitrate (NO3-) photochemistry. In addition to this basic research, we will also measure the rates of formation of hydroxyl radical (OH), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and HOOH in illuminated Antarctic snow samples. These measurements will be important inputs for future models, and will allow us to test whether known species (e.g., NO3-, NO2- and HNO2) are responsible for most of snowpack reactivity (e.g., OH formation). Overall, results from this award will significantly improve our ability to understand snowpack chemistry, and the resulting effects on the atmosphere, both in the Antarctic as well as in the many other regions with permanent or seasonal snow. These results will also strengthen efforts to use ice core records to monitor global change. In addition to these impacts, this award will help train students and a postdoctoral fellow, and results from this work will be integrated into two classes in order to expose students to some of the important issues facing polar regions.", "east": 123.37278, "geometry": "POINT(123.33646 -75.1025545)", "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e PHOTOMETERS \u003e SPECTROPHOTOMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e HPLC; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e ION CHROMATOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Snow Chemistry; Antarctica; Snowpack Chemistry; Snow Samples; Hydrogen Peroxide; Snow Properties; Pollutants; Chemistry; Light Absorption; Antarctic; Chemical Species; Snow; East Antarctica; Organic Compounds; Photochemistry; LABORATORY", "locations": "Antarctica; East Antarctica; Antarctic", "north": -75.093445, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Anastasio, Cort; Robles, Tony", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Dome C Ice Core", "south": -75.111664, "title": "Laboratory Studies of Photochemistry in Antarctic Snow and Ice", "uid": "p0000175", "west": 123.30014}, {"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": "Waddington, Edwin D.; Harrison, William; Pettit, Erin; Morack, James; Elsberg, Daniel; Zumberge, Mark", "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": "0126194 Harder, Susan", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Access to data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001336", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Access to data", "url": "http://nsidc.org/data/agdc_investigators.html"}], "date_created": "Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a two-year project to continue work developing the techniques to make carbon monoxide (CO) measurements in ice core samples. Carbon monoxide is an important atmospheric chemical constituent as it is a primary sink for hydroxyl radical (OH) (and therefore influences the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere) and because the concentrations of three major greenhouses gases , carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and ozone (O3) are directly tied to the concentration of CO. In light of recent anthropogenic increases in the emissions of CO, CO2, CH4 and NOx, it is desirable to understand this complex chemical system and the changes in the greenhouse forcing resulting from perturbation. Because it is difficult to test the accuracy of models for past and future conditions for which no direct atmospheric measurements of trace gas concentrations are available these measurements must be obtained in other ways. Polar ice cores provide a means to make these measurements. Further work is necessary to refine the analytical technique and additional measurements are necessary to investigate the accuracy of these results and to establish the nature of temporal trends in CO. It is anticipated that the CO record, combined with existing or new data for CO2, CH4 , N2O and other paleoclimate variables, will provide further constraints on model studies of the effect of changing atmospheric chemistry on greenhouse forcing.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Harder, Susan", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "NSIDC", "repositories": "NSIDC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Ice Core Records of Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide", "uid": "p0000706", "west": null}, {"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": "609326", "doi": "10.7265/N5N29TW8", "keywords": "Ablation Poles; Ablation Rates; Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Cuffey, Kurt M.; Bliss, Andrew; Kavanaugh, Jeffrey", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ablation Rates of Taylor Glacier, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609326"}, {"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": "609323", "doi": "10.7265/N5WM1BBZ", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Isotope; Taylor Glacier", "people": "Aciego, Sarah; Cuffey, Kurt M.; Bliss, Andrew; Kavanaugh, Jeffrey", "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": "0230197 Holt, John", "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": "AGASEA 4.7 ka Englacial Isochron over the Thwaites Glacier Catchment; Amundsen Sea Sector Data Set; Subglacial Topography: Airborne Geophysical Survey of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601673", "doi": "10.15784/601673", "keywords": "Antarchitecture; Antarctica; Ice Penetrating Radar; Isochron; Layers; Radar; Radioglaciology; Thwaites Glacier", "people": "Blankenship, Donald D.; Muldoon, Gail R.; Young, Duncan A.; Jackson, Charles", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "AGASEA 4.7 ka Englacial Isochron over the Thwaites Glacier Catchment", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601673"}, {"dataset_uid": "609292", "doi": "10.7265/N59W0CDC", "keywords": "AGASEA; Airborne Radar; Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Elevation; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Solid Earth", "people": "Holt, John W.; Young, Duncan A.; Corr, Hugh F. J.; Blankenship, Donald D.; Morse, David L.; Vaughan, David G.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Subglacial Topography: Airborne Geophysical Survey of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609292"}, {"dataset_uid": "609312", "doi": "10.7265/N5J9649Q", "keywords": "Amundsen Sea; Antarctica; Elevation; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology", "people": "Fastook, James L.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Amundsen Sea Sector Data Set", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609312"}], "date_created": "Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a comprehensive aerogeophysical survey of the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) in West Antarctica. The University of Texas will join forces with the British Antarctic Survey to use both US and UK aircraft and instrumentation to achieve this survey. Analyses of the new aerogeophysical\u003cbr/\u003edata will result in the generation of maps of ice sheet surface, volume and bottom-interface characteristics. These maps will support the efforts of a community of US and international researchers to assess the present and predict the future behavior of the ice sheet in the ASE.\u003cbr/\u003eThe West Antarctic ice sheet has been the subject of intensive interdisciplinary study by both the European and U.S. scientific communities since it was recognized to be a potential source for up to 5 meters of sea\u003cbr/\u003elevel rise, possibly on short timescales. In terms of ice discharge, the ASE is the largest drainage system in West Antarctica. Yet it has been comparatively unstudied, primarily due to its remoteness from logistical\u003cbr/\u003ecenters. The ASE is the only major drainage to exhibit significant elevation change over the period of available satellite observations. Present knowledge of the ice thickness and subglacial boundary conditions in the ASE are insufficient to understand its evolution or its sensitivity to climatic change.\u003cbr/\u003eThe results from our surveys are required to achieve the fundamental research objectives outlined by the US scientific community in an ASE Science Plan. The surveys and analyses will be achieved through international collaboration and will involve graduate students, undergraduates and high school apprentices.\u003cbr/\u003eThrough its potential for influencing sea level, the future behavior of the ASE is of primary societal importance. Given the substantial public and scientific interest that recent reports of change in West Antarctica have generated, we expect fundamental research in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, enabled by our surveys, will have widespread impact.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "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 RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR ECHO SOUNDERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e ALTIMETERS \u003e RADAR ALTIMETERS \u003e RADAR ALTIMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Thwaites Glacier; Ice Velocity; Ablation; Amundsen Sea; Pine Island Glacier; Elevation; Antarctica (agasea); Ice Sheet Elevation; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Ice Temperature; Amundsen Basin; Subglacial Topography; Ice Melt; West Antarctica; Velocity Measurements; Snow Accumulation; Antarctica; Bedrock Elevation; Modeling", "locations": "Antarctica; West Antarctica; Amundsen Basin; Pine Island Glacier; Thwaites Glacier; West Antarctic Ice Sheet; Amundsen Sea", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Blankenship, Donald D.; Fastook, James L.; Corr, Hugh F. J.; Holt, John W.; Morse, David L.; Vaughan, David G.; Young, Duncan A.", "platforms": null, "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Airborne Geophysical Survey of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, Antarctica (AGASEA)", "uid": "p0000243", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0230378 Kanagaratnam, Pannirselvam", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-112.224 -79.3385,-112.1245 -79.3385,-112.025 -79.3385,-111.9255 -79.3385,-111.826 -79.3385,-111.7265 -79.3385,-111.627 -79.3385,-111.5275 -79.3385,-111.428 -79.3385,-111.3285 -79.3385,-111.229 -79.3385,-111.229 -79.35475,-111.229 -79.371,-111.229 -79.38725,-111.229 -79.4035,-111.229 -79.41975,-111.229 -79.436,-111.229 -79.45225,-111.229 -79.4685,-111.229 -79.48475,-111.229 -79.501,-111.3285 -79.501,-111.428 -79.501,-111.5275 -79.501,-111.627 -79.501,-111.7265 -79.501,-111.826 -79.501,-111.9255 -79.501,-112.025 -79.501,-112.1245 -79.501,-112.224 -79.501,-112.224 -79.48475,-112.224 -79.4685,-112.224 -79.45225,-112.224 -79.436,-112.224 -79.41975,-112.224 -79.4035,-112.224 -79.38725,-112.224 -79.371,-112.224 -79.35475,-112.224 -79.3385))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to build and test a 12-18 GHz radar system with a plane wave antenna. This is a wideband radar operating over a frequency range of 12 to 18 GHz to detect near-surface internal firn layers of the ice sheet with better than 10 cm resolution to a depth of approximately 7 m. These measurements will allow determination of spatially continuous snow accumulation rate in the firn, which would be useful along a traverse and is of critical importance to the validation of CryoSat and ICESAT satellite missions aimed at assessing the current state of mass balance of the polar ice sheets. The antenna system planned for the radar is relatively compact, and will be located on the sledge carrying the radar systems. The broad scientific focus of this project will be to investigate important glacial processes relevant to ice sheet mass balance. The new radar will allow the characterization (with high depth resolution) of the spatial variability of snow accumulation rate along a traverse route for interpreting data from CryoSat and ICESAT missions. As part of this project, we will institute a strong outreach program involving K-12 education and a minority institution of higher education. We currently work closely with the Advanced Learning Technology Program (ALTec) at the University of Kansas to develop interactive, resource-based lessons for use on-line by students of all grade levels, and we will develop new resources related to this project. We currently have an active research and education collaboration with faculty and undergraduate students at neighboring Haskell Indian Nations University, in Lawrence, Kansas, and we will expand our collaboration to include this project.", "east": -111.229, "geometry": "POINT(-111.7265 -79.41975)", "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 PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e GPR", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Firn; Cryosat; Plane Wave Antenna; Glacial Processes; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; Icesat; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Radar; LABORATORY; Snow Accumulation; Mass Balance; FIELD SURVEYS", "locations": null, "north": -79.3385, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Kanagaratnam, Pannirselvam; Braaten, David; Bauer, Rob", "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-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -79.501, "title": "High Resolution Ice Thickness and Plane Wave Mapping of Near-Surface Layers", "uid": "p0000731", "west": -112.224}, {"awards": "0230452 Severinghaus, Jeffrey", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(124.5 -80.78)", "dataset_titles": "Antarctic megadunes", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "000191", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic megadunes", "url": "http://nsidc.org/antarctica/megadunes/"}], "date_created": "Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a study of the chemical composition of air in the snow layer (firn) in a region of \"megadunes\" near Vostok station, Antarctica. It will test the hypothesis that a deep \"convective zone\" of vigorous wind-driven mixing can prevent gas fractionation in the upper one-third of the polar firn layer. In the megadunes, ultralow snow accumulation rates lead to structural changes (large grains, pipes, and cracks) that make the permeability of firn to air movement orders of magnitude higher than normal. The unknown thickness of the convective zone has hampered the interpretation of ice core 15N/14N and 40Ar/36Ar ratios as indicators of past firn thickness, which is a key constraint on the climatically important variables of temperature, accumulation rate, and gas age-ice age difference. Studying this \"extreme end-member\" example will better define the role of the convective zone in gas reconstructions. This study will pump air from a profile of ~20 depths in the firn, to definitively test for the presence of a convective zone based on the fit of observed 15 N/14N and 40Ar/36Ar to a molecular- and eddy-diffusion model. Permeability measurements on the core and 2-D air flow modeling (in collaboration with M. Albert) will permit a more physically realistic interpretation of the isotope data and will relate mixing vigor to air velocities. A new proxy indicator of convective zone thickness will be tested on firn and ice core bubble air, based on the principle that isotopes of slow-diffusing heavy noble gases (Kr, Xe) should be more affected by convection than isotopes of fast-diffusing N2 . These tools will be applied to a test of the hypothesis that the megadunes and a deep convective zone existed at the Vostok site during glacial periods, which would explain the anomalously low 15N/14N and 40Ar/36Ar in the Vostok ice core glacial periods. The broader impacts of this work include 1) clarification of phase relationships of greenhouse gases and temperature in ice core records, with implications for understanding of past and future climates, 2) education of one graduate student, and 3) building of collaborative relationships with five investigators.", "east": 124.5, "geometry": "POINT(124.5 -80.78)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SAMPLERS \u003e BOTTLES/FLASKS/JARS \u003e FLASKS", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Antarctica; Methane; Carbon-14; Permeability; CO2; Firn Core; FIELD SURVEYS; Deuterium Excess; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LABORATORY; Isotope; Ice Core Density; Firn Air; Megadunes; Ice Core; Not provided; FIELD INVESTIGATION", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -80.78, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bauer, Rob; Albert, Mary R.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "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-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "NSIDC", "repositories": "NSIDC", "science_programs": null, "south": -80.78, "title": "How Thick Is the Convective Zone: A Study of Firn Air in the Megadunes Near Vostok, Antarctica", "uid": "p0000097", "west": 124.5}, {"awards": "0126149 Liu, Hongxing", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Access to Antarctic coastline coverage and reference documents; Access to Antarctic snow zone coverage and reference documents; Access to boundary file and reference documents; Access to ice velocity data and reference documents; Access to snow melt extent image files and reference documents", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "001779", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PI website", "science_program": null, "title": "Access to ice velocity data and reference documents", "url": "http://geog.tamu.edu/~liu/research/download.htm"}, {"dataset_uid": "001640", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PI website", "science_program": null, "title": "Access to snow melt extent image files and reference documents", "url": "http://geog.tamu.edu/~liu/research/download.htm"}, {"dataset_uid": "001350", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PI website", "science_program": null, "title": "Access to boundary file and reference documents", "url": "http://geog.tamu.edu/~liu/research/download.htm"}, {"dataset_uid": "001351", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PI website", "science_program": null, "title": "Access to Antarctic coastline coverage and reference documents", "url": "http://geog.tamu.edu/~liu/research/download.htm"}, {"dataset_uid": "001352", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "PI website", "science_program": null, "title": "Access to Antarctic snow zone coverage and reference documents", "url": "http://geog.tamu.edu/~liu/research/download.htm"}], "date_created": "Tue, 15 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to characterize the morphology, ice motion velocity and mass balance of Lambert Glacier, Antarctica using state-of-the-art remote sensing and GIS techniques. Lambert Glacier is the largest ice stream in the world. Because of its size, it plays a fundamental role in the study of glacial dynamics and mass budget in response to present and future climate changes. Along with the bedrock topography and ice thickness data derived from airborne radio echo soundings and snow accumulation data compiled from ground-based measurements, the dynamic behavior and mass balance of the Lambert glacial basin in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment will be examined. Specific objectives are to: (1) Extract two-dimensional ice velocity field over the entire Lambert glacial basin using speckle matching and differential interferometric SAR (InSAR) techniques, and produce a full coverage of radar coherence map over the drainage basin. With the ice velocity data, calculate the strain rate field from the initiation areas of the ice stream onto the Amery Ice Shelf; (2) Derive high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) over the Lambert glacial drainage basin using SAR stereo, differential interferometric SAR, and GLAS laser altimetry techniques. Based on the DEM, extract ice divides and ice flow directions, delineate the snow catchment basin, and calculate the balance deformation velocity and the basal shear stress; (3) Interpolate traverse ice thickness data collected by Australian and Russian airborne radio echo sounding surveys into a regular grid, and derive a regular grid of bedrock topography in combination with the DEM; (4) Integrate newly derived ice velocity and ice thickness data as well as snow accumulation rate data compiled from previous ground-based measurements into a geographic information system (GIS), and calculate the mass flux through the ice stream at the grounding lines and net mass balance throughout the drainage basin. With these new measurements and calculations derived from advanced remote sensing techniques, we will be able to improve our understanding of dynamic behavior and current mass balance status of the Lambert glacial basin, gain an insight on the relationship between ice mass change and the variation in regional and global climate at decadal scale, and provide an evaluation on the issue of whether the Lambert glacier basin is subject to surging in the context of future climate change.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e IMAGING SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e SMMR; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e IMAGING SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e SSM/I; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e IMAGING RADARS \u003e IFSAR; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e IMAGING RADARS \u003e SAR", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "DEM; Not provided; RADARSAT-1", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Liu, Hongxing; Jezek, Kenneth", "platforms": "Not provided; OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e DEM; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e RADARSAT \u003e RADARSAT-1", "repo": "PI website", "repositories": "PI website", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "High-Resolution Modeling of Surface Topography, Ice Motion, and Mass Balance in the Lambert Glacial Basin using Radar Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques", "uid": "p0000204", "west": null}, {"awards": "0230190 Goldsby, David", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 14 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to conduct laboratory experiments to investigate textures formed in ice during superplastic flow. Superplastic flow has recently been discovered in the laboratory and can be considered a new flow mechanism for ice. A simple extrapolation of these new data for superplastic flow from laboratory to natural conditions suggests that glaciers and ice sheets flow via this mechanism. Furthermore, several grain-scale features in ice (e.g., crystal shape) produced during superplastic flow in the laboratory are remarkably similar to those observed in glaciers and ice sheets. Despite this exciting discovery, however, important questions remain before we can apply with full confidence these new flow data in mathematical models of glacier and ice sheet flow. The textures seen in laboratory studies will be compared with those observed in field studies of glaciers and ice sheets. These comparisons, coupled with comparisons of the new superplastic flow data from the laboratory with flow measurements from field studies, will provide a powerful method for further assessing the importance of superplastic flow in nature and thereby improve our understanding of glacier and ice sheet dynamics and global climate change. Experiments will be conducted by the PI and an undergraduate research assistant. Experimental results will be published in relevant refereed journals, presented at glaciology meetings and incorporated into coursework.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "LABORATORY", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Goldsby, David", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "A Laboratory Study of Texture Development During Grain Size Sensitive Creep of Ice, with Applications to the Flow of Glaciers and Ice Sheets", "uid": "p0000288", "west": null}, {"awards": "0338363 Thiemens, Mark; 0337933 Cole-Dai, Jihong", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Major Ion Concentrations in 2004 South Pole Ice Core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609542", "doi": "10.7265/N5HX19N8", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Ion Chromatograph; South Pole", "people": "Cole-Dai, Jihong", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Major Ion Concentrations in 2004 South Pole Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609542"}], "date_created": "Fri, 11 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a collaborative study between South Dakota State University (SDSU) and University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to investigate the oxygen and sulfur isotope composition of sulfates from a number of large volcanic eruptions in the past 1000 years. The project aims to drill a number of shallow ice cores at South Pole and return them to SDSU and UCSD lab for chemical and isotope analysis. Preliminary results from measurements of isotopes in sulfate samples from several volcanic eruptions in Antarctic snow and ice indicate that isotopic composition of volcanic sulfate contains abundant valuable information on atmospheric chemical and dynamic processes that have not been previously investigated. One tentative conclusion is that mass-independently fractionated sulfur isotopes reveal that atmospheric photolysis of sulfur compounds occurs at longer UV wavelengths than those in the Archean atmosphere, possibly reflecting the atmospheric ozone and/or oxygen concentration. This suggests that isotopic composition of atmospheric sulfate may be used to understand the role of UV radiation in sulfur dioxide conversion in the atmosphere and to track the evolution (i.e., oxygenation) of the atmosphere and the origin of life on Earth. Other major research objectives include understanding what impact massive volcanic eruptions have on the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere, what oxidants and mechanisms are involved in the oxidation or conversion of volcanic sulfur dioxide to sulfate in the stratosphere and what isotopic criteria may be used to differentiate ice core signals of stratospheric eruptions from those of tropospheric eruptions. By providing educational and research opportunities to graduate and undergraduate students at both SDSU and UCSD, the proposed project will promote the integration of research and education and contribute to human resource development in science and engineering. The project will contribute to a proposed REU chemistry site program at SDSU. This collaboration will utilize the complementary strengths of both labs and promote exchange between the two institutions. International collaboration will enhance scientific cooperation between France and US.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e ION CHROMATOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided; Ion Chromatograph; Ions; LABORATORY; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Cole-Dai, Jihong", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Investigating Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics through Oxygen and Sulfur Isotopes in Volcanic Sulfate from South Pole Ice Cores", "uid": "p0000031", "west": null}, {"awards": "0229245 Hamilton, Gordon", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(135 -76)", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Thu, 30 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "A \u0027horizontal ice core\u0027 was collected at the Mount Moulton blue ice field in West Antarctica and preliminary analyses of the sample material suggests that a ~500 kyr climate record is preserved in the ice at this site. This award will contribute to the understanding of the Mt Moulton record by assessing the potential for ice-flow induced deformation of the stratigraphic profile. In addition, this award builds on the recognition of blue ice areas as archives of long climate records by conducting reconnaissance studies for a potential horizontal ice core location at the Allan Hills in East Antarctica. The objectives of this project are to contribute to the glaciological understanding of blue ice areas in Antarctica. Ice flow conditions at the Mt Moulton blue ice field will be studied to assess the possibility that the stratigraphic record has been deformed and reconnaissance of a potential horizontal ice core site in the Allan Hills blue ice field will also be accomplished. Short field programs will be undertaken at each location to collect relevant measurements of ice flow and subglacial topography, and to conduct sampling of material that will enable the preservation of the stratigraphic sequences to be assessed.", "east": 135.0, "geometry": "POINT(135 -76)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC RADAR; 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 GPR", "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Mount Moulton; Not provided; Subglacial Topography; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Ice Flow; West Antarctica; FIELD SURVEYS; Stratigraphy; Horizontal Ice Core; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Blue Ice; Radar", "locations": "Mount Moulton; West Antarctica", "north": -76.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bauer, Rob; Hamilton, Gordon S.", "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-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -76.0, "title": "Glaciology of Blue Ice Areas in Antarctica", "uid": "p0000248", "west": 135.0}, {"awards": "0230448 Severinghaus, Jeffrey; 0230260 Bender, Michael", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-75.34 86.6,-68.742 86.6,-62.144 86.6,-55.546 86.6,-48.948 86.6,-42.35 86.6,-35.752 86.6,-29.154 86.6,-22.556 86.6,-15.958 86.6,-9.36 86.6,-9.36 83.618,-9.36 80.636,-9.36 77.654,-9.36 74.672,-9.36 71.69,-9.36 68.708,-9.36 65.726,-9.36 62.744,-9.36 59.762,-9.36 56.78,-15.958 56.78,-22.556 56.78,-29.154 56.78,-35.752 56.78,-42.35 56.78,-48.948 56.78,-55.546 56.78,-62.144 56.78,-68.742 56.78,-75.34 56.78,-75.34 59.762,-75.34 62.744,-75.34 65.726,-75.34 68.708,-75.34 71.69,-75.34 74.672,-75.34 77.654,-75.34 80.636,-75.34 83.618,-75.34 86.6))", "dataset_titles": "Firn Air Inert Gas and Oxygen Observations from Siple Dome, 1996, and the South Pole, 2001; Trapped Gas Composition and Chronology of the Vostok Ice Core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609311", "doi": "10.7265/N5P26W12", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochronology; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Lake Vostok; Paleoclimate; Vostok; Vostok Ice Core", "people": "Bender, Michael; Suwa, Makoto", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Trapped Gas Composition and Chronology of the Vostok Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609311"}, {"dataset_uid": "609290", "doi": "10.7265/N5FJ2DQC", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciology; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole", "people": "Battle, Mark; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Bender, Michael", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Firn Air Inert Gas and Oxygen Observations from Siple Dome, 1996, and the South Pole, 2001", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609290"}], "date_created": "Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "High latitude deep ice cores contain fundamental records of polar temperatures, atmospheric dust loads (and continental aridity), greenhouse gas concentrations, the status of the biosphere, and other essential properties of past environments. An accurate chronology for these records is needed if their significance is to be fully realized. The dating challenge has stimulated efforts at orbital tuning. In this approach, one varies a timescale, within allowable limits, to optimize the match between a paleoenvironmental property and a curve of insolation through time. The ideal property would vary with time due to direct insolation forcing. It would be unaffected by complex climate feedbacks and teleconnections, and it would give a clean record with high signal/noise ratio. It is argued strongly that the O2/N2 ratio of ice core trapped gases is such a property, and evidence is presented that this property, whose atmospheric ratio is nearly constant, is tied to local summertime insolation. This award will support a project to analyze the O2/N2 ratios at 1 kyr intervals from ~ 115-400 ka in the Vostok ice core. Ancillary measurements will be made of Ar/N2, and Ne/N2 and heavy noble gas ratios, in order to understand bubble close-off fractionation and its manifestation in the Vostok trapped gas record. O2/N2 variations will be matched with summertime insolation at Vostok to achieve a high-accuracy chronology for the Vostok core. The Vostok and other correlatable climate records will then be reexamined to improve our understanding of the dynamics of Pleistocene climate change.", "east": 106.8, "geometry": "POINT(106.8 -72.4667)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SAMPLERS \u003e BOTTLES/FLASKS/JARS \u003e FLASKS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Ice Age; Shallow Firn Air; Firn Air Isotope Measurements; Polar Firn Air; Ice Sample Gas Integrity; Oxygen Isotope; Noble Gas; Ice Core Gas Records; Atmospheric Gases; Trapped Gases; Not provided; LABORATORY; Vostok; Firn Air Isotopes; Thermal Fractionation; Ice Core Chemistry; Trapped Air Bubbles; Ice Core; Antarctica; South Pole; Ice Core Data; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Gas Age; Firn Isotopes", "locations": "Antarctica; Vostok; Siple Dome; South Pole", "north": -72.4667, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Battle, Mark; Bender, Michael; Suwa, Makoto; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": -72.4667, "title": "Collaborative Research: Trapped Gas Composition and the Chronology of the Vostok Ice Core", "uid": "p0000257", "west": 106.8}, {"awards": "0125570 Scambos, Ted; 0125276 Albert, Mary", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Access AGDC data online by navigating to Data Sets. Data sets are arranged by Principal Investigators. Access data that are combined into multiple data sets, or compiled products.; AWS Data: Characteristics of Snow Megadunes and Their Potential Effect on Ice Core Interpretation; GPR and GPS Data: Characteristics of Snow Megadunes and their Potential Effects on Ice Core Interpretation; Snow and Firn Permeability: Characteristics of Snow Megadunes and their Potential Effects on Ice Core Interpretation; The Antarctic Glaciological Data Center (AGDC) at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) archives and distributes Antarctic glaciological and cryospheric system data collected by the U.S. Antarctic Program.", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609283", "doi": "10.7265/N5K935F3", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; East Antarctic Plateau; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Meteorology; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Fahnestock, Mark; Haran, Terry; Bauer, Rob; Scambos, Ted", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "AWS Data: Characteristics of Snow Megadunes and Their Potential Effect on Ice Core Interpretation", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609283"}, {"dataset_uid": "001669", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "Access AGDC data online by navigating to Data Sets. Data sets are arranged by Principal Investigators. Access data that are combined into multiple data sets, or compiled products.", "url": "http://nsidc.org/data/agdc_investigators.html"}, {"dataset_uid": "001343", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NSIDC", "science_program": null, "title": "The Antarctic Glaciological Data Center (AGDC) at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) archives and distributes Antarctic glaciological and cryospheric system data collected by the U.S. Antarctic Program.", "url": "https://nsidc.org/data/agdc/"}, {"dataset_uid": "609282", "doi": "10.7265/N5Q23X5F", "keywords": "Antarctica; East Antarctic Plateau; Glaciology; GPR; GPS; Navigation; Paleoclimate; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Scambos, Ted; Bauer, Rob", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "GPR and GPS Data: Characteristics of Snow Megadunes and their Potential Effects on Ice Core Interpretation", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609282"}, {"dataset_uid": "609299", "doi": "10.7265/N5639MPD", "keywords": "Antarctica; East Antarctic Plateau; Glaciology; Physical Properties; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice", "people": "Cathles, Mac; Albert, Mary R.; Courville, Zoe", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Snow and Firn Permeability: Characteristics of Snow Megadunes and their Potential Effects on Ice Core Interpretation", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609299"}], "date_created": "Wed, 04 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a program of field surveys of an area within the large, well-developed megadune field southeast of Vostok station. The objectives are to determine the physical characteristics of the firn across the dunes, including typical climate indicators such as stable isotopes and major chemical species, and to install instruments to measure the time variation of near-surface wind and temperature with depth, to test and refine hypotheses for megadune formation. Field study will consist of surface snowpit and shallow core sampling, ground penetrating radar (GPR) profiling, GPS topographic and ice motion surveys, AWS installation, accumulation/ ablation measurements, subsurface temperature, and firn permeability studies. Field work in two successive seasons is proposed. Continent-wide remote sensing studies of the dunes will be continued, using the new group of instruments that are now, or will shortly be available (e.g., MODIS, MISR, GLAS, AMSR). The earlier study of topographic, passive microwave, and SAR characteristics will be extended, with the intent of determining the relationships of dune amplitude and wavelength to climate parameters, and further development of models of dune formation. Diffusion, ventilation, and vapor transport processes within the dune firn will be modeled as well. A robust program of outreach is planned and reporting to inform both the public and scientists of the fundamental in-situ and remote sensing characteristics of these uniquely Antarctic features will be an important part of the work. Because of their extreme nature, their broad extent, and their potential impact on the climate record, it is important to improve our current understanding of these. Megadunes are a manifestation of an extreme terrestrial climate and may provide insight on past terrestrial climate, or to processes active on other planets. Megadunes are likely to represent an end-member in firn diagenesis, and as such, may have much to teach us about the processes involved.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e ICE AUGERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROBES \u003e SNOWPACK TEMPERATURE PROBE; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROBES \u003e PERMEAMETERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e CAMERAS \u003e CAMERAS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CURRENT/WIND METERS \u003e ANEMOMETERS; 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 IMAGING RADARS \u003e SAR; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e RADAR SOUNDERS \u003e GPR; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e AIR PERMEAMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CURRENT/WIND METERS \u003e ANEMOMETERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e RADIO \u003e ARGOS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e PRESSURE SENSORS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMOMETERS \u003e THERMOMETERS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e WIND PROFILERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PHOTON/OPTICAL DETECTORS \u003e DENSIOMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e GAUGES \u003e BALANCE", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Internal Layering; ICESAT; Vapor-Redeposition; Antarctic; Wind Speed; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Surface Morphology; Antarctica; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; ARWS; Polar Firn Air; Microstructure; Gas Diffusivity; WEATHER STATIONS; Surface Temperatures; RADARSAT-2; Ice Core; Wind Direction; AWS; Ice Sheet; Snow Pit; Dunefields; Climate Record; Megadunes; GROUND STATIONS; METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Density; Atmospheric Pressure; Firn Permeability; FIELD SURVEYS; Radar; Permeability; Field Survey; Firn Temperature Measurements; Snow Megadunes; Thermal Conductivity; LANDSAT; Firn; Ice Core Interpretation; East Antarctic Plateau; Not provided; Surface Winds; Sublimation; Snow Density; Ice Climate Record; Glaciology; Snow Permeability; Air Temperature; Paleoenvironment; Automated Weather Station", "locations": "Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Antarctic; East Antarctic Plateau", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Courville, Zoe; Cathles, Mac; Scambos, Ted; Bauer, Rob; Fahnestock, Mark; Haran, Terry; Shuman, Christopher A.; Albert, Mary R.", "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 METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e WEATHER STATIONS; Not provided; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e ICE, CLOUD AND LAND ELEVATION SATELLITE (ICESAT) \u003e ICESAT; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e LANDSAT \u003e LANDSAT; SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES \u003e RADARSAT \u003e RADARSAT-2", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "NSIDC; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Characteristics of Snow Megadunes and Their Potential Effect on Ice Core Interpretation", "uid": "p0000587", "west": null}, {"awards": "0125761 Thiemens, Mark", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Atmospheric Nitrate Isotopic Analysis at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, A Twenty-Five Year Record", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609281", "doi": "10.7265/N5TT4NWF", "keywords": "Aerosol; Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; NBP1502; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole Station", "people": "Savarino, Joel; Thiemens, Mark H.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Atmospheric Nitrate Isotopic Analysis at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, A Twenty-Five Year Record", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609281"}], "date_created": "Tue, 27 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a detailed laboratory analysis of the mass-independent isotopic composition of processes associated with atmospheric nitrate trapped in the snow pack at the South Pole. The project will specifically test if the oxygen isotopes 16O, 17O, 18O of nitrate can be used to probe the denitrification of the Antarctic stratosphere. Despite decades of research, there are several important issues in Antarctic atmospheric science, which are presently inadequately resolved. This includes quantification over time of the sources of nitrate aerosols. Today, little is known about the past denitrification of the stratosphere in high latitude regions. This lack of knowledge significantly limits our ability to understand the chemical state of ancient atmospheres and therefore evaluate present and past-coupled climate/atmosphere models. The role of nitrogen in environmental degradation is well known. This issue will also be addressed in this proposal. Atmospheric aerosols have now been shown to possess a mass-independent oxygen isotopic content. The proposed research will investigate the stable oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate in Antarctica both collected in real time and from the snow. Two periods of time will be covered. Full year nitrate aerosol collections, with week resolution time horizons, will be performed at the South Pole. Weekly aerosol collections will help us to identify any seasonal trend of the oxygen-17 excess anomaly, and eventually link this anomaly to the denitrification of the Antarctic stratosphere. This data set will also be used to test our assumption that the oxygen isotopic anomaly of nitrate is mainly formed in the stratosphere and is well preserved in the snow pack. If true, we will for the first time resolve an atmospheric signal extracted from a nitrate profile. The snow pit will allow us to see any trend in the data on a multiple decade timescale.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Snow; GROUND STATIONS; Ion Chemistry; South Pole; Not provided; Aerosol; Oxygen Isotope; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Snow Pit; Antarctica; Admundsen-Scott Station", "locations": "Antarctica; South Pole", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Savarino, Joel; Thiemens, Mark H.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "South Pole Atmospheric Nitrate Isotopic Analysis (SPANIA)", "uid": "p0000242", "west": null}, {"awards": "0338359 Saltzman, Eric", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-148.81 -81.65)", "dataset_titles": "Analysis of Siple Dome Ice Core: Carbonyl Sulfide (COS), Methyl Chloride (CH3Cl), and Methyl Bromide (CH3Br); Antarctic Ice Cores: Methyl Chloride and Methyl Bromide; Ice Core Air Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements - SPRESSO Ice Core; Methane and Carbonyl Sulfide Analysis of Siple Dome Ice Core Subsamples", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609313", "doi": "10.7265/N5DN430Q", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core; Ice Core Records; ITASE; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome Ice Core; South Pole; SPRESSO; SPRESSO Ice Core", "people": "Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat; Williams, Margaret; Tatum, Cheryl", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic Ice Cores: Methyl Chloride and Methyl Bromide", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609313"}, {"dataset_uid": "609279", "doi": "10.7265/N53B5X3G", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; WAISCORES", "people": "Aydin, Murat; Saltzman, Eric", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Analysis of Siple Dome Ice Core: Carbonyl Sulfide (COS), Methyl Chloride (CH3Cl), and Methyl Bromide (CH3Br)", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609279"}, {"dataset_uid": "609131", "doi": "10.7265/N5P848VP", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Methane; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; WAISCORES", "people": "Aydin, Murat; Saltzman, Eric", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Methane and Carbonyl Sulfide Analysis of Siple Dome Ice Core Subsamples", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609131"}, {"dataset_uid": "601357", "doi": "10.15784/601357", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmospheric Gases; Gas Measurement; Ice Core; Ice Core Gas Records; Trace Gases", "people": "Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ice Core Air Carbonyl Sulfide Measurements - SPRESSO Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601357"}], "date_created": "Wed, 16 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports the analysis, in Antarctic ice cores, of the ozone depleting substances methyl bromide (CH3Br) and methyl chloride (CH3Cl), and the sulfur-containing gas, carbonyl sulfide (OCS). The broad scientific goal is to assess the level and variability of these gases in the preindustrial atmosphere. This information will allow testing of current models for sources and sinks of these gases from the atmosphere, and to indirectly assess the impact of anthropogenic activities on their biogeochemical cycles. Longer-term records will shed light on the climatic sensitivity of the atmospheric burden of these gases, and ultimately on the biogeochemical processes controlling them. These gases are present in ice at parts per trillion levels, and the current database consists entirely of a small number of measurements made in from a shallow ice core from Siple Dome, Antarctica. This project will involve studies of ice core samples from three Antarctic sites: Siple Station, Siple Dome, and South Pole. The sampling strategy is designed to accomplish several objectives: 1) to verify the atmospheric mixing ratios previously observed in shallow Siple Dome ice for OCS, CH3Br, and CH3Cl at sites with very different accumulation rates and surface temperatures; 2) to obtain a well-dated, high resolution record from a high accumulation rate site (Siple Station), that can provide overlap in mean gas age with Antarctic firn air samples; 3) explore Holocene variability in trace gas mixing ratios; and 4) to make the first measurements of these trace gases in Antarctic glacial ice. In terms of broader impact on society, this research will help to provide a stronger scientific basis for policy decisions regulating the production and use of ozone-depleting and climate-active gases. Specifically, the methyl bromide results will contribute to the current debate on the impact of recent regulation (via the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments) on atmospheric levels. Determination of pre-industrial atmospheric variability of ozone-depleting substances will help place more realistic constraints on scenarios used for future projections of stratospheric ozone and its climatic impacts. This research will involve the participation of both graduate and undergraduate students.", "east": -148.81, "geometry": "POINT(-148.81 -81.65)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ice Core Gas Records; Carbonyl Sulfide; Siple Coast; Chloride; Trapped Gases; Snow; Ice Core Chemistry; Chromatography; Siple; GROUND STATIONS; Atmospheric Gases; Ozone Depletion; AWS Siple; Ice Sheet; Ice Core Data; Antarctica; Glaciology; West Antarctica; Atmospheric Chemistry; Ice Core; Stratigraphy; LABORATORY; Methane; Mass Spectrometer; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; WAISCORES; Msa; Mass Spectrometry; Not provided; Siple Dome; Gas Measurement", "locations": "Antarctica; Siple Coast; Siple Dome; West Antarctica; Siple", "north": -81.65, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Saltzman, Eric; Aydin, Murat; Williams, Margaret; Tatum, Cheryl", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": -81.65, "title": "Methyl chloride and methyl bromide in Antarctic ice cores", "uid": "p0000032", "west": -148.81}, {"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": "0125981 Sowers, Todd", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -62.83,-144 -62.83,-108 -62.83,-72 -62.83,-36 -62.83,0 -62.83,36 -62.83,72 -62.83,108 -62.83,144 -62.83,180 -62.83,180 -65.547,180 -68.264,180 -70.981,180 -73.698,180 -76.415,180 -79.132,180 -81.849,180 -84.566,180 -87.283,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87.283,-180 -84.566,-180 -81.849,-180 -79.132,-180 -76.415,-180 -73.698,-180 -70.981,-180 -68.264,-180 -65.547,-180 -62.83))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Thu, 05 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0125981\u003cbr/\u003eSowers\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award supports a project to construct an isotopic record of atmospheric methane and nitrous oxide over the last century from South Pole firn air. Over the last 150 years, atmospheric methane and nitrous oxide concentrations have risen in response to increased emissions from various anthropogenic activities. As this trend is liable to continue in the foreseeable future, it is important to understand the biogeochemical processes that contribute to the emissions of these two greenhouse gases. In this context, records of the variations in the atmospheric loading of trace gases found in ice cores and interstitial spaces in the snow near the surface of the ice sheet (firn air) provide fundamental boundary conditions for reconstructing historical emission records. One way to improve our understanding of the cycling of bioactive trace gases and their emission records is to use stable isotope tracers, which have been recorded in the ice cores and firn air. This project will develop records of carbon-13 and deuterium isotope ratios of methane, as well as the nitrogen-15, oxygen-18 and the isotopomer composition of nitrous oxide trapped in firn air samples collected in January 2001 at the South Pole. These measurements will allow isotopic records of these atmospheric gases to be reconstructed throughout the 20th century. Such records will help to establish the relative contribution of individual sources with a higher degree of confidence than is currently available.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -62.83, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Sowers, Todd A.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Generating an Isotopic Record of Atmospheric Methane and Nitrous Oxide Over the Last Century from South Pole Firn Air", "uid": "p0000086", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0135989 Wilen, Larry", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Ice Fabric Characteristics: Siple Dome, A Core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609255", "doi": "10.7265/N54B2Z7V", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core", "people": "Wilen, Larry", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Ice Fabric Characteristics: Siple Dome, A Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609255"}], "date_created": "Wed, 02 Mar 2005 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "0135989\u003cbr/\u003eWilen\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis is a collaborative proposal by Principal Investigators at the University of Washington and Ohio University. Detailed knowledge about the interactions between micro-structure of ice and its deformation is needed to assess the integrity of stratigraphic layering and the depth-age relationship in ice cores, which is essential for interpreting the paleoclimate record. The Principal Investigators will use micro-structure to study fabric, the orientation distribution of crystal c-axes, and texture, the size and shape of crystals. Numerical modeling of ice deformation is a useful tool in understanding these interactions. Accurate modeling of ice deformation is complicated by factors, such as the fabric, grain size, dynamic recrystallization, stress level, and precise knowledge of initial conditions. For example, ice fabric evolves as the ice is strained and the deformation depends on the fabric. This complicated feedback mechanism must be understood to correctly model ice deformation. In another example, the usual assumption is that the initial fabric is isotropic or random, but there are excellent examples of near-surface ice in the ice cores that are apparently not isotropic. One must know the initial fabric to calculate the deformation rate in ice sheets. Dr. Wilen will combine results of his new automatic fabric analyzer (AFA) with predictions of detailed ice deformation models (Dr. Thorsteinsson) to refine and better constrain such models. The AFA gives new information in thin sections because the precision and number of measured c-axis orientations are greatly improved. The Principal Investigators will analyze existing data and collect new data on fabric and texture from ice cores to address questions regarding near-surface fabric, deformation mechanisms, dynamic recrystallization, and potential sources of layer disturbances. The data will be used to constrain models of fabric evolution and recrystallization processes. With the more refined models, scientists can address different questions and important problems related to ice deformation and ice cores. For example, the recent agreement between the climate records from the Greenland Ice Core Project (GRIP) and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) ice cores of the upper-90%, and the disagreement in the lower-10% emphasizes the need to understand and predict the mechanisms and probable depths of disruption in these and future deep ice cores. Evidence suggests that the stratigraphic disturbances arise from the anisotropic nature of ice crystals at a variety of scales. To properly model the deformation of anisotropic ice, the influence of fabric on deformation must be well known.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Ice Core Data; Siple Dome; Ice Fabric; Ice Core; USAP-DC", "locations": "Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology; Arctic Natural Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Wilen, Larry", "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": "Collaborative Research: Fabric and Texture Characteristics of Micro-Physical Processes in Ice", "uid": "p0000134", "west": null}, {"awards": "0125468 Severinghaus, Jeffrey", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -62.83,-144 -62.83,-108 -62.83,-72 -62.83,-36 -62.83,0 -62.83,36 -62.83,72 -62.83,108 -62.83,144 -62.83,180 -62.83,180 -65.547,180 -68.264,180 -70.981,180 -73.698,180 -76.415,180 -79.132,180 -81.849,180 -84.566,180 -87.283,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87.283,-180 -84.566,-180 -81.849,-180 -79.132,-180 -76.415,-180 -73.698,-180 -70.981,-180 -68.264,-180 -65.547,-180 -62.83))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 01 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports the continued measurements of gas isotopes in the Vostok ice core, from Antarctica. One objective is to identify the phasing of carbon dioxide variations and temperature variations, which may place constraints on hypothesized cause and effect relationships. Identification of phasing has in the past been hampered by the large and uncertain age difference between the gases trapped in air bubbles and the surrounding ice. This work will circumvent this issue by employing an indicator of temperature in the gas phase. It is argued that 40Ar/39Ar behaves as a qualitative indicator of temperature, via an indirect relationship between temperature, accumulation rate, firn thickness, and gravitational fractionation of the gas isotopes. The proposed research will make nitrogen and argon isotope measurements on ~ 200 samples of ice covering Termination II (130,000 yr B.P.) and Termination IV (340,000 yr BP). The broader impacts may include a better understanding of the role of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in climate change.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": false, "keywords": "Vostok; Isotope; Ice Core; Not provided", "locations": "Vostok", "north": -62.83, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Argon and nitrogen isotope measurements in the Vostok ice core as aconstraint on phasing of CO2 and temperature changes", "uid": "p0000752", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "9316564 Mayewski, Paul", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Ross Ice Drainage System (RIDS) Glaciochemical Analysis; Siple Dome Ice Core Chemistry and Ion Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609266", "doi": "10.7265/N5M906KG", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Snow Pit", "people": "Kreutz, Karl; Meeker, Loren D.; Twickler, Mark; Mayewski, Paul A.; Whitlow, Sallie", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Ross Ice Drainage System (RIDS) Glaciochemical Analysis", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609266"}, {"dataset_uid": "609251", "doi": "", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core", "people": "Dunbar, Nelia; Brook, Edward J.; Mayewski, Paul A.; Blunier, Thomas; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Kreutz, Karl", "repository": "NCEI", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Siple Dome Ice Core Chemistry and Ion Data", "url": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/paleo-search/study/2461"}], "date_created": "Thu, 26 Aug 2004 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9316564 Mayewski This award is for support for a three year program to provide a high resolution record of the Antarctic climate through the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of records of atmospheric chemical deposition taken from three ice cores located at sites within or immediately adjacent to the Ross Ice Drainage System (RIDS). These cores include one from Taylor Dome, and two from West Antarctic locations identified as potential deep drilling sites for the WAISCORES program. Collection of the two West Antarctic cores is intended to be a lightweight dry-drilling operation to depths of ~ 200 m, which will provide records of \u003e 2 kyr. Glaciochemical analyses will focus on the major cations and anions found in the antarctic atmosphere, plus methanesulfonic acid and selected measurements of the hydrogen ion, aluminum, iron, and silica. These analyses, and companion stable isotope and particle measurements to be carried out by other investigators require \u003c 7% by volume of each core, leaving \u003e 90% for other investigators and storage at the U.S. National Ice Core Laboratory. These records are intended to solve a variety of scientific objectives while also providing spatial sampling and reconnaissance for future U.S. efforts in West Antarctica. ***", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e ION CHROMATOGRAPHS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Magnesium; GROUND STATIONS; Nitrate; Methane Sulfonic Acid; Sodium; Ice Core Chemistry; Ammonium (NH4); Sulfate; Ice Core; Chloride; Potassium (k); Calcium (ca)", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": "PHANEROZOIC \u003e CENOZOIC \u003e QUATERNARY \u003e HOLOCENE", "persons": "Kreutz, Karl; Twickler, Mark; Whitlow, Sallie; Blunier, Thomas; Dunbar, Nelia; Brook, Edward J.; Mayewski, Paul A.; Meeker, Loren D.; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "NCEI; USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Ross Ice Drainage System (RIDS) Late Holocene Climate Variability", "uid": "p0000145", "west": null}, {"awards": "9017827 Lal, Devendra", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Dome C Ice Core Chemistry and Depth and Age Scale Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609243", "doi": "", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Depth-Age-Model; Dome C Ice Core; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate", "people": "Lorius, Claude; Lal, Devendra", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Dome C Ice Core", "title": "Dome C Ice Core Chemistry and Depth and Age Scale Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609243"}], "date_created": "Thu, 26 Aug 2004 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for support of a study to establish a quantitative nuclear method for determination of Antarctic ablation and accumulation rates and to provide correction factors for the carbon 14 ages of ice samples dated using trapped carbon 14. Recent studies have established the presence of cosmogenic in-situ produced carbon 14 in polar ice. In conjunction with estimated carbon 14 production rates, measured concentrations of carbon 14 per gram of ice yield, ablation rates which are in good agreement with the values determined from stake measurements. Similar studies to determine accumulation rates have been tested and the estimates are consistent with previous studies. This study will expand the preliminary work done to date in order to improve the 14CO and 14CO2 vacuum extraction techniques, by lowering blank levels and by obtaining more complete separation of 14CO and 14CO2.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "GROUND STATIONS", "locations": null, "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lal, Devendra; Lorius, Claude; Lal, Devendra", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Dome C Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Nuclear Studies of Accumulating and Ablation Ice Using Cosmogenic 14c", "uid": "p0000152", "west": null}, {"awards": "0126286 McConnell, Joseph", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -62.83,-144 -62.83,-108 -62.83,-72 -62.83,-36 -62.83,0 -62.83,36 -62.83,72 -62.83,108 -62.83,144 -62.83,180 -62.83,180 -65.547,180 -68.264,180 -70.981,180 -73.698,180 -76.415,180 -79.132,180 -81.849,180 -84.566,180 -87.283,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87.283,-180 -84.566,-180 -81.849,-180 -79.132,-180 -76.415,-180 -73.698,-180 -70.981,-180 -68.264,-180 -65.547,-180 -62.83))", "dataset_titles": "Siple Shallow Core Density Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609129", "doi": "10.7265/N52F7KCD", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; WAISCORES", "people": "Lamorey, Gregg W.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Siple Shallow Core Density Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609129"}], "date_created": "Mon, 19 Apr 2004 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award provides one year of support to use newly developed technology in which an ice-core melter is coupled with both an Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) and a traditional Continuous Flow Analysis (CFA) system, to measure a continuous time series of chemical and trace element deposition on the Siple Dome ice core from West Antarctica. A coupled ice-core melter, ICP-MS, and CFA system will be used to measure concentrations of a number of elements, isotopes and chemical species at very high depth resolution (~2-cm) in the top 54 m of the Siple Dome A-core. Pilot data from analyses of ~6 m from the nearby but much lower accumulation J-core site at Siple Dome, together with more extensive results from Summit, Greenland, indicate that it will be possible to obtain exactly co-registered, high-quality records of at least 12 seasonally varying elements (sodium, magnesium, aluminum, potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, rubidium, strontium, zirconium, barium, lead) and three other chemical species and ions (ammonium, nitrate, calcium ion) with this system. Under this proposed research, we will also add continuous measurements of sulfate to our system. Because more than sufficient core from Siple Dome for these depths is archived at the National Ice Core Laboratory, the proposed research will require no fieldwork. The continuous, very high-resolution, ~350-y record of these elemental tracers will enhance the value of previous chemical and isotopic measurements that have been made on the Siple Dome core and will be particularly valuable for comparisons between ice-core proxies and modern instrumental data related to El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) as well as for validation of model simulations of atmospheric circulation. These data, and the expertise gained through this research, will be invaluable when this novel chemical analysis technology is eventually applied to deep ice-core records for the study of rapid climate-change events.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "WAISCORES; Siple Coast; Glaciology; Not provided; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Ice Core; Siple; Antarctica; Density; Snow; Ice Sheet; Siple Dome; Shallow Core; GROUND STATIONS; Stratigraphy", "locations": "Antarctica; Siple; Siple Coast; Siple Dome", "north": -62.83, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lamorey, Gregg W.; McConnell, Joseph", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": -90.0, "title": "Continuous High Resolution Ice-Core Chemistry using ICP-MS at Siple Dome", "uid": "p0000159", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "9615333 Saltzman, Eric", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(-148.8 -81.7)", "dataset_titles": "Biogenic Sulfur in the Siple Dome Ice Core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609201", "doi": "10.7265/N5S180F1", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; WAISCORES", "people": "Saltzman, Eric; Finley, Brandon; Dioumaeva, Irina", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Biogenic Sulfur in the Siple Dome Ice Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609201"}], "date_created": "Tue, 09 Mar 2004 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for support for four years of funding for a program of biogenic sulfur measurements on the Siple Dome ice core. Biogenic sulfur is a major aerosol-forming constituent of the atmosphere and has potentially important links to the earth\u0027s radiation budget. Previous work on the Vostok ice core has demonstrated a remarkable climate-related variability in biogenic sulfur, suggesting that the sulfur cycle may act to stabilize climate (keep the glacial atmosphere cool and the interglacial atmosphere warm) in the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, methane-sulfonate (MSA) will be measured on the Siple Dome ice core as part of the West Antarctic ice sheet program (WAIS). Siple Dome is located in a region which is strongly impacted by the incursion of marine air onto the Antarctic plateau. Because of its proximity to the coast and meteorological setting, it is expected that variability in high-latitude marine biogenic sulfur emissions should dominate the MSA record at this site. In addition to the deep ice core record, samples from shallow cores will also be analyzed to provide information about regional variability and decadal-to-centennial scale variability in the deposition of sulfur-containing aerosols from high latitude source regions over the past 200 years.", "east": -148.8, "geometry": "POINT(-148.8 -81.7)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS; Siple Dome; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Biogenic Sulfur; FIELD INVESTIGATION; Not provided; LABORATORY; Methane Sulfonate", "locations": "Siple Dome", "north": -81.7, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Saltzman, Eric; Dioumaeva, Irina; Finley, Brandon", "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-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": -81.7, "title": "Biogenic Sulfur in the Siple Dome Ice Core", "uid": "p0000251", "west": -148.8}, {"awards": "9980691 Wahlen, Martin", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Atmospheric CO2 Trapped in the Ice Core from Siple Dome, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609202", "doi": "10.7265/N5N877Q9", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; CO2; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core", "people": "Deck, Bruce; Ahn, Jinho; Wahlen, Martin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Atmospheric CO2 Trapped in the Ice Core from Siple Dome, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609202"}], "date_created": "Thu, 11 Dec 2003 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9980691 Wahlen This award is for support for three years of funding to reconstruct the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon-13 isotope (d13C) concentration in ice cores from Antarctica over several climatic periods. Samples from the Holocene, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)-Holocene transition and glacial stadial/interstadial episodes will be examined. Samples from the Siple Dome ice core drilled in 1998/99 will be made, in addition to measurements from the Taylor Dome and Vostok ice cores. The major objectives are to investigate the phase relationships between variations in the concentration of atmospheric CO2, its carbon isotope composition, and temperature changes (indicated by 18dO and dD of the ice) during deglaciations as well as across rapid climate change events (e.g. Dansgaard-Oeschger events). This will help to determine systematic changes in the global carbon cycle during and between different climatic periods, and to ascertain if the widely spread northern hemisphere temperature stadial/interstadial events produced a global atmospheric carbon dioxide signal. Proven experimental techniques will be used.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD SURVEYS; Siple Dome; Ice Core; USAP-DC; Carbon Dioxide", "locations": "Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Wahlen, Martin; Ahn, Jinho; Deck, Bruce", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "CO2 and Delta 13CO2 in Antarctic Ice Cores", "uid": "p0000166", "west": null}, {"awards": "9419128 Stearns, Charles", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Three-Hourly Antarctic Automatic Weather Station Data, 1980-2000", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609111", "doi": "", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; AWS; Weatherstation", "people": "Stearns, Charles R.; Lazzara, Matthew; Keller, Linda M.; Weidner, George A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Three-Hourly Antarctic Automatic Weather Station Data, 1980-2000", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609111"}], "date_created": "Mon, 18 Aug 2003 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9419128 Stearns This is a project to maintain and augment as necessary, the network of nearly fifty automatic weather stations established on the Antarctic continent and on several surrounding islands. These weather stations measure surface wind, pressure, temperature, humidity, and in some instances other atmospheric variables, such as snow accumulation and incident solar radiation, and report these via satellite to a number of ground stations. The data are used for operational weather forecasting in support of the United States Antarctic program, for climatological records, and for research purposes. The AWS network, which began as a small-scale program in 1980, has been extremely reliable and has proven indispensable for both forecasting and research purposes. ***", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CURRENT/WIND METERS \u003e ANEMOMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PRESSURE/HEIGHT METERS \u003e BAROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e HUMIDITY SENSORS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e TEMPERATURE SENSORS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Surface Temperature Measurements; USAP-DC; Atmospheric Pressure; Automated Weather Station; Surface Winds; Near-Surface Air Temperatures; Surface Wind Speed Measurements; Atmospheric Humidity Measurements; AWS; Not provided; Snow Temperature; Surface Temperatures; Antarctica; Snow Temperature Measurements", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Lazzara, Matthew; Stearns, Charles R.; Weidner, George A.; Keller, Linda M.", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Continuation for the Antarctic Automatic Weather Station Climate Program 1995-1998", "uid": "p0000151", "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": "Catania, Ginny; Conway, Howard; Raymond, Charles; Scambos, Ted; Gades, Anthony", "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": "9526979 White, James", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Siple Dome Core Date from Measurement of the d18O of Paleoatmospheric Oxygen", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609123", "doi": "10.7265/N5TX3C95", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; WAISCORES", "people": "Bender, Michael; White, James", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Siple Dome Core Date from Measurement of the d18O of Paleoatmospheric Oxygen", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609123"}], "date_created": "Mon, 16 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for support for a program to measure the stable isotope (deuterium to hydrogen and oxygen-18 to oxygen-16) concentrations of ice cores retrieved from Siple Dome as part of the West Antarctic ice sheet program. In addition, the deuterium excess of samples from the Taylor Dome ice core will be determined. This project will approach the question of rapid climate change using ice cores to determine the history of temperature changes, moisture source changes, and elevational changes in the West Antarctic ice sheet. Results from ice cores taken to date in the interior of Antarctica (East and West) are surprisingly lacking in indications of abrupt climate changes, such as those that have been observed in the GISP2 ice core from Summit, Greenland. This work will address the question of whether rapid climate changes, which are known to have occurred in other parts of the southern hemi-sphere, may have also occurred in the coastal regions of West Antarctica. There is some indication from existing records of isotopes in ice cores that the West Antarctic ice sheet may have flushed ice in the past (as evidenced by large changes in elevation of the ice sheet).", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Antarctica; LABORATORY; WAISCORES; GROUND STATIONS; Siple Coast; Glaciology; Snow; D18O; Isotope; Thermometry; Ice Sheet; Siple; Accumulation; Ice Core; Siple Dome; Stratigraphy; Densification; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided", "locations": "Antarctica; Siple; Siple Coast; Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "White, James; Bender, Michael", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Isotopic Measurements on the WAIS/Siple Dome Ice Cores", "uid": "p0000063", "west": null}, {"awards": "9615347 Conway, Howard", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Roosevelt Island Bedrock and Surface Elevations; Roosevelt Island Ice Core Density and Beta Count Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609140", "doi": "10.7265/N51J97NB", "keywords": "Antarctica; Elevation; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; GPR; Roosevelt Island; Solid Earth", "people": "Conway, Howard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Roosevelt Island Bedrock and Surface Elevations", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609140"}, {"dataset_uid": "609139", "doi": "10.7265/N55718ZW", "keywords": "Antarctica; Beta Count; Density; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; Roosevelt Island", "people": "Conway, Howard", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Roosevelt Island Ice Core Density and Beta Count Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609139"}], "date_created": "Fri, 23 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for two years of support to perform radar investigations across former shear margins at Roosevelt Island and Ice Stream C in order to measure changes in the configuration and continuity of internal layers and the bed. The broad goal of these investigations is to gain an understanding of ice stream flow and the timing and mechanisms of ice stream shutdown. A high-resolution short-pulse radar system will be used for detailed examination of the uppermost hundred meters of the firn and ice, and a monopulse sounding-radar system will be used to image the rest of the ice column (including internal layers) and the bed. Changes in the shape and continuity of layers will be used to interpret mechanisms and modes of ice stream flow including the possible migration of stagnation fronts and rates of shut-down. Variations in bed reflectivity will be used to deduce basal hydrology conditions across lineations. Accumulation rates deduced from snow pits and shallow cores will be used to estimate near-surface depth-age profiles. Improved understanding of ice stream history opens the possibility of linking changes in the West Antarctic ice sheet with the geologic evidence from Northern Victoria Land and the ocean record of the retreat of the grounding line in the Ross Sea.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e ALTIMETERS \u003e RADAR ALTIMETERS \u003e RA; 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; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Radioactive Decay; Radar Echo Sounder; Antarctica; Radar Altimetry; Densification; Bedrock Elevation; Ice Sheet Elevation; Satellite Radar Data; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Radar; Ice Core; Snow Stratigraphy; Terrain Elevation; Antarctic Ice Sheet; Stable Isotopes; Ice Surface Elevation; Surface Elevation; Glaciology; Snow Densification; Ice Core Data; GROUND STATIONS; Not provided; Altimetry; Antarctic; Ice Core Stratigraphy; Ice Stratigraphy", "locations": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Antarctic Ice Sheet", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Conway, Howard", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Radar Investigations of Former Shear Margins: Roosevelt Island and Ice Stream C", "uid": "p0000164", "west": null}, {"awards": "9527262 Gow, Anthony", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Physical and Structural Properties of the Siple Dome Ice Cores", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609128", "doi": "10.7265/N5668B34", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; WAISCORES", "people": "Meese, Deb; Gow, Tony", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Physical and Structural Properties of the Siple Dome Ice Cores", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609128"}], "date_created": "Wed, 14 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for support for a program to investigate the visual stratigraphy, index physical properties, relaxation characteristics and crystalline structure of ice cores from Siple Dome, West Antarctica. This investigation will include measurements of a time-priority nature that must be initiated at the drill site on freshly-drilled cores. This will be especially true of cores from the brittle ice zone, which is expected to comprise a significant fraction of the ice core. The brittle zone includes ice in which relaxation , resulting from the release of confining pressure is maximized and leads to significant changes in the mechanical condition of the core that must be considered in relation to the processing and analysis of ice samples for entrapped gas and chemical studies. This relaxation will be monitored via precision density measurements made initially at the drill site and repeated at intervals back in the U.S. Other studies will include measurement of the annual layering in the core to as great a depth as visual stratigraphy can be deciphered, crystal size measurements as a function of depth and age, c-axis fabric studies, and analysis of the physical properties of any debris-bearing basal ice and its relationship to the underlying bedrock. Only through careful documentation and analysis of these key properties can we hope to accurately assess the dynamic state of the ice and the age-depth relationships essential to deciphering the paleoclimate record at this location.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Siple Dome; Antarctica; Stratigraphy; Ice Sheet; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Density; Siple; Chemical Composition; Volcanic Deposits; Siple Coast; WAISCORES; Not provided; GROUND STATIONS; Pico; Ice Core; Tephra; Fabric; Glaciology; Snow", "locations": "Antarctica; Siple; Siple Coast; Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Gow, Tony; Meese, Deb", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Physical and Structural Properties of the Siple Dome Core", "uid": "p0000064", "west": null}, {"awards": "9526420 Taylor, Kendrick", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Siple Dome Cores Electrical Measurement Data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609133", "doi": "10.7265/N5DR2SDN", "keywords": "Antarctica; Electrical Conductivity; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Physical Properties; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; WAISCORES", "people": "Taylor, Kendrick C.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Siple Dome Cores Electrical Measurement Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609133"}], "date_created": "Thu, 08 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for support for the measurement of electrical and optical properties of the Siple Dome ice core. The electrical methods can be used to determine the concentration of the hydrogen ions and the concentration of a weighted sum of all ions. The electrical measurements can resolve features as small as 1 cm. The albedo of the core is also measured with a laser system that can resolve features as small as 0.5 cm. The high spatial resolution of these methods makes them ideal for resolving narrow features in the core, which can be missed in larger composite samples. The measurements will be particularly useful for assisting to date the core and to identify short duration features in the record, such as volcanic eruptions. These measurements will also provide useful information for assessing the temporal variability of Holocene accumulation rate and atmospheric circulation.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Densification; Siple Dome; Glaciology; Snow; Thermometry; WAISCORES; Electrical; Isotope; GROUND STATIONS; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; Ice Sheet; Siple Coast; Ice Core; Siple; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica; Siple; Siple Coast; Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Taylor, Kendrick C.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Electrical and Optical Measurements on the Siple Dome Ice Core", "uid": "p0000163", "west": null}, {"awards": "9526449 Mayewski, Paul", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "WAISCORES Snow Pit Chemistry, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609420", "doi": "10.7265/N5SQ8XBR", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Snow Pit; WAIS; WAISCORES", "people": "Mayewski, Paul A.; Kreutz, Karl", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "WAISCORES Snow Pit Chemistry, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609420"}], "date_created": "Thu, 11 Jul 2002 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for support for a program of glaciochemical analyses of shallow and deep ice cores from Siple Dome, West Antarctica. Measurements that have been proposed include chloride, nitrate, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, ammonium and methansulfonic acid. These measurements will provide information about past volcanic events, biomass source strength, sea ice fluctuations, atmospheric circulation, changes in ice-free areas and the environmental response to Earth orbit insolation changes and solar variability. The glaciochemical records from the Siple Dome core will be developed at a resolution sufficient to compare with the Summit, Greenland record, thus allowing a bipolar comparison of climate change event timing and magnitude. As part of this award, an international workshop will be held during the first year to formulate a science plan for the International Transantarctic Scientific Expedition (ITASE), a program of regional surveys documenting the spatial distribution of properties measured in ice cores .", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Ion Chemistry; Antarctic; Snow Chemistry; Stable Isotopes; Snow Density; Siple Dome; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS", "locations": "Antarctic; Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Kreutz, Karl; Mayewski, Paul A.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Siple Dome Deep Ice Core Glaciochemistry and Regional Survey - A Contribution to the WAIS Initiative", "uid": "p0000012", "west": null}, {"awards": "9526572 Bales, Roger", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Snow-atmosphere Transfer Function for Reversibly Deposited Chemical Species in West Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609122", "doi": "10.7265/N5ZP441W", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Siple Dome; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; WAISCORES", "people": "Bales, Roger; McConnell, Joseph", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Snow-atmosphere Transfer Function for Reversibly Deposited Chemical Species in West Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609122"}], "date_created": "Thu, 11 Jul 2002 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award is for support for a program of measurements to improve our understanding of the relationship between formaldehyde (HCHO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the atmosphere and the concentrations of the same species in Antarctic snow, firn and ice. This work aims to relate changes in concentrations in the snow, firn and ice to corresponding changes in tropospheric chemistry. Atmospheric and firn sampling for formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide at one or more of the WAIS ice core drilling sites will be undertaken and controlled laboratory studies to estimate thermodynamic and rate parameters will be performed. In addition, this work will involve modeling of atmosphere-snow exchange processes to infer the \"transfer function\" for reactive species at the sites and atmospheric photochemical modeling to relate changes in concentrations of formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide in snow, firn and ice to atmospheric oxidation capacity. This work will contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between atmospheric concentrations of various species and those same species measured in snow and ice samples.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Siple Dome; Antarctica; Isotope; WAISCORES; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; GROUND STATIONS; Snow; Glaciology; LABORATORY; Siple; Siple Coast; Thermometry; Hydrogen Peroxide; Ice Sheet", "locations": "Antarctica; Siple; Siple Coast; Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bales, Roger; McConnell, Joseph", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Snow-Atmosphere Transfer Function for Reversibly Deposited Chemical Species in West Antarctica", "uid": "p0000060", "west": null}, {"awards": "9526601 Albert, Mary", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Snow and Firn Temperature and Permeability Measurements from Siple Dome, Antarctica", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609100", "doi": "10.7265/N5S46PVZ", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciology; Permeability; Siple Dome; Siple Dome Ice Core; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Temperature", "people": "Albert, Mary R.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Snow and Firn Temperature and Permeability Measurements from Siple Dome, Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609100"}], "date_created": "Sat, 01 Dec 2001 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a project to examine the physical processes that affect the manner in which heat, vapor and chemical species in air are incorporated into snow and polar firn. The processes include advection, diffusion, and the effects of solar radiation penetration into the snow. An understanding of these processes is important because they control the rate at which reactive and non-reactive chemical species in the atmosphere become incorporated into the snow, firn, and polar ice, and thus will affect interpretation of polar ice core data. Currently, the interpretation of polar ice core data assumes that diffusion controls the rate at which chemical species are incorporated into firn. This project will determine whether ventilation, or advection of the species by air movement in the firn, and radiation penetration processes have a significant effect. Field studies at the two West Antarctic ice sheet deep drilling sites will be conducted to determine the spatial and temporal extent for key parameters, and boundary conditions needed to model the advection, conduction, and radiation transmission/absorption processes. An existing multidimensional numerical model is being expanded to simulate the processes and to serve as the basis for ongoing and future work in transport and distribution of reactive chemical species.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROBES \u003e PERMEAMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMOMETERS \u003e THERMOMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Glaciology; Antarctica; Snow Permeability; Firn Permeability; USAP-DC; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Not provided; GROUND STATIONS; Snow Properties; Snow Temperature; Siple Dome; Firn Temperature", "locations": "Antarctica; Siple Dome", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Albert, Mary R.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Near-Surface Processes Affecting Gas Exchange: West Antarctic Ice Sheet", "uid": "p0000061", "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": "9725305 Severinghaus, Jeffrey", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "Firn Air Isotope and Temperature Measurements from Siple Dome and South Pole", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "609098", "doi": "10.7265/N51N7Z2P", "keywords": "Antarctica; Atmosphere; Chemistry:ice; Chemistry:Ice; Geochemistry; Glaciology; Isotope; Paleoclimate; Siple Dome; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; South Pole; Temperature", "people": "Battle, Mark; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.; Grachev, Alexi", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "title": "Firn Air Isotope and Temperature Measurements from Siple Dome and South Pole", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/609098"}], "date_created": "Mon, 01 Jan 2001 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "9725305 Severinghaus This award supports a project to develop and apply a new technique for quantifying temperature changes in the past based on the thermodynamic principle of thermal diffusion, in which gas mixtures in a temperature gradient become fractionated. Air in polar firn is fractionated by temperature gradients induced by abrupt climate change, and a record of this air is preserved in bubbles in the ice. The magnitude of the abrupt temperature change, the precise relative timing, and an estimate of the absolute temperature change can be determined. By providing a gas-phase stratigraphic marker of temperature change, the phasing of methane (with decadal precision) and hence widespread climate change (relative to local polar temperature changes) can be determined (across five abrupt warming events during the last glacial period).", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SAMPLERS \u003e BOTTLES/FLASKS/JARS \u003e FLASKS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSORS \u003e THERMISTORS \u003e THERMISTORS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Isotopic History; GROUND STATIONS; Thermal Diffusion; Firn Temperature Measurements; Not provided; Oxygen Isotope; Trapped Air Bubbles; Shallow Firn Air; Firn Air Isotope Measurements; Seasonal Temperature Gradients; Mass Spectrometry; GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; Thermal Fractionation; Polar Firn Air; Isotopic Anomalies; Xenon; Atmospheric Gases; Argon Isotopes; Siple Dome; Krypton; Nitrogen Isotopes; Seasonal Temperature Changes; Antarctica; Ice Core Gas Records; Firn Air Isotopes; Mass Spectrometer; South Pole; Firn Isotopes; Borehole", "locations": "Antarctica; Siple Dome; South Pole", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Battle, Mark; Grachev, Alexi; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e PERMANENT LAND SITES \u003e GROUND STATIONS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "Siple Dome Ice Core", "south": null, "title": "Thermal Fractionation of Firn Air and the Ice Core Record of Abrupt Interstadial Climate Change", "uid": "p0000160", "west": null}, {"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}]
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Non-Technical Abstract The deep world ocean is flooded with near 0°C water, drawn from the margins of Antarctica. Antarctic Bottom Water, as it is referred to, is mainly derived from cold water formed the over the continental shelves of the Weddell and Ross Seas, where the coastal water is exposed to frigid polar air masses spreading off the Antarctic ice sheet. Antarctic Bottom Water is a key component of the global ocean overturning system, which is fundamental to the global ocean heat, carbon and nutrient inventories, and hence the climate and marine ecosystem. The processes producing the dense shelf waters involve small scale factors associated with ocean/atmosphere/sea and glacial ice interaction. What is lacking from previous work is a coordinated, synchronous observational study of the seaward spreading, from formation, to export across the continental shelf edge, to its descent into the deep ocean. This work fills the gap, by investigating the characteristics of dense shelf water formed within Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea, its transformation, modification and northward spreading within the Drygalski Trough in the western Ross Sea, feeding into the spill-over at the continental slope into the deep boundary current adjacent to Cape Adare. The sequence of events will be observed with a series of instrumented moorings along the pathway from Terra Nova Bay, along the Drygalski Trough and onto the boundary current adjacent to Cape Adare. The project is an international collaboration that involves the USA (this proposal), S. Korea, New Zealand and Italy. Technical Abstract The lower kilometer or two of the world ocean is flooded with near 0°C water derived from the Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW). The cold end-member of AABW is formed over various sectors of the continental shelf of Antarctica, notable in the Weddell and Ross Seas. The governing processes producing the dense shelf waters involve small scale spatial and temporal factors associated with ocean/sea ice interaction, often related to coastal polynyas and katabatic winds, along with further modification by ocean-glacial ice interaction. There have been studies of the formation of dense shelf water, of export of shelf water over the shelf/slope, the descent of gravity currents into the AABW realm, and of flow paths of AABW spreading across the deep ocean well into the northern hemisphere. What is lacking is a coordinated, synchronous observational study of the seaward spreading, from formation of the dense shelf water to its spreading to the shelf/slope break and descent into the deep ocean. This program fills the gap, by investigating the characteristics of dense shelf water formed within Terra Nova Bay (TNB), Ross Sea, its transformation, modification and northward spreading within the Drygalski Trough in the western Ross Sea, feeding into the spill-over at the continental slope and the deep boundary current adjacent to Cape Adare. The team will deploy a series of moorings – two heavily instrumented full water column moorings within TNB to capture high-salinity shelf water (HSSW) production and a series of bottom-focused moorings to evaluate the transformation and northward spreading of the dense saline water. The broad science goals of the project will be addressed by this program through a coordinated analysis of these mooring measurements. The project is an international collaboration that involves the USA (this proposal), S. Korea, New Zealand and Italy. 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 ice shelves around the perimeter Antarctica hold back inland ice that has the potential to raise global sea level by meters. By how much and how rapidly this could occur is a central question in glaciology. The underside of these ice shelves is in contact with the ocean, and there are signs that warming of ocean water is causing melting and retreat of these shelves, with direct implications for sea-level rise. This project will seize an emergent opportunity to work with Australian and South Korean colleagues to acquire snapshot profiles of ocean temperature, salinity, and velocity, and improve bathymetric knowledge, where no prior data exist. The team will work near three glaciers draining ice with substantial sea-level potential from the East and West Antarctic Ice Sheets. The targets are Shackleton and Cook Ice Shelves in East Antarctica, and Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. An undergraduate student will be engaged through the Scripps Undergraduate Research Fellowship program and the team will work through the Scripps Educational Alliances program to identify educational outreach opportunities through which to build community engagement in this project. The team will use high-resolution general circulation model simulations to optimize sensor targeting (to be deployed from helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft) and evaluate the relative roles of subglacial freshwater discharge and ocean forcing on subglacial melt rates. The aim is to better understand why grounding-line melt rates are higher at the East Antarctic sites despite data indicating warmer ambient ocean temperatures at the West Antarctic sites. Such behavior could be explained by discharge of subglacial freshwater into ice-shelf cavities, but insufficient data currently exist to test this hypothesis. The team aims to build on ongoing international, collaborative airborne oceanographic sampling with colleagues in the Republic of Korea, Australia, and the United States. 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.
Surface and upper-ocean processes in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) play an important role in ocean heat transport, air-sea gas fluxes (such as pCO2) and in sea-ice formation. The net of these in turn modulate global climate, sea level rise and global circulation. This project continues the field development of a surface autonomous vehicle (https://www.liquid-robotics.com/wave-glider/overview/ ) to better measure and study these processes in the remote Southern Ocean, where continuous data is otherwise very difficult to obtain. Mobile autonomous surface vehicles, powered by sunlight and wave action provide a very cost effective manner of solving the problem of obtaining unattended observational coverage in the remote Southern Ocean. The project will support ongoing education and outreach efforts by the PIs including school presentations, visits to science centers and the development of educational materials. The WaveGlider has an established track record of navigating successful spatial surveys and positioned time series measurements in otherwise inhospitable waters and sea-states. The study includes the addition of some new measurement capabilities such as an (upper mixed) layer profiling CTD winch, a high frequency acoustic Doppler turbulence system, and a biogeochemical chlorophyll fluorescence sensor. This augmented instrumentation package will be used for a set of Austral summer season experiments observing ocean-shelf exchange along with frontal air-sea interactions in the vicinity of the West Antarctic Peninsula. 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 main goal of this project is to identify and geochemically characterize atmospheric mineral nanoparticles in pre-industrial Antarctic ice during the last climatic cycle. Recent technological and industrial development is introducing a large number of natural and engineered nanoparticles into Earth's atmosphere. These constitute a concern for human health, mainly due to their high chemical reactivity. While many atmospheric nanoparticle studies have been performed in modern urban environments, there is essentially no information about their occurrence in a pristine pre-industrial atmosphere. This information is critical, as it constitutes an important benchmark for comparison to the modern atmosphere. Information on nanoparticles from the pre-industrial atmosphere can be obtained from atmospheric mineral nanoparticles that are entrapped in remote pre-industrial Antarctic ice covering the last climatic cycles. Mineral nanoparticles can also affect several climatic processes. First, they directly influence the global energy balance by reflecting solar radiation and indirectly influence through changes in cloud formation (and clouds also reflect solar radiation). Second, atmospheric mineral nanoparticles such as iron oxides could have fertilized the oceans, causing blooms of marine phytoplankton that may have drawn part of the atmospheric carbon dioxide into the oceans during glacial ages (the "biological pump"). Third, a significant amount of extraterrestrial material entering the Earth atmosphere is thought to be transported to the poles as nanoparticles called "meteoric smoke" that form polar stratospheric clouds implicated in changes of the ozone hole. This project aims to establish the natural background of unknown classes of glacial particles whose size is below the detection limit of the conventional dust analyzers. The team will take advantage of ice samples from the "horizontal ice core", already extracted from the remote Taylor Glacier (coastal East Antarctica) covering the last ~44,000 years. These ancient samples are particularly suited to project scope because i) a large ice volume is available ii) the team expects to find a markedly different geochemistry between nanoparticles deposited during the last glacial age and during the current interglacial. A set of advanced techniques including Transmission Electron Microscopy, Single Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (spICP-MS), spICP-Time of Flight MS, and Field Flow Fractionation will be employed to determine mineral nanoparticle sizes, number/volume, and chemical composition. So far, the elemental composition of dust entrapped in polar ice has been mainly determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Sector Field Mass Spectrometry and it is generally assumed to be descriptive of the coarse aeolian dust fraction. However, project will test whether or not the determined elemental composition is instead mainly linked to the previously unobserved smaller mineral nanoparticle content. Results on nanoparticles will be compared with a set of new experiments of total dust composition measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Sector Field Mass Spectrometry, using the same ice samples from Taylor Glacier. 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 description: The crabeater seal is the most important predator of Antarctic krill in the western Antarctic Peninsula oceanic waters after the disappearance of large whales due to human hunting 100 years ago. The crabeater seals are expected to consume large quantities of krill due to their high abundance (about 7 million individuals), large body size (about 700 pounds in body weight), high metabolism and a diet specializing in krill. This species depends on sea ice presence all year long, living, reproducing, and diving to feed from that environment, making this marine mammal species a good indicator, or sentinel, of how the Antarctic ecosystem responds to a changing climate. As sea ice has been decreasing in the northern Antarctic Peninsula, this project aims to understand if the species food availability has changed in the last decades in response to environmental changes. In particular, the proposed work will concentrate on known populations of crabeater seals in northern (i.e., warmer, sub-polar) and southern (i.e., colder, polar) Antarctic Peninsula, 450 miles apart, making measurements on the abundance, physiology, metabolic needs and movement of the crabeater populations in both locations. The data will be combined to build models that will quantify the existing differences between northern and southern populations, as well as predict their future change, and compare present-day measurements with those collected by the British Antarctic Survey in the mid-1900s. The project is a collaboration between an international and interdisciplinary team from the United States and United Kingdom, benefitting NSF goals to facilitate collaborative geoscience research projects involving these two countries as well as aligning directly with U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) to better understand the forces shaping the global environment, both human and natural, and their impacts on society. To further increase polar literacy and education, Principal Investigators will train at least 2 graduate students and several undergraduates across two US institutions, as well as one UK-based post-doctoral researcher. Part II: Technical description: Crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga) are considered an excellent sentinel species through which to examine the effects of a changing climate on the extended Antarctic krill-dependent predator community and the structure of the entire ecosystem of the western Antarctic Peninsula. Over the last forty years, there have been significant changes in the temporal and spatial patterns of primary productivity, and shifts in the population dynamics of Antarctic krill, the dominant mid-trophic level species. The impact of such changes on year-round resident species of crabeater seals (the most important predator of Antarctic krill) is more difficult to understand as they are not associated with breeding colonies where their population fluctuations could be more readily observed. The proposed research is conceived under the premise that environmental change has accentuated the differences between the northern and southern western Antarctic Peninsula crabeater seal populations due to differential reductions in sea-ice and its possible effect on prey availability. To address this question, this research will combine measurements on animal movement, stable isotope analyses, whole-animal physiology, and novel survey technologies (small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, satellite imagery) to build models. The project is a collaboration between an international and interdisciplinary team from the United States and United Kingdom. These studies will be essential to detect past, and project future, changes in the ecology of this species in response to changes in sea ice when comparing present-day measurements with those collected by the British Antarctic Survey in the mid-1900s. To further increase polar literacy and education, Principal Investigators will train at least 2 graduate students and several undergraduates across two US institutions, as well as one UK-based post-doctoral researcher. Students involved with this project will gain invaluable research experience in the lab and will have a unique opportunity to participate in Antarctic fieldwork. 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.
Phytoplankton, or microscopic marine algae, are an important part of the carbon cycle and can lower the rates of atmospheric carbon dioxide by transferring the atmospheric carbon into the oceans. The concentration of phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean is regularly limited by the availability of marine iron. This in turn influences the rate of carbon transfer from the atmosphere to the ocean. The primary source of iron in the Southern Ocean is eroded continental rock. Understanding the current and future sources of iron to the Southern Ocean as a result of increased melting of terrestrial glaciers is necessary for predicting future concentrations of Southern Ocean phytoplankton and the subsequent influence on the carbon cycle. A poorly understood source of iron to the Southern Ocean is stream input from ice-free regions such as the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. This source of iron is likely to become larger if glaciers retreat. This study investigates the sources and amount of iron transported by McMurdo Dry Valley streams directly into the Southern Ocean. Because not all forms of iron can be used by phytoplankton, experiments will be performed to determine how available iron is to phytoplankton and how iron mixes with seawater. Immersive 360-degree video, infographics, and educational videos of findings from this project will be shared on social media, at schools and science events, and in an urban science center. In the Southern Ocean (SO) there is an excess of macronutrients but regional primary production is limited or co-limited due to iron. An addition of iron to the ocean will affect biochemical cycles, increase primary production, and affect the structure and composition of phytoplankton communities in the SO. Iron flux to the SO is globally significant, as increased Fe fertilization leads to increased carbon sequestration which acts as a negative feedback to increased atmospheric pCO2. One source of potentially bioavailable iron to the coastal regions of the SO is from direct sub-aerial stream discharge in ice-free areas of Antarctica, a source that may become more important if terrestrial glaciers retreat. It is imperative to understand the source, nature, potential fate, and flux of iron to the SO if better predictive models for the carbon cycle and atmospheric chemistry are to be developed. This project will investigate in-stream processes and characteristics controlling dissolved iron draining into the Ross Sea including photoreduction, temperature, and complexation with organic matter. The novel study will quantify bioavailability of particulate iron and bioavailability of dissolved iron in Antarctic in streams draining into the SO. On-site speciation measurements will be performed on dissolved iron species, particulate iron speciation will be determined using high-resolution spectroscopy, mixing experiments will be performed with coastal marine water, and the bioavailability of Fe will be determined through marine bioassays. This project will provide two students with valuable Antarctic field experience and reach thousands of individuals through existing partnerships with K-12 schools, public STEM events, an urban science center, and a strong social media presence. 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.
MacAyeal, Douglas; Banwell, Alison; Campbell, Seth; Schild, Kristin; Cassoto, Ryan
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Non-Technical Abstract: This project explores the areas or crash-zones where floating ice shelves in Antarctica compressively flow against obstructions such as islands and plugs of stagnant ice frozen to the sea bed. The significance of these crash-zones is that they are responsible for generating the resistive forces that allow ice shelves to slow down the flow of ice farther inland into the ocean. Ice conditions within these boundaries thus determine how Antarctica’s ice sheets contribute to sea-level rise. The research will feature on-the-ice glaciological and geophysical field measurements near pressure ridges near Scott Base and the transition to the ice road where large wave-like pressure ridges form on the ice-shelf surface. This field area is along the coast of Ross Island adjacent to major logistical stations of the US and New Zealand Antarctic programs. Thus the research will help station managers better preserve one of the key roadways that connects the stations to the major runway used to fly to virtually all other parts of Antarctica. The research will also interact with educational programs such as featured in the long-standing Juneau Icefield Research Project as well as potential involvement of an artist from the US Antarctic Program’s Polar STEAM in the second field season. Technical Abstract: This project explores the dynamics of boundaries where ice shelves compressively flow against obstructions such as islands and areas of grounded ice. The significance of these boundaries is that they are responsible for generating the resistive forces that allow ice shelves to impede or slow down the flow of grounded inland ice into the ocean. Ice conditions within these boundaries thus determine how Antarctica’s ice sheets contribute to sea-level rise. The research will feature glaciological and geophysical field surveys in a compressive boundary area near pressure ridges adjacent to Scott Base and the transition to the ice road along the coast of Ross Island, an area affecting access to major logistical hubs of the US and New Zealand Antarctic programs. Field data will be combined with remote sensing, numerical modeling and theory development to answer key questions about the dynamics of compressive boundaries such as: is there a limit to compressive stress due to ice fracture and the bending of the ice shelf into sinusoidal pressure ridges? Over what time scales does this compressive stress build, fluctuate and decay, and how is it related to the processes that form rumples? Are there ways in which the ridges actually protect the compressive boundary from damage such as by setting up a means to scatter ocean swell impinging from the open ocean? How should compressive ice-shelf boundaries be represented in large scale ice-sheet/shelf models for the prediction of future sea-level rise? A variety of broader impact work will be done both specifically targeting the research field area and more broadly addressing scientific and societal concerns. The field area contains a critical logistics roadway that connects McMurdo Station, Scott Base and a runway essential for continent-wide air logistics. The project will inform how to stabilize the roadway against excessive damage from summer ablation and other factors. Other broader impacts include: (a) Open-Science evaluation of climate systems engineering strategies for glacial geoengineering mitigation of sea-level rise, (b) cooperation with the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) education component, (c) support and facilitation of an online FieldSafe workshop and associated panel discussion to support early-career Antarctic field teams to mitigate environmental and interpersonal risks in remote field sites, and (d) potential involvement of an artist from the US Antarctic Program’s Polar STEAM in the second field season. 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 ozone hole that develops over the Antarctic continent every spring is one of the features attributed to human activity, in particular production of the CFC (chlorofluorocarbons in refrigerants) released to the atmosphere. In spite of the CFC ban from the Montreal Protocol established in the year 1987, the recovery has been slower than predicted. Bromocarbons, known to produce the stratospheric ozone depletion, have recently been estimated to contribute to the pool of bromines in the lower atmosphere. What is the origin of the bromocarbons in Antarctic sea ice? Is this an additional source of chemicals creating the ozone hole? This project will test if bromocarbons in sea ice are produced and degraded by microalgae and bacteria found in sea ice, in snow and the interface between the two. The project will collect a suite of chemical and biological measurements of sea ice and snow to determine bromocarbon concentrations, microbial activity associated with them, and intra-cellular genes and proteins involved in bromocarbon metabolism. This project benefits NSF’s goals of expanding fundamental knowledge of Antarctic systems, biota, and processes, and improving the understanding of interactions among the Antarctic systems, cryosphere and organisms. The work will be carried out at McMurdo Station in late austral spring, including sampling of snow and ice that will be concentrated in the laboratory, and 24-hour experiments to measure algal and bacterial activity. Genes controlling synthesis of enzymes involved in bromocarbon metabolism are of interest in biotechnology and bioremediation, including products that repair damaged skin from UltraViolet Radiation. The project will train undergraduate students on chemical and biological techniques. The Principal Investigators will be involved in the Pacific Science Center in Seattle with ~10,000 visitors per weekend where they will develop a project-specific exhibit. The microbial processes in snow and ice associated with bromocarbon synthesis and degradation have not been studied in Antarctica during winter and spring. This study will inform about microbial activity in relation to the release of bromocarbons compounds from the snow and ice surfaces, compounds known to degrade stratospheric ozone. The estimation of chemical bromocarbons will be combined with metagenomics and metaproteomics approaches for understanding the potential role of microbes in snow and sea ice. The environmental, chemical and biological data will be synthesized with multivariate analysis and significant differences between sites and experimental treatments with ANOVA. A collaborator from the University of Goteborg in Sweden will collaborate on bromocarbon analyses. The study will also address “saline snow” a new environment not previously studied for microbial life. In addition, this is the first study of meta-proteomics in snow and ice. The Principal Investigators expect their results will help inform ozone hole recovery in the 21st century. 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.
Perennially ice-covered lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica contain abundant microbial mats, and the export of this mat material can fertilize the surrounding polar desert ecosystems. These desert soils are one of the most organic-poor on earth yet host a community of microorganisms. Microbial mat material is exported from the shallow, gas-supersaturated regions of the lakes when gas bubbles form in the mats, lifting them to the ice cover; the perennial ice cover maintains gas supersaturation. These mats freeze in and are exported to the surrounding soils through ice ablation. The largest seasonal decrease and thinnest ice cover in the history of Lake Fryxell was recorded during the 2022-2023 Austral summer. In this thin ice year, the water column dissolved oxygen increased over prior observations, and the lake bottom surface area with bubble-disrupted mat was more than double that observed in 1980-1981 and 2006-2007. This work will constrain mat mobilization within and out of Lake Fryxell in the McMurdo Dry Valleys during a period of unprecedented ice thinning to understand how future changing regional climate and predicted seasonal loss of lake ice cover will affect nutrient transport in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Exceptional years of mat export are hypothesized to have the most significant impact on nutrient export to soil communities; variability in mat liftoff may thus play a role in the McMurdo Dry Valleys ecosystem response to changing climate. The perennial ice cover of lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica modulates the transfer of gasses, organic and inorganic material, between the lakes and surrounding soils. The export of biomass in these lakes is driven by the supersaturation of atmospheric gasses in the shallow regions under perennial ice cover. Gas bubbles nucleate in the mats, producing buoyancy that lifts them to the bottom of the ice, where they freeze in and are exported to the surrounding soils through ice ablation. These mats represent a significant source of biomass and nutrients to the McMurdo Dry Valleys soils, which are among the most organic-poor on earth. Nevertheless, this biomass remains unaccounted for in organic carbon cycling models for the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Ice cover data from the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research Project shows that the ice thickness has undergone cyclical variation over the last 40 years, reaching the largest seasonal decrease and thinnest ice-cover in the recorded history of Lake Fryxell during the 2022-2023 austral summer. Preliminary work shows that the surface area with mat liftoff at Lake Fryxell is more than double that observed in 1980-1981 and 2006-2007, coinciding with this unprecedented thinning of the ice-cover and an increase in the water column dissolved O2. This research will constrain biomass mobilization within and out of Lake Fryxell in the McMurdo Dry Valleys during a period of unprecedented ice thinning. The researchers hypothesize that a thinner ice cover promotes more biomass mobilization by 1) stimulating additional production of gas bubbles from the existing gas-supersaturated waters during summertime photosynthesis to create microbial mat liftoff and 2) promoting mat liftoff in deeper, thicker microbial mats, and 3) that this biomass can be traced into the soils by characterizing its chemistry and modeling the most likely depositional settings. This work will use microbial mat samples, lake dissolved oxygen and photosynthetically active radiation data and underwater drone footage documenting the depth distribution of liftoff mats in January 2023, and long-term ice cover thickness, photosynthetically active radiation, and lake level change data collected by the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research Project to test hypotheses 1-3. The dispersal of the liftoff mat exposed at Lake Fryxell surface will be modeled using a Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model. Exceptional liftoff years like the present are hypothesized to have the most significant impact on the soil communities as the rates of soil respiration increase with the addition of carbon. However, continued warming in the next 10 - 40 years may result in seasonal loss of the ice cover and cessation of liftoff mat export. 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 objective of this project is to understand why the nitrous oxide (N2O) content of the atmosphere was lower during the last ice age (about 20,000-100,000 years ago) than in the subsequent warm period (10,000 years ago to present) and why it fluctuated during climate changes within the ice age. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to modern global warming. It is thought that modern warming will in turn cause increases in natural sources of nitrous oxide from bacteria in soils and the ocean, creating a "positive feedback." However, the amount these sources will increase is uncertain because the different ways that nitrous oxide are produced, and how sensitive they are to warmer climate, are not well known. This project will measure a unique property of the nitrous oxide molecule in very large ancient air samples from a glacier in Antarctica. This method can distinguish between different microbial processes that produce nitrous oxide but it has not been applied yet to the time periods in question. The data will provide information about how natural climate changes affect nitrous oxide production. This, in turn, will be useful for predicting future changes and for understanding why the Earth's climate shifts from ice ages to warm periods and back again. Ice-core records of greenhouse gas isotopic composition are useful for determining past changes in natural source and sink strengths and for understanding how natural emissions are linked to climate change. This project will develop two records of the intramolecular site preference of Nitrogen-15 in N2O. One record spans the last deglaciation (10,000-21,000 years ago) when atmospheric N2O concentration rose by 30 percent, and the other record spans millennial-scale climate changes during the last ice age when N2O varied by smaller amounts (Heinrich Stadial 4 and Dansgaard Oeschger 8, 35,000-41,000 years ago). The records will be used to understand what changes in the nitrogen cycle caused atmospheric N2O concentration to vary and what mechanisms link the N2O emissions to climate change. Ideally, studying the two different time periods will isolate the millennial climate responses entangled with the full deglacial sequence, creating a clearer picture of how N2O biogeochemistry responds to climate change. This work will also allow exploration of an isotopic tracer for in situ production of N2O that contaminates the atmospheric signal in particularly dusty ice. The project will use a unique, well-dated suite of ice samples from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica and continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry on a custom gas extraction line operated in the Oregon State University laboratory. 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.
Non-technical abstract Earth’s climatic changes have been recorded in the ice core collected from the Antarctic ice sheet. While these records provide a high resolution view of how polar temperatures changed through time, it is not always clear what Earth process influence Antarctic climate. One likely contributor to Antarctic temperature changes is the cyclic changes in Earth’s orientation as it orbits the sun. These so-called Milankovitch cycles control the amount and pattern of sunlight reaching the polar regions, that in turn result in periods of climatic warming or cooling. While the orbital variations and control on incoming solar energy remain well understood, how they influence Antarctic climate remains unresolved. It is the goal of this project to determine how variations in Earth’s orbit may be locally influencing Antarctic temperatures. The researchers on this project are pursing this goal by identifying periods of past ice melting on the surface of Antarctica using minerals that precipitate from the meltwaters that resulted from past warm periods. The timing of this past melting will be determined by radioisotopic dating of the minerals using the natural radioactive decay of uranium to thorium. By dating numerous samples, collected in past scientific expeditions throughout the Antarctic continent, these researchers aim to reconstruct the frequency and spatial pattern of past warming and in doing so, determine what aspect of Earth’s orbital variations influences Antarctic ice loss. Technical abstract Antarctic ice cores provide high resolution records of Pleistocene Southern Hemisphere temperatures that show an overall coherence with Northern Hemisphere temperature variations. One explanation for this bi-hemispheric temperature covariance relies on changes in atmospheric CO2 that result from varying northern hemisphere insolation. An alternative posits that the apparent coherence of polar temperatures is due to the misleading covariance between northern hemisphere summer insolation and, the southern hemisphere summer duration. At present there is an insufficient understanding of the role that local insolation plays in Antarctic climate. The goal of this research project is to identify the temporal spatial patterns of solar forcing in Antarctica. To reach this goal, the project team will: 1) develop a way to identify periods of past surface melt production in Antarctica using U-Th dating of pedogenic carbonates; and 2) utilize the evidence of past surface melting to calibrate energy balance models and interrogate past Antarctic surface temperatures and; 3) compare the timing of Antarctic warm periods to potential solar forcing mechanisms such as peak summer insolation or summer duration. A means of identifying the spatial and temporal pattern at which local insolation influences Antarctic temperature would provide a transformative solution to the contradiction in current climate records. 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.
Undersea canyons play disproportionately important roles as oceanic biological hotspots and are critical for our understanding of many coastal ecosystems. Canyon-associated biological hotspots have persisted for thousands of years Along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, despite significant climate variability. Observations of currents over Palmer Deep canyon, a representative hotspot along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, indicate that surface phytoplankton blooms enter and exit the local hotspot on scales of ~1-2 days. This time of residence is in conflict with the prevailing idea that canyon associated hotspots are primarily maintained by phytoplankton that are locally grown in association with these features by the upwelling of deep waters rich with nutrients that fuel the phytoplankton growth. Instead, the implication is that horizontal ocean circulation is likely more important to maintaining these biological hotspots than local upwelling through its physical concentrating effects. This project seeks to better resolve the factors that create and maintain focused areas of biological activity at canyons along the Western Antarctic Peninsula and create local foraging areas for marine mammals and birds. The project focus is in the analysis of the ocean transport and concentration mechanisms that sustain these biological hotspots, connecting oceanography to phytoplankton and krill, up through the food web to one of the resident predators, penguins. In addition, the research will engage with teachers from school districts serving underrepresented and underserved students by integrating the instructors and their students completely with the science team. Students will conduct their own research with the same data over the same time as researchers on the project. Revealing the fundamental mechanisms that sustain these known hotspots will significantly advance our understanding of the observed connection between submarine canyons and persistent penguin population hotspots over ecological time, and provide a new model for how Antarctic hotspots function.<br/> <br/> <br/>To understand the physical mechanisms that support persistent hotspots along the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), this project will integrate a modeling and field program that will target the processes responsible for transporting and concentrating phytoplankton and krill biomass to known penguin foraging locations. Within the Palmer Deep canyon, a representative hotspot, the team will deploy a High Frequency Radar (HFR) coastal surface current mapping network, uniquely equipped to identify the eddies and frontal regions that concentrate phytoplankton and krill. The field program, centered on surface features identified by the HFR, will include (i) a coordinated fleet of gliders to survey hydrography, chlorophyll fluorescence, optical backscatter, and active acoustics at the scale of the targeted convergent features; (ii) precise penguin tracking with GPS-linked satellite telemetry and time-depth recorders (TDRs); (iii) and weekly small boat surveys that adaptively target and track convergent features to measure phytoplankton, krill, and hydrography. A high resolution physical model will generalize our field measurements to other known hotspots along the WAP through simulation and determine which physical mechanisms lead to the maintenance of these hotspots. The project will also engage educators, students, and members of the general public in Antarctic research and data analysis with an education program that will advance teaching and learning as well as broadening participation of under-represented groups. This engagement includes professional development workshops, live connections to the public and classrooms, student research symposia, and program evaluation. Together the integrated research and engagement will advance our understanding of the role regional transport pathways and local depth dependent concentrating physical mechanisms play in sustaining these biological hotspots.<br/><br/>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.
General Description: This project is intended to reveal the magma source regions, staging areas, and eruptive pathways within the active volcano Mount Erebus. This volcano is an end-member type known as phonolitic, which refers to the lava composition, and is almost purely carbon-dioxide-bearing and occurs in continental rift settings. It is in contrast to the better known water-bearing volcanoes which occur at plate boundary settings (such as Mount St Helens or Mount Fuji). Phonolitic volcanic eruptions elsewhere such as Tamboro or Vesuvius have caused more than 50,000 eruption related fatalities. Phonolites are also associated with rare earth element deposits, giving them economic interest. To illuminate the inner workings of Mount Erebus, we will cover the volcano with a dense network of geophysical probes based on magnetotelluric (MT) measurements. MT makes use of naturally occurring electromagnetic (EM) waves generated mainly by the sun as sources to provide images of the electrical conductivity structure of the Earth's interior. Conductivity is sensitive to the presence of fluids and melts in the Earth and so is well suited to understanding volcanic processes. The project is a cooperative effort between scientists from the United States, New Zealand, Japan and Canada. It implements new technology developed by the lead investigator and associates that allows such measurements to be taken on snow-covered terrains. This has applicability for frozen environments generally, such as resource exploration in the Arctic. The project supports a new post-doctoral researcher, and leverages imaging and measurement methods developed through support by other agencies and interfaced with commercial platforms. Technical Description: The investigators propose to test magmatic evolution models for Mount Erebus volcano, Antarctica, using the magnetotelluric (MT) method. The phonolite lava flow compositions on Mount Erebus are uncommon, but provide a window into the range of upper mantle source compositions and melt differentiation paths. Explosive phonolite eruptions have been known worldwide for devastating eruptions such as Tambora and Vesuvius, and commonly host rare earth element deposits. In the MT method, temporal variations in the Earth's natural electromagnetic (EM) field are used as source fields to probe the electrical resistivity structure in the depth range of 1 to 100 kilometers. This effort will consist of approximately 100 MT sites, with some concentration in the summit area. Field acquisition will take place over two field seasons. The main goals are to 1) confirm the existence and the geometry of the uppermost magma chamber thought to reside at 5-10 kilometer depths; 2) attempt to identify, in the deeper resistivity structure, the magma staging area near the crust-mantle boundary; 3) image the steep, crustal-scale, near-vertical conduit carrying magma from the mantle; 4) infer the physical and chemical state from geophysical properties of a CO2-dominated mafic shield volcano; and 5) constrain the relationships between structural and magmatic/ hydrothermal activity related to the Terror Rift. Tomographic imaging of the interior resistivity will be performed using a new inversion platform developed at Utah, based on the deformable edge finite element method, that is the best available for accommodating the steep topography of the study area. The project is an international cooperation between University of Utah, GNS Science Wellington New Zealand (G. Hill, Co-I), and Tokyo Institute of Technology Japan (Y. Ogawa, Co-I), plus participation by University of Alberta (M. Unsworth) and Missouri State University (K. Mickus). Instrument deployments will be made exclusively by helicopter. The project implements new technology that allows MT measurements to be taken on snow-covered terrains. The project supports a new post-doctoral researcher, and leverages imaging and measurement methods developed through support by other agencies and interfaced with commercial platforms.
Satellite observations of Earth’s surface gravity and elevation changes indicate rapid melting of ice sheets in recent decades in northern Antarctica Peninsula and Amundsen Sea Embayment of West Antarctica. This rapid melting may lead to significant global sea level rise which is a major societal concern. Measurements from the Global Positioning System (GPS) show rapid land uplift in these regions as the ice sheets melt. When an ice sheet melts, the melt water flows to oceans, causing global sea level to rise. However, the sea level change at a given geographic location is also influenced by two other factors associated with the ice melting process: 1) the vertical motion of the land and 2) gravitational attraction. The vertical motion of the land is caused by the change of pressure force on the surface of the solid Earth. For example, the removal of ice mass reduces the pressure force on the land, leading to uplift of the land below the ice sheet, while the addition of water in oceans increases the pressure force on the seafloor, causing it to subside. The sea level always follows the equipotential surface of the gravity which changes as the mass on the Earth’s surface (e.g., the ice and water) or/and in its interiors (e.g., at the crust-mantle boundary) is redistributed. Additionally, the vertical motion of the land below an ice sheet has important effects on the evolution and stability of the ice sheet and may determine whether the ice sheet will rapidly collapse or gradually stabilize. The main goal of this project is to build an accurate and efficient computer model to study the displacement and deformation of the Antarctic crust and mantle in response to recent ice melting. The project will significantly improve existing and publicly available computer code, CitcomSVE. The horizontal and vertical components of the Earth’s surface displacement depends on mantle viscosity and elastic properties of the Earth. Although seismic imaging studies demonstrate that the Antarctica mantle is heterogeneous, most studies on the ice-melting induced deformation in Antarctica have assumed that mantle viscosity and elastic properties only vary with the depth due to computational limitations. In this project, the new computational method in CitcomSVE avoids such assumptions and makes it possible to include realistic 3-D mantle viscosity and elastic properties in computing the Antarctica crustal and mantle displacement. This project will interpret the GPS measurements of the surface displacements in northern Antarctica Peninsula and Amundsen Sea Embayment of West Antarctica and use the observations to place constraints on mantle viscosity and deformation mechanisms. The project will also seek to predict the future land displacement Antarctica, which will lead to a better understand of Antarctica ice sheets. Finally, the project has direct implications for the study of global sea level change and the dynamics of the Greenland ice sheet. Technical Description Glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) is important for understanding not only fundamental science questions including mantle viscosity, mantle convection and lithospheric deformation but also societally important questions of global sea-level change, polar ice melting, climate change, and groundwater hydrology. Studies of rock deformation in laboratory experiments, post-seismic deformation, and mantle dynamics indicate that mantle viscosity is temperature- and stress-dependent. Although the effects of stress-dependent (i.e., non-Newtonian) viscosity and transient creep rheology on GIA process have been studied, observational evidence remains elusive. There has been significant ice mass loss in recent decades in northern Antarctica Peninsula (NAP) and Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) of West Antarctica. The ice mass loss has caused rapid bedrock uplift as measured by GPS techniques which require surprisingly small upper mantle viscosity of ~1018 Pas. The rapid uplifts may have important feedback effects on ongoing ice melting because of their influence on grounding line migration, and the inferred small viscosity may have implications for mantle rheology and deformation on decadal time scales. The main objective of the project is to test hypotheses that the GPS observations in NAP and ASE regions are controlled by 3-D non-Newtonian or/and transient creep viscosity by developing new GIA modeling capability based on finite element package CitcomSVE. The project will carry out the following three tasks: Task 1 is to build GIA models for the NAP and ASE regions to examine the effects of 3-D temperature-dependent mantle viscosity on the surface displacements and to test hypothesis that the 3-D mantle viscosity improves the fit to the GPS observations. Task 2 is to test the hypothesis that non-Newtonian or/and transient creep rheology controls GIA process on decadal time scales by computing GIA models and comparing model predictions with GPS observations for the NAP and ASE regions. Task 3 is to implement transient creep (i.e., Burgers model) rheology into finite element package CitcomSVE for modeling the GIA process on global and regional scales and to make the package publicly available to the scientific community. The project will develop the first numerical GIA model with Burgers transient rheology and use the models to examine the effects of 3-D temperature-dependent viscosity, non-Newtonian viscosity and transient rheology on GIA-induced surface displacements in Antarctica. The project will model the unique GPS observations of unusually large displacement rates in the NAP and ASE regions to place constraints on mantle rheology and to distinguish between 3-D temperature-dependent, non-Newtonian and transient mantle viscosity. The project will expand the capability of the publicly available software package CitcomSVE for modeling viscoelastic deformation and tidal deformation on global and regional scales. The project will advance our understanding in lithospheric deformation and mantle rheology on decadal time scales, which helps predict grounding line migration and understand ice sheet stability in West Antarctica. The project will strengthen the open science practice by improving the publicly available code CitcomSVE at github. 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 fastest-changing regions of the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets that contribute most to sea-level rise are underlain by soft sediments that facilitate glacier motion. Glacier ice can infiltrate several meters into these sediments, depending on the temperature and water pressure at the base of the glacier. To understand how ice infiltration into subglacial sediments affects glacier slip, the team will conduct laboratory experiments under relevant temperature and pressure conditions and compare the results to state-of-the-art mathematical models. Through an undergraduate research exchange between University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dartmouth College, and the College of Menominee Nation, Native American students will work on laboratory experiments in one summer and mathematical theory in the following summer. Ice-sediment interactions are a central component of ice-sheet and landform-development models. Limited process understanding poses a key uncertainty for ice-sheet models that are used to forecast sea-level rise. This uncertainty underscores the importance of developing experimentally validated, theoretically robust descriptions of processes at the ice-sediment interface. To achieve this, the team aims to build on long-established theoretical, experimental, and field investigations that have elucidated the central role of premelting and surface-energy effects in controlling the dynamics of frost heave in soils. Project members will theoretically describe and experimentally test the role of premelting at the basal ice-sediment interface. The experiments are designed to provide quantitative insight into the impact of ice infiltration into sediments on glacier sliding, erosion, and subglacial landform evolution. 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 seaward motion of ice sheets and glaciers is primarily controlled by basal sliding at the base of the ice sheet and internal viscous flow within the ice mass. The latter of these — viscous flow — is dependent on various factors, including temperature, stress, grain size, and the alignment of ice crystals during flow to produce a "crystal orientation fabric" (COF). Historically, ice flow has been modeled using an equation, termed “Glen’s law”, that describes ice-flow rate as a function of temperature and stress. Glen’s law was constrained under relatively high-stress conditions and is often attributed to the motion of crystal defects within ice grains. More recently, however, grain boundary sliding (GBS) has been invoked as the rate-controlling process under low-stress, “superplastic” conditions. The grain boundary sliding hypothesis is contentious because GBS is not thought to produce a COF, whereas geophysical measurements and polar ice cores demonstrate strong COFs in polar ice masses. However, very few COF measurements have been conducted on ice samples subjected to superplastic flow conditions in the laboratory. This project would measure the evolution of ice COF across the transition from superplastic to Glen-type creep. Results will be used to interrogate the role of superplastic GBS creep within polar ice masses, and thereby provide constraints on polar ice discharge models. Polycrystalline ice samples with grain sizes ranging from 5 µm to 1000 µm will be fabricated and deformed in a laboratory, using a 1-atm cryogenic axial-torsion apparatus. Experiments will be conducted at temperatures of -30°C to -10°C, and at a constant uniaxial strain rate. Under these conditions, 5% to 99.99% of strain should be accommodated by superplastic, GBS-limited creep, depending on the sample grain size. The deformed samples will then be imaged using cryogenic electron backscatter diffraction (cryo-EBSD) and high-angular-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) to quantify COF, grain size, grain shape, and crystal defect (dislocation) densities, among other microstructural properties. These measurements will be used to decipher the rate-controlling mechanisms operating within different thermomechanical regimes, and resolve a long-standing debate over whether superplastic creep can produce a COF in ice. In addition to the polycrystal experiments, ice bicrystals will be fabricated and deformed to investigate the micromechanical behavior of individual grain boundaries under superplastic conditions. Ultimately, these results will be used to provide a microstructural toolbox for identifying superplastic creep using geophysical (e.g., seismic, radar) and glaciological (e.g., ice core) observations. This project will support one graduate student, one or more undergraduate summer students, and an early-career researcher. In addition, this project will support a workshop aimed at bringing together experimentalists, glaciologists, and ice modelers to facilitate cross-disciplinary knowledge sharing and collaborative problem solving. 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.
Ice flow is resisted by frictional forces that keep a glacier from immediately sliding into the ocean. Friction comes in two varieties: internal friction within the ice column which resists ice deformation and basal friction which resists ice sliding over its bedrock substrate. Partitioning between internal and basal friction is difficult since both have similar expressions at the most common target for data collection—the ice-sheet surface. However, understanding this partitioning is important because the physical processes that control internal and basal friction act and evolve at different timescales. This project combines spaceborne remote sensing observations from the ice-sheet surface with ice-penetrating radar data that images the internal structure of the ice sheet in order to partition the contribution of each source of friction. Results will advance the fundamental understanding of ice flow and will strengthen projections of future sea-level rise. Broader Impacts of the project include facilitating data reuse for the ice-sheet research community; the strategy for distributing the software toolkit includes student mentorship and hackathon teaching. The researcher will expand the impact of existing ice-penetrating datasets by 1) developing new open-source algorithms for extraction of englacial stratigraphy; 2) creating stratigraphy data products that can be assimilated into future studies of ice motion; and 3) using statistical analyses to integrate radar datasets into larger-scale interpretations with remote sensing datasets of ice-surface velocity, altimetry, climate variables, and model-derived basal friction. The computational tools developed as part of this effort will be integrated and released as a reusable software toolkit for ice-penetrating radar data analysis. The toolkit will be validated and tested by deployment to cloud-hosted JupyterHub instances, which will serve as a singular interface to access radar and remote sensing data, load them into a unified framework, step through a predefined processing flow, and carry out statistical analyses. In some areas, the imaged englacial stratigraphy will deviate from the ice-dynamic setting expected based on surface measurements alone. There, the internal dynamics (or ice-dynamic history) are inconsistent with the surface dynamics, likely because internal friction is poorly constrained and misattributed to basal friction instead. This work will develop the data and statistical tools for constraining internal friction from ice-penetrating radar, making those data products and tools available for future work. 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.
Sea ice in Antarctic coastal waters shape ecosystems, both in the surface waters and at the bottom of the ocean, environments that depend on algae living in sea ice for their productivity. With high variability in sea ice formation and melt between years and as a response to climate change, it is of importance to obtain better understanding of the interaction of sea ice with algae, as well as provide better data for global climate models. This project will accomplish those goals by measuring phytoplankton growth and cellular properties in sea ice with experiments performed using an ice tank. Laboratory experiments will be based on previous observations in the Antarctic Peninsula coastal waters, providing realistic conditions to emulate. The scientific importance of the proposed work aligns with the National Science Foundation goals to understand the biological and chemical properties of sea ice bio-geo-chemistry and its feedbacks with seasonal sea ice dynamics and climate. The finding from this project will be of interest to a broad scientific community, including oceanographers, biologists, chemists, and ecosystem and ocean modelers. To address the scarcity of data on sea ice microbes that limits our ability to predict future Antarctic climate with accuracy, the principal investigator will develop an Antarctic Science Minor in order to train future scientists with an environmental perspective and prepare the future US workforce with a strong scientific background on Earth and Biological Sciences. There is a paucity of data to understand the processes underlying observed patters in sea ice quality and their interaction with the sea-ice microbial community. This project will provide a mechanistic understanding of primary production and physiology of sympagic algae over the seasonal cycle of formation and melt of Antarctic sea ice. Although sea ice is central to the Antarctic coastal ecosystems, little is known of how they affect, and are in turn affected, by sea-ice algae. This project concentrates on first-year sea ice, forming and melting each year, creating unique and very dynamic habitats. The study will be structured by 4 main objectives: 1) how different algal species adapt to the seasonal changes in sea ice conditions, 2) how different methods to measure primary production (carbon dioxide drawdown, oxygen production and variable fluorescence) relate in sea ice and differ from sea water measurements, 3) how sympagic algae influence the physical structure of sea ice, 4) how sympagic algae contribute to organic matter cycling during ice melt. Due to expected changes in sea ice due to climate change, this study is uniquely positioned to provide needed data on short-term and seasonal processes. Results from this study will be useful to refine models of algal production in Antarctic and Arctic ecosystems, data not available to date as sea ice and its biogeochemistry are often poorly represented in earth system models. This project will also provide education for graduate and undergraduate students as well as material to develop class curriculum for middle-school students. 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.
Melting of snow and ice at the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet can lead to the formation of meltwater lakes, an important precursor to ice-shelf collapse and accelerated ice-sheet mass loss. Understanding the present state of Antarctic surface melt provides a baseline to gauge how quickly melt impacts could evolve in the future and to reduce uncertainties in estimates of future sea-level rise. This project will use a suite of complimentary measurements from Earth-observing satellites, ground observations, and numerical climate and ice-shelf models to enhance understanding of surface melt and lakes, as well as the processes linking these systems. The project directly supports the scientific training of a postdoctoral associate and several undergraduate researchers. In addition, it will promote public scientific literacy and the broadening of quantitative skills for high-school students through the development and implementation of an educational unit in a partnership with an education and outreach expert and two high school teachers. Accurate prediction of sea-level contributions from Antarctica critically requires understanding current melting and supraglacial lake conditions. This project will quantify Antarctic surface melt and supraglacial lakes, and the linkages between the two phenomena. Scatterometer data will enable generation of a 19-year multi-sensor melt time series. Synthetic aperture radar data will document melt conditions across all Antarctic ice shelves at the highest spatial resolution to date (40 m). Multispectral satellite imagery will be used to delineate and measure the depth of supraglacial lakes--for the first time studying the spatial and temporal variations of Antarctic supraglacial lakes. Melt and lake observations will be compared to identify agreement and disagreement. Melt observations will be used to evaluate biases in a widely used, reanalysis-driven, regional climate model. This model will then be used to examine climatic and glaciological variables associated with supraglacial lakes. Finally, in situ observations and climate model output will drive a numerical model that simulates the entire lifecycle of surface melt and possible subsequent lake formation.
Ice cores from glaciers and ice sheets provide detailed archives of past environmental conditions, furthering our understanding of Earth’s climate. Microorganisms in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet are buried over glaciological time and form a stratigraphy record providing the opportunity of analysis of the order and position of layers of geological events, with potential links to Southern Hemisphere climate. However, microbial cells that land on the ice sheet are subject to the stresses of changing habitat conditions due to burial and conditions associated with long-term isolation in ice. These processes may lead to a loss of fidelity within the stratigraphic record of microbial cells. We know little about how and if microorganisms survive burial and remain alive over glacial-interglacial time periods within an ice sheet. This analysis will identify the viable and preserved community of microorganisms and core genomic adaptation that permit cell viability, which will advance knowledge in the areas of microbiology and glaciology while increasing fidelity of ice core measurements relevant to past climate and potential future global climate impacts. This exploratory endeavor has the potential to be a transformative step toward understanding the ecology of one of the most understudied environments on Earth. The project will partner with the Museum of Science, Boston, to increase public scientific literacy via education and outreach. Additionally, this project will support two early-career scientists and two undergraduates in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of microbiology and climate science. Results from this project will provide the first DNA data based on single-cell whole genomic sequencing from the Antarctic Ice Sheet and inform whether post-depositional processes impact the interpretations of paleoenvironmental conditions from microbes. The goals to determine the taxonomic identity of viable and preserved microbial cells, and decode the genetic repertoire that confers survival of burial and long-term viability within glacial ice, will be achieved by utilizing subsamples from a ~60,000 year old record of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WD) Ice Core. WD samples will be melted using the Desert Research Institute’s ice core melting system that is optimized for glaciobiological sampling. Microbial cells from the meltwater will be sorted using fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and individually sorted cells will have their genomes sequenced. The fluorescence-based methods will discern the viable (metabolically active) cells from those cells that are non-viable but preserved in the ice (DNA-containing). The genomic analysis will identify the taxonomy of each cell, presence of known genes that confer survival in permanently frozen environments, and comparatively analyze genomes to determine the core set of genes required by viable cells to persist in an ice sheet. The outcomes of this work will expand the potential for biological measurements and contamination control from archived ice cores. 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.
This research project is a multidisciplinary effort that brings together a diverse team of scientists from multiple institutions together to understand the foraging behavior and physiology of leopard seals and their role in the Southern Ocean food web. The project will examine the physiology and behavior of leopard seals to in an effort to determine their ability to respond to potential changes in their habitat and foraging areas. Using satellite tracking devices the team will examine the movement and diving behavior of leopard seals and couple this information with measurements of their physiological capacity. The project will determine whether leopard seals- who feed on diverse range of prey- are built differently than their deep diving relatives the Weddell and elephant seal who feed on fish and squid. The team will also determine whether leopard seals are operating at or near their physiological capability to determine how much, if any, ?reserve capacity? they might have to forage and live in changing environments. A better understanding of their home ranges, movement patterns, and general behavior will also be informative to help in managing human-leopard seal interactions. The highly visual nature of the data and analysis for this project lends itself to public and educational display and outreach, particularly as they relate to the changing Antarctic habitats. The project will use the research results to educate the public on the unique physiological and ecological adaptations to extreme environments seen in diving marine mammals, including adaptations to exercise under low oxygen conditions and energy utilization, which affect and dictate the lifestyle of these exceptional organisms. The results of the project will also contribute to the broader understanding that may enhance the aims of managing marine living resources. The leopard seal is an apex predator in the Antarctic ecosystem. This project seeks to better understand the ability of the leopard seal to cope with a changing environment. The project will first examine the foraging behavior and habitat utilization of leopard seals using satellite telemetry. Specifically, satellite telemetry tags will be used to obtain dive profiles and movement data for individuals across multiple years. Diet and trophic level positions across multiple temporal scales will then be determined from physiological samples (e.g., blood, vibrissae, blubber fatty acids, stable isotopes, fecal matter). Oceanographic data will be integrated with these measures to develop habitat models that will be used to assess habitat type, habitat utilization, habitat preference, and home range areas for individual animals. Diet composition for individual seals will be evaluated to determine whether specific animals are generalists or specialists. Second, the team will investigate the physiological adaptations that allow leopard seals to be apex predators and determine to what extent leopard seals are working at or near their physiological limit. Diving behavior and physiology of leopard seals will be evaluated (for instance the aerobic dive limit for individual animals and skeletal muscle adaptations will be determined for diving under hypoxic conditions). Data from time-depth recorders will be used to determine foraging strategies for individual seals, and these diving characteristics will be related to physiological variables (e.g., blood volume, muscle oxygen stores) to better understand the link between foraging behavior and physiology. The team will compare myoglobin storage in swimming muscles associated with both forelimb and hind limb propulsion and the use of anaerobic versus aerobic metabolic systems while foraging.
This project will develop methods to measure the ratios of carbon-13 to carbon-12, and heavy to light hydrogen in methane in air trapped in ice cores. The ratios of the different forms of carbon and hydrogen are "fingerprints" of different sources of this gas in the past--for example wetlands in the tropics versus methane frozen in the sea floor. Once the analysis method is developed, the measurements will be used to examine why methane changed abruptly in the past, both during the last ice age, and during previous warm periods. The data will be used to understand how methane sources like wildfires, methane hydrates, and wetlands respond to climate change. This information is needed to understand future risks of large changes in methane in the atmosphere as Earth warms. The project involves two tasks. First, the investigators will build and test a gas extraction system for methane isotopic measurements using continuous flow methods, with the goal of equaling or bettering the precision attained by the few other laboratories that make these measurements. The system will be interfaced with existing mass spectrometers at Oregon State University. The system consists of a vacuum chamber and sequence of traps, purification columns, and furnaces that separate methane from other gases and convert it to carbon dioxide or hydrogen for mass spectrometry. Second, the team will measure the isotopic composition of methane across large changes in concentration associated with two past interglacial periods and during abrupt methane changes of the last ice age. These measurements will be used to understand if the main reason for these concentration changes is climate-driven changes in emissions from wetlands, or whether other sources are involved, for example methane hydrates or wildfires. 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 1: On frequent crossings of the Drake Passage on the US Antarctic vessel ARSV Laurence M. Gould, a range of underway measurements are taken. These data represent one of the few repeat year around shipboard measurements in the Southern Ocean. With close to two decades of data now available, the primary science objectives of this proposal are to continue to analyze the Drake Passage time series. Part 2: Some of the analyses are (1) describe and relate the seasonal and long-term ocean energy distribution to wind, buoyancy and topographic forcing and sinks, and (2) describe and relate seasonal and long-term changes in the ACC fronts, water masses and upwelling to biogeochemical and climate variability. High-resolution, near-repeat Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) transect sampling in Drake Passage is thus used to study modes of variability in ocean temperature, salinity, currents and backscatter in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) on seasonal to interannual time frames, and on space scales from current cores to eddies. This project is a continuation of the longstanding support for collecting the ADCP and other underway data on USAP vessels, such as the ASRV Laurence M Gould 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 Southern Ocean plays a key role in modulating the global carbon cycle, but the size and even the sign of the global ocean flux terms of the atmospheric burden of man-made CO2 are still uncertain. This is in part due to the lack of measurements in this remote region of the world ocean. This project continues a multi-year time series of shipboard chemical measurements in the Drake Passage to detect changes in the ocean carbon cycle and to improve the understanding of mechanisms driving natural variability and long-term change in the Southern Ocean. This project is a continuation of collection of upper ocean measurements of the underway surface partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), using frequent ferry crossings of the Drake Passage by the RV/AS LMGould, the USAP supply ship. Overall, more than 200 transects over the past decade (since 2002) have now been accumulated of pCO2 profiles, along with discrete samples for other parameters of interest in studying the ocean carbonate system such as total CO2 (TCO2) values, isotopic (13C/12C and 14C/12C) ratios in surface TCO2. The Drake Passage data are made readily available to the international science community and serve as both validation and constraints of remotely sensed observations and numerical coupled earth systems models.
The Earth's atmosphere is a highly oxidizing medium. The abundance of oxidants such as ozone in the atmosphere strongly influences the concentrations of pollutants and greenhouse gases, with implications for human health and welfare. Because oxidants are not preserved in geological archives, knowledge of how oxidants have varied in the past under changing climate conditions is extremely limited. This award will measure a proxy for oxidant concentrations in a West Antarctic ice core over several major climate transitions over the past 50,000 years. These measurements will complement similar measurements from a Greenland ice core, which showed significant changes in atmospheric oxidants over major climate transitions covering this same time period. The addition of measurements from Antarctica will allow researchers to examine if the oxidant changes suggested by the Greenland ice core record are regional or global in scale. Knowledge of how oxidants vary naturally with climate will better inform predictions of the composition of the future atmosphere under a warming climate. This award will support measurements of the isotopic composition of nitrate in a West Antarctic ice core as a proxy for oxidant concentrations in the past atmosphere. The nitrogen isotopes of nitrate provide information on the degree of preservation of nitrate in the ice core record, and thus aid in the interpretation of the observed variability in the observed nitrate concentrations and oxygen isotopes in ice core records. By providing information about the spatial scale of oxidant changes over abrupt climate change events during the last glacial period, this project may also improve our understanding of mechanisms driving these abrupt events. Insight from this project will prove valuable for forecasting the response of stratospheric circulation to climate change, which has large implications for climate feedbacks and tropospheric composition. In addition, the information gleaned from this project on the mechanisms and feedbacks during abrupt climate change events will help determine the likelihood of such rapid events occurring in the future, which would have dramatic impacts on humankind. This award will provide training for one graduate and one undergraduate student, and will support the development of a hands-on activity related to rapid climate change to be used at the annual Polar Science Weekend at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA.
This project contributes to the joint initiative launched by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to substantially improve decadal and longer-term projections of ice loss and sea-level rise originating from Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. Thwaites Glacier has been accelerating and widening over the past three decades. How fast Thwaites will disintegrate or how quickly it will find a new stable state have become some of the most important questions of the future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and its contribution to sea-level rise over the next decades to centuries and beyond. This project will rely on three independent numerical models of ice flow, coupled to an ocean circulation model to (1) improve our understanding of the interactions between the ice and the underlying bedrock, (2) analyze how sensitive the glacier is to external changes, (3) assess the processes that may lead to a collapse of Thwaites, and, most importantly, (4) forecast future ice loss of Thwaites. By providing predictions based on a suite of coupled ice-ocean models, this project will also assess the uncertainty in model projections. The project will use three independent ice-sheet models: Ice Sheet System Model, Ua, and STREAMICE, coupled to the ocean circulation model of the MIT General Circulation Model. The team will first focus on the representation of key physical processes of calving, ice damage, and basal slipperiness that have either not been included, or are poorly represented, in previous ice-flow modelling work. The team will then quantify the relative role of different proposed external drivers of change (e.g., ocean-induced ice-shelf thinning, loss of ice-shelf pinning points) and explore the stability regime of Thwaites Glacier with the aim of identifying internal thresholds separating stable and unstable grounding-line retreat. Using inverse methodology, the project will produce new physically consistent high-resolution (300-m) data sets on ice-thicknesses from available radar measurements. Furthermore, the team will generate new remote sensing data sets on ice velocities and rates of elevation change. These will be used to constrain and validate the numerical models, and will also be valuable stand-alone data sets. This process will allow the numerical models to be constrained more tightly by data than has previously been possible. The resultant more robust model predictions of near-future impact of Thwaites Glacier on global sea levels can inform policy-relevant decision-making. 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 age of rocks and soils at the surface of the Earth can help answer multiple questions that are important for human welfare, including: when did volcanoes erupt and are they likely to erupt again? when did glaciers advance and what do they tell us about climate? what is the frequency of hazards such as landslides, floods, and debris flows? how long does it take soils to form and is erosion of soils going to make farming unsustainable? One method that is used thousands of times every year to address these questions is called 'cosmogenic surface-exposure dating'. This method takes advantage of cosmic rays, which are powerful protons and neutrons produced by supernova that constantly bombard the Earth's atmosphere. Some cosmic rays reach Earth's surface and produce nuclear reactions that result in rare isotopes. Measuring the quantity of the rare isotopes enables the length of time that the rock or soil has been exposed to the atmosphere to be calculated. The distribution of cosmic rays around the globe depends on Earth's magnetic field, and this distribution must be accurately known if useful exposure ages are to be obtained. Currently there are two remaining theories, narrowed down from many, of how to calculate this distribution. Measurements from a site that is at both high altitude and high latitude (close to the poles) are needed to test the two theories. This study involves both field and lab research and includes a Ph.D. student and an undergraduate student. The research team will collect rocks from lava flows on an active volcano in Antarctica named Mount Erebus and measure the amounts of two rare isotopes: 36Cl and 3He. The age of eruption of the samples will be determined using a highly accurate method that does not depend on cosmic rays, called 40Ar/39Ar dating. The two cosmic-ray theories will be used to calculate the ages of the samples using the 36Cl and 3He concentrations and will then be compared to the ages calculated from the 40Ar/39Ar dating. The accurate cosmic-ray theory will be the one that gives the same ages as the 40Ar/39Ar dating. Identification of the accurate theory will enable use of the cosmogenic surface dating methods anywhere on earth. Technical Description: Nuclides produced by cosmic rays in rocks at the surface of the earth are widely used for Quaternary geochronology and geomorphic studies and their use is increasing every year. The recently completed CRONUS-Earth Project (Cosmic-Ray Produced Nuclides on Earth) has systematically evaluated the production rates and theoretical underpinnings of cosmogenic nuclides. However, the CRONUS-Earth Project was not able to discriminate between the two leading theoretical approaches: the original Lal model (St) and the new Lifton-Sato-Dunai model (LSD). Mathematical models used to scale the production of the nuclides as a function of location on the earth, elevation, and magnetic field configuration are an essential component of this dating method. The inability to distinguish between the two models was because the predicted production rates did not differ sufficiently at the location of the calibration sites. The cosmogenic-nuclide production rates that are predicted by the two models differ significantly from each other at Erebus volcano, Antarctica. Mount Erebus is therefore an excellent site for testing which production model best describes actual cosmogenic-nuclide production variations over the globe. The research team recently measured 3He and 36Cl in mineral separates extracted from Erebus lava flows. The exposure ages for each nuclide were reproducible within each flow (~2% standard deviation) and in very good agreement between the 3He and the 36Cl ages. However, the ages calculated by the St and LSD scaling methods differ by ~15-25% due to the sensitivity of the production rate to the scaling at this latitude and elevation. These results lend confidence that Erebus qualifies as a suitable high- latitude/high-elevation calibration site. The remaining component that is still lacking is accurate and reliable independent (i.e., non-cosmogenic) ages, however, published 40Ar/39Ar ages are too imprecise and typically biased to older ages due to excess argon contained in melt inclusions. The research team's new 40Ar/39Ar data show that previous problems with Erebus anorthoclase geochronology are now overcome with modern mass spectrometry and better sample preparation. This indicates a high likelihood of success for this proposal in defining an accurate global scaling model. Although encouraging, much remains to be accomplished. This project will sample lava flows over 3 km in elevation and determine their 40Ar/39Ar and exposure ages. These combined data will discriminate between the two scaling methods, resulting in a preferred scaling model for global cosmogenic geochronology. The LSD method contains two sub-methods, the 'plain' LSD scales all nuclides the same, whereas LSDn scales each nuclide individually. The project can discriminate between these models using 3He and 36Cl data from lava flows at different elevations, because the first model predicts that the production ratio for these two nuclides will be invariant with elevation and the second that there should be ~10% difference over the range of elevations to be sampled. Finally, the project will provide a local, finite-age calibration site for cosmogenic-nuclide investigations in Antarctica.
Our knowledge of Antarctic weather and climate relies on only a handful of direct observing stations located on this harsh and remote continent. This observing system reports meteorological measurements from an existing network of automatic weather stations (AWS) spread across a vast area. This MRI project will enable the development, testing and eventual deployment of a next generation of polar automatic climate and weather observing stations for unattended use in the Antarctic. The proposed new Automatic Weather Station (AWS) system will enhance the capabilities and accuracy of the meteorological observations, enabling climate quality measurements. This project will involve development of a more capable instrumentation core, with two major goals. The first goal is to lower the cost for an AWS electronic core to 3 times less than currently employed systems. The second is to enable an onboard temperature calibration capability, an innovative development for the Antarctic AWS. The capability for onboard calibration will add confidence in the critical climate measure of ambient temperature, along with other standard meteorological parameters. Observations made by a modernized AWS network will inform and extend future numerical climate modeling efforts, improve operational weather forecasts, capture weather phenomena, and support environmental science research in other disciplines. A theme of the project is the inclusion of community college students in all aspects of the effort. With an eye on training the next generation of research instrumentation expertise, while involving other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, undergraduate students will be involved in the development, testing and deployment of new AWS systems. As well as reporting, data analysis and publication of scientific knowledge, students intending to transfer to a 4-year university, as well as those pursuing electronics or electrical engineering associate degrees will be introduced to weather and climate topics. This MRI award was supported with funds from the Division of Polar Programs and the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, both of the Directorate of Geosciences.
This research project is a multidisciplinary effort that brings together a diverse team of scientists from multiple institutions together to understand the foraging behavior and physiology of leopard seals and their role in the Southern Ocean food web. The project will examine the physiology and behavior of leopard seals to in an effort to determine their ability to respond to potential changes in their habitat and foraging areas. Using satellite tracking devices the team will examine the movement and diving behavior of leopard seals and couple this information with measurements of their physiological capacity. The project will determine whether leopard seals- who feed on diverse range of prey- are built differently than their deep diving relatives the Weddell and elephant seal who feed on fish and squid. The team will also determine whether leopard seals are operating at or near their physiological capability to determine how much, if any, ?reserve capacity? they might have to forage and live in changing environments. A better understanding of their home ranges, movement patterns, and general behavior will also be informative to help in managing human-leopard seal interactions. The highly visual nature of the data and analysis for this project lends itself to public and educational display and outreach, particularly as they relate to the changing Antarctic habitats. The project will use the research results to educate the public on the unique physiological and ecological adaptations to extreme environments seen in diving marine mammals, including adaptations to exercise under low oxygen conditions and energy utilization, which affect and dictate the lifestyle of these exceptional organisms. The results of the project will also contribute to the broader understanding that may enhance the aims of managing marine living resources. The leopard seal is an apex predator in the Antarctic ecosystem. This project seeks to better understand the ability of the leopard seal to cope with a changing environment. The project will first examine the foraging behavior and habitat utilization of leopard seals using satellite telemetry. Specifically, satellite telemetry tags will be used to obtain dive profiles and movement data for individuals across multiple years. Diet and trophic level positions across multiple temporal scales will then be determined from physiological samples (e.g., blood, vibrissae, blubber fatty acids, stable isotopes, fecal matter). Oceanographic data will be integrated with these measures to develop habitat models that will be used to assess habitat type, habitat utilization, habitat preference, and home range areas for individual animals. Diet composition for individual seals will be evaluated to determine whether specific animals are generalists or specialists. Second, the team will investigate the physiological adaptations that allow leopard seals to be apex predators and determine to what extent leopard seals are working at or near their physiological limit. Diving behavior and physiology of leopard seals will be evaluated (for instance the aerobic dive limit for individual animals and skeletal muscle adaptations will be determined for diving under hypoxic conditions). Data from time-depth recorders will be used to determine foraging strategies for individual seals, and these diving characteristics will be related to physiological variables (e.g., blood volume, muscle oxygen stores) to better understand the link between foraging behavior and physiology. The team will compare myoglobin storage in swimming muscles associated with both forelimb and hind limb propulsion and the use of anaerobic versus aerobic metabolic systems while foraging.
Part I: Non-technical description: Ocean warming in the western Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Sea in winter is among the highest worldwide. This project will quantify the impact of the climate warming on seabirds. The study area is in South Georgia in the South Atlantic with the largest and most diverse seabird colonies in the world. Detecting and understanding how physics and biology interact to bring positive or negative population changes to seabirds has long challenged scientists. The team in this project hypothesizes that 1) Cold water seabird species decline while warm water species increase due to ocean warming observed in the last 30 years; 2) All species decrease with ocean warming, affecting how they interact with each other and in doing so, decreasing their chances of survival; and 3) Species profiles can be predicted using multiple environmental variables and models. To collect present-day data to compare with observations done in 1985, 1991 and 1993, 2 cruises are planned in the austral winter; the personnel will include the three Principal Investigators, all experienced with sampling of seabirds, plankton and oceanography, with 2 graduate and 5 undergraduate students. Models will be developed based on the cruise data and the environmental change experienced in the last 30 years. The research will improve our understanding of seabird and marine mammal winter ecology, and how they interact with the environment. This project benefits NSF's goals to expand the fundamental knowledge of Antarctic systems, biota, and processes. The project will provide an exceptional opportunity to teach polar field skills to undergraduates by bringing 5 students to engage in the research cruises. To further increase polar literacy training and educational impacts, broader impacts include the production of an educational documentary that will be coupled to field surveys to assess public perceptions about climate change. Part II: Technical description: Ocean warming in the western Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Sea in winter is among the highest worldwide. Based on previous work, the Principal Investigators in this project want to test the hypothesis that warming would have decreased seabird abundance and species associations in the South Georgia region of the South Atlantic. A main premise of this proposal is that because of marine environmental change, the structure of the seabird communities has also changed, and potentially in a manner that has diminished the mutually beneficial dynamics of positive interactions, with subsequent consequences to fitness and population trends. The study is structured by 3 main objectives: 1) identify changes in krill, bird and mammal abundance that have occurred from previous sampling off both ends of South Georgia during winter in 1985, 1991 and 1993, 2) identify pairings of species that benefit each other in searching for prey, and quantify how such relationships have changed since 1985, and 3) make predictions about how these changes in species pairing might continue given predicted future changes in climate. The novelty of the approach is the conceptual model that inter-species associations inform birds of food availability and that the associations decrease if bird abundance decreases, thus warming could decrease overall population fitness. These studies will be essential to establish if behavioral patterns in seabird modulate their response to climate change. The project will provide exceptional educational opportunity to undergraduates by bringing 5 students to participate on the cruises. To further increase polar literacy training and educational impacts, broader impacts include the production of an educational documentary that will be coupled to field surveys to assess public perceptions about climate change. 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.
Arrigo, Kevin; Thomas, Leif N; Baumberger, Tamara; Resing, Joseph
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Phytoplankton blooms throughout the world’s oceans support critical marine ecosystems and help remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Traditionally, it has been assumed that phytoplankton blooms in the Southern Ocean are stimulated by iron from either nearby land or sea-ice. However, recent work demonstrates that hydrothermal vents may be an additional iron source for phytoplankton blooms. This enhancement of phytoplankton productivity by different iron sources supports rich marine ecosystems and leads to the sequestration of carbon in the deep ocean. Our proposed work will uncover the importance of hydrothermal activity in stimulating a large phytoplankton bloom along the southern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current just north of the Ross Sea. It will also lead towards a better understanding of the overall impact of hydrothermal activity on the carbon cycle in the Southern Ocean, which appears to trigger local hotspots of biological activity which are a potential sink for atmospheric CO2. This project will encourage the participation of underrepresented groups in ocean sciences, as well as providing educational opportunities for high school and undergraduate students, through three different programs. Stanford University’s Summer Undergraduate Research in Geoscience and Engineering (SURGE) program provides undergraduates from different US universities and diverse cultural backgrounds the opportunity to spend a summer doing a research project at Stanford. The Stanford Earth Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SESUR) is for Stanford undergraduates who want to learn more about environmental science by performing original research. Finally, Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences High School Internship Program enables young scientists to serve as mentors, prepares high school students for college, and serves to strengthen the partnership between Stanford and local schools. Students present their results at the Fall AGU meeting as part of the AGU Bright STaRS program. This project will form the basis of at least two PhD dissertations. The Stanford student will participate in Stanford’s Woods Institute Rising Environmental Leaders Program (RELP), a year-round program that helps graduate students hone their leadership and communication skills to maximize the impact of their research. The graduate student will also participate in Stanford’s Grant Writing Academy where they will receive training in developing and articulating research strategies to tackle important scientific questions. This interdisciplinary program combines satellite and ship-based measurements of a large poorly understood phytoplankton bloom (the AAR bloom) in the northwestern Ross Sea sector of the Southern Ocean with a detailed modeling study of the physical processes linking deep dissolved iron (DFe) reservoirs to the surface phytoplankton bloom. Prior to the cruise, we will implement a numerical model (CROCO) for our study region so that we can better understand the circulation, plumes, turbulence, fronts, and eddy field around the AAR bloom and how they transport and mix hydrothermally produced DFe vertically. Post cruise, observations of the vertical distribution of 3He (combined with DMn and DFe), will be used as initial conditions for a passive tracer in the model, and tracer dispersal will be assessed to better quantify the role of the various turbulent processes in upwelling DFe-rich waters to the upper ocean. The satellite-based component of the program will characterize the broader sampling region before, during, and after our cruise. During the cruise, our automated software system at Stanford University will download and process images of sea ice concentration, Chl-a concentration, sea surface temperature (SST), and sea surface height (SSH) and send them electronically to the ship. Operationally, our goal is to use all available satellite data and preliminary model results to target shipboard sampling both geographically and temporally to optimize sampling of the AAR bloom. We will use available BGC-Argo float data to help characterize the AAR bloom. In collaboration with SOCCOM, we will deploy additional BGC-Argo floats (if available) during our transit through the study area to allow us to better characterize the bloom. The centerpiece of our program will be a 40-day process study cruise in austral summer. The cruise will consist of an initial “radiator” pattern of hydrographic surveys/sections along the AAR followed by CTDs to selected submarine volcanoes. When/if eddies are identified, they will be sampled either during or after the initial surveys. The radiator pattern, or parts thereof, will be repeated 2-3 times. Hydrographic survey stations will include vertical profiles of temperature, salinity, oxygen, oxidation-reduction potential, light scatter, and PAR (400-700 nm). Samples will be collected for trace metals, ligands, 3He, and total suspended matter. Where intense hydrothermal activity is identified, samples for pH and total CO2 will also be collected to characterize the hydrothermal system. Water samples will be collected for characterization of macronutrients, and phytoplankton physiology, abundance, species composition, and size. During transits, we will continuously measure atmospheric conditions, current speed and direction, and surface SST, salinity, pCO2, and fluorescence from the ship’s systems to provide detailed maps of these parameters. The ship will be used as a platform for conducting phytoplankton DFe bioassay experiments at key stations throughout the study region both inside and outside the bloom. We will also perform detailed comparisons of algal taxonomic composition, physiology, and size structure inside and outside the bloom to determine the potential importance of each community on local biogeochemistry. 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.
Estimating Antarctic ice sheet growth or loss is important to predicting future sea level rise. Such estimates rely on field measurements or remotely sensed based observations of the ice sheet surface, ice margins, and or ice shelves. This work examines the introduction of freshwater into the ocean to surrounding Antarctica to track meltwater from continental ice. Polar ice is depleted in two stable isotopes, 18O and D, deuterium, relative to Southern Ocean seawater and precipitation. Measurements of seawater isotopic composition in conjunction with precise observations of seawater temperature and salinity, will permit discrimination of freshwater derived from melting glacial ice from that derived from regional precipitation or sea ice melt. This research describes an accepted method for determining rates and locations of meltwater entering the oceans from polar ice sheets. As isotopic and salinity perturbations are cumulative in many Antarctic coastal seas, the method allows for the detection of any marked acceleration in meltwater introduction in specific regions, using samples collected and analyzed over a period of years to decades. Impact of the project derives from use of an independent method capable of constraining knowledge about current ice sheet melt rates, their stability and potential impact on sea level rise. The project allows for sample collection taken from foreign vessels of opportunity sailing in Antarctic waters, and subsequent sharing and interpretation of data. Research partners include the U.S., Korea, China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Participating collaborators will collect seawater samples for isotopic and salinity analysis at Stanford University. USAP cruises will concentrate on sampling the Ross Sea, and the West Antarctic. The work plan includes interpretation of isotopic data using box model and mixing curve analyses as well as using isotope enabled ROMS (Regional Ocean Modeling System) models. The broader impacts of the research will include development of an educational module that illustrates the scientific method and how ocean observations help society understand how Earth is changing.
Ice cores are a vital source of information about past climate. Research that utilizes ice cores benefits from an undamaged ice-core record. There is often a zone within ice sheets where the ice is brittle upon extraction in a core. Brittle-ice behavior occurs when the rapid decompression of the core as it is being extracted from the ice-sheet results in extensive fracturing. Ice from this zone can compromise the undamaged record. This project seeks to improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved in brittle-ice behavior and onset, with the goal of helping to guide field-site operations, core handling preparation, and planned laboratory measurement techniques for future ice-coring projects, including the upcoming work at Hercules Dome. This project requires no field work, as it will use existing observations and existing ice cores to gain an understanding of brittle ice. This is a high-risk and timely proposal that is early-concept and exploratory in nature, making it appropriate for the EAGER solicitation. The project will support an early-career researcher and provide training for a master’s student who is a woman. And, finally, the project will develop educational and outreach materials for graduate and undergraduate courses and elementary schools. This project will examine and catalog brittle ice from several existing ice-core samples to specifically assess various ice physical properties affecting brittleness potential, including bubble size and number-density, ice fabric, grain statistics, fracture characteristics, and the location and properties of grain and subgrain boundaries. End members of this sample assessment have been identified and include Siple Dome, which exhibited major brittle behavior and damage, and South Pole ice core, which exhibited very-minor brittle behavior and almost no damage. Output datasets will include calibrated relationships for bubble number-density, mean grain and bubble sizes, subgrain prevalence and orientation, and a usable indicator for estimating brittle-ice onset and magnitude. There is an immediate applicability of results from this effort for the Hercules Dome drilling project. 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.
Near the Antarctic coast, polynyas are open-water regions where extreme heat loss in winter causes seawater to become cold, salty, and dense enough to sink into the deep sea. The formation of this dense water has regional and global importance because it influences the ocean current system. Polynya processes are also tied to the amount of sea ice formed, ocean heat lost to atmosphere, and atmospheric CO2 absorbed by the Southern Ocean. Unfortunately, the ocean-atmosphere interactions that influence the deep ocean water properties are difficult to observe directly during the Antarctic winter. This project will combine field measurements and laboratory experiments to investigate whether differences in the concentration of noble gasses (helium, neon, argon, xenon, and krypton) dissolved in ocean waters can be linked to environmental conditions at the time of their formation. If so, noble gas concentrations could provide insight into the mechanisms controlling shelf and bottom-water properties, and be used to reconstruct past climate conditions. Project results will contribute to the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) theme of The Future and Consequences of Carbon Uptake in the Southern Ocean. The project will also train undergraduate and graduate students in environmental monitoring, and earth and ocean sciences methods. Understanding the causal links between Antarctic coastal processes and changes in the deep ocean system requires study of winter polynya processes. The winter period of intense ocean heat loss and sea ice production impacts two important Antarctic water masses: High-Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW), and Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), which then influence the strength of the ocean solubility pump and meridional overturning circulation. To better characterize how sea ice cover, ocean-atmosphere exchange, brine rejection, and glacial melt influence the physical properties of AABW and HSSW, this project will analyze samples and data collected from two Ross Sea polynyas during the 2017 PIPERS winter cruise. Gas concentrations will be measured in seawater samples collected by a CTD rosette, from an underwater mass-spectrometer, and from a benchtop Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometer. Noble gas concentrations will reveal the ocean-atmosphere (dis)equilibrium that exists at the time that surface water is transformed into HSSW and AABW, and provide a fingerprint of past conditions. In addition, nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), argon, and CO2 concentration will be used to determine the net metabolic balance, and to evaluate the efficacy of N2 as an alternative to O2 as glacial meltwater tracer. Laboratory experiments will determine the gas partitioning ratios during sea ice formation. Findings will be synthesized with PIPERS and related projects, and so provide an integrated view of the role of the wintertime Antarctic coastal system on deep water composition. 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 Antarctic Automatic Weather Station network is the most extensive surficial meteorological network in the Antarctic, approaching its 30th year at several of its data stations. Its prime focus is also as a long term observational record, to measure the near surface weather and climatology of the Antarctic atmosphere. Antarctic Automatic Weather Stations measure air-temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction at a nominal surface height of ~ 2-3m. Other parameters such as relative humidity and snow accumulation may also be taken. The surface observations from the Antarctic Automatic Weather Station network are also used operationally, for forecast purposes, and in the planning of field work. Surface observations made from the network have also been used to check the validity of satellite and remote sensing observations. The proposed effort informs our understanding of the Antarctic environment and its weather and climate trends over the past few decades. The research has implications for potential future operations and logistics for the US Antarctic Program during the winter season. As a part of this endeavor, all project participants will engage in a coordinated outreach effort to bring the famous Antarctic "cold" to public seminars, K-12, undergraduate, and graduate classrooms, and senior citizen centers. This project proposes to use the surface conditions observed by the Antarctic Automatic Weather Station (AWS) network to determine how large-scale modes of climate variability impact Antarctic weather and climate, how the surface observations from the AWS network are linked to surface layer and boundary layer processes. Consideration will also be given to low temperature physical environments such as may be encountered during Antarctic winter, and the best ways to characterize these, and other ?cold pool? phenomena. Observational data from the AWS are collected via Iridium network, or DCS Argos aboard either NOAA or MetOp polar orbiting satellites and thus made available in near real time to operational and synoptic weather forecasters over the GTS (WMO Global Telecommunication System). Being able to support improvements in numerical weather prediction and climate modeling will have lasting impacts on Antarctic science and logistical support. 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 1: Non-technical description This is a continuation of a long-term population dynamics study (1978-present) using an intensive mark-recapture tagging of Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. Past work has become a global model for population studies of large animals. Results have documented strong annual variation in reproduction, abundance, and population composition. This program will add components to evaluate the demographic role of immigrant mothers, evaluate possible drivers of annual variation in overall population dynamics, assess genetic differences between immigrant and locally born mothers, and document patterns of gene flow among seal colonies in the Ross Sea region. These new aspects will focus on understanding of population structure, function, and genetics and provide key information for predicting how the seal population will respond to environmental change. The addition of genetic approaches will advance available data for multiple groups in multiple countries working on Weddell Seals. This work includes an early career scientists training program for faculty university graduate and undergraduate students and well as a defined program for data sharing. The research is paired with active education and outreach programs, social media, websites, educational resources, videos and high-profile public lecture activities. The informal science education program will expand on the project’s successful efforts at producing and delivering short-form videos that have been viewed over 1.6 million times to date. In addition, the education program will add new topics such as learning about seals using genomics and how seals respond to a changing world to a multimedia-enhanced electronic book about the project’s long-term research on Weddell seals, which will be freely available to the public early in the project. Part 2: Technical description Reliable predictions are needed for how populations of wild species, especially those at high latitudes, will respond to future environmental conditions. This study will use a strategic extension of the long-term demographic research program that has been conducted annually on the Erebus Bay population of Weddell seals since 1978 to help meet that need. Recent analyses of the study population indicate strong annual variation in reproduction, abundance, and population composition. The number of new immigrant mothers that join the population each year has recently grown such that most new mothers are now immigrants. Despite the growing number of immigrants, the demographic importance and geographic origins of immigrants are unknown. The research will (1) add new information on drivers of annual variation in immigrant numbers, (2) compare and combine information on the vital rates and demographic role of immigrant females and their offspring with that of locally born females, and (3) add genomic analyses that will quantify levels of genetic variation in and gene flow among the study population and other populations in the Ross Sea. The project will continue the long-term monitoring of the population at Erebus Bay and characterize population dynamics and the role of immigration using a combination of mark-recapture analyses, stochastic population modeling, and genomic analyses. The study will continue to provide detailed data on individual seals to other science teams, educate and mentor individuals in the next generation of ecologists, introduce two early-career, female scientists to Antarctic research, and add genomics approaches to the long-term population study of Erebus Bay Weddell seals. The research will be complemented with a robust program of training and an informal science education 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.
Ice cores provide valuable records of past climate such as atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gasses and unmatched evidence of past abrupt climate change. Key to understanding past climate changes are the measurements of annual layers that are used to determine the age of the ice, and the timing and pace of major climate events. The current measurement limit for annual layers in ice cores is at the centimeter scale. This project aims to improve the depth resolution of measurements of the chemical impurities in ice using measurements such as electrical conductivity, hyperspectral imaging, major elements measured with laser ablation, and ice grain properties. This will advance understanding of the preservation and layering in ice cores and improve the accuracy and length of annual timescales for existing ice cores. Most of the past time preserved in an ice core is near the bed where the layers have been thinned to only a fraction of their original thickness. Interpreting highly compressed portions of ice cores is increasingly important as projects target climate records in basal ice, and old ice recovered from blue-ice areas. This project will integrate precisely co-registered electrical conductivity measurements, hyperspectral imaging, laser ablation mass spectrometer measurements of impurities, and ice physical properties to investigate sub-centimeter chemical and physical variations in polar ice. Critical to resolving thin ice layers is understanding the across-core variations that may obscure or distort the vertical layering. Analyses will be focused on samples from the WDC-06A (WAIS Divide), SPC-14 (South Pole), and GISP2 (Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2) ice cores that have well-established seasonal cycles that yielded benchmark timescales, as well a large-diameter ice core from the Allan Hills blue ice area. This work will develop state-of-the-art instrumentation and FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) data handling workflow at the National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility available to the community both to enhance understanding of existing ice cores, and for use in future projects. 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.
Non-Technical Description: Snow accumulation in the interior of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, and how much snow is redistributed by wind are important components of the climate system of Antarctica, yet remain largely unknown. Because of the extreme meteorological conditions found in Antarctica, direct observations of snowfall and related weather are few, leaving a gap in the regional climate records in the continent. Snow accumulation across the Antarctic Ice Sheet is a critical component for the assessment of the contribution of Antarctica to sea level rise, and accurate measurements are required to evaluate results from regional climate models, used to reconstruct climate trends of the recent past for the whole ice sheet. Owing to the size of Antarctica alone, small fluctuations in the total snow accumulation at the surface have a significant effect on the mass budget of the ice sheet and thus on global sea level. In this work will develop an instrument suite for deployment at the South Pole research station in Antarctica. The monitoring station will have new state-of-the-art sensors will record measurements of weather, snow accumulation, and structural conditions within the layer of packed snow. The autonomous system will be tested in the coldest and darkest winter on the planet, and will provide the first continuous measurements of snow accumulation processes in the interior of the ice sheet, which will be used to validate atmospheric and regional climate models. Technical Description: The overarching goal of the proposed work is to improve our understanding of the spatiotemporal variability in ice-sheet surface mass balance and densification rates within the layer of firn, a layer roughly 100 m thick consisting of the buried and compacted snow that has yet to densify into solid ice. For this, we will A) design and install a cost-efficient, reliable, and easily deployable surface mass balance and firn monitoring system for Antarctica; B) adapt the system to operate autonomously for long periods of time under the harshest meteorological conditions; C) use observations for evaluation of surface mass balance simulated by atmospheric reanalyzes and regional climate model; and D) measure the surface mass balance, surface density, and firn compaction rates to derive ice sheet surface elevation change in areas with low ice dynamics. The set up of the monitoring station is unique in that it is able to monitor separately height change due to surface mass balance variability and absolute surface mass balance, the latter in units of water equivalence, and differentiation of the two is crucial for understanding the role of surface processes in ice sheet mass balance. An installed sonic ranger will provide hourly measurements of surface height change that is due to snow accumulation. Surface height change alone is not sufficient to evaluate atmospheric models of surface mass balance, which is measured in in units of mass; a key variable missing is density. To overcome this, the system will be equipped with a SnowFox sensor that is able to capture the variations in surface mass balance in terms of mass through time. Combining the height change with mass change will allow us to determine the density of the material as well, which is very important for conversion of observed height changes due to surface processes into mass changes. Therefore, we aim to better evaluate the short-term variability in surface height and mass fluctuations due to surface mass balance to improve our understanding of the total mass change and to evaluate atmospheric models, which are typically used for ice sheet-wide mass balance studies.
This award is funded in whole or part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Part I: Non-technical description: Adélie penguin colonies are declining and disappearing from the western Antarctic Peninsula. However, not all colonies in a certain area decline or disappear at the same rate. This research project will evaluate the influence of terrestrial surface properties on Adélie penguin colonies, leveraging five decades of research on seabirds near Palmer Station where an Adélie colony on Litchfield Island became extinct in 2007 while other colonies nearby are still present. The researchers will combine information obtained from remote sensing, UAS (Unoccupied Aircraft System, or drones) high-resolution maps, reconstruction of past moss banks and modeling with machine learning tools to define suitable penguin and peatbank moss habitats and explore the influence of microclimate on their distributions. In particular, the researchers are asking if guano from penguin colonies could act as fertilizers of moss banks in the presence of localized wind patters that can carry airborne nitrogen to the mosses. Modeling will relate penguin and peatbank moss spatial patterns to environmental variables and provide a greater understanding of how continued environmental change could impact these communities. The project allows for documentation of terrestrial Antarctic ecosystems in support of seabirds and provisioning of such information to the broader science community that seeks to study penguins, educating graduate and undergraduate students and a post-doctoral researcher. The research team includes two young women as Principal Investigators, one of them from an under-represented ethnic minority, first time Antarctic Principal Investigator, from an EPSCoR state (Wyoming), broadening participation in Antarctic research. Researchers will serve as student mentors through the Duke Bass Connections program entitled Biogeographic Assessment of Antarctic Coastal Habitats. This program supports an interdisciplinary team of graduate and undergraduate students collaborating with project faculty and experts on cutting-edge research bridging the classroom and the real world. Part II: Technical description: This research aims to understand the changes at the microclimate scale (meters) by analyzing present and past Adélie penguin colonies and moss peatbanks in islands around Palmer Station in the western Antarctic Peninsula – interlinked systems that are typically considered in isolation. By integrating in situ and remote data, this project will synthesize the drivers of biogeomorphology on small islands of the Antarctic Peninsula, a region of rapid change where plants and animals often co-occur and animal presence often determines the habitation of plants. A multi-disciplinary approach combine field measurements, remote sensing, UAS (Unoccupied Aircraft Systems) maps, paleoecology and modeling with machine learning to define suitable habitats and the influence of microclimates on penguin and peatbank distributions. The link between the two aspects of this study, peatbanks and penguins, is the potential source of nutrients for peat mosses from penguin guano. Peatbank and penguin distribution will be modeled and all models will be validated using in situ information from moss samples that will identify mechanistic processes. This project leverages 5 decades of seabird research in the area and high-definition remote sensing provided by the Polar Geospatial center to study the microclimate of Litchfield Island where an Adélie colony became extinct in 2007 when other colonies nearby are still present. The research team includes two early career women as Principal Investigators, one of them from an under-represented ethnic minority, first time Antarctic Principal Investigator, from an EPSCoR state (Wyoming). Researchers will serve as mentors for students through the Duke Bass Connections program entitled Biogeogrpahic Assessment of Antarctic Coastal Habitats which bridges the classroom and the real world. 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.
Undersea canyons play disproportionately important roles as oceanic biological hotspots and are critical for our understanding of many coastal ecosystems. Canyon-associated biological hotspots have persisted for thousands of years Along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, despite significant climate variability. Observations of currents over Palmer Deep canyon, a representative hotspot along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, indicate that surface phytoplankton blooms enter and exit the local hotspot on scales of ~1-2 days. This time of residence is in conflict with the prevailing idea that canyon associated hotspots are primarily maintained by phytoplankton that are locally grown in association with these features by the upwelling of deep waters rich with nutrients that fuel the phytoplankton growth. Instead, the implication is that horizontal ocean circulation is likely more important to maintaining these biological hotspots than local upwelling through its physical concentrating effects. This project seeks to better resolve the factors that create and maintain focused areas of biological activity at canyons along the Western Antarctic Peninsula and create local foraging areas for marine mammals and birds. The project focus is in the analysis of the ocean transport and concentration mechanisms that sustain these biological hotspots, connecting oceanography to phytoplankton and krill, up through the food web to one of the resident predators, penguins. In addition, the research will engage with teachers from school districts serving underrepresented and underserved students by integrating the instructors and their students completely with the science team. Students will conduct their own research with the same data over the same time as researchers on the project. Revealing the fundamental mechanisms that sustain these known hotspots will significantly advance our understanding of the observed connection between submarine canyons and persistent penguin population hotspots over ecological time, and provide a new model for how Antarctic hotspots function. To understand the physical mechanisms that support persistent hotspots along the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), this project will integrate a modeling and field program that will target the processes responsible for transporting and concentrating phytoplankton and krill biomass to known penguin foraging locations. Within the Palmer Deep canyon, a representative hotspot, the team will deploy a High Frequency Radar (HFR) coastal surface current mapping network, uniquely equipped to identify the eddies and frontal regions that concentrate phytoplankton and krill. The field program, centered on surface features identified by the HFR, will include (i) a coordinated fleet of gliders to survey hydrography, chlorophyll fluorescence, optical backscatter, and active acoustics at the scale of the targeted convergent features; (ii) precise penguin tracking with GPS-linked satellite telemetry and time-depth recorders (TDRs); (iii) and weekly small boat surveys that adaptively target and track convergent features to measure phytoplankton, krill, and hydrography. A high resolution physical model will generalize our field measurements to other known hotspots along the WAP through simulation and determine which physical mechanisms lead to the maintenance of these hotspots. The project will also engage educators, students, and members of the general public in Antarctic research and data analysis with an education program that will advance teaching and learning as well as broadening participation of under-represented groups. This engagement includes professional development workshops, live connections to the public and classrooms, student research symposia, and program evaluation. Together the integrated research and engagement will advance our understanding of the role regional transport pathways and local depth dependent concentrating physical mechanisms play in sustaining these biological hotspots. 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 purpose of this project is to use geological data that record past changes in the Antarctic ice sheets to test computer models for ice sheet change. The geologic data mainly consist of dated glacial deposits that are preserved above the level of the present ice sheet, and range in age from thousands to millions of years old. These provide information about the size, thickness, and rate of change of the ice sheets during past times when the ice sheets were larger than present. In addition, some of these data are from below the present ice surface and therefore also provide some information about past warm periods when ice sheets were most likely smaller than present. The primary purpose of the computer model is to predict future ice sheet changes, but because significant changes in the size of ice sheets are slow and likely occur over hundreds of years or longer, the only way to determine whether these models are accurate is to test their ability to reproduce past ice sheet changes. The primary purpose of this project is to carry out such a test. The research team will compile relevant geologic data, in some cases generate new data by dating additional deposits, and develop methods and software to compare data to model simulations. In addition, this project will (i) contribute to building and sustaining U.S. science capacity through postdoctoral training in geochronology, ice sheet modeling, and data science, and (ii) improve public access to geologic data and model simulations relevant to ice sheet change through online database and website development. Technical aspects of this project are primarily focused on the field of cosmogenic-nuclide exposure-dating, which is a method that relies on the production of rare stable and radio-nuclides by cosmic-ray interactions with rocks and minerals exposed at the Earth's surface. Because the advance and retreat of ice sheets results in alternating cosmic-ray exposure and shielding of underlying bedrock and surficial deposits, this technique is commonly used to date and reconstruct past ice sheet changes. First, this project will contribute to compiling and systematizing a large amount of cosmogenic-nuclide exposure age data collected in Antarctica during the past three decades. Second, it will generate additional geochemical data needed to improve the extent and usefulness of measurements of stable cosmogenic nuclides, cosmogenic neon-21 in particular, that are useful for constraining ice-sheet behavior on million-year timescales. Third, it will develop a computational framework for comparison of the geologic data set with existing numerical model simulations of Antarctic ice sheet change during the past several million years, with particular emphasis on model simulations of past warm periods, for example the middle Pliocene ca. 3-3.3 million years ago, during which the Antarctic ice sheets are hypothesized to have been substantially smaller than present. Fourth, guided by the results of this comparison, it will generate new model simulations aimed at improving agreement between model simulations and geologic data, as well as diagnosing which processes or parameterizations in the models are or are not well constrained by the data. 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.
This project will conduct basic research into geological dating techniques that are useful for determining the age of glacial deposits in polar regions, Antarctica in particular. These techniques are necessary for determining how large the polar ice sheets were in the geologic past, including during past periods of warm climate that likely resemble present and near-future conditions. Thus, they represent an important technical capability needed for estimating the response of polar ice sheets to climate warming. Because changes in the size of polar ice sheets are the largest potential contribution to future global sea-level change, this capability is also relevant to understanding likely sea-level impacts of future climate change. The research in this project comprises several observational and experimental approaches to improving the speed, efficiency, cost, and accuracy of these techniques, as well as a scientific outreach program aimed at making the resulting capabilities more broadly available to other researchers. The project supports a postdoctoral scholar and contributes to human resources development in polar and climate science. The project focuses on several areas of cosmogenic-nuclide geochemistry, which is a geochemical dating method that relies on the production and decay of cosmic-ray-produced radionuclides in surface rocks. Measurements of these nuclides can be used to quantify the duration of surface exposure and ice cover at locations in Antarctica that are covered and uncovered by changes in the size of the Antarctic ice sheets, thus providing a means of reconstructing past ice-sheet change. The first proposed set of experiments are aimed at implementing a 'virtual mineral separation' approach to cosmogenic noble gas analysis that may allow measurement of nuclide concentrations in certain minerals without physically separating the minerals from the host rock. If feasible, this would realize significant speed and cost improvements for this type of analysis. A second set of experiments will focus on means of identifying and quantifying non-cosmogenic background inventories of some relevant nuclides, which is intended to improve the measurement sensitivity and precision for cosmic-ray-produced inventories of these nuclides. A third focus area aims to improve capabilities to measure multiple cosmic-ray-produced nuclides in the same sample, which has the potential to improve the accuracy of dating methods based on these nuclides and to expand the situations in which these methods can be applied. If successful, these experiments are likely to improve a number of applications of cosmogenic-nuclide geochemistry relevant to Antarctic research, including subglacial bedrock exposure dating, dating of multimillion-year-old glacial deposits, and surface-process studies useful in understanding landform evolution and ecosystem dynamics. 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.
Hydroxyl radicals are responsible for removal of most atmospheric trace gases, including pollutants and important greenhouse gases. They have been called the "detergent of the atmosphere". Changes in hydroxyl radical concentration in response to large changes in reactive trace gas emissions, which may happen in the future, are uncertain. This project aims to provide the first estimates of the variability of atmospheric hydroxyl radicals since about 1880 AD when anthropogenic emissions of reactive trace gases were minimal. This will improve understanding of their stability in response to large changes in emissions. The project will also investigate whether ice cores record past changes in Southern Hemisphere westerly winds. These winds are a key component of the global climate system, and have an important influence on ocean circulation and possibly on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. The project team will include three early career scientists, a postdoctoral researcher, and graduate and undergraduate students, working in collaboration with senior scientists and Australian collaborators. Firn air and shallow ice to a depth of about 233 m will be sampled at the Law Dome high-accumulation coastal site in East Antarctica. Trapped air will be extracted from the ice cores on site immediately after drilling. Carbon-14 of carbon monoxide (14CO) will be analyzed in firn and ice-core air samples. Corrections will be made for the in situ cosmogenic 14CO component in the ice, allowing for the atmospheric 14CO history to be reconstructed. This 14CO history will be interpreted with the aid of a chemistry-transport model to place the first observational constraints on the variability of Southern Hemisphere hydroxyl radical concentration after about 1880 AD. An additional component of the project will analyze Krypton-86 in the firn-air and ice-core samples. These measurements will explore whether ice-core Krypton-86 acts as a proxy for barometric pressure variability, and whether this proxy can be used in Antarctic ice cores to infer past movement of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds. 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 western portion of the Antarctic continent is very active in terms of plate tectonic processes that can produce significant variations in the Earths mantle temperature as well as partial melting of the mantle. In addition to these internal processes, the ice sheet in western Antarctica is melting due to Earths warming climate and adding water to the ocean. These changes in ice mass cause adjustments in rocks within the Earth's crust, allowing the surface to rebound in some locations and fall in others, altering the geographical pattern of sea-level change. However, the solid Earth response depends strongly on the strength of the rocks at a wide range of timescales which is not well-known and varies with temperature and other rock properties. This project has three primary goals. (1) It will assess how processes such as rifting, mantle upwelling and lithospheric instability have altered the lithosphere and underlying asthenosphere of western Antarctica, contributing to a planet-wide understanding of these processes. (2) It will use new measurements of mantle and crust properties to estimate the rate at which heat from the solid Earth flows into the base of the ice, which is important for modeling the rates at which the ice melts and flows. (3) It will places bounds on mantle viscosity, which is key for modeling the interaction of the solid Earth with changing ice and water masses and their implications for sea-level rise. To accomplish these goals, new resolution of crust and mantle structure will be obtained by analyzing seismic waves from distant earthquakes that have been recorded at numerous seismic stations in Antarctica. These analyses will include new combinations of seismic wave data that provide complementary information about mantle temperature, heat flow and viscosity. This project will provide educational and career opportunities to a Brown University graduate student, undergraduates from groups underrepresented in science who will come to Brown University for a summer research program, and other undergraduates. The project will bring together faculty and students for a seminar at Brown that explores the connections between the solid Earth and ice processes in Antarctica. Project research will be incorporated in outreach to local public elementary schools and high schools. This research addresses key questions about mantle processes and properties in western Antarctica. What are the relative impacts of rifting, mantle plumes, and lithospheric delamination in the evolution of the lithosphere and asthenosphere? Where is topography isostatically compensated, and where are dynamic processes such as plate flexure or tractions from 3-D mantle flow required? What are the bounds on heat flow and mantle viscosity, which represent important inputs to models of ice sheet evolution and its feedback from the solid Earth? To address these questions, this project will measure mantle and crust properties using seismic tools that have not yet been applied in Antarctica: regional-scale measurement of mantle attenuation from surface waves; Sp body wave phases to image mantle velocity gradients such as the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary; and surface wave amplification and ellipticity. The resulting models of seismic attenuation and velocity will be jointly interpreted to shed new light on temperature, bulk composition, volatile content, and partial melt, using a range of laboratory-derived constitutive laws, while considering data from mantle xenoliths. To test the relative roles of rifting, mantle plumes, and delamination, and to assess isostatic support for Antarctic topography, the predictions of these processes will be compared to the new models of crust and mantle properties. To improve bounds on western Antarctic heat flow, seismic attenuation and velocity will be used in empirical comparisons and in direct modeling of vertical temperature gradients. To better measure mantle viscosity at the timescales of glacial isostatic adjustment, frequency-dependent viscosity will be estimated from the inferred mantle conditions. This project will contribute to the education and career development of the following: a Brown University Ph.D. student, Brown undergraduates, and undergraduates from outside the university will be involved through the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences (DEEPS) Leadership Alliance NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site which focuses on geoscience summer research experiences for underrepresented students. The project will be the basis for a seminar at Brown that explores the connections between the solid Earth and cryosphere in Antarctica and will contribute to outreach in local public elementary and high schools. 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.
Algae in the surface ocean convert carbon dioxide into organic carbon through photosynthesis. The biological carbon pump transports this organic carbon from the atmosphere to the deep ocean where it can be stored for tens to hundreds of years. Annually, the amount transported is similar to that humans are currently emitting by burning fossil fuels. However, at present we cannot predict how this important process will change with a warming ocean. These investigators plan to develop a 15+ year time-series of vertical carbon transfer for the Western Antarctic Peninsula; a highly productive Antarctic ecosystem. This region is also rapid transition to warmer temperatures leading to reduced sea ice coverage. This work will help researchers better understand how the carbon cycle in the Western Antarctic Peninsula will respond to climate change. The researchers will develop the first large-scale time-series of carbon flux anywhere in the ocean. This research will also support the education and training of a graduate student and support the integration of concepts in Antarctic research into two undergraduate courses designed for non-science majors and advanced earth science students. The researchers will also develop educational modules for introducing elementary and middle-school age students to important concepts such as gross and net primary productivity, feedbacks in the marine and atmospheric systems, and the differences between correlation and causation. Results from this proposal will also be incorporated into a children’s book, “Plankton do the Strangest Things”, that is targeted at 5-7 year olds and is designed to introduce them to the incredible diversity and fascinating adaptations of microscopic marine organisms. This research seeks to leverage 6 years (2015-2020) of 234Th samples collected on Palmer LTER program, 5 years of prior measurements (2009-2010, 2012-2014), and upcoming cruises (2021-2023) to develop a time-series of summertime particle flux in the WAP that stretches for 15 years. The 238U-234Th disequilibrium approach utilizes changes in the activity of the particle-active radio-isotope 234Th relative to its parent nuclide 238U to quantify the flux of sinking carbon out of the surface ocean (over a time-scale of ~one month). This proposal will fund 234Th analyses from nine years’ worth of cruises (2015-2023) and extensive analyses designed to investigate the processes driving inter-annual variability in the BCP. These include: 1) physical modeling to quantify the importance of advection and diffusion in the 234Th budget, 2) time-series analyses of particle flux, and 3) statistical modeling of the relationships between particle flux and multiple presumed drivers (biological, chemical, physical, and climate indices) measured by collaborators in the Palmer LTER program. This multi-faceted approach is critical for linking the measurements to models and for predicting responses to climate change. It will also test the hypothesis that export flux is decreasing in the northern WAP, increasing in the southern WAP, and increasing when integrated over the entire region as a result of earlier sea ice retreat and a larger ice-free zone. The project will also investigate relationships between carbon export and multiple potentially controlling factors including: primary productivity, algal biomass and taxonomic composition, biological oxygen saturation, zooplankton biomass and taxonomic composition, bacterial production, temperature, wintertime sea ice extent, date of sea ice retreat, and climate modes. 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.
Cores drilled through the Antarctic ice sheet provide a remarkable window on the evolution of Earth’s climate and unique samples of the ancient atmosphere. The clear link between greenhouse gases and climate revealed by ice cores underpins much of the scientific understanding of climate change. Unfortunately, the existing data do not extend far enough back in time to reveal key features of climates warmer than today. COLDEX, the Center for Oldest Ice Exploration, will solve this problem by exploring Antarctica for sites to collect the oldest possible record of past climate recorded in the ice sheet. COLDEX will provide critical information for understanding how Earth’s near-future climate may evolve and why climate varies over geologic time. New technologies will be developed for exploration and analysis that will have a long legacy for future research. An archive of old ice will stimulate new research for the next generations of polar scientists. COLDEX programs will galvanize that next generation of polar researchers, bring new results to other scientific disciplines and the public, and help to create a more inclusive and diverse scientific community. Knowledge of Earth’s climate history is grounded in the geologic record. This knowledge is gained by measuring chemical, biological and physical properties of geologic materials that reflect elements of climate. Ice cores retrieved from polar ice sheets play a central role in this science and provide the best evidence for a strong link between atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate on geologic timescales. The goal of COLDEX is to extend the ice-core record of past climate to at least 1.5 million years by drilling and analyzing a continuous ice core in East Antarctica, and to much older times using discontinuous ice sections at the base and margin of the ice sheet. COLDEX will develop and deploy novel radar and melt-probe tools to rapidly explore the ice, use ice-sheet models to constrain where old ice is preserved, conduct ice coring, develop new analytical systems, and produce novel paleoclimate records from locations across East Antarctica. The search for Earth’s oldest ice also provides a compelling narrative for disseminating information about past and future climate change and polar science to students, teachers, the media, policy makers and the public. COLDEX will engage and incorporate these groups through targeted professional development workshops, undergraduate research experiences, a comprehensive communication program, annual scientific meetings, scholarships, and broad collaboration nationally and internationally. COLDEX will provide a focal point for efforts to increase diversity in polar science by providing field, laboratory, mentoring and networking experiences for students and early career scientists from groups underrepresented in STEM, and by continuous engagement of the entire COLDEX community in developing a more inclusive scientific culture. 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 Antarctic Automatic Weather Station (AWS) network is the most extensive ground meteorological network in the Antarctic, approaching its 30th year at several of its installations. Its prime focus as a long term observational record is to measure the near surface weather and climatology of the Antarctic atmosphere. AWS stations measure air-temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction at a nominal surface height of ~ 2-3m. Other parameters such as relative humidity and snow accumulation may also be taken. Observational data from the AWS are collected via Iridium network, or DCS Argos aboard either NOAA or MetOp polar orbiting satellites and thus made available in near real time to operational and synoptic weather forecasters. The surface observations from the AAWS network are important records for recent climate change and meteorological processes. The surface observations from the AAWS network are also used operationally, and in the planning of field work. The surface observations made from the AAWS network have been used to check on satellite and remote sensing observations. This project proposes to use the surface conditions observed by the AWS network to determine how large-scale modes of climate variability impact Antarctic weather and climate, how the surface observations from the AWS network are linked to surface layer and boundary layer processes, and to quantify the impact of snowfall and blowing snow events. Specifically, this project proposes to improve our understanding of the processes that lead to unusual weather events and how these events are related to large-scale modes of climate variability. This project will fill a gap in knowledge of snowfall distribution, and distinguishing between snowfall and blowing snow events using a suite of precipitation sensors near McMurdo Station.
Melt from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets is increasingly contributing to sea-level rise. This ice sheet mass loss is primarily driven by the thinning, retreat, and acceleration of glaciers in contact with the ocean. Observations from the field and satellites indicate that glaciers are sensitive to changes at the ice-ocean interface and that the increase in submarine melting is likely to be driven by the discharge of meltwater from underneath the glacier known as subglacial meltwater plumes. The melting of glacier ice also directly adds a large volume of freshwater into the ocean, potentially causing significant changes in the circulation of ocean waters that regulate global heat transport, making ice-ocean interactions an important potential factor in climate change and variability. The ability to predict, and hence adequately respond to, climate change and sea-level rise therefore depends on our knowledge of the small-scale processes occurring in the vicinity of subglacial meltwater plumes at the ice-ocean interface. Currently, understanding of the underlying physics is incomplete; for example, different models of glacier-ocean interaction could yield melting rates that vary over a factor of five for the same heat supply from the ocean. It is then very difficult to assess the reliability of predictive models. This project will use comprehensive laboratory experiments to study how the melt rates of glaciers in the vicinity of plumes are affected by the ice roughness, ice geometry, ocean turbulence, and ocean density stratification at the ice-ocean interface. These experiments will then be used to develop new and improved predictive models of ice-sheet melting by the ocean. This project builds bridges between modern experimental fluid mechanics and glaciology with the goal of leading to advances in both fields. As a part of this work, two graduate students will receive interdisciplinary training and each year two undergraduate students will be trained in experimental fluid mechanics to assist in this work and develop their own research projects. This project consists of a comprehensive experimental program designed for studying the melt rates of glacier ice under the combined influences of (1) turbulence occurring near and at the ice-ocean interface, (2) density stratification in the ambient water column, (3) irregularities in the bottom topology of an ice shelf, and (4) differing spatial distributions of multiple meltwater plumes. The objective of the experiments is to obtain high-resolution data of the velocity, density, and temperature near/at the ice-ocean interface, which will then be used to improve understanding of melt processes down to scales of millimeters, and to devise new, more robust numerical models of glacier evolution and sea-level rise. Specially, laser-based, optical techniques in experimental fluid mechanics (particle image velocity and laser-induced fluorescence) will be used to gather the data, and the experiments will be conducted using refractive-index matching techniques to eliminate changes in refractive indices that could otherwise bias the measurements. The experiments will be run inside a climate-controlled cold room to mimic field conditions (ocean temperature from 0-10 degrees C). The project will use 3D-printing to create different casting molds for making ice blocks with different types of roughness. The goal is to investigate how ice melt rate changes as a function of the properties of the plume, the ambient ocean water, and the geometric properties of the ice interface. Based on the experimental findings, this project will develop and test a new integral-plume-model coupled to a regional circulation model (MITgcm) that can be used to predict the effects of glacial melt on ocean circulation and sea-level rise. 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.
Salvatore, Mark; Gooseff, Michael N.; Sokol, Eric; Barrett, John
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Part I: Non-technical description: Water is life and nowhere is it more notable than in deserts. Within the drylands on Earth, the Antarctic deserts, represented in this study by the McMurdo Dry Valleys, exemplify life in extreme environments with scarce water, low temperatures and long periods of darkness during the polar winter. There is a scarcity of methods to determine water availability, data necessary to predict which species are successful in the drylands, unless measurements are done manually or with field instruments. This project aims to develop a new method of determining soil moisture and use the new data to identify locations suitable for life. Combining these habitats with known species distributions in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, results from this project will predict which species should be present, and also what is the expected species distribution in a changing environment. In this way the project takes advantage of a combination of methods, from recent remote sensing products, ecological models and 30 years of field collections to bring a prediction of how life might change in the McMurdo Dry Valleys in a warmer, and possibly, moister future climate. This project benefits the National Science Foundation goals of expanding fundamental knowledge of Antarctic biota and the processes that sustain life in extreme environments. The knowledge acquired in this project will be disseminated to other drylands through training of high-school curricular programming in Native American communities of the SouthWest. Part II: Technical description: Terrestrial environments in Antarctica are characterized by low liquid water supply, sub-zero temperatures and the polar night in winter months. During summer, melting of snow patches, seasonal steams from glacial melt and vicinity to lakes provide a variety of environments that maintain life, not yet studied at landscape-scale level for habitat suitability and the processes that drive them. This project proposes to integrate remote sensing, hydrological models and ecological models to establish habitat suitability for species in the McMurdo Dry Valleys based on water availability. The approach is at a landscape level in order to establish present-day and future scenarios of species distribution. There are four main objectives: remote sensing development of moisture levels in soils, combining biological and soil data, building and calibrating models of habitat suitability by combining species distribution and environmental variability and applying statistical species distribution model. The field data to develop habitat suitability and calibration of models will leverage a the 30-year dataset collected by the McMurdo Long-Term Ecological Research program. Mechanistic models developed will be essential to predict species distribution in future climate scenarios. Training of post-doctoral researchers and a graduate student will prepare for the next generation of Antarctic scientists. Results from this project will train high-school students from native American communities in the SouthWest where similar desert conditions exist. 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.
Warming at the northern Antarctic Peninsula is causing fundamental changes in the marine ecosystem. Antarctic krill are small shrimp-like animals that are most abundant in that area. They are also an essential part of the marine food web of the waters surrounding Antarctica. Meanwhile, a rapidly growing international fishery has developed for krill. Understanding changes in krill populations is therefore critical both to the management of the fishery and the ability of scientists to predict changes in the Antarctic marine ecosystem. This project will have two broader societal impacts. First, the project will support the training of students for careers in oceanography. The students will be recruited from underrepresented groups in an effort to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM. Second, results from this project will develop improved population models, which are essential for the effective management of the Antarctic krill fishery. In collaboration with US delegates on the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, the researchers will produce a report outlining the key findings from the study. Effective population modeling relies on empirical and theoretical understanding of how environment drives krill reproduction. There are two critical egg development stages in Antarctic krill that impact population growth. They are early egg development, and advanced egg development/spawning. The timing and duration of early egg development determines the number of eggs produced and the number of seasonal spawning events a female can undergo. The research team will use samples of Antarctic krill collected over the last 30 years in late winter/early spring, summer and early fall. The reproductive development stages of individual females in these samples will be assessed. These data will be modeled against climatological and oceanographic data to test three hypotheses. First, they will test if colder winter conditions correspond to early preparation for spawning. Second, they will test if favorable winter-summer conditions increase early spawning. Finally, they will test if favorable winter-summer conditions lengthen the spawning season. The study will advance current understanding of the environmental conditions that promote population increases in Antarctic krill and will fill an important gap in current knowledge of the reproductive development and output of Antarctic krill. 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.
This project seeks to make detailed measurements of the oxygen content of the surface ocean along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Detailed maps of changes in net oxygen content will be combined with measurements of the surface water chemistry and phytoplankton distributions. The project will determine the extent to which on-shore or offshore phytoplankton blooms along the peninsula are likely to lead to different amounts of carbon being exported to the deeper ocean. The project team members will participate in the development of new learning tools at the Museum of Life and Science. They will also teach secondary school students about aquatic biogeochemistry and climate, drawing directly from the active science supported by this grant. The project will analyze oxygen in relation to argon that will allow determination of the physical and biological contributions to surface ocean oxygen dynamics. These assessments will be combined with spatial and temporal distributions of nutrients (iron and macronutrients) and irradiances. This will allow the investigators to unravel the complex interplay between ice dynamics, iron and physical mixing dynamics as they relate to Net Community Production (NCP) in the region. NCP measurements will be normalized to Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) and be used to help identify area of "High Biomass and Low NCP" and those with "Low Biomass and High NCP" as a function of microbial plankton community composition. The team will use machine learning methods- including decision tree assemblages and genetic programming- to identify plankton groups key to facilitating biological carbon fluxes. Decomposing the oxygen signal along the West Antarctic Peninsula will also help elucidate biotic and abiotic drivers of the O2 saturation to further contextualize the growing inventory of oxygen measurements (e.g. by Argo floats) throughout the global oceans.
ANDRILL is a scientific drilling program to investigate Antarctica's role in global climate change over the last sixty million years. The approach integrates geophysical surveys, new drilling technology, multidisciplinary core analysis, and ice sheet modeling to address four scientific themes: (1) the history of Antarctica's climate and ice sheets; (2) the evolution of polar biota and ecosystems; (3) the timing and nature of major tectonic and volcanic episodes; and (4) the role of Antarctica in the Earth's ocean-climate system. <br/><br/>This award initiates what may become a long-term program with drilling of two previously inaccessible sediment records beneath the McMurdo Ice Shelf and in South McMurdo Sound. These stratigraphic records cover critical time periods in the development of Antarctica's major ice sheets. The McMurdo Ice Shelf site focuses on the Ross Ice Shelf, whose size is a sensitive indicator of global climate change. It has recently undergone major calving events, and there is evidence of a thousand-kilometer contraction since the last glacial maximum. As a generator of cold bottom water, the shelf may also play a key role in ocean circulation. The core obtained from this site will also offer insight into sub-ice shelf sedimentary, biologic, and oceanographic processes; the history of Ross Island volcanism; and the flexural response of the lithosphere to volcanic loading, which is important for geophysical and tectonic studies of the region.<br/><br/>The South McMurdo Sound site is located adjacent to the Dry Valleys, and focuses on the major ice sheet overlying East Antarctica. A debate persists regarding the stability of this ice sheet. Evidence from the Dry Valleys supports contradictory conclusions; a stable ice sheet for at least the last fifteen million years or an active ice sheet that cycled through expansions and contractions as recently as a few millions of years ago. Constraining this history is critical to deep-time models of global climate change. The sediment cores will be used to construct an overall glacial and interglacial history for the region; including documentation of sea-ice coverage, sea level, terrestrial vegetation, and melt-water discharge events. The core will also provide a general chronostratigraphic framework for regional seismic studies and help unravel the area's complex tectonic history.<br/><br/>The broader impacts of this project include formal and informal education, new research infrastructure, various forms of collaboration, and improving society's understanding of global climate change. Education is supported at the postdoctoral, graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 levels. Teachers and curriculum specialists are integrated into the research program, and a range of video resources will be produced, including a science documentary for television release. New research infrastructure includes equipment for core analysis and ice sheet modeling, as well as development of a unique drilling system to penetrate ice shelves. Drill development and the overall project are co-supported by international collaboration with scientists and the National Antarctic programs of New Zealand, Germany, and Italy. The program also forges new collaborations between research and primarily undergraduate institutions within the United States. <br/><br/>As key factors in sea-level rise and oceanic and atmospheric circulation, Antarctica's ice sheets are important to society's understanding of global climate change. ANDRILL offers new data on marine and terrestrial temperatures, and changes our understanding of extreme climate events like the formation of polar ice caps. Such data are critical to developing accurate models of the Earth's climatic future.
Atmospheric warming has been a major factor in the loss of ice shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula. In West Antarctica, oceanic warming is presently regarded as the largest source of stress on both the ice-shelves and at the grounding lines of the ice sheets. The loss of ice shelf buttressing and grounding line retreat may have already induced irreversible loss of Thwaites Glacier. To advance predictive models more data is needed regarding both water-induced fracturing on an ice shelf and marine ice cliff instability near the grounding line. This project will help advance understanding of atmospheric circulation and solar radiation over West Antarctica and the Ross Ice Shelf that lead to surface melting. In support of this project, and incorporating Antarctic science from this work, UCSD educators will sponsor a workshop series for exemplary middle and/or high school science teachers designed to address this need. Teacher participants will be carefully selected for their demonstrated leadership skills and will eventually become part of an cadre of "master" science teachers who will serve as local leaders in disseminating strategies and tools for addressing the NGSS (Ca Next Gen. of Sci. Eng. Stds.) to teachers throughout the county. For the summer field seasons requested, UCSD scientists will deploy a suite instruments to measure downwelling and net shortwave and longwave fluxes, sensible and latent heat fluxes, and near-surface meteorology. This suite of instruments will be self-reliant with power requirements and will be supportable in the field with a single Twin Otter aircraft. The investigators plan to deploy this suite as a remote ice camp with a field party of 2-3 personnel, making measurements for at up to one month during each of the sampled summer field seasons. These measurements will be analyzed and interpreted to determine mesoscale conditions that govern surface melt in West Antarctica, in the context of improving coupled climate model parameterizations. 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.
This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). The Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP; AP) has been warming faster than the global average since the mid-1960s. Concurrent mobilization of ice shelves has been associated with glacial discharge into the ocean, with important implications for global sea level rise. This work will enhance our understanding of the contributions of clouds, water vapor and surface radiation to warming over the WAP. Processes governing phase partitioning and amounts of supercooled liquid water are crucial for understanding surface melt, and will be explored. In addition, the role of clouds and moisture during foehn and atmospheric river (AR) events, will be characterized. Clouds and atmospheric water vapor have strong radiative signals that vary seasonally and with cloud properties. This work will lead to a better understanding of how clouds are impacting surface melt on the AP in the changing climate. In addition, the proposed work will include several undergraduate research projects. Finally, broader impacts include public outreach through participation in GeoWeek at Ohio State University and Polar Science Weekend at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA. It is crucial to human welfare to understand mechanisms responsible for the rapid pace of Antarctic ice loss. This work will lead to a better understanding of how clouds are impacting surface melt on the WAP in the changing climate. The project will use surface- and satellite-based measurements to characterize clouds and humidity. The project maximizes value by using a variety of previous, ongoing, and planned measurements made by an international group of collaborators, along with measurements and model (AMPS, Polar-WRF) results. These will be used to quantify clouds, water vapor, and radiation and their effects on the surface energy balance at three strategically-located stations: Rothera (upwind of the WAP), Marambio (downwind of the WAP) and Escudero (north of the WAP), in order to provide a detailed characterization of cloud radiative and precipitation-formation properties and their role in surface warming and melt events. These mechanisms lead to the following hypotheses: 1) Through their effect on the surface energy balance, clouds play an important role in surface warming on the AP; this role is seasonally varying and sensitive to cloud thermodynamic phase, 2) Radiative heating during foehn events is an important contributor to warming at the northern AP, and 3) The radiative effects of clouds and water vapor have strong influences on heating before and during AR events, with significant differences on the two sides of the WAP. 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.
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.
Microbial mats are found throughout the McMurdo Dry Valleys where summer snowmelt provides liquid water that allows these mats to flourish. Researchers have long studied the environmental conditions microbial mats need to grow. Despite these efforts, it has been difficult to develop a broad picture of these unique ecosystems. Recent advances in satellite technology now provide researchers an exciting new tool to study these special Antarctic ecosystems from space using the unique spectral signatures associated with microbial mats. This new technology not only offers the promise that microbial mats can be mapped and studied from space, this research will also help protect these delicate environments from potentially harmful human impacts that can occur when studying them from the ground. This project will use satellite imagery and spectroscopic techniques to identify and map microbial mat communities and relate their properties and distributions to both field and lab-based measurements. This research provides an exciting new tool to help document and understand the distribution of a major component of the Antarctic ecosystem in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The goal of this project is to establish quantitative relationships between spectral signatures derived from orbit and the physiological status and biogeochemical properties of microbial mat communities in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, as measured by field and laboratory analyses on collected samples. The goal wioll be met by (1) refining atmospheric correction techniques using in situ radiometric rectification to derive accurate surface spectra; (2) collecting multispectral orbital images concurrent with in situ sampling and spectral measurements in the field to ensure temporal comparability; (3) measuring sediment, water, and microbial mat samples for organic and inorganic carbon content, essential biogeochemical nutrients, and chlorophyll-a to determine relevant mat characteristics; and (4) quantitatively associating these laboratory-derived characteristics with field-derived and orbital spectral signatures and parameters. The result of this work will be a more robust quantitative link between the distribution of microbial mat communities and their biogeochemical properties to landscape-scale spectral signatures. 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.
Welten/1644128 This award supports a project to use existing samples from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core to align its timescale with that of the Greenland ice cores using common chronological markers. The upper 2850 m of the WAIS Divide core, which was drilled to a depth of 3405 m, has been dated with high precision. The timescale of the remaining (bottom) 550 m of the core has larger uncertainties, limiting our understanding of the timing of abrupt climate events in Antarctica relative to those in Greenland during the last ice age. The intellectual merit of this project is to further constrain the relative timing of these abrupt climate events in Greenland and Antarctica to obtain crucial insight into the underlying mechanism. The main objective of this project is to improve the current timescale of the WAIS Divide core from 31,000 to 65,000 years ago by synchronizing this core with the Greenland ice cores using common signals in Beryllium-10, a radioactive isotope of Be that is produced in the atmosphere by cosmic rays and is deposited onto the snow within 1-2 years of its production. The 10Be flux is largely independent of climate signals since its production varies with solar activity and the geomagnetic field. This project will further strengthen collaborations between the PI's in Berkeley and Purdue with ice core researchers in the US and Europe, involve undergraduate students in many aspects of its research, and continue outreach to under-represented students. The direct ice-to-ice synchronization of the WAIS Divide ice core with the Greenland Ice Core Chronology (GICC05) using cosmogenic 10Be is expected to reduce the uncertainty in the relative timing of more than 20 abrupt climate events in Greenland and Antarctica to a few decades. To achieve this goal the investigators will obtain a continuous high-resolution record of 10Be in the WAIS Divide core from 2850 to 3390 m depth, and compare the obtained 10Be record with existing 10Be records of the Greenland ice cores, including GISP2 and NGRIP. The scientists will separate 10Be from ~1000 ice samples of the WAIS Divide core and measure the 10Be concentration in each sample using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Broader impacts of the 10Be measurements are that they will also provide information on the Laschamp event, a ~2000 year long period of low geomagnetic field strength around 41,000 years ago, and improve the calibration of the 14C dating method for organic samples older than 30,000 years. The broader impacts of the project include (1) the involvement and training of undergraduate students in ice core research and accelerator mass spectrometry measurements, (2) the incorporation of ice core and climate research into ongoing outreach programs at Purdue University and Berkeley SSL, (3) better understanding of abrupt climate changes in the past will improve our ability to predict future climate change, (4) evaluating the possible threat of a future geomagnetic excursion in the next few hundred years. This award does not require support in Antarctica.
Geologic data provide crucial insights into Antarctic Ice Sheet dynamics; for example, progressive exposure of mountain peaks emerging from the ice sheet reveal ice elevation changes, and the past ‘footprint’ of marine-based ice sheets is imprinted on the seafloor. Numerical ice sheet simulations can link these geologic records in space and time to make larger-scale inferences about continent-wide ice sheet evolution. This work integrates both marine and terrestrial geologic datasets with numerical simulations to investigate Antarctic Ice Sheet behavior (and contribution to global sea level) throughout the last deglaciation, ~20,000 years ago until present. Specifically, this research addresses two issues regarding the relationship between simulations and data and their use in reconstructing past ice-sheet behavior: (1) Geologic records from the modern seafloor suggest significantly earlier retreat of marine-based ice compared to terrestrial records of mountain peak exposure (ice thinning). Computer experiments investigate several hypotheses for this mismatch in timing. (2) Exposure age data (terrestrial measurements recording ice elevation changes) are often interpreted to reflect ice dynamics hundreds of kilometers away from the study site. This work uses simulations to explore the linkage between ice elevation changes ‘upstream’ as glaciers flow through mountainous regions and ice dynamics further ‘downstream’ where ice contacts the ocean. This work will produce a publicly available, customizable, and easily accessible toolkit for comparing simulations and data, including a database of geologic records to use as constraints. The project is interdisciplinary, bridging a communication gap between the ice-sheet simulations and geologic data-collecting communities. This project combines numerical simulations and geologic data to explore fundamental knowledge gaps regarding the interpretation and use of marine and terrestrial datasets. This work will produce an ensemble of continent-wide coupled ice sheet and glacial isostatic adjustment simulations, constrained with comprehensive existing geologic data, to reproduce a history of deglacial Antarctic Ice Sheet evolution that is compatible with the geologic record as well as glaciologically and gravitationally self-consistent. Comparison between simulations and data is improved through high-resolution nested ice sheet modeling techniques, which provide unprecedented context for exposure age data generally located in regions of complex topography. Numerical simulations will be performed with systematically varied parameters and boundary conditions, and can thus support an investigation of (1) chronological mismatches between terrestrial thinning and marine ice sheet retreat during the mid-Holocene, and (2) how marine grounding-line dynamics are propagated upstream to coastal outlet glaciers and further interior under a variety of different scenarios. 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.
This study will collect a novel dataset to determine how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) responded to a warmer climate during the last interglacial period (~125,000 years ago) by reconstructing the glacial history at the Mt. Waesche volcano. Reconstructing WAIS geometry when the ice sheet was smaller than present is difficult and data are lacking because the evidence lies beneath the present ice sheet. This study will drill through the ice sheet and recover bedrock that can be analyzed for its surface exposure history to help determine when the surface became overridden by the ice sheet. This study will provide constraints on the past maximum and minimum spatial extent of WAIS during the last glacial-interglacial cycle. Understanding the geometry of a reduced WAIS during intervals when the planet was warmer than present may provide a possible analogue for future environmental conditions given predicted temperature trends. A reduction of WAIS results in rising sea levels which threatens coastal communities across the globe. The data will help improve numerical ice sheet models to better predict WAIS response to current and future climate trends. The project supports a teacher educational workshop and the training of graduate and undergraduate students. The goal of this project is to obtain rock samples from beneath the WAIS through shallow (<80 m) drilling at Mt. Waesche, a volcano in Marie Byrd Land, near an ice dome of WAIS (2000 m elevation). The lithologies of lava flows exposed on the flank of the volcano are well-suited for cosmogenic 3He and 36Cl as well as 40Ar/39Ar measurements which will establish eruption and exposure age. Existing 40Ar/39Ar data indicate basaltic lava flows on the volcano flank as young as 350 ka. Thus, measured cosmogenic nuclides measured in rock cores from beneath the ice surface will be indicative of relatively recent exposure during periods of reduced ice elevation, most likely, during the last interglacial. The first field season is focused on identifying appropriate locations for drilling and a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey of the subglacial topography <100m under the blue ice area. Mapping and dating the adjacent exposed lava flows will allow tracing of lava flows of known age and composition below the ice margin that will be targeted for drilling the following year. The second field season activities include drilling 8 boreholes (two transects) through blue ice with the Winkie drill near the ice margin to 80 m depth to obtain rock cores from the sub-ice lava flows. 3He exposure ages will constrain the duration and minimum extent of past surface lowering of the WAIS in Marie Byrd Land. Deeper GPR imaging (up to 700 m) will hope to reveal additional evidence of lava/ice interactions that would independently place constraints on lower ice levels during past eruptions. Results from this study will be compared with the modeled ice elevation histories at Mt. Waesche to validate ice sheet modeling efforts. 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.
This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). The spatial extent of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the last interglacial period (129,000 to 116,000 years ago) is currently unknown, yet this information is fundamental to projections of the future stability of the ice sheet in a warming climate. Paleoclimate records and proxy evidence such as dust can inform on past environmental conditions and ice-sheet coverage. This project will combine new, high-sensitivity geochemical measurements of dust from Antarctic ice collected at Allan Hills with existing water isotope records to document climate and environmental changes through the last interglacial period. These changes will then be compared with Earth-system model simulations of dust and water isotopes to determine past conditions and constrain the sensitivity of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to warming. The project will test the hypothesis that the uncharacteristically volcanic dust composition observed at another peripheral ice core site at Taylor Glacier during the last interglacial period is related to changes in the spatial extent of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This project aims to characterize mineral dust transport during the penultimate glacial-interglacial transition. The team will apply high-precision geochemical techniques to the high-volume, high-resolution ice core drilled at the Allan Hills site in combination with Earth system model simulations to: (1) determine if the volcanic dust signature found in interglacial ice from Taylor Glacier is also found at Allan Hills, (2) determine the likely dust source(s) to this site during the last interglacial, and (3) probe the atmospheric and environmental changes during the last interglacial with a diminished West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The team will develop a suite of measurements on previously drilled ice from Allan Hills, including isotopic compositions of Strontium and Neodymium, trace element concentrations, dust-size distribution, and imaging of ice-core dust to confirm the original signal observed and provide a broader spatial reconstruction of dust transport. In tandem, the team will conduct Earth system modeling with prognostic dust and water-isotope capability to test the sensitivity of dust transport under several plausible ice-sheet and freshwater-flux configurations. By comparing dust reconstruction and model simulations, the team aims to elucidate the driving mechanisms behind dust transport during the last interglacial period. 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.
Current ice mass loss in Antarctica is largely driven by changes at glacier grounding lines, where inland ice transitions from being grounded to floating in the ocean. The rate and pattern of glacier retreat in these circumstances is thought to be controlled by the terrain under the ice. This project incorporates evidence of past ice-retreat events and other field data, such as grounding-line positions and dates, subglacial topography, and meltwater features, into numerical models of ice flow to investigate the influence that grounding-line processes and subglacial topography have on glacier retreat rates over the past 15,000 years. Recent observations suggest that Antarctic ice mass loss is largely driven by perturbations at or near the grounding line. However, the lack of information on subglacial and grounding-line environments causes large uncertainties in projections of mass loss and sea-level rise. This project will integrate geologic data from the deglaciated continental shelf into numerical models of varying complexity from one to three-dimensions. Rarely do numerical ice-sheet models of Antarctica have multiple constraints on dynamics over the past ~15,000 years (a period that spans the deglaciation of the Antarctic continental shelf since the Last Glacial Maximum). The geologic constraints include grounding-line positions, deglacial chronologies, and information on grounding line-ice shelf processes. The models will be used to investigate necessary perturbations and controls that meet the geological constraints. The multidisciplinary approach of merging geologic reconstructions of paleo-ice behavior with numerical models of ice response will allow the research team to test understanding of subglacial controls on grounding-line dynamics and assess the stability of modern grounding lines. 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 Summary The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming regions on the planet. This 5-yr time-series program will build on an ongoing international collaboration with scientists from the Chilean Antarctic Program to evaluate the role of temperature, light absorbing particles, snow-algae growth, and their radiative forcing effects on snow and ice melt in the Western Antarctic Peninsula. There is strong evidence that these effects may be intensifying due to a warming climate. Rising temperatures can increase the growth rate of coastal snow algae as well as enhance the input of particles from sources such as the long-range transport of black carbon to the Antarctic continent from intensifying Southern Hemisphere wildfire seasons. Particle and algae feedbacks can have immediate local impacts on snow melt and long-term regional impacts on climate because reduced snow cover alters how the Antarctic continent interacts with the rest of the global climate. A variety of ground-based and remote sensing data collected across multiple spatial scales will be used. Ground measurements will be compared to satellite imagery to develop novel computer algorithms to map ice algal bloom effects under changing climates. The project is expected to fundamentally advance knowledge of the spatial and temporal snow algae growing season, which is needed to quantify impacts on regional snow and ice melt. The program also has a strong partnership with the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators to involve cruise passengers as citizen scientists for sample collection. Antarctic research results will be integrated into undergraduate curricula and research opportunities through studies to LAPs and snow algae in the Pacific Northwest. The PI will recruit and train a diverse pool of students in cryosphere climate related research methods on Mt. Baker in Western Washington. Trained undergraduate will then serve as instructors for a local Snow School that takes middle school students to Mt. Baker to learn about snow science. Resulting datasets from Antarctica and Mt. Baker will be used in University classes to explore regional effects of climate change. Along with enhancing cryosphere-oriented place-based undergraduate field courses in the Pacific Northwest, the PI will recruit and train a diverse pool of undergraduate students to serve as instructors for the Mt. Baker Snow School program. This award will advance our understanding of cryosphere-climate feedbacks, which are likely changing and will continue to evolve in a warming world, while also increasing under-represented student engagement in the polar geosciences. Part 2: Technical Summary Rapid and persistent climate warming in the Western Antarctic Peninsula is likely resulting in intensified snow-algae growth and an extended bloom season in coastal areas. Similarly, deposition of light absorbing particles (LAPs) onto Antarctica cryosphere surfaces, such as black carbon from intensifying Southern Hemisphere wildfire seasons, and dust from the expansion of ice-free regions in the Antarctic Peninsula, may be increasing. The presence of snow algae blooms and LAPs enhance the absorption of solar radiation by snow and ice surfaces. This positive feedback creates a measurable radiative forcing, which can have immediate local and long-term regional impacts on albedo, snow melt and downstream ecosystems. This project will investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of snow algae, black carbon and dust across the Western Antarctica Peninsula region, their response to climate warming, and their role in regional snow and ice melt. Data will be collected across multiple spatial scales from in situ field measurements and sample collection to imagery from ground-based photos and high resolution multi-spectral satellite sensors. Ground measurements will inform development and application of novel algorithms to map algal bloom extent through time using 0.5-3m spatial resolution multi-spectral satellite imagery. Results will be used to improve snow algae parameterization in a new version of the Snow Ice Aerosol Radiation model (SNICARv3) that includes bio-albedo feedbacks, eventually informing models of ice-free area expansion through incorporation of SNICARv3 in the Community Earth System Model. Citizen scientists will be mentored and engaged in the research through an active partnership with the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators that frequently visits the region. The cruise ship association will facilitate sampling to develop a unique snow algae observing network to validate remote sensing algorithms that map snow algae with high-resolution multi-spectral satellite imagery from space. These time-series will inform instantaneous and interannual radiative forcing calculations to assess impacts of snow algae and LAPs on regional snow melt. Quantifying the spatio-temporal growing season of snow algae and impacts from black carbon and dust will increase our ability to model their impact on snow melt, regional climate warming and ice-free expansion in the Antarctic Peninsula region. 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.
This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Part I: Non-technical description: The Weddell seal is an iconic Antarctic species and a superb diver, swimming down to 2,000 feet and staying underwater for up to 45 minutes. However, as for any mammal, the low oxygen concentrations in the blood during diving and the recovery once back at the surface are challenges that need to be overcome making their diving ability something unique that has fascinated scientists for decades. This research project will evaluate the underlying processes in Weddell seal’s physiology that protects this species from the consequences of diving. The work will combine laboratory experiments where cells that line the blood vessels will be exposed to conditions of low oxygen, similar to those that will be measured in diving seals in Antarctica. The investigarors will test a new idea that several short-term dives, performed before a long dive, allows seals to condition themselves. Measurements on the chemical compounds released to the blood during dives, combined with experiments on the genes that regulate them will provide clues on the biochemical pathways that help the seals tolerate these extreme conditions. The project allows for documentation of individual seal dives and provisioning of such information to the broader science community that seeks to study these seals, educating graduate and undergraduate students and a post-doctoral researcher and producing a science-outreach comic book for middle-school students to illustrate the project's science activities, goals and outcomes. Part II: Technical description: The Weddell seal is a champion diver with high natural tolerance for low blood oxygen concentration (hypoxemia) and inadequate blood supply (ischemia). The processes unique to this species protects their tissues from inflammation and oxidative stress observed in other mammalian tissues exposed to such physiological conditions. This project aims to understand the signatures of the processes that protect seals from inflammation and oxidant stress, using molecular, cellular and metabolic tools. Repetitive short dives before long ones are hypothesized to precondition seal tissues and activate the protective processes. The new aspect of this work is the study of endothelial cells, which sense changes in oxygen and blood flow, providing a link between breath-holding and cellular function. The approach is one of laboratory experiments combined with 2-years of field work in an ice camp off McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The study is structured by three main objectives: 1) laboratory experiments with arterial endothelial cells exposed to changes in oxygen and flow to identify molecular pathways responsible for tolerance of hypoxia and ischemia using several physiological, biochemical and genomic tools including CRSPR/Cas9 knochout and knockdown approaches. 2) Metabolomic analyses of blood metabolites produced by seals during long dives. And 3) Metabolomic and genomic determinations of seal physiology during short dives hypothesized to pre-condition tolerance responses. In the field, blood samples will be taken after seals dive in an isolated ice hole and its diving performance recorded. It is expected that the blood will contain metabolites that can be related to molecular pathways identified in lab experiments. Expert collaborators will provide field support, with the ice camp, dive hole for the seals, and telemetry associated with the seals’ dives. The project builds upon previous NSF-funded projects where the seal genome and cellular resources were produced. Undergraduate researchers will be recruited from institutional programs with a track record of attracting underrepresented minorities and a minority-serving institution. To further increase polar literacy training and educational impacts, the field team will include a blog where field experiences are shared and comic book preparation with an artist designed for K-12 students and public outreach. 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 overall goal of this project is to determine the effect of past changes in the size of the Antarctic Ice Sheet on global sea level. At the peak of the last ice age 25,000 years ago, sea level was 120 meters (400 feet) lower than it is at present because water that is now part of the ocean was instead part of expanded glaciers and ice sheets in North America, Eurasia, and Antarctica. Between then and now, melting and retreat of this land ice caused sea level to rise. In this project, we aim to improve our understanding of how changes in the size of the Antarctic Ice Sheet contributed to this process. The overall strategy to accomplish this involves (i) visiting areas in Antarctica that are not now covered by ice; (ii) looking for geological evidence, specifically rock surface and sediment deposits, that indicates that these areas were covered by thicker ice in the past; and (iii) determining the age of these geological surfaces and deposits. This project addresses the final part of this strategy -- determining the age of Antarctic glacial rock surfaces or sediment deposits -- using a relatively new technique that involves measuring trace elements in rock surfaces that are produced by cosmic-ray bombardment after the rock surfaces are exposed by ice retreat. By applying this method to rock samples collected in previous visits to Antarctica, the timing of past expansion and contraction of the ice sheet can be determined. The main scientific outcomes expected from this project are (i) improved understanding of how Antarctic Ice Sheet changes contributed to past global sea level rise; and (ii) improved understanding of modern observed Antarctic Ice Sheet changes in a longer-term context. This second outcome will potentially improve predictions of future ice sheet behavior. Other outcomes of the project include training of individual undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the development of a new course on sea level change to be taught at Tulane University in New Orleans, a city that is being affected by sea level change today. This project will use measurements of in-situ-produced cosmogenic carbon-14 in quartz from existing samples collected at several sites in Antarctica to resolve major ambiguities in existing Last Glacial Maximum to present ice sheet reconstructions. This project is important because of the critical nature of accurate reconstructions of ice sheet change in constraining reconstructions of past sea level change. Although carbon-14 is most commonly exploited as a geochronometer through its production in the upper atmosphere and incorporation into organic materials, it is also produced within the crystal lattice of rocks and minerals that are exposed to the cosmic-ray flux at the Earth's surface. In this latter case, its concentration is proportional to the duration of surface exposure, and measurements of in-situ-produced carbon-14 can be used to date geological events that form or expose rock surfaces, for example, ice sheet expansion and retreat. Although carbon-14 is one of several trace radionuclides that can be used for this purpose, it is unique among them in that its half-life is short relative to the time scale of glacial-interglacial variations. Thus, in cases where rock surfaces in polar regions have been repeatedly covered and uncovered by ice sheet change during many glacial-interglacial cycles, carbon-14 measurements are uniquely suited to accurately dating the most recent episode of ice sheet advance and retreat. We aim to use this property to improve our understanding of Antarctic Ice Sheet change at a number of critically located sites at which other surface exposure dating methods have yielded ambiguous results. Geographically, these are focused in the Weddell Sea embayment of Antarctica, which is an area where the geometry of the Antarctic continent potentially permits large glacial-interglacial changes in ice volume but where existing geologic records of ice sheet change are particularly ambiguous. In addition, in-situ carbon-14 measurements, applied where independently constrained deglaciation chronologies already exist, can potentially allow us to date the last period of ice sheet advance as well as the most recent retreat.
Bubbles of ancient air trapped in ice cores have been used to directly reconstruct atmospheric composition, and its links to Antarctic and global climate, over the last 800,000 years. Previous field expeditions to the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area, Antarctica, have recovered ice cores that extend as far back as 2.7 million years, by far the oldest polar ice samples yet recovered. These ice cores extend direct observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane concentrations and indirect records of Antarctic climate into a period of Earth's climate history that represents a plausible geologic analogue to future anthropogenic climate change. The results demonstrate a smaller glacial-interglacial variability of climate and greenhouse gases, and a persistent linkage between Antarctic climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide, between 1 and 2 million years ago. Through this project, the team will return to the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area to recover additional ice cores that date to 2 million years or older. The climate records developed from these ice cores will provide new insights into the chemical composition of the atmosphere and Antarctic climate during times of comparable or even greater warmth than the present day. Project results will help answer questions about issues associated with anthropogenic change including the relationship between temperature change and the mass balance of Antarctic ice and the relationship between atmospheric greenhouse gases and global climate change. Earth has been cooling, and ice sheets expanding, over the past ~52 million years. Superimposed on this cooling are periodic changes in Earth's climate system driven by variations in the eccentricity, precession, and obliquity of Earth's orbit around the Sun. Climate reconstructions based on measurements of oxygen isotopes in foraminiferal calcite indicate that, from ~2.8 to 1.2 million years before present (Ma), Earth's climate system oscillated between glacial and interglacial states every ~40,000 years (the "40k world"). Between 1.2-0.8 Ma and continuing to the present, the period of glacial cycles increased in amplitude and lengthened to ~100,000 years (the "100k world"). Ice cores preserve ancient air that allows direct reconstructions of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane. They also archive proxy records of regional climate, mean ocean temperature, global oxygen cycling, and the aridity of nearby continents. Studies of stratigraphically continuous ice cores, extending to 800,000 years before present, have demonstrated that atmospheric carbon dioxide is strongly linked to climate, and it is of great interest to extend the ice-core record into the 40k world. Recent discoveries of well-preserved ice dating from 1.0 to 2.7 Ma from ice cores drilled in the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area (BIA), Antarctica, demonstrate the potential to retrieve stratigraphically discontinuous old ice at shallow depths (<200 meters). This project will continue this work by retrieving new large-volume ice cores and measuring paleoclimate properties in both new and existing ice from the Allan Hills BIA. The experimental objectives are to more fully characterize fundamental properties of the climate system and the carbon cycle during the 40k world. Project results will have implications for Pleistocene climate change, and will provide new constraints on the processes that regulate atmospheric carbon dioxide, methane, and oxygen on geologic timescales. Given a demonstrated age of the ice at the Allan Hills BIA of at least 2 million years, the team will drill additional cores to prospect for ice that predates the initiation of Northern Hemisphere glaciation at the Plio-Pleistocene transition (~2.8 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.
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.
Part I: Non-technical description: Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems have the potential to either slow down or hasten the pace of climate change. The direction depends in part on both plant and microbial responses to warming. This study uses Antarctica as a model ecosystem to study the carbon balance of a simplified ecosystem (simplified compared to terrestrial ecosystems elsewhere) in response to a warming treatment. Carbon balance is dictated by sequestered carbon (through photosynthesis) and released carbon (plant and microbial respiration). Hence, to best assess plant and microbial responses to warming, this study uses a plant gradient that starts at the glacier (no plants, only soil microbes) to an old site entirely covered by plants. Experimental warming in the field is achieved by open-top chambers that warm the air and soil inside. The net ecosystem carbon exchange, the net result of sequestered and released carbon, will be measured in warmed and control plots with a state-of-the art gas exchange machine. Laboratory temperature incubation studies will supplement field work to attribute changes in carbon fluxes to individual plant species and soil microbial taxa (i.e., “species”). Data from this study will feed into earth system climate change models. The importance of this study will be shared with the broader community through the production of a video series created by an award-winning science media production company, an Antarctic blog, and through interactions with schools in the United States (on-site through Skype and in-person visits). Part II: Technical description: Responses of the carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems to warming will feed back to the pace of climate change, but the size and direction of this feedback are poorly constrained. Least known are the effects of warming on carbon losses from soil, and clarifying the major microbial controls is an important research frontier. This study uses a series of experiments and observations to investigate microbial, including autotrophic taxa, and plant controls of net ecosystem productivity in response to warming in intact ecosystems. Field warming is achieved using open-top chambers paired with control plots, arrayed along a productivity gradient. Along this gradient, incoming and outgoing carbon fluxes will be measured at the ecosystem-level. The goal is to tie warming-induced shifts in net ecosystem carbon balance to warming effects on soil microbes and plants. The field study will be supplemented with lab temperature incubations. Because soil microbes dominate biogeochemical cycles in Antarctica, a major focus of this study is to determine warming responses of bacteria, fungi and archaea. This is achieved using a cutting-edge stable isotope technique, quantitative stable isotope probing (qSIP) developed by the proposing research team, that can identify the taxa that are active and involved in processing new carbon. This technique can identify individual microbial taxa that are actively participating in biogeochemical cycling of nutrients (through combined use of 18O-water and 13C-bicarbonate) and thus can be distinguished from those that are simply present (cold-preserved). The study further assesses photosynthetic uptake of carbon by the vegetation and their sensitivity to warming. Results will advance research in climate change, plant and soil microbial ecology, and ecosystem modeling. Science communication will be achieved through an informative video series, a daily Antarctic blog, and online- and in-person visits to schools in the United States. 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 summary: The Amundsen Sea is adjacent to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) and hosts the most productive coastal ecosystem in all of Antarctica, with vibrant green waters visible from space and an atmospheric carbon dioxide uptake rate ten times higher than the Southern Ocean average. The region is also an area highly impacted by climate change and glacier ice loss. Upwelling of warm deep water is causing melt under the ice sheet, which is contributing to sea level rise and added nutrient inputs to the region. This is a project that is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation’s Directorate of Geosciences (NSF/GEO) and the National Environment Research Council (NERC) of the United Kingdom (UK) via the NSF/GEO-NERC Lead Agency Agreement. This Agreement allows a single joint US/UK proposal to be submitted and peer-reviewed by the Agency whose investigator has the largest proportion of the budget. Upon successful joint determination of an award, each Agency funds the proportion of the budget and the investigators associated with its own country. In this collaboration, the US team will undertake biogeochemical sampling alongside a UK-funded physical oceanographic program to evaluate the contribution of micronutrients such as iron from glacial meltwater to ecosystem productivity and carbon cycling. Measurements will be incorporated into computer simulations to examine ecosystem responses to further glacial melting. Results will help predict future impacts on the region and determine whether the climate sensitivity of the Amundsen Sea ecosystem represents the front line of processes generalizable to the greater Antarctic. This study is aligned with the large International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) and will make data available to the full scientific community. The program will provide training for undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral, and early-career scientists in both science and communication. The team will also develop out-of-school science experiences for middle and high schoolers related to climate change and Antarctica. Part II: Technical summary: The Amundsen Sea hosts the most productive polynya in all of Antarctica, with atmospheric carbon dioxide uptake rates ten times higher than the Southern Ocean average. The region is vulnerable to climate change, experiencing rapid losses in sea ice, a changing icescape and some of the fastest melting glaciers flowing from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, a process being studied by the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration. The biogeochemical composition of the outflow from the glaciers surrounding the Amundsen Sea is largely unstudied. In collaboration with a UK-funded physical oceanographic program, ARTEMIS is using shipboard sampling for trace metals, carbonate system, nutrients, organic matter, and microorganisms, with biogeochemical sensors on autonomous vehicles to gather data needed to understand the impact of the melting ice sheet on both the coastal ecosystem and the regional carbon cycle. These measurements, along with access to the advanced physical oceanographic measurements will allow this team to 1) bridge the gap between biogeochemistry and physics by adding estimates of fluxes and transport of limiting micronutrients; 2) provide biogeochemical context to broaden understanding of the global significance of ocean-ice shelf interactions; 3) determine processes and scales of variability in micronutrient supply that drive the ten-fold increase in carbon dioxide uptake, and 4) identify small-scale processes key to iron and carbon cycling using optimized field sampling. Observations will be integrated into an ocean model to enhance predictive capabilities of regional ocean function. 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 description: Understanding human-induced changes on biodiversity is one of the most important scientific challenges we face today. This is especially true for marine environments that are home to much of the world’s biomass and biodiversity. A particularly effective approach to investigate the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems is to monitor top-predator populations such as seabirds or marine mammals. The food web in the Southern Ocean in relatively small and involves few species, therefore climate-induced variations at the prey species level directly affect the predator species level. For example, seabirds, like penguins, are ideal to detect and study these ecosystem changes. This study combines traditional methods to study emperor penguin population dynamics with the use of an autonomous vehicle to conduct the population dynamic measurements with less impact and higher accuracy. This project leverages an existing long-term emperor penguin observatory at the Atka Bay colony which hosts penguins living in the Weddell sea and the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. The study will kickstart the collection of a multi-decadal data set in an area of the Southern Ocean that has been understudied. It will fill important gaps in ecological knowledge on the state of the Emperor penguin and its adaptive capabilities within a changing world. Finally, the project supports NSF goals of training new generations of scientists through collaborative training of undergraduate students and the creation of a new class on robotics for ecosystem study. Emperor penguins are an iconic species that few people will ever see in the wild. Through the technology developed in this proposal, the public can be immersed in real-time into the life of an emperor penguin colony. Public outreach will be achieved by showcasing real-time video and audio footage of emperor penguins from the field as social media science and engineering-themed educational materials. Part II: Technical description: Polar ecosystems currently experience significant impacts due to global changes. Measurable negative effects on polar wildlife have already occurred, such as population decreases of numerous seabird species, including the complete loss of colonies of one of the most emblematic species of the Antarctic, the emperor penguin. These existing impacts on polar species are alarming, especially because many polar species still remain poorly studied due to technical and logistical challenges imposed by the harsh environment and extreme remoteness. Developing technologies and tools for monitoring such wildlife populations is, therefore, a matter of urgency. This project aims to help close major knowledge gaps about the emperor penguin, in particular about their adaptive capability to a changing environment, by the development of next-generation tools to remotely study entire colonies. Specifically, the main goal of this project is to implement and test an autonomous unmanned ground vehicle equipped with Radio-frequency identification (RFID) antennas and wireless mesh communication data-loggers to: 1) identify RFID-tagged emperor penguins during breeding to studying population dynamics without human presence; and 2) receive Global Positioning System-Time Domain Reflectometry (GPS-TDR) datasets from Very High Frequency VHF-GPS-TDR data-loggers without human presence to study animal behavior and distribution at sea. The autonomous vehicles navigation through the colony will be aided by an existing remote penguin observatory (SPOT). Properly implemented, this technology can be used to study of the life history of individual penguins, and therefore gather data for behavioral and population dynamic studies. The new data will contribute to intelligent establishment of marine protected areas in Antarctica. The education objectives of this CAREER project are designed to increase the interest in a STEM education for the next generation of scientists by combining the charisma of the emperor penguin with robotics research. Within this project, a new class on ecosystem robotics will be developed and taught, Robotics boot-camps will allow undergraduate students to remotely participate in Antarctic field trips, and an annual curriculum will be developed that allows K-12 students to follow the life of the emperor penguin during the breeding cycle, powered by real-time data obtained using the unmanned ground vehicle as well as the existing emperor penguin observatory. 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.
A nontechnical description of the project The primary scientific goal of the project is to test whether Taylor Valley, Antarctica has been eroded significantly by glaciers in the last ~2 million years (Ma). Taylor Valley is one of the Dry Valleys of the Transantarctic Mountains, which are characterized by low mean annual temperatures, low precipitation, and limited erosion. These conditions have allowed fragile glacial landforms to be preserved for up to 15 Ma. Sediment eroded and deposited by glaciers is found on the valley walls and floors, with progressively younger deposits preserved at lower elevations. Scientists can date glacial deposits to understand the process and timing of past glacial erosion. Previous work in the Dry Valleys region suggested that extremely cold glaciers like Taylor Glacier, a major outlet glacier entering the valleys, were not erosive during the last several million years. This research will test a new hypothesis that glacial erosion and sediment production beneath Taylor Glacier have been active in the last few million years. This hypothesis will be tested using a new isotopic dating method called "comminution dating' which determines when fine-grained sediment particles called silt were formed. If the sediment age is young, then the results will suggest that glacial processes have been more dynamic than previously thought. Overall, this study will increase our understanding of the nature and extent of past glaciations in Antarctica. Because the silt produced by erosion sediment is a nutrient for local ecosystems, the results will also shed light on delivery of nutrients to soils, streams, and coastal zones in high polar regions. This project will be led by an early career scientist and includes training of a Ph.D. student. A technical description of the project There is a long-standing scientific controversy about the stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet with much evidence centered in the Dry Valleys region of South Victoria Land. A prevailing view of geomorphologists is that the landscape has been very stable and that the effects of glaciation have been minimal for the past ~15 Ma. This project will distinguish between two end-member scenarios of glacial erosion and deposition by Taylor Glacier, an outlet glacier of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet that terminates in Taylor Valley in the Dry Valleys region of Antarctica. In the first scenario, all valley relief is generated prior to 15 Ma when non-polar climates enabled warm-based glaciers to incise and widen ancient river channels. In this case, younger glacial deposits record advances of cold-based glaciers of decreasing ice volume and limited glacial erosion, and sediment generation resulted in glacial deposits composed primarily of older recycled sediments. In the second scenario, selective erosion of the valley floor has continued to deepen Taylor Valley but has not affected the adjacent peaks over the last 2 Ma. In this scenario, the "bathtub rings" of Quaternary glacial deposits situated at progressively lower elevations through time could be due to the lowering of the valley floor by subglacial erosion and with it, production of new sediment which is now incorporated into these deposits. While either scenario would result in the present-day topography, they differ in the implied evolution of regional glacial ice volume over time and the timing of both valley relief production and generation of fine-grained particles. The two scenarios will be tested by placing time constraints on fine particle production using U-series comminution dating. This new geochronologic tool exploits the loss of 234U due to alpha-recoil. The deficiency in 234U only becomes detectable in fine-grained particles with a sufficiently high surface-area-to-volume ratio which can incur appreciable 234U loss. The timing of comminution and particle size controls the magnitude of 234U loss. While this geochronologic tool is in its infancy, the scientific goal of this proposal can be achieved by resolving between ancient and recently comminuted fine particles, a binary question that the preliminary modeling and measured data show is readily resolved.
The goal of this project is to discover whether the Antarctic scallop, Adamussium colbecki, provides a guide to sea-ice conditions in nearshore Antarctica today and in the past. Scallops may grow slower and live longer in habitats where sea ice persists for many years, limited by food, compared to habitats where sea ice melts out annually. Also, the chemicals retained in the shell during growth may provide crucial habitat information related to not only changing sea-ice conditions but also the type of food, whether it is recycled from the seafloor or produced by algae blooming when sea ice has melted. Unlocking the ecological imprint captured within the shell of the Antarctic Scallop will increase our understanding of changing sea-ice conditions in Antarctica. Further, because the Antarctic scallop had relatives living at the time when the Antarctic ice sheet first appeared, the scallop shell record may contain information on the stability of the ice sheet and the history of Antarctic shallow seas. Funding will also be integral for training a new generation of geoscientists in fossil and chemical forensics related to shallow sea habitats in Antarctica. Scallops are worldwide in distribution, are integral for structuring marine communities have an extensive fossil record dating to the late Devonian, and are increasingly recognized as important paleoenvironmental proxies because they are generally well preserved in the sediment and rock record. The primary goal of this project is to assess the differences in growth, lifespan, and chemistry (stable isotopes, trace elements) archived in the shell of the Antarctic scallop that may be indicative of two ice states: persistent (multiannual) sea ice at Explorers Cove (EC) and annual sea ice (that melts out every year) at Bay of Sails (BOS), western McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. This project will investigate growth and lifespan proxies (physical and geochemical) and will use high-resolution records of stable oxygen isotopes to determine if a melt-water signal is archived in A. colbecki shells and whether that signal captures the differing ice behavior at two sites (EC versus BOS). Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in association with trace elements will be used to examine subannual productivity spikes indicative of phytoplankton blooms, which are predicted to be more pronounced during open ocean conditions. Small growth increments in the outer calcite layer will be assessed to determine if they represent fortnightly growth, if so, they could provide a high-resolution proxy for monthly environmental processes. Unlocking the environmental archive preserved in A. colbecki shells may prove to be an important proxy for understanding changing sea-ice conditions in Antarctica's past. Funding will support a Ph.D. student and undergraduates from multiple institutions working on independent research projects. Web content focused on Antarctic marine communities will be designed for museum outreach, reaching thousands of middle-school children each year. 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 chemical composition of diatom fossils in the Southern Ocean provides information about the environmental history of Antarctica, including sea ice extent, biological production, and ocean nutrient distribution. The sea ice zone is an important habitat for a group of diatoms, largely from the genus Chaetoceros, that have a unique life cycle stage under environmental stress, when they produce a structure called a resting spore. Resting spores are meant to reseed the surface ocean when conditions are more favorable. The production of these heavy resting spores tends to remove significant amounts of carbon and silicon, essential nutrients, out of the surface ocean. As a result, this group has the potential to remove carbon from the surface ocean and can impact the sedimentary record scientists use to reconstruct environmental change. This project explores the role of resting spores in the sedimentary record using the nitrogen isotopic signature of these fossils and how those measurements are used to estimate carbon cycle changes. The work will include laboratory incubations of these organisms to answer if and how the chemistry of the resting spores differs from that of a typical diatom cell. The incubation results will be used to evaluate nutrient drawdown in sea ice environments during two contrasting intervals in earth history, the last ice age and the warm Pliocene. This work should have significant impact on how the scientific community considers the impact of seasonal sea ice cover in the Southern Ocean in terms of how it responds to and regulates global climate. The project provides training and research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Ongoing research efforts in Antarctic earth sciences will be disseminated through an interactive display at the home institution. The work proposed here will address uncertainties in how Chaetoceros resting spores record surface nutrient conditions in their nitrogen stable isotopic composition, the relative impact of their specific signal with respect to the full sedimentary assemblage, and their potential to bias or enhance environmental reconstructions in the sea ice zone. Measurements of nitrogen stable isotopes of nitrate, biomass, and diatom-bound nitrogen and silicon-to-nitrogen ratios of individual species grown in the laboratory will be used to quantify how resting spores record nutrient drawdown in the water column and to what degree their signature is biased toward low nutrient conditions. These relationships will be used to inform diatom-bound nitrogen isotope reconstructions of nutrient drawdown from a Pliocene coastal polyna and an open ocean core that spans the last glacial maximum. This proposal capitalizes on the availability of Southern Ocean isolates of Chaetoceros spp. collected in 2017 for the proposed culture work and archived sediment cores and/or existing data. 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.
The near surface atmosphere over West Antarctica is one of the fastest warming locations on the planet. This atmospheric warming, along with oceanic forcing, is contributing to ice sheet melt and hence rising global sea levels. An observational campaign, focused on the atmospheric boundary layer over the West Antarctic ice sheet, is envisioned. A robust set of year-round, autonomous, atmospheric and surface measurements, will be made using an instrumented 30-m tall tower at the West Antarctic ice sheet divide field camp. An additional unmanned aerial system field campaign will be conducted during the second year of this project and will supplement the West Antarctic ice sheet tall tower observations by sampling the depths of the boundary layer. The broader subject of the Antarctic ABL clearly supports a range of research activities ranging from the physics of turbulent mixing, its parameterization and constraints on meteorological forecasts, and even climatological effects, such as surface mass and energy balances. With the coming of the Thwaites WAIS program, a suite of metrological observables would be a welcome addition to the joint NSF/NERC (UK) Thwaites field campaigns. The meteorologists of this proposal have pioneered 30-m tall tower (TT) and unmanned aerial system (UAS) development in the Antarctic, and are well positioned to successfully carry out and analyze this work. In turn, the potential for these observations to advance our understanding of how the atmosphere exchanges heat with the ice sheet is high. 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 description: Predicting how polar ice sheets will respond to future global warming is difficult because all the processes that contribute to their melting are not well understood. This is important because the more ice on land that melts, the higher sea levels will rise. The most significant uncertainty in current estimates of sea-level rise in the coming decades is the potential contribution from the Antarctic Ice Sheet. One way to increase our knowledge about how large ice sheets respond to climate change in response to natural factors is to examine the geologic past. Natural global warming (and cooling) events in Earth’s history provide examples that we can use to better understand processes, interactions, and responses we can’t directly observe today. One such time period, approximately three million years ago (known as the Pliocene), was the last time atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were as high as they are today and, therefore, represents a time period to study to better understand the ice sheet response to a warming climate. Specifically, this project is interested in understanding how ocean currents near Antarctica, which transport heat and store carbon, behaved during these past climate events. The history of past ice sheet-ocean interactions are recorded in sediments that were deposited, layer upon layer, in the deep sea offshore Antarctica. In January-February 2018, a team of scientists and crew set sail to the Ross Sea, offshore west Antarctica, on the scientific ocean drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution to recover such sediment archives. This project focuses on a sediment core from that expedition, which captures the relatively warm Pliocene time interval, as well as the subsequent transition into cooler climates typical of the past two million years. The researchers will analyze the sediment with multiple complementary measurements, including: grain size, composition, chemistry of organic matter, physical structures, microfossil type and abundance, and more. These analyses will be done by the research team, including several students, at their respective laboratories and will then integrated into a unified record of ice sheet-ocean interactions. Ultimately, the results will be used to improve modeled projections of how the Antarctic Ice Sheet could respond to future climate change. Part II: Technical description: Geological records from the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) margin demonstrate that the ice sheet oscillated in response to orbital variations in insolation (i.e., ~400, 100, 41, and 20 kyr), and it appears to be more sensitive to specific frequencies that regulate mean annual insolation (i.e., 41-kyr obliquity), particularly when the ice sheet extends into marine environments and is impacted by ocean circulation. However, the relationship between orbital forcing and the production of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is unconstrained. Thus, a knowledge gap exists in understanding how changing insolation impacts ice marginal and Southern Ocean conditions that directly influence ventilation of the global ocean. The researchers hypothesize that insolation-driven changes directly affected the production and export of AABW to the Southern Ocean from the Pliocene through the Pleistocene. For example, obliquity amplification during the warmer Pliocene may have led to enhanced production and export of dense waters from the shelf due to reduced AIS extent, which, in turn, led to greater AABW outflow. To determine the relationship of AABW production to orbital regime, they plan to reconstruct both from a single, continuous record from the levee of Hillary Canyon, a major conduit of AABW outflow, on the Ross Sea continental rise. To test their hypothesis, they will analyze sediment from IODP Site U1524 (recovered in 2018 during International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 374) and focus on three data sets. (1) They will use the occurrence, frequency, and character of mm-scale turbidite beds as a proxy of dense-shelf-water cascading outflow and AABW production. They will estimate the down-slope flux via numerical modeling of turbidity current properties using morphology, grain size, and bed thickness as input parameters. (2) They will use grain-size data, physical properties, XRF core scanning, CT imaging, and hyperspectral imaging to guide lithofacies analysis to infer processes occurring during glacial, deglacial, and interglacial periods. Statistical techniques and optimization methods will be applied to test for astronomical forcing of sedimentary packages in order to provide a cyclostratigraphic framework and interpret the orbital-forcing regime. (3) They will use bulk sedimentary carbon and nitrogen abundance and isotope data to determine how relative contributions of terrigenous and marine organic matter change in response to orbital forcing. All of these data will be integrated with sedimentological records to deconvolve organic matter production from its deposition or remobilization due to AABW outflow as a function of the oscillating extent of the AIS. These data sets will be integrated into a unified chronostratigraphy to determine the relationship between AABW outflow and orbital-forcing scenarios under the varying climate regimes of the Plio-Pleistocene. 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.
This project will develop a new ice-penetrating radar system that can simultaneously map glacier geometry and glacier flow along repeat profiles. Forecasting an ice-sheet’s contribution to sea level requires an estimate for the initial ice-sheet geometry and the parameters that govern ice flow and slip across bedrock. Existing ice-sheet models cannot independently determine this information from conventional observations of ice-surface velocities and glacier geometry. This introduces substantial uncertainty into simulations of past and future ice-sheet behavior. Thus, this new radar capability is conceived to provide the needed data to support higher-fidelity simulations of past and future ice-sheet behavior and more accurate projections of future sea level. The new radar system will integrate two existing radars (the multi-channel coherent radio-echo depth sounder and the accumulation radar) developed by the Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, as well as adding new capabilities. An eight-element very high frequency (VHF; 140-215 MHz) array will have sufficient cross-track aperture to swath map internal layers and the ice-sheet base in three dimensions. A single ultra high frequency (UHF; 600-900 MHz) antenna will have the range and phase resolution to map internal layer displacement with 0.25-mm precision. The VHF array will create 3D mappings of layer geometry that enable measurements of vertical velocities by accounting for spatial offsets between repeat profiles and changing surface conditions. The vertical displacement measurement will then be made by determining the difference in radar phase response recorded by the UHF antenna for radar profiles collected at the same locations at different times. The UHF antenna will be dual-polarized and thus capable of isolating both components of complex internal reflections. This should enable inferences of ice crystal orientation fabric and widespread mapping of ice viscosity. Initial field testing of the radar will occur on the McMurdo Ice Shelf and then progress to Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica. The dual-band radar system technology and processing algorithms will be developed with versatile extensible hardware and user-friendly software so that this system will serve as a prototype for a future community radar system. 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 summary: This project focuses on understanding annual changes in microbial life that grows on the bottom of Lake Fryxell, Antarctica. Because of its polar latitude, photosynthesis can only occur during the summer months. During summer, photosynthetic bacteria supply communities with energy and oxygen. However, it is unknown how the microbes behave in the dark winter, when observations are not possible. This project will install environmental monitors and light-blocking shades over parts of these communities. The shades will extend winter conditions into the spring to allow researchers to characterize the winter behavior of the microbial communities. Researchers will measure changes in the water chemistry due to microbial activities when the shades are removed and the mats first receive light. Results are expected to provide insights into how organisms interact with and change their environments. The project includes training of graduate students and early career scientists in fieldwork, including scientific ice diving techniques. In addition, the members of the project team will develop a web-based “Guide to Thrive”, which will compile field tips ranging from basic gear use to advanced environmental protection techniques. This will be a valuable resource for group leaders ranging from undergraduate teaching assistants to Antarctic expedition leaders to lead well-planned and tailored field expeditions. Part II: Technical summary: The research team will measure seasonal metabolic and biogeochemical changes in benthic mats using differential gene expression and geochemical gradients. They will identify seasonal phenotypic differences in microbial communities and ecosystem effects induced by spring oxygen production. To do so, researchers will install environmental sensors and opaque shades over mats at three depths in the lake. The following spring, shaded and unshaded mats will be sampled. The shades will then be removed, and changes in pore water O2, H2S, pH, and redox will be measured using microelectrodes. Mats will also be sampled for transcriptomic gene expression analyses at intervals guided by geochemical changes. Pore water will be sampled for nutrient analyses. Field research will be supplemented with laboratory experiments to refine field techniques, gene expression data analysis, and integration of results into a seasonal model of productivity and nitrogen cycling in Lake Fryxell. Results will provide insights into several key priorities for NSF, including how biotic, abiotic and environmental components of the benthic mats interact to affect Antarctic lakes. 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.
Ice supersaturation plays a key role in cloud formation and evolution, and it determines the partitioning among ice, liquid and vapor phases. Over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, the transition between mixed-phase and ice clouds significantly impacts the radiative effects of clouds. Remote regions such as the Antarctica and Southern Ocean historically have been under-sampled by in-situ observations, especially by airborne observations. Even though more attention has been given to the cloud microphysical properties over these regions, the distribution and characteristics of ice supersaturation and its role in the current and future climate have not been fully investigated at the higher latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. One of the main objectives of this study is to analyze observations from three recent major field campaigns sponsored by NSF and DOE, which provide intensive in-situ, airborne measurements over the Southern Ocean and ground-based observations at McMurdo station in Antarctica. This project will analyze aircraft-based and ground-based observations over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, and compare the observations with the Community Earth System Model Version 2 (CESM2) simulations. The focus will be on the observations of ice supersaturation and the relative humidity distribution in mixed-phase and ice clouds, as well as their relationship with cloud micro- and macrophysical properties. Observations will be compared to CESM2 simulations to elucidate model biases. Surface radiation and the precipitation budget at the McMurdo station will be quantified and compared against the CESM2 simulations to improve the fidelity of the representation of Antarctic climate (and climate prediction over Antarctica). Results from our research will be released to the community for improving the understanding of cloud radiative effects and the mass transport of water in the high southern latitudes. Comparisons between the simulations and observations will provide valuable information for improving the next generation CESM model. Two education/outreach projects will be carried out by PI Diao at San Jose State University (SJSU), including a unique undergraduate student research project with hands-on laboratory work on an airborne instrument, and an outreach program that uses social media to broadcast news on polar research to the public. 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.
Overview and Intellectual merit: This project extends and combines historical and recent ocean data sets to investigate ice-ocean-interactions along the Pacific continental margin of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The synthesis focuses on the strikingly different environments on and near the cold Ross Sea and warm Amundsen Sea continental shelves, where available measurements reach back to ~1958 and 1994, respectively. On the more extensively covered Ross Sea continental shelf, multiple reoccupations of ocean stations and transects are used to extend our knowledge of long-term ocean freshening and the mass balance of the world?s largest ice shelf. On the more rugged Amundsen Sea continental shelf, which contains the earth?s fastest melting ice shelves, continuing research on observed thermohaline variability also pursues connections between outer shelf shoals and vulnerable ice shelf grounding zones. This interdisciplinary work updates a prior study of ice shelf response to ocean thermal forcing, and uses chemical tracers to measure changes in shelf, deep and bottom water transformations and production rates. Broader Impacts : Recent and potential future rates of sea level rise are the primary broad-scale impacts of the ice and ocean changes revealed by observations in the study area. The overriding question is whether global and regional sea levels will accelerate gradually, allowing carbon usage reductions to head off the worst consequences, or so rapidly that they will contribute to major social and economic upheavals. Collaborations and data acquired by foreign vessels are also utilized to better understand the causes of rapid change in these shelf seas and ice shelves, along with associated wider implications. Data that are re-gridded, re-edited or newly collated will be archived, and results made available via presentations, publications, and press releases if warranted. This proposal does not require fieldwork in the Antarctic 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.
This project will test the hypothesis that physical and thermal properties of Antarctic firn--partially compacted granular snow in an intermediate stage between snow and glacier ice--can be remotely measured from space. Although these properties, such as internal temperature, density, grain size, and layer thickness, are highly relevant to studies of Antarctic climate, ice-sheet dynamics, and mass balance, their measurement currently relies on sparse in-situ surveys under challenging weather conditions. Sensors on polar-orbiting satellites can observe the entire Antarctic every few days during their years-long lifetime. Consequently, the approaches developed in this study, when coupled with the advancing technologies of small and low-cost CubeSats, aim to contribute to Antarctic science and lead to cost-effective, convenient, and accurate long-term analyses of the Antarctic system while reducing the human footprint on the continent. Moreover, the project will be solely based on publicly-available datasets; thus, while contributing to interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate research and education at the grantee's institution, the project will also encourage engagement of citizen scientists through its website. The overarching goal of this project is to characterize Antarctic firn layers in terms of their thickness, physical temperature, density, and grain size through multi-frequency microwave radiometer measurements from space. Electromagnetic penetration depth changes with frequency in ice; thus, multi-frequency radiometers are able to profile firn layer properties versus depth. To achieve its objective, the project will utilize the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite constellation as a single multi-frequency microwave radiometer system with 11 frequency channels observing the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Archived in-situ measurements of Antarctic firn density, grain size, temperature, and layer thickness will be collected and separated into training and test datasets. Microwave emissions simulated using the training data will be compared to GPM constellation measurements to evaluate and improve state-of-the-art forward microwave emission models. Based on these models, the project will develop numerical retrieval algorithms for the thermal and physical properties of Antarctic firn. Results of retrievals will be validated using the test dataset, and uncertainty and error analyses will be conducted. Lastly, changes in the thermal and physical characteristics of Antarctic firn will be examined through long-term retrieval studies exploiting GPM constellation measurements. 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 Antarctic Peninsula is warming and one of the consequences is a decrease in sea ice cover. Antarctic minke whales are the largest ice-obligate krill predator in the region, yet- little is known about their foraging behavior and ecology. The goals of the project are to use a suite of new technological tools to measure the underwater behavior of the whales and better understand how they exploit the sea ice habitat. Using video-recording motion-sensing tags, the underwater movements of the whales can be reconstructed and it can be determine where and when they feed. UAS (unmanned aerial systems) will be used to generate real-time images of sea ice cover that will be linked with tag data to determine how much time whales spend in sea ice versus open water, and how the behavior of the whales changes between these two habitats. Lastly, scientific echosounders will be used to characterize the prey field that the whales are exploiting and differences in krill availability inside and out of the ice will be investigated. All of this information is critical to understand the ecological role of Antarctic minke whales so that better predictions can be made regarding impacts of climate change not only on these animals, but on the structure and function of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. The project will promote the progress of science by elucidating the ecological role of a poorly known Antarctic predator and using this information to better understand the impact of changes that are occurring in Polar Regions. The educational and outreach program will increase awareness and understanding of minke whales, Antarctic marine ecosystems, sea ice, and the dynamics of climate change through the use of film, social media, and curriculum development for formal STEM educators. To understand how changes in sea ice will manifest in the demography of predators that rely on sea ice habitat requires knowledge of their behavior and ecology. The largest ice-dependent krill predator and most abundant cetacean in the Southern Ocean is the Antarctic minke whale (AMW)- yet, virtually nothing is known of its foraging behavior or ecological role. Thus, the knowledge to understand how climate-driven changes will affect these animals and therefore the dynamics of the ecosystem as a whole is lacking. The project will use multi-sensor and video recording tags, fisheries acoustics, and unmanned aerial systems to study the foraging behavior and ecological role of minke whales in the waters of the Antarctic Peninsula. The following research questions will be posed: 1. What is the feeding performance of AMWs? 2. How important is sea ice to the foraging behavior of AMW? 3. How do AMWs feed directly under sea ice? Proven tagging and analytical approaches to characterize the underwater feeding behavior and kinematics of minke whales will be used. Combined with quantitative measurements of the prey field, the energetic costs of feeding will be measured and it will be determined how minke whales optimize energy gain. Using animal-borne video recording tags and UAS technology it will also be determined how much feeding occurs directly under sea ice and how this mode differs from open water feeding. This knowledge will: (1) significantly enhance knowledge of the least-studied Antarctic krill predator; and (2) be made directly available to international, long-term efforts to understand how climate-driven changes will affect the structure and function of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. The educational and outreach efforts aim to increase awareness and understanding of: (i) the ecological role of minke whales around the Antarctic Peninsula; (ii) the effects of environmental change on an abundant but largely unstudied marine predator; (iii) the advanced methods and technologies used by whale researchers to study these cryptic animals and their prey; and (iv) the variety of careers in the ocean sciences by sharing the experiences of scientists and students. These educational aims will be achieved by delivering continuous near-real-time delivery of project events and data to informal audiences through social media channels as well as curricula and professional development programs that will provide formal STEM educators with specific standards-compliant lesson plans.
The consequences of variation in maternal effects on the ability of offspring to survive, reproduce, and contribute to future generations has rarely been evaluated in polar marine mammals. This is due to the challenges of having adequate data on the survival and reproductive outcomes for numerous offspring born in diverse environmental conditions to mothers with known and diverse sets of traits. This research project will evaluate the survival and reproductive consequences of early-life environmental conditions and variation in offspring traits that are related to maternal attributes (e.g. birth date, birth mass, weaning mass, and swimming behavior) in a population of individually marked Weddell seals in the Ross Sea. Results will allow an evaluation of the importance of different types of individuals to the Weddell Seal's population sustenance and better assessments of factors contributing to the population dynamics in the past and into the future. The project allows for documentation of specific individual seal's unique histories and provisioning of such information to the broader science community that seeks to study these seals, educating graduate and undergraduate ecology students, producing science-outreach videos, and developing a multi-media iBook regarding the project's science activities, goals and outcomes. The research has the broad objective of evaluating the importance of diverse sources of variation in pup characteristics to survival and reproduction. The study will (1) record birth dates, body mass metrics, and time spent in the water for multiple cohorts of pups (born to known-age mothers) in years with different environmental conditions; (2) mark all pups born in the greater Erebus Bay study area and conduct repeated surveys to monitor fates of these pups through the age of first reproduction; and (3) use analyses specifically designed for data on animals that are individually marked and resighted each year to evaluate hypotheses about how variation in birth dates, pup mass, time spent in the water by pups, and environmental conditions relate to variation in early-life survival and recruitment for those pups. The research will also allow the documentation of the population status that will contribute to the unique long-term database for the local population that dates back to 1978.
Undersea forests of seaweeds dominate the shallow waters of the central and northern coast of the western Antarctic Peninsula and provide critical structural habitat and carbon resources (food) for a host of marine organisms. Most of the seaweeds are chemically defended against herbivores yet support very high densities of herbivorous shrimp-like grazers (crustaceans, primarily amphipods) which greatly benefit their hosts by consuming filamentous and microscopic algae that otherwise overgrow the seaweeds. The amphipods benefit from the association with the chemically defended seaweeds by gaining an associational refuge from fish predation. The project builds on recent work that has demonstrated that several species of amphipods that are key members of crustacean assemblages associated with the seaweeds suffer significant mortality when chronically exposed to increased seawater acidity (reduced pH) and elevated temperatures representative of near-future oceans. By simulating these environmental conditions in the laboratory at Palmer Station, Antarctica, the investigators will test the overall hypothesis that ocean acidification and ocean warming will play a significant role in structuring crustacean assemblages associated with seaweeds. Broader impacts include expanding fundamental knowledge of the impacts of global climate change by focusing on a geographic region of the earth uniquely susceptible to climate change. This project will also further the NSF goals of training new generations of scientists and of making scientific discoveries available to the general public. This includes training graduate students and early career scientists with an emphasis on diversity, presentations to K-12 groups and the general public, and a variety of social media-based outreach programs. The project will compare population and assemblage-wide impacts of natural (ambient), carbon dioxide enriched, and elevated temperature seawater on assemblages of seaweed-associated crustacean grazers. Based on prior results, it is likely that some species will be relative "winners" and some will be relative "losers" under the changed conditions. The project will then aim to carry out measurements of growth, calcification, mineralogy, the incidence of molts, and biochemical and energetic body composition for two key amphipod "winners" and two key amphipod "losers". These measurements will allow an assessment of what factors drive species-specific enhanced or diminished performance under conditions of ocean acidification and sea surface warming. The project will expand on what little is known about prospective impacts of changing conditions on benthic marine Crustacea, in Antarctica, a taxonomic group that faces the additional physiological stressor of molting. The project is likely to provide additional insight on the indirect regulation of the seaweeds that comprise Antarctic undersea forests that provide key architectural components of the coastal marine ecosystem. 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.
Over the past century, climate science has constructed an extensive record of Earth’s ice age cycles through the chemical and isotopic characterization of various geologic archives such as polar ice cores, deep-ocean sediments, and cave speleothems. These climatic archives provide an insightful picture of ice age cycles and of the related large global sea level fluctuations triggered by these significant climate rhythms. However, such records still provide limited insight as to how or which of Earth’s ice sheets contributed to higher sea levels during past warm climate periods. This is of particular importance for our modern world: the Antarctic ice sheet is currently the world’s largest freshwater reservoir, which, if completely melted, would raise the global sea level by over 60 meters (200 feet). Yet, geologic records of Antarctic ice sheet sensitivity to warm climates are particularly limited and difficult to obtain, because the direct records of ice sheet geometry smaller than the modern one are still buried beneath the mile-thick ice covering the continent. Therefore, it remains unclear how much this ice sheet contributed to past sea level rise during warm climate periods or how it will respond to the anticipated near-future climate warming. In the proposed research we seek to develop sub-ice chemical precipitates—minerals that form in lakes found beneath the ice sheet—as a climatic archive, one that records how the Antarctic ice sheet responded to past climatic change. These sub-ice mineral formations accumulated beneath the ice for over a hundred thousand years, recording the changes in chemical and isotopic subglacial properties that occur in response to climate change. Eventually these samples were eroded by the ice sheet and moved to the Antarctic ice margin where they were collected and made available to study. This research will utilize advanced geochemical, isotopic and geochronologic techniques to develop record of the Antarctica ice sheet’s past response to warm climate periods, directly informing efforts to understand how Antarctica will response to future warming. Efforts to improve sea level forecasting on a warming planet have focused on determining the temperature, sea level and extent of polar ice sheets during Earth’s past warm periods. Large uncertainties, however, in reconstructions of past and future sea levels, result from the poorly constrained climate sensitivity of the Antarctic Ice sheet (AIS). This research project aims to develop the use of subglacial precipitates as an archive the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) past response to climate change. The subglacial precipitates from East Antarctica form in water bodies beneath Antarctic ice and in doing so provide an entirely new and unique measure of how the AIS responds to climate change. In preliminary examination of these precipitates, we identified multiple samples consisting of cyclic opal and calcite that spans hundreds of thousands of years in duration. Our preliminary geochemical characterization of these samples indicates that the observed mineralogic changes result from a cyclic change in subglacial water compositions between isotopically and chemically distinct waters. Opal-forming waters are reduced (Ce* <1 and high Fe/Mn) and exhibit elevated 234U/238U compositions similar to the saline groundwater brines found at the periphery of the AIS. Calcite-forming waters, are rather, oxidized and exhibit δ18O compositions consistent with derivation from the depleted polar plateau (< -50 ‰). 234U-230Th dates permit construction of a robust timeseries describing these mineralogic and compositional changes through time. Comparisons of these time series with other Antarctic climate records (e.g., ice core records) reveal that calcite forming events align with millennial scale changes in local temperature or “Antarctic isotopic maximums”, which represent Southern Hemisphere warm periods resulting in increased Atlantic Meridional overturing circulation. Ultimately, this project seeks to develop a comprehensive model as to how changes in the thermohaline cycle induce a glaciologic response which in turn induces a change in the composition of subglacial waters and the mineralogic phase recorded within the precipitate archive. 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.
Between Sept. 1, 2022 and April 27, 2023, a Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone collected underway chemical, meteorological and physical data in the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean. Measurements were made at high spatial and temporal resolution ( ~ 5-km and 1 hour) and include observations of ocean and atmosphere pCO2, air temperature and humidity, wind, ocean skin temperature, SST, salinity, ocean color (Chlorophyll α, CDOM), dissolved oxygen, and ocean current velocity between roughly 13.5°E and 82°E and between the Sub Tropical Front (STF) and the Subantarctic Front (SAF). The mission track spanned from the Agulhas Return Current south of South Africa to the northern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current downstream of the Kerguelen Plateau. The primary goal of the mission was to collect data within cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies to quantify CO2 fluxes to better understand physical processes (upwelling and downwelling) that that can contribute to carbon cycling in addition to the biological pump.
Cold-blooded animals in the Antarctic ocean have survived in near-constant, extreme cold conditions for millions of years and are very sensitive to even small changes in water temperature. However, the consequences of this extreme thermal sensitivity for the energetics, development, and survival of developing embryos is not well understood. This award will investigate the effect of temperature on the metabolism, growth rate, developmental rate, and developmental energetics of embryos and larvae of Antarctic marine ectotherms. The project will also measure annual variation in temperature and oxygen at different sites in McMurdo Sound, and compare embryonic and larval metabolism in winter and summer to determine the extent to which these life stages can acclimate to seasonal shifts. This research will provide insight into the ability of polar marine animals and ecosystems to withstand warming polar ocean conditions. Antarctic marine ectotherms exhibit universally slow growth, low metabolic rates, and extended development, yet many of their rate processes related to physiology and metabolism are highly thermally sensitive. This suggests that small changes in temperature may result in dramatic changes to energy metabolism, growth, and the rate and duration of development. This project will measure the effects of temperature on metabolism, developmental rate, and the energetic cost of development of four common and ecologically important species of benthic Antarctic marine invertebrates. These effects will be measured over the functional ranges of the organisms and in the context of environmentally relevant seasonal shifts in temperature around McMurdo Sound. Recent data show that seasonal warming of ~1 deg C near McMurdo Station is accompanied by long-lasting hyperoxic events that impact the benthos in the nearshore boundary layer. This research will provide a more comprehensive understanding of both annual variation in environmental oxygen and temperature across the Sound, and whether this variation drives changes in developmental rate and energetics that are consistent with physiological acclimatization. These data will provide key information about potential impacts of warming Antarctic ectotherms. In addition, this project will support undergraduate and graduate research and partner with large-enrollment undergraduate courses and REU programs at an ANNH and AANAPISI Title III minority-serving institution. 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 ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland are losing mass and contributing to accelerating global sea-level rise. Satellite altimetry provides precise measurement of ice-sheet volume change, but computing ice-sheet mass change—the quantity relevant for estimating the ice sheet’s sea-level contribution—requires knowing the density of the ice sheet. The density near the ice-sheet surface also affects age estimates of air bubbles recovered in ice cores, which are a key source of information on past climate changes. Ice-sheet density is primarily controlled by the rate at which firn (snow that has persisted for a year or more on ice sheets) compacts into ice, but there is currently no widely accepted theory of how this compaction occurs. The goal of this project is thus to advance understanding of how firn densifies. The team will conduct laboratory experiments and analyze ice-penetrating radar and ice-core data from Antarctica. A key desired outcome of the project is a new model of firn densification that can be used to improve satellite-based altimetry measurements of present-day ice-sheet change and reconstructions of past climate changes from ice cores. This project will combine laboratory experiments, numerical modeling, and geophysical techniques to determine the rheology of firn as it compacts to form ice. The team will use two methods to measure firn compaction: (1) lab-based experiments and (2) analysis of ice-core and radar data. For the lab-based work, the team will conduct a suite of compaction experiments on synthetic firn samples under uni-axial strain and constant temperature and axial stress. They will also measure the grain-size evolution. By running a large number of experiments (> 25), the team will constrain key parameters that determine how firn compaction rate depends on density, temperature, grain size, and axial stress. The experiments will be conducted in a table-top apparatus at temperatures as low as -40 degrees C and axial stresses up to 4 MPa. For the field-data-based component, the team will analyze ice-core and ice-penetrating radar data to produce the first coincident set of radar-derived firn compaction rates, borehole temperatures, firn densities, and firn grain sizes. Results from lab and field data will be tied together using a numerical firn compaction model. This model is formulated using conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, along with an explicit description of firn rheology and grain-size evolution. Constraints on firn rheology will be incorporated into this model and the team will use it to examine fundamental questions about how changes in the climate affect firn density. This is a crucial unknown that contributes significant measurement uncertainty in estimates of past and present climate change. 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 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.
As glaciers creep across the landscape, they can act as earthmovers, plucking up rocks and grinding them into fine sediments. Glaciers have moved across the Antarctic landscape over thousands to millions of years, leaving these ground-up sediments in their wake. This study builds on pilot discoveries by the investigators that revealed remarkably large and variable measurements of surface area in glacially-derived fine-grained sediments found in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), one of the few landscapes on the Antarctic continent not currently covered by ice. Surface area is key to chemical weathering, the process by which rock is converted to soils as ions are carried away in streams and groundwater. These chemical weathering processes are also one of the primary means by which the Earth system naturally removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Hence, high surface areas observed in sediments implies high "weatherability" which in turn translates to more potential carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere. Therefore, chemical weathering in high surface area glacial sediments may have significant impacts on Earth's carbon cycle. The researchers will measure the chemical and physical properties of sediments previously collected from the Dry Valleys to understand what factors lead to production of sediment with high-surface area and potential "weather ability" and investigate how sediment produced in these glacial systems could ultimately impact Earth's carbon budget. Results from this research will help scientists (including modelers) refine predictions of the effects of melting glaciers- and attendant exposure of glacial sediment? on atmospheric carbon levels. These results may also contribute to applied research efforts on development of carbon-dioxide removal technologies utilizing principles of rock weathering. In addition to the scientific benefits, this research will involve several students at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels, including science education undergraduates, thus contributing to training of the next-generation STEM workforce. Physical weathering produces fresh surfaces, greatly enhancing specific surface area (SSA) and reactive surface area (RSA) of primary minerals. Quantifying SSA and RSA of sediments is key to determining dissolution and leaching rates during natural weathering, but few data exist on distribution of sediment SA, particularly in glacial and fluvial systems. Pilot data from glacial stream systems in Taylor Valley and Wright Valley (located in the MDV) exhibit remarkably high and variable values in both SSA and RSA, values that in some cases greatly exceed values from muds in temperate glacial systems. This discovery motivates the current research, which aims to investigate the hypothesis that high and variable SAs of muds within Wright and Taylor Valleys reflect textural and/or compositional inheritance from the differing depositional settings within the MDV, biologic controls, dust additions, and/or pedogenic processes. These hypotheses will be tested by sedimentologically, mineralogically, and geochemically characterizing muds from glacially derived sediment deposited in various environments (cold vs. wet based glaciation; fluvial, lacustrine, dust, and drift deposits) and of varying age (Miocene to Modern) from the MDV and quantifying variation of SA and reactivity. Comparisons with analyzed muds from temperate glacial systems will enable polar-temperate comparisons. Analyses will focus on muds of previously collected sediment from the MDVs. Grain size and SSA will be measured by Laser Analysis and N2 adsorption BET, respectively. After carbonate removal, samples will be re-analyzed for SSA, and muds characterized geochemically. Mineralogy and bulk chemistry will also be assessed on co-occurring sand fractions, and textural attributes documented. SSA-normalized dissolution experiments will be used to compare solutes released from sediments to determine RSAs. Results will be integrated with the various sedimentologic and geochemical analyses to test the posed hypotheses. Ultimately, this research should shed light on how weathering in Antarctic systems contributes to global carbon cycling.
This award is to support measurements of the 14-billion-year cosmic microwave background (CMB) light with the South Pole Telescope (SPT) to address some of the most basic and compelling questions in cosmology: What is the origin of the Universe? What is the Universe made of? What is the mass scale of the neutrinos? When did the first stars and galaxies form and how was the Universe reionized? What is the Dark Energy that is accelerating the expansion of the Universe? The SPT plays a unique role in the pursuit of these questions. Its siting is ideal for ultra-low-noise imaging surveys of the sky at the millimeter and sub-millimeter radio wavelengths. The SPT is supported by the NSF's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, which is the best operational site on Earth for mm-wave sky surveys. This unique geographical location allows SPT to obtain extremely sensitive 24/7 observations of targeted low Galactic foreground regions of the sky. The telescope's third-generation, SPT-3G receiver has 16,000 detectors configured for polarization-sensitive observations in three millimeter-wave bands. The proposed operation includes five years of sky surveys to obtain ultra-deep measurements of a 1500 square degree field and to produce and publicly archive essential data products from the survey. The telescope's CMB temperatures and polarization power spectrum will play a central role in probing the nature of current tensions among cosmological parameter estimations from different data sets and determining if their explanation requires physics beyond the current LCDM model. The data will help constraining the Dark Energy properties that affect the growth of large structures through both the CMB lensing and abundance of galaxy clusters. The proposed operations also support SPT's critical role in the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a global array of telescopes to image the event horizon around the black hole at the center of Milky Way Galaxy. This award addresses and advances the science objectives and goals of the NSF's "Windows on the Universe: The Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics" program. The proposed research activity will also contribute to the training of the next generation of scientists by integrating graduate and undergraduate education with the technology development, astronomical observations, and scientific analyses of SPT data. Research and education are integrated by bringing research activities into the undergraduate classroom and sharing of forefront research with non-scientists extending it beyond the university through a well-established educational network that reaches a wide audience at all levels of the educational continuum. Through museum partnerships and new media, the SPT outreach and educational efforts reach large numbers of individuals while personalizing the experience. 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.
Accurately measuring precipitation in Antarctica is important for purposes such as calculating Antarctica?s mass balance and contribution to global sea level rise, interpreting ice core records, and validating model- and satellite-based precipitation estimates. There is a critical need for reliable, autonomous, long-term measurements of Antarctic precipitation in order to better understand its variability in space in time. Such records over time are essentially absent from the continent, despite their importance. This project will deploy and test instrumentation to measure and record rates of snowfall and blowing snow in Antarctica. Project goals are based on installation of four low-power, autonomous Antarctic precipitation systems (APS) co-located at automatic weather station (AWS) sites in the Ross Island region of Antarctica. The APSs are designed with an integrated sensor approach to provide multiple types of observations of snow accumulation types at the test sites. The APSs are designed to construct an accurate timeline of snow accumulation, and to distinguish the water equivalent of fallen precipitation from surface blowing (lofted) snow, a prime confounding factor. The standard suite of instruments to be deployed includes: precipitation gauge with double Alter windshield, laser disdrometer, laser snow height sensor, optical precipitation detector, anemometer at gauge height, and a visible /infrared webcam. These instruments have previously been shown to work well in cold regions applications.
Bromirski/1246151 This award supports a project intended to discover, through field observations and numerical simulations, how ocean wave-induced vibrations on ice shelves in general, and the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS), in particular, can be used (1) to infer spatial and temporal variability of ice shelf mechanical properties, (2) to infer bulk elastic properties from signal propagation characteristics, and (3) to determine whether the RIS response to infragravity (IG) wave forcing observed distant from the front propagates as stress waves from the front or is "locally" generated by IG wave energy penetrating the RIS cavity. The intellectual merit of the work is that ocean gravity waves are dynamic elements of the global ocean environment, affected by ocean warming and changes in ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns. Their evolution may thus drive changes in ice-shelf stability by both mechanical interactions, and potentially increased basal melting, which in turn feed back on sea level rise. Gravity wave-induced signal propagation across ice shelves depends on ice shelf and sub-shelf water cavity geometry (e.g. structure, thickness, crevasse density and orientation), as well as ice shelf physical properties. Emphasis will be placed on observation and modeling of the RIS response to IG wave forcing at periods from 75 to 300 s. Because IG waves are not appreciably damped by sea ice, seasonal monitoring will give insights into the year-round RIS response to this oceanographic forcing. The 3-year project will involve a 24-month period of continuous data collection spanning two annual cycles on the RIS. RIS ice-front array coverage overlaps with a synergistic Ross Sea Mantle Structure (RSMS) study, giving an expanded array beneficial for IG wave localization. The ice-shelf deployment will consist of sixteen stations equipped with broadband seismometers and barometers. Three seismic stations near the RIS front will provide reference response/forcing functions, and measure the variability of the response across the front. A linear seismic array orthogonal to the front will consist of three stations in-line with three RSMS stations. Passive seismic array monitoring will be used to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of ocean wave-induced signal sources along the front of the RIS and estimate ice shelf structure, with the high-density array used to monitor and localize fracture (icequake) activity. The broader impacts include providing baseline measurements to enable detection of ice-shelf changes over coming decades which will help scientists and policy-makers respond to the socio-environmental challenges of climate change and sea-level rise. A postdoctoral scholar in interdisciplinary Earth science will be involved throughout the course of the research. Students at Cuyamaca Community College, San Diego County, will develop and manage a web site for the project to be used as a teaching tool for earth science and oceanography classes, with development of an associated web site on waves for middle school students.
This award funds the continued management and operations (M&O) of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory (ICNO) located at the South Pole Station. The core team of researchers and engineers maintain the existing ICNO infrastructure at the South Pole and home institution, guaranteeing an uninterrupted stream of scientifically unique, high-quality data. The M&O activities are built upon eight highly successful years of managing the overall ICNO operations after the start of science operations in 2008. Construction of ICNO was supported by NSF's Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) account and was completed on schedule and within budget in 2010. Effective coordination of efforts by the core M&O personnel and efforts by personnel within the IceCube Collaboration has yielded significant increases in the performance of this cubic-kilometer detector over time. The scientific output from the IceCube Collaboration during the past five years has been outstanding. The broader impacts of the ICNO/M&O activities are strong, involving postdoctoral, graduate, and (in some cases) undergraduate students in the day-today operation & calibration of the neutrino detector. The extraordinary physics results recently produced by ICNO and its extraordinary location at South Pole have a high potential to excite the imagination of high school children and the public in general at a national and international level. The current ICNO/M&O effort produces better energy and angular resolution information about detected neutrino events, has more efficient data filters and more accurate detector simulations, and enables continuous software development for systems that are needed to acquire and analyze data. This has produced data acquisition and data management systems with high robustness, traceability, and maintainability. The current ICNO/M&O effort includes: (1) resources for both distributed and centrally managed activities, and (2) additional accountability mechanisms for "in-kind" and institutional contributions. Both are necessary to ensure that the detector maintains its capability to produce quality scientific data at the level required to achieve the detector's scientific discovery objectives. Recent ICNO discoveries of cosmic high-energy neutrinos (some reaching energies close to and over 2.5 PeV) and oscillating atmospheric neutrinos in a previously unexplored energy range from 10 to 60 GeV became possible because of the "state-of-the-art" detector configuration, excellently supported infrastructure, and cutting-edge science analyses. The ICNO has set limits on Dark Matter annihilations, made precision measurements of the angular distribution of cosmic ray muons, and characterized in detail physical properties of the Antarctic 2.5-km thick ice sheet at South Pole. The discovery of high-energy cosmic neutrinos by IceCube with a flux at the level anticipated for those associated with high-energy gamma- and cosmic-ray accelerators brightens the prospect for identifying the sources of the highest energy particles.
The theory of the "Big Bang" provides a well-established cosmological model for the Universe from its earliest known periods through its subsequent large-scale evolution. The model traces the expansion of the Universe, starting from initial conditions of a very high density and temperature state which is almost but not perfectly smooth, and it offers a comprehensive explanation for a broad range of now-known phenomena, including the abundance of light elements, the cosmic microwave background radiation, and the distribution of large scale structures. While the established "Big Bang" theory leaves open the question of explaining the initial conditions, current evidence is consistent with the entire observable Universe being spawned in a dramatic, exponential "inflation" of a sub-nuclear volume that lasted about one trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second. Following this short inflationary period, the Universe continues to expand, but at a less rapid rate. While the basic "inflationary paradigm" is accepted by most scientists, the detailed particle physics mechanism responsible for inflation is still not known. It is believed that this violent space-time expansion would have produced primordial gravitational waves now propagating through the expanding universe, thus forming a cosmic gravitational-wave background (CGB) the amplitude of which measures the energy scale of inflation. The CGB imprints a faint signature in the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), and detecting this polarization signature is arguably the most important goal in cosmology today. This award will address one of the oldest questions ever posed by mankind, "How did the Universe begin?", and it does so via observations made at one of the most intriguing places on Earth, South Pole Station in Antarctica. The community-driven Astro2010 Decadal Survey described the search for the CGB as "the most exciting quest of all", emphasizing that "mid-term investment is needed for systems aimed at detecting the (B-mode) polarization of the CMB". In 2005, the NASA/DOE/NSF Task Force on CMB Research identified this topic as the highest priority for the field and established a target sensitivity for the ratio of gravitational waves to density fluctuations of r ~ 0.01. Such measurements promise a definitive test of slow-roll models of inflation, which generally predict a gravitational-wave signal around r~0.01 or above, producing CMB B-modes fluctuations that peak on degree angular scales. The ongoing BICEP series of experiments is dedicated to this science goal. The experiment began operating at South Pole in 2006 and has been relentlessly mapping an 800 square degree region of the sky in a region of low in Galactic foregrounds known as the Southern Hole. This award will support science observations and analysis for the CMB "Stage 3" science with the BICEP Array program that will measure the polarized sky in five frequency bands. It is projected to reach an ultimate sensitivity to the amplitude of inflationary gravitational waves of "sigma r" < 0.005, extrapolating from achieved performance and after conservatively accounting for the Galactic dust, Galactic synchrotron radiation, and CMB lensing foregrounds. This measurement will offer a definitive test of most slow-roll models of Inflation, and will realize or exceed the goals set by the Task Force in 2005 for sensitivity. The project will continue to provide excellent training for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows (including those from underrepresented groups) in laboratories that have exceptional track records in this regard. Cosmology and research in Antarctica both capture the public imagination, making this combination a remarkably effective vehicle for stimulating interest in science.
Part I: Nontechnical Antarcticas ice sheets constitute the largest ice mass on Earth, with approximately 53 meters of sea level equivalent stored in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet alone. The history of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is therefore important to understanding and predicting changes in sea level and Earths climate. There is conflicting evidence regarding long-term stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, over the last twenty million years. To better understand past ice sheet changes, together with the history of the Transantarctic Mountains, accurate time scales are needed. One of the few dating methods applicable to the Antarctic glacial deposits, that record past ice sheet changes, is the measurement of rare isotopes produced by cosmic rays in surface rock samples, referred to as cosmogenic nuclides. Whenever a rock surface is exposed/free of cover, cosmic rays produce rare isotopes such as helium-3, beryllium-10, and neon-21within the minerals. This project will involve measurement of all three isotopes in some of the oldest glacial deposits found at high elevation in the Transantarctic Mountains. Because the amount of each isotope is directly linked to the exposure time, this can be used to calculate the age of a surface. This method requires knowledge of the rates that cosmic radiation produces each isotope, which depends upon mineral composition, and is presently a limitation of the method. The goal of this project is to advance and enhance existing measurement methods and expand the range of possibilities in surface dating with new measurements of all three isotopes in pyroxene, a mineral that is commonly found throughout the Transantarctic Mountains. This technological progress will allow a better application of the surface exposure dating method, which in turn will help to reconstruct Antarctic ice sheet history and provide valuable knowledge of former ice-extent. Understanding Antarcticas ice-sheet history is crucial to predict its influence on past and future sea level changes. Part II: Technical Description Measurements of in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclides in Antarctic surficial rock samples provide unique time scales for glacial and landscape evolution processes. However, due to analytical challenges, pyroxene-bearing and widely distributed lithologies like the Ferrar dolerite of the Transantarctic Mountains, are underutilized. This proposal aims to changes this and to improve the cosmogenic nuclide methodologies for stable isotopes (21Ne and 3He) and radioactive nuclides (10Be) in pyroxenes. Proposed methodological improvements will be directly applicable to erosion rates and deposition ages of important glacial deposits, such as the controversial Sirius Group tills, and also to younger glacial features. Bennett Platform is the focus of this study because it is one of the southern-most Sirius Group outcrops along the Transantarctic Mountains, where cosmogenic ages are sparse. Preliminary measurements demonstrate large discrepancies between 3He and 21Ne age determinations in Sirius Group pyroxenes. One possible explanation is composition dependence of the 21Ne production rates. Coupled measurements of 3He, 21Ne, and 10Be in well-characterized pyroxene mineral separates from Ferrar dolerite will be used to better constrain the production rates, major element and trace element dependencies, the assumptions of the method, and ultimately advance the application of cosmogenic nuclides to mafic Antarctic lithologies. The main goals of this study are to improve measurement protocols for 10Be in pyroxene, and the determination of the composition dependence of 21Ne production rates by measuring mineral compositions (by electron microprobe), and nuclide concentrations in mineral pairs from young lava flows. Further aims are the validation of the nucleogenic contributions and the effects of helium diffusive loss through measurements of 3He/21Ne production ratios, combined with measurements of shielded samples of the Ferrar dolerite. Combined measurements of 3He, 21Ne and 10Be in pyroxenes have rarely been published for individual samples in Antarctica. The new and unique measurements of this study will advance the applicability of in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclides to both young and ancient Antarctic surfaces. The study will be performed using existing samples: no field work is requested. 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.
This project contributes to the joint initiative launched by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to substantially improve decadal and longer-term projections of ice loss and sea-level rise originating from Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. Thwaites and neighboring glaciers in the Amundsen Sea Embayment are rapidly losing mass in response to recent climate warming and related changes in ocean circulation. Mass loss from the Amundsen Sea Embayment could lead to the eventual collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, raising the global sea level by up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) in as short as 500 years. The processes driving the loss appear to be warmer ocean circulation and changes in the width and flow speed of the glacier, but a better understanding of these changes is needed to refine predictions of how the glacier will evolve. One highly sensitive process is the transitional flow of glacier ice from land onto the ocean to become a floating ice shelf. This flow of ice from grounded to floating is affected by changes in air temperature and snowfall at the surface; the speed and thickness of ice feeding it from upstream; and the ocean temperature, salinity, bathymetry, and currents that the ice flows into. The project team will gather new measurements of each of these local environmental conditions so that it can better predict how future changes in air, ocean, or the ice will affect the loss of ice to the ocean in this region. Current and anticipated near-future mass loss from Thwaites Glacier and nearby Amundsen Sea Embayment region is mainly attributed to reduction in ice-shelf buttressing due to sub-ice-shelf melting by intrusion of relatively warm Circumpolar Deep Water into sub-ice-shelf cavities. Such predictions for mass loss, however, still lack understanding of the dominant processes at and near grounding zones, especially their spatial and temporal variability, as well as atmospheric and oceanic drivers of these processes. This project aims to constrain and compare these processes for the Thwaites and the Dotson Ice Shelves, which are connected through upstream ice dynamics, but influenced by different submarine troughs. The team's specific objectives are to: 1) install atmosphere-ice-ocean multi-sensor remote autonomous stations on the ice shelves for two years to provide sub-daily continuous observations of concurrent oceanic, glaciologic, and atmospheric conditions; 2) measure ocean properties on the continental shelf adjacent to ice-shelf fronts (using seal tagging, glider-based and ship-based surveys, and existing moored and conductivity-temperature-depth-cast data), 3) measure ocean properties into sub-ice-shelf cavities (using autonomous underwater vehicles) to detail ocean transports and heat fluxes; and 4) constrain current ice-shelf and sub-ice-shelf cavity geometry, ice flow, and firn properties for the ice-shelves (using radar, active-source seismic, and gravimetric methods) to better understand the impact of ocean and atmosphere on the ice-sheet change. The team will also engage the public and bring awareness to this rapidly changing component of the cryosphere through a "Live from the Ice" social media campaign in which the public can follow the action and data collection from the perspective of tagged seals and autonomous stations. 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.
This project will acquire measurements of the concentration of beryllium-10 (10Be) from an ice core from the South Pole, Antarctica. An isotope of the element beryllium, 10Be, is produced in the atmosphere by high-energy protons (cosmic rays) that enter Earth's atmosphere from space. It is removed from the atmosphere by settling or by scavenging by rain or snowfall. Hence, concentrations of 10Be in snow at the South Pole reflect the production rate of 10Be in the atmosphere. Because the rate of production of 10Be over Antarctica depends primarily on the strength of the Sun's magnetic field, measurements of 10Be in the South Pole ice core will provide a record of changes in solar activity. The South Pole ice core will reach an age of 40,000 years at the bottom. The project will result in measurements of 10Be at annual resolution for the last 100 years and selected periods in the more distant past, such as the Maunder Minimum, a period during the late 17th century during which no sunspots were observed, or the last glacial cold period, about 20,000 years ago. A climate model that can simulate the production of 10Be in the atmosphere, it's transport through the atmosphere, and its deposition at the snow surface in Antarctica will be used to aid in using the 10Be data to determine past changes in solar activity from decadal to millennial scale, and in turn to evaluate the role of the Sun in Earth?s climate from a new perspective. The production of 10Be in Earth's atmosphere results from the spallation of oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere by cosmic rays. Cosmic ray variations in the high latitudes are primarily modulated by solar variability. Time-series records of 10Be from ice cores are therefore important for deriving variations in solar activity through time, which is fundamental to understanding climate variability. Deposition of 10Be to the ice surface is also influenced by variability in atmospheric circulation and deposition processes, and South Pole is the best available location for minimizing the influence of variable atmospheric circulation on 10Be deposition. To date, only one record of 10Be exists from South Pole; that record is widely used in solar forcing estimates used in climate models, but covers only the last millennium and ends in CE 1982. We will obtain 10Be concentration measurements in a 1500-m, 40000-year long ice core from the South Pole. This will extend the existing record both further back in time and forward to the present, providing overlap with the modern instrumental record of solar and climate variability. High resolution (annual to biannual) measurements will be made in targeted areas of interest, including the last 100 years, the Maunder Minimum (CE 1650-1715), and the last glacial maximum. The novel data will be used in conjunction with climate model experiments that incorporate 10Be production, transport, and deposition physics. Together, data and modeling will create an updated record of atmospheric 10Be production and hence of solar activity.
Non-technical description: Global sea-level rise is a significant long-term risk for human population and infrastructure. To mitigate and properly react to this threat, society needs accurate predictions of future sea-level variations. The largest uncertainty in these predictions comes from estimating the amount of ice that melts from polar ice sheets, especially from the West Antarctica ice sheet. Right now, scientists estimate the mass variations of ice sheets in two ways. The first way is using airplanes and repeated flybys to monitor the variation of ice sheet topography and estimate the gain or loss of ice. The second way is using satellite measurements to track gravity fluctuations that correlate with the variation of ice sheet volume. Both techniques work, but both have limitations including cost and resolution. This project uses a passive seismic monitoring method to estimate the change in weight of the ice pressing on the Earth's crust. One advantage of this seismic method is that vibrations are recorded continuously; therefore, it is possible to monitor the changes of the ice sheet with better temporal resolution. The sensitivity of the seismic waves also provides a picture of the structure of the interface between the ice and the rocks beneath the ice, where most of the dynamics and changes of the ice sheet take place. This information is difficult to obtain with other methods. In this project, the researchers will process and analyze previously acquired seismic data from the POLENET-ANET array, measuring variations in seismic wave speed through time to assess the amount of ice lost or gained. They will also determine important information about the mechanical properties at the ice-rock interface. The project will support a postdoctoral scholar to develop this new branch of seismological research and more generally the field of environmental seismology. This project will also support the education of a PhD student who will work in close collaboration with the postdoctoral scholar and the two researchers. Technical description: The researchers plan to monitor ice-mass variations in the West-Antarctic ice sheet by measuring and interpreting seismic velocity changes in crust beneath the ice sheet. This project will extend similar work already completed on the Greenland ice sheet, where ice-mass fluctuations were found to lead to poroelastic changes in the crust and modify the seismic-wave velocity. This investigation uses a passive seismology method, whereby repetitive seismic noise correlation functions are computed from records of Earth's ambient seismic noise field. Measurements of the temporal changes in the correlation functions are made and then related to variations of the poroelastic properties of the crust. The physical model for the relationship between ice-mass change and surface-wave velocity change has previously been verified using GRACE satellite data in Greenland. This project will specifically focus on the recent rapid ice loss in Western Antarctica using data from the POLENET-ANET seismic network. A comparison between the ice-sheet behaviors in Greenland and Antarctica will provide clarification about the underlying physical processes responsible for the observed seismic velocity changes. This new method will be a transformative approach to monitor ice sheets with the potential for much higher spatial and temporal resolution than existing methods. The fact that this method relies on seismic waves makes the approach completely independent from other modern ice-sheet monitoring techniques.
This investigation will reconstruct past behavior of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet during periods of warmer-than-present climate, such as the Pliocene, in order to better project the likely response of Earth's largest ice sheet to anthropogenic warming. Containing the equivalent of ~55 m sea-level rise, the future evolution of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet has clear societal ramifications on a global scale as temperatures continue to rise. Therefore, determining ice-sheet sensitivity to climate on the scale predicted for the next two centuries is a matter of increasing urgency, particularly in light of evidence suggesting the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is more dynamic than previously thought. This research will provide a terrestrial geologic record of long-term ice-sheet behavior from sites immediately adjacent the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Transantarctic Mountains, with which the project will help ascertain how the ice sheet responded to past warm periods. The project will focus primarily on the Pliocene warm period, 5 to 3 million years ago, as this represents the closest analogue to 21st Century climate conditions. The proposed research will investigate glacial deposits corresponding to the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in the central Transantarctic Mountains in order to expand the geologic record of past ice-sheet behavior. The overarching research objectives are to improve understanding of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet's configuration during periods of warmer-than-present climate, such as the Pliocene warm period, and to determine whether the ice sheet underwent significant volume changes or remained relatively stable in response to warming. To address these goals, the investigation will map and date glacial deposits preserved at mountain sites immediately adjacent the ice sheet. Specifically, we will: (i) employ multiple cosmogenic nuclides (10Be, 26Al, 21Ne) to establish more fully ice-thickness histories for the upper Shackleton and Beardmore Glaciers, where they exit the ice sheet; (ii) use this record to identify periods during which the East Antarctic Ice Sheet was at least as extensive as today; and (iii) use these data to assess long-term ice-sheet variability in East Antarctica, with particular emphasis on Pliocene warm episodes. This research will require Antarctic fieldwork, glacial-geologic mapping, and cosmogenic surface-exposure dating.
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The proposed project will investigate the coldest and driest parts of the Transantarctic Mountains (Ong Valley at Nimrod Glacier and Moraine Canyon at Amundsen Glacier) where the lack of running water and biological activity in the modern environment is thought to have preserved the landscape, essentially unchanged, for millions of years. Contrary to this common belief, it is hypothesized that the landscape does evolve, perhaps as fast as many surfaces in the Dry Valleys area where both loose soil and bedrock surfaces have been degrading at a rate of about 1-2 m/Myrs for the past several million years. The research team will rely on analysis of the both stable and radioactive cosmogenic isotopes that accumulate in near surface soil and bedrock. Collectively these measurements allow comparison of the long term landscape evolution to current processes and environmental drivers such as wind speed. The results of this work will improve understanding of the evolution of the Earth's surface and directly aid in evaluating imagery of Martian geomorphology. Continued reliance on students provides a broader impact to this proposed research and firmly grounds this effort in its educational mission.
Part 1: Nitrification is the conversion of ammonium to nitrate by a two-step process involving two different guilds of microorganisms: ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizers. The process is central to the global nitrogen cycle, affecting everything from retention of fertilizer on croplands to removal of excess nitrogen from coastal waters before it can cause blooms of harmful algae. It also produces nitrous oxide, an ozone-destroying, greenhouse gas. The energy derived from both steps of nitrification is used to convert inorganic carbon into microbial biomass. The biomass produced contributes to the overall food web production of the Southern Ocean and may be a particularly important subsidy during winter when low light levels restrict the other major source of biomass, primary production by single-celled plants. This project addresses three fundamental questions about the biology and geochemistry of polar oceans, with a focus on the process of nitrification. The first question the project will address concerns the contribution of chemoautotrophy (based on nitrification) to the overall supply of organic carbon to the food web of the Southern Ocean. Previous measurements indicate that it contributes about 9% to the Antarctic food web on an annual basis, but those measurements did not include the additional production associated with nitrite oxidation. The second question to be addressed is related to the first and concerns the coupling between the steps of the process. The third seeks to determine the significance of the contribution of other sources of nitrogen, (specifically organic nitrogen and urea released by other organisms) to nitrification because these contributions may not be assessed by standard protocols. Measurements made by others suggest that urea in particular might be as important as ammonium to nitrification in polar regions. This project will result in training a postdoctoral researcher and provide undergraduate students opportunities to gain hand-on experience with research on microbial geochemistry. The Palmer LTER (PAL) activities have focused largely on the interaction between ocean climate and the marine food web affecting top predators. Relatively little effort has been devoted to studying processes related to the microbial geochemistry of nitrogen cycling as part of the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, yet these are a major themes at other sites. This work will contribute substantially to understanding an important aspect of nitrogen cycling and bacterioplankton production in the PAL-LTER study area. The team will be working synergistically and be participating fully in the education and outreach efforts of the Palmer LTER, including making highlights of the findings available for posting to their project web site and participating in any special efforts they have in the area of outreach. Part 2: The proposed work will quantify oxidation rates of 15N supplied as ammonium, urea and nitrite, allowing us to estimate the contribution of urea-derived N and complete nitrification (ammonia to nitrate) to chemoautotrophy and bacterioplankton production in Antarctic coastal waters. The project will compare these estimates to direct measurements of the incorporation of 14C into organic matter the dark for an independent estimate of chemoautotrophy. The team aims to collect samples spanning the water column: from surface water (~10 m), winter water (50-100 m) and circumpolar deep water (>150 m); on a cruise surveying the continental shelf and slope west of the Antarctic Peninsula in the austral summer of 2018. Other samples will be taken to measure the concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and urea, for qPCR analysis of the abundance of relevant microorganisms, and for studies of related processes. The project will rely on collaboration with the existing Palmer LTER to ensure that ancillary data (bacterioplankton abundance and production, chlorophyll, physical and chemical variables) will be available. The synergistic activities of this project along with the LTER activities will provide a unique opportunity to assess chemoautotrophy in context of the overall ecosystem?s dynamics- including both primary and secondary production processes.
Notothenioid fishes live in the world's coldest marine waters surrounding Antarctica and have evolved strategies to avoid freezing. Past studies have shown that most Antarctic notothenioids produce special antifreeze proteins that prevent the growth of ice crystals that enter the body. While these proteins help prevent individuals from being killed by growing ice crystals, it is unclear how these fish avoid the accumulation of these small ice crystals inside their tissues over time. This project will observe how ice crystal accumulation relates to the harshness of the fish's habitat and the fish's behavior within different habitats of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. The researchers will collect fishes and ocean observations at different field sites that cover a range of habitat severity in terms of temperature and iciness. Researchers will install an underwater ocean observatory near McMurdo Station which will include a HD video camera and hydrophone. The observatory will allow continuous monitoring of ocean conditions and fish behavior that will help explain the conditions and behaviors that contribute to the acquisition and accrual of ice inside the body. Acoustic and video data from the observatory will be available to other scientists and to the public. The project will advance understanding of the many challenges life faces in extreme cold environments. This work continues a line of inquiry that has resulted in the discovery of potential medical and food preservation applications. Hundreds of antifreeze protein (AFP) structure-function studies have been conducted in the laboratory, providing a basic physical understanding of the AFP-ice interaction. How AFPs function within fishes and their range of environments, however, is far from clear. This project will provide an understanding of notothenioid's freezing avoidance mechanisms, and strategies by quantifying the acquisition, accumulation, and loss of internal ice crystals. Specifically, the goal is to determine if and how habitat severity (as defined by iciness, seawater temperature, and prevalence of supercooled water) and fish behavior influence the abundance of ice crystals in their tissues. Four locations in the McMurdo Sound with different levels of habitat severity will be sampled for oceanographic conditions and ice crystal count within fish tissues. Researchers will use a new technique to count the number of splenic ice crystals, expanding on and simplifying previous methods. Environmental data loggers will be deployed for the duration of the project at the four sites to provide context and real-time assessment of environmental conditions. An oceanographic observatory near McMurdo Station will provide year-round, real-time and archival records of oceanographic conditions, in situ video observations of anchor ice growth and ice-organism interactions, hydroacoustic recordings, and serve as proof-of concept for expanding scientific infrastructure in McMurdo Sound related to monitoring of supercooled waters and oceanographic information.
The transition of young from parental care to independence is a critical stage in the life of many animals. Surviving this stage can be especially challenging for polar mammals where the extreme cold requires extra energy to keep warm, rather than using the majority of energy for growth, development and physical activities. Young Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) have only weeks to develop the capabilities to survive both on top of the sea ice and within the -1.9°C seawater where they can forage for food. The project seeks to better understand how Weddell seal pups rapidly develop (within weeks) the capacity to transition between these two extreme environments (that differ greatly in their abilities to conduct heat) and how they budget their energy during the transition. Though the biology and physiology of adult Weddell seals is well studied, the energetic and physiological strategies of pups during development is still unclear. Understanding factors that may affect survival at critical life history events is essential for better understanding factors that might affect marine mammal populations. Weddell seals are the southernmost breeding mammal and are easily recognizable as quintessential Antarctic seals. Determining potential vulnerabilities at critical life stages to change in the Antarctic environment will facilitate the researchers' ability to not only gain public interest but also communicate how research is revealing ways in which changes are occurring at the poles and how these changes may affect polar ecosystems. By collaborating with the Marine Mammal Center, the project will directly reach the public, through curricular educational materials and public outreach that will impact over 100,000 visitors annually. To elucidate the physiological strategies that facilitate the survival of Weddell seal pups from birth to independence, the proposed study examines the development of their thermoregulation and diving capability. To achieve this, the project will determine the mechanisms that Weddell seal pups use to maintain a stable, warm body temperature in air and in water and then examine the development of diving capability as the animals prepare for independent foraging. The researchers will take a fully integrative approach- making assessments from proteins to tissues to the whole-animal level- when investigating both these objectives. To assess the development of thermoregulatory capability, researchers will quantify body insulation, resting metabolic rates in air and in water, muscle thermogenesis (shivering), and body surface temperatures in the field. The project will also assess the development of dive capability by quantifying oxygen storage capacities and measuring early dive behavior. To identify possible cellular mechanisms for how Weddell seals navigate this trade-off during development, the program will quantify several key developmental regulators of increased hypoxic capacity (HIF, VEGF and EPO) using qPCR, as well as follow the proteomic changes of adipose and muscle tissue, which will include abundance changes of metabolic, antioxidant, cytoskeletal, and Ca2+-regulating proteins. The study of the physiological development leading up to the transition to independence in pinnipeds will help researchers better predict the effects of climate change on the distribution and abundance of this species and how this will affect other trophic levels. Environmental changes that alter habitat suitability have been shown to decrease population health, specifically because of declines in juvenile survival.
Accurate parameterizations of the air-sea fluxes of CO2 into the Southern Ocean, in particular at high wind velocity, are needed to better assess how projections of global climate warming in a windier world could affect the ocean carbon uptake, and alter the ocean heat budget at high latitudes. Air-sea fluxes of momentum, sensible and latent heat (water vapor) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are to be measured continuously underway on cruises using micrometeorological eddy covariance techniques adapted to ship-board use. The measured gas transfer velocity (K) is then to be related to other parameters known to affect air-sea-fluxes. A stated goal of this work is the collection of a set of direct air-sea flux measurements at high wind speeds, conditions where parameterization of the relationship of gas exchange to wind-speed remains contentious. The studies will be carried out at sites in the Southern Ocean using the USAP RV Nathaniel B Palmer as measurment platform. Co-located pCO2 data, to be used in the overall analysis and enabling internal consistency checks, are being collected from existing underway systems aboard the USAP research vessel under other NSF awards.
Nontechnical Description Glacier ice loss from Antarctica has the potential to lead to a significant rise in global sea level. One line of evidence for accelerated glacier ice loss has been an increase in the rate at which the land has been rising across the Antarctic Peninsula as measured by GPS receivers. However, GPS observations of uplift are limited to the last two decades. One goal of this study is to determine how these newly observed rates of uplift compare to average rates of uplift across the Antarctic Peninsula over a longer time interval. Researchers will reconstruct past sea levels using the age and elevation of ancient beaches now stranded above sea level on the low-lying coastal hills of the Antarctica Peninsula to determine the rate of uplift over the last 5,000 years. The researchers will also analyze the structure of the beaches using ground-penetrating radar and the characteristics of beach sediments to understand how sea-level rise and past climate changes are recorded in beach deposits. The benefits of these new records will be threefold: (1) they will help determine the natural variability of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and relative sea level (2) they will provide new insight about uplift and the structure of the Earth's interior; and 3) they will help researchers refine the methods used to determine the age of geologic deposits. The study results will be shared in outreach events at K-12 schools and with visitors of the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum. Three graduate students will be supported through this project. Technical description Paleo sea-level data is critical for reconstructing the size and extent of past ice sheets, documenting increased uplift following glacial retreat, and correcting gravity-based measurements of ice-mass loss for the impacts of post-glacial rebound. However, there are only 14 sites with relative sea-level data for Antarctica compared to over 500 sites used in a recent study of the North American Ice-Sheet complex. The purpose of this project is to use optically stimulated luminescence to date a series of newly discovered raised beaches along the eastern Antarctic Peninsula and an already known, but only preliminarily dated, series of raised beaches in the South Shetland Islands. Data to be collected at the raised beaches include the age and elevation, ground-penetrating radar profiles, and the roundness of cobbles and the lithology of ice-rafted debris. The study will test three hypotheses: (1) uplift rates have increased in modern times relative to the late Holocene across the Antarctic Peninsula, (2) the sea-level history at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula is distinctly different than that of the South Shetland Islands, and (3) cobble roundness and the source of ice-rafted debris on raised beaches varied systematically through time reflecting the climate history of the northern Antarctic Peninsula.
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.
Abstract for the general public: The margins of the Antarctic ice sheet have advanced and retreated repeatedly over the past few million years. Melting ice from the last retreat, from 19,000 to 9,000 years ago, raised sea levels by 8 meters or more, but the extents of previous retreats are less well known. The main goal of this project is to understand how Antarctic ice retreats: fast or slow, stepped or steady, and which parts of the ice sheet are most prone to retreat. Antarctica loses ice by two main processes: melting of the underside of floating ice shelves and calving of icebergs. Icebergs themselves are ephemeral, but they carry mineral grains and rock fragments that have been scoured from Antarctic bedrock. As the icebergs drift and melt, this 'iceberg-rafted debris' falls to the sea-bed and is steadily buried in marine sediments to form a record of iceberg activity and ice sheet retreat. The investigators will read this record of iceberg-rafted debris to find when and where Antarctic ice destabilized in the past. This information can help to predict how Antarctic ice will behave in a warming climate. The study area is the Weddell Sea embayment, in the Atlantic sector of Antarctica. Principal sources of icebergs are the nearby Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea embayment, where ice streams drain about a quarter of Antarctic ice. The provenance of the iceberg-rafted debris (IRD), and the icebergs that carried it, will be found by matching the geochemical fingerprint (such as characteristic argon isotope ages) of individual mineral grains in the IRD to that of the corresponding source area. In more detail, the project will: 1. Define the geochemical fingerprints of the source areas of the glacially-eroded material using samples from each major ice stream entering the Weddell Sea. Existing data indicates that the hinterland of the Weddell embayment is made up of geochemically distinguishable source areas, making it possible to apply geochemical provenance techniques to determine the origin of Antarctica icebergs. Few samples of onshore tills are available from this area, so this project includes fieldwork to collect till samples to characterize detritus supplied by the Recovery and Foundation ice streams. 2. Document the stratigraphic changes in provenance of iceberg-rafted debris (IRD) and glacially-eroded material in two deep water sediment cores in the NW Weddell Sea. Icebergs calved from ice streams in the embayment are carried by the Weddell Gyre and deposit IRD as they pass over the core sites. The provenance information identifies which groups of ice streams were actively eroding and exporting detritus to the ocean (via iceberg rafting and bottom currents), and the stratigraphy of the cores shows the relative sequence of ice stream activity through time. A further dimension is added by determining the time lag between fine sediment erosion and deposition, using a new method of uranium-series isotope measurements in fine grained material. Technical abstract: The behavior of the Antarctic ice sheets and ice streams is a critical topic for climate change and future sea level rise. The goal of this proposal is to constrain ice sheet response to changing climate in the Weddell Sea during the three most recent glacial terminations, as analogues for potential future warming. The project will also examine possible contributions to Meltwater Pulse 1A, and test the relative stability of the ice streams draining East and West Antarctica. Much of the West Antarctic ice may have melted during the Eemian (130 to 114 Ka), so it may be an analogue for predicting future ice drawdown over the coming centuries. Geochemical provenance fingerprinting of glacially eroded detritus provides a novel way to reconstruct the location and relative timing of glacial retreat during these terminations in the Weddell Sea embayment. The two major objectives of the project are to: 1. Define the provenance source areas by characterizing Ar, U-Pb, and Nd isotopic signatures, and heavy mineral and Fe-Ti oxide compositions of detrital minerals from each major ice stream entering the Weddell Sea, using onshore tills and existing sediment cores from the Ronne and Filchner Ice Shelves. Pilot data demonstrate that detritus originating from the east and west sides of the Weddell Sea embayment can be clearly distinguished, and published data indicates that the hinterland of the embayment is made up of geochemically distinguishable source areas. Few samples of onshore tills are available from this area, so this project includes fieldwork to collect till to characterize detritus supplied by the Recovery and Foundation ice streams. 2. Document the stratigraphic changes in provenance of iceberg-rafted debris (IRD) and glacially-eroded material in two deep water sediment cores in the NW Weddell Sea. Icebergs calved from ice streams in the embayment are carried by the Weddell Gyre and deposit IRD as they pass over the core sites. The provenance information will identify which ice streams were actively eroding and exporting detritus to the ocean (via iceberg rafting and bottom currents). The stratigraphy of the cores will show the relative sequence of ice stream activity through time. A further time dimension is added by determining the time lag between fine sediment erosion and deposition, using U-series comminution ages.
Snow or firn aquifers are areas of subsurface meltwater storage that form in glaciated regions experiencing intense summer surface melting and high snowfall. Aquifers can induce hydrofracturing, and thereby accelerate flow or trigger ice-shelf instability leading to increased ice-sheet mass loss. Widespread aquifers have recently been discovered in Greenland. These have been modelled and mapped using new satellite and airborne remote-sensing techniques. In Antarctica, a series of catastrophic break-ups at the Wilkins Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula that was previously attributed to effects of surface melting and brine infiltration is now recognized as being consistent with a firn aquifer--possibly stimulated by long-period ocean swell--that enhanced ice-shelf hydrofracture. This project will verify inferences (from the same mapping approach used in Greenland) that such aquifers are indeed present in Antarctica. The team will survey two high-probability sites: the Wilkins Ice Shelf, and the southern George VI Ice Shelf. This two-year study will characterize the firn at the two field sites, drill shallow (~60 m maximum) ice cores, examine snow pits (~2 m), and install two AMIGOS (Automated Met-Ice-Geophysics Observing System) stations that include weather, GPS, and firn temperature sensors that will collect and transmit measurements for at least a year before retrieval. Ground-penetrating radar survey in areas surrounding the field sites will track aquifer extent and depth variations. Ice and microwave model studies will be combined with the field-observed properties to further explore the range of firn aquifers and related upper-snow-layer conditions. This study will provide valuable experience for three early-career scientists. An outreach effort through field blogging, social media posts, K-12 presentations, and public lectures is planned to engage the public in the team?s Antarctic scientific exploration and discovery. 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.
Tremblay, Marissa; Granger, Darryl; Balco, Gregory; Lamp, Jennifer
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. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Part I: Nontechnical Description Scientists study the Earth's past climate in order to understand how the climate will respond to ongoing global change in the future. One of the best analogs for future climate might the period that occurred approximately 3 million years ago, during an interval known as the mid-Pliocene Warm Period. During this period, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was similar to today's and sea level was 15 or more meters higher, due primarily to warming and consequent ice sheet melting in polar regions. However, the temperatures in polar regions during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period are not well determined, in part because we do not have records like ice cores that extend this far back in time. This project will provide constraints on surface temperatures in Antarctica during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period using a new type of climate substitute, known as cosmogenic noble gas paleothermometry. This project focuses on an area of Antarctica called the McMurdo Dry Valleys. In this area, climate models suggest that temperatures were more than 10 C warmer during the mid-Pliocene than they are today, but indirect geologic observations suggest that temperatures may have been similar to today. The McMurdo Dry Valleys are also a place where rocks have been exposed to Earth surface conditions for several million years, and where this new climate substitute can be readily applied. The team will reconstruct temperatures in the McMurdo Dry Valleys during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period in order to resolve the discrepancy between models and indirect geologic observations and provide much-needed constraints on the sensitivity of Antarctic ice sheets to warming temperatures. The temperature reconstructions generated in this project will have scientific impact in multiple disciplines, including climate science, glaciology, geomorphology, and planetary science. In addition, the project will (1) broaden the participation of underrepresented groups by supporting two early-career female principal investigators, (2) build STEM talent through the education and training of a graduate student, (3) enhance infrastructure for research via publication of a publicly-accessible, open-source code library, and (4) be broadly disseminated via social media, blog posts, publications, and conference presentations. Part II: Technical Description The mid-Pliocene Warm Period (3-3.3 million years ago) is the most recent interval of the geologic past when atmospheric CO2 concentrations exceeded 400 ppm and is widely considered an analog for how Earth’s climate system will respond to current global change. Climate models predict polar amplification - the occurrence of larger changes in temperatures at high latitudes than the global average due to a radiative forcing - both during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period and due to current climate warming. However, the predicted magnitude of polar amplification is highly uncertain in both cases. The magnitude of polar amplification has important implications for the sensitivity of ice sheets to warming and the contribution of ice sheet melting to sea level change. Proxy-based constraints on polar surface air temperatures during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period are sparse to non-existent. In Antarctica, there is only indirect evidence for the magnitude of warming during this time. This project will provide constraints on surface temperatures in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period using a newly developed technique called cosmogenic noble gas (CNG) paleothermometry. CNG paleothermometry utilizes the diffusive behavior of cosmogenic 3He in quartz to quantify the temperatures rocks experience while exposed to cosmic-ray particles within a few meters of the Earth’s surface. The very low erosion rates and subzero temperatures characterizing the McMurdo Dry Valleys make this region uniquely suited for the application of CNG paleothermometry for addressing the question: what temperatures characterized the McMurdo Dry Valleys during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period? To address this question, the team will collect bedrock samples at several locations in the McMurdo Dry Valleys where erosion rates are known to be low enough that cosmic ray exposure extends into the mid-Pliocene or earlier. They will pair cosmogenic 3He measurements, which will record the thermal histories of our samples, with measurements of cosmogenic 10Be, 26Al, and 21Ne, which record samples exposure and erosion histories. We will also make in situ measurements of rock and air temperatures at sample sites in order to quantify the effect of radiative heating and develop a statistical relationship between rock and air temperatures, as well as conduct diffusion experiments to quantify the kinetics of 3He diffusion specific to each sample. This suite of observations will be used to model permissible thermal histories and place constraints on temperatures during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period interval of cosmic-ray exposure. 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 Abstract Studies in Antarctica are, at present, severely limited by the costs of placing measurement instruments within and beneath thousands of meters of ice. Our aim is to enable dense, widespread measurement-networks by advancing development of low-cost ice melt probe technology to deploy instruments. Ice melt probes use electrical energy to descend through thick ice with little support structure on the ice surface. We are extending previous technology by using anti-freeze to maintain a partially open melt-hole above a descending probe, deploying as we go a new a new fiber-optic technology to measure ice temperature. Ice temperature measurements will reveal spatial patterns of heat welling up from the Earth beneath the ice, which in turn will contribute greatly to finding ancient ice that contains global climate records, and to understanding how ice flow may raise sea levels. Our immediate objective in this 1-year project is to test and refine our anti-freeze-based method in a 15 meter-tall ice column at the University of Wisconsin, so as to reduce technical risk in future field tests. Technical Abstract The overarching aim of our development is to enable widespread, spatially dense deployments of instruments within and beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet for a variety of investigations, beginning with observations of basal temperature and geothermal flux at the base of the ice sheet. Dense, widespread deployment requires logistical costs far below current costs for ice drilling and coring. Our approach is to extend ice melt probe technology (which is inherently light, logistically) to allow the progressive deployment of cable for Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) from the ice surface as the probe descends, without greatly increasing logistical costs. Our extension is based on arresting refreezing of the melt-hole above the probe (at a diameter a few times the cable diameter) by injecting anti-freeze - specifically, ethanol at temperature near 0C - a few meters above the probe during descent. After thermal equilibration of the liquid ethanol/water column with the ice, DTS measurements yield the depth-profile of ice sheet temperature, from which basal temperature and (over frozen beds) geothermal flux can be inferred. We have carried out initial trials of our approach in a cold-room laboratory, but field work based only on such small-scale tests may still involve unnecessary risk. We therefore propose further testing at a facility of the Ice Drilling Design and Operations (IDDO) facility in Madison, WI. The new trials will test our approaches to melt-hole control and probe recovery in the taller column, will test cable and cable-tension-management methods more nearly approximating those needed to work on ice sheets, and will demonstrate the Distributed Temperature Sensing in its field configuration. 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 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.
Mak/1443482 This project will compare current atmospheric conditions with those of the remote past prior to human influence. This is important in order to understand the impact of human activities on Earth's atmosphere, and to determine the stability of the composition of the atmosphere in the past. How humans have impacted Earth?s atmospheric composition is important for developing accurate predictions of future global atmospheric conditions. In addition to training students, the investigators will support continuing education of high school science teachers on Long Island through specifically tailored, interactive seminars on various topics in earth science, atmospheric sciences, physics and biology. A pilot program at Mount Sinai School District, near Stony Brook University will be the first implementation of this program. The investigators plan to reconstruct historical variations in the sources of atmospheric carbon monoxide (CO) from measurements of the concentration and stable isotopic abundance of carbon monoxide ([CO], 13CO and C18O) in the South Pole Ice Core, which is being drilled in 2014-2016. The goal is to strategically sample and reconstruct the relative variations in CO source strengths over the past 20,000 years. These will be the first measurements to extend the CO record beyond 650 years before present, back to the last glacial maximum. Both atmospheric chemical processes and variations in CO sources can impact the CO budget, and variations in the CO budget are useful in identifying and quantifying chemistry-climate interactions.
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 ocean tide is a large component of total variability of ocean surface height and currents in the seas surrounding Antarctica, including under the floating ice shelves. Maximum tidal height range exceeds 7 m (near the grounding line of Rutford Ice Stream) and maximum tidal currents exceed 1 m/s (near the shelf break in the northwest Ross Sea). Tides contribute to several important climate and ecosystems processes including: ocean mixing, production of dense bottom water, flow of warm Circumpolar Deep Water onto the continental shelves, melting at the bases of ice shelves, fracturing of the ice sheet near a glacier or ice stream’s grounding line, production and decay of sea ice, and sediment resuspension. Tide heights and, in particular, currents can change as the ocean background state changes, and as the geometry of the coastal margins of the Antarctic Ice Sheet varies through ice shelf thickness changes and ice-front and grounding-line advances or retreats. For satellite-based studies of ocean surface height and ice shelf thickness changes, tide heights are a source of substantial noise that must be removed. Similarly, tidal currents can also be a substantial noise signal when trying to estimate mean ocean currents from short-term measurements such as from acoustic Doppler current profilers mounted on ships and CTD rosettes. Therefore, tide models play critical roles in understanding current and future ocean and ice states, and as a method for removing tides in various measurements. A paper in Reviews of Geophysics (Padman, Siegfried and Fricker, 2018, see list of project-related publications below) provides a detailed review of tides and tidal processes around Antarctica.
This project provides a gateway to tide models and a database of tide height coefficients at the Antarctic Data Center, and links to toolboxes to work with these models and data.
Overview: In order to close the global overturning circulation, high-density deep- and bottom waters produced at high latitudes must be made less dense and upwell to shallower depths. Available observations from the subtropical South Atlantic indicate that the bulk of the mixing in the deep ocean there takes place over the topographically rough Mid-Atlantic Ridge, in particular in the quasi-regularly spaced "fracture zone canyons" corrugating the ridge flanks. There, dense water is advected toward the ridge crest (i.e. upwelled) by persistent along-valley currents that flow down the unidirectional density gradients, which are maintained by strong turbulence (diapycnal mixing). Most of the data on which these inferences are based were collected during the Brazil Basin Tracer Release Experiment (BBTRE) along a single ridge-flank canyon in the western South Atlantic near 22S where previous analyses have shown that both tidal mixing and overflow processes are important. Therefore, it is likely that both processes must be considered in order to understand and parameterize the effects of turbulence and mixing in the canyons corrugating the flanks of all slow-spreading ridges, which make up large fractions of the sea floor, in particular in the Atlantic, Indian and Southern Oceans. The primary aim of this follow-on project is to improve our understanding of the dynamics over the corrugated flanks of slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges. Due to the coarse sampling resolution and choice of station locations it is not possible to answer important questions, such as the relative importance of tidal and sill mixing, from the BBTRE data. Therefore, high-resolution surveys of hydrography, three-dimensional flow, turbulence and mixing will be carried out in two neighboring canyons and over the intervening topographic spur in the BBTRE region to determine the relative contributions of tidal and sill-related mixing. Furthermore, profiling moorings deployed on two nearby sill regions will be used to derive time series of spatially integrated mixing related buoyancy fluxes and to investigate the strong but unexplained sub-inertial variability of the along-canyon flow recorded previously. Additionally, three small moorings will be deployed in saddles between the two canyons to investigate inter-canyon exchange. The data analysis will include available data from previous experiments, including a set of tracer profiles that has not been analyzed before. Intellectual Merit: The corrugated flanks of slow-spreading ridges cover large areas of the sea floor of several major ocean basins. Therefore, understanding the dynamics in the ~100 km of ridge-flank canyons and its effects on the buoyancy and upwelling budget of the abyssal ocean is of global significance. In addition to determining the relative importance of tidal mixing and cross-sill flows in two canyons, the temporal variability of turbulence and mixing from tidal to yearly time scales will be investigated to gain insights into the forcing of the along-canyon flows, the exchange between neighboring canyons, and the eventual fate of the canyon waters. Broader Impacts: It is anticipated that insights gained during this project will improve our understanding of abyssal mixing in many different regions with similar bottom topography and provide the basis for better parameterizations of the effects of turbulence and mixing in large-scale circulation and climate models that cannot resolve these small-scale processes. As part of the project, a graduate student and a post-doctoral researcher will be trained in all aspects of observational physical oceanography, from data acquisition to interpretation.
The waters of the Ross Sea continental shelf are among the most productive in the Southern Ocean, and may comprise a significant regional oceanic sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. In this region, primary production can be limited by the supply of dissolved iron to surface waters during the growing season. Water-column observations, sampling and measurements are to be carried out in the late autumn-early winter time frame on the Ross Sea continental shelf and coastal polynyas (Terra Nova Bay and Ross Ice Shelf polynyas), in order to better understand what drives the biogeochemical redistribution of micronutrient iron species during the onset of convective mixing and sea-ice formation at this time of year, thereby setting conditions for primary production during the following spring. The spectacular field setting and remote, hostile conditions that accompany the proposed field study present exciting possibilities for STEM education and training. At the K-12 level, the project seeks to support the development of educational outreach materials targeting elementary and middle school students, pre-service science teachers, and in-service science teachers.
General Statement: The continental shelf region west of the Antarctic Peninsula has recently undergone dramatic changes and ecosystem shifts, and the community of organisms that live in, or feed off, the sea floor sediments is being impacted by species invasions from the north. Previous studies of these sediments indicate that this community may consume much more of the regional productivity than previously estimated, suggesting that sediments are a rich and important component of this ecosystem and one that may be ripe for dramatic change. Furthermore, under richer sediment conditions, iron is mobilized and released back to the water column. Since productivity in this ecosystem is thought to be limited by the availability of iron, increased rates of iron release from these sediments could stimulate productivity and promote greater overall ecosystem change. In this research, a variety of sites across the shelf region will be sampled to accurately evaluate the role of sediments in consuming ecosystem productivity and to estimate the current level of iron release from the sediments. This project will provide a baseline set of sediment results that will present a more complete picture of the west Antarctic shelf ecosystem, will allow for comparison with water column measurements and for evaluation of the fundamental workings of this important ecosystem. This is particularly important since high latitude systems may be vulnerable to the effects of climate fluctuations. Both graduate and undergraduate students will be trained. Presentations will be made at scientific meetings, at other universities, and at outreach events. A project web site will present key results to the public and explain how this new information improves understanding of Antarctic ecosystems. Technical Description of Project: In order to determine the role of sediments within the west Antarctic shelf ecosystem, this project will determine the rates of sediment organic matter oxidation at a variety of sites across the Palmer Long Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) study region. To estimate the rates of release of iron and manganese from the sediments, these same sites will be sampled for detailed vertical distributions of the concentrations of these metals both in the porewaters and in important mineral phases. Since sediment sampling will be done at LTER sites, the sediment data can be correlated with the rich productivity data set from the LTER. In detail, the project: a) will determine the rates of oxygen consumption, organic carbon oxidation, nutrient release, and iron mobilization by shelf sediments west of the Antarctic Peninsula; b) will investigate the vertical distribution of diagenetic reactions within the sediments; and c) will assess the regional importance of these sediment rates. Sediment cores will be used to determine sediment-water fluxes of dissolved oxygen, total carbon dioxide, nutrients, and the vertical distributions of these dissolved compounds, as well as iron and manganese in the pore waters. Bulk sediment properties of porosity, organic carbon and nitrogen content, carbonate content, biogenic silica content, and multiple species of solid-phase iron, manganese, and sulfur species will also be determined. These measurements will allow determination of total organic carbon oxidation and denitrification rates, and the proportion of aerobic versus anaerobic respiration at each site. Sediment diagenetic modeling will link the processes of organic matter oxidation to metal mobilization. Pore water and solid phase iron and manganese distributions will be used to model iron diagenesis in these sediments and to estimate the iron flux from the sediments to the overlying waters. Finally, the overall regional average and distribution of the sediment processes will be compared with the distributions of seasonally averaged chlorophyll biomass and productivity.
Hydrogen (H2) is one of the most abundant trace gases in the atmosphere, with a mean level of 500 ppb and an atmospheric lifetime of about two years. Hydrogen has an impact on both air quality and climate, due to its role as a precursor for tropospheric ozone and stratospheric water vapor. Projections indicate that a future "hydrogen economy" would increase hydrogen emissions. Understanding of the atmospheric hydrogen budget is largely based on a 30-year record of surface air measurements, but there are no long-term records with which to assess either: 1) the influence of climate change on atmospheric hydrogen, or 2) the extent to which humans have impacted the hydrogen budget. Polar ice core records of hydrogen will advance our understanding of the atmospheric hydrogen cycle and provide a stronger basis for projecting future changes to atmospheric levels of hydrogen and their impacts. The research will involve laboratory work to enable the collection and analysis of hydrogen in polar ice cores. Hydrogen is a highly diffusive molecule and, unlike most other atmospheric gases, diffusion of hydrogen in ice is so rapid that ice samples must be stored in impermeable containers immediately upon drilling and recovery. This project will: 1) construct a laboratory system for extracting and analyzing hydrogen in polar ice, 2) develop and test materials and construction designs for vessels to store ice core samples in the field, and 3) test the method on samples of opportunity previously stored in the field. The goal of this project is a proven, cost-effective design for storage flasks to be fabricated for use on future polar ice coring projects. This project will support the dissertation research of a graduate student in the UC Irvine Department of Earth System Science. 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.
Predictions of future sea level rise require better understanding of the changing dynamics of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. One way to better understand the past history of the ice sheets is to obtain records from inland ice for past geological periods, particularly in Antarctica, the world?s largest remaining ice sheet. Such records are exceedingly rare, and can be acquired at volcanic outcrops in the La Gorce Mountains of the central Transantarctic Mountains. Volcanoes now exposed within the La Gorce Mountains erupted beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet and the data collected will record how thick the ice sheet was in the past. In addition, information will be used to determine the thermal conditions at the base of the ice sheet, which impacts ice sheet stability. The project will also investigate the origin of volcanic activity in Antarctica and links to the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS). The WARS is a broad area of extended (i.e. stretched) continental crust, similar to that found in East Africa, and volcanism is wide spread and long-lived (65 million years to currently active) and despite more than 50 years of research, the fundamental cause of volcanism and rifting in Antarctica is still vigorously debated. The results of this award therefore also potentially impact the study of oceanic volcanism in the entire southwestern Pacific region (e.g., New Zealand and Australia), where volcanic fields of similar composition and age have been linked by common magma sources and processes. The field program includes a graduate student who will work on the collection, analysis, and interpretation of petrological data as part of his/her Masters project. The experience and specialized analytical training being offered will improve the quality of the student?s research and optimize their opportunities for their future. The proposed work fosters faculty and student national and international collaboration, including working with multi-user facilities that provide advanced technological mentoring of science students. Results will be broadly disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, public presentations at science meetings, and in outreach activities. Petrologic and geochemical data will be disseminated to be the community through the Polar Rock Repository. The study of subglacially erupted volcanic rocks has been developed to the extent that it is now the most powerful proxy methodology for establishing precise ?snapshots? of ice sheets, including multiple critical ice parameters. Such data should include measurements of ice thickness, surface elevation and stability, which will be used to verify, or reject, published semi-empirical models relating ice dynamics to sea level changes. In addition to establishing whether East Antarctic ice was present during the formation of the volcanoes, data will be used to derive the coeval ice thicknesses, surface elevations and basal thermal regime(s) in concert with a precise new geochronology using the 40Ar/39Ar dating method. Inferences from measurement of standard geochemical characteristics (major, trace elements and Sr, Nd, Pb, O isotopes) will be used to investigate a possible relationship between the volcanoes and the recently discovered subglacial ridge under the East Antarctic ice, which may be a rift flank uplift. The ridge has never been sampled, is undated and its significance is uncertain. The data will provide important new information about the deep Earth and geodynamic processes beneath this mostly ice covered and poorly understood sector of the Antarctic continent.
Brook/1643722 This award supports a project to measure the concentration of the gas methane in air trapped in an ice core collected from the South Pole. The data will provide an age scale (age as a function of depth) by matching the South Pole methane changes with similar data from other ice cores for which the age vs. depth relationship is well known. The ages provided will allow all other gas measurements made on the South Pole core (by the PI and other NSF supported investigators) to be interpreted accurately as a function of time. This is critical because a major goal of the South Pole coring project is to understand the history of rare gases in the atmosphere like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ethane, propane, methyl chloride, and methyl bromide. Relatively little is known about what controls these gases in the atmosphere despite their importance to atmospheric chemistry and climate. Undergraduate assistants will work on the project and be introduced to independent research through their work. The PI will continue visits to local middle schools to introduce students to polar science, and other outreach activities (e.g. laboratory tours, talks to local civic or professional organizations) as part of the project. Methane concentrations from a major portion (2 depth intervals, excluding the brittle ice-zone which is being measured at Penn State University) of the new South Pole ice core will be used to create a gas chronology by matching the new South Pole ice core record with that from the well-dated WAIS Divide ice core record. In combination with measurements made at Penn State, this will provide gas dating for the entire 50,000-year record. Correlation will be made using a simple but powerful mid-point method that has been previously demonstrated, and other methods of matching records will be explored. The intellectual merit of this work is that the gas chronology will be a fundamental component of this ice core project, and will be used by the PI and other investigators for dating records of atmospheric composition, and determining the gas age-ice age difference independently of glaciological models, which will constrain processes that affected firn densification in the past. The methane data will also provide direct stratigraphic markers of important perturbations to global biogeochemical cycles (e.g., rapid methane variations synchronous with abrupt warming and cooling in the Northern Hemisphere) that will tie other ice core gas records directly to those perturbations. A record of the total air content will also be produced as a by-product of the methane measurements and will contribute to understanding of this parameter. The broader impacts include that the work will provide a fundamental data set for the South Pole ice core project and the age scale (or variants of it) will be used by all other investigators working on gas records from the core. The project will employ an undergraduate assistant(s) in both years who will conduct an undergraduate research project which will be part of the student's senior thesis or other research paper. The project will also offer at least one research position for the Oregon State University Summer REU site program. Visits to local middle schools, and other outreach activities (e.g. laboratory tours, talks to local civic or professional organizations) will also be part of the project.
Abstract (non-technical) Sea level rise is a problem of global importance and it is increasingly affecting the tens of millions of Americans living along coastlines. The melting of glaciers in mountain areas worldwide in response to global warming is a major cause of sea level rise and increases in nuisance coastal flooding. However, the world's largest land-based ice sheets are situated in the Polar Regions and their response under continued warming is very difficult to predict. One reason for this uncertainty is a lack of observations of ice behavior and melt under conditions of warming, as it is a relatively new global climate state lasting only a few generations so far. Researchers will investigate ice growth on Antarctica under past warm conditions using geological archives embedded in the layers of sand and mud under the sea floor near Antarctica. By peeling back at the layers beneath the seafloor investigators can read the history book of past events affecting the ice sheet. The Antarctic continent on the South Pole, carries the largest ice mass in the world. The investigator's findings will substantially improve scientists understanding of the response of ice sheets to global warming and its effect on sea level rise. Abstract (technical) The melt of land based ice is raising global sea levels with at present only minor contributions from polar ice sheets. However, the future role of polar ice sheets in climate change is one of the most critical uncertainties in predictions of sea level rise around the globe. The respective roles of oceanic and atmospheric greenhouse forcing on ice sheets are poorly addressed with recent measurements of polar climatology, because of the extreme rise in greenhouse forcing the earth is experiencing at this time. Data on the evolution of the West Antarctic ice sheet is particularly sparse. To address the data gap, researchers will reconstruct the timing and spatial distribution of Antarctic ice growth through the last greenhouse to icehouse climate transition around 37 to 33 Ma. They will collect sedimentological and geochemical data on core samples from a high-latitude paleoarchive to trace the shutdown of the chemical weathering system, the onset of glacial erosion, ice rafting, and sea ice development, as East and West Antarctic ice sheets coalesced in the Weddell Sea sector. Their findings will lead to profound increases in the understanding of the role of greenhouse forcing in ice sheet development and its effect on the global climate system. 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.
Ice cores contain detailed accounts of Earth's climate history. The collection of an ice core can be logistically challenging, and extraction of data from the core can be time-consuming as well as susceptible to both human and machine error. Furthermore, locked in measurements from ice cores is information that scientists have not yet found ways to recover. This project will apply techniques from information theory to ice-core data to unlock that information. The primary goal is to demonstrate that information theory can (a) identify regions of a specific ice-core record that are in need of further analysis and (b) provide some specific guidance for that analysis. A secondary goal is to demonstrate that information theory has practical and scientific utility for studies of past climate. This project aims to use information theory in two distinct ways: first, to identify regions of a core where information appears to be damaged or missing, perhaps due to human and/or machine error. In the segment of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide core that is 5000-8000 years old, for instance, information-theoretic methods reveal significant levels of noise, probably due to a laboratory instrument, and something that was not visible in the raw data. This is a particularly important segment of the record, as it contains valuable clues about climatic shifts and the onset of the Holocene. Targeted re-sampling of this segment of the core and reanalysis with newer laboratory apparatus could resolve the data issues. The second way in which information theory can potentially aid in ice-core analysis is by extracting climate signals from the data--such as the accumulation rate at the core site over the period of its formation. This quantity usually requires significant time and effort to produce, but information theory could help to streamline that process. 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 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.
1142167/Pettit This award supports a project to develop a better understanding of the relation between ice microstructure, impurities, and ice flow and their connection to climate history for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) ice core site. This work builds on several ongoing studies at Siple Dome in West Antarctica and Dome C in East Antarctica. It is well known that the microstructure of ice evolves with depth and time in an ice sheet. This evolution of microstructure depends on the ice flow field, temperature, and impurity content. The ice flow field, in turn, depends on microstructure, leading to feedbacks that create layered variation in microstructure that relates to climate and flow history. The research proposed here focuses on developing a better understanding of: 1) how ice microstructure evolves with time and stress in an ice sheet and how that relates to impurity content, temperature, and strain rate; 2) how variations in ice microstructure and impurity content affect ice flow patterns near ice divides (on both small (1cm to 1m) and large (1m to 100km) scales); and 3) in what ways is the spatial variability of ice microstructure and its effect on ice flow important for interpretation of climate history in the WAIS Divide ice core. The study will integrate existing ice core and borehole data with a detailed study of ice microstructure using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) techniques and measurements of borehole deformation through time using Acoustic Televiewers. This will be the first study to combine these two novel techniques for studying the relation between microstructure and deformation and it will build on other data being collected as part of other WAIS Divide borehole logging projects (e.g. sonic velocity, optical dust logging, temperature and other measurements on the ice core including fabric measurements from thin section analyses as well as studies of ice chemistry and stable isotopes. The intellectual merit of the work is that it will improve interpretation of ice core data (especially information on past accumulation) and overall understanding of ice flow. The broader impacts are that the work will ultimately contribute to a better interpretation of ice core records for both paleoclimate studies and for ice flow history, both of which connect to the broader questions of the role of ice in the climate system. The work will also advance the careers of two early-career female scientists, including one with a hearing impairment disability. This project will support a PhD student at the UAF and provide research and field experience for two or three undergraduates at Dartmouth. The PIs plan to include a teacher on their field team and collaborate with UAF's "From STEM to STEAM" toward enhancing the connection between art and science.
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.
Bell and Buck: OPP 9615704 Blankenship: OPP 9615832 Abstract Continental extension produces a great variety of structures from the linear narrow rifts of the East African Rift to the diffuse extension of the Basin and Range Province of the Western U.S. Rift shoulder uplift varies dramatically between rift flanks. The cause of variable rift width and crustal thinning is fairly well explained by variable initial heat flow and crustal thickness. Mechanical stretching of the lithosphere has been linked to rift shoulder uplift but the cause of variable rift flank uplift remains poorly understood. The Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) are an extreme example of rift flank uplift, extending over 3500 km across Antarctica and reaching elevations up to 4500 m and thus constitute a unique feature of EarthOs crust. The range was formed in the extensional environment associated with the Mesozoic and Cenozoic breakup of Gondwanaland. Geological and geophysical work has shown that the TAM developed along the long-lived lithospheric boundary between East and West Antarctica reactivated by a complex history of extensional and translational microplate motions. The TAM are not uniform along strike. Along the OWilkes FrontO, the northern segment of the rift extends from North Victoria Land to Byrd Glacier. The Wilkes Front architecture consists of (1) thin, extended crust forming the Victoria Land Basin in the Ross Sea, (2) the TAM rift shoulder, and (3) a long-wavelength down- ward forming the Wilkes Basin. Contrasting structures are mapped along the OPensacola/PoleO Front, the southern segment of the rift extending from the Nimrod Glacier to the Pensacola Mountains. Along this southern section no rift basin has been mapped to date and the down-ward along the East Antarctic, or ObacksideO, edge of the mountains is less pronounced. A flexural model linking the extension in the Ross Sea to the formation of both the mountains and the Wilkes Basin has been considered as a me chanism for uplift of the entire mountain range. The variability in fundamental architecture along the TAM indicates that neither a single event nor a sequence of identical events produced the rift flank uplift. The observation of variable architecture suggests complex mechanisms and possibly a fundamental limitation in maximum sustainable rift flank elevation. The motivation for studying the TAM is to try to understand the geodynamics of this extreme elevation rift flank. Are the geodynamics of the area unique, or does the history of glaciation and related erosion contribute to the extreme uplift? With the existing data sets it is difficult to confidently constrain the geological architecture across representative sections of the TAM. Any effort to refine geodynamic mechanisms requires this basic understanding of the TAM architecture. The goal of this project is to (1) constrain the architecture of the rift system as well as the distribution and structure of sedimentary basins, glacial erosion and mafic igneous rocks surrounding the rift flank by acquiring three long wavelength geophysical transects with integrated gravity, magnetics, ice- penetrating radar, and ice surface measurements, (2) quantify the contribution of various geodynamic mechanisms to understand the geological conditions which can lead to extreme rift flank uplift, and (3) use the improved understanding of architecture and geophysical data to test geodynamic models in order to improve our understanding both of the TAM geodynamics and the general problem of the geodynamics of rift flank uplift worldwide. This project will allow development of a generalized framework for understanding the development of rift flank uplift as well as address the question of the specific geodynamic evolution of the TAM.
In the past, Earth's climate underwent dramatic changes that influenced physical, chemical, geological, and biological processes on a global scale. Such changes left an imprint in Earth's atmosphere, as shown by the variability in abundances of trace gases like carbon dioxide and methane. In return, changes in the atmospheric trace gas composition affected Earth's climate. Studying compositional variations of the past atmosphere helps us understand the history of interactions between global biogeochemical cycles and Earth?s climate. The most reliable information on past atmospheric composition comes from analysis of air entrapped in polar ice cores. This project aims to generate ice-core records of relatively short-lived, very-low-abundance trace gases to determine the range of past variability in their atmospheric levels and investigate the changes in global biogeochemical cycles that caused this variability. This project measures three such gases: carbonyl sulfide, methyl chloride, and methyl bromide. Changes in carbonyl sulfide can indicate changes in primary productivity and photosynthetic update of carbon dioxide. Changes in methyl chloride and methyl bromide significantly impact natural variability in stratospheric ozone. In addition, the processes that control atmospheric levels of methyl chloride and methyl bromide are shared with those controlling levels of atmospheric methane. The measurements will be made in the new ice core from the South Pole, which is expected to provide a 40,000-year record. The primary focus of this project is to develop high-quality trace gas records for the entire Holocene period (the past 11,000 years), with additional, more exploratory measurements from the last glacial period including the period from 29,000-36,000 years ago when there were large changes in atmospheric methane. Due to the cold temperatures of the South Pole ice, the proposed carbonyl sulfide measurements are expected to provide a direct measure of the past atmospheric variability of this gas without the large hydrolysis corrections that are necessary for interpretation of measurements from ice cores in warmer settings. Furthermore, we will test the expectation that contemporaneous measurements from the last glacial period in the deep West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core will not require hydrolysis loss corrections. With respect to methyl chloride, we aim to verify and improve the existing Holocene atmospheric history from the Taylor Dome ice core in Antarctica. The higher resolution of our measurements compared with those from Taylor Dome will allow us to derive a more statistically significant relationship between methyl chloride and methane. With respect to methyl bromide, we plan to extend the existing 2,000-year database to 11,000 years. Together, the methyl bromide and methyl chloride records will provide strong measurement-based constraints on the natural variability of stratospheric halogens during the Holocene period. In addition, the methyl bromide record will provide insight into the correlation between methyl chloride and methane during the Holocene period due to common sources and sinks.
Melting of snow and ice at the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet can lead to the formation of meltwater lakes, an important precursor to ice-shelf collapse and accelerated ice-sheet mass loss. Understanding the present state of Antarctic surface melt provides a baseline to gauge how quickly melt impacts could evolve in the future and to reduce uncertainties in estimates of future sea-level rise. This project will use a suite of complimentary measurements from Earth-observing satellites, ground observations, and numerical climate and ice-shelf models to enhance understanding of surface melt and lakes, as well as the processes linking these systems. The project directly supports the scientific training of a postdoctoral associate and several undergraduate researchers. In addition, it will promote public scientific literacy and the broadening of quantitative skills for high-school students through the development and implementation of an educational unit in a partnership with an education and outreach expert and two high school teachers. Accurate prediction of sea-level contributions from Antarctica critically requires understanding current melting and supraglacial lake conditions. This project will quantify Antarctic surface melt and supraglacial lakes, and the linkages between the two phenomena. Scatterometer data will enable generation of a 19-year multi-sensor melt time series. Synthetic aperture radar data will document melt conditions across all Antarctic ice shelves at the highest spatial resolution to date (40 m). Multispectral satellite imagery will be used to delineate and measure the depth of supraglacial lakes--for the first time studying the spatial and temporal variations of Antarctic supraglacial lakes. Melt and lake observations will be compared to identify agreement and disagreement. Melt observations will be used to evaluate biases in a widely used, reanalysis-driven, regional climate model. This model will then be used to examine climatic and glaciological variables associated with supraglacial lakes. Finally, in situ observations and climate model output will drive a numerical model that simulates the entire lifecycle of surface melt and possible subsequent lake formation.
The Ross Sea is the one of the most productive regions in Antarctica and supports large populations of several key species in the Ross Sea food web, including copepods, crystal krill (Euphausia crystallorophias), and Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum). Copepods and crystal krill dominate the diets of Antarctic silverfish, the dominant fish species in the high Antarctic zone, and silverfish are a major link between lower (copepods, krill) and higher (fishes, marine mammals, flighted birds, Adélie and Emperor penguins) trophic levels. Despite the significance of these key species, there is limited understanding of copepod, krill, and silverfish mesoscale distribution, spatial structure of age/maturity classes, and their interactions with physical drivers within the Ross Sea. Autonomous underwater profiling gliders are a developing technology that offers the potential for providing high spatial, temporal, and depth resolution data on regional scales. The project will test the capability of a multi-frequency echo sounder integrated into a Slocum Webb glider with the aim of providing the first glider-based acoustic assessment of simultaneous distributions of three trophic levels in the Ross Sea. Complementary glider sensors measuring physical, chemical, and biological parameters will provide mesoscale and sub-mesoscale hydrographic information from which phytoplankton-zooplankton-fish interactions and the relationships between these organisms and physics drivers (sea ice, circulation features) will be investigated. The approach proposed here, glider acoustics, is relatively new and has the potential to be transformational for investigating food webs and the Ross Sea ecosystem. Researchers will modify and integrate an Acoustic Zooplankton and Fish Profiler (AZFP) multi-frequency echo sounder into a Slocum Webb G2 glider with the capability to differentiate between krill and other types of zooplankton, including copepods, and different sizes of krill and silverfish. The AZFP will be complemented with the existing glider sensors including a CTD, a WET Labs BB2FL ECO puck configured for simultaneous chlorophyll fluorescence (phytoplankton biomass) and optical backscatter measurements, and an Aanderaa Optode for measuring dissolved oxygen. The new sensor suite will be tested during a four-week glider deployment, where it will conduct acoustic surveys to map distribution and abundance of multiple zooplankton taxa and silverfish during the austral summer along the Terra Nova Bay polynya ice shelf and in adjacent continental shelf waters. The relationships between phytoplankton-zooplankton-fish distributions and the physical drivers of zooplankton and silverfish species and size distributions will be investigated. Coordinated ship-based acoustic sampling and net tows/trawls will be conducted multiple times during the glider deployment to validate glider acoustic-based species, size, and abundance measurements. Open accessible, automated data produced during this project will be made available through RUCOOL (Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership) and THREDDS (Thematic Real-time Environmental Data Distribution System). The production of consistent, vertically-resolved, high resolution glider-based acoustic measurements will define a successful outcome of this project that should help in identifying the challenges in their use as a potentially cost-effective, automated examination of food webs in the Antarctic.
Collaborative Proposal: A field and laboratory examination of the diatom N and Si isotope proxies: Implications for assessing the Southern Ocean biological pump The rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and associated climate changes make understanding the role of the ocean in large scale carbon cycle a priority. Geologic samples allow exploration of potential mechanisms for carbon dioxide drawdown during glacial periods through the use of geochemical proxies. Nitrogen and silicon isotope signatures from fossil diatoms (microscopic plants) are used to investigate changes in the physical supply and biological demand for nutrients (like nitrogen and silicon and carbon) in the Southern Ocean. The project will evaluate the use the nitrogen and silicon isotope proxies through a series of laboratory experiments and Southern Ocean field sampling. The results will provide quantification of real relationships between nitrogen and silicon isotopes and nutrient usage in the Southern Ocean and allow exploration of the role of other factors, including biological diversity, ice cover, and mixing, in altering the chemical signatures recorded by diatoms. Seafloor sediment samples will be used to evaluate how well the signal created in the water column is recorded by fossil diatoms buried in the seafloor. Improving the nutrient isotope proxies will allow for a more quantitative understanding of the role of polar biology in regulating natural variation in atmospheric carbon dioxide. The project will also result in the training of a graduate student and development of outreach materials targeting a broad popular audience. This project seeks to test the fidelity of the diatom nitrogen and silicon isotope proxies, two commonly used paleoceanographic tools for investigating the role of the Southern Ocean biological pump in regulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations on glacial-interglacial timescales. Existing ground-truthing data, including culture experiments, surface sediment data and downcore reconstructions, all suggest that nutrient utilization is the primary driver of isotopic variation in the Southern Ocean. However, strong contribution of interspecific variation is implied by recent culture results. Moreover, field and laboratory studies present some contradictory results in terms of the relative importance of interspecific variation and of inferred post-depositional alteration of the nutrient isotope signals. Here, a first order test of the N and Si diatom nutrient isotope paleo-proxies, involving water column dissolved and particulate sampling and laboratory culturing of field-isolates, is proposed. Southern Ocean water, biomass, live diatoms and fossil diatom sampling will be conducted to investigate species and assemblage related variability in diatom nitrogen and silicon isotopes and their relationship to surface nutrient fields and early diagenesis. Access to fresh materials produced in an analogous environmental context to the sediments of primary interest is critical for making robust paleoceanographic reconstructions. Field sampling will occur along 175°W, transecting the Antarctic Circumpolar Current from the subtropics to the marginal ice edge. Collection of water, sinking/suspended particles and multi-core samples from 13 stations and 3 shipboard incubation experiments will be used to test four proposed hypotheses that together evaluate the significance of existing culture results and seek to allow the best use of diatom nutrient isotope proxies in evaluating the biological pump.
The ocean surrounding Antarctica is home to an extraordinary assemblage of fishes, dominated by a single group that are extremely well-suited to life in icy waters and which are of significant ecological importance there. Of great concern is the capacity of these fishes to withstand increases in temperature as the region of the Western Antarctic Peninsula warms at a rate faster than any other area in the Southern hemisphere. One particular group of Antarctic fishes, known as the icefishes, are particularly vulnerable to increases in temperature because unlike all other vertebrates on earth, icefishes are white-blooded due to their lack of the oxygen-binding protein hemoglobin. This greatly reduces their capacity to transport and deliver oxygen to tissues compared to red-blooded Antarctic fishes. Previous studies have shown that icefishes are indeed less tolerant to elevations in temperature but the underlying factors are completely unknown. Additionally, it is not understood if red- or white-blooded Antarctic fishes can adjust, or acclimate, to modest increases in temperature, similar to those changes in temperature the animals might experience as the earth warms. The investigators will determine if heart function and/or nervous system function limits thermal tolerance of Antarctic fishes, and will determine their capacity to acclimate to warmer temperatures. The project will further the NSF goal of training new generations of scientists by training graduate and undergraduate students. In addition, the project will collaborate with a high school biology teacher from a school which serves a largely minority student body. The students will learn about the marine environment, and will construct a camera to be used in the field to learn more about Antarctic fishes. Two students and the teacher will also attend a summer marine biology internship program. Antarctic fishes within the suborder Notothenioidei (called "notothenioids") are among the organisms on earth least able to deal with changes in temperature. The hemoglobinless icefish are even less able to withstand temperature changes than are red-blooded notothenioids. While this is well documented, the underlying physiological and biochemical mechanisms responsible are unknown. The investigators will test the hypotheses that cardiac work is significantly greater in icefishes compared to red-blooded species, and that as temperature increases, the greater cardiac work of icefishes, coupled with reduced blood oxygen-carrying capacity, results in cardiac failure at a lower temperature compared to red-blooded species. They also hypothesize that neuronal function limits thermal tolerance of red-blooded notothenioids. These hypotheses will be tested using a wide variety of experiments. For example, the investigators will measure heart rate concurrently with critical thermal maximum. They will also characterize metabolic and gene-expression responses to elevated temperature and determine if mitochondrial function contributes to thermal tolerance using a variety of techniques. To determine if neuronal function limits thermal tolerance they will quantify behavioral responses to warming of whole animals and to warming of only the brain area. They will also determine if acclimation to warmer temperatures impacts heart function and they will measure activities of a variety of enzymes from central metabolic pathways.
The research seeks to further quantify the input of atmospheric Fe into the sparsely sampled Southern Ocean (SO), specifically in the vicinity of the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) and adjacent continental shelf waters in the Drake Passage. This is typically a high nutrient low chlorophyll region where surface trace metal and primary productivity data are suggestive of Fe limitation. The WAP is characterized by high productivity in the austral summer, and at this time may be in the path of northern dust (aeolian Fe) input or subject to melt influx of elevated Fe accumulated from glacial and present-day sea ice sources. Primary scientific questions are: (1) to what extent does atmospheric Fe contribute to nutrient cycles and ecosystem dynamics in the SO? (2) How is warming climate occurring in the WAP affecting the aerosol composition of the maritime atmosphere. The primary productivity of the Southern Ocean is key to understanding oceanic uptake of anthropogenic greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
Nontechnical project description Globally, 500 million people live near and are threatened by active volcanoes. An important step in mitigating volcanic hazards is understanding the variables that influence the explosivity of eruptions. The rate at which a magma ascends from the reservoir within the Earth to the surface is one such variable. However, magma ascent rates are particularly difficult to determine because of the lack of reliable methods for investigating the process. This research applies a new approach to study magma storage depths and ascent rates at the Erebus volcanic province of Antarctica, one of Earth's largest alkaline volcanic centers. Small pockets of magma that become trapped within growing olivine crystals are called melt inclusions. The concentrations of water and carbon dioxide in these melt inclusions preserve information on the depth of magma reservoirs. Changes to the concentration and isotopic composition of water in the inclusions provide information on how long it took for the host magma to rise to the surface. In combination, these data from samples of olivine-rich volcanic deposits in the Erebus volcanic province will be used to determine the depths at which magmas are stored and their ascent rates. The project results will provide a framework for understanding volcanic hazards associated with alkaline volcanism worldwide. In addition, this project facilitates collaboration among three institutions, and provides an important educational opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher. Technical project description The depths at which magmas are stored, their pre-eruptive volatile contents, and the rates at which they ascend to the Earth's surface are important controls on the dynamics of volcanic eruptions. Basaltic magmas are likely to be vapor undersaturated as they begin their ascent from the mantle through the crust, but volatile solubility drops with decreasing pressure. Once vapor saturation is achieved and the magma begins to degas, its pre-eruptive volatile content is determined largely by the depth at which it resides within the crust. Magma stored in deeper reservoirs tend to experience less pre-eruptive degassing and to be richer in volatiles than magma shallower reservoirs. Eruptive style is influenced by the rate at which a magma ascends from the reservoir to the surface through its effect on the efficiency of vapor bubble nucleation, growth, and coalescence. The proposed work will advance our understanding of pre-eruptive storage conditions and syn-eruptive ascent rates through a combined field and analytical research program. Volatile measurements from olivine-hosted melt inclusions will be used to systematically investigate magma storage depths and ascent rates associated with alkaline volcanism in the Erebus volcanic province. A central goal of the project is to provide a spatial and temporal framework for interpreting results from studies of present-day volcanic processes at Mt Erebus volcano. The Erebus volcanic province of Antarctica is especially well suited to this type of investigation because: (1) there are many exposed mafic scoria cones, fissure vents, and hyaloclastites (exposed in sea cliffs) that produced rapidly quenched, olivine-rich tephra; (2) existing volatile data for Ross Island MIs show that magma storage was relatively deep compared to many mafic volcanic systems; (3) some of the eruptive centers ejected mantle xenoliths, allowing for comparison of ascent rates for xenolith-bearing and xenolith-free eruptions, and comparison of ascent rates for those bearing xenoliths with times estimated from settling velocities; and (4) the cold, dry conditions in Antarctica result in excellent tephra preservation compared to tropical and even many temperate localities. The project provides new tools for assessing volcanic hazards, facilitates collaboration involving researchers from three different institutions (WHOI, U Wyoming, and U Oregon), supports the researchers' involvement in teaching, advising, and outreach, and provides an educational opportunity for a promising young postdoctoral researcher. Understanding the interrelationships among magma volatile contents, reservoir depths, and ascent rates is vital for assessing volcanic hazards associated with alkaline volcanism across the globe.
Part I: Nontechnical One of the most interesting historical records that science can provide is contained in the ice of Antarctica. Layer by layer over hundreds of thousands of years, snow has precipitated on the ice sheet, become compacted, and turned into additional ice. Any dust or other impurities in the air or snow have been precipitated as well and thus each snowfall leaves a snapshot record of the atmosphere that existed at or near the time of deposition. A detailed chronology of volcanic eruptions can be obtained from the ice layers where ash and other volcanic products were deposited. Normally, the analysis of volcanic layers requires the physical extraction of a core from the ice sheet; however, chronologies from cores have discontinuities and are difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to obtain. Borehole logging is a measurement method where one lowers instrumentation into a drilled hole in the ice, whether or not core has been retrieved. To date, this technology has only been used to measure optical systems to identify volcanic ash and other impurity layers. In this program, a profiling technology will be developed that measures the conductivity of the ice. A radio-frequency emitter lowered into the borehole will create a return signal that changes depending on the local conductivity, which depends on the concentration of dissolved ions. For example, dissolved sulfates are a critical marker of volcanic activity that may not be coincident with deposited ash. Other dissolved ions, such as chloride, can be indicative of other processes. It is expected that this borehole profiling instrument will be able to help rapidly identify volcanic eruptions that had potentially global impact, distinguish between different dissolved ions via their frequency dependencies, and assist in establishing chronologies between different ice cores and boreholes. Part II: Technical Description Borehole logging of the polar ice sheets is one of the most important methods that earth scientists have to identify and date volcanic eruptions. However, current technology only indicates the presence and depth of ash from an eruption. In order to extract more detailed information, one must obtain an ice core, and laboriously measure each section in the laboratory using electrical conductivity or dielectric measurements to determine the presence or absence of dissolved sulfate and its location relative to the corresponding ash, if any. This program will investigate and demonstrate a borehole logging-compatible radio-frequency dielectric sensor to detect and measure spikes in dissolved major ions chemistry in ice, particularly in intervals corresponding to volcanically produced sulfates. The sulfate layers are one of the primary signatures of volcanic products. However, other ions, such as chlorides, calcium, and others are also commonly seen in ice, and the dielectric logging technology of this program would also measure these. It is expected that certain sets of ions will be distinguishable by their frequency dependencies. This technique could guide other investigators, who are using conventional core scanning and sampling methods, to regions of special interest in corresponding core. We plan to construct a ring-based electrode system and test this system on a variety of artificial ice boreholes and ice cores. This unit will not include a pressure vessel or other borehole logger packing. We will test different means of applying electrical signals including short pulses and periodic waves. We will further utilize differential measurements with low noise circuits and filters to achieve maximum sensitivity. We will correlate the signals extracted with known molarities of sulfates and other ions and measured ECM records. We will perform scaled-down experiments using real ice cores stored in Bay?s lab at UC Berkeley. This will permit testing of different designs in ice with natural impurities and polycrystalline structure. This small collection includes cores from a variety of locations in Antarctica and Greenland, and a variety of ages as old as a million years.
Current oceanographic interest in the interaction of relatively warm water of the Southern Ocean Circumpolar Deep Water ( CDW) as it moves southward to the frigid waters of the Antarctic continental shelves is based on the potential importance of heat transport from the global ocean to the base of continental ice shelves. This is needed to understand the longer term mass balance of the continent, the stability of the vast Antarctic ice sheets and the rate at which sea-level will rise in a warming world. Improved observational knowledge of the mechanisms of how warming CDW moves across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is needed. Understanding this dynamical transport, believed to take place by the eddy flux of time-varying mesoscale circulation features, will improve coupled ocean-atmospheric climate models. The development of the next generation of coupled ocean-ice- climate models help us understand future changes in atmospheric heat fluxes, glacial and sea-ice balance, and changes in the Antarctic ecosystems. A recurring obstacle to our understanding is the lack of data in this distant region. In this project, a number of subsurface profiling EM-APEX floats adapted to operate under sea ice will be launched on up to 4 cruises of opportunity to the Pacific sector during Austral summer. The floats will be launched south of the Polar Front and measure shear, turbulence, temperature, and salinity to 2000m depth for up to 2 year missions while following the CDW layer.
Subduction takes place at convergent plate boundaries and involves sinking of one tectonic plate underneath another. Although this process is a key aspect of plate tectonics that shapes the planet over geologic time, and is a primary cause of earthquakes, it is not known what causes subduction to cease, and what effect it has on the deepest portions of the crust and the upper part of the mantle. By studying the age and composition of igneous rocks emplaced at the very end of the subduction cycle, this project seeks to understand what causes subduction to cease, and how this changes the composition and structure of the crust and upper mantle. Because this process occurs deep within the earth, the project will focus on rocks in the root of an ancient subduction zone, now exposed in the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. In addition, Antarctica remains relatively poorly understood, and this project will contribute directly to increasing our understanding of the geologic history of this region. The project will focus on training graduate and undergraduate students - incorporating hands-on experience with an array of state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation. Students will also gain a range of more general skills including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), written and oral communication, and data management - strengths that are highly relevant to careers both in the academic and Geosciences industry. Each summer, high school students will be incorporated into aspects of the laboratory-based research through the UCSB research mentorship program. The PI and graduate students will engage the general public through a purpose-built iPhone App and multimedia website. Activities will include live phone and video conversations from the field between elementary school students and members of the team in Antarctica. The mechanisms by which the deep crustal delaminates or "founders" and is returned to the mantle remains a fundamental problem in earth science. Specifically, little is known about the temporal and spatial scales over which this process occurs or the mechanisms that trigger such catastrophic events. Igneous rocks highly enriched in potassium, called lamprophyres, are often emplaced during, and immediately after, termination of subduction and therefore potentially provide direct insight into foundering. These enigmatic rocks are important because they represent near-primary mantle melt compositions and therefore their age, geochemistry and petrologic evolution reveal key information on both the composition of the upper mantle and its thermal state. Of equal importance, they reveal how these key parameters vary through both space and time. By evaluating lamprophyres along a subduction zone margin it is possible to extract: 1) local-scale information, such as the timing and duration of melting and the role of igneous crystallization processes in generation of isotopic heterogeneities; 2) along-strike variations in mantle source composition, temperature, and depth of melting 3) the plate-scale forces that control foundering and termination of subduction. This project will study a suite of lamprophyres along the axis of the Transantarctic Mountains, emplaced during the latest stages of the Neoproterozoic - Ordovician Ross orogeny, Antarctica (roughly 505 to 470 million years before present). High-precision geochronology (age determinations) will be combined with geochemical measurements on the rocks and minerals to understand the mechanisms and timing of deep crustal foundering/delamination.
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.
This project will develop a record of the stable-isotope ratios of water from an ice core at the South Pole, Antarctica. Water-isotope ratio measurements provide a means to determine variability in temperature through time. South Pole is distinct from most other locations in Antarctica in showing no warming in recent decades, but little is known about temperature variability in this location prior to the installation of weather stations in 1957. The measurements made as part of this project will result in a much longer temperature record, extending at least 40,000 years, aiding our ability to understand what controls Antarctic climate, and improving projections of future Antarctic climate change. Data from this project will be critical to other investigators working on the South Pole ice core, and of general interest to other scientists and the public. Data will be provided rapidly to other investigators and made public as soon as possible. This project will obtain records of the stable-isotope ratios of water on the ice core currently being obtained at South Pole. The core will reach a depth of 1500 m and an age of 40,000 years. The project will use laser spectroscopy to obtain both an ultra-high-resolution record of oxygen 18/16 and deuterium-hydrogen ratios, and a lower-resolution record of oxygen 17/16 ratios. The high-resolution measurements will be used to aid in dating the core, and to provide estimates of isotope diffusion that constrain the process of firn densification. The novel 17/16 measurement provides additional constraints on the isotope fractionation due to the temperature-dependent supersaturation ratio, which affects the fractionation of water during the liquid-solid condensate transition. Together, these techniques will allow for improved accuracy in the use of the water isotope ratios as proxies for ice-sheet temperature, sea-surface temperature, and atmospheric circulation. The result will be a record of decadal through centennial and millennial scale climate change in a climatically distinct region in East Antarctica that has not been previously sampled by deep ice coring. The project will support a graduate student who will be co-advised by faculty at the University of Washington and the University of Colorado, and will be involved in all aspects of the work.
This project contributes to the joint initiative launched by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to substantially improve decadal and longer-term projections of ice loss and sea-level rise originating from Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. Satellite observations extending over the last 25 years show that Thwaites Glacier is rapidly thinning and accelerating. Over this same period, the Thwaites grounding line, the point at which the glacier transitions from sitting on the seabed to floating, has retreated. Oceanographic studies demonstrate that the main driver of these changes is incursion of warm water from the deep ocean that flows beneath the floating ice shelf and causes basal melting. The period of satellite observation is not long enough to determine how a large glacier, such as Thwaites, responds to long-term and near-term changes in the ocean or the atmosphere. As a result, records of glacier change from the pre-satellite era are required to build a holistic understanding of glacier behavior. Ocean-floor sediments deposited at the retreating grounding line and further offshore contain these longer-term records of changes in the glacier and the adjacent ocean. An additional large unknown is the topography of the seafloor and how it influences interactions of landward-flowing warm water with Thwaites Glacier and affects its stability. Consequently, this project focuses on the seafloor offshore from Thwaites Glacier and the records of past glacial and ocean change contained in the sediments deposited by the glacier and surrounding ocean. Uncertainty in model projections of the future of Thwaites Glacier will be significantly reduced by cross-disciplinary investigations seaward of the current grounding line, including extracting the record of decadal to millennial variations in warm water incursion, determining the pre-satellite era history of grounding-line migration, and constraining the bathymetric pathways that control flow of warm water to the grounding line. Sedimentary records and glacial landforms preserved on the seafloor will allow reconstruction of changes in drivers and the glacial response to them over a range of timescales, thus providing reference data that can be used to initiate and evaluate the reliability of models. Such data will further provide insights on the influence of poorly understood processes on marine ice sheet dynamics. This project will include an integrated suite of marine and sub-ice shelf research activities aimed at establishing boundary conditions seaward of the Thwaites Glacier grounding line, obtaining records of the external drivers of change, improving knowledge of processes leading to collapse of Thwaites Glacier, and determining the history of past change in grounding line migration and conditions at the glacier base. These objectives will be achieved through high-resolution geophysical surveys of the seafloor and analysis of sediments collected in cores from the inner shelf seaward of the Thwaites Glacier grounding line using ship-based equipment, and from beneath the ice shelf using a corer deployed through the ice shelf via hot water drill holes. 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.
Cryoconite holes are pockets of life completely encased in otherwise barren glacial ice. These pockets of life form when dust blown onto the ice melts a small, largely isolated hole that can function as its own tiny ecosystem. This dust can contain microorganisms such as bacteria, algae, or microscopic animals. The microorganisms within the hole interact and carry out functions typical of a larger ecosystem, such as a forest. Cryoconite holes are especially important in extreme cold environments such as the Antarctic Dry Valleys, where they function as repositories of life. Because cryoconite holes are mostly enclosed and persist for years, they can be tracked over time to test fundamental scientific questions about how communities of interacting organisms develop to become fully functioning ecosystems. This project will sample existing and experimentally created cryoconite holes to understand how these ecosystems develop and to what degree random processes (such as which organisms get there first) affect the final community composition and functioning. The results will not only improve our understanding of how microbial communities assemble and affect the functioning of microecosystems such as cryoconite holes, but also how the processes of community assembly affect functioning of larger ecosystems, such as forests. A better understanding of community establishment, development, and response to abiotic factors are essential to forecasting ecological responses to environmental change. It is essential to unravel the links between community assembly, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling across numerous ecosystems because these are critical factors determining ecological responses to environmental change. The unique, largely isolated nature of cryoconite holes provides an experimental system that will advance fundamental understanding of the processes (e.g., stochastic dynamics such as dispersal limitation, assembly order, and ecological drift) driving community assembly. This project will use a field sampling campaign and a number of manipulative experiments to test a hypothesis that unites theory in community and ecosystem ecology: the degree to which stochastic processes guide microbial community assembly and affects regional patterns in biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Cryoconite holes will be sampled to compare community composition, environmental factors, and ecosystem functioning between hydrologically connected and isolated holes. New cryoconite holes will also be constructed and monitored over the course of two growing seasons to specifically alter assembly order and community size, thereby pairing a unique manipulative experiment with field surveys to address questions with relevance to the Antarctic and beyond. Amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, microscopy, sensitive environmental chemistry methods, and photosynthesis and respiration measurements will be used to test a series of sub-hypotheses that relate stochasticity to patterns in regional biodiversity, heterogeneity in environmental factors, and ecosystem processes.
Bay/1443566 This award supports the deployment and analysis of data from an oriented laser dust logger in the South Pole ice core borehole to complement study of the ice core record. Before the core is even processed, data from the borehole probe will immediately determine the depth-age relationship, augment 3D mapping of South Pole stratigraphy, aid in searches for the oldest ice in Antarctica, and reveal layers of volcanic or extraterrestrial fallout. Regarding the intellectual merit, the oriented borehole log will be essential for investigating features in the ice sheet that may have implications for ice core chronology, ice flow, ice sheet physical properties and stability in response to climate change. The tools and techniques developed in this program have applications in glaciology, biogeoscience and exploration of other planetary bodies. The program aims for a deeper understanding of the consequences and causes of abrupt climate change. The broader impacts of the project are that it will include outreach and education, providing a broad training ground for students and post-docs. Data and metadata will be made available through data centers and repositories such as the National Snow and Ice Data Center web portal. The laser dust logger detects reproducible paleoclimate features at sub-centimeter depth scale. Dust logger data are being used for synchronizing records and dating any site on the continent, revealing accumulation anomalies and episodes of rapid ice sheet thinning, and discovering particulate horizons of special interest. In this project we will deploy a laser dust logger equipped with a magnetic compass to find direct evidence of preferentially oriented dust. Using optical scattering measurements from IceCube calibration studies at South Pole and borehole logs at WAIS Divide, we have detected a persistent anisotropy correlated with flow and crystal fabric which suggests that the majority of insoluble particulates must be located within ice grains. With typical concentrations of parts-per-billion, little is known about the location of impurities within the polycrystalline structure of polar ice. While soluble impurities are generally thought to concentrate at inter-grain boundaries and determine electrical conductivity, the fate of insoluble particulates is much less clear, and microscopic examinations are extremely challenging. These in situ borehole measurements will help to unravel intimate relationships between impurities, flow, and crystal fabric. Data from this project will further develop a unique record of South Pole surface roughness as a proxy for paleowind and provide new insights for understanding glacial radar propagation. This project has field work in Antarctica.
Earth's geologic record shows that the great ice sheets have contributed to rates of sea-level rise that have been much higher than those observed today. That said, some sectors of the current Antarctic ice sheet are losing mass at large and accelerating rates. One of the primary challenges for placing these recent and ongoing changes in the context of geologically historic rates, and for making projections decades to centuries into the future, is the difficulty of observing conditions and processes beneath the ice sheet. Whereas satellite observations allow tracking of the ice-surface velocity and elevation on the scale of glacier catchments to ice sheets, airborne ice-penetrating radar has been the only approach for assessing conditions on this scale beneath the ice. These radar observations have been made since the late 1960s, but, because many different instruments have been used, it is difficult to track change in subglacial conditions through time. This project will develop the technical tools and approaches required to cross-compare among these measurements and thus open up opportunities for tracking and understanding changes in the critical subglacial environment. Intertwined with the research and student training on this project will be an outreach education effort to provide middle school and high school students with improved resources and enhanced exposure to geophysical, glaciological, and remote-sensing topics through partnership with the National Science Olympiad. The radar sounding of ice sheets is a powerful tool for glaciological science with broad applicability across a wide range of cryosphere problems and processes. Radar sounding data have been collected with extensive spatial and temporal coverage across the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, including areas where multiple surveys provide observations that span decades in time or entire cross-catchment ice-sheet sectors. However, one major obstacle to realizing the scientific potential of existing radar sounding observations in Antarctica is the lack of analysis approaches specifically developed for cross-instrument interpretation. This project aims to directly address these barriers to full utilization of the collective Antarctic radar sounding record by developing a suite of processing and interpretation techniques to enable the synthesis of radar sounding data sets collected with systems that range from incoherent to coherent, single-channel to swath-imaging, and digital to optically-recorded radar sounders. The approaches will be assessed for two target regions: the Amundsen Sea Embayment and the Siple Coast. All pre- and post-processed sounding data produced by this project will be publically hosted for use by the wider research community. 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.
Stone/1341728 This award supports a project to determine if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) has thinned and collapsed in the past and if so, when did this occur. This topic is of interest to geologists who have long been studying the history and behavior of ice sheets (including the WAIS) in order to determine what climatic conditions allow an ice sheet to survive and what conditions have caused them to collapse in the past. The bulk of this research has focused on the last ice age, when climate conditions were far colder than the present; this project will focus on the response of ice sheets to warmer climates in the past. A new and potentially transformative approach that uses the analysis of atoms transformed by cosmic-rays in bedrock beneath the WAIS will allow a definitive test for ice free conditions in the past. This is because the cosmic rays capable of producing the necessary reactions can penetrate only a few meters through glacier ice. Therefore, if they are detected in samples from hundreds of meters below the current ice sheet surface this would provide definitive proof of mostly ice-free conditions in the past. The concentrations of different cosmic ray products in cores from different depths will help answer the question of how frequently bedrock has been exposed, how much the ice sheet has thinned, and which time periods in the past produced climatic conditions capable of making the ice sheet unstable. Short bedrock cores beneath the ice sheet near the Pirrit Hills in West Antarctica will be collected using a new agile sub-ice geological drill (capable of drilling up to 200 meters beneath the ice surface) that is being developed by the Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) to support this and other projects. Favorable drilling sites have already been identified based on prior reconnaissance mapping, sample analysis and radar surveys of the ice-sheet bed. The cores collected in this study will be analyzed for cosmic-ray-produced isotopes of different elements with a range of half-lives from 5700 yr (C-14) to 1.4 Myr (Be-10), as well as stable Ne-21. The presence or absence of these isotopes will provide a definitive test of whether bedrock surfaces were ice-free in the past and due to their different half-lives, ratios of the isotopes will place constraints on the age, frequency and duration of past exposure episodes. Results from bedrock surfaces at different depths will indicate the degree of past ice-sheet thinning. The aim is to tie evidence of deglaciation in the past to specific periods of warmer climate and thus to gauge the ice sheet's response to known climate conditions. This project addresses the broad question of ice-sheet sensitivity to climate warming, which previously has been largely determined indirectly from sea-level records. In contrast, this project will provide direct measurements that provide evidence of ice-sheet thinning in West Antarctica. Results from this work will help to identify the climatic factors and thresholds capable of endangering the WAIS in future. The project will make a significant contribution to the ongoing study of climate change, ice-sheet melting and associated sea-level rise. This project has field work in Antarctica.
The response of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to future climatic changes is recognized as the greatest uncertainty in projections of future sea level. An understanding of past ice fluctuations affords insight into ice-sheet response to climate and sea-level change and thus is critical for improving sea-level predictions. This project will examine deglaciation of the southern Ross Sea over the past few thousand years to document oscillations in Antarctic ice volume during a period of relatively stable climate and sea level. We will help quantify changes in ice volume, improve understanding of the ice dynamics responsible, and examine the implications for future sea-level change. The project will train future scientists through participation of graduate students, as well as undergraduates who will develop research projects in our laboratories. Previous research indicates rapid Ross Sea deglaciation as far south as Beardmore Glacier early in the Holocene epoch (which began approximately 11,700 years before present), followed by more gradual recession. However, deglaciation in the later half of the Holocene remains poorly constrained, with no chronological control on grounding-line migration between Beardmore and Scott Glaciers. Thus, we do not know if mid-Holocene recession drove the grounding line rapidly back to its present position at Scott Glacier, or if the ice sheet withdrew gradually in the absence of significant climate forcing or eustatic sea level change. The latter possibility raises concerns for future stability of the Ross Sea grounding line. To address this question, we will map and date glacial deposits on coastal mountains that constrain the thinning history of Liv and Amundsen Glaciers. By extending our chronology down to the level of floating ice at the mouths of these glaciers, we will date their thinning history from glacial maximum to present, as well as migration of the Ross Sea grounding line southwards along the Transantarctic Mountains. High-resolution dating will come from Beryllium-10 surface-exposure ages of erratics collected along elevation transects, as well as Carbon-14 dates of algae within shorelines from former ice-dammed ponds. Sites have been chosen specifically to allow close comparison of these two dating methods, which will afford constraints on Antarctic Beryllium-10 production rates.
This collaborative project explores the signatures and causes of natural climate change in the region surrounding Antarctica over the last 40,000 years as the Earth transitioned from an ice age into the modern warm period. The researchers will investigate how the wind belts that surround Antarctica changed in their strength and position through time, and document explosive volcanic eruptions and CO2 cycling in the Southern Ocean as potential climate forcing mechanisms over this interval. Understanding how and why the climate varied naturally in the past is critical for improving understanding of modern climate change and projections of future climate under higher levels of atmospheric CO2. The investigators plan to conduct a suite of chemical measurements along the 1500m length of the South Pole Ice Core, including major ion and trace element concentrations, and microparticle (dust) concentrations and size distributions. These measurements will (1) extend the South Pole record of explosive volcanic eruptions to 40,000 years using sulfate and particle data; (2) establish the relative timing of climate changes in dust source regions of Patagonia, New Zealand, and Australia using dust flux data; (3) investigate changes in the strength and position of the westerly wind belt using dust size distribution data; and (4) quantify the flux of bioavailable trace metals deposited as dust to the Southern Ocean over time. These chemistry records will also be critical for creating the timescale that will be used by all researchers studying records from the South Pole core. The project will support four graduate students and several undergraduate students across three different institutions, and become a focus of the investigators' efforts to disseminate outcomes of climate change science to the broader community.
The Antarctic marine ecosystem is highly productive and supports a diverse range of ecologically and commercially important species. A key species in this ecosystem is Antarctic krill, which in addition to being commercially harvested, is the principle prey of a wide range of marine organisms including penguins, seals and whales. The aim of this study is to use penguins and other krill predators as sensitive indicators of past changes in the Antarctic marine food web resulting from climate variability and the historic harvesting of seals and whales by humans. Specifically this study will recover and analyze modern (<20 year old), historic (20-200 year old) and ancient (200-10,000 year old) penguin and other krill predator tissues to track their past diets and population movements relative to shifts in climate and the availability of Antarctic krill. Understanding how krill predators were affected by these factors in the past will allow us to better understand how these predators, the krill they depend on, and the Antarctic marine ecosystem as a whole will respond to current challenges such as global climate change and an expanding commercial fishery for Antarctic krill. The project will further the NSF goals of training new generations of scientists and of making scientific discoveries available to the general public. This project will support the cross-institutional training of undergraduate and graduate students in advanced analytical techniques in the fields of ecology and biogeochemistry. In addition, this project includes educational outreach aimed encouraging participation in science careers by engaging K-12 students in scientific issues related to Antarctica, penguins, marine ecology, biogeochemistry, and global climate change. This research will help place recent ecological changes in the Southern Ocean into a larger historical context by examining decadal and millennial-scale shifts in the diets and population movements of Antarctic krill predators (penguins, seals, and squid) in concert with climate variability and commercial harvesting. This will be achieved by coupling advanced stable and radio isotope techniques, particularly compound-specific stable isotope analysis, with unprecedented access to modern, historical, and well-preserved paleo-archives of Antarctic predator tissues dating throughout the Holocene. This approach will allow the project to empirically test if observed shifts in Antarctic predator bulk tissue stable isotope values over the past millennia were caused by climate-driven shifts at the base of the food web in addition to, or rather than, shifts in predator diets due to a competitive release following the historic harvesting of krill eating whale and seals. In addition, this project will track the large-scale abandonment and reoccupation of penguin colonies around Antarctica in response to changes in climate and sea ice conditions over the past several millennia. These integrated field studies and laboratory analyses will provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms that influenced past shifts in the diets and population movements of charismatic krill predators such as penguins. This will allow for improved projections of the ecosystem consequences of future climate change and anthropogenic harvesting scenarios in the Antarctica that are likely to affect the availability of Antarctic krill.
Phytoplankton blooms in the coastal waters of the Ross Sea, Antarctica are typically dominated by either diatoms or Phaeocystis Antarctica (a flagellated algae that often can form large colonies in a gelatinous matrix). The project seeks to determine if an association of bacterial populations with Phaeocystis antarctica colonies can directly supply Phaeocystis with Vitamin B12, which can be an important co-limiting micronutrient in the Ross Sea. The supply of an essential vitamin coupled with the ability to grow at lower iron concentrations may put Phaeocystis at a competitive advantage over diatoms. Because Phaeocystis cells can fix more carbon than diatoms and Phaeocystis are not grazed as efficiently as diatoms, the project will help in refining understanding of carbon dynamics in the region as well as the basis of the food web webs. Such understanding also has the potential to help refine predictive ecological models for the region. The project will conduct public outreach activities and will contribute to undergraduate and graduate research. Engagement of underrepresented students will occur during summer student internships. A collaboration with Italian Antarctic researchers, who have been studying the Terra Nova Bay ecosystem since the 1980s, aims to enhance the project and promote international scientific collaborations. The study will test whether a mutualistic symbioses between attached bacteria and Phaeocystis provides colonial cells a mechanism for alleviating chronic Vitamin B12 co-limitation effects thereby conferring them with a competitive advantage over diatom communities. The use of drifters in a time series study will provide the opportunity to track in both space and time a developing algal bloom in Terra Nova Bay and to determine community structure and the physiological nutrient status of microbial populations. A combination of flow cytometry, proteomics, metatranscriptomics, radioisotopic and stable isotopic labeling experiments will determine carbon and nutrient uptake rates and the role of bacteria in mitigating potential vitamin B12 and iron limitation. Membrane inlet and proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry will also be used to estimate net community production and release of volatile organic carbon compounds that are climatically active. Understanding how environmental parameters can influence microbial community dynamics in Antarctic coastal waters will advance an understanding of how changes in ocean stratification and chemistry could impact the biogeochemistry and food web dynamics of Southern Ocean ecosystems.
During winter, sea-ice coverage along the Antarctic coast is punctuated by numerous polynyas--isolated openings of tens to hundreds of kilometer wide. These coastal polynyas are hotspots of sea ice production and the primary source regions of the bottom water in the global ocean. They also host high levels of biological activities and are the feeding grounds of Emperor penguins and marine mammals. The polynyas are a key component of the Antarctic coastal system and crucial for the survival of penguins and many other species. These features also differ dramatically from each other in timing of formation, duration, phytoplankton growth season, and overall biological productivity. Yet, the underlying reasons for differences among them are largely unknown. This project studies the fundamental biophysical processes at a variety of polynyas, examines the connection between the physical environment and the phytoplankton and penguin ecology, and investigates the mechanisms behind polynya variability. The results of this interdisciplinary study will provide a context for interpretation of field measurements in Antarctic coastal polynyas, set a baseline for future polynya studies, and examine how polynya ecosystems may respond to local and large-scale environmental changes. The project will include educational and outreach activities that convey scientific messages to a broad audience. It aims to increase public awareness of the interconnection between large-scale environmental change and Antarctic coastal systems. The main objectives of this study are to form a comprehensive understanding of the temporal and spatial variability of Antarctic coastal polynyas and the physical controls of polynya ecosystems. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach and seeks to establish a modeling system centered on the Regional Ocean Modeling System. This system links the ice and ocean conditions to the plankton ecology and penguin population. Applications of the modeling system in representative polynyas, in conjunction with analysis of existing observations, will determine the biophysical influences of individual forcing factors. In particular, this study will test a set of hypothesized effects of winds, offshore water intrusion, ice-shelf melting, sea-ice formation, glacier tongues, and ocean stratification on the timing of polynya phytoplankton bloom and the overall polynya biological productivity. The project will also examine how changing polynya state affects penguin breeding success, adult survival, and population growth. The team will conduct idealized sensitivity analysis to explore implications of forcing variability, including local and large-scale environmental change, on Antarctic coastal ecosystems.
Abstract During the Early Pliocene, 4.8 to 3.4 million years ago, warmer-than-present global temperatures resulted in a retreat of the Ross Ice Shelf and West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Understanding changes in ocean dynamics during times of reduced ice volume and increased temperatures in the geologic past will improve the predictive models for these conditions. The primary goal of the proposed research is to develop a new oxygen isotope record of Pliocene oceanographic conditions near the Antarctic continent. Oxygen isotope values from the carbonate tests of benthic foraminifera have become the global standard for paleo-oceanographic studies, but foraminifera are sparse in high-latitude sediment cores. This research will instead make use of oxygen isotope measurements from diatom silica preserved in a marine sediment core from the Ross Sea. The project is the first attempt at using this method and will advance understanding of global ocean dynamics and ice sheet-ocean interactions during the Pliocene. The project will foster the professional development of two early-career scientists and serve as training for graduate and undergraduate student researchers. The PIs will use this project to introduce High School students to polar/oceanographic research, as well as stable isotope geochemistry. Collaboration with teachers via NSTA and Polar Educators International will ensure the implementation of excellent STEM learning activities and curricula for younger students. Technical Description This project will produce a high-resolution oxygen isotope record from well-dated diatom rich sediments that have been cross-correlated with global benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope records. Diatom silica frustules deposited during the Early Pliocene and recovered by the ANDRILL Project (AND-1B) provide ideal material for this objective. Diatomite unites in the AND-1B core are nearly pure, with little evidence of opal formation. A diatom oxygen isotope record from this core offers the potential to constrain lingering uncertainties about Ross Sea and Southern Ocean paleoceanography and Antarctic Ice Sheet history during a time of high atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Specifically, oxygen isotope variations will be used to constrain changes in the water temperature and/or freshwater flux in the Pliocene Ross Sea. Diatom species data from the AND-1B core have been used to infer variations in the extent and duration of seasonal sea ice coverage, sea surface temperatures, and mid-water advection onto the continental shelf. However, the diatom oxygen isotope record will provide the first direct measure of water/oxygen isotope values at the Antarctic continental margin during the Pliocene.
The temperature of the earth is controlled, in part, by heat trapping gases that include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Despite their importance to climate, direct measurements of these gases in the atmosphere are limited to the last 50 years at best. Air trapped in ice cores extends those data back hundreds of millennia, and measurements of greenhouse gases in ice cores underpin much of our understanding of global chemical cycles relevant to modern climate change. Existing records vary in quality and detail. The proposed work fills gaps in our knowledge of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide over the last 10,000 years. New measurements from an ice core from the South Pole will be used to determine what role changes in ocean and land based processes played in controlling these gases, which decreased during the first 2,000 years of this time period, then gradually increased toward the present. The work will address a major controversy over whether early human activities could have impacted the atmosphere, and provide data to improve mathematical models of the land-ocean-atmosphere system that predict how future climate change will impact the composition of the atmosphere and climate. For nitrous oxide the work will improve on existing concentration records and provide a novel, detailed Holocene stable isotope record. It will also develop measurement of the isotopomers of nitrous oxide and explore their utility for understanding aspects of the Holocene nitrous oxide budget. The primary goal is to determine if marine and/or terrestrial emissions of nitrous oxide change in response to changes in Holocene climate. A new Holocene isotopic record for carbon dioxide (stable carbon and oxygen isotopes), will improve the precision of existing records by a factor 5 and increase the temporal resolution. These data will be used to evaluate controversial hypotheses about why carbon dioxide concentrations changed in the Holocene and provide insight into millennial scale processes in the carbon cycle, which are not resolved by current isotopic data. A graduate student will receive advanced training during and the student and principle investigator will conduct outreach efforts targeted at local middle school students. The proposed work will also contribute to teaching efforts by the PI and to public lectures on climate and climate change. The results will be disseminated through publications, data archive, and the OSU Ice Core Lab web site. New analytical methods of wide utility will also be developed and documented.
Rapid changes in the extent and thickness of sea ice during the austral spring subject microorganisms within or attached to the ice to large fluctuations in temperature, salinity, light and nutrients. This project aims to identify cellular responses in sea-ice algae to increasing temperature and decreasing salinity during the spring melt along the western Antarctic Peninsula and to determine how associated changes at the cellular level can potentially affect dynamic, biologically driven processes. Understanding how sea-ice algae cope with, and are adapted to, their environment will not only help predict how polar ecosystems may change as the extent and thickness of sea ice change, but will also provide a better understanding of the widespread success of photosynthetic life on Earth. The scientific context and resulting advances from the research will be communicated to the general public through outreach activities that includes work with Science Communication Fellows and the popular Polar Science Weekend at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington. The project will provide student training to college students as well as provide for educational experiences for K-12 school children. There is currently a poor understanding of feedback relationships that exist between the rapidly changing environment in the western Antarctic Peninsula region and sea-ice algal production. The large shifts in temperature and salinity that algae experience during the spring melt affect critical cellular processes, including rates of enzyme-catalyzed reactions involved in photosynthesis and respiration, and the production of stress-protective compounds. These changes in cellular processes are poorly constrained but can be large and may have impacts on local ecosystem productivity and biogeochemical cycles. In particular, this study will focus on the thermal sensitivity of enzymes and the cycling of compatible solutes and exopolymers used for halo- and cryo-protection, and how they influence primary production and the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nitrogen. Approaches will include field sampling during spring melt, incubation experiments of natural sea-ice communities under variable temperature and salinity conditions, and controlled manipulation of sea-ice algal species in laboratory culture. Employment of a range of techniques, from fast repetition rate fluorometry and gross and net photosynthetic measurements to metabolomics and enzyme kinetics, will tease apart the mechanistic effects of temperature and salinity on cell metabolism and primary production with the goal of quantifying how these changes will impact biogeochemical processes along the western Antarctic Peninsula. 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.
Microbial mats are found throughout the McMurdo Dry Valleys where summer snowmelt provides liquid water that allows these mats to flourish. Researchers have long studied the environmental conditions microbial mats need to grow. Despite these efforts, it has been difficult to develop a broad picture of these unique ecosystems. Recent advances in satellite technology now provide researchers an exciting new tool to study these special Antarctic ecosystems from space using the unique spectral signatures associated with microbial mats. This new technology not only offers the promise that microbial mats can be mapped and studied from space, this research will also help protect these delicate environments from potentially harmful human impacts that can occur when studying them from the ground. This project will use satellite imagery and spectroscopic techniques to identify and map microbial mat communities and relate their properties and distributions to both field and lab-based measurements. This research provides an exciting new tool to help document and understand the distribution of a major component of the Antarctic ecosystem in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The goal of this project is to establish quantitative relationships between spectral signatures derived from orbit and the physiological status and biogeochemical properties of microbial mat communities in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, as measured by field and laboratory analyses on collected samples. The goal wioll be met by (1) refining atmospheric correction techniques using in situ radiometric rectification to derive accurate surface spectra; (2) collecting multispectral orbital images concurrent with in situ sampling and spectral measurements in the field to ensure temporal comparability; (3) measuring sediment, water, and microbial mat samples for organic and inorganic carbon content, essential biogeochemical nutrients, and chlorophyll-a to determine relevant mat characteristics; and (4) quantitatively associating these laboratory-derived characteristics with field-derived and orbital spectral signatures and parameters. The result of this work will be a more robust quantitative link between the distribution of microbial mat communities and their biogeochemical properties to landscape-scale spectral signatures. 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.
Proteorhodopsins are proteins that are embedded in membranes that can act as light-driven proton pumps to generate energy for metabolism and growth. The discovery of proteorhodopsins in many diverse marine prokaryotic microbes has initiated extensive investigation into their distributions and functional roles. Recently, a proton-pumping, rhodopsin-like gene was identified in diatoms, a group of marine phytoplankton that dominates the base of the food web in much of the Southern Ocean. Since this time, proteorhodopsins have been identified in many, but not all, diatom species. The proteorhodopsin gene is more frequently found in diatoms residing in cold, iron-limited regions of the ocean, including the Southern Ocean, than in diatoms from other regions. It is thought that proteorhodopsin is especially suited for use energy production in the Southern Ocean since it uses no iron and its reaction rate is insensitive to temperature (unlike conventional photosynthesis). The overall objective of the project is to characterize Antarctic diatom-proteorhodopsin and determine its role in the adaptation of these diatoms to low iron concentrations and extremely low temperatures found in Antarctic waters. This research will provide new information on the genetic underpinnings that contribute to the success of diatoms in the Southern Ocean and how this unique molecule may play a pivotal role in providing energy to the base of the Antarctic food web. Broader impact activities are aimed to promote the teaching and learning of polar marine-sciences related topics by translating research objectives into readily accessible educational materials for middle-school students. This project will combine molecular, biochemical and physiological measurements to determine the role and importance of proteorhodopsin in diatom isolates from the Western Antarctic Peninsula region. Proton-pumping characteristics and pumping rates of proteorhodopsin as a function of light intensity and temperature, the resultant proteorhodopsin-linked intracellular ATP production rates, and the cellular localization of the protein will be determined. The project will examine the environmental conditions where Antarctic diatom-proteorhodopsin is most highly expressed and construct a cellular energy budget that includes diatom-proteorhodopsin when grown under these different environmental conditions. Estimates of the energy flux generated by proteorhodopsin will be compared to total energy generation by the photosynthetic light reactions and metabolically coupled respiration rates. Finally, the characteristics and gene expression of diatom-proteorhodopsin in Antarctic diatoms and a proteorhodopsin-containing diatom isolates from temperate regions will be compared in order to determine if there is a preferential dependence on energy production through proteorhodopsin in diatoms residing in cold, iron-limited regions of the ocean. Educational activities will be performed in collaboration with the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center who co-ordinates the SciVentures program, a popular summer camp for middle-school students from Chapel Hill and surrounding areas. In collaboration with the Planetarium, the researchers will develop activities that focus on phytoplankton and the important role they play within polar marine food webs for the SciVentures participants. Additionally, a teaching module on Antarctic phytoplankton will be developed for classrooms and made available to educational networking websites and presented at workshops for science educators nationwide. 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.
Proposal Title: Collaborative Research: Seasonal Sea Ice Production in the Ross Sea, Antarctica (working title changed from submitted title) Institutions: UT-San Antonio; Columbia University; Naval Postgraduate School; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; UC@Boulder The one place on Earth consistently showing increases in sea ice area, duration, and concentration is the Ross Sea in Antarctica. Satellite imagery shows about half of the Ross Sea increases are associated with changes in the austral fall, when the new sea ice is forming. The most pronounced changes are also located near polynyas, which are areas of open ocean surrounded by sea ice. To understand the processes driving the sea ice increase, and to determine if the increase in sea ice area is also accompanied by a change in ice thickness, this project will conduct an oceanographic cruise to the polynyas of the Ross Sea in April and May, 2017, which is the austral fall. The team will deploy state of the art research tools including unmanned airborne systems (UASs, commonly called drones), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs). Using these tools and others, the team will study atmospheric, oceanic, and sea ice properties and processes concurrently. A change in sea ice production will necessarily change the ocean water below, which may have significant consequences for global ocean circulation patterns, a topic of international importance. All the involved institutions will be training students, and all share the goal of expanding climate literacy in the US, emphasizing the role high latitudes play in the Earth's dynamic climate. The main goal of the project is to improve estimates of sea ice production and water mass transformation in the Ross Sea. The team will fully capture the spatial and temporal changes in air-ice-ocean interactions when they are initiated in the austral fall, and then track the changes into the winter and spring using ice buoys, and airborne mapping with the newly commissioned IcePod instrument system, which is deployed on the US Antarctic Program's LC-130 fleet. The oceanographic cruise will include stations in and outside of both the Terra Nova Bay and Ross Ice Shelf polynyas. Measurements to be made include air-sea boundary layer fluxes of heat, freshwater, and trace gases, radiation, and meteorology in the air; ice formation processes, ice thickness, snow depth, mass balance, and ice drift within the sea ice zone; and temperature, salinity, and momentum in the ocean below. Following collection of the field data, the team will improve both model parameterizations of air-sea-ice interactions and remote sensing algorithms. Model parameterizations are needed to determine if sea-ice production has increased in crucial areas, and if so, why (e.g., stronger winds or fresher oceans). The remote sensing validation will facilitate change detection over wider areas and verify model predictions over time. Accordingly this project will contribute to the international Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) goal of measuring essential climate variables continuously to monitor the state of the ocean and ice cover into the future.
The McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, are a mosaic of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in a cold desert. The McMurdo Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project has been observing these ecosystems since 1993 and this award will support key long-term measurements, manipulation experiments, synthesis, and modeling to test current theories on ecosystem structure and function. Data collection is focused on meteorology and physical and biological dimensions of soils, streams, lakes, glaciers, and permafrost. The long-term measurements show that biological communities have adapted to the seasonally cold, dark, and arid conditions that prevail for all but a short period in the austral summer. Physical (climate and geological) drivers impart a dynamic connectivity among portions of the Dry Valley landscape over seasonal to millennial time scales. For instance, lakes and soils have been connected through cycles of lake-level rise and fall over the past 20,000 years while streams connect glaciers to lakes over seasonal time scales. Overlaid upon this physical system are biotic communities that are structured by the environment and by the movement of individual organisms within and between the glaciers, streams, lakes, and soils. The new work to be conducted at the McMurdo LTER site will explore how the layers of connectivity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys influence ecosystem structure and function. This project will test the hypothesis that increased ecological connectivity following enhanced melt conditions within the McMurdo Dry Valleys ecosystem will amplify exchange of biota, energy, and matter, homogenizing ecosystem structure and functioning. This hypothesis will be tested with new and continuing experiments that examine: 1) how climate variation alters connectivity among landscape units, and 2) how biota are connected across a heterogeneous landscape using state-of-the-science tools and methods including automated sensor networks, analysis of seasonal satellite imagery, biogeochemical analyses, and next-generation sequencing. McMurdo LTER education programs and outreach activities will be continued, and expanded with new programs associated with the 200th anniversary of the first recorded sightings of Antarctica. These activities will advance societal understanding of how polar ecosystems respond to change. McMurdo LTER will continue its mission of training and mentoring students, postdocs, and early career scientists as the next generation of leaders in polar ecosystem science, and lead the development of international environmental stewardship protocols for human activities in the region.
Recent observations and model results suggest that collapse of the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica may already be underway. However, the timeline of collapse and the effects of ongoing climatic and oceanographic changes are key unanswered questions. Complete disintegration of the ice sheet would raise global sea level by more than 3 m, which would have significant societal impacts. Improved understanding of the controls on ice-sheet evolution is needed to make better predictions of ice-sheet behavior. Results from numerical models show that buttressing from surrounding ice shelves and/or from small-scale grounded ice rises should act to slow the retreat and discharge of ice from the interior ice sheet. However, there are very few field observations with which to develop and validate models. Field observations conducted in the early 1980s on Crary Ice Rise in the Ross Sea Embayment are a notable exception. This project will revisit Crary Ice Rise with new tools to make a suite of measurements designed to address questions about how the ice rise affects ice discharge from the Ross Sea sector of West Antarctica. The team will include a graduate and undergraduate student, and will participate in a range of outreach activities. New tools including radar, seismic, and GPS instruments will be used to conduct targeted geophysical measurements both on Crary Ice Rise and across its grounding line. The project will use these new measurements, together with available ancillary data to inform a numerical model of grounding line dynamics. The model and measurements will be used to address the (1) How has the ice rise evolved over timescales ranging from: the past few decades; the past millennia after freeze-on; and through the deglaciation? (2) What history of ice dynamics is preserved in the radar-detected internal stratigraphy? (3) What dynamical effect does the presence/absence of the ice rise have on discharge of the Ross Ice Streams today? (4) How is it contributing to the slow-down of the proximal Whillans and Mercer ice streams? (5) What dynamical response will the ice rise have under future environmental change?
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 project will study the dynamics of Circumpolar Deep Water intruding on the continental shelf of the West Antarctic coast, and the effect of this intrusion on the production of cold, dense bottom water, and melting at the base of floating glaciers and ice tongues. It will concentrate on the Amundsen Sea shelf, specifically in the region of the Pine Island Glacier, the Thwaites Glacier, and the Getz Ice Shelf. Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) is a relatively warm water mass (warmer than +1.0 deg Celsius) which is normally confined to the outer edge of the continental shelf by an oceanic front separating this water mass from colder and saltier shelf waters. In the Amundsen Sea however, the deeper parts of the continental shelf are filled with nearly undiluted CDW, which is mixed upward, delivering significant amounts of heat to the base of the floating glacier tongues and the ice shelf. The melt rate beneath the Pine Island Glacier averages ten meters of ice per year with local annual rates reaching twenty meters. By comparison, melt rates beneath the Ross Ice Shelf are typically twenty to forty centimeters of ice per year. In addition, both the Pine Island and the Thwaites Glacier are extremely fast-moving, and have a significant effect on the regional ice mass balance of West Antarctica. This project therefore has an important connection to antarctic glaciology, particularly in assessing the combined effect of global change on the antarctic environment. The particular objectives of the project are (1) to delineate the frontal structure on the continental shelf sufficiently to define quantitatively the major routes of CDW inflow, meltwater outflow, and the westward evolution of CDW influence; (2) to use the obtained data set to validate a three-dimensional model of sub-ice ocean circulation that is currently under construction, and (3) to refine the estiamtes of in situ melting on the mass balance of the antarctic ice sheet. The observational program will be carried out from the research vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer in February and March, 1999.
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.
Marine communities along the western Antarctic Peninsula are highly productive ecosystems which support a diverse assemblage of charismatic animals such as penguins, seals, and whales as well as commercial fisheries such as that on Antarctic krill. Fjords (long, narrow, deep inlets of the sea between high cliffs) along the central coast of the Peninsula appear to be intense, potentially climate sensitive, hotspots of biological production and biodiversity, yet the structure and dynamics of these fjord ecosystems are very poorly understood. Because of this intense biological activity and the charismatic fauna it supports, these fjords are also major destinations for a large Antarctic tourism industry. This project is an integrated field and modeling program to evaluate physical oceanographic processes, glacial inputs, water column community dynamics, and seafloor bottom community structure and function in these important yet little understood fjord systems. These Antarctic fjords have characteristics that are substantially different from well-studied Arctic fjords, likely yielding much different responses to climate warming. This project will provide major new insights into the dynamics and climate sensitivity of Antarctic fjord ecosystems, highlighting contrasts with Arctic sub-polar fjords, and potentially transforming our understanding of the ecological role of fjords in the rapidly warming west Antarctic coastal marine landscape. The project will also further the NSF goal of training new generations of scientists, providing scientific training for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students. This includes the unique educational opportunity for undergraduates to participate in research cruises in Antarctica and the development of a novel summer graduate course on fjord ecosystems. Internet based outreach activities will be enhanced and extended by the participation of a professional photographer who will produce magazine articles, websites, radio broadcasts, and other forms of public outreach on the fascinating Antarctic ecosystem. This project will involve a 15-month field program to test mechanistic hypotheses concerning oceanographic and glaciological forcing, and phytoplankton and benthic community response in the Antarctic fjords. Those efforts will be followed by a coupled physical/biological modeling effort to evaluate the drivers of biogeochemical cycles in the fjords and to explore their potential sensitivity to enhanced meltwater and sediment inputs. Fieldwork over two oceanographic cruises will utilize moorings, weather stations, and glacial, sea-ice and seafloor time-lapse cameras to obtain an integrated view of fjord ecosystem processes. The field team will also make multiple shipboard measurements and will use towed and autonomous underwater vehicles to intensively evaluate fjord ecosystem structure and function during spring/summer and autumn seasons. These integrated field and modeling studies are expected to elucidate fundamental properties of water column and sea bottom ecosystem structure and function in the fjords, and to identify key physical-chemical-glaciological forcing in these rapidly warming ecosystems.
Gases trapped in ice cores have revealed astonishing things about the greenhouse gas composition of the past atmosphere, including the fact that carbon dioxide concentrations never rose above 300 parts per million during the last 800,000 years. This places today's concentration of 400 parts per million in stark contrast. Furthermore, these gas records show that natural sources of greenhouse gas such as oceans and ecosystems act as amplifiers of climate change by increasing emissions of gases during warmer periods. Such amplification is expected to occur in the future, adding to the human-produced gas burden. The South Pole ice core will build upon these prior findings by expanding the suite of gases to include, for the first time, those potent trace gases that both trapped heat and depleted ozone during the past 40,000 years. The present project on inert gases and methane in the South Pole ice core will improve the dating of this crucial record, to unprecedented precision, so that the relative timing of events can be used to learn about the mechanism of trace gas production and destruction, and consequent climate change amplification. Ultimately, this information will inform predictions of future atmospheric chemical cleansing mechanisms and climate in the context of our rapidly changing atmosphere. This award also engages young people in the excitement of discovery and polar research, helping to entrain the next generations of scientists and educators. Education of graduate students, a young researcher (Buizert), and training of technicians, will add to the nation?s human resource base. This award funds the construction of the gas chronology for the South Pole 1500m ice core, using measured inert gases (d15N and d40Ar--Nitrogen and Argon isotope ratios, respectively) and methane in combination with a next-generation firn densification model that treats the stochastic nature of air trapping and the role of impurities on densification. The project addresses fundamental gaps in scientific understanding that limit the accuracy of gas chronologies, specifically a poor knowledge of the controls on ice-core d15N and the possible role of layering and impurities in firn densification. These gaps will be addressed by studying the gas enclosure process in modern firn at the deep core site. The work will comprise the first-ever firn air pumping experiment that has tightly co-located measurements of firn structural properties on the core taken from the same borehole. The project will test the hypothesis that the lock-in horizon as defined by firn air d15N, CO2, and methane is structurally controlled by impermeable layers, which are in turn created by high-impurity content horizons in which densification is enhanced. Thermal signals will be sought using the inert gas measurements, which improve the temperature record with benefits to the firn densification modeling. Neon, argon, and oxygen will be measured in firn air and a limited number of deep core samples to test whether glacial period layering was enhanced, which could explain low observed d15N in the last glacial period. Drawing on separate volcanic and methane synchronization to well-dated ice cores to create independent ice and gas tie points, independent empirical estimates of the gas age-ice age difference will be made to check the validity of the firn densification model-inert gas approach to calculating the gas age-ice age difference. These points will also be used to test whether the anomalously low d15N seen during the last glacial period in east Antarctic ice cores is due to deep air convection in the firn, or a missing impurity dependence in the firn densification models. The increased physical understanding gained from these studies, combined with new high-precision measurements, will lead to improved accuracy of the gas chronology of the South Pole ice core, which will enhance the overall science return from this gas-oriented core. This will lead to clarification of timing of atmospheric gas variations and temperature, and aid in efforts to understand the biogeochemical feedbacks among trace gases. These feedbacks bear on the future response of the Earth System to anthropogenic forcing. Ozone-depleting substances will be measured in the South Pole ice core record, and a precise gas chronology will add value. Lastly, by seeking a better understanding of the physics of gas entrapment, the project aims to have an impact on ice-core science in general.
Beginning with the earliest expeditions to the poles, scientists have noted that many polar taxa grow to unusually large body sizes, a phenomenon now known as 'polar gigantism.' Although scientists have been interested in polar giants for many years, many questions still remain about the biology of this significant form of polar diversity. This award from the Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems program within the Polar Sciences Division at the National Science Foundation will investigate the respiratory and biomechanical mechanisms underlying polar gigantism in Antarctic pycnogonids (commonly known as sea spiders). The project will use a series of manipulative experiments to investigate the effects of temperature and oxygen availability on respiratory capacity and biomechanical strength, and will compare Antarctic sea spiders to related species from temperate and tropical regions. The research will provide insight into the ability of polar giants to withstand the warming polar ocean temperatures associated with climate change.<br/><br/>The prevailing hypothesis to explain the evolution of gigantism invokes shifts in respiratory relationships in extremely cold ocean waters: in the cold, oxygen is more plentiful while at the same time metabolic rates are very low. Together these effects alleviate constraints on oxygen supply that restrict organisms living in warmer waters. Respiratory capacity must evolve in the context of adaptive tradeoffs, so for organisms including pycnogonids there must be tradeoffs between respiratory capacity and resistance to biomechanical stresses. The investigators will test a novel hypothesis that respiratory challenges are not associated with particular body sizes, and will answer the following questions: What are the dynamics of oxygen transport and consumption in Antarctic pycnogonids; how do structural features related to oxygen diffusion trade off with requirements for body support and locomotion; how does body size influence vulnerability to environmental hypoxia and to temperature-oxygen interactions; and does the cold-driven high oxygen availability in the Antarctic raise the limit on body size by reducing trade-offs between diffusivity and structural integrity? The research will explore the effects of increased ocean temperatures upon organisms that have different body sizes. In addition, it will provide training for graduate and undergraduate students affiliated with universities in EPSCOR states.
Recent discoveries of widespread liquid water and microbial ecosystems below the Antarctic ice sheets have generated considerable interest in studying Antarctic subglacial environments. Understanding subglacial hydrology, the persistence of life in extended isolation and the evolution and stability of subglacial habitats requires an integrated, interdisciplinary approach. The collaborative project, Minimally Invasive Direct Glacial Exploration (MIDGE) of the Biogeochemistry, Hydrology and Glaciology of Blood Falls, McMurdo Dry Valleys will integrate geophysical measurements, molecular microbial ecology and geochemical analyses to explore a unique Antarctic subglacial system known as Blood Falls. Blood Falls is a hypersaline, subglacial brine that supports an active microbial community. The subglacial brine is released from a crevasse at the surface of the Taylor Glacier providing an accessible portal into an Antarctic subglacial ecosystem. Recent geochemical and molecular analyses support a marine source for the salts and microorganisms in Blood Falls. The last time marine waters inundated this part of the McMurdo Dry Valleys was during the Late Tertiary, which suggests the brine is ancient. Still, no direct samples have been collected from the subglacial source to Blood Falls and little is known about the origin of this brine or the amount of time it has been sealed below Taylor Glacier. Radar profiles collected near Blood Falls delineate a possible fault in the subglacial substrate that may help explain the localized and episodic nature of brine release. However it remains unclear what triggers the episodic release of brine exclusively at the Blood Falls crevasse or the extent to which the brine is altered as it makes its way to the surface. The MIDGE project aims to determine the mechanism of brine release at Blood Falls, evaluate changes in the geochemistry and the microbial community within the englacial conduit and assess if Blood Falls waters have a distinct impact on the thermal and stress state of Taylor Glacier, one of the most studied polar glaciers in Antarctica. The geophysical study of the glaciological structure and mechanism of brine release will use GPR, GPS, and a small passive seismic network. Together with international collaborators, the 'Ice Mole' team from FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Germany (funded by the German Aerospace Center, DLR), MIDGE will develop and deploy innovative, minimally invasive technologies for clean access and brine sample retrieval from deep within the Blood Falls drainage system. These technologies will allow for the collection of samples of the brine away from the surface (up to tens of meters) for geochemical analyses and microbial structure-function experiments. There is concern over the contamination of pristine subglacial environments from chemical and biological materials inherent in the drilling process; and MIDGE will provide data on the efficacy of thermoelectric probes for clean access and retrieval of representative subglacial samples. Antarctic subglacial environments provide an excellent opportunity for researching survivability and adaptability of microbial life and are potential terrestrial analogues for life habitats on icy planetary bodies. The MIDGE project offers a portable, versatile, clean alternative to hot water and mechanical drilling and will enable the exploration of subglacial hydrology and ecosystem function while making significant progress towards developing technologies for minimally invasive and clean sampling of icy systems.
Aydin/1644245 This award supports a project to measure ethane in ice core air extracted from the recently drilled intermediate depth South Pole ice core (SPICECORE). Ethane is an abundant hydrocarbon in the atmosphere. The ice core samples that will be used in this analysis will span about 150 years before present to about 55,000 years before present and therefore, ethane emissions linked to human activities are not a subject of this study. The study will focus on quantifying the variability in the natural sources of ethane and the processes that govern its removal from the atmosphere. A long-term ice core ethane record will provide new knowledge on the chemistry of Earth?s atmosphere during time periods when human influence was either much smaller than present day or non-existent. The broader impacts of this work include education and training of students and a contribution to a better understanding of the chemistry of the atmosphere in the past and how it has been impacted by past changes in climate. Natural sources that emit ethane are both geologic (e.g. seeps, vents, mud volcanoes etc.) and pyrogenic (wild fires) which is commonly called biomass burning. Ethane is removed from the atmosphere via oxidation reactions. The ice core ethane measurements have great potential as a proxy for gaseous emissions from biomass burning. This is especially true for time periods preceding the industrial revolution when atmospheric variability of trace gases was largely controlled by natural processes. Another objective of this study is to improve understanding of the causes of atmospheric methane variability apparent which are in the existing ice core records. Methane is a simpler hydrocarbon than ethane and more abundant in the atmosphere. Even though the project does not include any methane measurements; the commonalities between the sources and removal of atmospheric ethane and methane mean that ethane measurements can be used to gain insight into the causes of changes in atmospheric methane levels. The broader impacts of the project include partial support for one Ph.D. student and support for undergraduate researchers at UC Irvine. The PIs group currently has 4 undergraduate researchers. The PI and the graduate students in the UCI ice core laboratory regularly participate in on- and off-campus activities such as laboratory tours and lectures directed towards educating high-school students and science teachers, and the local community at large about the scientific value of polar ice cores as an environmental record of our planet's past. The results of this research will be disseminated via peer-review publications and will contribute to policy-relevant activities such as the IPCC Climate Assessment. Data resulting from this project will be archived in a national data repository. This award does not have field work in Antarctica.
The solidified remnants of large magma bodies within the continental crust hold the key to understanding the chemical and physical evolution of volcanic provinces through time. These deposits also commonly contain some of the world's most important ore deposits. Exposed deposits in South Africa, Greenland, USA, Canada, and Antarctica have led researchers to propose that the bigger the magma body, the faster it will crystallize. While this might seem counter-intuitive (typically it is thought that more magma = hotter = harder to cool), the comparison of these exposures show that bigger magma chambers maintain a molten top that is always in contact with the colder crust; whereas smaller magma chambers insulate themselves by crystallizing at the margins. The process is similar to the difference between a large cup of coffee with no lid, and a smaller cup of coffee held in a thermos. The large unprotected cup of coffee will cool down much faster than that held in the thermos. This research project of VanTongeren and Schoene will use previously collected rocks from the large (~8-9 km thick) Dufek Intrusion in Antarctica to precisely quantify how fast the magma chamber crystallized, and compare that rate to the much smaller magma chamber exposed in the Skaergaard Intrusion of E. Greenland. The work is an important step towards improving our understanding of time-scales associated with the thermal and chemical evolution of nearly all magma chambers on Earth, which will ultimately lead to better predictions of volcanic hazards globally. The work will also yield important insights into the timescales and conditions necessary for developing vast magmatic ore deposits, which is essential to the platinum and steel industries in the USA and abroad. Based on observations of solidification fronts in six of the world's most completely exposed layered mafic intrusions, it was recently proposed that bigger magma chambers must crystallize faster than small magma chambers. While this is initially counter-intuitive, the hypothesis falls out of simple heat balance equations and the observation that the thickness of cumulates at the roofs of such intrusions is negatively proportional to the size of the intrusion. In this study, VanTongeren and Schoene will directly test the hypothesis that bigger magma chambers crystallize faster by applying high precision U-Pb zircon geochronology on 5-10 samples throughout the large Dufek Intrusion of Antarctica. Due to uncertainties in even the highest-precision ID-TIMS analyses, the Dufek Intrusion of Antarctica is the only large layered mafic intrusion on Earth where this research can be accomplished. VanTongeren and Schoene will place the geochronological measurements of the Dufek Intrusion into a comprehensive petrologic framework by linking zircon crystallization to other liquidus phases using mineral geochemistry, zircon saturation models, and petrologic models for intrusion crystallization. The research has the potential to radically change the way that we understand the formation and differentiation of large magma bodies within the shallow crust. Layered intrusions are typically thought to cool and crystallize over very long timescales allowing for significant differentiation of the magmas and reorganization of the cumulate rocks. If the 'bigger magma chambers crystallize faster hypothesis' holds this could reduce the calculated solidification time scales of the early earth and lunar magma oceans and have important implications for magma chamber dynamics of active intraplate volcanism and long-lived continental arcs. Furthermore, while the Dufek Intrusion is one of only two large layered intrusions exposed on Earth, very little is known about its petrologic evolution. The detailed geochemical and petrologic work of VanTongeren and Schoene based on analyses of previously collected samples will provide important observations with which to compare the Dufek and other large magma chambers.
Bubbles of ancient air trapped in ice cores permit the direct reconstruction of atmospheric composition and allow us to link greenhouse gases and global climate over the last 800,000 years. Previous field expeditions to the Allan Hills blue ice area, Antarctica, have recovered ice cores that date to one million years, the oldest ice cores yet recovered from Antarctica. These records have revealed that interglacial CO2 concentrations decreased by 800,000 years ago and that, in the warmer world 1 million years ago, CO2 and Antarctic temperature were linked as during the last 800,000 years. This project will return to the Allan Hills blue ice area to recover additional ice cores that date to 1 million years or older. The climate records developed from the drilled ice cores will provide new insights into the chemical composition of the atmosphere and Antarctic climate during times of comparable or even greater warmth than the present day. Our results will help answer questions about issues associated with anthropogenic change. These include the relationship between temperature change and the mass balance of Antarctic ice; precipitation and aridity variations associated with radiatively forced climate change; and the climate significance of sea ice extent. The project will entrain two graduate students and a postdoctoral scholar, and will conduct outreach including workshops to engage teachers in carbon science and ice cores. Between about 2.8-0.9 million years ago, Earth's climate was characterized by 40,000-year cycles, driven or paced by changes in the tilt of Earth's spin axis. Much is known about the "40,000-year" world from studies of deep-sea sediments, but our understanding of climate change during this period is incomplete because we lack records of Antarctic climate and direct records of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. We propose to address these issues by building on our recent studies of ancient ice from the Main Ice Field, Allan Hills, Antarctica. During previous field seasons we recovered ice extending, discontinuously, from 0.1-1.0 million years old. Ice was dated by measuring the 40Ar/38Ar (Argon) ratio of the trapped gases. Our discovery of million year-old ice demonstrates that there is gas-record-quality ice from the 40,000-year world in the Allan Hills Main Ice Field. We have identified two different sites, each overlying bedrock at ~ 200 m depth, that are attractive targets for coring ice dating to 1 million years and older. This project aims to core the ice at these two sites, re-occupy a previous site with million year-old ice and drill it down to the bedrock, and generate 10-20 short (~10-meter) cores in areas where our previous work and terrestrial meteorite ages suggest ancient surface ice. We plan to date the ice using the 40Ar/38Ar ages of trapped Argon. We also plan to characterize the continuity of our cores by measuring the deuterium and oxygen isotope ratios in the ice, methane, ratios of Oxygen and Argon to Nitrogen in trapped gas, the Nitrogen-15 isotope (d15N) of Nitrogen, and the Oxygen-18 isotope (d18O) of Oxygen. As the ice may be stratigraphically disturbed, these measurements will provide diagnostic properties for assessing the continuity of the ice-core records. Successful retrieval of ice older than one million years will provide the opportunity for follow-up work to measure the CO2 concentration and other properties within the ice to inform on the temperature history of the Allan Hills region, dust sources and source-area aridity, moisture sources, densification conditions, global average ocean temperature, and greenhouse gas concentrations. We will analyze the data in the context of leading hypotheses of the 40,000-year world and the Mid-Pleistocene Transition to the 100,000-year world. We expect to advance understanding of climate dynamics during these periods.
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.
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The LISSARD project (Lake and Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling) is one of three research components of the WISSARD integrative initiative (Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling) that is being funded by the Antarctic Integrated System Science Program of NSF's Office of Polar Programs, Antarctic Division. The overarching scientific objective of WISSARD is to assess the role of water beneath a West Antarctic ice stream in interlinked glaciological, geological, microbiological, geochemical, and oceanographic systems. The LISSARD component of WISSARD focuses on the role of active subglacial lakes in determining how fast the West Antarctic ice sheet loses mass to the global ocean and influences global sea level changes. The importance of Antarctic subglacial lakes has only been recently recognized, and the lakes have been identified as high priority targets for scientific investigations because of their unknown contributions to ice sheet stability under future global warming scenarios. LISSARD has several primary science goals: A) To provide an observational basis for improving treatments of subglacial hydrological and mechanical processes in models of ice sheet mass balance and stability; B) To reconstruct the past history of ice stream stability by analyzing archives of past basal water and ice flow variability contained in subglacial sediments, porewater, lake water, and basal accreted ice; C) To provide background understanding of subglacial lake environments to benefit RAGES and GBASE (the other two components of the WISSARD project); and D) To synthesize data and concepts developed as part of this project to determine whether subglacial lakes play an important role in (de)stabilizing Antarctic ice sheets. We propose an unprecedented synthesis of approaches to studying ice sheet processes, including: (1) satellite remote sensing, (2) surface geophysics, (3) borehole observations and measurements and, (4) basal and subglacial sampling. <br/><br/>INTELLECTUAL MERIT: The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recognized that the greatest uncertainties in assessing future global sea-level change stem from a poor understanding of ice sheet dynamics and ice sheet vulnerability to oceanic and atmospheric warming. Disintegration of the WAIS (West Antarctic Ice Sheet) alone would contribute 3-5 m to global sea-level rise, making WAIS a focus of scientific concern due to its potential susceptibility to internal or ocean-driven instability. The overall WISSARD project will test the overarching hypothesis that active water drainage connects various subglacial environments and exerts major control on ice sheet flow, geochemistry, metabolic and phylogenetic diversity, and biogeochemical transformations. <br/><br/>BROADER IMPACTS: Societal Relevance: Global warming, melting of ice sheets and consequential sea-level rise are of high societal relevance. Science Resource Development: After a 9-year hiatus WISSARD will provide the US-science community with a renewed capability to access and study sub-ice sheet environments. Developing this technological infrastructure will benefit the broader science community and assets will be accessible for future use through the NSF-OPP drilling contractor. Furthermore, these projects will pioneer an approach implementing recommendations from the National Research Council committee on Principles of Environmental Stewardship for the Exploration and Study of Subglacial Environments (2007). Education and Outreach (E/O): These activities are grouped into four categories: i) increasing student participation in polar research by fully integrating them in our research programs; ii) introducing new investigators to the polar sciences by incorporating promising young investigators in our programs, iii) promotion of K-12 teaching and learning programs by incorporating various teachers and NSTA programs, and iv) reaching a larger public audience through such venues as popular science magazines, museum based activities and videography and documentary films. In summary, WISSARD will promote scientific exploration of Antarctica by conveying to the public the excitement of accessing and studying what may be some of the last unexplored aquatic environments on Earth, and which represent a potential analogue for extraterrestrial life habitats on Europa and Mars.
Conway/1141866 This award supports a project to conduct a suite of experiments to study spatial and temporal variations of basal conditions beneath Beardmore Glacier, an East Antarctic outlet glacier that discharges into the Ross Sea Embayment. The intellectual merit of the project is that it should help verify whether or not global warming will play a much larger role in the future mass balance of ice sheets than previously considered. Recent observations of rapid changes in discharge of fast-flowing outlet glaciers and ice streams suggest that dynamical responses to warming could affect that ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. Assessment of possible consequences of these responses is hampered by the lack of information about the basal boundary conditions. The leading hypothesis is that variations in basal conditions exert strong control on the discharge of outlet glaciers. Airborne and surface-based radar measurements of Beardmore Glacier will be made to map the ice thickness and geometry of the sub-glacial trough and active and passive seismic experiments, together with ground-based radar and GPS measurements will be made to map spatial and temporal variations of conditions at the ice-bed interface. The observational data will be used to constrain dynamic models of glacier flow. The models will be used to address the primary controls on the dynamics of Antarctic outlet glaciers, the conditions at the bed, their spatial and temporal variation, and how such variability might affect the sliding and flow of these glaciers. The work will also explore whether or not these outlet glaciers could draw down the interior of East Antarctica, and if so, how fast. The study will take three years including two field seasons to complete and results from the work will be disseminated through public and professional meetings and journal publications. All data and metadata will be made available through the NSIDC web portal. The broader impacts of the work are that it will help elucidate the fundamental physics of outlet glacier dynamics which is needed to improve predictions of the response of ice sheets to changing environmental conditions. The project will also provide support for early career investigators and will provide training and support for one graduate and two undergraduate students. All collaborators are currently involved in scientific outreach and graduate student education and they are committed to fostering diversity.
Meltwater lakes that sit on top of Antarctica's floating ice shelves have likely contributed to the dramatic changes seen in Antarctica's glacial ice cover over the past two decades. In 2002, the 1,600-square-kilometer Larsen B Ice Shelf located on the Eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula, for example, broke into thousands of small icebergs, which subsequently floated away as a result of the formation of more than 2,000 meltwater lakes on its surface over the prior decade. Our research project addresses the reasons why surface lakes form on Antarctic ice shelves and how these surface lakes subsequently contribute to the forces that may contribute to ice-shelf breakup like that of the Larsen B. Our project focuses primarily on making precise global positioning system (GPS) measurements of ice-shelf bending in response to the filling and draining of a surface lake on the McMurdo Ice Shelf. The observed vertical displacements (on the order of tens of centimeters) in response to lake filling will be used to calibrate and test computer simulation models that predict the response of ice shelves to surface lakes more generally and in a variety of future climate conditions. Our project will make hourly measurements of both vertical ice-shelf movements (using GPS surveying instruments) and of temperature and sunlight conditions (that drive melting) around a surface lake located close to the McMurdo Station airfield. Following this initial data-gathering effort, computer simulations and other more theoretical analysis will be undertaken to determine the suitability of the chosen McMurdo Ice Shelf surface lake as a field-laboratory for continued study. Ultimately, the research will contribute to understanding of the glaciological processes that link climate change to rising sea level. A successful outcome of the research will allow glaciologists to better assess the processes that promote or erode the influence Antarctic ice shelves have in controlling the transfer of ice from the interior of Antarctica into the ocean. The project will undertake two outreach activities: (1) web-posting of a field-activity journal and (2) establishing an open-access glaciological teaching and outreach web-sharing site for the International Glaciological Society. The proposed project seeks to experimentally verify a theory of ice-shelf instability proposed to explain the explosive break-up of Larsen B Ice Shelf in 2002. This theory holds that the filling and draining of supraglacial lakes on floating ice shelves induces sufficient flexure stress within the ice to (a) induce upward/downward propagating fractures originating at the base/surface of the ice shelf that (b) dissect the ice shelf into fragments that tend to have widths less than about half the ice thickness. The significance of narrow widths is that they promote capsize of the ice-shelf fragments during the break-up process. This capsize releases large amounts of gravitational potential energy (comparable to thousands of kilotons of TNT for the Larsen B Ice Shelf) thereby promoting explosiveness of the Larsen B event. The observational motivation for experimentally verifying the surface-lake mechanism for ice-shelf breakup is based on the fact that >2,000 surface lakes developed on the Larsen B Ice Shelf in the decade prior to its break up, and that these lakes were observed (via satellite imagery) to drain in a coordinated fashion during the day prior to the initiation of the break up. The field-observation component of the project will focus on a supraglacial lake on the McMurdo Ice Shelf where there is persistent summer season surface melting. The lake will be studied during a single provisional field season to determine whether grooming of surrounding surface streams and shorelines with heavy construction equipment will allow surface water to be manually encouraged to fill the lake. If successfully encouraged to develop, the McMurdo Ice Shelf surface lake will allow measurements of key ice-shelf flexure and stress variables needed to develop the theory of ice-shelf surface lakes without having to access the much more logistically demanding surface lakes of ice-shelves located elsewhere in Antarctica. Data to be gathered during the 6-week provisional field season include: energy- and water-balance parameters determining how the surface lake grows and fills, and various global positioning system measurements of the vertical bending of the ice sheet in response to the changing meltwater load contained within the surface lake. These data will be used to (1) constrain a computer model of viscoelastic flexure and possible fracture of the ice shelf in response to the increasing load of meltwater in the lake, and (2) determine whether continued study of the incipient surface-meltwater lake features on the McMurdo Ice Shelf provides a promising avenue for constraining the more-general behavior of surface meltwater lakes on other ice shelves located in warmer parts of Antarctica. Computer models constrained by the observational data obtained from the field project will inform energy- and water-balance models of ice shelves in general, and allow more accurate forecasts of changing ice-shelf conditions surrounding the inland ice of Antarctica. The project will create the first-ever ground-based observations useful for spawning the development of models capable of predicting viscoelastic and fracture behavior of ice shelves in response to supraglacial lake evolution, including slow changes due to energy balance effects, as well as fast changes due to filling and draining.
Ice-core records are critical to understanding past climate variations. An Antarctic ice core currently being drilled at the South Pole will allow detailed investigation of atmospheric gases and fill an important gap in understanding the pattern of climate variability across Antarctica. Critical to the interpretation of any ice core are: 1) accurate chronologies for both the ice and the trapped gas and 2) demonstration that records from the ice core reliably reflect climate. The proposed research will improve the ice and gas chronologies by making measurements of snow compaction in the upstream catchment in order to constrain age models of the ice. These measurements will be a key data set needed for better understanding and predicting time-varying conditions in the upper part of the ice sheet. The research team will measure the modern spatial gradients in accumulation rate, surface temperature, and water stable isotopes from shallow ice cores in the upstream catchment in order to determine the climate history from the ice-core record. The new ice-flow measurements will make it possible to define the path of ice from upstream to the South Pole ice-core drill site to assess spatial gradients in snowfall and to infer histories of snowfall from internal layers within the ice sheet. The project will be led by an early-career scientist, provide broad training to graduate students, and engage in public outreach on polar science. Ice-core records of stable isotopes, aerosol-born particles, and atmospheric gases are critical to understanding past climate variations. The proposed research will improve the ice and gas chronologies in the South Pole ice core by making in situ measurements of firn compaction in the upstream catchment to constrain models of the gas-age ice-age difference. The firn measurements will be a key data set needed to form a constitutive relationship for firn, and will drive better understanding and prediction of transient firn evolution. The research team will measure the modern gradients in accumulation rate, surface temperature, and water stable isotopes in the upstream catchment to separate spatial (advection) variations from temporal (climate) variations in the ice-core records. The ice-flow measurements will define the flowline upstream of the drill site, assess spatial gradients in accumulation, and infer histories of accumulation from radar-observed internal layers. Results will directly enhance interpretation of South Pole ice-core records, and also advance understanding of firn densification and drive next-generation firn models.
Ice cores record detailed histories of past climate variations. The South Pole ice core will allow investigation of atmospheric trace gases and fill an important gap in understanding the pattern of climate variability across Antarctica. An accurate timescale that assigns an age to the ice at each depth in the core is essential to interpretation of the ice-core records. This work will use electrical methods to identify volcanic eruptions throughout the past ~40,000 years in the core by detecting the enhanced electrical conductance in those layers due to volcanic impurities in the ice. These eruptions will be pattern-matched to other cores across Antarctica, synchronizing the timing of climate variations among cores and allowing the precise timescales developed for other Antarctic ice cores to be transferred to the South Pole ice core. The well-dated records of volcanic forcing will be combined with records of atmospheric gases, stable water-isotopes, and aerosols to better understand the large natural climate variations of the past 40,000 years. The electrical conductance method and dielectric profiling measurements will be made along the length of each section of the South Pole ice core at the National Ice Core Lab. These measurements will help to establish a timescale for the core. Electrical measurements will provide a continuous record of volcanic events for the entire core including through the brittle ice (550-1250m representing ~10,000-20,000 year-old ice) where the core quality and thin annual layers may prevent continuous melt analysis and cause discrete measurements to miss volcanic events. The electrical measurements also produce a 2-D image of the electrical layering on a longitudinal cut surface of each core. These data will be used to identify any irregular or absent layering that would indicate a stratigraphic disturbance in the core. A robust chronology is essential to interpretation of the paleoclimate records from the South Pole ice core. The investigators will engage teachers through talks and webinars with the National Science Teachers Association and will share information with the public at events such as Polar Science Weekend at the Pacific Science Center. Results will be disseminated through publications and conference presentations and the data will be archived and publicly available.
With 70% of the Earth's surface being covered by oceans, a longstanding question of interest to the ecology of migratory seabirds is how they locate their prey across such vast distances. The project seeks to investigate the sensory strategies used in the foraging behavior of procellariiform seabirds, such as petrels, albatrosses and shearwaters. These birds routinely travel over thousands of kilometers of open ocean, apparently using their pronounced olfactory abilities (known to be up to a million times more sensitive than other birds) to identify productive marine areas or locate prey. High resolution tracking, such as provided by miniaturized GPS data loggers (+/- 5m; 10 second sampling), are needed to gain insight into some of the questions as to the sensory mechanisms birds use to locate their prey. Combining these tracking and positioning devices along with stomach temperature recorders capable of indicating prey ingestion, will provide a wealth of new behavioral information. Species specific foraging based on prey specific odors (e.g. krill vs fisheries vs. squid), and mixed strategies using olfaction and visual cues appear to be different for these different marine predators. Albatrosses are increasingly an endangered species globally, and additional information as to their foraging strategies might lead to better conservation measures such as the avoidance of by-catch by long-line fisheries. Intimate details of each species foraging activity patterns during the day and night and insight into the conservation of these top predators in pelagic Southern Ocean ecosystems are a few of the research directions these novel fine scale resolution approaches are yielding.
Waddington/1246045 This award supports a project to investigate the onset and growth of folds and other disturbances seen in the stratigraphic layers of polar ice sheets. The intellectual merit of the work is that it will lead to a better understanding of the grain-scale processes that control the development of these stratigraphic features in the ice and will help answer questions such as what processes can initiate such disturbances. Snow is deposited on polar ice sheets in layers that are generally flat, with thicknesses that vary slowly along the layers. However, ice cores and ice-penetrating radar show that in some cases, after conversion to ice, and following lengthy burial, the layers can become folded, develop pinch-and-swell structures (boudinage), and be sheared by ice flow, at scales ranging from centimeters to hundreds of meters. The processes causing these disturbances are still poorly understood. Disturbances appear to develop first at the ice-crystal scale, then cascade up to larger scales with continuing ice flow and strain. Crystal-scale processes causing distortions of cm-scale layers will be modeled using Elle, a microstructure-modeling package, and constrained by fabric thin-sections and grain-elongation measurements from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet divide ice-core. A full-stress continuum anisotropic ice-flow model coupled to an ice-fabric evolution model will be used to study bulk flow of anisotropic ice, to understand evolution and growth of flow disturbances on the meter and larger scale. Results from this study will assist in future ice-core site selection, and interpretation of stratigraphy in ice cores and radar, and will provide improved descriptions of rheology and stratigraphy for ice-sheet flow models.The broader impacts are that it will bring greater understanding to ice dynamics responsible for stratigraphic disturbance. This information is valuable to constrain depth-age relationships in ice cores for paleoclimate study. This will allow researchers to put current climate change in a more accurate context. This project will provide three years of support for a graduate student as well as support and research experience for an undergraduate research assistant; this will contribute to development of talent needed to address important future questions in glaciology and climate change. The research will be communicated to the public through outreach events and results from the study will be disseminated through public and professional meetings as well as journal publications. The project does not require field work in Antarctica.
Intellectual Merit: The PI requests support to analyze sediments from multi-cores and mega-cores previously collected from beneath the former Larsen B and Larsen A ice shelves. These unique cores will allow the PI to develop a time-integrated understanding of the benthic response to ice shelf collapse off the East Antarctic Peninsula over time periods as short as 5 years following ice shelf collapse up to >170 years after collapse. High latitudes are responding to climate change more rapidly than the rest of the planet and the disappearance of ice shelves are a key manifestation of climate warming. The PI will investigate the newly created benthic environments and associated ecosystems that have resulted from the re-initiation of fresh planktonic material to the sediment-water interface. This proposal will use a new geochemical technique, based on naturally occurring 14C that can be used to assess the distribution and inventory of recently produced organic carbon accumulating in the sediments beneath the former Larsen A and B ice shelves. The PI will couple 14C measurements with 210Pb analyses to assess turnover times for sedimentary labile organic matter. By comparing the distributions and inventories of labile organic matter as well as the bioturbation intensities among different locations as a function of time following ice shelf collapse/retreat, the nature and timing of the benthic response to ice shelf collapse can be assessed. Broader impacts: This study will provide important information characterizing changes occurring on the seafloor after the collapse of ice shelves. This research will support the research project of a graduate student. This project brings together researchers from both the European community and the LARISSA Project.
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.
The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) is a polar desert on the coast of East Antarctica, a region that has not yet experienced climate warming. The McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research (MCMLTER) project has documented the ecological responses of the glacier, soil, stream and lake ecosystems in the MDV during a cooling trend (from 1986 to 2000) which was associated with the depletion of atmospheric ozone. In the past decade, warming events with strong katabatic winds occurred during two summers and the resulting high streamflows and sediment deposition changed the dry valley landscape, possibly presaging conditions that will occur when the ozone hole recovers. In anticipation of future warming in Antarctica, the overarching hypothesis of the proposed project is: Climate warming in the McMurdo Dry Valley ecosystem will amplify connectivity among landscape units leading to enhanced coupling of nutrient cycles across landscapes, and increased biodiversity and productivity within the ecosystem. Warming in the MDV is hypothesized to act as a slowly developing, long-term press of warmer summers, upon which transient pulse events of high summer flows and strong katabatic winds will be overprinted. Four specific hypotheses address the ways in which pulses of water and wind will influence contemporary and future ecosystem structure, function and connectivity. Because windborne transport of biota is a key aspect of enhanced connectivity from katabatic winds, new monitoring will include high-resolution measurements of aeolian particle flux. Importantly, integrative genomics will be employed to understand the responses of specific organisms to the increased connectivity. The project will also include a novel social science component that will use environmental history to examine interactions between human activity, scientific research, and environmental change in the MDV over the past 100 years. To disseminate this research broadly, MCM scientists will participate in a wide array of outreach efforts ranging from presentations in K-12 classrooms to bringing undergraduates and teachers to the MDV to gain research experience. Planned outreach programs will build upon activities conducted during the International Polar Year (2007-2008), which include development of an interactive DVD for high school students and teachers and publication of a children's book in the LTER Schoolyard Book Series. A teacher's edition of the book with a CD containing lesson plans will be distributed. The project will develop programs for groups traditionally underrepresented in science arenas by publishing some outreach materials in Spanish.
This project aims to identify which portions of the glacial cover in the Antarctic Peninsula are losing mass to the ocean. This is an important issue to resolve because the Antarctic Peninsula is warming at a faster rate than any other region across the earth. Even though glaciers across the Antarctic Peninsula are small, compared to the continental ice sheet, defining how rapidly they respond to both ocean and atmospheric temperature rise is critical. It is critical because it informs us about the exact mechanisms which regulate ice flow and melting into the ocean. For instance, after the break- up of the Larsen Ice Shelf in 2002 many glaciers began to flow rapidly into the sea. Measuring how much ice was involved is difficult and depends upon accurate estimates of volume and area. One way to increase the accuracy of our estimates is to measure how fast the Earth's crust is rebounding or bouncing back, after the ice has been removed. This rebound effect can be measured with very precise techniques using instruments locked into ice free bedrock surrounding the area of interest. These instruments are monitored by a set of positioning satellites (the Global Positioning System or GPS) in a continuous fashion. Of course the movement of the Earth's bedrock relates not only to the immediate response but also the longer term rate that reflects the long vanished ice masses that once covered the entire Antarctic Peninsula?at the time of the last glaciation. These rebound measurements can, therefore, also tell us about the amount of ice which covered the Antarctic Peninsula thousands of years ago. Glacial isostatic rebound is one of the complicating factors in allowing us to understand how much the larger ice sheets are losing today, something that can be estimated by satellite techniques but only within large errors when the isostatic (rebound) correction is unknown. The research proposed consists of maintaining a set of six rebound stations until the year 2016, allowing for a longer time series and thus more accurate estimates of immediate elastic and longer term rebound effects. It also involves the establishment of two additional GPS stations that will focus on constraining the "bull's eye" of rebound suggested by measurements over the past two years. In addition, several more geologic data points will be collected that will help to reconstruct the position of the ice sheet margin during its recession from the full ice sheet of the last glacial maximum. These will be based upon the coring of marine sediment sequences now recognized to have been deposited along the margins of retreating ice sheets and outlets. Precise dating of the ice margin along with the new and improved rebound data will help to constrain past ice sheet configurations and refine geophysical models related to the nature of post glacial rebound. Data management will be under the auspices of the UNAVCO polar geophysical network or POLENET and will be publically available at the time of station installation. This project is a small scale extension of the ongoing LARsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica Project (LARISSA), an IPY (International Polar Year)-funded interdisciplinary study aimed at understanding earth system connections related to the Larsen Ice Shelf and the northern Antarctic Peninsula.
The research will examine how diatoms (an important group of plankton in the Southern Ocean) adapt to environmental change. Diatoms will be sampled from different regions of the Southern Ocean, including the Drake Passage, the Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean and the Ross Sea and examined to determine the range of genetic variation among diatoms in these regions. Experiments on a range of diatoms will be conducted in home laboratories and will be aimed at measuring shifts in physiological capacities over many generations in response to directional changes in the environment (temperature and pH). The information on the genetic diversity of field populations combined with information on potential rates of adaptability and genome changes will provide insight into ways in which polar marine diatoms populations may respond to environmental changes that may occur in surface oceans in the future or may have occurred during past climate conditions. Such information allows better modeling of biogeochemical cycles in the ocean as well as improves our abilities to interpret records of past ocean conditions. The project will support a doctoral student and a postdoctoral researcher as well as several undergraduate students. These scientists will learn the fundamentals of experimental evolution, a skill set that is being sought in the fields of biology and oceanography. The project also includes a collaboration with the Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting that will design and facilitate a session focused on current research related to evolution and climate change to be held at the annual conference of the National Association of Science Writers (NASW). Both physiological and genetic variation are key parameters for understanding evolutionary processes in phytoplankton but they are essentially unknown for Southern Ocean diatoms. The extent to which these two factors determine plasticity and adaptability in field populations and the interaction between them will influence how and whether cold-adapted diatoms can respond to changing environments. This project includes a combination of field work to identify genetic diversity within diatoms using molecular approaches and experiments in the lab to assess the range of physiological variation in contemporary populations of diatoms and evolution experiments in the lab to assess how the combination of genetic diversity and physiological variation influence the evolutionary potential of diatoms under a changing environment. This research will uncover general relationships between physiological variation, genetic diversity, and evolutionary potential that may apply across microbial taxa and geographical regions, substantially improving efforts to predict shifts in marine ecosystems. Results from this study can be integrated into developing models that incorporate evolution to predict ecosystem changes under future climate change scenarios.
The extreme mountain topographies of alpine landscapes at mid latitudes (e.g., European Alps, Patagonia, Alaska) are thought to have formed by the erosive action of glaciers, yet our understanding of exactly when and how those topographies developed is limited. If glacial ice was responsible for forming them, then those landscapes must have developed primarily over the last 2-3 million years when ice was present at those latitudes; this timing has only recently been confirmed by observations. In contrast, the Antarctic Peninsula, which contains similarly spectacular topographic relief, is known to have hosted alpine glaciers as early as 37 million years ago, and is currently covered by ice. Thus, if caused by glacial erosion, the high relief of the peninsula should have formed much earlier than what has been observed at mid latitude sites, yet we know nearly nothing about the timing of its development. The primary benefit of this research will be to study the timing of topography development along the Antarctic Peninsula by applying state of the art chemical analyses to sediments collected offshore. This research is important because studying a high latitude site will enable comparison with sites at mid latitudes and test current hypotheses on the development of glacial landscapes in general. This project aims to apply low-temperature thermochronometry based on the (U-Th)/He system in apatite to investigate the exhumation history, the development of the present topography, and the pattern of glacial erosion in the central Antarctic Peninsula. A number of recent studies have used this approach to study the dramatic, high-relief landscapes formed by Pleistocene alpine glacial erosion in temperate latitudes: New Zealand, the Alps, British Columbia, Alaska, and Patagonia. These studies have not only revealed when these landscapes formed, but have also provided new insights into the physical mechanisms of glacial erosion. The Antarctic Peninsula is broadly akin to temperate alpine landscapes in that the dominant landforms are massive glacial troughs. However, what we know about Antarctic glacial history suggests that the timing and history of glacial erosion was most likely very different from the temperate alpine setting: The Antarctic Peninsula has been glaciated since the Eocene, and Pleistocene climate cooling is hypothesized to have suppressed, rather than enhanced, glacial erosion. Our goal is to evaluate these hypotheses by developing a direct thermochronometric record of when and how the present glacial valley relief formed. We propose to learn about the timing and process of glacial valley formation through apatite (U-Th)/He and 4He/3He measurements on glacial sediment collected near the grounding lines of major glaciers draining the Peninsula. In effect, since we cannot sample bedrock directly that is currently covered by ice, we will rely on these glaciers to do it for us.
Antarctic clouds constitute an important parameter of the surface radiation budget and thus play a significant role in Antarctic climate and climate change. The variability in, and long term trends of, cloud optical and microphysical properties are therefore fundamental in parameterizing the mixed phase (water-snow-ice) coastal Antarctic stratiform clouds experienced around the continent. Using a spectoradiometer that covers the wavelength range of 350 to 2200nm, the downwelled spectral irradiance at the earth surface (Ross Island) will be used to retrieve the optical depth, thermodynamic phase, liquid water droplet effective radius, and ice-cloud effective particle size of overhead clouds, at hourly intervals and for an austral summer season (Oct-March). Based on the very limited data sets that exist for the maritime Antarctic, expectations are that Ross Island (Lat 78 S) should exhibit clouds with: a) An abundance of supercooled liquid water, and related mixed-phase cloud processes b) Cloud nucleation from year round biogenic and oceanic sources, in an otherwise pristine environment c) Simple cloud geometries of predominantly stratiform cloud decks Increased understanding of the cloud properties in the region of the main USAP base, McMurdo station is also relevant to operational weather forecasting relevant to aviation. A range of educational and outreach activities are associate with the project, including provision of workshops for high school teachers will be carried out.
Previous studies of the Indo-Pacific region of Antarctica show that the margin of the ice sheet in this region has advanced and retreated into deep interior basins many times in the past. The apparent instability of this region makes it an important target for study in terms of understanding the future of the East Antarctic ice sheet and sea level rise. This project will study a number of processes that control the ice-shelf stability of this region, with the aim of improving projections of the rate and magnitude of future sea-level rise. This project will engage a range of students and train this next generation of scientists in the complex, interdisciplinary issue of ice-ocean interaction. The project will integrate geophysical data collected from aircraft over three critical sections of the East Antarctic grounding line (Totten Glacier, Denman Glacier, and Cook Ice Shelf) with an advanced ocean model. Using Australian and French assets, the team will collect new data around Denman Glacier and Cook Ice Shelf whereas analysis of Totten Glacier will be based on existing data. The project will assess three hypotheses to isolate the processes that drive the differences in observed grounding line thinning among these three glaciers: 1. bathymetry and large-scale ocean forcing control cavity circulation; 2. ice-shelf draft and basal morphology control cavity circulation; 3. subglacial freshwater input across the grounding line controls cavity circulation. The key outcomes of this new project will be to: 1. evaluate of ice-ocean coupling in areas of significant potential sea-level contribution; 2. relate volume changes of grounded and floating ice to regional oceanic heat transport and sub-ice shelf ocean dynamics in areas of significant potential sea-level and meridional overturning circulation impacts; and 3. improve boundary conditions to evaluate mass, heat, and freshwater budgets of East Antarctica's continental margins.
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.
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.
The investigators will map glacial deposits and date variations in glacier variability at several ice-free regions in northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. These data will constrain the nature and timing of past ice thickness changes for major glaciers that drain into the northwestern Ross Sea. This is important because during the Last Glacial Maximum (15,000 - 18,000 years ago) these glaciers were most likely flowing together with grounded ice from both the East and West Antarctic Ice Sheets that expanded across the Ross Sea continental shelf to near the present shelf edge. Thus, the thickness of these glaciers was most likely controlled in part by the extent and thickness of the Ross Sea ice sheet and ice shelf. The data the PIs propose to collect can provide constraints on the position of the grounding line in the western Ross Sea during the Last Glacial Maximum, the time that position was reached, and ice thickness changes that occurred after that time. The primary intellectual merit of this project will be to improve understanding of a period of Antarctic ice sheet history that is relatively unconstrained at present and also potentially important in understanding past ice sheet-sea level interactions. This proposal will support an early career researcher's ongoing program of undergraduate education and research that is building a socio-economically diverse student body with students from backgrounds underrepresented in the geosciences. This proposal will also bring an early career researcher into Antarctic research.
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.
Ocean acidification (OA) poses a serious threat, particularly to organisms that precipitate calcium carbonate from seawater. One organism with an aragonite shell that is a key to high latitude ecosystems is the pteropod. With OA, the pteropod shell will thin because the aragonite is highly soluble. As the shell thins, it changes the mass distribution and buoyancy of the animal, which will affect locomotion and through it, all locomotion dependent behavior such as foraging, mating, predator avoidance and migratory patterns. A lower shell weight will be counterbalanced by a smaller mucus web potentially decreasing ingestion rates and carbon flux rates. This interdisciplinary research relies on biological studies of swimming behavior of the pteropod mollusk Limacina helicina in their natural environments with fluid mechanics analyses of swimming hydrodynamics via 3D tomographic particle-image velocimetry and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This work will: (a) determine how the L. helicina uses its 'wings' (parapodia) to propel itself; (b) examine whether its locomotory kinematics provide efficient propulsion; (c) identify the factors that influence swimming trajectory and 'wobble'; and (d) synthesize all data and insights into guidelines for the potential use of pteropod swimming behavior as a bioassay for OA. The loss of these sentinels of anthropogenic increases in CO2 may result in an ecological shift since thecosome pteropods are responsible for ingesting nearly half the primary production in the Southern Ocean and also serve as a primary food resource to upper trophic levels like fish. Since locomotory data can be gathered immediately, the bioassay being developed in this proposal may serve as an early warning of the impending onset of OA effects on this important member of the plankton. Students and researchers will collaborate in a rich interdisciplinary research environment by working with a biological oceanographer, a fluid mechanics expert and a CFD expert coupled with the teamsmanship needed for work in the Antarctic. By setting up a one-of-a-kind 3D tomography system for visualizing flow around planktonic organisms in Norway and at Palmer Station, we increase international exchange of state-of-the-art techniques. The educational impact of the current research will be multiplied by including in the research team, undergraduate students, high-school students and underrepresented minorities in addition to graduate students.
Alley/1542778 This award supports a three-year effort to study physical properties of the South Pole ice core to help provide a high-time-resolution history of trace gases and other paleoclimatic indicators from an especially cold site with high preservation potential for important signals. The physical-properties studies include visual inspection to identify any flow disturbances and for identifying annual layers and other features, and combined bubble, grain and ice crystal orientation studies to better understand the processes occurring in the ice that affect the climate record and the ice-sheet behavior. Success of these efforts will provide necessary support for dating and quality control to others studying the ice core, as well as determining the climate history of the site, flow state, and key physical processes in ice. The intellectual merits of the project include better understanding of physical processes, paleoclimatic reconstruction, dating of the ice, and quality assurance. Visual inspection of the core will help identify evidence of flow disturbances that would disrupt the integrity of the climate record and will reveal volcanic horizons and other features of interest. Annual layer counting will be conducted to help estimate accumulation rate over time as recorded in the ice core. Measurements of C-axis fabric, grain size and shapes, and bubble characteristics will provide information about processes occurring in the ice sheet as well as the history of ice flow, current flow state and how the ice is flowing and how easily it will flow in the future. Analysis of this data in conjunction with microCT data will help to reveal grain-scale processes. The broader impacts of the project include support for an early-career, post-doctoral researcher, and improved paleoclimatic data of societal relevance. The results will be incorporated into the active program of education and outreach which have educated many students, members of the public and policy makers through the sharing of information and educational materials about all aspects of ice core science and paleoclimate.
Ocean acidification and increased temperatures are projected to be the primary impacts of global climate change on polar marine ecosystems over the next century. While recent research has focused on the effects of these drivers on calcifying organisms, less is known about how these changes may affect vertebrates. This research will focus on two Antarctic fishes, Trematomus bernacchii and Pagothenia borchgrevinki. Fish eggs and larvae will be collected in McMurdo Sound and reared under different temperature and pH regimes. Modern techniques will be used to examine subsequent changes in physiology, growth, development and gene expression over both short and long timescales. The results will fill a missing gap in our knowledge about the response of non-calcifying organisms to projected changes in pH and temperature. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings; raw data will also be made available through open-access, web-based databases. This project will support the research and training of three graduate and three undergraduate students. As well, this project will foster the development of two modules on climate change and ocean acidification for an Introduction to Biology course.
Intellectual Merit: This project will determine the potential vulnerability of key ice streams to incursions of warmer ocean water onto the continental shelf and if this mechanism could already explain any of the observed thinning of the ice sheet. It will provide important constrains on ice dynamic of the investigated section of the EAIS, and thus will be critical for future ice sheet models and provide mechanisms for EAIS contributions to past sea level high-stand. The PI proposes to investigate four key ice stream systems on the continental shelf between ~90°E and 160°E. They will use multibeam bathymetry to identify if and where cross-shelf troughs exist to help determine whether these troughs could provide potential pathways for warmer ocean water. Furthermore, detailed analysis of morphological features of these troughs could provide information on past ice dynamic, maximum extent, and flow direction of related paleo ice streams. The PIs will also conduct water column measurements along these troughs and on the continental slope to determine whether warmer ocean water could enter the shelf in the near future, or if such water has already entered any troughs, and thus might be causing the observed thinning of some ice streams. Broader impacts: This project includes the participation and support of undergraduate and graduate students in field work and data analysis. The possible involvement of a PolarTREC teacher and the Earth2Class teachers program will reach out to K-12 students.
Steig/1341360 This award supports a two-year project to develop a method for rapid and precise measurements of the difference in 18O/16O and 17O/16O isotope ratios in water, referred to as the 17O-excess. Measurement of 17O-excess is a recent innovation in geochemistry, complementing traditional measurements of the ratios of hydrogen (D/H) and oxygen (18O/16O). Conventional measurements of 17O/16O are limited in number because of the time-consuming and laborious nature of the analyses, which involves the conversion of water to oxygen via fluorination, followed by high-precision mass spectrometry. This project will use a novel cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) system developed by a joint effort of the University of Washington and Picarro, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA), along with the Centre for Ice and Climate (Neils Bohr Institute, Copenhagen). The primary intellectual merit of the research is the improvement of the CRDS method for measurements of 17Oexcess of discrete samples of water, to obtain precision and accuracy competitive with conventional methods using mass spectrometry. This will be achieved by quantification of the effects of water vapor concentration variability and instrument memory, precise calibration of the instrument against standard waters, and improvements to the spectroscopic analyses. The CRDS system will also be coupled to continuous-flow systems for ice core analysis, in collaboration with the University of Colorado, Boulder. The goal is to have an operational system available for ice core processing associated with the next major U.S.-led ice core project at South Pole, in 2015-2017. The broader impacts of the research include the ability to measure 17O-excess in ambient atmospheric water vapor, which can be used to improve understanding of convection, moisture transport, and condensation. The instrument development work proposed here is relevant to research supported by several NSF-GEO programs, including Hydrology, Climate and Large Scale Dynamics, Paleoclimate, Atmosphere Chemistry, and both the Arctic and Antarctic Programs. This proposal will support a postdoctoral researcher.
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.
Marine mammals that inhabit high latitude environments have evolved unique mechanisms to execute a suite of energetically-costly life history events (CLHEs) within a relatively short timeframe when conditions are most favorable. Understanding the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate CLHEs is particularly important in species such as Weddell seals, as both reproduction and molt are associated with large reductions in foraging effort, and the timing and outcome of each appears linked with the other. The long-term mark recapture program on Erebus Bay's Weddell seals provides a unique opportunity to examine CLHEs in a known-history population. The proposed work will monitor physiological condition, pregnancy status, and behavior at various times throughout the year to determine if molt timing is influenced by prior reproductive outcome, and if it, in turn, influences future reproductive success. These data will then be used to address the demographic consequences of trade-offs between CLHEs in Weddell seals. The impact of environmental conditions and CLHE timing on population health will also be modeled so that results can be extended to other climates and species. An improved understanding of the interactions between CLHEs and the environment is important in predicting the response of organisms from higher trophic levels to climate change. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings. In addition, raw data will be made available through open-access databases. This project will support the research and training of graduate students and a post-doctoral researcher and will further foster an extensive public outreach collaboration.
Hastings/1246223 This award supports a project with the aim of distinguishing the sources of nitrate deposition to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) using isotopic ratios snow in archive snow and ice samples. The isotopic composition of nitrate has been shown to contain information about the source of the nitrate (i.e. nitrogen oxides = NOx = NO+NO2) and the oxidation processes that convert NOx to nitrate in the atmosphere prior to deposition. A difficulty in interpreting records in the context of NOx sources is that nitrate can be post-depositionally processed in surface snow, such that the archived record does not reflect the composition of the atmosphere. This intellectual merit of this work specifically aims to investigate variability in the isotopic composition of nitrate in snow and ice from the WAIS in the context of accumulation rate, NOx source emissions, and atmospheric chemistry. These records will be interpreted in the context of our understanding of biospheric (biomass burning, microbial processes in soils), atmospheric (lightning, transport, chemistry), and climate (temperature, accumulation rate) changes over time. A graduate student will be supported as part of this project, and both graduate student and PI will be involved in communicating the utility and results of polar research to elementary school students in the Providence, RI area. The broader impacts of the project also include making efforts to attract more young, female scientists to polar research by establishing a connection between the Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN), an organization PI Hastings helped to establish, and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS). Finally, results of all measurements will be presented at relevant conferences, made available publicly and published in peer-reviewed journals.
0538427<br/>McConnell <br/>This award supports a project to use unique, high-depth-resolution records of a range of elements, chemical species, and ice properties measured in two WAIS Divide shallow ice cores and one shallow British ice core from West Antarctic to address critical paleoclimate, environmental, and ice-sheet mass-balance questions. Recent development of the CFA-TE method for ice-core analysis presents the opportunity to develop high-resolution, broad-spectrum glaciochemical records at WAIS Divide at relatively modest cost. Together with CFA-TE measurements from Greenland and other Antarctic sites spanning recent decades to centuries, these rich data will open new avenues for using glaciochemical data to investigate environmental and global changes issues ranging from anthropogenic and volcanic-trace-element fallout to changes in hemispheric-scale circulation, biogeochemistry, rapid-climate-change events, long-term climate change, and ice-sheet mass balance. As part of the proposed research, collaborations with U.S., Argentine, and British researchers will be initiated and expanded to directly address three major IPY themes (i.e., present environmental status, past and present environmental and human change, and polar-global interactions). Included in the contributions from these international collaborators will be ice-core samples, ice-core and meteorological model data, and extensive expertise in Antarctic glaciology, climatology, meteorology, and biogeochemistry. The broader impacts of the work include the training of students. The project will partially support one Ph.D. student and hourly undergraduate involvement. Every effort will be made to attract students from underrepresented groups to these positions. To address the challenge of introducing results of scientific research to the public policy debate, we will continue efforts to publish findings in high visibility journals, provide research results to policy makers, and work with the NSF media office to reach the public through mass-media programs. K-12 teacher and classroom involvement will be realized through outreach to local schools and NSF's Teachers Experiencing the Antarctic and Arctic (or similar) program in collaboration with WAIS Divide and other polar researchers.
McConnell/1142166 This award supports a project to use unprecedented aerosol and continuous gas (methane, carbon monoxide) measurements of the deepest section of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core to investigate rapid climate changes in Antarctica during the ~60,000 year long Marine Isotope Stage 3 period of the late Pleistocene. These analyses, combined with others, will take advantage of the high snow accumulation of the WAIS Divide ice core to yield the highest time resolution glaciochemical and gas record of any deep Antarctic ice core for this time period. The research will expand already funded discrete gas measurements and extend currently funded continuous aerosol measurements on the WAIS Divide ice core from ~25,000 to ~60,000 years before present, spanning Heinrich events 3 to 6 and Antarctic Isotope Maximum (AIM, corresponding to the Northern Hemisphere Dansgaard-Oeschger) events 3 to 14. With other high resolution Greenland cores and lower resolution Antarctic cores, the combined record will yield new insights into worldwide climate dynamics and abrupt change. The intellectual merit of the work is that it will be used to address the science goals of the WAIS Divide project including the identification of dust and biomass burning tracers such as black carbon and carbon monoxide which reflect mid- and low-latitude climate and atmospheric circulation patterns, and fallout from these sources affects marine and terrestrial biogeochemical cycles. Similarly, sea salt and ocean productivity tracers reflect changes in sea ice extent, marine primary productivity, wind speeds above the ocean, and atmospheric circulation. Volcanic tracers address the relationship between northern, tropical, and southern climates as well as stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet and sea level change. When combined with other gas records from WAIS Divide, the records developed here will transform understanding of mid- and low-latitude drivers of Antarctic, Southern Hemisphere, and global climate rapid changes and the timing of such changes. The broader impacts of the work are that it will enhance infrastructure through expansion of continuous ice core analytical techniques, train students and support collaboration between two U.S. institutions (DRI and OSU). All data will be made available to the scientific community and the public and will include participation the WAIS Divide Outreach Program. Extensive graduate and undergraduate student involvement is planned. Student recruitment will be made from under-represented groups building on a long track record. Broad outreach will be achieved through collaborations with the global and radiative modeling communities, NESTA-related and other educational outreach efforts, and public lectures. This proposed project does not require field work in the Antarctic.
This award supports a project to help to establish the depth-age chronology and the histories of accumulation and ice dynamics for the WAIS Divide ice core. The depth-age relationship and the histories of accumulation and ice dynamics are coupled. An accurate age scale is needed to infer histories of accumulation rate and ice-thickness change using ice-flow models. In turn, the accumulation-rate history is needed to calculate the age difference of ice to determine the age of the trapped gases. The accumulation history is also needed to calculate atmospheric concentrations of impurities trapped in the ice and is an important characteristic of climate. The history of ice-thickness change is also fundamental to understanding the stability of the WAIS. The primary goals of the WAIS Divide ice core project are to investigate climate forcing by greenhouse gases, the initiation of climate changes, and the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). An accurate age scale is fundamental for achieving these goals. The first objective of this project is to establish an annually resolved depth-age relationship for the past 40,000 years. This will be done by measuring variations in electrical conductivity along the ice core, which are caused by seasonal variations in chemistry. We expect to be able to resolve annual layers back to 40,000 years before present (3,000 m depth) using this method. The second objective is to search for stratigraphic disturbances in the core that would compromise the paleoclimate record. Irregular layering will be identified by measuring the electrical conductivity of the ice in a vertical plan through the core. The third objective is to derive a preliminary chronology for the entire core. For the deeper ice we will use an ice-flow model to interpolate between known age markers, such as dated volcanic horizons and tie points from the methane gas chronology. The fourth objective is to derive a refined chronology simultaneously with histories of accumulation and ice-sheet thickness. An ice-flow model and all available data will be used to formulate an inverse problem, in which we infer the most appropriate histories of accumulation and ice-thickness, together with estimates of uncertainties. The flow model associated with those preferred histories then produces the best estimate of the chronology. The research contributes directly to the primary goals of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Initiative. The project will help develop the next generation of scientists through the education and training of one Ph.D. student and several undergraduate students. This project will result in instrumentation for measuring the electrical conductivity of ice cores being available at the National Ice Core Lab for other researchers to use on other projects. All collaborators are committed to fostering diversity and currently participate in scientific outreach and most participate in undergraduate education. Outreach will be accomplished through regularly scheduled community and K-12 outreach events at UW, talks and popular writing by the PIs, as well as through our respective press offices.
Uncovering the dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is central to an understanding of the global carbon cycle, as organic material from lakes, streams, oceans and soils passes through this pool. DOM acts as a key energy source for microbes in many ecosystems and therefore can affect regional nutrient cycling patterns. For example, preliminary results suggest that organisms isolated from a supraglacial stream on Cotton Glacier, Antarctica, may be important in DOM cycling in this relatively simple, low temperature system. However, little is known about the functional attributes of the microbes that interact with DOM in the environment. This project will use state-of-the-art genomics, proteomics and metabolomics approaches to understand the mechanisms by which two microbial isolates, CG3 and CG9_1, affect DOM cycling. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry will also be used to better characterize the microbially-derived DOM from this ecosystem. This project will support the research and training of one undergraduate and two graduate students. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings. In addition, raw data will be made available through open-access databases. Understanding the relationship between cold-adapted microbial metabolisms and DOM pools is important as more than 90% of the Earth?s oceans are below 5 degrees Celsius.
0538520<br/>Thiemens<br/>This award supports a project to develop the first complete record of multiple isotope ratios of nitrate and sulfate covering the last ~100,000 years, from the deep ice core planned for the central ice divide of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The WAIS Divide ice core will be the highest resolution long ice core obtained from Antarctica and we can expect important complementary information to be available, including accurate knowledge of past accumulation rates, temperatures, and compounds such as H2O2, CO and CH4. These compounds play significant roles in global atmospheric chemistry and climate. Especially great potential lies in the use of multiple isotope signatures. The unique mass independent fractionation (MIF) 17O signature of ozone is observed in both nitrate and sulfate, due to the interaction of their precursors with ozone. The development of methods to measure the multiple-isotope composition of small samples of sulfate and nitrate makes continuous high resolution measurements on ice cores feasible for the first time. Recent work has shown that such measurements can be used to determine the hydroxyl radial (OH) and ozone (O3) concentrations in the paleoatmosphere as well as to apportion sulfate and nitrate sources. There is also considerable potential in using these isotope measurements to quantify post depositional changes. In the first two years, continuous measurements from the upper ~100-m of ice at WAIS divide will be obtained, to provide a detailed look at seasonal through centennial scale variability. In the third year, measurements will be made throughout the available depth of the deep core (expected to reach ~500 m at this time). The broader impacts of the project include applications to diverse fields including atmospheric chemistry, glaciology, meteorology, and paleoclimatology. Because nitrate and sulfate are important atmospheric pollutants, the results will also have direct and relevance to global environmental policy. This project will coincide with the International Polar Year (2007-2008), and contributes to goals of the IPY, which include the fostering of interdisciplinary research toward enhanced understanding of atmospheric chemistry and climate in the polar regions.
Intellectual Merit: This project will investigate glacial advance and retreat of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet through the Eocene-Oligocene transition, a major episode of ice growth. In Prydz Bay, East Antarctica, a 130-170 m thick Eocene-Oligocene transition interval of glaciomarine sediments was cored in drillholes of the Ocean Drilling Program at Sites 739, 742 and 1166. Correlations between the Prydz Bay drillholes have recently been made through well-log and multichannel seismic interpretations. Recent drilling on the Wilkes Land margin of East Antarctica recovered earliest Oligocene sediments overlying a major regional unconformity in two drillholes. The PI will study the lithostratigraphy and weathering history of cores in the five drillholes, to establish a unique Eocene-Oligocene transition record within Antarctic continental margin sediments of glacial advance and retreat cycles, the onset of physical weathering, and glacio-isostasy and self-gravitation processes with implications for the margin architecture, sediment routing, and off-shore sediment dispersal. Cores from the five drillholes will be re-examined through detailed core description using an updated classification scheme, so that lithofacies can be compared between drillholes. Samples will be collected for detailed laser particle size and bulk major element geochemistry via ICP-AES to determine the degree of chemical alteration of the sediments. Phases of major ice growth will be recognized as marker beds of physically eroded sediment and will be correlated to isotopic records documenting Antarctic ice growth offshore in the Southern Ocean. Broader impacts: This project will benefit a large minority undergraduate student population through the availability of up to two paid laboratory internships, a classroom exercise, and the availability of research equipment supported by this award. The project also allows support and training of a graduate student.
EAGER: Collaborative Research: Habitability of Antarctic lakes and detectability of microbial life in icy environments by autonomous year-round instrumentation, is supported by the Antarctic Integrated System Science (AISS) and the Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems (AOE) programs within the Antarctic Sciences section in the Division of Polar Programs within the Geosciences Directorate of the National Sciences Foundation (NSF). The funds will allow the measurement of year-round properties of the microbes and the surrounding water in Lake Bonney, a lake with four meters of permanent ice cover over forty meters of liquid water in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. NSF funds will be used to support the deployment, and the science enabled by the deployment, and NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) funds will be used to purchase the equipment. Intellectual Merit: This research will be the first to make year-round measurements of the microbial community, and several associated environmental variables, in the continuously liquid portions of Lake Bonney, Antarctica. Three different types of equipment will be deployed in each of the lobes of Lake Bonney. The first instrument is an ITP (an ice-tethered profiler) that will measure physical parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll throughout the full depth of the liquid water portion of the lake, making measurements at least once each week. The second and third instruments will be used to collect discrete water samples at least every two weeks to determine A) the biological community (assessing metabolic and phylogenetic diversity) and B) the geochemistry (e.g., dissolved organic carbon, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen species). Such samplers have never been used to measure these properties year-round in the Antarctic. Cold temperatures, bottom lake water salinities that are four times greater than the ocean, the thick permanent ice cover, and the lack of sunlight to recharge batteries all present significant challenges for the project, thus classifying the work as an early, high-risk, high-reward activity (the acronym EAGER stands for Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research). Broader Impacts: There is much interest in understanding the ecosystems of the Polar regions in an era of climate change. Logistical limitations dictate much of this work only take place in the summer, until new autonomous technologies can open the door for year-round measurements. This award will be the first to attempt year-round microbial sampling in Antarctica. The McMurdo Dry Valleys region is also the site of a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program, and the research conducted on this project with benefit from, and contribute to, the larger LTER project. The instruments used in the project will be purchased by NASA, so two separate agencies have agreed to explore the feasibility of an early stage project. There will be at least three graduate student trained during the project, and the team will also participate in outreach activities at several venues including the Crow Reservation in Montana.
This award supports a three-year study of the ongoing deceleration and stick-slip motion of Whillans Ice Stream (WIS), West Antarctica. Understanding the dynamic behavior of ice streams is essential for predicting the future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). Despite being one of the best-studied ice streams in Antarctica, the surprising flow characteristics of WIS continue to demand interdisciplinary research. Recent estimates indicate that the WIS may stagnate within 50 years, resulting in a significant change to the mass balance of the Siple Coast sector of West Antarctica. The reasons for the ongoing stagnation are not well known, and are possibly linked (causally or coincidentally) to the stick-slip behavior. Our recent work on WIS stick-slip motion suggest that all slip events nucleate from a common location on the ice stream, suggesting that a relatively small (approximately 10 km in diameter) region of the exerts fundamental control over the flow of this large ice stream (100s of km long and 100 kilometers wide). We hypothesize that this is a region of increased bed strength and our measurements will address that hypothesis. We will deploy a series of GPS receivers and seismometers on the ice stream to accurately locate the nucleation region so that a comprehensive ground based geophysical survey can be conducted to determine the physical properties of bed at the nucleation point. The ground geophysical program will consist of reflection seismic and ice-penetrating radar studies that will better constrain the properties of both the hypothesized higher-friction nucleation zone and the surrounding regions. Slip events also generate seismic energy that can be recorded 100s of km away from the ice stream, thus, the GPS and seismometer deployment will also aid us in relating seismic waveforms directly with the rapid motion that occurs during slip events. The increased ability to relate rupture processes with seismic emissions will allow us to use archived seismic records to explore changes in the behavior of WIS during the later half of the 20th century. Broader impacts of this study include improved knowledge ice sheet dynamics, which remain a poorly constrained component of the climate system, thus, limiting our ability to predict the Earth's response to climate change. The scientific work includes the education of two graduate students and continued training of one post-doctoral scholar, thus helping to train the next generation of polar scientists. We will expose the broader public to polar science through interactions with the media and by take advantaging of programs to include K-12 educators in our field work.
Steig/1043092 This award supports a project to contribute one of the cornerstone analyses, stable isotopes of ice (Delta-D, Delta-O18) to the ongoing West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS) deep ice core. The WAIS Divide drilling project, a multi-institution project to obtain a continuous high resolution ice core record from central West Antarctica, reached a depth of 2560 m in early 2010; it is expected to take one or two more field seasons to reach the ice sheet bed (~3300 m), plus an additional four seasons for borehole logging and other activities including proposed replicate coring. The current proposal requests support to complete analyses on the WAIS Divide core to the base, where the age will be ~100,000 years or more. These analyses will form the basis for the investigation of a number of outstanding questions in climate and glaciology during the last glacial period, focused on the dynamics of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the relationship of West Antarctic climate to that of the Northern polar regions, the tropical Pacific, and the rest of the globe, on time scales ranging from years to tens of thousands of years. One new aspect of this work is the growing expertise at the University of Washington in climate modeling with isotope-tracer-enabled general circulation models, which will aid in the interpretation of the data. Another major new aspect is the completion and use of a high-resolution, semi-automated sampling system at the University of Colorado, which will permit the continuous analysis of isotope ratios via laser spectroscopy, at an effective resolution of ~2 cm or less, providing inter-annual time resolution for most of the core. Because continuous flow analyses of stable ice isotopes is a relatively new measurement, we will complement them with parallel measurements, every ~10-20 m, using traditional discrete sampling and analysis by mass spectrometry at the University of Washington. The intellectual merit and the overarching goal of the work are to see Inland WAIS become the reference ice isotope record for West Antarctica. The broader impacts of the work are that the data generated in this project pertain directly to policy-relevant and immediate questions of the stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet, and thus past and future changes in sea level, as well as the nature of climate change in the high southern latitudes. The project will also contribute to the development of modern isotope analysis techniques using laser spectroscopy, with applications well beyond ice cores. The project will involve a graduate student and postdoc who will work with both P.I.s, and spend time at both institutions. Data will be made available rapidly through the Antarctic Glaciological Data Center, for use by other researchers and the public.
Elevated temperatures and ocean acidification are both threatening the Southern Ocean. The effects of these environmental changes are poorly understood, but preliminary data suggest that they are driving a biological invasion. Specifically, large populations of skeleton-crushing king crabs, Paralomis birsteini, have been detected off Marguerite Bay on the West Antarctic Peninsula. These crabs appear to be invading the continental shelf region where benthic communities have evolved in the absence of such top-predators. Thus, this invasion could result in a wholesale restructuring of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem. The proposed work seeks to document this invasion and better understand the effects of the introduction of P. birsteini on the ecology of this region. A towed underwater vehicle will be used to photographically image communities, and communities with and without P. birsteini will be compared quantitatively. Additionally, crabs will trapped and various aspects of their morphology and physiology will be assessed. This research is unique in that it will document a biological invasion in real-time and it will therefore enhance our general understandings of the drivers of invasion and resilience in biological communities. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings. In addition, raw data will be made available through open-access databases. This project will support the research and training of undergraduate and graduate students and will foster an international collaboration with British scientists. Researchers on this project will participate in outreach thorough the development of K-12 curricular materials.
The research supported in this project will examine the effects of environmental change on a key Antarctic marine invertebrate, a pelagic mollusk, the pteropod, Limacina helicina antarctica. There are two main activities in this project: (1) to deploy oceanographic equipment ? in this case, autonomously recording pH sensors called SeaFETs and other devices that record temperature and salinity, and (2) to use these environmental data in the laboratory at McMurdo Station to study the response of the marine invertebrates to future changes in water quality that is expected in the next few decades. Notably, changes in oceanic pH (aka ocean acidification) and ocean warming are projected to be particularly threatening to calcifying marine organisms in cold-water, high latitude seas, making tolerance data on these organisms a critical research need in Antarctic marine ecosystems. These Antarctic shelled-animals are especially vulnerable to dissolution stress from ocean acidification because they currently inhabit seawater that is barely at the saturation level to support biogenic calcification. Indeed, these polar animals are considered to be the 'first responders' to chemical changes in the surface oceans. Thus, this project will lead to information about the adaptive capacity of L. helcina antarctica. From an ecological perspective this is important because this animal is a critical part of the Antarctic food chain in coastal waters and changes in its abundance will impact other species. Finally, the research conducted in this project will serve as a training and educational opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral scholars.
1043750/Chen This award supports a project to improve the estimate of long-term and inter-annual variability of Antarctic ice sheet mass balance at continental, regional, and catchment scales, using satellite gravity measurements from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and other geodetic measurements. The work will improve the quantification of long-term mass change rates over Antarctica using GRACE gravity data with a longer record and newer generation(s) of products and will develop advanced numerical forward modeling techniques that can accurately correct leakage effects associated with GRACE data processing, and significantly improve spatial resolution of GRACE mass rate estimates over Antarctica. The work will also contribute to a better understanding of crustal uplift rates due to postglacial rebound (PGR) and present day ice load change over Antarctica via PGR models, GPS measurements, and combined analysis of GRACE and ICESat elevation changes. Inter-annual variations of ice mass over Antarctica will be investigated at continental and catchment scales and connections to regional climate change will be studied. The major deliverables from this study will be improved assessments of ice mass balance for the entire Antarctic ice sheet and potential contribution to global mean sea level rise. The work will also provide estimates of regional ice mass change rates over Antarctica, with a focus along the coast in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, the Peninsula in West Antarctica, and in Wilkes Land and Victoria Land in East Antarctica. Estimates of inter-annual ice mass change over Antarctica at various spatial scales, and assessments of uncertainty of GRACE ice rate estimates and PGR models errors over Antarctica will also be made. The intellectual merits of the proposed investigation include 1) providing improved assessments of Antarctic ice mass balance at different temporal and spatial scales with unprecedented accuracy, an important contribution to broad areas of polar science research; 2) combining high accuracy GPS vertical uplift measurements and PGR models to better quantify long-term crust uplift effects that are not distinguishable from ice mass changes by GRACE; and 3) unifying the work of several investigations at the forefront of quantifying ice sheet and glacier mass balance and crustal uplift based on a variety of modern space geodetic observations. The broader impacts include the fact that the project will actively involve student participation and training, through the support of two graduate students. In addition the project will contribute to general education and public outreach (E/PO) activities and the results from this investigation will help inspire future geoscientists and promote public awareness of significant manifestations of climate change.
Severinghaus/0839031 <br/><br/>This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).<br/><br/>This award supports a project to develop a precise gas-based chronology for an archive of large-volume samples of the ancient atmosphere, which would enable ultra-trace gas measurements that are currently precluded by sample size limitations of ice cores. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is that it will provide a critical test of the "clathrate hypothesis" that methane clathrates contributed to the two abrupt atmospheric methane concentration increases during the last deglaciation 15 and 11 kyr ago. This approach employs large volumes of ice (>1 ton) to measure carbon-14 on past atmospheric methane across the abrupt events. Carbon-14 is an ideal discriminator of fossil sources of methane to the atmosphere, because most methane sources (e.g., wetlands, termites, biomass burning) are rich in carbon-14, whereas clathrates and other fossil sources are devoid of carbon-14. The proposed work is a logical extension to Taylor Glacier, Antarctica, of an approach pioneered at the margin of the Greenland ice sheet over the past 7 years. The Greenland work found higher-than-expected carbon-14 values, likely due in part to contaminants stemming from the high impurity content of Greenland ice and the interaction of the ice with sediments from the glacier bed. The data also pointed to the possibility of a previously unknown process, in-situ cosmogenic production of carbon-14 methane (radiomethane) in the ice matrix. Antarctic ice in Taylor Glacier is orders of magnitude cleaner than the ice at the Greenland site, and is much colder and less stratigraphically disturbed, offering the potential for a clear resolution of this puzzle and a definitive test of the cosmogenic radiomethane hypothesis. Even if cosmogenic radiomethane in ice is found, it still may be possible to reconstruct atmospheric radiomethane with a correction enabled by a detailed understanding of the process, which will be sought by co-measuring carbon-14 in carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The broader impacts of the proposed work are that the clathrate test may shed light on the stability of the clathrate reservoir and its potential for climate feedbacks under human-induced warming. Development of Taylor Glacier as a "horizontal ice core" would provide a community resource for other researchers. Education of one postdoc, one graduate student, and one undergraduate, would add to human resources. This award has field work in Antarctica.
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.
Abstract The Erebus Bay population of Weddell seals in Antarctica?s Ross Sea is the most southerly breeding population of mammal in the world, closely associated with persistent shore-fast ice, and one that has been intensively studied since 1968. The resulting long-term database, which includes data for 20,586 marked individuals, contains detailed population information that provides an excellent opportunity to study linkages between environmental conditions and demographic processes in the Antarctic. The population?s location is of special interest as the Ross Sea is one of the most productive areas of the Southern Ocean, one of the few pristine marine environments remaining on the planet, and, in contrast to the Antarctic Peninsula and Arctic, is undergoing a gradual lengthening of the sea-ice season. The work to be continued here capitalizes on (1) long-term data for individual seals and their polar environment; (2) experience collecting and analyzing data from the extensive study population; and (3) recent statistical advances in hierarchical modeling that allow for rigorous treatment of individual heterogeneity (in mark-recapture and body mass data) and inclusion of diverse covariates hypothesized to explain variation in fitness components. Covariates to be considered include traits of individuals and their mothers and environmental conditions throughout life. The study will continue to (1) provide detailed data on known-age individuals to other science projects and (2) educate and mentor the next generation of ecologists through academic and professional training and research experiences.
1043500/Sowers This award supports a project to develop a 50 yr resolution methane data set that will play a pivotal role in developing the WAIS Divide timescale as well as providing a common stratigraphic framework for comparing climate records from Greenland and West Antarctica. Even higher resolution data are proposed for key intervals to assist in precisely defining the phasing of abrupt climate change between the hemispheres. Concurrent analysis of a suit of samples from both the WAIS Divide and GISP-2 cores throughout the last 110,000 years is also proposed, to establish the interpolar methan (CH4) gradient that will be used to identify geographic areas responsible for the climate related methane emission changes. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is that it will provide chronological control needed to examine the timing of changes in climate proxies, and critical chronological ties to the Greenland ice core records via methane variations. One main objective is to understand the interpolar timing of millennial-scale climate change. This is an important scientific goal relevant to understanding climate change mechanisms in general. The proposed work will help establish a chronological framework for addressing these issues. In addition, this proposal addresses the question of what methane sources were active during the ice age, through the work on the interpolar methane gradient. This work is directed at the fundamental question of what part of the biosphere controlled past methane variations, and is important for developing more sophisticated understanding of those variations. The broader impacts of the work are that the ultra-high resolution CH4 record will directly benefit all ice core paleoclimate research and the chronological refinements will impact paleoclimate studies that rely on ice core timescales for correlation purposes. The project will support both graduate and undergraduate students and the PIs will participate in outreach to the public.
Pettit/0948247<br/><br/>This award supports a project to study of the relationship between fabric and climate for the ice near the EPICA Dome C ice core site, East Antarctica. The work builds on an ongoing study at Siple Dome, West Antarctica and takes advantage of collaborations with European scientists and access to the Dome C borehole to make measurements of sonic velocity. The intellectual merit of the project is that a better understanding of how fabric preserves past climate information can improve models of the ice flow near ice core sites and the interpreta-tion of ice core data (particularly paleo-accumulation), and it may allow us to extract climate information directly from fabric data. In addition, because ice deformation is sensitive to the orientation of crystals, ice flow patterns are sensitive to the fabric. Thus, variations in the fabric between glacial and interglacial ice can affect how ice deforms and how fabric in the ice sheet develops. The Dome C site is particularly important for answering these questions, because the ice core shows evidence of eight glacial cycles, not just one as found at Siple Dome or the Greenland sites. The research will improve the understanding of the proxy relationship between sonic-velocity data and fabric; will help to model the pattern of ice flow caused by the fabric variation between glacial and interglacial time periods using these data, existing ice core chemistry and existing and new thin section data, improved surface strain data, and borehole deformation data; and will help to better understand the positive feedback mechanism that enhances fabric (and corresponding rheological) variability through a focused study of several climate transitions and the associated fabric changes. Borehole compressional-wave sonic-velocity will be measured which will complement the sonic-velocity data that already exist for boreholes in Greenland and West Antarctica. These will be the first sonic-velocity measurements in East Antarctica and the first measurements that extend for more than a single glacial/interglacial transition. The project will ultimately contribute to better interpretation of ice core records for both paleoclimate studies and for ice flow history, both of which connect to the broader questions of the role of ice in the climate system. This project will also strengthen the international collaborations within the paleoclimate and ice sheet modeling communities. This project will partially support a graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who is currently working on modeling ice including anisotropy and it will support the growth of a young scientist through a Post-Doc position. This Post Doc will gain important experience collaborating with the EPICA scientists in studying the climate-fabric relationship. Erin Pettit is active in field-science education for high school students, under-graduates, teachers, and adults. This project will help support the continued development and enhancement of Girls on Ice a program that encourages young women to explore science and the natural world.
Spectacular blooms of Phaeocystis antarctica in the Ross Sea, Antarctica are the source of some of the world's highest concentrations of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and its volatile degradation product, dimethylsulfide (DMS). The flux of DMS from the oceans to the atmosphere in this region and its subsequent gas phase oxidation generates aerosols that have a strong influence on cloud properties and possibly climate. In the oceans, DMS and DMSP are quantitatively significant components of the carbon, sulfur, and energy flows in marine food webs, especially in the Ross Sea. Despite its central role in carbon and sulfur biogeochemistry in the Ross Sea, surprisingly little is known about the physiological functions of DMSP in P. Antarctica. The research will isolate and characterize DMSP lyases from P. antarctica, with the goal of obtaining amino acid and gene sequence information on these important enzymes. The physiological studies will focus on the effects of varying intensities of photosynthetically active radiation, with and without ultraviolet radiation as these are factors that we have found to be important controls on DMSP and DMS dynamics. The research also will examine the effects of prolonged darkness on the dynamics of DMSP and related compounds in P. antarctica, as survival of this species during the dark Antarctic winter and at sub-euphotic depths appears to be an important part of the Phaeocystis? ecology. A unique aspect of this work is the focus on measurements of intracellular MSA, which if detected, would provide strong evidence for in vivo radical scavenging functions for methyl sulfur compounds. The study will advance understanding of what controls DMSP cycling and ultimately DMS emissions from the Ross Sea and also provide information on what makes P. antarctica so successful in this extreme environment. The research will directly benefit and build on several interrelated ocean-atmosphere programs including the International Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) program. The PIs will participate in several activities involving K-12 education, High School teacher training, public education and podcasting through the auspices of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Discovery Hall program and SUNY ESF. Two graduate students will be employed full time, and six undergraduates (2 each summer) will be trained as part of this project.
While changes in populations typically are tracked to gauge the impact of climate or habitat change, the process involves the response of individuals as each copes with an altered environment. In a study of Adelie penguins that spans 13 breeding seasons, results indicate that only 20% of individuals within a colony successfully raise offspring, and that they do so because of their exemplary foraging proficiency. Moreover, foraging appears to require more effort at the largest colony, where intraspecific competition is higher than at small colonies, and also requires more proficiency during periods of environmental stress. When conditions are particularly daunting, emigration dramatically increases, countering the long-standing assumption that Adélie penguins are highly philopatric. The research project will 1) determine the effect of age, experience and physiology on individual foraging efficiency; 2) determine the effect of age, experience, and individual quality on breeding success and survival in varying environmental and competitive conditions at the colony level; and 3) develop a comprehensive model for the Ross-Beaufort Island metapopulation dynamics. Broader impacts include training of interns, continuation of public outreach through the highly successful project website penguinscience.com, development of classroom materials and other standards-based instructional resources.
Intellectual Merit: The PIs propose to use airborne geophysics to provide detailed geophysical mapping over the Marie Byrd Land dome of West Antarctica. They will use a Basler equipped with advanced ice penetrating radar, a magnetometer, an airborne gravimeter and laser altimeter. They will test models of Marie Byrd Land lithospheric evolution in three ways: 1) constrain bedrock topography and crustal structure of central Marie Byrd Land for the first time; 2) map subglacial geomorphology of Marie Byrd Land to constrain landscape evolution; and 3) map the distribution of subglacial volcanic centers and identify active sources. Marie Byrd Land is one of the few parts of West Antarctica whose bedrock lies above sea level; as such, it has a key role to play in the formation and decay of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), and thus on eustatic sea level change during the Neogene. Several lines of evidence suggest that the topography of Marie Byrd Land has changed over the course of the Cenozoic, with significant implications for the origin and evolution of the ice sheet. Broader impacts: This work will have important implications for both the cryospheric and geodynamic communities. These data will also leverage results from the POLENET project. The PIs will train both graduate and undergraduate students in the interpretation of large geophysical datasets providing them with the opportunity to co-author peer-reviewed papers and present their work to the broader science community. This research will also support a young female researcher. The PIs will conduct informal education using their Polar Studies website and contribute formally to K-12 curriculum development. The research will incorporate microblogging and data access to allow the project?s first-order hypothesis to be confirmed or denied in public.
Intellectual Merit: Knowledge of englacial and subglacial conditions are critical for ice sheet models and predictions of sea-level change. Some of the critical variables that are poorly known but essential for improving flow models and predictions of sea-level change are: basal roughness, subglacial sedimentary and hydrologic conditions, and the temporal and spatial variability of the ice sheet flow field. Seismic reflection and refraction imaging and dense arrays of continuously operating GPS receivers can determine these parameters. The PIs propose to develop a network of wirelessly interconnected geophysical sensors (geoPebble) that will allow glaciologists to carry out these experiments simultaneously. This sensor web will provide a new way of imaging the ice sheet that is not possible with current instruments. With this sensor web, the PIs will extend the range of existing instruments from 2D to 3D, from low resolution to high resolution, but more importantly, all the geophysical measurements will be conducted synchronously. By the end of the proposal period the PIs will produce a network of 150-200 geoPebbles that will be available for NSF-sponsored glaciology research projects. Broader impacts: Improved knowledge of the flow law of ice, the sliding of glaciers and ice streams, and paleoclimate history will contribute to assessments of the potential for abrupt ice-sheet mass change, with consequent sea-level effects and significant societal impacts. This improved modeling ability will be a direct consequence of better knowledge of the physical properties of ice sheets, which this project will facilitate. The development effort will be integrated with the undergraduate education program via the capstone design classes in EE and the senior thesis requirement in Geoscience. The PIs will also form a cohort of first-year and sophomore students who will work in their labs from the beginning of the project to develop specifications through the commissioning of the network.
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.
1142010/Talghader This award supports a project to combine the expertise of both glaciologists and optical engineers to develop polarization- preserving optical scattering techniques for borehole tools to identify changes in high-resolution crystal structure (fabric) and dust content of glacial ice. The intellectual merit of this work is that the fabric and impurity content of the ice contain details on climate, volcanic activity and ice flow history. Such fabric measurements are currently taken by slicing an ice core into sections after it has started to depressurize which is an extremely time-intensive process that damages the core and does not always preserve the properties of ice in its in-situ state. In addition the ice core usually must be consumed in order to measure the components of the dust. The fabric measurements of this study utilize the concept that singly-scattered light in ice preserves most of its polarization when it is backscattered once from bubbles or dust; therefore, changes to the polarization of singly-backscattered light must originate with the birefringence. Measurements based on this concept will enable this program to obtain continuous records of fabric and correlate them to chronology and dust content. The project will also develop advanced borehole instruments to replace current logging tools, which require optical sources, detectors and power cables to be submerged in borehole fluid and lowered into the ice sheet at temperatures of -50oC. The use of telecommunications fiber will allow all sources and detectors to remain at the surface and enable low-noise signal processing techniques such as lock-in amplification that increase signal integrity and reduce needed power. Further, fiber logging systems would be much smaller and more flexible than current tools and capable of navigating most boreholes without a heavy winch. In order to assess fabric in situ and test fiber-optic borehole tools, field measurements will be made at WAIS Divide and a deep log will also be made at Siple Dome, both in West Antarctica. If successful, the broader impacts of the proposed research would include the development of new analytical methods and lightweight logging tools for ice drilling research that can operate in boreholes drilled in ice. Eventually the work could result in the development of better prehistoric records of glacier flow, atmospheric particulates, precipitation, and climate forcing. The project encompasses a broad base of theoretical, experimental, and design work, which makes it ideal for training graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Collaboration with schools and classroom teachers will help bring aspects of optics, climate, and polar science to an existing Middle School curriculum.
Aydin/1043780 This award supports the analysis of the trace gas carbonyl sulfide (COS) in a deep ice core from West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS-D), Antarctica. COS is the most abundant sulfur gas in the troposphere and a precursor of stratospheric sulfate. It has a large terrestrial COS sink that is tightly coupled to the photosynthetic uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The primary goal of this project is to develop high a resolution Holocene record of COS from the WAIS-D 06A ice core. The main objectives are 1) to assess the natural variability of COS and the extent to which its atmospheric variability was influenced by climate variability, and 2) to examine the relationship between changes in atmospheric COS and CO2. This project also includes low-resolution sampling and analysis of COS from 10,000-30,000 yrs BP, covering the transition from the Last Glacial Maximum into the early Holocene. The goal of this work is to assess the stability of COS in ice core air over long time scales and to establish the COS levels during the last glacial maximum and the magnitude of the change between glacial and interglacial conditions. The results of this work will be disseminated via peer-review publications and will contribute to environmental assessments such as the WMO Stratospheric Ozone Assessment and IPCC Climate Assessment. This project will support a PhD student and undergraduate researcher in the Department of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine, and will create summer research opportunities for undergraduates from non-research active Universities.
Intellectual Merit: The PIs propose to quantify the hillslope water, solute, and carbon budgets for Taylor Valley in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, using water tracks to investigate near-surface geological processes and challenge the paradigm that shallow groundwater is minimal or non-exixtant. Water tracks are linear zones of high soil moisture that route shallow groundwater downslope in permafrost dominated soils. Four hypotheses will be tested: 1) water tracks are important pathways for water and solute transport; 2) water tracks transport more dissolved silica than streams in Taylor Valley indicating they are the primary site of chemical weathering for cold desert soils and bedrock; 3) water tracks that drain highland terrains are dominated by humidity-separated brines while water tracks that drain lowland terrains are dominated by marine aerosols; 4) water tracks are the sites of the highest terrestrial soil carbon concentrations and the strongest CO2 fluxes in Taylor Valley and their carbon content increases with soil age, while carbon flux decreases with age. To test these hypotheses the PIs will carry out a suite of field measurements supported by modeling and remote sensing. They will install shallow permafrost wells in water tracks that span the range of geological, climatological, and topographic conditions in Taylor Valley. Multifrequency electromagnetic induction sounding of the upper ~1 m of the permafrost will create the first comprehensive map of soil moisture in Taylor Valley, and will permit direct quantification of water track discharge across the valley. The carbon contents of water track soils will be measured and linked to global carbon dynamics. Broader impacts: Non-science majors at Oregon State University will be integrated into the proposed research through a new Global Environmental Change course focusing on the scientific method in Antarctica. Three undergraduate students, members of underrepresented minorities, will be entrained in the research, will contribute to all aspects of field and laboratory science, and will present results at national meetings.
The Office of Polar Programs, Antarctic Science Division, Ocean & Climate Systems Program has made this award to support a multidisciplinary effort to study the upwelling of relatively warm deep water onto the Amundsen Sea continental shelf and how it relates to atmospheric forcing and bottom bathymetry and how the warm waters interact with both glacial and sea ice. This study constitutes a contribution of a coordinated research effort in the region known as the Amundsen Sea Embayment Project or ASEP. Previous work by the PI and others has shown that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has been found to be melting faster, perhaps by orders of magnitude, than ice sheets elsewhere around Antarctica, excluding those on the Peninsula. Submarine channels that incise the continental shelf are thought to provide fairly direct access of relatively warm circum polar deep water to the cavity under the floating extension of the ice shelf. Interactions with sea ice en route can modify the upwelled waters. The proposed investigations build on previous efforts by the PI and colleagues to use hydrographic measurements to put quantitative bounds on the rate of glacial ice melt by relatively warm seawater. <br/>The region can be quite difficult to access due to sea ice conditions and previous hydrographic measurements have been restricted to the austral summer time frame. In this project it was proposed to obtain the first austral spring hydrographic data via CTD casts and XBT drops (September-October 2007) as part of a separately funded cruise (PI Steve Ackley) the primary focus of which is sea-ice conditions to be studied while the RV Nathanial B Palmer (RV NBP) drifts in the ice pack. This includes opportunistic sampling for pCO2 and TCO2. A dedicated cruise in austral summer 2009 will follow this opportunity. The principal objectives of the dedicated field program are to deploy a set of moorings with which to characterize temporal variability in warm water intrusions onto the shelf and to conduct repeat hydrographic surveying and swath mapping in targeted areas, ice conditions permitting. Automatic weather stations are to be deployed in concert with the program, sea-ice observations will be undertaken from the vessel and the marine cavity beneath the Pine Island may be explored pending availability of the British autonomous underwater vehicle Autosub 3. These combined ocean-sea ice-atmosphere observations are aimed at a range of model validations. A well-defined plan for making data available as well as archiving in a timely fashion should facilitate a variety of modeling efforts and so extend the value of the spatially limited observations. <br/>Broader impacts: This project is relevant to an International Polar Year research emphasis on ice sheet dynamics focusing in particular on the seaward ocean-ice sheet interactions. Such interactions must be clarified for understanding the potential for sea level rise by melt of the West Antarctic ice Sheet. The project entails substantive international partnerships (British Antarctic Survey and Alfred Wegner Institute) and complements other Amundsen Sea Embayment Project proposals covering other elements of ice sheet dynamics. The proposal includes partial support for 2 graduate students and 2 post docs. Participants from the Antarctic Artists and Writers program are to take part in the cruise and so aid in outreach. In addition, the project is to be represented in the Lamont-Doherty annual open house.
Biogenic sulfur compounds, such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS), its precursors dimethyl sulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and its atmospheric oxidation product, methane sulfonic acid (MSA), are important components of the global sulfur cycle that significantly impact global climate. The roles of DMSP and DMSO within the organisms that produce them, as well as their intracellular concentrations, are poorly understood. DMSO has been speculated to play a role in intracellular osmoregulation, cryoprotection and scavenging of reactive oxygen species, but its intracellular concentration in plankton has only been inferred. Quantitative measurement of the concentration of biogenic sulfur compounds in vivo is necessary to more completely understand their biogeochemistry. The principal investigator has developed methods for the quantitative analysis of biogenic sulfur compounds using Raman spectroscopy, which have resulted in the detection of DMSO with a sensitivity of <10 mM - far lower than the current estimates of its intracellular concentrations. The research will extend this technique to DMSP. The direct determination of the intracellular DMSP and DMSO, will allow the proposed roles of these compounds in phytoplankton to be investigated. Lastly, using field-collected cores, measurements will be made of the intracellular sulfur compounds as well as the concentration of molecular anions in the sea ice micro-environment. As an RUI project, successful completion of this work will have a substantial impact on undergraduate education in the Chemistry Department at the University of South Alabama, exposing undergraduates and, particularly, under-represented minorities in the sciences to cutting-edge research. It will provide financial support for their education and allow them to present research in journal articles and at technical meetings. Contacts with scientists in the field of Antarctic research at other institutions will give students the opportunity to interact with researchers in related fields, broadening their experience base.
1043421/Severinghaus This award supports a project to obtain samples of ice in selected intervals for replication and verification of the validity and spatial representativeness of key results in the WAIS Divide ice core, and to obtain additional ice samples in areas of intense scientific interest where demand is high. The US Ice Core Working Group recommended in 2003 that NSF pursue the means to take replicate samples, termed "replicate coring". This recommendation was part of an agreement to reduce the diameter of the (then) new drilling system (the DISC drill) core to 12.2 cm to lighten logistics burdens, and the science community accepted the reduction in ice sample with the understanding that replicate coring would be able to provide extra sample volume in key intervals. The WAIS Divide effort would particularly benefit from replicate coring, because of the unique quality of the expected gas record and the large samples needed for gases and gas isotopes; thus this proposal to employ replicate coring at WAIS Divide. In addition, scientific demand for ice samples has been, and will continue to be, very unevenly distributed, with the ice core archive being completely depleted in depth intervals of high scientific interest (abrupt climate changes, volcanic sulfate horizons, meteor impact horizons, for example). The broader impacts of the proposed research may include identification of leads and lags between Greenland, tropical, and Antarctic climate change, enabling critical tests of hypotheses for the mechanism of abrupt climate change. Improved understanding of volcanic impacts on atmospheric chemistry and climate may also emerge. This understanding may ultimately help improve climate models and prediction of the Earth System feedback response to ongoing human perturbation in coming centuries. Outreach and public education about climate change are integral components of the PIs' activities and the proposed work will enhance these efforts. Broader impacts also include education and training of 2 postdoctoral scholars and 1 graduate student, and invaluable field experience for the graduate and undergraduate students who will likely make up the core processing team at WAIS Divide.
1143619/Severinghaus This award supports a project to extend the study of gases in ice cores to those gases whose small molecular diameters cause them to escape rapidly from ice samples (the so-called "fugitive gases"). The work will employ helium, neon, argon, and oxygen measurements in the WAIS Divide ice core to better understand the mechanism of the gas close-off fractionation that occurs while air bubbles are incorporated into ice. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is that corrections for this fractionation using neon (which is constant in the atmosphere) may ultimately enable the first ice core-based atmospheric oxygen and helium records. Neon may also illuminate the mechanistic link between local insolation and oxygen used for astronomical dating of ice cores. Helium measure-ments in the deepest ~100 m of the core will also shed light on the stratigraphic integrity of the basal ice, and serve as a probe of solid earth-ice interaction at the base of the West Antarctic ice sheet. Past atmospheric oxygen records, currently unavailable prior to 1989 CE, would reveal changes in the size of the terrestrial biosphere carbon pool that accompany climate variations and place constraints on the biogeochemical feedback response to future warming. An atmospheric helium-3/helium-4 record would test the hypothesis that the solar wind (which is highly enriched in helium-3) condensed directly into Earth?s atmosphere during the collapse of the geomagnetic field that occurred 41,000 years ago, known as the Laschamp Event. Fugitive-gas samples will be taken on-site immediately after recovery of the ice core by the PI and one postdoctoral scholar, under the umbrella of an existing project to support replicate coring and borehole deepening. This work will add value to the scientific return from field work activity with little additional cost to logistical resources. The broader impacts of the work on atmospheric oxygen are that it may increase understanding of how terrestrial carbon pools and atmospheric greenhouse gas sources will respond in a feedback sense to the coming warming. Long-term atmospheric oxygen trends are also of interest for understanding biogeochemical regulatory mechanisms and the impact of atmospheric evolution on life. Helium records have value in understanding the budget of this non-renewable gas and its implications for space weather and solar activity. The project will train one graduate student and one postdoctoral scholar. The fascination of linking solid earth, cryosphere, atmosphere, and space weather will help to entrain and excite young scientists and efforts to understand the Earth as a whole interlinked system will provide fuel to outreach efforts at all ages.
1245659/Petrenko This award supports a project to use the Taylor Glacier, Antarctica, ablation zone to collect ice samples for a range of paleoenvironmental studies. A record of carbon-14 of atmospheric methane (14CH4) will be obtained for the last deglaciation and the Early Holocene, together with a supporting record of CH4 stable isotopes. In-situ cosmogenic 14C content and partitioning of 14C between different species (14CH4, C-14 carbon monoxide (14CO) and C-14 carbon dioxide (14CO2)) will be determined with unprecedented precision in ice from the surface down to ~67 m. Further age-mapping of the ablating ice stratigraphy will take place using a combination of CH4, CO2, δ18O of oxygen gas and H2O stable isotopes. High precision, high-resolution records of CO2, δ13C of CO2, nitrous oxide (N2O) and N2O isotopes will be obtained for the last deglaciation and intervals during the last glacial period. The potential of 14CO2 and Krypton-81 (81Kr) as absolute dating tools for glacial ice will be investigated. The intellectual merit of proposed work includes the fact that the response of natural methane sources to continuing global warming is uncertain, and available evidence is insufficient to rule out the possibility of catastrophic releases from large 14C-depleted reservoirs such as CH4 clathrates and permafrost. The proposed paleoatmospheric 14CH4 record will improve our understanding of the possible magnitude and timing of CH4 release from these reservoirs during a large climatic warming. A thorough understanding of in-situ cosmogenic 14C in glacial ice (production rates by different mechanisms and partitioning between species) is currently lacking. Such an understanding will likely enable the use of in-situ 14CO in ice at accumulation sites as a reliable, uncomplicated tracer of the past cosmic ray flux and possibly past solar activity, as well as the use of 14CO2 at both ice accumulation and ice ablation sites as an absolute dating tool. Significant gaps remain in our understanding of the natural carbon cycle, as well as in its responses to global climate change. The proposed high-resolution, high-precision records of δ13C of CO2 would provide new information on carbon cycle changes both during times of rising CO2 in a warming climate and falling CO2 in a cooling climate. N2O is an important greenhouse gas that increased by ~30% during the last deglaciation. The causes of this increase are still largely uncertain, and the proposed high-precision record of N2O concentration and isotopes would provide further insights into N2O source changes in a warming world. The broader impacts of proposed work include an improvement in our understanding of the response of these greenhouse gas budgets to global warming and inform societally important model projections of future climate change. The continued age-mapping of Taylor Glacier ablation ice will add value to this high-quality, easily accessible archive of natural environmental variability. Establishing 14CO as a robust new tracer for past cosmic ray flux would inform paleoclimate studies and constitute a valuable contribution to the study of the societally important issue of climate change. The proposed work will contribute to the development of new laboratory and field analytical systems. The data from the study will be made available to the scientific community and the broad public through the NSIDC and NOAA Paleoclimatology data centers. 1 graduate student each will be trained at UR, OSU and SIO, and the work will contribute to the training of a postdoc at OSU. 3 UR undergraduates will be involved in fieldwork and research. The work will support a new, junior UR faculty member, Petrenko. All PIs have a strong history of and commitment to scientific outreach in the forms of media interviews, participation in filming of field projects, as well as speaking to schools and the public about their research, and will continue these activities as part of the proposed work. This award has field work in Antarctica.
Time series data, from ocean moorings, on key aspects of evolving ocean properties are of considerable importance in assessing the condition of the ocean system. They are needed, for example, their understand how the oceans are warming, and how they continue to uptake greenhouse gases such as CO2. The Cape Adare Long Term Mooring (CALM) program goal was to observe the bottom water export from the Ross Sea to the deep ocean. To accomplish this two instrumented moorings were set on the continental slope off Cape Adare (western Ross Sea, Antarctica), positioned to capture the export of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), some of the coldest and densest water found in the global ocean. Data records for the moorings spans over some four years in this very remote part of the ocean. The CALM analysis will address some specific objectives: ? Characterize the temperature, salinity and current variability associated with the Ross Sea AABW export. ? Examine the linkages between observed variability to regional tides, atmosphere and sea ice forcing. ? Relate the Ross Sea AABW export fluctuations to the larger scale climate system dynamics, such as ENSO and SAM, and to AABW formation along other margins of Antarctica, e.g. the Weddell Sea
Abstract Researchers will explore the use of a distributed temperature sensing monitoring system (DTS), using fiber-optical (FO) technology, as the basis of a sustainable, sub-ice cavity sensing array. FO cable systems, such as may be deployed through a hot-water drilled hole through an ice shelf, passing through the underlying cavity to the sea floor, are capable of measuring temperatures down fiber at 1 meter intervals, and at time frequencies as high as 15 seconds. DTS FO systems operate via optical time domain reflectometry along the fiber waveguide using inelastic backscatter of coherent laser light as a probe beam in the FO environment. The introduction of new technologies to the harsh environmental conditions of the Antarctic are often associated with high risk. However, the potential rewards of this approach (e.g. multiyear capability, minimal submerged mechanical or electrical components that may fail, relative simplicity of deployment and measurement principle, yet yielding distributed real time and spatial observation) are attractive enough to conduct a pilot project at a field-ready location (McMurdo). Current indications are that the instability of some of the world's largest ice sheets located around the Antarctic and Greenland may be caused by the presence of warming, deep ocean waters, shoaling over continental shelves, and melting the underside of floating ice shelves. Additional knowledge of the temporal and spatial variability of the temperature fields underneath terminal ice shelves, such as those draining the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, are needed to accurately project future global climate effects on ice-shelf ocean interactions, and in order to inform societal and technological aspects of adaption to changing sea-level.
The stability of the marine West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) remains an important, unresolved problem for predicting future sea level change. Recent studies indicate that the mass balance of the ice sheet today may be negative or positive. The apparent differences may stem in part from short-term fluctuations in flow. By comparison, geologic observations provide evidence of behavior over much longer time scales. Recent work involving glacial-geologic mapping, dating and ice-penetrating radar surveys suggests that deglaciation of both the Ross Sea Embayment and coastal Marie Byrd Land continued into the late Holocene, and leaves open the possibility of ongoing deglaciation and grounding-line retreat. However, previous work in the Ross Sea Embayment was based on data from just three locations that are all far to the north of the present grounding line. Additional data from farther south in the Ross Sea Embayment are needed to investigate whether recession has ended, or if the rate and pattern of deglaciation inferred from our previous study still apply to the present grounding line. This award provides support to reconstruct the evolution of Reedy Glacier, in the southern Transantarctic Mountains, since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Because Reedy Glacier emerges from the mountains above the grounding line, its surface slope and elevation should record changes in thickness of grounded ice in the Ross Sea up to the present day. The deglaciation chronology of Reedy Glacier therefore can indicate whether Holocene retreat of the WAIS ended thousands of years ago, or is still continuing at present. This integrated glaciologic, glacial-geologic, and cosmogenic-isotope exposure- dating project will reconstruct past levels of Reedy Glacier. Over two field seasons, moraines will be mapped, dated and correlated at sites along the length of the glacier. Radar and GPS measurements will be made to supplement existing ice thickness and velocity data, which are needed as input for a model of glacier dynamics. The model will be used to relate geologic measurements to the grounding-line position downstream. Ultimately, the mapping, dating and ice-modeling components of the study will be integrated into a reconstruction that defines changes in ice thickness in the southern Ross Sea since the LGM, and relates these changes to the history of grounding-line retreat. This work directly addresses key goals of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Initiative, which are to understand the dynamics, recent history and possible future behavior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Intellectual Merit: The PIs propose to use the (U-Th)/He system in apatite to investigate the exhumation history, development of the present topography, and pattern of glacial erosion in the central Antarctic Peninsula. The Antarctic Peninsula has been glaciated since the Eocene and Pleistocene climate cooling is hypothesized to have suppressed, rather than enhanced, glacial erosion. To achieve these goals, the PIs will use a thermochronometric record of when and how the present glacial valley relief formed. A challenge to the proposed research is that, unlike Pleistocene glacial landscapes in temperate areas, the Peninsula is ice-covered and it is not possible to directly sample the bedrock surface. The PIs hope to learn about the timing and process of glacial valley formation through apatite (U-Th)/He and 4He/3He measurements on glacial sediment collected near the grounding lines of major glaciers draining the Peninsula. Learning how the Antarctic Peninsula landscape formed is important to discern how the mechanics of glacial erosion operate on long time scales, and to understand how glaciers mediate the interaction between climate change and orogenic mass balance. This work addresses a fundamental question in Antarctic earth science of how to infer geologic and geomorphic processes active on an ice-covered and inaccessible landscape. Broader impacts: This proposal will bring new researchers into the Antarctic research community. A proposed collaboration with British Antarctic Survey researchers will build an international collaboration. The outcomes of this project have ancillary importance to other fields and addresses fundamental challenges in Antarctic Earth Science.
The albedo, or reflection coefficient, is a measure of the diffuse reflectivity of an irradiated surface. With the sunlit atmosphere as a light source, and sea-ice as a diffuse reflecting surface, the albedo would be the fraction of incident light that is returned to the atmosphere. A perfect (white) reflecting surface would have an albedo of 1; a perfect (black) absorbing surface would have an albedo of 0. The albedo of sea-ice is needed to assess the solar energy budget of the marginal ice zone, to compute the partial solar bands in radiation budgets in general circulation and earth system models, and is also needed to interpret remote sensing imagery data products. Applications requiring albedos further into the near IR, out to 2500nm, are assumed or approximated. Modern spectral radiometers, such as will be used in this campaign on a Southern Ocean voyage from Hobart to Antarctica, can extend these measurements of albedo from 350 to 2500nm, allowing earlier estimates to be verified, or corrected. Surfaces to be encountered on this research cruise are expected to include open water, grease ice, nila ice, pancake ice, young grey ice, young grey-white ice, along with first year ice. The presence of variable amounts of snow on these surfaces is also of interest. Light absorbing impurities in the snow and ice, including black carbon and organic matter (brown carbon) are different from those found in Arctic Sea ice, the Antarctic being so remote from combustion sources. This may allow better understanding of the seasonal cycles, energy budgets and their recent trends in spatial extent and thickness. The project will also broaden the educational experiences of both US and Australian students participating in the measurement campaign
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.
The proposed research will investigate the interacting and potentially synergistic influence of two oceanographic features - ocean acidification and the projected rise in mean sea surface temperature - on the performance of Notothenioids, the dominant fish of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Understanding the joint effects of acidification and temperature rise on these fish is a vital component of predicting the resilience of coastal marine ecosystems. Notothenioids have repeatedly displayed a narrow window of physiological tolerances when subjected to abiotic stresses. Given that evolutionary adaptation may have led to finely-tuned traits with narrow physiological limits in these organisms, this system provides a unique opportunity to examine physiological trade-offs associated with acclimation to the multi-stressor environment expected from future atmospheric CO2 projections. Understanding these trade-offs will provide valuable insight into the capacity species have for responses to climate change via phenotypic plasticity. As an extension to functional measurements, this study will use evolutionary approaches to map variation in physiological responses onto the phylogeny of these fishes and the genetic diversity within species. These approaches offer insight into the historical constraints and future potential for evolutionary optimization. The research will significantly expand the genomic resources available to polar researchers and will support the training of graduate students and a post doc at an EPSCoR institution. Research outcomes will be incorporated into classroom curriculum.
The investigators propose to build and test a multi-sensor, automated measurement station for monitoring Arctic and Antarctic ice-ocean environments. The system, based on a previously successful design, will incorporate weather and climate sensors, camera, snow and firn sensors, instruments to measure ice motion, ice and ocean thermal profilers, hydrophone, and salinity sensors. This new system will have two-way communications for real-time data delivery and is designed for rapid deployment by a small field group. AMIGOS-II will be capable of providing real time information on geophysical processes such as weather, snowmelt, ice motion and strain, fractures and melt ponds, firn thermal profiling, and ocean conditions from multiple levels every few hours for 2-4 years. Project personnel will conduct a field test of the new system at a location with a deep ice-covered lake. Development of AMIGOS-II is motivated by recent calls by the U.S. Antarctic Program Blue-Ribbon Panel to increase Antarctic logistical effectiveness, which cites a need for greater efficiency in logistical operations. Installation of autonomous stations with reduced logistical requirements advances this goal.
This award supports a project to contribute one of the cornerstone analyses, stable isotopes of ice (Delta-D, Delta-O18) to the ongoing West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS) deep ice core. The WAIS Divide drilling project, a multi-institution project to obtain a continuous high resolution ice core record from central West Antarctica, reached a depth of 2560 m in early 2010; it is expected to take one or two more field seasons to reach the ice sheet bed (~3300 m), plus an additional four seasons for borehole logging and other activities including proposed replicate coring. The current proposal requests support to complete analyses on the WAIS Divide core to the base, where the age will be ~100,000 years or more. These analyses will form the basis for the investigation of a number of outstanding questions in climate and glaciology during the last glacial period, focused on the dynamics of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the relationship of West Antarctic climate to that of the Northern polar regions, the tropical Pacific, and the rest of the globe, on time scales ranging from years to tens of thousands of years. One new aspect of this work is the growing expertise at the University of Washington in climate modeling with isotope-tracer-enabled general circulation models, which will aid in the interpretation of the data. Another major new aspect is the completion and use of a high-resolution, semi-automated sampling system at the University of Colorado, which will permit the continuous analysis of isotope ratios via laser spectroscopy, at an effective resolution of ~2 cm or less, providing inter-annual time resolution for most of the core. Because continuous flow analyses of stable ice isotopes is a relatively new measurement, we will complement them with parallel measurements, every ~10-20 m, using traditional discrete sampling and analysis by mass spectrometry at the University of Washington. The intellectual merit and the overarching goal of the work are to see Inland WAIS become the reference ice isotope record for West Antarctica. The broader impacts of the work are that the data generated in this project pertain directly to policy-relevant and immediate questions of the stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet, and thus past and future changes in sea level, as well as the nature of climate change in the high southern latitudes. The project will also contribute to the development of modern isotope analysis techniques using laser spectroscopy, with applications well beyond ice cores. The project will involve a graduate student and postdoc who will work with both P.I.s, and spend time at both institutions. Data will be made available rapidly through the Antarctic Glaciological Data Center, for use by other researchers and the public.
Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) and leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are iconic, top predators in Antarctica. Understanding their physiological ecology is essential to the assessment of their adaptability to the threats of climate change, pollution, and overfishing. The proposed research has multipronged objectives. Prior results suggest that Emperor penguins have flexible (vs. static) aerobic dive limits (ADL) that vary with the type of dive, and that the role of heart rate in utilization of oxygen stores also varies with dive type. A series of physiological measurements are proposed with backpack electrocardiogram recorders, that will allow further delineation of patterns and interrelationships among heart rate, dive behavior, and oxygen stores. Importantly, the research will be done on free diving emperors, and not individuals confined to a dive hole, thereby providing a more genuine measure of diving physiology and behavior. A separate objective is to examine foraging behavior of leopard seals, using a backpack digital camera and time depth recorder. Leopard seal behavior and prey intake is poorly quantified, but known to be significant. Accordingly the research is somewhat exploratory but will provide important baseline data. Finally, the P.I. proposes to continue long term overflight censuses of Emperor penguin colonies in the Ross Sea. Broader impacts include collaboration with National Geographic television, graduate student training, and development of sedation techniques for leopard seals.
0944199/Matsuoka<br/><br/>This award supports a project to test the hypothesis that abrupt changes in fabric exist and are associated with both climate transitions and volcanic eruptions. It requires depth-continuous measurements of the fabric. By lowering a new logging tool into the WAIS Divide borehole after the completion of the core drilling, this project will measure acoustic-wave speeds as a function of depth and interpret it in terms of ice fabrics. This interpretation will be guided by ice-core-measured fabrics at sparse depths. This project will apply established analytical techniques for the ice-sheet logging and estimate depth profiles of both compressional- and shear-wave speeds at short intervals (~ 1 m). Previous logging projects measured only compressional-wave speeds averaged over typically 5-7 m intervals. Thus the new logger will enable more precise fabric interpretations. Fabric measurements using thin sections have revealed distinct fabric patterns separated by less than several meters; fabric measurements over a shorter period are crucial. At the WAIS Divide borehole, six two-way logging runs will be made with different observational parameters so that multiple wave-propagation modes will be identified, yielding estimates of both compressional- and shear-wave speeds. Each run takes approximately 24 hours to complete; we propose to occupy the boreholes in total eight days. The logging at WAIS Divide is temporarily planned in December 2011, but the timing is not critical. This project?s scope is limited to the completion of the logging and fabric interpretations. Results will be immediately shared with other WAIS Divide researchers. Direct benefits of this data sharing include guiding further thin-section analysis of the fabric, deriving a precise thinning function that retrieves more accurate accumulation history and depth-age scales. The PIs of this project have conducted radar and seismic surveys in this area and this project will provide a ground truth for these regional remote-sensing assessments of the ice interior. In turn, these remote sensing means can extend the results from the borehole to larger parts of the central West Antarctica. This project supports education for two graduate students for geophysics, glaciology, paleoclimate, and polar logistics. The instrument that will be acquired in this project can be used at other boreholes for ice-fabric characterizations and for englacial hydrology (wetness of temperate ice).
This award supports a program of ground-based geophysical measurements to map in detail the spatial variations of ice flow, accumulation rate, internal layering and ice thickness at the sites which have been identified as promising locations to drill the next deep ice core in West Antarctica. The main investigative tools are a high- and low-frequency ice penetrating radar to image the topography of internal layers and the bed, repeat GPS surveys to calculate the present day surface velocity field, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry to calculate the regional velocity field, and short firn cores to calculate present day accumulation rates. The data which will be collected will be used to as input to time-dependent ice flow and temperature models that will predict depth variation of age, layer thickness, and temperature. As well as yielding an estimate of expected conditions before drilling, the mismatch between the model prediction and data eventually recovered from the core will help infer thinning and climate (accumulation and temperature) histories for the region. The Western Divide, between the Ross Sea Embayment and the Amundsen Sea, has been identified as the region which best satisfies the criteria which have been established for a deep drilling site. Preliminary site selection using airborne geophysical methods has identified several potential drill sites on the Western Divide where the climate record should be best preserved. This work will contribute in a major way to the final site selection for the next deep ice core in West Antarctica.
Severinghaus/0944343<br/><br/>This award supports a project to develop both a record of past local temperature change at the WAIS Divide site, and past mean ocean temperature using solubility effects on atmospheric krypton and xenon. The two sets of products share some of the same measurements, because the local temperature is necessary to make corrections to krypton and xenon, and thus synergistically support each other. Further scientific synergy is obtained by the fact that the mean ocean temperature is constrained to vary rather slowly, on a 1000-yr timescale, due to the mixing time of the deep ocean. Thus rapid changes are not expected, and can be used to flag methodological problems if they appear in the krypton and xenon records. The mean ocean temperature record produced will have a temporal resolution of 500 years, and will cover the entire 3400 m length of the core. This record will be used to test hypotheses regarding the cause of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) variations, including the notion that deep ocean stratification via a cold salty stagnant layer caused atmospheric CO2 drawdown during the last glacial period. The local surface temperature record that results will synergistically combine with independent borehole thermometry and water isotope records to produce a uniquely precise and accurate temperature history for Antarctica, on a par with the Greenland temperature histories. This history will be used to test hypotheses that the ?bipolar seesaw? is forced from the North Atlantic Ocean, which makes a specific prediction that the timing of Antarctic cooling should slightly lag abrupt Greenland warming. The WAIS Divide ice core is expected to be the premier atmospheric gas record of the past 100,000 years for the foreseeable future, and as such, making this set of high precision noble gas measurements adds value to the other gas records because they all share a common timescale and affect each other in terms of physical processes such as gravitational fractionation. Broader impact of the proposed work: The clarification of timing of atmospheric CO2 and Antarctic surface temperature, along with deep ocean temperature, will aid in efforts to understand the feedbacks among CO2, temperature, and ocean circulation. These feedbacks bear on the future response of the Earth System to anthropogenic forcing. A deeper understanding of the mechanism of deglaciation, and the role of atmospheric CO2, will go a long way towards clarifying a topic that has become quite confused in the public mind in the public debate over climate change. Elucidating the role of the bipolar seesaw in ending glaciations and triggering CO2 increases may also provide an important warning that this represents a potential positive feedback, not currently considered by IPCC. Education of one graduate student, and training of one technician, will add to the nation?s human resource base. Outreach activities will be enhanced and will to continue to entrain young people in discovery, and excitement will enhance the training of the next generation of scientists and educators.
This award supports a project to investigate the transformations from snow to firn to ice and the underlying physics controlling firn's ability to store atmospheric samples from the past. Senior researchers, a graduate student, and several undergraduates will make high-resolution measurements of both the diffusivity and permeability profiles of firn cores from several sites in Antarctica and correlate the results with their microstructures quantified using advanced materials characterization techniques (scanning electron microscopy and x-ray computed tomography). The use of cores from different sites will enable us to examine the influence of different local climate conditions on the firn structure. We will use the results to help interpret existing measurements of firn air chemical composition at several sites where firn air measurements exist. There are three closely-linked goals of this project: to quantify the dependence of interstitial transport properties on firn microstructure from the surface down to the pore close-off depth, to determine at what depths bubbles form and entrap air, and investigate the extent to which these features exhibit site-to-site differences, and to use the measurements of firn air composition and firn structure to better quantify the differences between atmospheric composition (present and past), and the air trapped in both the firn and in air bubbles within ice by comparing the results of the proposed work with firn air measurements that have been made at the WAIS Divide and Megadunes sites. The broader impacts of this project are that the study will this study will enable us to elucidate the fundamental controls on the metamorphism of firn microstructure and its impact on processes of gas entrapment that are important to understanding ice core evidence of past atmospheric composition and climate change. The project will form the basis for the graduate research of a PhD student at Dartmouth, with numerous opportunities for undergraduate involvement in cold room measurements and outreach. The investigators have a track record of successfully mentoring women students, and will build on this experience. In conjunction with local earth science teachers, and graduate and undergraduate students will design a teacher-training module on the role of the Polar Regions in climate change. Once developed and tested, this module will be made available to the broader polar research community for their use with teachers in their communities.
The mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT), at an altitude between 80 and 120 km above the Earth's surface, is a highly dynamic region that couples the lower terrestrial atmosphere (troposphere and stratosphere) with the upper atmosphere near-Earth space environment (thermosphere and ionosphere). Of particular importance in this region are both the upward propagating thermally forced atmospheric tides and global scale planetary waves. Both of these phenomena transport heat and momentum from the lower atmosphere into the upper atmosphere. Studies in recent years have indicated that the Arctic and Antarctic MLT possess a rich spectrum waves and may be more sensitive to global change than the lower atmosphere. The primary goal of this research is to observe, quantify, model, and further understand the spatial-temporal structure and variability of the MLT circulation above Antarctica and its commonalities with the Arctic. A secondary goal is to quantify and understand the deposition of mass into the upper atmosphere through the ablation of meteors and the resulting effect on local and regional aeronomic processes. This includes the effect of meteor flux, temperature and dynamics on the seasonal distribution of sodium over the South Pole. Meteor radar was installed at the South Pole Amundsen-Scott station and has been running continuously since January 2002. A new sodium nightglow imager will be installed at the South Pole to infer the sodium abundance in the MLT. Observations from this instrument will be combined with the South Pole Fabry-Perot interferometer temperature measurements and the meteor radar wind and meteor flux measurements to improve our understanding of the sodium chemistry and dynamics. These observations will be interpreted using sophisticated numerical models and interpreted in conjunction with Arctic measurements along with current linear and nonlinear atmospheric models to advance the current understanding of processes important to the MLT region. This research also contributes to the training and education of the graduate and undergraduate students, a postdoc and early career tenure track faculty.
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).<br/><br/>This award supports a project to use the WAIS Divide deep core to investigate the Last Deglaciation at sub-annual resolution through an integrated set of chemical and biological analyses. The intellectual merit of the project is that these analyses, combined with others, will take advantage of the high snow accumulation WAIS Divide site yielding the highest time resolution glacio-biogeochemical and gas record of any deep Antarctic ice core. With other high resolution Greenland cores (GISP2 and GRIP) and lower resolution Antarctic cores, the combined record will yield new insights into worldwide climate dynamics and abrupt change. The proposed chemical, biological, and elemental tracer measurements will also be used to address all of the WAIS Divide science themes. The broader impacts of the project include education and outreach activities such as numerous presentations to local K-12 students; opportunities for student and teacher involvement in the laboratory work; a teacher training program in Earth sciences in the heavily minority Santa Ana, Compton, and Costa Mesa, California school districts; and development of high school curricula. Extensive graduate and undergraduate student involvement also is planned and will include one post doctoral associate, one graduate student, and undergraduate hourly involvement at DRI; a graduate student and undergraduates at University of California, Irvine (UCI); and a post doctoral fellow at MSU. Student recruitment will be made from underrepresented groups building on a long track record of involvement and will include the NSF funded California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) and the Montana American Indian Research Opportunities (AIRO).<br/><br/>This award does not involve field work in Antarctica.
Cole-Dai/0839066<br/><br/>This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).<br/><br/>This award supports a project to make continuous major ion analyses in the West Antarctica Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS Divide) ice core by sampling the brittle ice zone (approximately from 500 m to 1500 m). The intellectual merit of the project is that these will likely be the only chemical measurements on the brittle ice zone and, therefore, will bridge the gap in the expected continuous records of climate, ice sheet dynamics and biological evolution based on chemical measurements. High resolution sampling and analysis, probably on selected portions and depth intervals in the brittle ice zone, will help with the independent, high-precision dating of the WAIS Divide core and contribute to the achievement of the major objectives of the WAIS Divide project?development of high resolution climate records with which to investigate issues of climate forcing by greenhouse gases and the role of Antarctica and Southern Hemisphere in the global climate system. Planned collaboration with other WAIS Divide investigators will develop the longest and most detailed volcanic record from Antarctica ice cores. The broader impacts of this project include a contribution to enhancing our knowledge of the climate system. Such improvements in understanding of the global climate system and the ability to predict the magnitude and uncertainty of future changes are highly relevant to the global community. The project will support post-doctoral scientists and graduate students, including those from under-represented groups, will contribute to education, an help to train future scientists and promote diversity in research and education. Public outreach activities of this project will contribute to informal science education of school age children in the Eastern South Dakota region.
Lake Vida is the largest lake of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, with an approximately 20 m ice cover overlaying a brine of unknown depth with at least 7 times seawater salinity and temperatures below -10 degrees C year-round. Samples of brine collected from ice above the main water body contain 1) the highest nitrous oxide levels of any natural water body on Earth, 2) unusual geochemistry including anomalously high ammonia and iron concentrations, 3) high microbial counts with an unusual proportion (99%) of ultramicrobacteria. The microbial community is unique even compared to other Dry Valley Lakes. The research proposes to enter, for the first time the main brine body below the thick ice of Lake Vida and perform in situ measurements, collect samples of the brine column, and collect sediment cores from the lake bottom for detailed geochemical and microbiological analyses. The results will allow the characterization of present and past life in the lake, assessment of modern and past sedimentary processes, and determination of the lake's history. The research will be conducted by a multidisciplinary team that will uncover the biogeochemical processes associated with a non-photosynthetic microbial community isolated for a significant period of time. This research will address diversity, adaptive mechanisms and evolutionary processes in the context of the physical evolution of the environment of Lake Vida. Results will be widely disseminated through publications, presentations at national and international meetings, through the Subglacial Antarctic Lake Exploration (SALE) web site and the McMurdo LTER web site. The research will support three graduate students and three undergraduate research assistants. The results will be incorporated into a new undergraduate biogeosciences course at the University of Illinois at Chicago which has an extremely diverse student body, dominated by minorities.
The importance of gelatinous zooplankton in marine systems worldwide is increasing. In Southern Ocean, increasing salp densities could have a detrimental effect on higher predators, including penguins, fur seals, and baleen whales. The proposed research is a methods-develoment project that will improve the capability to indirectly assess abundances and distributions of salps in the Southern Ocean through acoustic surveys. Hydrographic, net tow, and acoustic backscatter data will be collected in the waters surrounding the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic peninsula, where both krill and salps are found and compete for food. Shipboard experimental manipulations and measurements will lead to improved techniques for assessment of salp biomass acoustically. Experiments will focus on material properties (density and sound speed), size and shape of salps, as well as how these physical properties will vary with the salp's environment, feeding rate, and reproductive status. In the field, volume backscattering data from an acoustic echosounder will be collected at the same locations as the net tows to enable comparison of net and acoustic estimates of salp abundance. A physics-based scattering model for salps will be developed and validated, to determine if multiple acoustic frequencies can be used to discriminate between scattering associated with krill swarms and that from salp blooms. During the same period as the Antarctic field work, a parallel outreach and education study will be undertaken in Long Island, New York examining local gelatinous zooplankton. This study will enable project participants to learn and practice research procedures and methods before traveling to Antarctica; provide a comparison time-series that will be used for educational purposes; and include many more students and teachers in the research project than would be able to participate in the Antarctic field component.
Aciego/1043367 This award supports the development of a new method for determining the absolute age of samples from deep ice cores. The project will: (1) prove the efficacy of the Uranium-series dating method on a high accumulation rate ice core, and (2) address the uncertainties in the age dating of the EPICA Dronning-Maud Land (EDML) ice core in the lower 300 m. The well-dated upper section of the ice core (down to 150,000 years at 2415.7 m) will provide excellent constraints to validate the ages determined by the U-series method. After verification, and possible adjustments to the laboratory chemistry, the method will be applied to a suite of ice samples of unknown age in the lower part of the EDML ice core. Within the lower 300 m of this ice core, the climate records are disturbed by tilting and folding of the ice, and, due to the uncertainties in how the ice has flowed, it is impossible to determine if accurate age dates can be obtained to access the record of climate change, or if mixing of the ice is too incoherent. As part of the methodology, the PI will measure surface area of dust included in the ice using a gas adsorption technique developed for ultra-small samples; these measurements will be made on a BET nano-scale which is to be purchased from the funding of this project. Intellectual Merit: The proposed research will contribute to our understanding of geophysical processes that fold and tilt ice. This will allow new paleoclimate records to be recovered from ice cores that have been physically deformed and disturbed and previously did not permit accurate dating. Broader Impacts: This funding will provide support for one PhD graduate student and contribute to their training as a researcher in geochemistry and paleoclimate studies. The PI will teach classes in earth surface processes (including glaciology) and in advanced isotope geochemistry. Work related to this research will be integrated as a teaching tool into the classroom to provide a hands-on, relevant learning experience. Furthermore, samples examined as part of this research will be made available from the AWI archive in Bremerhaven, Germany as part of the collaboration between the PI in the United States and the European ice core community.
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).<br/><br/>This award supports a project to develop a robust analytical technique for measuring the stable isotopes of CO2 in air trapped in polar ice, and to reconstruct the ä13C of CO2 over the last glacial to interglacial transition (20,000 to 10,000 years BP) and through the Holocene. The bulk of these measurements will be made on newly cored ice from the WAIS Divide Ice Core. A robust record ä13C of CO2 will be a valuable addition to the rich data produced from this project. The intellectual merit of the proposed work relates to the fact that explaining glacial-interglacial changes in atmospheric CO2 remains a major challenge for paleoclimatology. The lack of a coherent, widely accepted explanation underscores uncertainties in the basic mechanisms that control the carbon cycle, and that lack of understanding limits our ability to confidently predict how the carbon cycle will change in the future, in the face of a potentially major perturbation of both global temperature and the CO2 content of the atmosphere. A widely accepted record of this parameter could transform our understanding of how the carbon cycle and climate change are linked. The broader impacts of the work include training of graduate student at OSU who will conduct much of the lab work and will also participate in fieldwork at the WAIS Divide Core site. The student will also participate in a number of organized outreach efforts and will develop his own outreach effort, through weblogs and other communication of his research. The PIs will communicate the results from this project to a variety of audiences through academic courses and public talks. The proposed work addresses a major topic in biogeochemistry, the origin of glacial-interglacial CO2 cycles. The results are relevant to understanding changes in the carbon cycle due to human activities because the lack of clear understanding of past variations contributes to public uncertainty about the importance of modern climate change. The proposed funding will also contribute to analytical infrastructure at OSU and develop an analytical capability for an ice core measurement currently not available in the United States.
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.
This award is for support for a four year program to study the basal conditions of ice stream D using techniques previously applied to ice stream B. The objective is to determine whether the physical conditions and processes to be observed by borehole geophysics at the base of this large ice stream are consistent with what has been observed at ice stream B and to point to a common basal mechanism of ice streaming. This project includes a comparison between two parts of ice stream D, an upstream reach where flow velocities are modest (about 80 meters/year) and a downstream reach of high velocity (about 400 meters/year). The comparison will help to reveal what physical variable or combination of variables is mainly responsible for the streaming flow. The variables to be monitmred by borehole observation include basal water pressure, basal sliding velocity, flow properties and sedimentological characteristics of subglacial till if present, ice temperature profile including basal water transport velocity, connection time to the basal water system, basal melting rate and others.
This award supports a project to fully characterize the microstructure in ice cores, in particular the microstructural locations of impurities, grain orientations and strain gradients. This work will complement the optical observations, electrical conductivity measurement, and precise, detailed measurements of the soluble ion and gas contents that are performed by others. Linking the concentrations of soluble ions and gases, measured to a few parts per billion, to the optically determined annual layer structure and the stable isotope data in ice cores has enabled a great deal to be established about the concentrations and depth/age distributions of particles, trace gases and impurities for several polar ice cores. Ice core studies carried out by several groups contribute immensely to our understanding of paleoclimate and, to our ability to predict future climate change. The work will build on previous measurements and technique development in this area, as well as focusing on new techniques to characterize ice cores. The work will use both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and confocal scanning optical microscopy coupled with Raman spectroscopy (RS) to determine the microstructural locations of impurities and correlate this information with depth/age, and impurity type and concentration for several polar ice cores. The Broader Impacts of the proposed work are that knowledge of the location of impurities coupled with the grain orientation (both c- and a-axis) and grain misorientation information will allow paleoclimatologists to better interpret ice core data and other scientists to understand and model the physical and mechanical properties of natural ice sheets. Other Broader Impacts of the work are that the work will be performed and lead to the education of a Ph.D. student. At the end of the project, as well as the knowledge gained from coursework, the graduate student will have experience in ice core specimen preparation and characterization using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray microanalysis, confocal scanning microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and ion chromatography. Results from the research will be published in refereed journals, presented at conferences, and placed on a web page.
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The investigators will examine competing hypotheses for the mechanism of extension and creation of the Transantarctic Mountains, and evolution of the thermal regimes of rifted West Antarctica and stable East Antarctica using magnetotelluric (MT) profiles. Surrounded almost entirely by ocean ridges, Antarctica is a special tectonic situation because of the need to make accommodation space for rifting in the Transantarctic region. In the MT method, temporal variations in the Earth's natural electromagnetic field are used as source fields to probe the electrical resistivity structure in the depth range of 1 to 200 km, or more. Geophysical methods, such as MT, are appropriate in Antarctica because of the predominance of thick ice cover over most of the Continent and the difficult operating environment. The proposed effort will consist of approximately 50 sites over a distance approaching 500 km with a 10 km average spacing, oriented normal to the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM), in the Beardmore glacier area. High quality MT soundings will be collected over thick ice sheets using a custom electrode preamp design, updated from previous Antarctic projects. Data acquisition will take place over two field seasons. The primary goals are three-fold: to establish the location of the deeper tectonic transition between East and West Antarctica that may be offset from the physiographic transition at the surface, using deep resistivity structure distinguish between modes of extensional upwelling and magmatism that may be vertically non-uniform, depth and magnitude of quasi-layered deep crustal low resistivity, particularly below West Antarctica, will be used to estimate crustal heat flux into the ice sheet base.
This award supports a field experiment, with partners from Chile and the Netherlands, to determine the state of health and stability of Larsen C ice shelf in response to climate change. Significant glaciological and ecological changes are taking place in the Antarctic Peninsula in response to climate warming that is proceeding at 6 times the global average rate. Following the collapse of Larsen A ice shelf in 1995 and Larsen B in 2002, the outlet glaciers that nourished them with land ice accelerated massively, losing a disproportionate amount of ice to the ocean. Further south, the much larger Larsen C ice shelf is thinning and measurements collected over more than a decade suggest that it is doomed to break up. The intellectual merit of the project will be to contribute to the scientific knowledge of one of the Antarctic sectors where the most significant changes are taking place at present. The project is central to a cluster of International Polar Year activities in the Antarctic Peninsula. It will yield a legacy of international collaboration, instrument networking, education of young scientists, reference data and scientific analysis in a remote but globally relevant glaciological setting. The broader impacts of the project will be to address the contribution to sea level rise from Antarctica and to bring live monitoring of climate and ice dynamics in Antarctica to scientists, students, the non-specialized public, the press and the media via live web broadcasting of progress, data collection, visualization and analysis. Existing data will be combined with new measurements to assess what physical processes are controlling the weakening of the ice shelf, whether a break up is likely, and provide baseline data to quantify the consequences of a breakup. Field activities will include measurements using the Global Positioning System (GPS), installation of automatic weather stations (AWS), ground penetrating radar (GPR) measurements, collection of shallow firn cores and temperature measurements. These data will be used to characterize the dynamic response of the ice shelf to a variety of phenomena (oceanic tides, iceberg calving, ice-front retreat and rifting, time series of weather conditions, structural characteristics of the ice shelf and bottom melting regime, and the ability of firn to collect melt water and subsequently form water ponds that over-deepen and weaken the ice shelf). This effort will complement an analysis of remote sensing data, ice-shelf numerical models and control methods funded independently to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the ice shelf evolution in a changing climate.
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 will support the participation of US scientists in an international planning workshop devoted to discussions of how to best facilitate and coordinate international efforts for terrestrial system studies at the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. To date, various aspects of the different Dry Valley landscape features (lakes, soils, glaciers, streams) and their biota have been studied most intensively by US and New Zealand scientists, but these efforts could significantly improve their explanatory power if they were coordinated so as to reduce redundancy, decrease environmental degradation and, most importantly, produce comparable datasets. Additionally, many of the present environmental management programs are based on the past baseline composition and location of biotic communities. As these communities become rearranged across the valleys in the future there is interest in assessing whether today's management plans are adequate. To efficiently move these research programs forward for the McMurdo Dry Valleys requires a coordinated, interdisciplinary, long-term data monitoring and observation network. The ultimate objectives of the workshop are to: i) identify the optimal, complementary suites of measurements required to assess and address key processes associated with environmental change in Dry Valley ecosystems; ii) develop standards and protocols for gathering the most critical biotic and abiotic measurements associated with the key processes driving environmental change; iii) generate a draft data coordination and development plan that will maximize the utility of these data; iv) assess the effectiveness of current McMurdo Dry Valley ASMA (Antarctic Special Management Area) environmental protection guidelines.
Joughin 0631973<br/><br/>This award supports a project to gather data to better understand the mass balance of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, in the Pine Island and Thwaites region, through the combination of radar altimetry and surface-based ice-core measurements of accumulation. The intellectual merit of the project is that the results of the field work will provide information on decadal-scale average accumulation extending back through the last century and will help constrain a modeling effort to determine how coastal changes propagate inland, to allow better prediction of future change. Comparison of the basin averaged accumulation with ice discharge determined using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) velocity data will provide improved mass-balance estimates. Study of changes in flow speed will produce a record of mass balance over the last three decades. Analysis of the satellite altimeter record in conjunction with annual accumulation estimates also will provide estimates of changes and variability in mass balance. The broader impacts of the work are that it will make a significant contribution to future IPCC estimates of sea level, which are important for projection of the impacts of increased sea level on coastal communities. The research will contribute to the graduate education of students at the Universities of Washington and Kansas and will enrich K-12 education through the direct participation of the PIs in classroom activities. Informal science education includes 4-day glacier flow demonstrations at the Polar Science Weekend held annually at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. The project also will communicate results through Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) outreach effort. All field and remotely-sensed data sets will be archived and distributed by the National Snow and Ice Data Center. This project is relevant to IPY in that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is losing mass, in large part because of rapid thinning of the Amundsen Coast glaciers so, it will directly address the NSF IPY emphasis on "ice sheet history and dynamics." The project is also international in scope.
1043528/Alley This award supports a project to complete the physical-properties studies of the WAIS Divide deep ice core, now being collected in West Antarctica. Ongoing work funded by NSF, under a grant that is ending, has produced visible stratigraphy dating, inspection of the core for any melt layers, volcanic horizons, flow disturbances or other features, analysis of bubble number-densities allowing reconstruction of a two-millennial cooling trend in the latter Holocene at the site, characterization of other bubble characteristics (size, etc.), density studies, characterization of snow-surface changes at the site, preliminary c-axis studies, and more. The current proposal seeks to complete this work, once the rest of the core is recovered. The intellectual merit of the proposed activity starts with quality assurance for the core, by visual detection of any evidence of flow disturbances that would disrupt the integrity of the climate record. Inspection will also reveal any melt layers, volcanic horizons, etc. Annual-layer dating will be conducted; thus far, the visible strata have not been as useful as some other indicators, but the possibility (based on experience in Greenland) that visible examination will allow detection of thinner annual layers than other techniques motivates the effort. Bubble number-density will be used to reconstruct temperature changes through the rest of the bubbly part of the core, providing important paleoclimatic data for earlier parts of the Holocene. Coordinated interpretation of c-axis fabrics, grain sizes and shapes, and bubble characteristics will be used to learn about the history of ice flow, the processes of ice flow, and the softness of the ice for additional deformation. Analysis of surface data already collected will improve interpretation of the layering of the core. It is possible that the annual-layer dating will not be sufficiently successful, and that the core will be undisturbed with no melt layers; if so, then these efforts will not yield major publications. However, success of the other efforts should produce improved understanding of the history and stability of the ice sheet, and key processes controlling these, and the quality assurance provided by the visual examination is important for the project as a whole. The broader impacts of the proposed activity include education of a PhD student and multiple undergraduates, and research opportunities for a junior faculty member at an undergraduate institution. The proposed activity will help support an especially vigorous education and outreach effort providing undergraduate instruction for over 1000 students per year, reaching thousands more citizens and many policymakers, and preparing educational materials used at many levels.
This award supports a project to perform continuous microparticle concentration and size distribution measurements (using coulter counter and state-of-the-art laser detector methods), analysis of biologically relevant trace elements associated with microparticles (Fe, Zn, Co, Cd, Cu), and tephra measurements on the WAIS Divide ice core. This initial three-year project includes analysis of ice core spanning the instrumental (~1850-present) to mid- Holocene (~5000 years BP) period, with sample resolution ranging from subannual to decadal. The intellectual merit of the project is that it will help in establishing the relationships among climate, atmospheric aerosols from terrestrial and volcanic sources, ocean biogeochemistry, and greenhouse gases on several timescales which remain a fundamental problem in paleoclimatology. The atmospheric mineral dust plays an important but uncertain role in direct radiative forcing, and the microparticle datasets produced in this project will allow us to examine changes in South Pacific aerosol loading, atmospheric dynamics, and dust source area climate. The phasing of changes in aerosol properties within Antarctica, throughout the Southern Hemisphere, and globally is unclear, largely due to the limited number of annually dated records extending into the glacial period and the lack of a<br/>tephra framework to correlate records. The broader impacts of the proposed research are an interdisciplinary approach to climate science problems, and will contribute to several WAIS Divide science themes as well as the broader paleoclimate and oceanographic communities. Because the research topics have a large and direct societal relevance, the project will form a centerpiece of various outreach efforts at UMaine and NMT including institution websites, public speaking, local K-12 school interaction, media interviews and news releases, and popular literature. At least one PhD student and one MS student will be directly supported by this project, including fieldwork, core processing, laboratory analysis, and data interpretation/publication. We expect that one graduate student per year will apply for a core handler/assistant driller position through the WAIS Divide Science Coordination Office, and that undergraduate student involvement will result in several Capstone experience projects (a UMaine graduation requirement). Data and ideas generated from the project will be integrated into undergraduate and graduate course curricula at both institutions.
This award supports a project that is part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS Divide) program; which is a multi-disciplinary multi-institutional program to investigate the causes of natural changes in climate, the influence of the West Antarctic ice sheet on sea level, and the biology of deep ice. The WAIS Divide core will be unique among Antarctic ice cores in that it will have discernable annual layers for the last 40,000 years. A critical element of the program is to determine the age of the ice so that the climate proxies measured on the core can be interpreted in terms of age, not just depth. This project will make electrical measurements that can identify the annual layers. This information will be combined with information from other investigators to develop an annually resolved timescale over the last 40,000 years. This timescale will be the foundation on which the recent climate records are interpreted. Electrical measurements will also be used to produce two-dimensional images of the ice core stratigraphy; allowing sections of the core with abnormal stratigraphy to be identified. The broader impacts of this project include exposing a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students to ice core research and assisting the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C to develop a paleoclimate/ice core display.
This project characterizes wind-driven sediment transport in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of <br/>Antarctica during both winter and summer periods. Wind is the primary sculptor of<br/>terrain in this region and winter measurements, which have never been undertaken, are<br/>essential for determining the frequency and magnitude of transport events. The projects<br/>goal is to determine if the existing landforms represent relics from past climate regimes<br/>or contemporary processes. The project involves two major activities: (1) dynamic and<br/>time-integrated measurements of sand transport to characterize the seasonal behavior,<br/>frequency, and magnitude at four sites and (2) detailed surveying of an unusual<br/>wind-formed surface feature, the gravel megaripples found in the Wright Valley. In<br/>addition to interpreting Dry Valleys geomorphology, these data will provide a more<br/>quantitative assessment of wind-aided distribution of nutrients, plants, and animals to<br/>terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems throughout the Dry Valleys. This research will also<br/>provide quantitative information on the effects of extreme cold and low humidity on<br/>transport thresholds and rates, which can be applied to cold desert environments of the<br/>Arctic, Antarctic, and Mars.
Brook 0739766<br/><br/>This award supports a project to create a 25,000-year high-resolution record of atmospheric CO2 from the WAIS Divide ice core. The site has high ice accumulation rate, relatively cold temperatures, and annual layering that should be preserved back to 40,000 years, all prerequisite for preserving a high quality, well-dated CO2 record. The new record will be used to examine relationships between Antarctic climate, Northern Hemisphere climate, and atmospheric CO2 on glacial-interglacial to centennial time scales, at unprecedented temporal resolution. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is simply that CO2 is the most important greenhouse gas that humans directly impact, and understanding the sources, sinks, and controls of atmospheric CO2 is a major goal for the global scientific community. Accurate chronology and detailed records are primary requirements for developing and testing models that explain and predict CO2 variability. The proposed work has several broader impacts. It contributes to the training of a post-doctoral researcher, who will transfer to a research faculty position during the award period and who will participate in graduate teaching and guest lecture in undergraduate courses. An undergraduate researcher will gain valuable lab training and conduct independent research. Bringing the results of<br/>the proposed work to the classroom will enrich courses taught by the PI. Outreach efforts will expose pre-college students to ice core research. The proposed work will enhance the laboratory facilities for ice core research at OSU, insuring that the capability for CO2 measurements exists for future projects. All data will be archived at the National Snow and Ice Data Center and other similar archives, per OPP policy. Highly significant results will be disseminated to the news media through OSU?s very effective News and Communications group. Carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas that humans are directly changing. Understanding how CO2 and climate are linked on all time scales is necessary for predicting the future behavior of the carbon cycle and climate system, primarily to insure that the appropriate processes are represented in carbon cycle/climate models. Part of the proposed work emphasizes the relationship of CO2 and abrupt climate change. Understanding how future abrupt change might impact the carbon cycle is an important issue for society.
This award supports a three-year study to isolate essential physical processes affecting Thwaites Glacier (TG) in the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) of West Antarctica using a suite of existing numerical models in conjunction with existing and International Polar Year (IPY)-proposed data sets. Four different models will be utilized to explore the effects of embayment geometry, ice-shelf buttressing, basal-stress distribution, surface mass balance, surface climate, and inland dynamic perturbations on the present and future dynamics of TG. This particular collection of models is ideally suited for the broad nature of this investigation, as they incorporate efficient and complementary simplifications of the stress field (shallow-ice and shelf-stream), system geometry (1-d and 2-d plan-view and flowline; depth-integrated and depth-dependent), and mass-momentum energy coupling (mechanical and thermo-mechanical). The models will be constrained and validated by data sets (including regional maps of ice thickness, surface elevation, basal topography, ice surface velocity, and potential fields) and geophysical data analyses (including increasing the spatial resolution of surface elevations, improving regional estimates of geothermal flux, and characterizing the sub-glacial interface of grounded ice as well as the grounding-zone transition between grounded and floating ice). The intellectual merit of the research focuses on several of the NSF Glaciology program's emphases, including: ice dynamics, numerical modeling, and remote sensing of ice sheets. In addition, the research directly addresses the following specific NSF objectives: "investigation of the physics of fast glacier flow with emphasis on processes at glacier beds"; "investigation of ice-shelf stability"; and "identification and quantification of the feedback between ice dynamics and climate change". The broader impacts of this research effort will help answer societally relevant questions of future ice sheet stability and sea-level change. The research also will aid in the early career development of two young investigators and will contribute to the education of both graduate and undergraduate students directly involved in the research, and results will be incorporated into courses and informal presentations.
Sowers/Brook<br/>0538538<br/>This award supports a project to develop a high-resolution (every 50 yr) methane data set that will play a pivotal role in developing the timescale for the new deep ice core being drilled at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS Divde) site as well as providing a common stratigraphic framework for comparing climate records from Greenland and WAIS Divide. Certain key intervals will be measured at even higher resolution to assist in precisely defining the phasing of abrupt climate change between the northern and southern hemispheres. Concurrent analysis of a suit of samples from both the WAIS Divide and GISP2 ice cores throughout the last 110kyr is also proposed, to establish the inter-hemispheric methane gradient which will be used to identify geographic areas responsible for the climate-related methane emission changes. A large gas measurement inter-calibration of numerous laboratories, utilizing both compressed air cylinders and WAIS Divide ice core samples, will also be performed. The intellectual merit of the proposed work is that it will provide the chronological control needed to examine the timing of changes in climate proxies, and critical chronological ties to the Greenland ice core records via methane variations. In addition, the project addresses the question of what methane sources were active during the ice age and will help to answer the fundamental question of what part of the biosphere controlled past methane variations. The broader impact of the proposed work is that it will directly benefit all ice core paleoclimate research and will impact the paleoclimate studies that rely on ice core timescales for correlation purposes. The project will also support a Ph.D. student at Oregon State University who will have the opportunity to be involved in a major new ice coring effort with international elements. Undergraduates at Penn State will gain valuable laboratory experience and participate fully in the project. The proposed work will underpin the WAIS Divide chronology, which will be fundamental to all graduate student projects that involve the core. The international inter-calibration effort will strengthen ties between research institutions on four continents and will be conducted as part of the International Polar Year research agenda.
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.
This award supports analyses of stable isotopes of water, dD, d18O and deuterium excess in the proposed West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS) deep ice core. The project will produce a continuous and high-resolution reconstruction of stable isotope ratios for the new core. dD and d18O values provide estimates of temperature change at the ice core site. Deuterium excess provides estimates of ocean surface conditions, such as sea surface temperature, at the moisture source areas. This new ice core is ideally situated to address questions ranging from ice sheet stability to abrupt climate change. WAIS Divide has high enough snowfall rates to record climate changes on annual to decadal time scales. It should also have ice old enough to capture the last interglacial period in detail. The West Antarctic ice sheet is the subject of great scrutiny as our modern climate warms and sea level rises. What are the prospects for added sea level rise from ice released by this ice sheet? Understanding how this ice sheet has responded to climate change in the past, which the data collected in this project will help to assess, is critical to answering this question. The high temporal resolution available in the WAIS Divide core will provide the best available basis for inter-comparison of millennial-scale climate changes between the poles, and thus a better understanding of the spatial expression and dynamics of rapid climate change events. Finally, the location of this core in the Pacific sector of West Antarctica makes it well situated for examining the influence of the tropical Pacific on Antarctica climate, on longer timescales than are available from the instrumental climate record. Analyses will include the measurement of sub-annually resolved isotope variations in the uppermost parts of the core, measurements at annual resolution throughout the last 10,000 years and during periods of rapid climate change prior to that, and measurements at 50-year resolution throughout the entire length of the core that is collected and processed during the period of this grant. We anticipate that this will be about half of the full core expected to be drilled. In terms of broader impacts, the PIs will share the advising of two graduate students, who will make this ice core the focus of their thesis projects. It will be done in an innovative multi-campus approach designed to foster a broader educational experience. As noted above, the data and interpretations generated by this proposal will address climate change questions not only of direct and immediate scientific interest, but also of direct and immediate policy interest.
Pettit/0636795<br/><br/>This award supports a project to constrain the accumulation rate, thickness, and temperature history for Siple Dome using a vertical velocity profile that includes the effects of an evolving fabric on deformation through time, to invert the depth-profile of fabric determined from sonic velocity measurements and grain size observed in thin sections in Siple Dome for the surface temperature and accumulation rate changes in the past, focusing on the apparent abrupt climate change events at 22ka and 15ka. The intellectual merit of the work is that it will extract past climate information from a number of physical properties of the deep ice using a coupled fabric evolution and ice-sheet flow model. The focus will be on the deep ice-age ice at Siple Dome, where the ice-core record shows puzzling signals and where modeling results imply intriguing deformation patterns. The method will also be applied to the records from Byrd Station and Taylor Dome to ultimately form a basis for future analysis of the West Antarctic Divide core. The broader impacts of the project are that it will ultimately contribute to our understanding of the effects of anisotropy on ice flow dynamics in West Antarctica. It will contribute to our understanding of the connection between ice flow and the paleoclimate record in ice cores, particularly with respect to the relationship between the chemical record and ice deformation. And it will contribute a new ice-flow model that includes the effects of anisotropy and fabric evolution. The project will also contribute to advancing the career of a new, young, female investigator and will support a couple of graduate students. Finally, the work will encouraging diversity in the physical sciences by directly helping to support the Girls on Ice a program that encourages young women to explore science and the natural world.
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.
Winckler/0636898<br/><br/>This award supports a project to study dust sources in Antarctic ice cores. Atmospheric aerosols play an important role both in global biogeochemical cycles as well as in the climate system of the Earth. Records extracted from Antarctic ice cores inform us that dust deposition from the atmosphere to the ice sheet was 15-20 times greater during glacial periods than during interglacials, which raises the possibility that dust may be a key player in climate change on glacial-interglacial timescales. By characterizing potential source areas from South America, South Africa, and Australia as well as fresh glacial flour from Patagonia, the project will determine if the interglacial dust was mobilized from a distinct geographical region (e.g., Australia) or from a more heavily weathered source region in South America. The intellectual merit of the project is that it will contribute to reconstructing climate-related changes in the rate of dust deposition, and in the provenance of the dust, it will provide critical constraints on hydrology and vegetation in the source regions, as well as on the nature of the atmospheric circulation transporting dust to the archive location. In a recent pilot study it was found that there is a dramatic glacial to Holocene change in the 4He/Ca ratio in the dust extracted from ice from Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, indicating a shift in the source of dust transported to Antarctica. The broader impacts of the project are that Helium isotopes and calcium measurements provide a wealth of information that can then be turned into critical input for dust-climate models. Improved models, which are able to accurately reconstruct paleo dust distribution, will help us to predict changes in dust in response to future climate variability. This information will contribute to an improvement of our integrated understanding of the Earth's climate system and, in turn, will better inform policy makers of those processes and conditions most susceptible to perturbation by climate change, thereby leading to more meaningful climate-change policy. The project will support a graduate student in the dual masters Earth and Environmental Science Journalism program. The lead-PI manages the rock noble gas laboratory at Lamont. Her leadership role in this facility impacts the training of undergraduate and graduate students as well as visiting scientists.
A focused plan is presented to investigate the role and importance of short period (<1 hour) gravity waves on the dynamics of the Antarctic Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT) region (~80-100 km). Excited primarily by deep convection, frontal activity, topography, and strong wind shears in the lower atmosphere, these waves transport energy and momentum upwards where they have a profound influence on the MLT dynamics. Most of the wave forcing is expected to occur at mid-and low-latitudes where such sources predominate. However, short-period waves (exhibiting similar characteristics to mid-latitude events) have now been detected in copious quantities from research sites on the Antarctic Peninsula and the coastal regions exhibiting strong anisotropy in their dominant horizontal motions (and hence their momentum fluxes). Radiosonde measurements have established the existence of ubiquitous gravity wave activity at South Pole but, to date, there have been no detailed measurements of the properties of short-period waves at MLT heights deep in the Antarctic interior. In particular, the South Pole Station is uniquely situated to investigate the filtering and penetration of these waves into the MLT region, a substantial fraction of which may be ducted waves traveling over vast geographic distances (several thousand km). Novel image measurements at South Pole Station combined with existing measurement programs will provide an unprecedented capability for quantifying the role of these gravity waves on the regional MLT dynamics over central Antarctica. This research also contributes to the training and education of both the graduate and undergraduate students.
Abstract<br/><br/><br/>By using a tool-box of particle flux and characterization techniques appropriate to the study of particulate organic carbon fluxes out of the upper sunlit zone, WHOI researchers will attempt to evaluate the so called 'biological pump' term at the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (PAL) site in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). The goal of these measurements is to describe the seasonal dynamics of production, export (sinking) and at-depth remineralization rates of organic matter produced in the Antarctic photic zone. This should lead to a better understanding of the biogeochemical controls on the carbon cycle in this difficult to access region. Additionally, how much of the newly fixed organic carbon is exported off the shelf, effectively driving an influx of atmospheric (including anthropogenic) CO2 to be sequestered into the deep ocean is not presently known. Comparison of prior time series sediment traps in the WAP seem to indicate smaller sinking C fluxes than other, as equally as productive Antarctic coastal regions, e.g. the Ross Sea. New observations and modeling activities will attempt to explain this discrepancy, and to account for the apparently inefficient particle export. <br/><br/><br/>"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."
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.
This award supports a project to make measurements of methane and other trace gases in firn air collected at South Pole, Antarctica. The analyses will include: methane isotopes (delta-13CH4 and delta-DCH4), light non-methane hydrocarbons (ethane, propane, and n-butane), sulfur gases (COS, CS2), and methyl halides (CH3Cl and CH3Br). The atmospheric burdens of these trace gases reflect changes in atmospheric OH, biomass burning, biogenic activity in terrestrial, oceanic, and wetland ecosystems, and industrial/agricultural activity. The goal of this project is to develop atmospheric histories for these trace gases over the last century through examination of depth profiles of these gases in South Pole firn air. The project will involve two phases: 1) a field campaign at South Pole, Antarctica to drill two firn holes and fill a total of ~200 flasks from depths reaching 120 m, 2) analysis of firn air at University of California, Irvine, Penn State University, and several other collaborating laboratories. Atmospheric histories will be inferred from the measurements using a one dimensional advective/diffusive model of firn air transport. This study will provide new information about the recent changes in atmospheric levels of these gases, providing about a 90 year long time series record that connects the earlier surface and firn air measurements to present day. The project will also explore the possibility of in- situ production of light non-methane hydrocarbons in firn air that is relevant to the interpretation of ice core records. The broader impacts of this research are that it has the potential for significant societal impact by improving our understanding of climate change and man's input to the atmosphere. The results of this work will be disseminated through the peer review process, and will contribute to environmental assessments, such as the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Climate Assessment and the Word Meteorological Organization (WMO) Stratospheric Ozone Assessment. This research will provide educational opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, and will contribute to a teacher training program for K-12 teachers in minority school districts.
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The project will employ a sophisticated meteor radar at the Brazilian Antarctic station Comandante Ferraz on King George Island for a number of synergetic research efforts of high interest to the international aeronomical community. The location of the radar will be at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula - at a critical southern latitude of 62 degrees - to fill a current measurement gap from 54 to 68 degrees south. The radar will play a key role in Antarctic and inter-hemispheric studies of neutral atmosphere dynamics, defining global mesosphere and lower thermosphere structure and variability (from 80 to 105 km) and guiding advances of models accounting for the dynamics of this high-altitude region, including general circulation models, and climate and numerical weather prediction models. The unique radar measurement sensitivity will enable studies of: (1) the large-scale circulation and planetary waves, (2) the tidal structure and variability, (3) the momentum transport by small-scale gravity waves, (4) important, but unquantified, gravity wave - tidal interactions, (5) polar mesosphere summer echoes, and (6) meteor fluxes, head echoes, and non-specular trails, a number of which exhibit high latitudinal gradients at these latitudes. This radar will support extensive collaborations with U.S. and other scientists making measurements at other Antarctic and Arctic conjugate sites, including Brazilian scientists at C. Ferraz and U.S. and international colleagues having other instrumentation in the Antarctic, Arctic, and within South America. Links to the University of Colorado in the U.S., Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) in Brazil and Universidad Nacional de La Plata in Argentina will provide unique research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students in the U.S. and South America.
This award supports a project to understand how recent changes in atmospheric chemistry, and historical changes as recorded in snow, firn and ice, have affected atmospheric photochemistry over Antarctica. Atmospheric, snow and firn core measurements of selected gas, meteorological and snow physical properties will be made and modeling of snow-atmosphere exchange will be carried out. The intellectual merit of the project is that it will lead to a better an understanding of the atmospheric chemistry in West Antarctica, its bi-directional linkages with the snowpack, and how it responds to regional influences. There are at least four broader impacts of this work. First is education of university students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. One postdoctoral researcher and one graduate student will carry out much of the work, and a number of undergraduates will be involved. Second, involvement with the WAIS-Divide coring program will be used to help recruit under-represented groups as UC Merced students. As part of UC Merced's outreach efforts in the San Joaquin Valley, whose students are under-represented in the UC system, the PI and co-PI give short research talks to groups of prospective students, community college and high school educators and other groups. They will develop one such talk highlighting this project. Including high-profile research in these recruiting talks has proven to be an effective way to promote dialog, and interest students in UC Merced. Third, talks such as this also contribute to the scientific literacy of the general public. The PI and grad student will all seek opportunities to share project information with K-14 and community audiences. Fourth, results of the research will be disseminated broadly to the scientific community, and the researchers will seek additional applications for the transfer functions as tools to improve interpretation of ice-cores. This research is highly collaborative, and leverages the expertise and data from a number of other groups.
This award is for the continuation of the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS), an NSF Science and Technology Center (STC) established in June 2005 to study present and probable future contributions of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to sea-level rise. The Center?s vision is to understand and predict the role of polar ice sheets in sea level change. In particular, the Center?s mission is to develop technologies, to conduct field investigations, to compile data to understand why many outlet glaciers and ice streams are changing rapidly, and to develop models that explain and predict ice sheet response to climate change. The Center?s mission is also to educate and train a diverse population of graduate and undergraduate students in Center-related disciplines and to encourage K-12 students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM-fields). The long-term goals are to perform a four-dimensional characterization (space and time) of rapidly changing ice-sheet regions, develop diagnostic and predictive ice-sheet models, and contribute to future assessments of sea level change in a warming climate. In the first five years, significant progress was made in developing, testing and optimizing innovative sensors and platforms and completing a major aircraft campaign, which included sounding the channel under Jakobshavn Isbræ. In the second five years, research will focus on the interpretation of integrated data from a suite of sensors to understand the physical processes causing changes and the subsequent development and validation of models. Information about CReSIS can be found at http://www.cresis.ku.edu.<br/><br/>The intellectual merits of the STC are the multidisciplinary research it enables its faculty, staff and students to pursue, as well as the broad education and training opportunities it provides to students at all levels. During the first phase, the Center provided scientists and engineers with a collaborative research environment and the opportunity to interact, enabling the development of high-sensitivity radars integrated with several airborne platforms and innovative seismic instruments. Also, the Center successfully collected data on ice thickness and bed conditions, key variables in the study of ice dynamics and the development of models, for three major fast-flowing glaciers in Greenland. During the second phase, the Center will collect additional data over targeted sites in areas undergoing rapid changes; process, analyze and interpret collected data; and develop advanced process-oriented and ice sheet models to predict future behavior. The Center will continue to provide a rich environment for multidisciplinary education and mentoring for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, as well as for conducting K-12 education and public outreach. The broader impacts of the Center stem from addressing a global environmental problem with critical societal implications, providing a forum for citizens and policymakers to become informed about climate change issues, training the next generation of scientists and engineers to serve the nation, encouraging underrepresented students to pursue careers in STEM-related fields, and transferring new technologies to industry. Students involved in the Center find an intellectually stimulating atmosphere where collaboration between disciplines is the norm and exposure to a wide variety of methodologies and scientific issues enriches their educational experience. The next generation of researchers should reflect the diversity of our society; the Center will therefore continue its work with ECSU to conduct outreach and educational programs that attract minority students to careers in science and technology. The Center has also established a new partnership with ADMI that supports faculty and student exchanges at the national level and provides expanded opportunities for students and faculty to be involved in Center-related research and education activities. These, and other collaborations, will provide broader opportunities to encourage underrepresented students to pursue STEM careers. <br/><br/>As lead institution, The University of Kansas (KU) provides overall direction and management, as well as expertise in radar and remote sensing, Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and modeling and interpretation of data. Five partner institutions and a DOE laboratory play critical roles in the STC. The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) continues to participate in technology development for seismic measurements, field activities, and modeling. The Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing, Education and Research (CERSER) at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) contributes its expertise to analyzing satellite data and generating high-level data products. ECSU also brings to the Center their extensive experience in mentoring and educating traditionally under-represented students. ADMI, the Association of Computer and Information Science/Engineering Departments at Minority Institutions, expands the program?s reach to underrepresented groups at the national level. Indiana University (IU) provides world-class expertise in CI and high-performance computing to address challenges in data management, processing, distribution and archival, as well as high-performance modeling requirements. The University of Washington (UW) provides expertise in satellite observations of ice sheets and process-oriented interpretation and model development. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) contributes in the area of ice sheet modeling. All partner institutions are actively involved in the analysis and interpretation of observational and numerical data sets.
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".
*** 9726186 Pilskaln This proposed work is a study of the biological production and export flux of biogenic matter in response to ventilation of intermediate and deep water masses within the Polar Front zone. It is a collaborative work between the University of Maine and the Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE). The shipboard work is proposed for the Chinese antarctic resupply vessel off Prydz Bay in the Indian Ocean sector. In the austral Spring, this region experiences phytoplankton blooms that are thought to be the result of nutrient transport by the ventilation of intermediate and deep water masses. On an annual basis, it is believed that such blooms are the primary source of particulate organic carbon and biogenic silica flux to the ocean bottom. At this time however no data exists on the amount of particulate organic matter that sinks through the water column, leaving the quantitative relationships between production and export largely undefined in this region. The initial phase of the work consists of setting out a time-series sediment trap mooring at approximately 64 deg S latitude and 73 deg E longitude to take advantage of the historical data set that CHINARE has obtained in this area over the past decade. The biweekly to monthly trap samples will be analyzed for their organic constituents, and in conjunction with primary productivity observations will provide the basic data from which export values can be derived. This work will be carried out in collaboration with the State Oceanic Administration of the People's Republic of China, and the Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition. In addition to providing time on the antarctic resupply vessel, the SOA will sponsor the shipboard primary productivity experiments and the supporting hydrographic measurements. The collaborating American scientists will provide guidance in making these observations to standards developed for the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study, and provide the hardware for the moored sediment trap. There will be a mutual sharing between the U.S. and Chinese investigators of all samples and data sets, and the data analysis will be carried out jointly. ***
This project studies ancient ice buried in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. The ice, which may approach ten million years in age, will be dated using argon and uranium radioisotope techniques. High-risk work, if successful it will offer the first and perhaps only samples of the Earth's atmosphere from millions of years in the past. These samples could offer critically important tests of paleoclimate records and proxies, as well as a glimpse into the characteristics of a past world much like the predicted future, warmer Earth. The broader impacts are graduate student education, and potentially contributing to society's understanding of global climate change and sea level rise.
A VLF Beacon Transmitter at South Pole<br/>PI: Umran S. Inan, Stanford University<br/><br/>This proposal seeks funding to resume operation of the VLF Beacon Transmitter at the South Pole Station used to quantify temporal and spatial variations in the state of the lower ionosphere between the polar cap and subauroral zone, to determine the ionosphere's response to precipitation of highly energetic radiation belt electrons and solar protons, and to monitor the loss of these particles into the atmosphere. Although fluctuations in the relativistic particle population are extensively observed on satellites, little is known about the extent of associated precipitation into the ionosphere. Upon precipitation, these highly energetic particles penetrate to altitudes as low as 30-40 km, producing ionization, X-rays, and possibly affecting chemical reactions involving ozone production. It is proposed to continue recording the VLF beacon's signal at various Antarctic coastal stations (Palmer, Halley, etc). The broader impact of the proposed program includes the synergistic use of the South Pole VLF beacon with ongoing satellite-based measurements of trapped and precipitating high-energy electrons both at low and high altitudes and with other Antarctic Upper Atmospheric research efforts, such as the Automatic Geophysical Observatory programs and routine upper atmospheric observations at manned bases. The proposed project also promotes international collaboration via multi-points recording of the South Pole VLF beacon signal while providing the basis of a graduate or doctoral student thesis.
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The project aims on studying sediment cores collected from Prydz Bay and the Ross Sea to unravel the Neogene paleoclimatic history of the East Antarctic ice sheet. In the light of current measurements and predictions of a substantial rise in global temperature, investigations into the sensitivity of the East Antarctic ice sheet to climate change and its role in the climate system are essential. Geological records of former periods of climate change provide an opportunity to ground truth model predictions. The scientific objective of this project is to identify a previously proposed middle Miocene transition from a more dynamic wet-based East Antarctic ice sheet to the present semi-permanent ice sheet that is partially frozen to its bed. The timing and significance of this transition is controversial due to a lack of quantitative studies on well-dated ice-proximal sedimentary sequences. This project partially fills that gap using the composition and physical properties of diamictites and sandstones to establish shifts in ice-sheet drainage pathways, paleoenvironments and basal ice conditions. The results from the two key areas around the Antarctic continental margin will provide insight into the behavior of the East Antarctic ice sheet across the middle Miocene transition and through known times of warming in the late Miocene and Pliocene.
Cole-Dai<br/>0538553<br/><br/>This award supports a project that will contribute to the US West Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Divide ice core (WAIS Divide) project by developing new instrumentation and analytical procedures to measure concentrations of major ions (Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, Na+, K+, NH4+, Mg2+, Ca2+). A melter-based, continuous flow, multi-ion-chromatograph technique (CFA-IC) has been developed recently at South Dakota State University (SDSU). This project will further expand and improve the CFA-IC technique and instrumentation and develop procedures for routine analysis of major ions in ice cores. In addition, training of personnel (operators) to perform continuous, high resolution major ion analysis of the deep core will be accomplished through this project. The temporal resolution of the major ion measurement will be as low as 0.5 cm with the fully developed CFA-IC technique. At this resolution, it will be possible to use annual cycles of sulfate and sea-salt ion concentrations to determine annual layers in the WAIS Divide ice core. Annual layer counting using CFA-IC chemical measurements and other high resolution measurements will contribute significantly to the major WAIS Divide project objective of producing precisely (i.e., annually) dated climate records. The project will support the integration of research and education, train future scientists and promote human resource development through the participation of graduate and undergraduate students. In particular, undergraduate participation will contribute to a current REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) chemistry site program at SDSU. Development and utilization of multi-user instrumentation will promote research collaboration and advance environmental science. NSF support for SDSU will contribute to the economic development and strengthen the infrastructure for research and education in South Dakota.
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). <br/>The PENGUIn team will continue investigating in depth a multi-scale electrodynamic system that comprises space environment of Planet Earth (geospace). Several science topics important to the space physics and aeronomy are outlines in this proposal that can be broadly categorized as the following objectives: (a) to study reconnection and waves in the southern cusp region; (b) to investigate unraveling global geomagnetic substorm signatures; (c) to understand the dayside wave-particle interactions; and (d) to observe and investigate various polar cap phenomena and neutral atmosphere dynamics. Cutting-edge science on these critical topics will be accomplished by acquiring multi-instrument data from a distributed network of autonomous observatories in Antarctica, built and deployed with the matured technological achievements. In the last several years, advances in power supply systems and Iridium data transmission for the Automatic Geophysical Observatories (AGOs) have proven effective for providing real-time geophysical data reliably. Five AGOs that span from the auroral zone to deep in the polar cap will be maintained providing a wealth of data for science analyses. Additional instrumentation as GPS-based receivers measuring total electron content in the ionosphere will be deployed at AGOs. These scientific investigations will be enriched by complementary measurements from manned stations in the Antarctic, from magnetically conjugate regions in the Arctic, and from a fleet of magnetospheric and ionospheric spacecraft. Continued reliance on students provides a broader impact to this proposed research and firmly grounds this effort in its educational mission.
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The overall goal of this project is to increase understanding of the conjugate nature of the polar ionospheres, which in part helps understanding the multi-scale global solar wind, magnetosphere, and ionosphere system. The project utilizes numerous types of ionospheric remote sensing instrumentation, including: terrestrial GPS receivers, GPS satellite occultation receivers, all-sky imagers, riometers, and magnetometers currently deployed in the Arctic and Antarctic to estimate the 3-D time histories of the ionospheric electron density and also to estimate the polar wind in these polar regions. Furthermore, additional GPS instrumentation will be deployed in Antarctica to increase the number and improve the spatial distribution of GPS receivers in this region. Import aspects of this investigation are: (1) utilization of a large array of instrumentation in the Arctic and Antarctic regions to provide the maximum number of measurements of the ionosphere, (2) the modification and deployment of commercial-off-the-shelf GPS receivers in remote Antarctic locations to improve spatial distribution of GPS measurements, (3) development of a new estimation algorithm for estimating the polar wind, and (4) estimation of 3-D electron density time histories and conductances in conjugate polar ionospheres. The fieldwork and analysis efforts associated with this project are highly suitable for involvement and research training of graduate and undergraduate students.
"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."<br/><br/>The solar wind - magnetosphere - ionosphere system and the space weather phenomena it controls is a complex and dynamic environment that has increasing recognition of potentially impacting critical human technological infrastructure. To be able to forecast, and thus adapt to, the impact space weather events may have on infrastructure as diverse as satellite communications and power grids, it is necessary to develop accurate geomagnetic models of the Sun-Earth environment. Due to the dipole nature of the planet's magnetic field, the Earth's outer magnetosphere maps to relatively small regions in the polar and auroral latitudes in both hemispheres. The northern hemisphere is relatively well instrumented. However, lack of sufficient observations particularly notable in the Southern hemisphere lessens our ability to validate global models of the geospace environment. The main magnetic dipole is offset and tilted, resulting in a weaker polar field in the southern hemisphere. Seasonal ionospheric electrodynamic asymetries similarly result. The magnitudes of both these effects need to be measured and more fully understood to build reliable Space Weather models.<br/><br/>This project seeks continued development and deployment of a chain of magnetometers located along the southern high latitude 40 degree magnetic meridian to provide conjugate inter-hemispheric measurements complementing the data from the existing dense Greenland west coast magnetometer array. Such measurements open the promise of simultaneous data from northern and southern hemispheres to enable the investigation of inter-hemispheric electrodynamic coupling throughout the entire outer magnetosphere.
The proposed work is part of an integrated research program into the oceanographic structure of the western Weddell Sea. It is to be carried out from an ice camp jointly occupied by U.S. and USSR scientists from February to June 1992. This project concerns the determination of the energy exchange between the sea ice cover and the atmospheric boundary layer. The objectives are to measure time series of the individual components of the sea ice/atmosphere energy budget for the duration of the drift, and to determine the bulk transfer coefficients for the exchange of momentum and sensible and latent heat. The purpose of the measurements is to expand our capability for numerical and analytical modelling of the antarctic environment. Turbulent fluctuations in the temperature, wind, and humidity fields will be measured directly with small, fast-responding sensors. These observations will be complemented by other synoptic meteorological data and with upper air soundings.
This award supports a project to examine an existing ice core of opportunity from South Pole (SPRESO core) to develop a 2000+ year long climate record. SPRESO ice core will be an annually dated, sub-annually-resolved reconstruction of past climate (atmospheric circulation, temperature, precipitation rate, and atmospheric chemistry) utilizing continuous, co-registered measurements (n=45) of: major ions, trace elements, and stable isotope series, plus selected sections for microparticle size and composition. The intellectual merit of this project relates to the fact that few 2000+ year records of this quality exist in Antarctica despite increasing scientific interest in this critical time period as the framework within which to understand modern climate. The scientific impact of this ice core investigation are that it will provide an in-depth understanding of climate variability; a baseline for assessing modern climate variability in the context of human activity; and a contribution to the prediction of future climate variability. The broader impact of this work is that the proposed research addresses important questions concerning the role of Antarctica in past, present, and future global change. Results will be translated into publicly accessible information through public lectures, media appearances, and an extensive outreach activity housed in our Institute. Our ice core activities provide a major basis for curriculum in K-12 and University plus a basis for several field and laboratory based graduate theses and undergraduate student projects. The project will support one PhD student for 3 years and undergraduate salaries. The Climate Change Institute has a long history of gender and ethnically diverse student and staff involvement in research.
0538657<br/>Severinghaus<br/>This award supports a project to develop high-resolution (20-yr) nitrogen and oxygen isotope records on trapped gases in the WAIS Divide ice core (Antarctica), with a comparison record for chronological purposes in the GISP2 (Greenland) ice core. The main scientific objective is to provide an independent temperature-change record for the past 100,000 years in West Antarctica that is not subject to the uncertainty inherent in ice isotopes (18O and deuterium), the classical paleothermometer. Nitrogen isotopes (Delta 15N) in air bubbles in glacial ice record rapid surface temperature change because of thermal fractionation of air in the porous firn layer, and this isotopic anomaly is recorded in bubbles as the firn becomes ice. Using this gas-based temperature-change record, in combination with methane data as interpolar stratigraphic markers, the proposed work will define the precise relative timing of abrupt warming in Greenland and abrupt cooling at the WAIS Divide site during the millennial-scale climatic oscillations of Marine Isotopic Stage 3 (30-70 kyr BP) and the last glacial termination. The nitrogen isotope record also provides constraints on past firn thickness, which inform temperature and accumulation rate histories from the ice core. A search for possible solar-related cycles will be conducted with the WAIS Divide Holocene (Delta 15N.) Oxygen isotopes of O2 (Delta 18Oatm) are obtained as a byproduct of the (Delta 15N) measurement. The gas-isotopic records will enhance the value of other atmospheric gas measurements in WAIS Divide, which are expected to be of unprecedented quality. The high-resolution (Delta 18Oatm) records will provide chronological control for use by the international ice coring community and for surface glacier ice dating. Education of a graduate student, and training of a staff member in the laboratory, will contribute to the nation's human resource base. Outreach activities in the context of the International Polar Year will be enhanced. International collaboration is planned with the laboratory of LSCE, University of Paris.
Caffee/0839042 <br/><br/>This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).<br/><br/>This award supports a project to measure the concentration of the cosmogenic radionuclide, Beryllium-10 in the deep WAIS divide ice core. Since cosmogenic radionuclides are one of the key parameters used for absolute dating of the ice core and deriving paleoaccumulation rates, it is essential that these measurements be made quickly and efficiently, and that the information is disseminated as soon as the results are available. The intellectual merit of the project is that it will allow a comparison to be made between the core from WAIS Divide and previously measured cosmogenic radionuclide records from Arctic ice cores, particularly GISP2 and GRIP This project will enable scientists to delineate those processes acting at a local level from those that produce global effects and will provide independent chronological markers to aid in the reconstruction of the WAIS Divide ice core chronology. The cosmogenic 10Be profile can also be used to investigate the possible role of solar activity on climate. The direct comparison of radionuclide concentrations with paleoclimate records in ice cores from different sites will provide more insight in the timing and magnitude of solar forcing of climate. The broader impacts of this project include: (i) the formation of a multi-disciplinary team of collaborators for the interpretation of future analyses of cosmogenic radionuclide data from the WAIS divide and other ice cores. (ii) the involvement and training of graduate and undergraduate students in the large scale project of climate research through detailed studies of ice samples. (iii) the opportunity to highlight to a wide range of lab visitors and students from local K-12 schools the importance of ice core and climate change studies.<br/><br/>This award does not involve field work in Antarctica.
The primary objective of this research is to investigate polar marine psychrophilic bacteria for their potential to nucleate ice using a combination of microbiological, molecular biological and atmospheric science approaches in the laboratory. Very little is known about how psychrophiles interact and cope with ice or their adaptations to conditions of extreme cold and salinity. This work will involve a series of laboratory experiments using a novel freeze-tube technique for assaying freezing spectra which will provide quantitative information on: (i) the temperature-dependent freezing rates for heterogeneously frozen droplets containing sea-ice bacteria, (ii) the proportional occurrence of ice-nucleation activity versus anti-freeze activity among sea-ice bacterial isolates and (iii) the temperature-dependent freezing rates of bacteria with ice-nucleation activity grown at a range of temperatures and salinities. The compound(s) responsible for the observed activity will be identified, which is an essential step towards the development of an in-situ bacterial ice-nucleation detection assay that can be applied in the field to Antarctic water and cloud samples.<br/> One of the goals of this work is to better understand survival and cold adaptation processes of polar marine bacteria confronted with freezing conditions in sea ice. Since sea ice strongly impacts polar, as well as the global climates, this research is of significant interest because it will also provide data for accessing the importance of bacterial ice nucleation in the formation of sea ice. These measurements of ice-nucleation rates will be the first high-resolution measurements for psychrophilic marine bacteria. Another goal is to better understand the impact of bacterial ice initiation processes in polar clouds by making high-resolution measurements of nucleation rates for cloud bacteria found over Arctic and Antarctic regions. Initial measurements indicate these bacteria nucleate ice at warmer temperatures and the effect in polar regions may be quite important, since ice can strongly impact cloud dynamics, cloud radiative properties, precipitation formation, and cloud chemistry. If these initial measurements are confirmed, the data collected here will be important for improving the understanding of polar cloud processes and models. A third goal is to better understand the molecular basis of marine bacterial ice nucleation by characterizing the ice-nucleation compound and comparing it with those of known plant-derived ice-nucleating bacteria, which are the only ice-nucleating bacteria examined in detail to date. The proposed activity will support the beginning academic career of a post-doctoral researcher and will serve as the basis for several undergraduate student laboratory projects. Results from this research will be widely published in various scientific journals and outreach venues.
0538494<br/>Meese<br/>This award supports a project for physical properties research on snow pits and firn/ice cores with specific objectives that include stratigraphic analysis including determination of accumulation rates, annual layers, depth hoar, ice and wind crusts and rates of grain growth with depth. Studies of firn densification rates and how these parameters relate to the meteorology and climatology over the last 200 years of snow accumulation in Antarctica will also be investigated. The project will also determine the seasonality of accumulation by co-registration of stratigraphy and chemistry and determination of chemical species at the grain boundaries, how these may change with depth/densification (and therefore temperature), precipitation, and may affect grain growth. Fabric analyses will be made, including variation with depth, location on undulations and if any variation exists with climate/chemistry. The large spatial coverage of the US ITASE program offers the opportunity to determine how these parameters are affected by a large range of temperature, precipitation and topographic effects. The intellectual merit of the project includes the fact that ITASE is the terrestrial equivalent of a polar research vessel that provides a unique, logistically efficient, multi-dimensional (x, y, z and time) view of the atmosphere, ice sheet and their histories. Physical properties measurements/ analyses are an integral part of understanding the dynamic processes to which the accumulated snow is subjected. Recent advancements in the field along with multiple core sites provide an excellent opportunity to gain a much broader understanding of the spatial, temporal and physical variables that impact firnification and the possible resultant impact on climatic interpretation. In terms of broader impacts, the data collected by US ITASE and its international ITASE partners is available to a broad scientific community. US ITASE has an extensive program of public outreach and provides significant opportunities for many students to experience multidisciplinary Antarctic research. A graduate student, a post-doctoral fellow and at least one undergraduate would be funded by this work. Dr. Meese is also a member of the New England Science Collaborative, an organization that educates the public on climate change based on recent scientific advancements.
This project seeks to examine the importance of icebergs to the pelagic ecosystem of the North-West Weddell Sea. Atmospheric warming has been associated with retreating glaciers and the increasing prevalence of icebergs in the Southern Ocean over the last decade. The highest concentration of icebergs occurs in the NW Weddell Sea, where they drift in a clockwise pattern to the northeast, following the contours of the Antarctic Peninsula through an area dubbed "Iceberg Alley". Little is known about the impact of free-drifting icebergs on the pelagic ecosystem of the Weddell Sea or on the Southern Ocean as a whole. It is hypothesized that as drifting islands, icebergs of small to intermediate size (< 10 km in largest dimension) impart unique physical, chemical and biological characteristics to the surrounding water. Three general questions will be asked to address this hypothesis: 1) What are the dynamics (approximate size, abundance and spatial distribution) of free-drifting icebergs on temporal scales of days to months, based on correlation of field measurements with imagery derived from satellite sensors? 2) What is the relationship between the size of free-drifting icebergs and the structure of the associated pelagic communities? 3) What is the estimated combined impact of free-drifting icebergs in the NW Weddell Sea on the biological characteristics of the pelagic zone? This interdisciplinary study will use standard oceanographic sampling coupled with unique methodology for staging shipboard data from all types of sensors and survey methods to determine the sphere of influence for a diverse set of biological factors as a function of iceberg size. The exploratory research proposed here will provide critical data on the effects of atmospheric warming in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The recent prevalence of free drifting icebergs in the Southern Ocean should have a pronounced enrichment effect on the surrounding pelagic ecosystem, altering community dynamics. Enhanced primary production associated with these icebergs could influence the global carbon cycle since the Southern Ocean is considered a major sink for excess CO2 from the atmosphere. <br/>The proposed research will include an innovative education component through the Ocean Exploration Center (OEC), whose focus is to provide a comprehensive view of the oceans, intelligible to non-scientists and researchers alike, with direct access to state-of-the-art databases and selected websites. The OEC will allow users to access content which has been classified to one of four levels: entry (grade K-6), student (grade 6-12), college, and research. The results from this iceberg project will be incorporated into the Antarctic Research division of the OEC, providing databases documenting the impact of free-drifting icebergs on the surrounding pelagic ecosystem. These data then will be extrapolated to evaluate the impact of icebergs on the ecosystem of the Weddell Sea. Graduate students, undergraduates, teachers and volunteers are an important part of the proposed field and laboratory work.
9528807 Gordon The proposed project is part of a multi-institutional integrated study of the outflow of newly formed bottom water from the Weddell Sea and its dispersion into the South Atlantic Ocean. It builds upon earlier successful studies of the inflow of intermediate water masses into the Eastern Weddell Sea, their modification within the Weddell Gyre, and their interaction with bottom water formation processes in the western Weddell Sea. The study is called Deep Ocean Ventilation Through Antarctic Intermediate Layers (DOVETAIL) and includes six components involving hydrographic measurements, natural tracer experiments, and modeling studies. The study will be centered east of the Drake Passage where water masses from the Weddell Sea and the Scotia Sea come together in the Weddell-Scotia Confluence, and will be carried out in cooperation with the national antarctic programs of Germany and Spain. This particular component concerns observations of the temperature and salinity structure, as well as the chemical nature of the water column in the confluence region. The study has four related objectives. The first is to assess the quantity and the physical and chemical characteristics of Weddell Sea source waters for the confluence. The second is to describe the dominant processes associated with spreading and sinking of dense antarctic waters within the Weddell-Scotia Confluence. The third is to estimate the ventilation rate of the world ocean, and the fourth is to estimate seasonal fluctuations in the regional ocean transport and hydrographic structure and to assess the likely influence of seasonal to interannual variability on rates of ventilation by Weddell Sea waters. Ventilation of the deep ocean -- the rising of sub-surface water masses to the surface to be recharged with atmospheric gases and to give up heat to the atmosphere -- is a uniquely antarctic phenomenon that has significant consequences for global change by affecting the g lobal reservoir of carbon dioxide, and by modulating the amount and extent of seasonal sea ice in the southern hemisphere. This component will make systematic observations of the temperature salinity structure of the water and undertake an extensive sampling program for other chemical studies. The purpose is to identify the individual water masses and to relate their temperature and salinity characteristics to the modification processes within the Weddell Sea. ***
During the past few decades of oceanographic research, it has been recognized that significant variations in biogeochemical processes occur among years. Interannual variations in the Southern Ocean are known to occur in ice extent and concentration, in the composition of herbivore communities, and in bird and marine mammal distributions and reproductive success. However, little is known about the interannual variations in production of phytoplankton or the role that these variations play in the food web. This project will collect time series data on the seasonal production of phytoplankton in the southern Ross Sea, Antarctica. Furthermore, it will assess the interannual variations of the production of the two major functional groups of the system, diatoms and Phaeocystis Antarctica, a colonial haptophyte. The Ross Sea provides a unique setting for this type of investigation for a number of reasons. For example, a de facto time-series has already been initiated in the Ross Sea through the concentration of a number of programs in the past ten years. It also is well known that the species diversity is reduced relative to other systems and its seasonal production is as great as anywhere in the Antarctic. Most importantly, seasonal production of both the total phytoplankton community (as well as its two functional groups) can be estimated from late summer nutrient profiles. The project will involve short cruises on the US Coast Guard ice breakers in the southern Ross Sea that will allow the collection of water column nutrient and particulate after data at specific locations in the late summer of each of five years. Additionally, two moorings with in situ nitrate analyzers moored at fifteen will be deployed, thus collecting for the first time in the in the Antarctic a time-series of euphotic zone nutrient concentrations over the entire growing season. All nutrient data will be used to calculate seasonal production for each year in the southern Ross Sea and compared to previously collected information, thereby providing an assessment of interannual variations in net community production. Particulate matter data will allow us to estimate the amount of export from the surface layer by late summer, and therefore calculate the interannual variability of this ecosystem process. Interannual variations of seasonal production (and of the major taxa of producers) are a potentially significant feature in the growth and survival of higher trophic levels within the food web of the Ross Sea. They are also important in order to understand the natural variability in biogeochemical processes of the region. Because polar regions such as the Ross Sea are predicted to be impacted by future climate change, biological changes are also anticipated. Placing these changes in the context of natural variability is an essential element of understanding and predicting such alterations. This research thus seeks to quantify the natural variability of an Antarctic coastal system, and ultimately understand its causes and impacts on food webs and biogeochemical cycles of the Ross Sea.
*** 9725024 Jacobs This project will study the dynamics of Circumpolar Deep Water intruding on the continental shelf of the West Antarctic coast, and the effect of this intrusion on the production of cold, dense bottom water, and melting at the base of floating glaciers and ice tongues. It will concentrate on the Amundsen Sea shelf, specifically in the region of the Pine Island Glacier, the Thwaites Glacier, and the Getz Ice Shelf. Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) is a relatively warm water mass (warmer than +1.0 deg Celsius) which is normally confined to the outer edge of the continental shelf by an oceanic front separating this water mass from colder and saltier shelf waters. In the Amundsen Sea however, the deeper parts of the continental shelf are filled with nearly undiluted CDW, which is mixed upward, delivering significant amounts of heat to the base of the floating glacier tongues and the ice shelf. The melt rate beneath the Pine Island Glacier averages ten meters of ice per year with local annual rates reaching twenty meters. By comparison, melt rates beneath the Ross Ice Shelf are typically twenty to forty centimeters of ice per year. In addition, both the Pine Island and the Thwaites Glacier are extremely fast-moving, and have a significant effect on the regional ice mass balance of West Antarctica. This project therefore has an important connection to antarctic glaciology, particularly in assessing the combined effect of global change on the antarctic environment. The particular objectives of the project are (1) to delineate the frontal structure on the continental shelf sufficiently to define quantitatively the major routes of CDW inflow, meltwater outflow, and the westward evolution of CDW influence; (2) to use the obtained data set to validate a three-dimensional model of sub-ice ocean circulation that is currently under construction, and (3) to refine the estiamtes of in situ melting on the mass balance of the antarctic ice sheet. The observational program will be carried out from the research vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer in February and March, 1999. ***
The annual advance and retreat of pack ice may be the major physical determinant of spatial/temporal changes in the structure and function of antarctic marine communities. Interannual cycles and/or trends in the annual extent of pack ice may also have significant effects on all levels of the food web, from total annual primary production to breeding success in seabirds. Historical records indicate a 6 to 8 year cycle in the maximum extent of pack ice in the winter. During this decade winters were colder in 1980 and 1981, and again in 1986 and 1987. In order to understand the interactions between pack ice and ecosystem dynamics, especially the influences of the well- documented interannual variability in ice cover on representative populations, a long-term ecological research (LTER) site has been established in the Antarctic Peninsula region near Palmer Station. The LTER project, will conduct comprehensive measurements of ice-dominated ecosystems in this region with a focus on primary production, krill populations and swarms and seabirds. A primary emphasis will be placed on the development of ecosystem models that will provide a predictive capability for issues related to global environmental change. This proposal will add to the existing LTER project detailed studies of the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and associated bioelements. The microbiology and carbon flux component of LTER will provide measurements of a suite of core parameters relevant to the carbon cycle and will test several hypotheses pertaining to carbon flux, including bacterial productivity and nutrient regeneration.
Salps are planktonic grazers that have a life history, feeding biology and population dynamic strikingly different from krill, copepods or other crustacean zooplankton. Salps can occur in very dense population blooms that cover large areas and have been shown to have major impacts due to the their grazing and the production of fast-sinking fecal pellets. Although commonly acknowledged as a major component of the Southern Ocean zooplankton community, often comparable in biomass and distribution to krill, salps have received relatively little attention. Although extensive sampling has documented the seasonal abundance of salps in the Southern Ocean, there is a paucity of data on important rates that determine population growth and the role of this species in grazing and vertical flux of particulates. This proposed study will include: measurements of respiration and excretion rates for solitary and aggregate salps of all sizes; measurements of ingestion rates, including experiments to determine the size or concentration of particulates that can reduce ingestion; and determination of growth rates of solitaries and aggregates. In addition to the various rate measurements, this study will include quantitative surveys of salp horizontal and vertical distribution to determine their biomass and spatial distribution, and to allow a regional assessment of their effects. Measurements of the physical characteristics of the water column and the quantity and quality of particulate food available for the salps at each location will also be made. Satellite imagery and information on sea-ice cover will be used to test hypotheses about conditions that result in high densities of salps. Results will be used to construct a model of salp population dynamics, and both experimental and modeling results will be interpreted within the context of the physical and nutritional conditions to which the salps are exposed. This integrated approach will provide a good basis for understanding the growth dynamics of salp blooms in the Southern Ocean. Two graduate students will be trained on this project, and cruise and research experience will be provided for two undergraduate students. A portion of a website allowing students to be a virtual participant in the research will be created to strengthen students' quantitative skills. Both PI's will participate in teacher-researcher workshops, and collaboration with a regional aquarium will be developed in support of public education.
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.
Major progress has been made with respect to our understanding of the tectonic evolution of the Antarctic Plate. Paleomagnetic data, marine magnetic anomaly identifications, Geosat-derived tectonic lineations, heat flow derived seafloor ages and mathematical solutions for plate motions around triple junctions have all contributed to a better model for the tectonic evolution of the circum- Antarctic region. Even so, major problems still exist with respect to the Mesozoic to Recent tectonic evolution of the Antarctic continental margin which can be tackled using heat flow measurements. This award supports the study of a tectonic problem that heat flow can address, the determination of the age of the Powell Basin at the end of the West Antarctic Peninsula and its relationship to the opening of Drake's Passage. Specifically, heat flow measurement will be used to study the age and mode of crustal extension of the Powell Basin, where standard age determination fails and heat flow is the only method that can be used to date its opening.
This project uses radiocarbon in deep-sea corals to understand the Southern Ocean's role in modulating global climate. A key site of deep-water formation, the Southern Ocean is critical to exchange of heat and carbon between the deep-ocean and atmosphere. Changes in it may be linked to low atmospheric CO2 during the last glacial maximum through increased biologic carbon draw down or decreased air-sea CO2 exchange. Testing these hypotheses is challenging because of the scarcity of suitable records of the Southern Ocean's biogeochemistry and circulation. The aragonitic skeletons of deep-sea corals may offer insight because they are well suited for radiocarbon analyses-reflective of the 14C content of the past water column--while also allowing for timing of events through U-series age measurements. Overall, these measurements will put new constraints on the extent of air-sea gas exchange, polar water-column stratification, and the flux of Southern-sourced deep water to the rest of the world's oceans. As a part of this work, new sections of the Drake Passage sea floor will be mapped and imaged, along with the present and past distributions of deep-sea corals and their habitats. <br/><br/><br/><br/>A significant broader impact of this work is characterizing the functioning of what may be a key control of atmospheric CO2 content, which could prove important for fully understanding the impacts of continued CO2 emissions and developing mitigation strategies. As well, the work will characterize deep marine ecologies that are poorly understood, but increasingly exploited as fisheries resources.
This project is a study of the evolution of the sea ice cover, and the mass balance of ice in the Amundsen Sea and the Bellingshausen Sea in the internationally collaborative context of the International Polar Year (2007-2008). In its simplest terms, the mass balance is the net freezing and melting that occurs over an annual cycle at a given location. If the ice were stationary and were completely to melt every year, the mass balance would be zero. While non-zero balances have significance in questions of climate and environmental change, the process itself has global consequences since the seasonal freeze-melt cycle has the effect of distilling the surface water. Oceanic salt is concentrated into brine and rejected from the ice into deeper layers in the freezing process, while during melt, the newly released and relatively fresh water stabilizes the surface layers. The observation program will be carried out during a drift program of the Nathaniel B. Palmer, and through a buoy network established on the sea ice that will make year-long measurements of ice thickness, and temperature profile, large-scale deformation, and other characteristics. The project is a component of the Antarctic Sea Ice Program, endorsed internationally by the Joint Committee for IPY. Additionally, the buoys to be deployed have been endorsed as an IPY contribution to the World Climate Research Program/Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (WCRP/SCAR) International Programme on Antarctic Buoys (IPAB). While prior survey information has been obtained in this region, seasonal and time-series measurements on sea ice mass balance are crucial data in interpreting the mechanisms of air-ice-ocean interaction. <br/> The network will consist of an array of twelve buoys capable of GPS positioning. Three buoys will be equipped with thermister strings and ice and snow thickness measurement gauges, as well as a barometer. Two buoys will be equipped with meteorological sensors including wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, and incoming radiation. Seven additional buoys will have GPS positioning only, and will be deployed approximately 100 km from the central site. These outer buoys will be critical in capturing high frequency motion complementary to satellite-derived ice motion products. Additional buoys have been committed internationally through IPAB and will be deployed in the region as part of this program.<br/> This project will complement similar projects to be carried out in the Weddell Sea by the German Antarctic Program, and around East Antarctica by the Australian Antarctic Program. The combined buoy and satellite deformation measurements, together with the mass balance measurements, will provide a comprehensive annual data set on sea ice thermodynamics and dynamics for comparison with both coupled and high-resolution sea ice models.
The goal of this investigation is to understand the role of snow in sea ice development processes and air-ice-ocean heat exchange interactions in the seasonal and perennial sea ice zones of the Ross Sea, the Amundsen Sea, and the Bellingshausen Sea. Observations and measurements of the characteristics of sea ice and snow will be combined with numerical models of sea-ice flooding and the entrainment of snow into the ice cover in order to gain an understanding of the sea-ice heat and mass balance, and to quantify the energy exchange within the antarctic sea-ice cover. The snow measurement program, using the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer, will include depth, grain size and morphology, density, temperature, thermal conductivity, water content, and stable isotope ratio. The ice measurement program will include thickness, salinity, temperature, density, brine content, and included gas volume, as well as such structural properties as the fraction of frazil, platelet, and congelation ice in the seasonal antarctic pack ice. Differences in ice types are the result of differences in the environment in which the ice forms: frazil ice is formed in supercooled sea water, normally through wind or wave-induced turbulence, while platelet and congelation ice is formed under quiescent conditions. The fraction of frazil ice is an important variable in the energy budget of the upper ocean, and contributes significantly to the stabilization of the surface layers. The numerical models will involve the thermodynamics of phase changes from liquid water to ice, along with the resulting energy transfer, brine expulsion, and the modulating effect of a snow cover. The results are expected to have broad relevance and application to understanding the effects of sea-ice processes in global change, and atmospheric, oceanographic, and remote sensing investigations of the Southern Ocean.
The Antarctic Peninsula region exhibits one of the largest warming trends in the world. Climate change in this region will reduce the duration of winter sea-ice cover, altering both the pelagic ecosystem and bentho-pelagic coupling. We postulate that shelf benthic ecosystems are highly suitable for tracking climate change because they act as "low-pass" filters, removing high-frequency seasonal noise and responding to longer-term trends in pelagic ecosystem structure and export production. We propose to conduct a 3-year study of bentho-pelagic coupling along a latitudinal climate gradient on the Antarctic Peninsula to explore the potential impacts of climate change (e.g., reduction in sea-ice duration) on Antarctic shelf ecosystems. We will conduct three cruises during summer and winter regimes along a 5- station transect from Smith Island to Marguerite Bay, evaluating a broad range of benthic ecological and biogeochemical processes. Specifically, we will examine the feeding strategies of benthic deposit feeders along this climatic gradient to elucidate the potential response of this major trophic group to climatic warming. In addition, we will (1) quantify carbon and nitrogen cycling and burial at the seafloor and (2) document changes in megafaunal, macrofaunal, and microbial community structure along this latitudinal gradient. We expect to develop predictive insights into the response of Antarctic shelf ecosystems to some of the effects of climate warming (e.g., a reduction in winter sea-ice duration). The proposed research will considerably broaden the ecological and carbon-flux measurements made as parts of the Palmer Station LTER and GLOBEC programs by providing a complementary benthic component. This project also will promote science education from the 9th grade to graduate-student levels. We will partner with the NSF-sponsored Southeastern Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence to reach students of all races in all areas of NC, SC and GA. The project will also benefit students at the post secondary level by supporting three graduate and two undergraduate students. During each of the three field excursions, NCSU and UH students will travel to Chile and Antarctica to participate in scientific research. Lastly, all three PIs will incorporate material from this project into their undergraduate and graduate courses.
This project seeks to examine the importance of icebergs to the pelagic ecosystem of the North-West Weddell Sea. Atmospheric warming has been associated with retreating glaciers and the increasing prevalence of icebergs in the Southern Ocean over the last decade. The highest concentration of icebergs occurs in the NW Weddell Sea, where they drift in a clockwise pattern to the northeast, following the contours of the Antarctic Peninsula through an area dubbed "Iceberg Alley". Little is known about the impact of free-drifting icebergs on the pelagic ecosystem of the Weddell Sea or on the Southern Ocean as a whole. It is hypothesized that as drifting islands, icebergs of small to intermediate size (< 10 km in largest dimension) impart unique physical, chemical and biological characteristics to the surrounding water. Three general questions will be asked to address this hypothesis: 1) What are the dynamics (approximate size, abundance and spatial distribution) of free-drifting icebergs on temporal scales of days to months, based on correlation of field measurements with imagery derived from satellite sensors? 2) What is the relationship between the size of free-drifting icebergs and the structure of the associated pelagic communities? 3) What is the estimated combined impact of free-drifting icebergs in the NW Weddell Sea on the biological characteristics of the pelagic zone? This interdisciplinary study will use standard oceanographic sampling coupled with unique methodology for staging shipboard data from all types of sensors and survey methods to determine the sphere of influence for a diverse set of biological factors as a function of iceberg size. The exploratory research proposed here will provide critical data on the effects of atmospheric warming in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The recent prevalence of free drifting icebergs in the Southern Ocean should have a pronounced enrichment effect on the surrounding pelagic ecosystem, altering community dynamics. Enhanced primary production associated with these icebergs could influence the global carbon cycle since the Southern Ocean is considered a major sink for excess CO2 from the atmosphere. <br/>The proposed research will include an innovative education component through the Ocean Exploration Center (OEC), whose focus is to provide a comprehensive view of the oceans, intelligible to non-scientists and researchers alike, with direct access to state-of-the-art databases and selected websites. The OEC will allow users to access content which has been classified to one of four levels: entry (grade K-6), student (grade 6-12), college, and research. The results from this iceberg project will be incorporated into the Antarctic Research division of the OEC, providing databases documenting the impact of free-drifting icebergs on the surrounding pelagic ecosystem. These data then will be extrapolated to evaluate the impact of icebergs on the ecosystem of the Weddell Sea. Graduate students, undergraduates, teachers and volunteers are an important part of the proposed field and laboratory work.
Ultraviolet radiation influences the dynamics of plankton processes in the near-surface waters of most aquatic ecosystems. In particular, the Southern Ocean is affected in the austral spring period when biologically damaging ultraviolet radiation is enhanced by ozone depletion. While progress has been made in estimating the quantitative impact of ultraviolet radiation on bacteria and phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean, some important issues remain to be resolved. Little is known about responses in systems dominated by the colonial haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica, which dominates spring blooms in a polyna that develops in the southern Ross Sea. The Ross Sea is also of interest because of the occurrence of open water at a far southerly location in the spring, well within the ozone hole, and continuous daylight, with implications for the regulation of DNA repair. A number of studies suggest that vertical mixing can significant modify the impact of ultraviolet radiation in the Southern Ocean and elsewhere. However, there are limited measurements of turbulence intensity in the surface layer and measurements have not been integrated with parallel studies of ultraviolet radiation effects on phytoplankton and bacterioplankton. To address these issues, this collaborative study will focus on vertical mixing and the impact of ultraviolet radiation in the Ross Sea. The spectral and temporal responses of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton to ultraviolet radiation will be characterized in both laboratory and solar incubations. These will lead to the definition of biological weighting functions and response models capable of predicting the depth and time distribution of ultraviolet radiation impacts on photosynthesis, bacterial incorporation and DNA damage in the surface layer. Diel sampling will measure depth-dependent profiles of DNA damage, bacterial incorporation, photosynthesis and fluorescence parameters over a 24 h cycle. Sampling will include stations with contrasting wind-driven mixing and stratification as the polyna develops. The program of vertical mixing measurements is optimized for the typical springtime Ross Sea situation in which turbulence of intermediate intensity is insufficient to mix the upper layer thoroughly in the presence of stabilizing influences like solar heating and/or surface freshwater input from melting ice. Fine-scale vertical density profiles will be measured with a free-fall CTD unit and the profiles will be used to directly estimate large-eddy scales by determining Thorpe scales. Eddy scales and estimated turbulent diffusivities will be directly related to surface layer effects, and used to generate lagrangian depth-time trajectories in models of ultraviolet radiation responses in the surface mixed layer. The proposed research will be the first in-depth study of ultraviolet radiation effects in the Ross Sea and provide a valuable comparison with previous work in the Weddell-Scotia Confluence and Palmer Station regions. It will also enhance the understanding of vertical mixing processes, trophic interactions and biogeochemical cycling in the Ross Sea.
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.
The proposed project will expand the suite of observations and lengthen the existing time series of underway surface dissolved carbon dioxide (pCO2) measurements transects across the Drake Passage on the R/VIB L.M. Gould. The additional observations include oxygen, nutrients and total CO2 (TCO2) concentrations, and the 13C to 12C ratio of TCO2. The continued and expanded time series will contribute towards two main scientific goals: the quantification of the spatial and temporal variability and the trends of surface carbon dioxide species in four major water mass regimes in the Drake Passage, and the understanding of the dominant processes and changes in those processes that contribute to the variability in surface pCO2 and the resulting air-sea flux of CO2 in the Drake Passage. The expanded program will also include the analysis of the 14C/12C of TCO2 and the specific study of the observations on one short wintertime cruise, with the objective of testing the hypothesis that the dissolved carbon dioxide in surface waters of the Drake Passage is determined by the degree of winter mixing. This is of special significance in light of two scenarios that may be affecting the ventilation of Southern Ocean deep water now and in the future: a decrease in water column stratification with the observations of higher zonal winds, or an increase in stratification due to higher precipitation and warming from climate change. If winter mixing determines the mean annual pCO2 in the Drake Passage, the increasing trend in atmospheric pCO2 should have little effect on sea surface pCO2.
This project is an interdisciplinary study, titled Research on Ocean-Atmosphere Variability and Ecosystem Response in the Ross Sea (ROAVERRS), of atmospheric forcing, ocean hydrography, sea ice dynamics, primary productivity, and pelagic-benthic coupling in the southwestern Ross Sea, Antarctica. The primary goal is to examine how changes in aspects of the polar climate system, in this case wind and temperature, combine to influence marine productivity on a large antarctic continental shelf. In the Ross Sea, katabatic winds and mesocyclones influence the spatial and temporal distribution of sea ice as well as the upper ocean mixed layer depth, and thus control primary production within the sea ice as well as in the open water system. The structure, standing stock and productivity of bottom- dwelling biological communities are also linked to meteorological processes through interseasonal and interannual variations in horizontal and vertical fluxes of organic carbon produced in the upper ocean. Linkages among the atmospheric, oceanic, and biological systems will be investigated during a three-year field study of the southwestern Ross Sea ecosystem. Direct measurements will include regional wind and air temperatures derived from automatic weather stations; ice cover, ice movement, and sea surface temperatures derived from a variety of satellite-based sensors; hydrographic characteristics of the upper ocean and primary productivity in the ice and in the water derived from research cruises and satellite studies; vertical flux of organic material and water movement derived from oceanographic moorings containing sediment traps and current meters, and the abundance, distribution, and respiration rates of biological communities on the sea floor, derived from box cores, benthic photographs and shipboard incubations. Based on archived meteorological data, it is expected that the atmospheric variability during the study period will be such that changes in airflow pat terns and their influence on oceanographic and biological patterns can be monitored, and their direct and indirect linkages that are the focus of the research can be deduced. Results from this study will contribute to our knowledge of atmospheric and oceanic forcing of marine ecosystems, and lead to a better understanding of marine ecosystem response to climatic variations. ***
This project studies the relationship between opening of the Drake Passage and formation of the Antarctic ice sheet. Its goal is to answer the question: What drove the transition from a greenhouse to icehouse world thirty-four million years ago? Was it changes in circulation of the Southern Ocean caused by the separation of Antarctica from South America or was it a global effect such as decreasing atmospheric CO2 content? This study constrains the events and timing through fieldwork in South America and Antarctica and new work on marine sediment cores previously collected by the Ocean Drilling Program. It also involves an extensive, multidisciplinary analytical program. Compositional analyses of sediments and their sources will be combined with (U-Th)/He, fission-track, and Ar-Ar thermochronometry to constrain uplift and motion of the continental crust bounding the Drake Passage. Radiogenic isotope studies of fossil fish teeth found in marine sediment cores will be used to trace penetration of Pacific seawater into the Atlantic. Oxygen isotope and trace metal measurements on foraminifera will provide additional information on the timing and magnitude of ice volume changes. <br/><br/><br/><br/>The broader impacts include graduate and undergraduate education; outreach to the general public through museum exhibits and presentations, and international collaboration with scientists from Argentina, Ukraine, UK and Germany.<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". This project is also a key component of the IPY Plates & Gates initiative (IPY Project #77), focused on determining the role of tectonic gateways in instigating polar environmental change.
An array of moorings will be deployed and maintained east of Cape Adare, Antarctica, at the northwestern corner of the Ross Sea to observe the properties of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) exiting the Ross Sea. This location has been identified from recent studies as an ideal place to make such measurements. Antarctic Bottom Water has the highest density of the major global water masses, and fills the deepest parts of the world's oceans. Because it obtains many of its characteristics during its contact with the atmosphere and with glacial ice along the continental margins of Antarctica, it is expected that changes in newly-formed AABW may represent an effective indicator for abrupt climate change. The heterogeneous nature of the source regions around Antarctica complicates the observation of newly-formed AABW properties. The two most important source regions for AABW are within the Weddell and the Ross Seas, with additional sources drawn from the east Antarctic margins. In the northwestern Weddell Sea, several programs have been undertaken in the last decade to monitor the long term variability of Weddell Sea Deep and Bottom Water, precursors of AABW originating from the Weddell Sea, however no such systematic efforts have yet been undertaken to make longterm measurements of outflow from the Ross Sea. The proposed study will significantly improve our knowledge of the long term variability in the outflow of deep and bottom water from the Ross Sea, and will provide the beginnings of a long-term monitoring effort which ultimately will allow detection of changes in the ocean in the context of global climate change. When joined with similar efforts ongoing in the Weddell Sea, long-term behavior and possible coupling of these two important sources of the ocean's deepest water mass can be examined in detail.
Antarctic notothenioid fish evolved antifreeze (AF) proteins that prevent ice crystals that enter their body fluids from growing, and thereby avoid freezing in their icy habitats. However, even in the extreme cold Antarctic marine environment, regional gradations of severity are found. The biological correlate for environmental severity in fish is the endogenous ice load, which likely determines the tolerable limit of environmental severity for notothenioid habitation. The endogenous ice load develops from environmental ice crystals entering through body surfaces and somehow localizing to the spleen. How prone the surface tissues are to ice entry, how ice reaches the spleen, and what the fate of splenic ice is, requires elucidation. Spleen sequestration of ice raises the hypothesis that macrophages may play a role in the translocation and perhaps elimination of AF-bound ice crystals. Antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGP) act in concert with a second, recently discovered antifreeze called antifreeze potentiating protein (AFPP), necessitating an assessment of the contribution of AFPP to freezing avoidance. Recent research suggests that the exocrine pancreas and the anterior stomach, not the liver, synthesize AFGPs and secrete them into the intestine, from where they may be returned to the blood. A GI-to-blood transport is a highly unconventional path for a major plasma protein and also begs the questions, What is the source of blood AFPP?. Why are two distinct AF proteins needed and what is the chronology of their evolution? What genomic changes in the DNA are associated with the development or loss of the antifreeze trait? Experiments described in this proposal address these interrelated questions of environmental, organismal, and evolutionary physiology, and will further our understanding of novel vertebrate physiologies, the limits of environmental adaptation, and climatically driven changes in the genome. The proposed research will (1) determine the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of environmental temperature and iciness in progressively more severe fish habitats in the greater McMurdo Sound area, and in the milder Arthur Harbor at Palmer Station. The splenic ice load in fishes inhabiting these sites will be determined to correlate to environmental severity and habitability. (2) Assess the surface tissue site of ice entry and their relative barrier properties in intact fish and isolated tissues preparations (3) Assess the role of immune cells in the fate of endogenous ice, (4) determine whether the blood AFGPs are from intestinal/rectal uptake, (5) examine the contribution of AFPP to the total blood AF activity (6) evaluate the progression of genomic changes in the AFGP locus across Notothenioidei as modulated by disparate thermal environments, in four selected species through the analyses of large insert DNA BAC clones. The origin and evolution of AFPP will be examined also by analyzing BAC clones encompassing the AFPP genomic locus. The broader impacts of the proposed research include training of graduate and undergraduate students in research approaches ranging from physical field measurements to cutting edge genomics. Undergraduate research projects have lead to co-authored publications and will continue to do so. Outreach includes establishing Wiki websites on topics of Antarctic fish biology and freeze avoidance, providing advisory services to the San Francisco Science Exploratorium, and making BAC libraries available to interested polar biologists. This research theme has repeatedly received national and international science news coverage and will continue to be disseminated to the public in that manner.
The objectives of this proposal are to investigate the controls on the large-scale distribution and production of the two major bloom-forming phytoplankton taxa in the Southern Ocean, diatoms and Phaeocystis Antarctica. These two groups, through their involvement in the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, sulfur and nutrient elements, may have played important roles in the climate variations of the late Quaternary, and they also may be key players in future environmental change. A current paradigm is that irradiance and iron availability drive phytoplankton dynamics in the Southern Ocean. Recent work, however, suggests that carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations may also be important in structuring algal assemblages, due to species-specific differences in the physiology. This proposal examines the interactive effects of iron, light and CO2 on the physiology, ecology and relative dominance of Phaeocystis and diatoms in the Southern Ocean. The Ross Sea is an ideal system in which to investigate the environmental factors that regulate the distribution and production of these two algal groups, since it is characterized by seasonal blooms of both P. Antarctica and diatoms that are typically separated in both space and time. This study will take the form of an interdisciplinary investigation that includes a field survey and statistical analysis of algal assemblage composition, iron, mixed layer depth, and CO2 levels in the southern Ross Sea, coupled with shipboard experiments to examine the response of diatom and P. Antarctica assemblages to high and low levels of iron, light and CO2 during spring and summer. <br/>This project will provide information on some of the major factors controlling the production and distribution of the two major bloom forming phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean and the related biogeochemical cycling of carbon, sulfur and nutrient elements. The results may ultimately advance the ability to predict how the Southern Ocean will be affected by and possibly modulate future climate change. This project will also make significant educational contributions at several levels, including the planned research involvement of graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral associates, a student teacher, and community outreach and educational activities. A number of activities are planned to interface the project with K-12 education. Presentations will be made at local schools to discuss the research and events of the research cruise. During the cruise there will be daily interactive email contact with elementary classrooms. Established websites will be used to allow students to learn about the ongoing research, and to allow researchers to communicate with students through text and downloaded images.
9909374 Fairbanks This study will investigate how the formation of dense water masses on the antarctic continental shelves is affected by the periodic flushing by relatively warm circumpolar deep water, and whether the intrusion of warm water cna enhance the rate of formation of dense antarctic water. The study involves the observation of water mass modification processes on the continental shelf off the Adelie Coast in East Antarctica, near a quasi-permanent area of open water in the vicinity of the Mertz and Ninnis Glacier tongues - the so-called Mertz polynya. Antarctic coastal polynyas, formed by strong offshore winds, are often referred to as major sea ice and salt "factories" because the newly formed ice is blown seaward, allowing more ice to be formed along the coast, and because the freezing process increases the salinity of the continental shelf water. The thin ice, or even open water, implies significant heat losses from the ocean to the atmosphere, which also increases the density of the shelf water. The shelf water sinks, fills any depressions in the bottom, and is gravitationally driven down the continental slope. An additional process is identified for this study and is expected to be at work in this area: the intrusion of relatively warm water onto the continental shelf, overriding the shelf water and essentially shutting down the densification processes. The study will make use of the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer to obtain a closely spaced array of hydrographic stations over the continental shelf and slope along the George V Coast in the austral summer. The dat obtained here will complement a similar winter study by the Australian National Antarctic Program. ***
Neale 9615342 Increases in ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 280-320) associated with the Antarctic ozone hole have been shown to inhibit the photosynthesis of phytoplankton, but the overall effect on water column production is still a matter of debate and continued investigation. Investigations have also revealed that even at "normal" levels of Antarctic stratospheric ozone, UV-B and UV-A (320-400 nm) appear to have strong effects on water column production. The role of UV in the ecology of phytoplankton primary production has probably been underappreciated in the past and could be particularly important to the estimation of primary production in the presence of vertical mixing. This research focuses on quantifying UV effects on photosynthesis of Antarctic phytoplankton by defining biological weighting functions for UV-inhibition. In the past, techniques were developed to describe photosynthesis as a function of UV and visible irradiance using laboratory cultures. Further experimentation with natural assemblages from McMurdo Station in Antarctica showed that biological weighting functions are strongly related to light history. Most recently, measurements in the open waters of the Southern Ocean confirmed that there is substantial variability in the susceptibility of phytoplankton assemblages to UV. It was also discovered that inhibition of photosynthesis in Antarctic phytoplankton got progressively worse on the time scale of hours, with no evidence of recovery. Even under benign conditions, losses of photosynthetic capability persisted unchanged for several hours. This was in contrast with laboratory cultures and some natural assemblages which quickly attained a steady- state rate of photosynthesis during exposure to UV, reflecting a balance between damage and recovery processes. Slow reversal of UV-induced damage has profound consequences for water-column photosynthesis, especially during vertical mixing. Results to date have been used to model th e influence of UV, ozone depletion and vertical mixing on photosynthesis in Antarctic waters. Data indicate that normal levels of UV can have a significant impact on natural phytoplankton and that the effects can be exacerbated by ozone depletion as well as vertical mixing. Critical questions remain poorly resolved, however, and these are the focus of the present proposal. New theoretical and experimental approaches will be used to investigate UV responses in both the open waters of the Weddell-Scotia confluence and coastal waters near Palmer Station. In particular, measurements will be made of the kinetics of UV inhibition and recovery on time scales ranging from minutes to days. Variability in biological weighting functions between will be calculated for pelagic and coastal phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean. The results will provide absolute estimates of photosynthesis under in situ, as well as under altered, UV irradiance; broaden the range of assemblages for which biological weighting functions have been determined; and clarify how kinetics of inhibition and recovery should be represented in mixed layer models.
This award supports a study of the physical nature and environmental origin of optical features (light and dark zones) observed by video in boreholes in polar ice. These features appear to include an annual signal, as well as longer period signals. Borehole logs exist from a previous project, and in this lab-based project the interpretation of these logs will be improved. The origin of the features is of broad interest to the ice-core community. If some components relate to changes in the depositional environment beyond seasonality, important climatic cycles may be seen. If some components relate to post-depositional reworking, insights will be gained into the physical processes that change snow and firn, and the implications for interpretation of the chemical record in terms of paleoclimate. In order to exploit these features to best advantage in future ice-core and climate-change research, the two principal objectives of this project are to determine what physically causes the optical differences that we see and to determine the environmental processes that give rise to these physical differences. In the laboratory at NICL the conditions of a log of a borehole wall will be re-created as closely as possible by running the borehole video camera along sections of ice core, making an optical log of light reflected from the core. Combinations of physical variables that are correlated with optical features will be identified. A radiative-transfer model will be used to aid in the interpretation of these measurements, and to determine the optimum configuration for an improved future logging tool. An attempt will be made to determine the origin of the features. Two broad possibilities exist: 1) temporal changes in the depositional environment, and 2) post-depositional reworking. This project represents an important step toward a new way of learning about paleoclimate with borehole optical methods. Broader impacts include enhancing the infrastructure for research and education, since this instrument will complement high-resolution continuous-melter chemistry techniques and provide a rapid way to log physical variables using optical features as a proxy for climate signals. Since no core is required for this method, it can be used in rapidly drilled access holes or where core quality is poor. This project will support a graduate student who will carry out this project under the direction of the Principal Investigator. K-12 education will be enhanced through an ongoing collaboration with a science and math teacher from a local middle school. International collaboration will be expanded through work on this project with colleagues at the Norwegian Polar Institute and broad dissemination of results will occur through a project website for the general public.
The proposal is to develop an instrument that can simultaneously measure the sound speed and magnetic fields at three heights in the solar atmosphere. The instrument will use magneto-optical filters tuned to the solar absorption lines at 422 nm (Ca I), 589 nm (Na D2), and 770 nm (K) to make measurements of Doppler velocities and longitudinal magnetic field. These lines form in the mid- and low-chromosphere and photosphere, respectively. In addition, the instrument will also use a Fabry-Perot etalon as a narrowband filter to measure the intensity variations of the 1083 nm (He I) line that is formed high in the chromosphere and which shows the location of the "foot points" of coronal holes. Together, the four lines will allow studying wave motions throughout the solar atmosphere. The instrument will record images of the Sun every 10 seconds with a spatial resolution of 1 arc-second. Thus, the project will be fostering the development of existing magneto-optical filter technology to a new level. Upon construction, the telescope will be tested at South Pole for a long period of uninterrupted observations. Both the local and global helioseismic analysis procedures will be utilized to identify and to characterize different types of waves present in the solar atmosphere. These observations will allow determining the structure and dynamics of the Sun's atmosphere through seismic measurements and, thus, improve the atmosphere models, assess the role of waves in heating the chromosphere/corona and driving the solar wind, and better understand how the Sun's atmosphere couples to the interior. The broader impact of the proposed project is two fold. First, there is a potential benefit to the science and to the society because it is believed that the solar atmosphere is a "home" to many phenomena that can have a direct effect on the solar activity, including flares, coronal mass ejections, and the solar wind. Understanding the structure and dynamics of the solar atmosphere will therefore lead to a better understanding of the Sun-Earth connection. The collected data will be made available to other researchers at DVDs. The broader audience of general public will be reached through presentations at high schools, libraries, and community events, and news articles in the general press. Most of the research materials will also be placed in the Web.
Abstract<br/><br/>The project goal is to investigate the ocean-atmosphere-ice (OAI) interactions in the Amundsen and Ross Seas during the austral summer of 2007-08 using hydrographic measurements (CTD and XBT) in conjunction with (1) ship-based observations and satellite-derived estimates of sea ice concentration, and (2) ship-based observations and re-analyses of meteorological variables. The major scientific objectives are as follows: (1) to examine upper ocean characteristics along three transects in the Amundsen Sea and two transects in the Ross Sea within the context of ice-atmosphere variability over the preceding winter-spring season and as compared to other years where data are available; (2) to determine if there is additional evidence of increased upwelling of warm Circumpolar Deep Water onto the shelf in the Amundsen Sea and/or increased freshening in the Ross Sea as has been inferred by previous, but limited, ocean surveys in these regions; and (3) to examine the spatial variability in ocean thermal structure along the ship's track (outside the transects) to provide greater regional context and to compare with ocean XBT data collected during Oden 2006-07. A repeated temperature survey between the Amundsen and Ross Sea is particularly invaluable, given that this sector is the regional center of the high latitude OAI response to ENSO, thus providing opportunity for examining and linking regional oceanic temporal variability to global climate variability. The research will improve our understanding of the high latitude OAI response to climate change, and provide the physical context for the observed biology and geochemistry (investigated by our colleagues. Our results will be made widely available through research publications and internet-available databases, and through the strong public outreach efforts of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. The outreach efforts will help increase awareness and understanding of anthropogenic climate change, melting ice, and ecosystem alteration in the highly sensitive Antarctic.
This work is the continuation of a joint project with the Polar Research Institute of China to make measurements of the structure of the upper ocean in the northern Weddell Sea along the route taken by the PRI's antarctic supply vessel, R/V Xue Long. The observations, obtained from expendable instruments, complement existing hydrographic observations along various transects through the northwestern Weddell Sea region and data from moored current meter arrays in the Weddell-Scotia confluence zone. This effort builds upon a successful series of expendable bathythermographs and conductivity-temperature-depth probes obtained by the science party on board the R/V Xue Long for the past four years.<br/>The west-to-east transit of the Weddell Sea by the ship makes it possible to obtain a series of ocean soundings that are otherwise unobtainable. The information is particularly important because strong correlative links between the upper ocean temperature and salinity, the sea ice edge, and extra-polar climate features have been established. It has been shown that the Indian Ocean sector is an anomalous region with respect to connections between antarctic and lower latitude climatic features and indices. Here the Antarctic Circumpolar Current makes its closest approach to the continent and the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave is least well expressed in the existing data. The necessary instrumentation, both software and hardware, has been installed in the ship and an excellent working relationship with Chinese antarctic scientists has been developed.
This award supports a project to develop a quantitative understanding of the processes active in isotopic exchange between snow/firn and water vapor, which is of paramount importance to ice core interpretation. Carefully controlled laboratory studies will be conducted at a variety of temperatures to empirically measure the mass transfer coefficient (the rate at which water moves from the solid to the vapor phase) for sublimating snow and to determine the time scale for isotopic equilibration between water vapor and ice. In addition the isotopic fractionation coefficient for vapor derived from sublimating ice will be determined and the results will be used to update existing models of mass transfer and isotopic evolution in firn. It is well known that water vapor moves through firn due to diffusion, free convection and forced convection. Although vapor movement through variably-saturated firn due to these processes has been modeled, because of a lack of laboratory data the mass transfer coefficient had to be estimated. Field studies have documented the magnitudes of post-depositional changes, but field studies do not permit rigorous analysis of the relative importance of the many processes which are likely to act in natural snow packs. The results of these laboratory investigations will be broadly applicable to a number of studies and will allow for improvement of existing physically-based models of post-depositional isotopic change, isotopic diffusion in firn, and vapor motion in firn. A major component of this project will be the design and fabrication of the necessary, novel experimental apparatus, which will be facilitated by existing technical expertise, cold room facilities, and laboratory equipment at CRREL. This project is a necessary step toward a quantitative understanding of the isotopic effects of water vapor movement in firn. The proposed work has broader impacts in several different areas. The modeling results will be applicable to a wide range of studies of water in the polar environment, including studies of wind-blown or drifting snow. The proposed collaborative study will partially support a Dartmouth graduate student for three years. This project will also provide support for a young first-time NSF investigator at the University of Vermont. Undergraduate students from Dartmouth will be involved in the research through the Women in Science Project and undergraduate students at the University of Vermont will be supported through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. The principal investigators and graduate student will continue their tradition of k-12 school outreach by giving science lessons and talks in local schools each year. Research results will be disseminated through scientific conferences, journal publications, and institutional seminars.
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 proposal is focused on experimental studies of the thunderstorms electrodynamic coupling to the Earth's radiation belts through the upward lightning flashes that lead to ionospheric parameters variability, and the global lightning effects on climate. The intellectual merit of the proposed program lies in the importance of the electrodynamic coupling of lightning discharges to the overlying ionosphere and the radiation belts, both in terms of lightning-induced electron precipitation, and in terms of high altitude optical and gamma-ray emissions produced by energy originating in lightning discharges. Precipitation of the radiation belt particles by whistler waves launched by lightning discharges will be measured as associated localized and transient disturbances of the lower ionosphere, which are sensed remotely by means of their effect on the phase and amplitude of very low frequency (VLF) signals propagating in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. The broader impacts of the proposed research program will include the development of new technologies of lightning detection, with few observation sites and on a global scale, which can then be implemented for the benefit of society, both in terms of agriculture, navigation and other ways in which lightning and thunderstorms may affect human life. The proposed program is a part of the international collaboration between the Antarctic Peninsula stations, as well as complements a similar set of measurements that are conducted by the Stanford University in the northern hemisphere under support from other sources. Coordinated measurements in both hemispheres are needed to study the geomagnetic conjugacy of the observed phenomena.
0086645<br/>Fountain<br/><br/>This award supports a Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) to study glaciological change in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica under the category of "application of new expertise or new approaches to established research topics". The purpose of the project is to assess the application of classified imagery to the study of the magnitude and rate of change of glacier extent and lake area as an indicator of climate change. Because the rate of change of both glacier extent and lake area is small compared to the resolution of unclassified imagery, the increased resolution of classified imagery is clearly needed. Access to classified imagery with 1 meter or better resolution will provide a baseline measurement against which future changes can be compared. Maximum use will be made of archived imagery but if necessary, one request will be made for new imagery to supplement the existing archive. This work will support on-going field measurements which are part of the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in the McMurdo Dry Valleys but which are limited by logistic constraints to only a few measurements during limited times of the year. If successful, the information gained in this project will enable researchers to better direct their efforts to identify the important physical processes controlling the changes in the valleys. The information acquired in conducting this project will be made available to the public, using appropriate security procedures to declassify the data. The "exploratory" and "high risk" nature of the proposed work and its "potential" to make an important "impact" on the field of Antarctic glacier studies are all reasons that this work is appropriate to support as an SGER.
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.
The award supports the development of high-resolution nitrogen and oxygen isotope records on trapped gases in the Byrd and Siple Dome ice cores, and the Holocene part of the GISP2 ice core. The primary scientific goals of this work are to understand the enigmatic d15N anomalies seen thus far in the Siple Dome record at 15.3 ka and 35 ka, and to find other events that may occur in both cores. At these events, d15N of trapped air approaches zero, implying little or no gravitational fractionation of gases in the firn layer at the time of formation of the ice. These events may represent times of low accumulation rate and arid meteorological conditions, and thus may contain valuable information about the climatic history of West Antarctica. Alternatively, they may stem from crevassing and thus may reveal ice-dynamical processes. Finding the events in the Byrd core, which is located 500 km from Siple Dome, would place powerful constraints on their origin and significance. A second major goal is to explore the puzzling absence of the abrupt warming event at 22 ka (seen at Siple Dome) in the nearby Byrd 18O/16O record in the ice (d18Oice), and search for a possible correlative signal in Byrd d15N. A third goal takes advantage of the fact that precise measurements of the oxygen isotopic composition of atmospheric O2 (d18Oatm) are obtained as a byproduct of the d15N measurement. The proposed gas-isotopic measurements will underpin an integrated suite of West Antarctic climate and atmospheric gas records, which will ultimately include the WAIS Divide core. These records will help separate regional from global climate signals, and may place constraints on the cause of abrupt climate change. Education of two graduate students, and training of two staff members in the laboratory, contribute to the nation's human resource base. Education and outreach will be an important component of the project.
0122520<br/>Gogineni<br/><br/>Sea level has been rising over the last century. Although the immediate impact of sea level rise may be less severe than other effects of global climate change, the long-term consequences can be much more devastating since nearly 60% of the world population lives in coastal regions. Scientists have postulated that excess water is being released from polar ice sheets due to long-term, global climate change, but there are insufficient data to confirm these theories. Understanding the interactions between the ice sheets, oceans and atmosphere is essential to quantifying the role of ice sheets in sea level rise. Toward that end, this research project involves the innovative application of information technology in the development and deployment of intelligent radar sensors for measuring key glaciological parameters. <br/><br/>Radar instrumentation will consist of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that can operate in bistatic or monostatic mode. One important application of the SAR will be in the determination of basal conditions, particularly the presence and distribution of basal water. Basal water lubricates the ice/bed interface, enhancing flow, and increasing the amount of ice discharged into the ocean. Another application of the SAR will be to measure ice thickness and map internal layers in both shallow and deep ice. Information on near-surface internal layers will be used to estimate the average, recent accumulation rate, while the deeper layers provide a history of past accumulation and flow rates. A tracked vehicle and an automated snowmobile will be used to test and demonstrate the utility of an intelligent radar in glaciological investigations.<br/><br/>The system will be developed to collect, process and analyze data in real time and in conjunction with a priori information derived from archived sources. The combined real time and archived information will be used onboard the vehicles to select and generate an optimum sensor configuration. This project thus involves innovative research in intelligent systems, sounding radars and ice sheet modeling. In addition it has a very strong public outreach and education program, which include near-real-time image broadcasts via the world wide web
Increases in middle ultraviolet radiation associated with the Antarctic ozone hole have been shown to inhibit the photosynthesis of phytoplankton, and results have been extrapolated to estimate the effect of ozone depletion on primary productivity in the marginal ice zone. This research will refine the assessment by specifying detailed wavelength-dependent biological weighting functions for the inhibition of photosynthesis by ultraviolet radiation, and by considering the mitigating effects of vertical mixing. Biological weighting functions of phytoplankton in the marginal ice zone will be measured under controlled conditions and applied in a new model of photosynthesis to predict primary productivity in situ, as well as under altered ultraviolet irradiance. These predictions will be compared with observations on samples from the water column and with measurements during incubations of several hours under different irradiance regimes. Results of these comparisons will be used to test the model and to quantify the potential artifact of long incubations. Assumptions about the kinetics of photoinhibition and recovery, critical to modeling the effects of vertical mixing, will be examined with time-course experiments. Results will be incorporated into a model of photosynthesis and photoinhibition in the water column that will be used to predict the influence of ozone depletion on marine primary production, particularly in the marginal zone.
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 supports a project to improve understanding of atmospheric photochemistry over West Antarctica, as recorded in snow, firn and ice. Atmospheric and firn sampling will be undertaken as part of the U.S. International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (US ITASE) traverses. Measurements of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and formaldehyde (HCHO) will be made on these samples and a recently developed, physically based atmosphere-to-snow transfer model will be used to relate photochemical model estimates of these components to the concentrations of these parameters in the atmosphere and snow. The efficiency of atmosphere-to-snow transfer and the preservation of these components is strongly related to the rate and timing of snow accumulation. This information will be obtained by analyzing the concentration of seasonally dependent species such as hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid and stable isotopes of oxygen. Collection of samples along the US ITASE traverses will allow sampling at a wide variety of locations, reflecting both a number of different depositional environments and covering much of the West Antarctic region.
The Southern Ocean may play a central role in causing ice ages and general global climate change. This work will reveal key characteristics of the glacial ocean, and may explain the cause of glacial/interglacial cycles by measuring the abundances of certain isotopes of nitrogen found in fossil diatoms from Antarctic marine sediments. Diatom-bound N is a potentially important recorder of nutrient utilization. The Southern Ocean's nutrient status, productivity and circulation may be central to setting global atmospheric CO2 contents and other aspects of climate. Previous attempts to make these measurements have yielded ambiguous results. This project includes both technique development and analyses, including measurements on diatoms from both sediment traps and culture experiments. With regard to broader impacts, this grant is focused around the education and academic development of a graduate student, by coupling their research with mentorship of an undergraduate researcher
0538630<br/>Severinghaus<br/>This award supports a project to produce the first record of Kr/N2 in the paleo-atmosphere as measured in air bubbles trapped in ice cores. These measurements may be indicative of past variations in mean ocean temperature. Knowing the mean ocean temperature in the past will give insight into past variations in deep ocean temperature, which remain poorly understood. Deep ocean temperature variations are important for understanding the mechanisms of climate change. Krypton is highly soluble in water, and its solubility varies with temperature, with higher solubilities at colder water temperatures. A colder ocean during the last glacial period would therefore hold more krypton than today's ocean. Because the total amount of krypton in the ocean-atmosphere system is constant, the increase in the krypton inventory in the glacial ocean should cause a resultant decrease in the atmospheric inventory of krypton. The primary goal of this work is to develop the use of Kr/N2 as an indicator of paleo-oceanic mean temperature. This will involve improving the analytical technique for the Kr/N2 measurement itself, and measuring the Kr/N2 in air bubbles in ice from the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the late Holocene in the Vostok and GISP2 ice cores. This provides an estimate of LGM mean ocean temperature change, and allows for a comparison between previous estimates of deep ocean temperature during the LGM. The Vostok ice core is ideal for this purpose because of the absence of melt layers, which compromise the krypton and xenon signal. Another goal is to improve precision on the Xe/N2 measurement, which could serve as a second, independent proxy of ocean temperature change. A mean ocean temperature time series during this transition may help to explain these observations. Additionally, the proposed work will measure the Kr/N2 from marine isotope stage (MIS) 3 in the GISP2 ice core. Knowing the past ocean temperature during MIS 3 will help to constrain sea level estimates during this time period. The broader impacts of the proposed work: are that it will provide the first estimate of the extent and timing of mean ocean temperature change in the past. This will help to constrain previously proposed mechanisms of climate change involving large changes in deep ocean temperature. This project will also support the education of a graduate student. The PI gives interviews and talks to the media and public about climate change, and the work will enhance these outreach activities. Finally, the work will occur during the International Polar Year (IPY), and will underscore the unique importance of the polar regions for understanding the global atmosphere and ocean system.
Abstract<br/><br/>The research will continue and extend the study in the Southern Ocean that was initiated during the Oden Southern Ocean 2006 expedition in collaboration with Swedish scientist Mellissa Chierici. We will quantify carbon flux through the food web in the marginal ice zone (MIZ) by measuring size fractionated primary and secondary production, grazing and carbon flux through nanoplankton (2-20 um), microplankton (20-200um), and mesoplankton (200-2000 um). Community structure, species abundance and size specific grazing rates will be quantified using a variety of techniques both underway and at ice stations along the MIZ. The proposed cruise track extends across the Drake Passage to the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) with three station transects along a gradient from the open ocean through the marginal ice zone (MIZ) in the Bellinghausen and Amundsen Seas and into the Ross Sea Polynya. Ice stations along each transect will provide material to characterize production associated with annual ice. Underway measurements of primary and secondary production (chlorophyll, CDOM, microplankton, and mesoplankton) and hydrography (temperature, salinity, pH, DO, turbidity) will establish a baseline for future cruises and as support for other projects such as biogeochemical studies on carbon dioxide drawdown and trace metal work on primary production. The outcome of these measurements will be a description of nano to mesoplankton standing stocks, community structure, and carbon flux along the MIZ in the Bellinghausen and Amundsen Seas and the Ross Sea Polynya.
This proposal is to continue operation and scientific studies with the middle-frequency (MF, 1-30 MHz) mesospheric radar deployed at the British Antarctic station Rothera in 1996. This system is now a key site in the Antarctic MF radar chain near 68 deg. S, which includes also MF radars at Syowa (Japan) and Davis (Australia) stations. This radar comprises the winds component of a developing instrument suite for the mesosphere-thermosphere (MLT) studies at Rothera - a focus of the new BAS 5-year plan, which also includes the Fe temperature lidar (formerly at South Pole) and the mesopause airglow imager for gravity wave studies (formerly at Halley). The Rothera MF radar has just had its antennas and electronics upgraded to achieve better signal-to-noise ratio and more continuous measurements in height and time. The main focus of the proposed research is to extend the knowledge of the polar mesosphere dynamics. The instrument suite at Rothera is ideally positioned for correlative interhemispheric studies with northern hemisphere sites at Poker Flat, Alaska (65 deg. N) and ALOMAR, Norway (69 deg. N) having comparable instrumentation. Further research efforts performed with continued funding will focus on: (1) multi-instrument collaborative studies at Rothera to quantify as fully as possible the dynamics, structure, and variability of the MLT at that location, (2) multi-site (and multi-instrument) studies of large-scale dynamics and variability in the Antarctic (together with the radars and other instrumentation at Davis and Syowa), and (3) interhemispheric studies employing instruments (e.g., the Na resonance lidar and MF radar) at Poker Flat and ALOMAR. It is expected that these studies will lead to a more detailed understanding of (1) mean, tidal, and planetary wave structures at polar latitudes, (2) seasonal, inter-annual, and short-term variability of these structures, (3) hemispheric differences in the tidal and planetary wave structures arising from different source and wave interaction conditions, and (4) the relative influences of gravity waves in the two hemispheres. Such studies will also contribute more generally to an increased awareness of the role of high-latitude processes in global atmospheric dynamics and variability.
0538683<br/>Lal<br/>This award supports a project to continue development of a new method for estimating solar activity in the past. It is based on measurements of the concentrations of in-situ produced C-14 in polar ice by cosmic rays, which depend only on (i) the cosmic ray flux, and (ii) ice accumulation rate. This is the only direct method available to date polar ice, since it does not involve any uncertain climatic transfer functions as are encountered in the applications of cosmogenic C-14 data in tree rings, or of Be-10 in ice and sediments. An important task is to improve on the temporal resolution during identified periods of high/low solar activity in the past 32 Kyr. The plan is to undertake a study of changes in the cosmic ray flux during the last millennium (1100-1825 A.D.), during which time 4 low and 1 high solar activity epoch has been identified from historical records. Sunspot data during most of these periods are sparse. Adequate ice samples are available from ice cores from the South Pole and from Summit, Greenland and a careful high resolution study of past solar activity levels during this period will be undertaken. The intellectual merit of the work includes providing independent verification of estimated solar activity levels from the two polar ice records of cosmic ray flux and greatly improve our understanding of solar-terrestrial relationships. <br/>The broader impacts include collaboration with other scientists who are experts in the application of the atmospheric cosmogenic C-14 and student training. Both undergraduates and a graduate student will be involved in the proposed research. Various forms of outreach will also be used to disseminate the results of this project, including public presentations and interactions with the media.
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 award supports a project to measure the elemental and isotopic composition of firn air and occluded air in shallow boreholes and ice cores from the WAIS Divide site, the location of a deep ice-coring program planned for 2006-07 and subsequent seasons. The three primary objectives are: 1) to establish the nature of firn air movement and trapping at the site to aid interpretations of gas data from the deep core; 2) to expand the suite of atmospheric trace gas species that can be measured in ice and replicate existing records of other species; and 3) to inter-calibrate all collaborating labs to insure that compositional and isotopic data sets are inter-comparable. The program will be initiated with a shallow drilling program during the 05/06 field season which will recover two 300+m cores and firn air samples. The ice core and firn air will provide more than 700 years of atmospheric history that will be used to address a number of important questions related to atmospheric change over this time period. The research team consists of six US laboratories that also plan to participate in the deep core program. This collaborative research program has a number of advantages. First, the scientists will be able to coordinate sample allocation a priori to maximize the resolution and overlap of records of interrelated species. Second, sample registration will be exact, allowing direct comparison of all records. Third, a coherent data set will be produced at the same time and all PI.s will participate in interpreting and publishing the results. This will insure that the best possible understanding of gas records at the WAIS Divide site will be achieved, and that all work necessary to interpret the deep core is conducted in a timely fashion. The collaborative structure created by the proposal will encourage sharing of techniques, equipment, and ideas between the laboratories. The research will identify impacts of various industrial/agricultural activities and help to distinguish them from natural variations, and will include species for which there are no long records of anthropogenic impact. The work will also help to predict future atmospheric loadings. The project will contribute to training scientists at several levels, including seven undergraduates, two graduate students and one post doctoral fellow.
This award supports work on trapped gases in Antarctic and other ice cores for paleoenvironmental and chronological purposes. The project will complete a ~ 100,000 year, high-resolution record of atmospheric methane from the Siple Dome ice core and use these data to construct a precise chronology for climate events recorded by the Siple Dome record. In addition, the resolution of the GISP2 (Greenland) ice core record will be increased in some critical intervals to help with the Siple Dome chronology and that of future ice cores. Finally, an upgrade to the analytical capabilities of the laboratory, including increasing precision and throughput and decreasing sample size needed for ice core methane measurements will be an important goal of this work. The proposed work will contribute to the understanding of the timing of rapid climate change in the Northern and Southern hemispheres during the last glacial period, the evolution of the global methane budget in the late Quaternary, and the late Quaternary climate history of Antarctica. It will also improve our ability to generate methane records for future ice coring projects, and inform and enrich the educational and outreach activities of our laboratory.
This project will provide for the continued operation and data analysis of an electro-optical remote sensing facility at South Pole Station. The facility will be used to examine 1) the source(s) and propagation of patches of enhanced plasma density in the F-region of the Antarctic ionosphere, 2) changes in the Antarctic E-region O/N2 ratio in the center of the night-sector of the auroral oval and compare the ratios with those found in the sun-aligned auroral arcs in the Polar Cap region, 3) Antarctic middle atmosphere disturbances generated by Stratospheric Warming Events (SWE), 4) quantitative characterization of the effects of solar variability on the temperature of the upper mesosphere region, 5) Antarctic thermospheric response to Solar Magnetic Cloud/Coronal Mass Ejection (SMC/CME) events, and 6) the effects of Joule heating on the thermodynamics of the Antarctic F-region. Data for all these studies will come from two sets of remote-sensing facilities at SPS: 1) Auroral emissions brightness measurements from the sun-synchronous Meridian Scanning Photon Counting Multichannel photometer; 2) Airglow and Auroral emission spectra recorded continuously during Austral winter at SPS with the high throughput, high resolution Infrared Michelson Interferometer as well as Visible - Near Infrared CCD spectrographs. <br/><br/>Meridional variations in the brightness of F-region's auroral emissions provide the necessary data for investigations of the dynamics and IMF control, as well as the excitation mechanism(s), of the F-region patches. The brightness of auroral emissions from O and N relative to those from molecular species (O2 and N2) can be analyzed to assess, quantitatively, changes in the thermospheric composition. These data (from continuous (24 hours a day) measurements during the totally dark six months of each Austral winter at SPS) will be used to investigate the effects of solar-terrestrial disturbances on Antarctic thermospheric composition and thermodynamics, including response of the mesopause to solar cycle variations. Changes in airglow temperature (derived from OH and O2 bands), from different mesosphere/lower-thermosphere (MLT) heights, permit studies of the dynamical effects of Planetary, Tidal and Gravity waves propagating in the MLT regions as well as non-linear interactions among these waves. Coupling of different atmospheric regions over SPS, through enhanced gravity wave activities during SWE that lead to a precursor as Mesospheric cooling, will be investigated through the observed changes in MLT kinetic air temperature and density. <br/><br/>The project will enhance the infrastructure for research and education at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, bringing together the PI/Co-I and students from Departments of Physical Sciences and Aerospace Engineering. Graduate and undergraduate students will participate in modern research and software development.
Saltzman/0636953<br/><br/>This award supports a project to measure methyl chloride, methyl bromide, and carbonyl sulfide in air extracted from Antarctic ice cores. Previous measurements in firn air and shallow ice cores suggest that the ice archive contains paleo-atmospheric signals for these gases. The goal of this study is to extend these records throughout the Holocene and into the last Glacial period to examine the behavior of these trace gases over longer time scales and a wider range of climatic conditions. These studies are exploratory, and both the stability of these trace gases and the extent to which they may be impacted by in situ processes will be assessed. This project will involve sampling and analyzing archived ice core samples from the Siple Dome, Taylor Dome, Byrd, and Vostok ice cores. The ice core samples will be analyzed by dry extraction, with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with isotope dilution. The ice core measurements will generate new information about the range of natural variability of these trace gases in the atmosphere. The intellectual merit of this project is that this work will provide an improved basis for assessing the impact of anthropogenic activities on biogeochemical cycles, and new insight into the climatic sensitivity of the biogeochemical processes controlling atmospheric composition. The broader impact of this project is that there is a strong societal interest in understanding how man's activities impact the atmosphere, and how atmospheric chemistry may be altered by future climate change. The results of this study will contribute to the development of scenarios used for future projections of stratospheric ozone and climate change. In terms of human development, this project will support the doctoral dissertation of a graduate student in Earth System Science, and undergraduate research on polar ice core chemistry. This project will also contribute to the development of an Earth Sciences teacher training curriculum for high school teachers in the Orange County school system in collaboration with an established, NSF-sponsored Math and Science Partnership program (FOCUS).
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 Small Grant for Exploratory Research explores the use of magnesium isotopes in understanding the preservation of ice in soils from the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. With such little precipitation in the region, this ice should have completely sublimed away, nonetheless there is geologic evidence of ten-million-year-old ice in some areas. Its ubiquitous presence in Dry Valley's soils implies some form of recharge, seemingly incompatible with the low precipitation rates. This project studies the Mg-isotopes found in soluble salts and, by association, water transport. Magnesium isotopes undergo mass dependent fractionation during the volatilization and condensation, and thus offer the possibility to constrain both the water source and other processes by which ice is mobilized. The measurements require the high precision made possible only recently by development of the MC-ICPMS. The method will be applied to Mg-salts extracted from archived Antarctic soils, as well as cores recovered by the 1970s Dry Valley Drilling Project. <br/><br/>In terms of broader impacts, this project would support a graduate student, who would learn cutting edge geochemical techniques while applying them to an exciting earth science question. This work is critical to understanding the environmental record offered by the Dry Valleys, including the deep ice records that may give seven-million year old samples of the earth's atmosphere. The work also has applications to understanding permafrost on Mars and interpreting recent rover observations.
This award supports a comprehensive study of land-based polar ice cliffs. Through field measurements, modeling, and remote sensing, the physics underlying the formation of ice cliffs at the margin of Taylor Glacier in the McMurdo Dry Valleys will be investigated. At three sites, measurements of ice deformation and temperature fields near the cliff face will be combined with existing energy balance data to quantify ice-cliff evolution over one full seasonal cycle. In addition, a small seismic network will monitor local "ice quakes" associated with calving events. Numerical modeling, validated by the field data, will enable determination of the sensitivity of ice cliff evolution to environmental variables. There are both local and global motivations for studying the ice cliffs of Taylor Glacier. On a global scale, this work will provide insight into the fundamental processes of calving and glacier terminus A better grasp of ice cliff processes will also improve boundary conditions required for predicting glaciers' response to climate change. Locally, the Taylor Glacier is an important component of the McMurdo Dry Valleys landscape and the results of this study will aid in defining ecologically-important sources of glacial meltwater and will lead to a better understanding of moraine formation at polar ice cliffs. This study will help launch the career of a female scientist, will support one graduate student, and provide experiential learning experiences for two undergraduates. The post-doctoral researcher will also use this research in the curriculum of a wilderness science experiential education program for high school girls.
Ultraviolet radiation influences the dynamics of plankton processes in the near-surface waters of most aquatic ecosystems. In particular, the Southern Ocean is affected in the austral spring period when biologically damaging ultraviolet radiation is enhanced by ozone depletion. While progress has been made in estimating the quantitative impact of ultraviolet radiation on bacteria and phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean, some important issues remain to be resolved. Little is known about responses in systems dominated by the colonial haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica, which dominates spring blooms in a polyna that develops in the southern Ross Sea. The Ross Sea is also of interest because of the occurrence of open water at a far southerly location in the spring, well within the ozone hole, and continuous daylight, with implications for the regulation of DNA repair. A number of studies suggest that vertical mixing can significant modify the impact of ultraviolet radiation in the Southern Ocean and elsewhere. However, there are limited measurements of turbulence intensity in the surface layer and measurements have not been integrated with parallel studies of ultraviolet radiation effects on phytoplankton and bacterioplankton. To address these issues, this collaborative study will focus on vertical mixing and the impact of ultraviolet radiation in the Ross Sea. The spectral and temporal responses of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton to ultraviolet radiation will be characterized in both laboratory and solar incubations. These will lead to the definition of biological weighting functions and response models capable of predicting the depth and time distribution of ultraviolet radiation impacts on photosynthesis, bacterial incorporation and DNA damage in the surface layer. Diel sampling will measure depth-dependent profiles of DNA damage, bacterial incorporation, photosynthesis and fluorescence parameters over a 24 h cycle. Sampling will include stations with contrasting wind-driven mixing and stratification as the polyna develops. The program of vertical mixing measurements is optimized for the typical springtime Ross Sea situation in which turbulence of intermediate intensity is insufficient to mix the upper layer thoroughly in the presence of stabilizing influences like solar heating and/or surface freshwater input from melting ice. Fine-scale vertical density profiles will be measured with a free-fall CTD unit and the profiles will be used to directly estimate large-eddy scales by determining Thorpe scales. Eddy scales and estimated turbulent diffusivities will be directly related to surface layer effects, and used to generate lagrangian depth-time trajectories in models of ultraviolet radiation responses in the surface mixed layer. The proposed research will be the first in-depth study of ultraviolet radiation effects in the Ross Sea and provide a valuable comparison with previous work in the Weddell-Scotia Confluence and Palmer Station regions. It will also enhance the understanding of vertical mixing processes, trophic interactions and biogeochemical cycling in the Ross Sea.
This award supports a two-year collaborative effort to more fully understand the climatic history and physical properties of the Siple Dome, Antarctica deep ice core, to develop a new paleoclimatic technique based on bubble number-density, and to improve the U.S. capability to analyze ice-core physical properties rapidly and accurately. The Siple Dome ice core from West Antarctica is yielding important paleoclimatic insights, but has proven more difficult than some cores to interpret owing to the large iceflow effects on the paleoclimatic record. Paleoclimatic indicators that do not rely on iceflow corrections thus would be of value. The bubble number-density offers one such indicator, because it preserves information on mean temperature and accumulation rate during the transformation of firn to ice. We will focus on thin-section characteristics that are important to ice flow and the interpretation of the ice-core history, such as c-axis fabrics, and will use indicators that we have been developing, such as the correlation between grain elongation and the c-axis orientation, to gain additional information. To achieve this quickly and accurately, and to prepare for future projects, we propose to upgrade the automatic caxis- fabric analyzer that Wilen has built and housed at the National Ice Core Laboratory. The intellectual merit of the proposed activity includes improved estimates of paleoclimatic conditions in an important region, improved understanding of a new paleoclimatic research tool, greater understanding of ice flow and of linkages to physical properties, and a better instrument for further U.S. research in ice-core physical properties at the National Ice Core Laboratory. The broader impacts resulting from the proposed activity include providing better understanding of abrupt climate change and of ice flow, which eventually should help policy-makers, as well as an improved U.S. capability to analyze ice cores. The proposed research will assist the studies of two promising young scientists. Results of the research will be incorporated into courses and public outreach reaching at least hundreds or thousands of people per year.
The proposed work would modify an existing 4-channel all-sky camera at South Pole in order to observe several types of auroras, and to distinguish the cusp reconnection aurora from the normal plasma sheet precipitation. The camera will simultaneously operate in four wavelength regions that allow a distinction between auroras that are created by higher energy electrons (> 1 keV) and those created by low energy (<500 eV) precipitation. The cusp is the location where plasma enters the magnetosphere through the process of magnetic reconnection. This reconnection occurs where the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) and the terrestrial magnetic field are oriented in opposite directions. Using the IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause to Aurora Global Exploration) satellite ultraviolet optical data it has been shown that cusp precipitation can be seen in different regions, which depend on the orientation of the IMF. South Pole station is uniquely located for optical observations of the aurora because of the 24 hours of darkness during austral winter and the appearance of the auroral oval within the field of view of all-sky cameras.
Satellite-tracked drifters provide simple yet powerful tools to track the motion of near-surface water on time scales ranging from the tidal/inertial band to monthly and longer. The research described herein will deploy satellite-tracked surface drifters during the annual austral summer Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) cruises in January 2006 and 2007 in order to investigate the nearsurface Lagrangian currents over the western Antarctic Peninsula (wAP) shelf. This region is experiencing the highest surface air temperature increase (roughly +0.06 degrees C per year) in Antarctica, and LTER and other investigators have found that ecosystem responses to the rapid warming and sea ice decline are already apparent at all trophic levels from phytoplankton to penguins. Building a better understanding of the regional circulation and its variability seems an essential component to understand existing physical and biological processes and longer-term changes in this important and sensitive Antarctic ecosystem. These new Lagrangian measurements will complement those made during the 2001-2003 U.S. Southern Ocean (SO) GLOBEC program and provide the first detailed look at the near-surface flow in this important section of the wAP shelf. In particular, the combined 3-year LTER Lagrangian measurements should identify (a) the source region(s) of the buoyant coastal current discovered flowing southwest along the outer coast of Adelaide Island and into Marguerite Bay during SO GLOBEC and (b) if organized cross-shelf flows occur that help create a two gyre circulation over the shelf as suggested by Hofmann et al (1996) based on regional hydrography. The principal investigators will process and analyze the LTER 2005-2007 drifter data and collaborate with Palmer LTER investigators on the interpretation and integration of the Lagrangian data with their studies. The edited data, analysis results, and animations of the drifter data with surface weather data will be posted on the LTER website for use and viewing by scientists, students, and the public. Results will be presented at national meetings and published in referred journals.
This award supports a small grant for exploratory research to study the processes that contribute to the melting and break-up of tabular polar icebergs as they drift north. This work will enable the participation of a group of U.S. scientists in this international project which is collaborative with the Instituto Antartico Argentino. The field team will place weather instruments, firn sensors, and a video camera on the iceberg to measure the processes that affect it as it drifts north. In contrast to icebergs in other sectors of Antarctica, icebergs in the northwestern Weddell Sea drift northward along relatively predictable paths, and reach climate and ocean conditions that lead to break-up within a few years. The timing of this study is critical due to the anticipated presence of iceberg A43A, which broke off the Ronne Ice Shelf in February 2000 and which is expected to be accessible from Marambio Station in early 2006. It has recently been recognized that the end stages of break-up of these icebergs can imitate the rapid disintegrations due to melt ponding and surface fracturing observed for the Larsen A and Larsen B ice shelves. However, in some cases, basal melting may play a significant role in shelf break-up. Resolving the processes (surface ponding/ fracturing versus basal melt) and observing other processes of iceberg drift and break up in-situ are of high scientific interest. An understanding of the mechanisms that lead to the distintegration of icebergs as they drift north may enable scientists to use icebergs as proxies for understanding the processes that could cause ice shelves to disintegrate in a warming climate. A broader impact would thus be an ability to predict ice shelf disintegration in a warming world. Glacier mass balance and ice shelf stability are of critical importance to sea level change, which also has broader societal relevance.
This award supports a comprehensive investigation of the spatial and temporal characteristics of the surface mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet and the governing mechanisms that affect it. A mesoscale atmospheric model, adapted for Antarctic conditions (Polar MM5), will be used in conjunction with the newly available reanalysis from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) to resolve the surface mass balance of Antarctica at a time resolution of 3 hours and a spatial resolution of 60 km from 1957 to 2001. Polar MM5 will be upgraded to account for key processes in the simulation, including explicit consideration of blowing snow transport and sublimation as well as surface melting/runoff. The proposed 45-y hindcast of all Antarctic surface mass balance components with a limited area model has not previously been attempted and will provide a dataset of unprecedented scope to complement existing ice core measurements of recent climate, especially those collected by the International Transantarctic Scientific Expedition (ITASE). The trends and variability in space and time over 4.5 decades will be resolved and the impact of the dominant modes of atmospheric variability (Antarctic Oscillation, El Nino-Southern Oscillation, etc.) will be isolated. Hypotheses concerning the Antarctic surface mass balance response to climate change will be tested. The research will provide a sound basis for evaluating the impact of future climate change on Antarctic surface mass balance and its contribution to global sea level change as well as providing an important perspective for the interpretation of Antarctic ice core records. The broader impacts include the education of a Ph.D. student, the development of material for use in university classes, and construction of an interactive educational webpage on Antarctic surface mass balance.
This award is for support for a program to reconstruct records of the isotopic composition of paleoatmospheric methane and nitrous oxide covering the last 200,000 years. High resolution measurements of the carbon-13 isotopic composition of methane from shallow ice cores will help to determine the relative contributions of biogenic (wetlands, rice fields and ruminants) and abiogenic (biomass burning and natural gas) methane emissions which have caused the concentrations of this gas to increase at an exponential rate during the anthropogenic period. Isotopic data on methane and nitrous oxide over glacial/interglacial timescales will help determine the underlying cause of the large concentration variations that are known to occur. This project will make use of a new generation mass spectrometer which is capable of generating precise isotopic information on nanomolar quantities of methane and nitrous oxide, which means that samples can be 1000 times smaller than those needed for a standard isotope ratio instrument. The primary objective of the work is to further our understanding of the biogeochemical cycles of these two greenhouse gases throughout the anthropogenic period as well as over glacial interglacial timescales.
Major portions of the Antarctic Ice Sheet float in the surrounding ocean, at the physical and intellectual boundaries of oceanography and glaciology. These ice shelves lose mass continuously by melting into the sea, and periodically by the calving of icebergs. Those losses are compensated by the outflow of grounded ice, and by surface accumulation and basal freezing. Ice shelf sources and sinks vary on several time scales, but their wastage terms are not yet well known. Reports of substantial ice shelf retreat, regional ocean freshening and increased ice velocity and thinning are of particular concern at a time of warming ocean temperatures in waters that have access to deep glacier grounding lines.<br/>This award supports a study of the attrition of Antarctic ice shelves, using recent ocean geochemical measurements and drawing on numerical modeling and remote sensing resources. In cooperation with associates at Columbia University and the British Antarctic Survey, measurements of chlorofluorocarbon, helium, neon and oxygen isotopes will be used to infer basal melting beneath the Ross Ice Shelf, and a combination of oceanographic and altimeter data will be used to investigate the mass balance of George VI Ice Shelf. Ocean and remote sensing observations will also be used to help refine numerical models of ice cavity circulations. The objectives are to reduce uncertainties between different estimates of basal melting and freezing, evaluate regional variability, and provide an update of an earlier assessment of circumpolar net melting.<br/>A better knowledge of ice shelf attrition is essential to an improved understanding of ice shelf response to climate change. Large ice shelf calving events can alter the ocean circulation and sea ice formation, and can lead to logistics problems such as those recently experienced in the Ross Sea. Broader impacts include the role of ice shelf meltwater in freshening and stabilizing the upper ocean, and in the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water, which can be traced far into the North Atlantic. To the extent that ice shelf attrition influences the flow of grounded ice, this work also has implications for ice sheet stability and sea level rise.
9725882 Raymond This award is for support for a program of surface-based radio echo sounding to examine the geometry of the internal layering and the presence or absence of thawed zones outside the margins of active Ice Streams B and E and across the flow band feeding Ice Stream D. Melting in the marginal shear zone and/or on the bed outside an ice stream relates to the amount of support of the ice stream from the sides compared to the bed and the conditions that limit expansion of its width. Radar observations will be extended over the crest of adjacent inter-ice-stream ridges (B/C and D/E) and areas next to the flow band in the onset of D. The purpose is to examine internal layering indicative of the histories of these areas adjacent to ice streams and to determine whether ice streams have expanded into these presently stable areas in the past. These goals concerning the physical controls and history of ice stream width relate to how the discharge of ice streams has changed in the past and could change in the future to affect sea level.
This award supports a project to improve understanding of post-glacial retreat and thinning of the Siple Coast region. Research has shown how age-depth relationships from ice cores can be extrapolated over wide areas by tracking continuous radar layers. By comparing radar-derived timescales with one from a model of ice- flow, glacial conditions over regional scales were inferred. High-resolution radar profiles have been collected across most of the inter-stream ridges in the Siple Coast region, and an age- depth relationship has been established from the Siple Dome ice core. Application of the techniques used by others is problematic because the ice streams that surround Siple Dome have disrupted the continuity of the internal layers. A specific goal of this project is to search for other less direct ways to match radar layers between unconnected profiles. The correspondence between radar reflections and measurements of electrical conductivity and volcanic sulfates along the Siple Dome core will be investigated. The strategy is to search for distinctive patterns in the echoes that will facilitate layer matching. Preliminary results are encouraging: at least four distinct echoes at Siple Dome can be matched to spikes in the conductivity profile and the signature of one (at 210m depth, which is ~1,800 yrs BP) closely resembles that of a layer at ~200m on Ridge BC. Matching layers (and hence timescales) across the ice streams will allow reconstruction of spatial patterns of past flow, thinning and accumulation rate in the Siple Coast region, which is needed to predict future possible changes of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Data necessary for the proposed work are already available; additional fieldwork in Antarctica is not required. The project will take two years to complete and will provide core education for a doctoral student in Earth and Space Sciences, with an emphasis on radioglaciology.
0125610<br/>Waddington<br/><br/>This award provides three years of funding to study the transition from slow inland flow to fast ice stream flow by making use of a suite of geophysical measurements that have been made near the onset region of ice stream D in West Antarctica. These data provide a unique opportunity to develop and validate glaciological models of the controlling processes in ice stream onset zones. Important processes to quantify are motion at the bed and deformation in the ice. Previous analyses indicate that the controlling resistive forces shift from the bed to the sides during the transition from slow inland flow to fast, streaming flow. Model sensitivity analyses will be used to investigate the relative importance of feedbacks between basal processes and ice deformation in the transition from inland to ice stream flow. Model experiments will determine what factors control the location of the onset of streaming flow, and how that location might migrate when conditions at the bed, or along the flow direction, changes over time. The overall goal of this work is to improve understanding of the evolution of the WAIS drainage system. This study is a first step towards understanding the physics that govern the transition from slow inland flow to fast streaming flow.
This award supports a science management office for a pilot ice-core drilling and analysis program to test the feasibility of obtaining well-dated, high-resolution isotope and chemistry records from East Antarctica. Shallow ice cores will be obtained from two locations: 1) ~100 km from South Pole towards the Pole of Inaccessibility, as an extension of the Byrd Station-to-South Pole ITASE traverse [International Trans Antarctic Scientific Expedition]; 2) at Taylor Dome, near the original deep coring site, and (3) possibly at AGO 3 and AGO 4 as part of a logistics traverse to these sites. All of the cores collected will be sampled at very high resolution (~1/2 cm) and analyzed for major ions. Results from this calibration work, along with those from another project that is analyzing stable isotopes will be used to help plan a program of larger scope, with the objective of mapping the spatial expression of climate variability in East Antarctica. Funds are also provided to organize a community workshop for coordination of the second phase of US ITASE and for one workshop per year for two years dedicated to writing and preparation of scientific papers from phase one of US ITASE. In addition, route selection activities for the follow-on traverse activities in East Antarctica will be conducted using satellite image mapping. A summary document will be produced and made available to the community to help with planning of related field programs (e.g. deep ice radar, firn radar profiling, atmospheric chemistry, ice coring, snow surface properties for satellite observations, ice surface elevation and mass balance).
Photochemical reactions in snow can have important effects on the chemistry and composition of the snowpack as well as the overlying atmosphere. For example, recent measurements in the Antarctic and Arctic have revealed that sunlit snow releases a number of important pollutants to the atmosphere. Our ability to understand and model this chemistry is currently limited, in part because we lack fundamental photochemical information for a number of important chemical species in snow. This award supports research that will help fill this gap by characterizing the low-temperature photochemistry of three of these key species: nitrite (NO2-), nitrous acid (HNO2), and hydrogen peroxide (HOOH). We will measure quantum yields for these reactions on ice using a sensitive technique that we recently developed during a study of nitrate (NO3-) photochemistry. In addition to this basic research, we will also measure the rates of formation of hydroxyl radical (OH), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and HOOH in illuminated Antarctic snow samples. These measurements will be important inputs for future models, and will allow us to test whether known species (e.g., NO3-, NO2- and HNO2) are responsible for most of snowpack reactivity (e.g., OH formation). Overall, results from this award will significantly improve our ability to understand snowpack chemistry, and the resulting effects on the atmosphere, both in the Antarctic as well as in the many other regions with permanent or seasonal snow. These results will also strengthen efforts to use ice core records to monitor global change. In addition to these impacts, this award will help train students and a postdoctoral fellow, and results from this work will be integrated into two classes in order to expose students to some of the important issues facing polar regions.
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 two-year project to continue work developing the techniques to make carbon monoxide (CO) measurements in ice core samples. Carbon monoxide is an important atmospheric chemical constituent as it is a primary sink for hydroxyl radical (OH) (and therefore influences the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere) and because the concentrations of three major greenhouses gases , carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and ozone (O3) are directly tied to the concentration of CO. In light of recent anthropogenic increases in the emissions of CO, CO2, CH4 and NOx, it is desirable to understand this complex chemical system and the changes in the greenhouse forcing resulting from perturbation. Because it is difficult to test the accuracy of models for past and future conditions for which no direct atmospheric measurements of trace gas concentrations are available these measurements must be obtained in other ways. Polar ice cores provide a means to make these measurements. Further work is necessary to refine the analytical technique and additional measurements are necessary to investigate the accuracy of these results and to establish the nature of temporal trends in CO. It is anticipated that the CO record, combined with existing or new data for CO2, CH4 , N2O and other paleoclimate variables, will provide further constraints on model studies of the effect of changing atmospheric chemistry on greenhouse forcing.
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 supports a comprehensive aerogeophysical survey of the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) in West Antarctica. The University of Texas will join forces with the British Antarctic Survey to use both US and UK aircraft and instrumentation to achieve this survey. Analyses of the new aerogeophysical<br/>data will result in the generation of maps of ice sheet surface, volume and bottom-interface characteristics. These maps will support the efforts of a community of US and international researchers to assess the present and predict the future behavior of the ice sheet in the ASE.<br/>The West Antarctic ice sheet has been the subject of intensive interdisciplinary study by both the European and U.S. scientific communities since it was recognized to be a potential source for up to 5 meters of sea<br/>level rise, possibly on short timescales. In terms of ice discharge, the ASE is the largest drainage system in West Antarctica. Yet it has been comparatively unstudied, primarily due to its remoteness from logistical<br/>centers. The ASE is the only major drainage to exhibit significant elevation change over the period of available satellite observations. Present knowledge of the ice thickness and subglacial boundary conditions in the ASE are insufficient to understand its evolution or its sensitivity to climatic change.<br/>The results from our surveys are required to achieve the fundamental research objectives outlined by the US scientific community in an ASE Science Plan. The surveys and analyses will be achieved through international collaboration and will involve graduate students, undergraduates and high school apprentices.<br/>Through its potential for influencing sea level, the future behavior of the ASE is of primary societal importance. Given the substantial public and scientific interest that recent reports of change in West Antarctica have generated, we expect fundamental research in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, enabled by our surveys, will have widespread impact.
Kanagaratnam, Pannirselvam; Braaten, David; Bauer, Rob
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This award supports a project to build and test a 12-18 GHz radar system with a plane wave antenna. This is a wideband radar operating over a frequency range of 12 to 18 GHz to detect near-surface internal firn layers of the ice sheet with better than 10 cm resolution to a depth of approximately 7 m. These measurements will allow determination of spatially continuous snow accumulation rate in the firn, which would be useful along a traverse and is of critical importance to the validation of CryoSat and ICESAT satellite missions aimed at assessing the current state of mass balance of the polar ice sheets. The antenna system planned for the radar is relatively compact, and will be located on the sledge carrying the radar systems. The broad scientific focus of this project will be to investigate important glacial processes relevant to ice sheet mass balance. The new radar will allow the characterization (with high depth resolution) of the spatial variability of snow accumulation rate along a traverse route for interpreting data from CryoSat and ICESAT missions. As part of this project, we will institute a strong outreach program involving K-12 education and a minority institution of higher education. We currently work closely with the Advanced Learning Technology Program (ALTec) at the University of Kansas to develop interactive, resource-based lessons for use on-line by students of all grade levels, and we will develop new resources related to this project. We currently have an active research and education collaboration with faculty and undergraduate students at neighboring Haskell Indian Nations University, in Lawrence, Kansas, and we will expand our collaboration to include this project.
This award supports a study of the chemical composition of air in the snow layer (firn) in a region of "megadunes" near Vostok station, Antarctica. It will test the hypothesis that a deep "convective zone" of vigorous wind-driven mixing can prevent gas fractionation in the upper one-third of the polar firn layer. In the megadunes, ultralow snow accumulation rates lead to structural changes (large grains, pipes, and cracks) that make the permeability of firn to air movement orders of magnitude higher than normal. The unknown thickness of the convective zone has hampered the interpretation of ice core 15N/14N and 40Ar/36Ar ratios as indicators of past firn thickness, which is a key constraint on the climatically important variables of temperature, accumulation rate, and gas age-ice age difference. Studying this "extreme end-member" example will better define the role of the convective zone in gas reconstructions. This study will pump air from a profile of ~20 depths in the firn, to definitively test for the presence of a convective zone based on the fit of observed 15 N/14N and 40Ar/36Ar to a molecular- and eddy-diffusion model. Permeability measurements on the core and 2-D air flow modeling (in collaboration with M. Albert) will permit a more physically realistic interpretation of the isotope data and will relate mixing vigor to air velocities. A new proxy indicator of convective zone thickness will be tested on firn and ice core bubble air, based on the principle that isotopes of slow-diffusing heavy noble gases (Kr, Xe) should be more affected by convection than isotopes of fast-diffusing N2 . These tools will be applied to a test of the hypothesis that the megadunes and a deep convective zone existed at the Vostok site during glacial periods, which would explain the anomalously low 15N/14N and 40Ar/36Ar in the Vostok ice core glacial periods. The broader impacts of this work include 1) clarification of phase relationships of greenhouse gases and temperature in ice core records, with implications for understanding of past and future climates, 2) education of one graduate student, and 3) building of collaborative relationships with five investigators.
This award supports a project to characterize the morphology, ice motion velocity and mass balance of Lambert Glacier, Antarctica using state-of-the-art remote sensing and GIS techniques. Lambert Glacier is the largest ice stream in the world. Because of its size, it plays a fundamental role in the study of glacial dynamics and mass budget in response to present and future climate changes. Along with the bedrock topography and ice thickness data derived from airborne radio echo soundings and snow accumulation data compiled from ground-based measurements, the dynamic behavior and mass balance of the Lambert glacial basin in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment will be examined. Specific objectives are to: (1) Extract two-dimensional ice velocity field over the entire Lambert glacial basin using speckle matching and differential interferometric SAR (InSAR) techniques, and produce a full coverage of radar coherence map over the drainage basin. With the ice velocity data, calculate the strain rate field from the initiation areas of the ice stream onto the Amery Ice Shelf; (2) Derive high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) over the Lambert glacial drainage basin using SAR stereo, differential interferometric SAR, and GLAS laser altimetry techniques. Based on the DEM, extract ice divides and ice flow directions, delineate the snow catchment basin, and calculate the balance deformation velocity and the basal shear stress; (3) Interpolate traverse ice thickness data collected by Australian and Russian airborne radio echo sounding surveys into a regular grid, and derive a regular grid of bedrock topography in combination with the DEM; (4) Integrate newly derived ice velocity and ice thickness data as well as snow accumulation rate data compiled from previous ground-based measurements into a geographic information system (GIS), and calculate the mass flux through the ice stream at the grounding lines and net mass balance throughout the drainage basin. With these new measurements and calculations derived from advanced remote sensing techniques, we will be able to improve our understanding of dynamic behavior and current mass balance status of the Lambert glacial basin, gain an insight on the relationship between ice mass change and the variation in regional and global climate at decadal scale, and provide an evaluation on the issue of whether the Lambert glacier basin is subject to surging in the context of future climate change.
This award supports a project to conduct laboratory experiments to investigate textures formed in ice during superplastic flow. Superplastic flow has recently been discovered in the laboratory and can be considered a new flow mechanism for ice. A simple extrapolation of these new data for superplastic flow from laboratory to natural conditions suggests that glaciers and ice sheets flow via this mechanism. Furthermore, several grain-scale features in ice (e.g., crystal shape) produced during superplastic flow in the laboratory are remarkably similar to those observed in glaciers and ice sheets. Despite this exciting discovery, however, important questions remain before we can apply with full confidence these new flow data in mathematical models of glacier and ice sheet flow. The textures seen in laboratory studies will be compared with those observed in field studies of glaciers and ice sheets. These comparisons, coupled with comparisons of the new superplastic flow data from the laboratory with flow measurements from field studies, will provide a powerful method for further assessing the importance of superplastic flow in nature and thereby improve our understanding of glacier and ice sheet dynamics and global climate change. Experiments will be conducted by the PI and an undergraduate research assistant. Experimental results will be published in relevant refereed journals, presented at glaciology meetings and incorporated into coursework.
This award supports a collaborative study between South Dakota State University (SDSU) and University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to investigate the oxygen and sulfur isotope composition of sulfates from a number of large volcanic eruptions in the past 1000 years. The project aims to drill a number of shallow ice cores at South Pole and return them to SDSU and UCSD lab for chemical and isotope analysis. Preliminary results from measurements of isotopes in sulfate samples from several volcanic eruptions in Antarctic snow and ice indicate that isotopic composition of volcanic sulfate contains abundant valuable information on atmospheric chemical and dynamic processes that have not been previously investigated. One tentative conclusion is that mass-independently fractionated sulfur isotopes reveal that atmospheric photolysis of sulfur compounds occurs at longer UV wavelengths than those in the Archean atmosphere, possibly reflecting the atmospheric ozone and/or oxygen concentration. This suggests that isotopic composition of atmospheric sulfate may be used to understand the role of UV radiation in sulfur dioxide conversion in the atmosphere and to track the evolution (i.e., oxygenation) of the atmosphere and the origin of life on Earth. Other major research objectives include understanding what impact massive volcanic eruptions have on the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere, what oxidants and mechanisms are involved in the oxidation or conversion of volcanic sulfur dioxide to sulfate in the stratosphere and what isotopic criteria may be used to differentiate ice core signals of stratospheric eruptions from those of tropospheric eruptions. By providing educational and research opportunities to graduate and undergraduate students at both SDSU and UCSD, the proposed project will promote the integration of research and education and contribute to human resource development in science and engineering. The project will contribute to a proposed REU chemistry site program at SDSU. This collaboration will utilize the complementary strengths of both labs and promote exchange between the two institutions. International collaboration will enhance scientific cooperation between France and US.
A 'horizontal ice core' was collected at the Mount Moulton blue ice field in West Antarctica and preliminary analyses of the sample material suggests that a ~500 kyr climate record is preserved in the ice at this site. This award will contribute to the understanding of the Mt Moulton record by assessing the potential for ice-flow induced deformation of the stratigraphic profile. In addition, this award builds on the recognition of blue ice areas as archives of long climate records by conducting reconnaissance studies for a potential horizontal ice core location at the Allan Hills in East Antarctica. The objectives of this project are to contribute to the glaciological understanding of blue ice areas in Antarctica. Ice flow conditions at the Mt Moulton blue ice field will be studied to assess the possibility that the stratigraphic record has been deformed and reconnaissance of a potential horizontal ice core site in the Allan Hills blue ice field will also be accomplished. Short field programs will be undertaken at each location to collect relevant measurements of ice flow and subglacial topography, and to conduct sampling of material that will enable the preservation of the stratigraphic sequences to be assessed.
High latitude deep ice cores contain fundamental records of polar temperatures, atmospheric dust loads (and continental aridity), greenhouse gas concentrations, the status of the biosphere, and other essential properties of past environments. An accurate chronology for these records is needed if their significance is to be fully realized. The dating challenge has stimulated efforts at orbital tuning. In this approach, one varies a timescale, within allowable limits, to optimize the match between a paleoenvironmental property and a curve of insolation through time. The ideal property would vary with time due to direct insolation forcing. It would be unaffected by complex climate feedbacks and teleconnections, and it would give a clean record with high signal/noise ratio. It is argued strongly that the O2/N2 ratio of ice core trapped gases is such a property, and evidence is presented that this property, whose atmospheric ratio is nearly constant, is tied to local summertime insolation. This award will support a project to analyze the O2/N2 ratios at 1 kyr intervals from ~ 115-400 ka in the Vostok ice core. Ancillary measurements will be made of Ar/N2, and Ne/N2 and heavy noble gas ratios, in order to understand bubble close-off fractionation and its manifestation in the Vostok trapped gas record. O2/N2 variations will be matched with summertime insolation at Vostok to achieve a high-accuracy chronology for the Vostok core. The Vostok and other correlatable climate records will then be reexamined to improve our understanding of the dynamics of Pleistocene climate change.
This award supports a program of field surveys of an area within the large, well-developed megadune field southeast of Vostok station. The objectives are to determine the physical characteristics of the firn across the dunes, including typical climate indicators such as stable isotopes and major chemical species, and to install instruments to measure the time variation of near-surface wind and temperature with depth, to test and refine hypotheses for megadune formation. Field study will consist of surface snowpit and shallow core sampling, ground penetrating radar (GPR) profiling, GPS topographic and ice motion surveys, AWS installation, accumulation/ ablation measurements, subsurface temperature, and firn permeability studies. Field work in two successive seasons is proposed. Continent-wide remote sensing studies of the dunes will be continued, using the new group of instruments that are now, or will shortly be available (e.g., MODIS, MISR, GLAS, AMSR). The earlier study of topographic, passive microwave, and SAR characteristics will be extended, with the intent of determining the relationships of dune amplitude and wavelength to climate parameters, and further development of models of dune formation. Diffusion, ventilation, and vapor transport processes within the dune firn will be modeled as well. A robust program of outreach is planned and reporting to inform both the public and scientists of the fundamental in-situ and remote sensing characteristics of these uniquely Antarctic features will be an important part of the work. Because of their extreme nature, their broad extent, and their potential impact on the climate record, it is important to improve our current understanding of these. Megadunes are a manifestation of an extreme terrestrial climate and may provide insight on past terrestrial climate, or to processes active on other planets. Megadunes are likely to represent an end-member in firn diagenesis, and as such, may have much to teach us about the processes involved.
This award supports a detailed laboratory analysis of the mass-independent isotopic composition of processes associated with atmospheric nitrate trapped in the snow pack at the South Pole. The project will specifically test if the oxygen isotopes 16O, 17O, 18O of nitrate can be used to probe the denitrification of the Antarctic stratosphere. Despite decades of research, there are several important issues in Antarctic atmospheric science, which are presently inadequately resolved. This includes quantification over time of the sources of nitrate aerosols. Today, little is known about the past denitrification of the stratosphere in high latitude regions. This lack of knowledge significantly limits our ability to understand the chemical state of ancient atmospheres and therefore evaluate present and past-coupled climate/atmosphere models. The role of nitrogen in environmental degradation is well known. This issue will also be addressed in this proposal. Atmospheric aerosols have now been shown to possess a mass-independent oxygen isotopic content. The proposed research will investigate the stable oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate in Antarctica both collected in real time and from the snow. Two periods of time will be covered. Full year nitrate aerosol collections, with week resolution time horizons, will be performed at the South Pole. Weekly aerosol collections will help us to identify any seasonal trend of the oxygen-17 excess anomaly, and eventually link this anomaly to the denitrification of the Antarctic stratosphere. This data set will also be used to test our assumption that the oxygen isotopic anomaly of nitrate is mainly formed in the stratosphere and is well preserved in the snow pack. If true, we will for the first time resolve an atmospheric signal extracted from a nitrate profile. The snow pit will allow us to see any trend in the data on a multiple decade timescale.
This award supports the analysis, in Antarctic ice cores, of the ozone depleting substances methyl bromide (CH3Br) and methyl chloride (CH3Cl), and the sulfur-containing gas, carbonyl sulfide (OCS). The broad scientific goal is to assess the level and variability of these gases in the preindustrial atmosphere. This information will allow testing of current models for sources and sinks of these gases from the atmosphere, and to indirectly assess the impact of anthropogenic activities on their biogeochemical cycles. Longer-term records will shed light on the climatic sensitivity of the atmospheric burden of these gases, and ultimately on the biogeochemical processes controlling them. These gases are present in ice at parts per trillion levels, and the current database consists entirely of a small number of measurements made in from a shallow ice core from Siple Dome, Antarctica. This project will involve studies of ice core samples from three Antarctic sites: Siple Station, Siple Dome, and South Pole. The sampling strategy is designed to accomplish several objectives: 1) to verify the atmospheric mixing ratios previously observed in shallow Siple Dome ice for OCS, CH3Br, and CH3Cl at sites with very different accumulation rates and surface temperatures; 2) to obtain a well-dated, high resolution record from a high accumulation rate site (Siple Station), that can provide overlap in mean gas age with Antarctic firn air samples; 3) explore Holocene variability in trace gas mixing ratios; and 4) to make the first measurements of these trace gases in Antarctic glacial ice. In terms of broader impact on society, this research will help to provide a stronger scientific basis for policy decisions regulating the production and use of ozone-depleting and climate-active gases. Specifically, the methyl bromide results will contribute to the current debate on the impact of recent regulation (via the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments) on atmospheric levels. Determination of pre-industrial atmospheric variability of ozone-depleting substances will help place more realistic constraints on scenarios used for future projections of stratospheric ozone and its climatic impacts. This research will involve the participation of both graduate and undergraduate students.
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.
0125981<br/>Sowers<br/><br/>This award supports a project to construct an isotopic record of atmospheric methane and nitrous oxide over the last century from South Pole firn air. Over the last 150 years, atmospheric methane and nitrous oxide concentrations have risen in response to increased emissions from various anthropogenic activities. As this trend is liable to continue in the foreseeable future, it is important to understand the biogeochemical processes that contribute to the emissions of these two greenhouse gases. In this context, records of the variations in the atmospheric loading of trace gases found in ice cores and interstitial spaces in the snow near the surface of the ice sheet (firn air) provide fundamental boundary conditions for reconstructing historical emission records. One way to improve our understanding of the cycling of bioactive trace gases and their emission records is to use stable isotope tracers, which have been recorded in the ice cores and firn air. This project will develop records of carbon-13 and deuterium isotope ratios of methane, as well as the nitrogen-15, oxygen-18 and the isotopomer composition of nitrous oxide trapped in firn air samples collected in January 2001 at the South Pole. These measurements will allow isotopic records of these atmospheric gases to be reconstructed throughout the 20th century. Such records will help to establish the relative contribution of individual sources with a higher degree of confidence than is currently available.
0135989<br/>Wilen<br/><br/>This is a collaborative proposal by Principal Investigators at the University of Washington and Ohio University. Detailed knowledge about the interactions between micro-structure of ice and its deformation is needed to assess the integrity of stratigraphic layering and the depth-age relationship in ice cores, which is essential for interpreting the paleoclimate record. The Principal Investigators will use micro-structure to study fabric, the orientation distribution of crystal c-axes, and texture, the size and shape of crystals. Numerical modeling of ice deformation is a useful tool in understanding these interactions. Accurate modeling of ice deformation is complicated by factors, such as the fabric, grain size, dynamic recrystallization, stress level, and precise knowledge of initial conditions. For example, ice fabric evolves as the ice is strained and the deformation depends on the fabric. This complicated feedback mechanism must be understood to correctly model ice deformation. In another example, the usual assumption is that the initial fabric is isotropic or random, but there are excellent examples of near-surface ice in the ice cores that are apparently not isotropic. One must know the initial fabric to calculate the deformation rate in ice sheets. Dr. Wilen will combine results of his new automatic fabric analyzer (AFA) with predictions of detailed ice deformation models (Dr. Thorsteinsson) to refine and better constrain such models. The AFA gives new information in thin sections because the precision and number of measured c-axis orientations are greatly improved. The Principal Investigators will analyze existing data and collect new data on fabric and texture from ice cores to address questions regarding near-surface fabric, deformation mechanisms, dynamic recrystallization, and potential sources of layer disturbances. The data will be used to constrain models of fabric evolution and recrystallization processes. With the more refined models, scientists can address different questions and important problems related to ice deformation and ice cores. For example, the recent agreement between the climate records from the Greenland Ice Core Project (GRIP) and Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) ice cores of the upper-90%, and the disagreement in the lower-10% emphasizes the need to understand and predict the mechanisms and probable depths of disruption in these and future deep ice cores. Evidence suggests that the stratigraphic disturbances arise from the anisotropic nature of ice crystals at a variety of scales. To properly model the deformation of anisotropic ice, the influence of fabric on deformation must be well known.
This award supports the continued measurements of gas isotopes in the Vostok ice core, from Antarctica. One objective is to identify the phasing of carbon dioxide variations and temperature variations, which may place constraints on hypothesized cause and effect relationships. Identification of phasing has in the past been hampered by the large and uncertain age difference between the gases trapped in air bubbles and the surrounding ice. This work will circumvent this issue by employing an indicator of temperature in the gas phase. It is argued that 40Ar/39Ar behaves as a qualitative indicator of temperature, via an indirect relationship between temperature, accumulation rate, firn thickness, and gravitational fractionation of the gas isotopes. The proposed research will make nitrogen and argon isotope measurements on ~ 200 samples of ice covering Termination II (130,000 yr B.P.) and Termination IV (340,000 yr BP). The broader impacts may include a better understanding of the role of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in climate change.
9316564 Mayewski This award is for support for a three year program to provide a high resolution record of the Antarctic climate through the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of records of atmospheric chemical deposition taken from three ice cores located at sites within or immediately adjacent to the Ross Ice Drainage System (RIDS). These cores include one from Taylor Dome, and two from West Antarctic locations identified as potential deep drilling sites for the WAISCORES program. Collection of the two West Antarctic cores is intended to be a lightweight dry-drilling operation to depths of ~ 200 m, which will provide records of > 2 kyr. Glaciochemical analyses will focus on the major cations and anions found in the antarctic atmosphere, plus methanesulfonic acid and selected measurements of the hydrogen ion, aluminum, iron, and silica. These analyses, and companion stable isotope and particle measurements to be carried out by other investigators require < 7% by volume of each core, leaving > 90% for other investigators and storage at the U.S. National Ice Core Laboratory. These records are intended to solve a variety of scientific objectives while also providing spatial sampling and reconnaissance for future U.S. efforts in West Antarctica. ***
This award is for support of a study to establish a quantitative nuclear method for determination of Antarctic ablation and accumulation rates and to provide correction factors for the carbon 14 ages of ice samples dated using trapped carbon 14. Recent studies have established the presence of cosmogenic in-situ produced carbon 14 in polar ice. In conjunction with estimated carbon 14 production rates, measured concentrations of carbon 14 per gram of ice yield, ablation rates which are in good agreement with the values determined from stake measurements. Similar studies to determine accumulation rates have been tested and the estimates are consistent with previous studies. This study will expand the preliminary work done to date in order to improve the 14CO and 14CO2 vacuum extraction techniques, by lowering blank levels and by obtaining more complete separation of 14CO and 14CO2.
This award provides one year of support to use newly developed technology in which an ice-core melter is coupled with both an Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) and a traditional Continuous Flow Analysis (CFA) system, to measure a continuous time series of chemical and trace element deposition on the Siple Dome ice core from West Antarctica. A coupled ice-core melter, ICP-MS, and CFA system will be used to measure concentrations of a number of elements, isotopes and chemical species at very high depth resolution (~2-cm) in the top 54 m of the Siple Dome A-core. Pilot data from analyses of ~6 m from the nearby but much lower accumulation J-core site at Siple Dome, together with more extensive results from Summit, Greenland, indicate that it will be possible to obtain exactly co-registered, high-quality records of at least 12 seasonally varying elements (sodium, magnesium, aluminum, potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, rubidium, strontium, zirconium, barium, lead) and three other chemical species and ions (ammonium, nitrate, calcium ion) with this system. Under this proposed research, we will also add continuous measurements of sulfate to our system. Because more than sufficient core from Siple Dome for these depths is archived at the National Ice Core Laboratory, the proposed research will require no fieldwork. The continuous, very high-resolution, ~350-y record of these elemental tracers will enhance the value of previous chemical and isotopic measurements that have been made on the Siple Dome core and will be particularly valuable for comparisons between ice-core proxies and modern instrumental data related to El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) as well as for validation of model simulations of atmospheric circulation. These data, and the expertise gained through this research, will be invaluable when this novel chemical analysis technology is eventually applied to deep ice-core records for the study of rapid climate-change events.
This award is for support for four years of funding for a program of biogenic sulfur measurements on the Siple Dome ice core. Biogenic sulfur is a major aerosol-forming constituent of the atmosphere and has potentially important links to the earth's radiation budget. Previous work on the Vostok ice core has demonstrated a remarkable climate-related variability in biogenic sulfur, suggesting that the sulfur cycle may act to stabilize climate (keep the glacial atmosphere cool and the interglacial atmosphere warm) in the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, methane-sulfonate (MSA) will be measured on the Siple Dome ice core as part of the West Antarctic ice sheet program (WAIS). Siple Dome is located in a region which is strongly impacted by the incursion of marine air onto the Antarctic plateau. Because of its proximity to the coast and meteorological setting, it is expected that variability in high-latitude marine biogenic sulfur emissions should dominate the MSA record at this site. In addition to the deep ice core record, samples from shallow cores will also be analyzed to provide information about regional variability and decadal-to-centennial scale variability in the deposition of sulfur-containing aerosols from high latitude source regions over the past 200 years.
9980691 Wahlen This award is for support for three years of funding to reconstruct the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon-13 isotope (d13C) concentration in ice cores from Antarctica over several climatic periods. Samples from the Holocene, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)-Holocene transition and glacial stadial/interstadial episodes will be examined. Samples from the Siple Dome ice core drilled in 1998/99 will be made, in addition to measurements from the Taylor Dome and Vostok ice cores. The major objectives are to investigate the phase relationships between variations in the concentration of atmospheric CO2, its carbon isotope composition, and temperature changes (indicated by 18dO and dD of the ice) during deglaciations as well as across rapid climate change events (e.g. Dansgaard-Oeschger events). This will help to determine systematic changes in the global carbon cycle during and between different climatic periods, and to ascertain if the widely spread northern hemisphere temperature stadial/interstadial events produced a global atmospheric carbon dioxide signal. Proven experimental techniques will be used.
9419128 Stearns This is a project to maintain and augment as necessary, the network of nearly fifty automatic weather stations established on the Antarctic continent and on several surrounding islands. These weather stations measure surface wind, pressure, temperature, humidity, and in some instances other atmospheric variables, such as snow accumulation and incident solar radiation, and report these via satellite to a number of ground stations. The data are used for operational weather forecasting in support of the United States Antarctic program, for climatological records, and for research purposes. The AWS network, which began as a small-scale program in 1980, has been extremely reliable and has proven indispensable for both forecasting and research purposes. ***
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 is for support for a program to measure the stable isotope (deuterium to hydrogen and oxygen-18 to oxygen-16) concentrations of ice cores retrieved from Siple Dome as part of the West Antarctic ice sheet program. In addition, the deuterium excess of samples from the Taylor Dome ice core will be determined. This project will approach the question of rapid climate change using ice cores to determine the history of temperature changes, moisture source changes, and elevational changes in the West Antarctic ice sheet. Results from ice cores taken to date in the interior of Antarctica (East and West) are surprisingly lacking in indications of abrupt climate changes, such as those that have been observed in the GISP2 ice core from Summit, Greenland. This work will address the question of whether rapid climate changes, which are known to have occurred in other parts of the southern hemi-sphere, may have also occurred in the coastal regions of West Antarctica. There is some indication from existing records of isotopes in ice cores that the West Antarctic ice sheet may have flushed ice in the past (as evidenced by large changes in elevation of the ice sheet).
This award is for two years of support to perform radar investigations across former shear margins at Roosevelt Island and Ice Stream C in order to measure changes in the configuration and continuity of internal layers and the bed. The broad goal of these investigations is to gain an understanding of ice stream flow and the timing and mechanisms of ice stream shutdown. A high-resolution short-pulse radar system will be used for detailed examination of the uppermost hundred meters of the firn and ice, and a monopulse sounding-radar system will be used to image the rest of the ice column (including internal layers) and the bed. Changes in the shape and continuity of layers will be used to interpret mechanisms and modes of ice stream flow including the possible migration of stagnation fronts and rates of shut-down. Variations in bed reflectivity will be used to deduce basal hydrology conditions across lineations. Accumulation rates deduced from snow pits and shallow cores will be used to estimate near-surface depth-age profiles. Improved understanding of ice stream history opens the possibility of linking changes in the West Antarctic ice sheet with the geologic evidence from Northern Victoria Land and the ocean record of the retreat of the grounding line in the Ross Sea.
This award is for support for a program to investigate the visual stratigraphy, index physical properties, relaxation characteristics and crystalline structure of ice cores from Siple Dome, West Antarctica. This investigation will include measurements of a time-priority nature that must be initiated at the drill site on freshly-drilled cores. This will be especially true of cores from the brittle ice zone, which is expected to comprise a significant fraction of the ice core. The brittle zone includes ice in which relaxation , resulting from the release of confining pressure is maximized and leads to significant changes in the mechanical condition of the core that must be considered in relation to the processing and analysis of ice samples for entrapped gas and chemical studies. This relaxation will be monitored via precision density measurements made initially at the drill site and repeated at intervals back in the U.S. Other studies will include measurement of the annual layering in the core to as great a depth as visual stratigraphy can be deciphered, crystal size measurements as a function of depth and age, c-axis fabric studies, and analysis of the physical properties of any debris-bearing basal ice and its relationship to the underlying bedrock. Only through careful documentation and analysis of these key properties can we hope to accurately assess the dynamic state of the ice and the age-depth relationships essential to deciphering the paleoclimate record at this location.
This award is for support for the measurement of electrical and optical properties of the Siple Dome ice core. The electrical methods can be used to determine the concentration of the hydrogen ions and the concentration of a weighted sum of all ions. The electrical measurements can resolve features as small as 1 cm. The albedo of the core is also measured with a laser system that can resolve features as small as 0.5 cm. The high spatial resolution of these methods makes them ideal for resolving narrow features in the core, which can be missed in larger composite samples. The measurements will be particularly useful for assisting to date the core and to identify short duration features in the record, such as volcanic eruptions. These measurements will also provide useful information for assessing the temporal variability of Holocene accumulation rate and atmospheric circulation.
This award is for support for a program of glaciochemical analyses of shallow and deep ice cores from Siple Dome, West Antarctica. Measurements that have been proposed include chloride, nitrate, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, ammonium and methansulfonic acid. These measurements will provide information about past volcanic events, biomass source strength, sea ice fluctuations, atmospheric circulation, changes in ice-free areas and the environmental response to Earth orbit insolation changes and solar variability. The glaciochemical records from the Siple Dome core will be developed at a resolution sufficient to compare with the Summit, Greenland record, thus allowing a bipolar comparison of climate change event timing and magnitude. As part of this award, an international workshop will be held during the first year to formulate a science plan for the International Transantarctic Scientific Expedition (ITASE), a program of regional surveys documenting the spatial distribution of properties measured in ice cores .
This award is for support for a program of measurements to improve our understanding of the relationship between formaldehyde (HCHO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the atmosphere and the concentrations of the same species in Antarctic snow, firn and ice. This work aims to relate changes in concentrations in the snow, firn and ice to corresponding changes in tropospheric chemistry. Atmospheric and firn sampling for formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide at one or more of the WAIS ice core drilling sites will be undertaken and controlled laboratory studies to estimate thermodynamic and rate parameters will be performed. In addition, this work will involve modeling of atmosphere-snow exchange processes to infer the "transfer function" for reactive species at the sites and atmospheric photochemical modeling to relate changes in concentrations of formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide in snow, firn and ice to atmospheric oxidation capacity. This work will contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between atmospheric concentrations of various species and those same species measured in snow and ice samples.
This award supports a project to examine the physical processes that affect the manner in which heat, vapor and chemical species in air are incorporated into snow and polar firn. The processes include advection, diffusion, and the effects of solar radiation penetration into the snow. An understanding of these processes is important because they control the rate at which reactive and non-reactive chemical species in the atmosphere become incorporated into the snow, firn, and polar ice, and thus will affect interpretation of polar ice core data. Currently, the interpretation of polar ice core data assumes that diffusion controls the rate at which chemical species are incorporated into firn. This project will determine whether ventilation, or advection of the species by air movement in the firn, and radiation penetration processes have a significant effect. Field studies at the two West Antarctic ice sheet deep drilling sites will be conducted to determine the spatial and temporal extent for key parameters, and boundary conditions needed to model the advection, conduction, and radiation transmission/absorption processes. An existing multidimensional numerical model is being expanded to simulate the processes and to serve as the basis for ongoing and future work in transport and distribution of reactive chemical species.
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. ***
9725305 Severinghaus This award supports a project to develop and apply a new technique for quantifying temperature changes in the past based on the thermodynamic principle of thermal diffusion, in which gas mixtures in a temperature gradient become fractionated. Air in polar firn is fractionated by temperature gradients induced by abrupt climate change, and a record of this air is preserved in bubbles in the ice. The magnitude of the abrupt temperature change, the precise relative timing, and an estimate of the absolute temperature change can be determined. By providing a gas-phase stratigraphic marker of temperature change, the phasing of methane (with decadal precision) and hence widespread climate change (relative to local polar temperature changes) can be determined (across five abrupt warming events during the last glacial period).
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. ***