Preparation for a Deep Ice Coring Project in West Antarctica

PI Institute/Department Email
Taylor, Kendrick
Desert Research Institute, Division of Hydrologic Sciences
Award#(s)
0230396
Funding Agency
US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ANT\AG
Program Manager Funding Agency Email
Palais, Dr. Julie
NSF, Office of Polar Programs
Discipline(s)
Instrument Development
Science Summary

Polar ice cores provide critical insights to societally relevant issues and ice core results underpin much of global change research. The Ice Core Working Group (which, under the coordination of the National Ice Core Laboratory Science Management Office, provides guidance to the National Science Foundation and the United States Geological Survey on issues pertaining to ice cores) has recommended a community-wide ice-coring program in West Antarctica at a location referred to as the Inland Site. A deep ice core from there will enable studies of climate and sea-level change and life in extreme environments, and will help educate many new Earth-system scientists. This project is for the design, construction and testing of a deep-ice-coring drill, and for other preparations required to recover a deep ice core from the Inland Site.

Logistics Summary

Kendrick Taylor will lead a team of investigators planning for a deep coring project in West Antarctica. In support of this project. Ice Coring and Drilling Services (ICDS) is developing a new Deep Ice Sheet Coring (DISC) drill, which will be tested at Greenland’s Summit Station during summer, 2006. VPR will support the project by providing a majority of infrastructure for the drill test. VPR staff and ICDS personnel will prepare the drill site in 2005. In 2006, VPR will coordinate airlift and infrastructure support for the 24-hour drilling program. VPR will provide living/sleeping space and meals for up to 15 ICDS personnel at the station for the duration of the DISC test. At the DISC test site, VPR will provide power, an enclosure to house the drill system, a separate heated work/break structure to support drilling operations, an outhouse, a wireless communications link for Internet access, as well as radios and satellite telephones for voice communications. Once the drill site set-up is complete in 2006, VPR will maintain continuous power for the project (maintenance and fueling of the generators), provide heavy equipment operations support to the site as needed, food and shelter for the drill team, emergency medical support, and any other support as needed/requested.

Season Field Site Date In Date Out #People
2005
Greenland - Summit
11
2006
Greenland - Summit
19