Antarctic Abrasion Target Recovery

本研究的目的是确定特定地貌过程的速率，以限制在南极洲维多利亚地的无冰山谷和nunataks的各种表面记录的事件的年表。具体目标是恢复五年前部署的一套样本，这是长期暴露于南极环境的实验的一部分。这项实验的结果将对研究该地区的冰川历史具有重要意义，因为风蚀目前被视为该地区演变的关键因素之一。由于磨损被视为“速率限制”因素，该结果也将对隐石器时代微生物群落及其残余化石栖息地的进化研究产生影响。

The objective of this research is to determine the rates of specific geomorphic processes in order to constrain the chronology of events recorded by various surfaces in the ice-free valleys and nunataks of Victoria Land, Antarctica. The specific objective is to recover a suite of samples deployed 5-years ago as part of a long-term experiment of exposure to the Antarctic environment. The results of this experiment will have important implications for research into the glacial history of the area, as wind erosion is presently seen as one of the key factors in the evolution of the area. The results will also have implications for studies of the evolution of cryptoendolithic microbial communities and their remnant fossilized habitats, as abrasion is seen as a "rate limiting" factor.