Collaborative Research: IPY: Using New Tools to Explore Undiscovered Country: Understanding the Tectonic and Stratigraphic History of Offshore New Harbor, Ross Sea, Antarctica

这个项目研究了3400万年前地球从南极洲有森林的温室状态到现在两极都有冰盖的冰库状态的转变。这段时间段--始新世-渐新世--大气中的二氧化碳水平与下个世纪对地球的预测相似。因此，这一时期的沉积记录可以帮助我们了解地球气候在不久的将来将如何变化。该项目通过收集近海新港(ONH)的地震和重力数据来调查南极洲的过渡。这项工作的最终目标是为未来的钻探选择区域，作为ANDRILL计划的一部分，ANDRILL计划是一个多国倡议，旨在恢复南极洲过去5000万年来气候和冰川历史的地层记录。ONH是采样这些沉积档案的理想地点，因为现有数据表明，从始新世到中渐新世沉积了大量地层。这项工作使用了新的冰上地震技术，使用雪带和气枪来快速获取地震反射数据。还将进行一项补充的高分辨率重力测量，以确定构造模式。结果将与来自其他调查和钻孔的信息捆绑在一起，以描述该地区的特征。这项研究还将有助于了解沉积盆地的形成与邻近山脉之间的联系。在更广泛的影响方面，该项目有一个综合的教育和指导计划，目标是六年级到十年级的学生，这些学生通常在科学界的代表性较低。陪同探险队的一名教师将强调这一点。此外，该项目还为两名研究生和两名本科生提供支持。该项目由美国国家科学基金会的国际极地年(IPY)研究重点领域“了解极地地区的环境变化”支持。该项目将通过确定与理解全球变暖相关的钻探地点的特征，为国际地球年留下重要的遗产。该项目还包括来自新西兰的科学家，在范围上也是国际性的。此外，该项目将通过K12至研究生水平的教育，帮助培养下一代南极研究人员。

This project studies the Earth's transition thirty four million years ago from a greenhouse state with forests in Antarctica to its current icehouse state with ice caps at both poles. This time interval--the Eocene-Oligocene--had atmospheric CO2 levels similar to those predicted for the Earth in the next century. Sedimentary records of this period can thus help us understand how the Earth's climate will change in the near future. This project investigates the transition in Antarctica by collecting seismic and gravity data from offshore New Harbor (ONH). The work's ultimate goal is to select areas for future drilling as part of the ANDRILL Program, a multinational initiative that aims to recover stratigraphic records of Antarctica's climatic and glacial history over the past 50 million years. ONH is an ideal locale to sample these sedimentary archives as existing data suggest that substantial strata deposited from the Eocene through mid-Oligocene. The work uses new over-ice seismic techniques that employ a snowstreamer and air gun to quickly acquire seismic reflection data. A complementary high resolution gravity survey will also be performed to determine structural patterns. The outcomes will be tied to information from other surveys and drill holes to characterize this region. The study will also help understand the link between formation of the sedimentary basin and the adjacent mountain range. In terms of broader impacts, this project has an integrated educational and mentoring program targeting sixth through tenth grade students from groups typically underrepresented in the sciences. This will be highlighted by a teacher accompanying the expedition. In addition, this project provides support for two graduate and two undergraduate students. The project is supported under NSF's International Polar Year (IPY) research emphasis area on "Understanding Environmental Change in Polar Regions". This project will leave an important legacy for IPY by characterizing drilling sites relevant to understanding global warming. The project is also international in scope by including scientists from New Zealand. In addition, this project will help educate the next generation of Antarctic researchers through education at the K12 through graduate student levels.