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

这个项目研究地球在三千四百万年前从南极洲森林的温室状态到目前两极冰盖的冰室状态的转变。这个时间间隔-始新世-渐新世-大气中的二氧化碳水平与下一个世纪地球的预测水平相似。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。本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选择未来钻探的区域，作为ANDRILL计划的一部分，这是一项旨在恢复过去5000万年来南极洲气候和冰川历史的地层记录的多国计划。ONH是对这些沉积档案进行采样的理想场所，因为现有数据表明，大量地层是从始新世到渐新世中期沉积的。这项工作使用了新的冰上地震技术，采用了雪流和气枪，以快速获取地震反射数据。还将进行补充性高分辨率重力测量，以确定结构模式。结果将与其他调查和钻孔的信息联系起来，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。就更广泛的影响而言，该项目有一个综合的教育和指导方案，目标是科学领域代表性通常不足的六年级至十年级学生。这将由一位陪同探险的老师强调。此外，该项目还为两名研究生和两名本科生提供支持。 该项目得到了NSF国际极地年（IPY）研究重点领域“了解极地地区的环境变化”的支持。该项目将通过描述与了解全球变暖有关的钻井地点，为国际地球年留下重要遗产。该项目也是国际性的，包括来自新西兰的科学家。此外，该项目还将通过K12至研究生水平的教育，帮助教育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.