Collaborative Research: Continued Study of Physical Properties of the WAIS Divide Deep Core

该奖项支持一个项目，以完成WAIS Divide深冰核的物理性质研究，该研究目前正在南极洲西部收集。由美国国家科学基金会（NSF）资助的正在进行的工作，在一项即将结束的拨款下，已经产生了可见的地层年代测定，对核心的任何融化层、火山层、流动扰动或其他特征的检查，对气泡数量密度的分析，从而可以重建该地点全新世后期的两千年冷却趋势，表征其他气泡特征（大小等），密度研究，表征该地点雪面变化，初步的c轴研究，和更多。目前的建议是，一旦核心的其余部分得到恢复，就完成这项工作。所提议的活动的智力价值始于对核心的质量保证，通过视觉检测任何可能破坏气候记录完整性的流动干扰证据。检查还将揭示任何融化层，火山层等。每年进行一次地层测年；到目前为止，可见地层还不如其他一些指标有用，但是（根据格陵兰岛的经验）可见检查可以探测到比其他技术更薄的年层，这种可能性促使了这项努力。气泡数密度将用于重建岩心其余气泡部分的温度变化，为全新世早期提供重要的古气候数据。对c轴结构、颗粒大小和形状以及气泡特征的协调解释将用于了解冰流的历史、冰流的过程以及冰的柔软度，以产生额外的变形。对已经收集到的地表数据的分析将改善对岩心分层的解释。可能的情况是，每年的地层年代测定不会足够成功，而且由于没有熔体层，地核将不会受到干扰；如果是这样，那么这些努力将不会产生重要的出版物。然而，其他努力的成功应该提高对冰盖历史和稳定性的理解，以及控制这些的关键过程，并且视觉检查提供的质量保证对整个项目很重要。拟议活动的更广泛影响包括培养一名博士生和多名本科生，以及为一所本科院校的初级教员提供研究机会。拟议的活动将有助于支持一项特别积极的教育和外联工作，每年为1000多名学生提供本科教育，接触到数千名公民和许多决策者，并编写各级使用的教育材料。

1043528/AlleyThis 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.