Collaborative Research: Developing New Science and Technology for Subglacial Studies of the Whillans Ice Plain and West Antarctic Ice Sheet

合作研究：为惠兰冰原和南极西部冰盖的冰下研究开发新的科学和技术得到了国家科学基金会(NSF)地球科学局极地项目部南极综合系统科学(AISS)计划的支持。这笔资金将支持设计、建造和部署巡回热水钻探和基本冰芯设备，这些设备将与WISSARD(威兰冰流冰下通道和研究钻探)项目一起在2013/2014野外季节部署。巡回热水钻机将部署在两个地点，每个地点最多两个地点：在冰下湖惠兰斯湖附近，以及接地线上，从冰下湖惠兰斯湖排出的水排入冰架下洞穴。冰芯设备将仅在接地线位置使用。所有地点都位于罗斯冰架的边缘，与西南极冰盖(WAIS)相连。智力上的优点：新设备将用于加强WISSARD惠兰冰流地区正在进行的两个项目，该项目侧重于了解惠兰冰下系统的生物、地球化学、古地质学和水文/冰川相互作用，第二个项目侧重于与惠兰地区发现的粘性地点相关的微地震。基本冰芯采样器将为WISSARD项目增加重要数据，而巡回钻探将提供可插入冰川地震仪内的通道孔，从而使人们能够更好地了解微震。冰川内地震仪将建立在2012-13年地面地震数据收集的基础上，这些数据的特点是被解释为基底地震的重复高频事件。这些地震事件在仅20公里外的观测站是无法检测到的，因此更好地了解这些物理机制将对了解冰层的基本运动和摩擦非常有用。广泛的影响：除了上述对了解冰动力学的贡献外，未来巡回热水钻探系统和相关取芯能力的可获得性将增加对冰盖底部和底层之间的界面感兴趣的一系列学科的研究人员的研究机会。该项目还将支持美国在热水钻井方面的技术专长的发展。最后，该项目将为WISSARD项目启动的公共宣传和教育提供进一步的资金。到目前为止，WISSARD的外联和教育活动一直很特别，预计这一新奖项带来的更多活动也将是特别的。

Collaborative Research: Developing New Science and Technology for Subglacial Studies of the Whillans Ice Plain and West Antarctic Ice Sheet is supported by the Antarctic Integrated System Science (AISS) program in the Antarctic Sciences Section of the Division of Polar Programs within the Geosciences Directorate of the National Sciences Foundation (NSF). The funds will support the design, construction, and deployment of a roving hot water drill and basal ice coring equipment to be deployed in conjunction with the WISSARD (Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access and Research Drilling) project during the 2013/2014 field season. The roving hot water drill will be deployed at up to two locations in each of two sites: in the vicinity of Subglacial Lake Whillans, and at the grounding line where the drainage from Subglacial Lake Whillans empties into the sub-ice shelf cavity. The ice coring equipment will only be used at the grounding line location. All locations are at the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, connected to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS).Intellectual Merit: The new equipment will be used to augment two on-going projects occurring in the Whillans Ice Stream area, WISSARD, that focuses on understanding the biology, geochemistry, paleogeology, and hydrological/glaciological interactions of the Whillans Subglacial system, and a second project focused on the micro-earthquakes associated with the sticky spots found in the Whillans area. The basal ice corer will add significant data to the WISSARD project, and the roving drill will provide access holes to insert within glacial seismometers that will allow a much better understanding of the micro-earthquakes. The within glacial seismometers will build on the collection of surface seismic data from 2012-13 that are characterized by repeated high frequency events interpreted as basal earthquakes. These earthquake events were not detectable at stations only 20 km away, so obtaining a better understanding of these physical mechanisms will be very useful for understanding basal ice motion and friction.Broader Impacts: In addition to the contributions to the understanding of ice dynamics mentioned above, future availability of a roving hot water drill system and related coring capabilities will result in increased research opportunities for researchers from a range of disciplines interested in the interface between the base of the ice sheets and the underlying substrate. The project will also support the development of the US's technical expertise in hot water drilling. Finally, the project will provide further funding of the public outreach and education started by the WISSARD project. The WISSARD outreach and education activities have been exceptional to date, and it is expected that additional activities enabled by this new award will be exceptional as well.