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

合作研究：为威兰斯冰原和西南极冰盖的冰下研究开发新科学技术

• 批准号: 1346249
• 负责人: David Harwood
• 金额: $ 57.68万
• 依托单位: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-15 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1346249&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Developing; New; Science

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.

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）地球科学理事会极地项目部南极科学处南极综合系统科学（AISS）项目的支持。 这笔资金将用于设计、建造和部署一个流动热水钻机和基础冰取芯设备，这些设备将在2013/2014年野外季节与WISSARD（Whillans冰流冰下通道和研究钻探）项目一起部署。巡回热水钻将部署在两个地点的两个地点：在冰下湖Whillans附近，以及冰下湖Whillans的排水排入冰下冰架空腔的接地线。取冰芯设备仅用于接地线位置。所有地点都位于罗斯冰架的边缘，与西南极冰盖（WAIS）相连。新设备将用于加强在Whillans冰流地区正在进行的两个项目，WISSARD，重点是了解Whillans冰下系统的生物学，地球化学，古地质学和水文/冰川学相互作用，第二个项目集中在与Whillans地区发现的粘点相关的微地震上。 基冰取芯器将为WISSARD项目增加重要数据，而巡回钻探将提供进入孔，以插入冰川地震仪，从而更好地了解微地震。冰川内地震仪将建立在2012-13年收集的地表地震数据的基础上，这些数据的特点是重复的高频事件，被解释为基底地震。这些地震事件在20公里以外的观测站是无法探测到的，因此，更好地了解这些物理机制将对了解基底冰的运动和摩擦非常有用。除了上述对理解冰动力学的贡献外，未来可利用的流动热水钻孔系统和相关的取芯能力将增加研究机会，来自不同学科的研究人员对冰盖底部和底层之间的界面感兴趣。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。 迄今为止，WISSARD的外联和教育活动非常出色，预计这一新奖项所促成的其他活动也将非常出色。