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的科学技术，得到了美国国家科学基金会（NSF）地球科学局极地项目部南极科学部的南极综合系统科学（AISS）项目的支持。 这些资金将支持流动热水钻机和基底冰取芯设备的设计、建造和部署，这些设备将在 2013/2014 年野外季节期间与 WISSARD（Whillans 冰流冰下通道和研究钻探）项目一起部署。流动热水钻机将在两个地点中的每一个地点最多部署两个位置：冰下威兰斯湖附近，以及冰下威兰斯湖排水流入冰下架空腔的接地线。冰芯设备仅在接地线位置使用。所有地点均位于罗斯冰架边缘，与南极西部冰盖 (WAIS) 连接。 智力优势：新设备将用于增强 Whillans 冰流地区正在进行的两个项目 WISSARD，该项目的重点是了解 Whillans 冰下系统的生物学、地球化学、古地质学和水文/冰川相互作用，第二个项目则侧重于与在南极洲发现的粘性点相关的微地震。惠兰斯地区。 基底冰芯钻将为 WISSARD 项目添加重要数据，而巡回钻机将提供插入冰川地震仪的通道，从而更好地了解微地震。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 公里外的监测站无法检测到，因此更好地了解这些物理机制对于了解基底冰运动和摩擦力非常有用。 更广泛的影响：除了上述对了解冰动力学的贡献之外，未来流动热水钻系统和相关取芯能力的可用性将为来自对冰盖基底与底层基底之间的界面感兴趣的一系列学科的研究人员带来更多的研究机会。该项目还将支持美国热水钻探技术专长的发展。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 的外展和教育活动非常出色，预计这一新奖项促成的其他活动也将非常出色。

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.