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

合作研究：惠兰斯冰原和南极西部冰原冰下研究的新科学技术开发项目是由美国国家科学基金会地球科学理事会极地计划部南极科学部南极综合系统科学（AISS）项目资助的。这笔资金将用于支持漫游热水钻机和基础冰芯设备的设计、建造和部署，这些设备将在2013/2014年的现场季节与WISSARD （Whillans冰流冰下通道和研究钻探）项目一起部署。流动热水钻机将部署在两个地点的两个地点：在冰下湖惠兰斯附近，以及在冰下湖惠兰斯的排水进入冰下架空洞的接地线上。冰芯设备只在接地线位置使用。所有地点都位于罗斯冰架的边缘，与南极西部冰原（WAIS）相连。知识价值：新设备将用于加强惠兰斯冰流地区正在进行的两个项目，即WISSARD，该项目侧重于了解惠兰斯冰下系统的生物学、地球化学、古地质学和水文/冰川学相互作用，另一个项目侧重于与惠兰斯地区发现的粘性点相关的微地震。基底冰盖将为WISSARD项目增加重要的数据，流动钻机将提供进入冰川地震仪的孔，这将使人们更好地了解微地震。冰川内部地震仪将建立在2012-13年地面地震数据的收集基础上，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理解基底冰的运动和摩擦非常有用。更广泛的影响：除了上文提到的对冰动力学的理解的贡献之外，未来可获得的漫游热水钻孔系统和相关的取心能力将为来自一系列学科的研究人员带来更多的研究机会，这些学科对冰盖底部和底层基质之间的界面感兴趣。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项目启动的公众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，预计这项新奖项所带来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.