Collaborative Research: P2C2--Ice Core and Firn Aquifer Studies at Combatant Col, British Columbia, Canada

该项目旨在恢复加拿大卑诗省Combatant Col的冰芯，以重建过去500年的水文气候变化。以前在战斗山口的工作表明，保存年度地层，水同位素和地球化学记录，反映重要的气候和环境变量，包括大气环流，积雪，火灾活动和跨太平洋尘埃运输。现有的北太平洋冰芯仅位于阿拉斯加和育空地区。Combatant Col显著扩大了冰芯记录的空间覆盖范围，同时提供了不列颠哥伦比亚省西南部独特的水文气候记录。该项目将进行详细的雷达勘测和冰流建模，以更好地了解冰川环境，并选择最佳钻探地点。在北方不列颠哥伦比亚省大学的哈凯冰冻圈节点的支持下，将在后勤支持下取回基岩核心。本项目所包括的岩心分析包括水同位素比和可视化地层学。与高分辨率雷达成像相结合，Combatant Col的岩心将用于确定该地点观测到的积雪含水层（液态水常年储存在积雪-冰过渡层上方）是否是该地点的持久特征，或者是否是最近形成的，并确定其对冰川能量平衡和动态的影响。冰芯将被存档，供冰芯研究界进行进一步分析。潜在的更广泛的影响包括开发一个新的记录水文气候变化的战斗山坳冰芯，这将提供定量的限制，影响范围广泛的生态系统和人类社区的建模过程在不列颠哥伦比亚省和太平洋西北部的美国。其他潜在的更广泛的影响包括实地工作培训和参与（钻冰）的研究生的多样化队列由现场附近的便利。研究人员计划将推广活动作为“气候时间”系列研讨会的一部分，其中将突出来自战斗山坳遗址的古气候研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

This project aims to recover an ice core at Combatant Col, BC, Canada to reconstruct hydroclimate variability over the last 500 years. Previous work at Combatant Col demonstrates preservation of annual stratigraphy, water-isotope and geochemical records reflecting important climate and environmental variables including atmospheric circulation, snow accumulation, fire activity, and trans-Pacific dust transport. Existing North Pacific ice cores are located exclusively in Alaska and the Yukon. Combatant Col significantly expands the spatial coverage of ice core records, while simultaneously providing a unique record of hydroclimate in southwestern British Columbia. This project will conduct detailed radar surveys and ice-flow modeling to better understand the glaciological setting and to select the optimal site for drilling. A core to bedrock will be retrieved with logistics supported by the Hakai Cryosphere Node at the University of Northern British Columbia. Analysis of the core included in this project consists of water isotope ratios and visual stratigraphy. In combination with high-resolution radar imaging, the core from Combatant Col will be used to determine whether the observed firn-aquifer at this site (liquid water is stored perennially above the firn-ice transition) has been a persistent feature at the site, or whether it has formed recently, and to determine its impact on glacier energy balance and dynamics. The core will be archived and made available for additional analyses by the ice-core research community. The potential Broader Impacts include developing a new record of hydroclimate variability from the Combatant Col ice core which will provide quantitative constraints for modeling processes affecting a wide range of ecosystems and human communities in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Other potential Broader Impacts include field work training and participation (Ice drilling) for a diverse cohort of graduate students facilitated by the proximity of the field site. The researchers plan outreach activities as part of “Climate Time” seminars series in which the paleoclimate research from Combatant Col site will be highlighted.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.