Radar Studies of Internal Stratigraphy and Bed Topography along the US ITASE-II Traverse

该合同支持了一个项目，该项目将对基岩地形和内层进行冰雷达研究，该研究沿着美国第二ITASE穿越走廊，从Taylor Dome延伸到横贯南极山脉内陆的南极点。该雷达将提供有关冰层厚度和内层结构的即时信息，以帮助在穿越过程中选择核心地点。这些数据也将有助于确定更多的雷达和地面研究，以确定流经山脉的主要出水口冰川之间的排水分界及其随时间可能发生的变化。雷达提供的河床粗糙度和基底反射率信息，以及内层变形图像，将使我们能够研究冰流特征在支流与干流合并和速度增加时的变化。那些被风冲刷和升华的旧冰接近地表的地区将被调查。根据我们第一次ITASE遍历的结果，也很可能会有机会的发现，我们没有预料到的现象，作为基于发现的遍历的结果，被雷达揭示出来。美国ITASE的跨学科科学目标旨在适应各种互动研究计划，收集的数据可供广泛的科学界使用。美国ITASE还支持一项广泛的公众宣传计划，未来科学家的教育和培训将是该提案所有活动的核心。圣奥拉夫学院是一所本科文理学院，强调学生参与科学研究。该奖项支持两名本科生，一名研究助理和一名研究生，他们将成为美国ITASE现场团队的一部分。

This award supports a project to perform ice radar studies of bedrock topography and internal layers along the second US ITASE traverse corridor extending from Taylor Dome to South Pole on the inland side of the Transantarctic Mountains. The radar will provide information immediately available in the field on ice thickness and internal layer structure to help in the selection of core sites as the traverse proceeds. These data will also be useful in locating additional radar and surface studies to characterize the drainage divides between major outlet glaciers flowing through the mountains and possible changes in them through time. Information from the radar on bed roughness and basal reflectivity, together with images of internal layer deformation will enable us to study changes in the character of ice flow as tributaries merge to trunk flow and velocities increase. Areas where wind scour and sublimation have brought old ice close to the surface will be investigated. Based on our results from the first ITASE traverse, it is also likely that there will be findings of opportunity, phenomena we have not anticipated that are revealed by the radar as the result of a discovery-based traverse. The interdisciplinary science goals of US ITASE are designed to accommodate a variety of interactive research programs and data collected are available to a broad scientific community. US ITASE also supports an extensive program of public outreach and the education and training of future scientists will be central to all activities of this proposal. St. Olaf College is an undergraduate liberal arts institution that emphasizes student participation in scientific research. This award supports two undergraduate students as well as a research associate and a graduate student who will be part of the US ITASE field team.