Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Antarctic continental margin drilling to investigate Antarctica’s role in global environmental change  (ANDRILL)

Outline
ANDRILL (ANtarctic DRILLing) is an international program involving scientists from Germany, Italy, New Zealand, UK and USA designed to investigate Antarctica’s role in global environmental change from the recovery of rock and sediment cores from beneath the floating sea ice and ice shelves surrounding Antarctica. The planned program will use improved drilling technology that enables excellent recovery of deep (>1000m) rock and sediment cores from the Antarctic margin. ANDRILL’s approach is to obtain specific reference records of key stratigraphic intervals proximal to the dynamic Antarctic cryosphere. While the ANDRILL program has already been many years in development, scientists and technical and logistical specialists from Germany, Italy, New Zealand and USA plan two major field campaigns for IPY 2007-2008: (1) Coring beneath the McMurdo Ice Shelf, where the target is a 1200 m-thick body of sediments deposited in a crustal depression that resulted from the loading of Ross Island volcanoes. The cores should yield a high-resolution record of the past few million years of ice shelf response to past interglacial warm extremes, including its role in modulation of the global oceanic conveyor, and potential vulnerability from present global warming; (2) Coring in southern McMurdo Sound where the target is middle to upper Miocene strata. The cores should allow the testing of interpretations derived from global proxy records implying a change from a warm climatic optimum ~17 Ma to the onset of major cooling ~14 Ma and the formation of a quasi-permanent ice sheet on Antarctica. During IPY 2007-2008, ANDRILL will also continue geophysical and site surveys, and planning for future drilling in McMurdo Sound and around the Antarctic continental margin. Results of these activities will provide key insights into: (A) The development and behaviour of the Antarctic cryospheric system (ice sheet, ice shelf, and sea-ice) and the magnitude and frequency of its change on centennial to millennial time scales; (B) The evolution of and timing of major tectonic episodes in Antarctic and the stratigraphic development of sedimentary basins, and; (C) The influence of Antarctic ice sheets on Cenozoic climate, the modulation of themohaline ocean circulation, and eustatic sea level change. The planned program will bring together a team of international scientists, educators and students who will work in Antarctica during the initial characterisation of cores and then in a series of workshops and meetings designed to integrate specialised investigations carried out at home laboratories following return of the cores from Antarctica.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
ANDRILL plans to construct a drilling system and implement a scientific program that should continue for many years beyond IPY 2007-2008 and allow continued investigation of Antarctica’s role in the global environmental system (cryosphere, ocean, climate and biosphere). In IPY 2007-2008, ANDRILL will recover new records to investigate the development of the Antarctic cryospheric system, its response to and forcing of global systems and the linkages between Antarctic and global environmental processes. To achieve this, ANDRILL will employ new technology to investigate an Antarctica frontier that has been traditionally difficult to investigate – the sedimentary basins beneath the floating ice fringes of Antarctica.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
In IPY 2007-2008, ANDRILL plans activities involving over 150 scientists, technical and logistics specialists, educators and students from Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the United States. An international science implementation committee, with two representatives from each member country, has been convened to oversee the science program.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
In IPY 2007-2008, ANDRILL will work in southern McMurdo Sound. Drilling operations will take place on the McMurdo Ice Shelf and on the floating sea ice between Ross Island and the Victoria Land coast with operations supported out of Scott Base and McMurdo Station on Ross Island.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: 11/06 – 02/07      10/07 – 12/07      10/08 – 12/08

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
ANDRILL requires a newly constructed integrated ice-shelf melting, rock and sediment drilling and sea riser capability with operational support camp. ANDRILL has convened an international partnership of polar operators to construct and operate this system for the consortium.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
An integrated ice-shelf melting, rock and sediment drilling and sea riser capability with operational support camp for the collection of rock and sediment cores from beneath floating sea ice and ice shelf platforms around Antarctica with an option to adapt the capability for other Antarctic environments (e.g. land based, sub ice sheet).

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Commercial operator

ANDRILL has already convened an international partnership of polar operators from Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the United States to construct and operate this system for the consortium

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
No, This expression of intent has also been submitted for consideration by the national IPY 2007-2008 committees of ANDRILL member countries.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
No

Formal planning for ANDRILL has been underway since 1991. However, the main ANDRILL activities - drilling and scientific investigation of cores will take place over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe. ANDRILL plans to continue activities beyond IPY 2007-2008 but has yet to develop proposals for drilling beyond the 2007/2008 Antarctic field season.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The consortium of partner countries has formed a Scientific Implementation Committee (M-ASIC) to oversee the scientific program and scientific operations and an Operations Managements Group (AOMG) to oversee the logistics and operational requirements of the program. A project operator has been appointed (Antarctica New Zealand) and they have subcontracted drill system expertise for system construction and operation. Two seasons of drilling are planned and Co-Chief Scientists appointed to oversee scientific activity in each season. A Science management office, based at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA will support scientific operations and coordinate the on-ice and off-ice scientific teams.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
ANDRILL is in the process of forming an education and outreach committee to coordinate and integrate activities in each of the member nations. The scientific programme will include graduate and undergraduate students from each of the member countries. The science management office will employ a full-time education and outreach coordinator.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The international consortium has agreed that PANGAEA will be the formal data repository for ANDRILL. Initial characterisation of recovered cores will be published in an on-line report and scientific results and integration of findings will be published in international journals with summaries published in the popular scientific journals.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
ANDRILL logistics support is already in place from the Antarctic programs of the member nations. The Science programme has been approved by international peer review and support has already been approved or is currently being sought through the Antarctic science funding agencies in each of the member countries.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
ANDRILL is building upon a long history of successful international collaboration within Antarctic drilling programmes (DVDP, MSSTS, CIROS, CRP), which have been developed within SCAR Scientific Programs. ANDRILL, itself, is developing new technology and more ambitious drilling objectives that will investigate hitherto inaccessible frontiers beneath Antarctica’s floating ice fringes. The ANDRILL results will be critical to computer models of the Antarctic cryospheric system and integration of ANDRILL results and modelling initiatives will be undertaken jointly at an international level with the SCAR Antarctic Climate Evolution (ACE) Scientific Program. ACE have also submitted and Expression of Intent for IPY 2007-2008.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Gary Wilson
University of Otago, Department of Geology
PO Box 56
Dunedin
PO Box 56
New Zealand

Tel: +64-3-4797509
Mobile: no
Fax: +64-3-4797527
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation