Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Investigating the Crustal Elements of the Central Antarctic Plate  (ICECAP)

Outline
We propose collaboration between investigators from the United States and the United Kingdom to carry out a comprehensive program of long-range aerogeophysical surveys over the subglacial highlands beneath Domes A and C of the central East Antarctic ice sheet. This will be accomplished using a US Navy P-3 Orion aircraft operating out of McMurdo Station. The region of our proposed gravity, magnetics, lidar and ice-penetrating radar survey will cover the majority of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains as well as the Vostok and Belgica Subglacial Highlands. It also covers the upper reaches of the Wilkes and Aurora Subglacial Basins as well as the lowland that may be the inland limit of the Lambert Graben. The objectives for these surveys are to: • provide bedrock elevation, ice sheet thickness, surface elevation, surface accumulation, basal melt, and thermal structure necessary for modeling ice sheet (and subglacial lake) evolution; • characterize subglacial lithology, identify crustal boundaries and estimate crustal rebound; • identify any “preserved” glacial geomorphology and map fault scarps indicative of Cenozoic (or older) tectonic processes; • constrain geothermal heat flux and determine the location, properties and connectivity of subglacial sedimentary and hydrological units. The highlands of the central Antarctic Plate are the focus of the survey because they have been the nursery for East Antarctic paleo-ice sheets at least since the early Oligocene separation of Antarctica and Australia. In addition, great strides have recently been made in compiling a marine geological, geophysical and geochemical record of the deposits left by these ice sheets and Pleistocene paleoclimate records of unprecedented length have been recovered from the central reaches of the contemporary East Antarctic ice sheet. Recently, the scientific community also has realized the importance of the isolated biome represented by the subglacial lakes that characterize the central East Antarctic ice sheet and evolve in concert with it. The impact of these research efforts and discoveries has been to spur major international research initiatives to study the evolution of the East Antarctic ice sheet and its subglacial environment. These include a new SCAR research initiative for Antarctic Climate Evolution (ACE). IPY represents an ideal opportunity for coordinated aerogeophysical surveys of East Antarctica within the ACE framework.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Results from the proposed surveys will be essential for understanding both the current state and changes in the East Antarctic ice sheet and its subglacial frontier. A primary objective is web-based provision of these results to the international community. We also propose an advance in scientific infrastructure with the integration and international utilization of the aerogeophysical capacities of the University of Texas and the US Naval Research Laboratory. The proposed work will integrate undergraduate students into mainstream science as well as train the next generation of polar scientists by exposing graduate students and non-Antarctic scientists to unique Antarctic research opportunities.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The ICECAP survey will have joint US/UK funding and be conducted within the framework of the ACE International Initiative. Work over the Gamburtsev Mountains will be closely coordinated with the Australian/German/Russian GigaGAP program and a SCAR-organized drilling/traverse program. ICECAP analysis will include US, UK and Argentine investigators.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
ICECAP has two adjacent blocks (lon, lat in decimal degrees): 55.418164 -82.095677 72.063063 -75.485261 101.680970 -75.894641 113.763842 -82.887296 113.763842 -82.887296 101.680970 -75.894641 126.397293 -72.878735 147.504933 -77.911152 Our plan is for 30-60 km N-S and 15 km E-W line spacing as operations allow. Over the Gamburtsev Mountains, note that the ICECAP fine-spacing direction is orthogonal to that for GigaGAP.

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

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
ICECAP will be conducted from the sea ice runway near the U.S. McMurdo Station, utilizing a wheel-equipped US Navy P-3 Orion. We have received US military approval for Antarctic P-3 operations.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The combined University of Texas radar systems will be integrated with the US Naval Research Laboratory gravity and magnetics instruments for the P-3. The resulting long range aerogeophysical capacity will be unique and available to the international community.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Own national polar operator
National agency
Military support
Commercial operator

We have requested logistical support from the U.S. Antarctic Program, augmented by logistical financing from the UK.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
This project is in line with the objectives of the SCAR Antarctic Climate Evolution Initiative (ACE). Additionally, this Expression of Interest is in the process of being considered by the US National Committee for IPY. UK endorsement is provided by NERC, which has approved the project.

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?
New

ICECAP is currently under review by the US/NSF and has been approved for funding by UK/NERC. This project will be part of a larger IPY Initiative that includes substantial public outreach and data anagement/dissemination. ICECAP is coordinated with GigaGAP, and will be undertaken within the ACE framework.

How will the project be organised and managed?
A management structure for ICECAP has been defined within proposals by the University of Texas (UT) and the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to the US National Science Foundation and by the University of Bristol (UB) to the UK Natural Environment Research Council. Overall scientific coordination is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator at UT. Operational coordination with the US Antarctic Program is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator at NRL. ACE Initiative coordination is the responsibility of the Investigator at UB (the ACE co-chair). Financial oversight is the responsibility of the individual Institutions.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
ICECAP will utilize graduate students during all phases of the research and support undergraduates for initial data interpretation. Final interpretations will be presented as graduate theses. The data management/dissemination proposal will include substantial web-based outreach to both the scientific community and the general public including real-time communications during flight operations.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
ICECAP will submit to the US NSIDC and NGDC appropriate maps, grids and profiles within 15 months of completion of each survey block; profile-based data will be made available via the web within 2 years. A proposal for IPY-specific data management and dissemination will be submitted jointly with NSIDC.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Funding for these activities has been requested from the US National Science Foundation and the UK Natural Environment Research Council. The US proposal is in review and the UK funding has been approved.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Donald D. Blankenship
University of Texas Institute for Geophysics
4412 Spicewood Springs Road
Bldg #600
78759
USA

Tel: 1-512-471-0489
Mobile: no
Fax: 1-512-471-8844
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation