Research Objectives:
A horizontal ice core was collected at the Mount Moulton blue ice field in West Antarctica, and preliminary analyses of the sample suggest that a climate record of roughly 500,000 years is preserved in the ice there. We aim to contribute to the understanding of the Mount Moulton record by assessing the possibility that the ice-flow record has been deformed.
Specifically, we will
+ Resurvey an existing global positioning system (GPS) grid to determine ice velocities and strain rates,
+ Use ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to image the internal stratigraphy of the ice,
+ Use GPR to map subglacial topography, and
+ Collect two firn ice cores to determine stratigraphic continuity and modern accumulation rates.
In addition, we will build on the recognition of blue ice areas as archives of long climate records by conducting reconnaissance studies for a potential horizontal ice-core location in the Allan Hills of East Antarctica. We will
+ Resurvey an existing GPS to confirm earlier ice-velocity measurements and calculate strain rates,
+ Survey several profiles using GPR to image internal stratigraphy and bedrock geometry,
+ Collect one or two shallow firn cores to study accumulation rates,
+ Conduct dielectric profiling to study stratigraphic continuity over a 1- to 2-kilometer profile, and
+ Collect meteorites.
By collecting relevant measurements of ice flow and subglacial topography and taking samples of material, we will be able to assess the preservation of the stratigraphic sequences and contribute to the understanding of blue ice areas.
