Project Title

Reconstructing late Holocene ecosystem and climate shifts from peat records in the western Antarctic Peninsula

Summary

Event Number:
G-094-L

Program Manager:
Dr. Michael Jackson

ASC POC/Implementer:
David Rivera / Cara Ferrier

Principal Investigator(s)

Dr. Zicheng Yu
ziy2@lehigh.edu
Lehigh University
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Location

Supporting Stations: ARSV Laurence M. Gould
Research Locations: Western Antarctic Peninsula

Description

Peat-forming ecosystems archive their own long-term history of ecosystem and climate changes in the accumulated peat deposits. Using proxy records preserved in peat deposits, this group will undertake a systematic survey and study to reconstruct ecosystem and climate change for the coastal low-elevation areas on the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). Preliminary data show a pronounced warming of up to 6° C about 2,300 to 1,200 calendar years before present, in the terrestrial ice-free area of the mainland peninsula. The researcher's goal is to document and understand the transformations of the cryosphere as well as terrestrial ecosystems on the WAP in response to large-magnitude temperature shifts during the Late Holocene.

Field Season Overview

A three-person science team will conduct field observations and survey various peat-forming ecosystems using small boats from Palmer Station and the ARSV Laurence M. Gould. The team will install two microclimate stations and data loggers at Norsel Point and at a site in the Joubin or Gossler Islands. They will make reconnaissance trips using the Palmer Station rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) to help determine exact site locations. At each sample site, peat cores, peat basal samples, plant samples, and “dead” mosses re-exposed from retreating ice will be collected. Peat cores will be taken with a custom coring device. Some data retrieval and maintenance may be required from support contractor marine technicians and research associates.

Deploying Team Members