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The ANDRILL drilling project - 1284.87 m and 1138.54 m sediment cores from below the McMurdo/Ross Ice Shelf

Entry ID: K001_ANDRILL

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Summary

Abstract: ANDRILL (ANtarctic DRILLing project) is a multinational (Germany, Italy, New Zealand and USA) initiative to investigate the climate and tectonic history of Antarctica by recovering deep sediment cores from the sedimentary basins beneath the floating McMurdo/Ross Ice Shelf (RIS). The response of Antarctic ice sheets to projected greenhouse warming of up to 5.8°C by the end of the century is ... unknown and models on which predictions are based need to be constrained by geological data of the ancient ice sheets during past times when earth was known to be warmer than it is today. Future stability of the RIS, which is coupled to the behaviour of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), is of wide interest in the context of current global warming projections. The RIS is considered stable but it is being undernourished with ice from West Antarctica as its ice stream feeders are slowing down. A continued reduction in discharge could trigger retreat and/or widespread break up. Collapse of the RIS could affect global climate in a number of ways including altering the production of salty bottom water around Antarctica thus altering the global thermohaline circulation system and global climate, altering the albedo and causing regional warming (ice-albedo feedback) and the exchange of heat and water vapour between the ocean and the atmosphere could lead to accelaerated loss and eventual collapse of the marine based WAIS, raising sea level by 5-6m. The goal of ANDRILL was to gain an understanding of the past behaviour of the Antarctic Ice Sheets (east and west) and the McMurdo/Ross Ice Shelf and their role on global climate change. A team of over 200 scientists, technicians, educators and support staff from all countries collaborated over two main seasons of drilling and four prior seasons of drill site investigations to recover sediment core below the sea floor that represent a nearly unbroken geological history of Antarctic ice shelf/sheet advance and retreat during the last 5 million years. Drilling operated during the 2006-2007 (McMurdo Ice Shelf) and 2007-2008 (Ross Ice Shelf) season, recovering 1284.87 m and 1138.54 m of sediment cores each season respectively (both with 98% recovery), a record depth of sub-bottom penetration in the Antarctic region and the first drilling rig to operate through a floating ice shelf. The ice core was analysed to determine how the Antarctic ice sheets behaved during periods of global warmth greater than the present day and climate and ice sheet models were created to extend the results to provide guidance regarding potential response by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and Ross Ice Shelf to future scenarios of global warming. All of the cores were sent to Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA.

Related URL

Link: VIEW EXTENDED METADATA

Description: Five other related metadata entries for ANDRILL and site investigations. Titles are as follows:
Antacrctic geological DRILLing (ANDRILL) drilling rig
New Harbour and Windless Bight seismic data for ANDRILL
Oceanography and sedimentation beneath the MRIS in Windless Bight
GPS surveying to obtain ice flow densities for the SMIS
GPR surveys of an ice rise on the SMIS
Geophysical investigations (seismic, aero and ground base magnetic, gravity, GPR and bathymetry surveys) of the tectonic, sedimentary and volcanic history of the Victoria Land Basing - site survey for ANDRILL project

Link: VIEW PROJECT HOME PAGE

Description: The ANDRILL homepage

Geographic Coverage

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Spatial coordinates


Min Depth: 0 Max Depth: 1284.87 MBSL

	N: -77.76	S: -77.76	E: 165.28	W: 165.28

Min Depth: 0 Max Depth: 1138.54 MBSL

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 2006-01-01

Stop Date: 2007-12-31

Start Date: 2007-08-20

Stop Date: 2008-02-15

Location Keywords

CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA

CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > MCMURDO SOUND

Science Keywords

OCEANS > MARINE VOLCANISM > RIFT VALLEYS

OCEANS > MARINE SEDIMENTS > SEDIMENTATION

ISO Topic Category

FARMING

BIOTA

Project

ESIP > Earth Science Information Partners Program

GEOSS > Global Earth Observation System of Systems

Service Provider

EPA/OW/WS/FISH > Fish Advisories, Water Science, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Service Organization URL: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/

Service Provider Personnel
Name: JEFFREY BIGLER Phone: (202) 566-0389 Fax: (202) 566-0409 Email: bigler.jeff at epa.gov Contact Address: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water Standards and Health Protection Division (4305T) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. City: Washington Province or State: DC Postal Code: 20460 Country: USA

Personnel

TYLER B. STEVENS

Role: SERF AUTHOR

Phone: (301) 614-6898

Fax: 301-614-5268

Email: Tyler.B.Stevens at nasa.gov

Contact Address:

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Global Change Master Directory

City: Greenbelt

Province or State: MD

Postal Code: 20771

Country: USA

JEFFREY BIGLER

Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Phone: (202) 566-0389

Fax: (202) 566-0409

Email: bigler.jeff at epa.gov

Contact Address:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Water

Standards and Health Protection Division (4305T)

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

City: Washington

Province or State: DC

Postal Code: 20460

Country: USA

Creation and Review Dates

SERF Creation Date: 2005-05-04
SERF Last Revision Date: 2005-08-08

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