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Physical Properties of the WAIS Divide Deep Core Entry ID: alley_0539578 |
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Summary
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Abstract:
This award supports a five-year collaborative project to study the physical-properties of the planned deep ice core and the temperature of the ice in the divide region of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Data include depths of crusts and annual layers observed visually in the ice core, density of the ice core determined by flotation in isooctane, and images and counts of bubble number-density. Data sets will be completed and extended under the follow-on grant to this one.
Purpose: The intellectual merit of the proposed research is to provide fundamental information on the state of the ice sheet, to validate the integrity of the climate record, to help reconstruct the climate record, and to understand the flow state and history of the ice sheet. This information will initially be supplied to other investigators and then to the public and to appropriate databases, and will be published in the refereed scientific literature. The objectives of the proposed research are to aid in dating of the core through counting of annual layers, to identify any exceptionally warm intervals in the past through counting of melt layers, to learn as much as possible about the flow state and history of the ice through measurement of size, shape and arrangements of bubbles and other features, to identify any flow disturbances through these indicators, and to learn the history of snow accumulation and temperature from analyses of bubbles and borehole temperatures combined with flow modeling and use of data from other collaborators. These results will then be synthesized and communicated. Failure to examine cores can lead to erroneous identification of flow features as climate changes, so careful examination is required. Independent reconstruction of temperature rate provides important data on climate change, and improves confidence in interpretation of other climate indicators. By contributing to all of these and additional issues, the research should be of considerable value. |
Related URL
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Link:
VIEW PROJECT HOME PAGE
Description: The U.S research community is conducting a deep ice coring project in West Antarctica for studies of climate, ice sheet history and cryobiology. This project is collecting a deep ice core from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) ice flow divide and integrating approximately 40 separate but synergistic projects to analyze the ice and interpret the records. Link: VIEW RELATED INFORMATION Description: NSF Award #1043528 |
Geographic Coverage
| N: -79.4666 | S: -79.4666 | E: 112.1166 | W: 112.1166 |
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Location Keywords
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GEOGRAPHIC REGION
> POLAR
CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA |
Science Keywords
| CRYOSPHERE >GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS [Definition] |
| CRYOSPHERE >GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS >ICE SHEETS [Definition] |
| CRYOSPHERE >SNOW/ICE [Definition] |
| CRYOSPHERE >SNOW/ICE >SNOW/ICE TEMPERATURE [Definition] |
| PALEOCLIMATE >ICE CORE RECORDS [Definition] |
ISO Topic Category
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CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE
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Platform
| LABORATORY [Information] |
| FIELD INVESTIGATION [Information] |
| FIELD SURVEYS [Information] |
Instrument
| CORING DEVICES [Information] |
Project
| WAISDIVIDE >West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Project |
| NSF/OPP >Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation [Information] |
Keywords
| ice core |
| WAIS |
| Antarctic |
| physical properties |
| temperature |
| annual layers |
| climate record |
| melt layers |
| c-axes |
| bubbles |
| model |
Data Set Progress
| IN WORK |
Originating Center
| Pennsylvania State University, University Park |
Data Center
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NSIDC Antarctic Glaciological Data Center
[Information]
Data Center URL: http://nsidc.org/agdc/
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National Ice Core Laboratory Science Management Office, Climate Change Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire
[Information]
Data Center URL: http://www.nicl-smo.sr.unh.edu/index.html
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National Snow and Ice Data Center
[Information]
Data Center URL: http://nsidc.org
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Personnel
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RICHARD
B
ALLEY Role: INVESTIGATOR Phone: 814 863-1700 Email: ralley at geosc.psu.edu Contact Address: Pennsylvania State University Department of Geosciences 517 Deike Building City: University Park Province or State: PA Postal Code: 16802 Country: USA |
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DONALD
E
VOIGT Role: INVESTIGATOR Phone: 814 865-3732 Fax: 814 863-7823 Email: dev2 at psu.edu Contact Address: Dept of Geosciences Penn State University City: University Park Province or State: PA Postal Code: 16802 Country: USA |
Publications/References
Alley, R.B. "Reliability of ice-core science: Historical insights," Journal of Glaciology, v.56, 2010, p. 1095.
Fegyveresi, J.M., R.B. Alley, M.K. Spencer, J.J. Fitzpatrick, E.J. Steig, J.W.C. White, J.R. McConnell and K.C. Taylor. 2011. Late-Holocene climate evolution at the WAIS Divide site, West Antarctica: bubble number-density estimates. Journal of Glaciology 57(204), 629-638.
McGwire, KC; McConnell, JR; Alley, RB; Banta, JR; Hargreaves, GM; Taylor, KC. "Dating annual layers of a shallow Antarctic ice core with an optical scanner," JOURNAL OF GLACIOLOGY, v.54, 2008, p. 831-838.
Fegyveresi, J.M., R.B. Alley, M.K. Spencer, J.J. Fitzpatrick, E.J. Steig, J.W.C. White, J.R. McConnell and K.C. Taylor. 2011. Late-Holocene climate evolution at the WAIS Divide site, West Antarctica: bubble number-density estimates. Journal of Glaciology 57(204), 629-638.
McGwire, KC; McConnell, JR; Alley, RB; Banta, JR; Hargreaves, GM; Taylor, KC. "Dating annual layers of a shallow Antarctic ice core with an optical scanner," JOURNAL OF GLACIOLOGY, v.54, 2008, p. 831-838.
Creation and Review Dates
DIF Creation Date:
2012-06-19
Last DIF Revision Date:
2012-08-22
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