Abstract:
The Darwin-Hatherton glacial system offers a unique opportunity to investigate the response of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to future climate change. As well as draining the East Antarctic Ice Sheet into the Ross Ice Shelf, there is plenty of evidence of its past glacial history preserved in marginal moraine sequences. Earlier research has produced differing estimates of the amount and rate of recent change in the system, partly because of the absence of measurements of key controlling parameters including ice thickness, mass balance and climate. This research takes an integrated earth systems approach by combining glacial, geomorphological and climatological methodologies to obtain a set of information that will enable the system to be characterised and understood. This will include the collection of field data on glacier dynamics and thickness, the origin, nature and age of moraine sequences and the key characteristics of the mesoscale and local climate regimes. Remote sensing was used to develop preliminary geomorphological maps of the area that aided field interpretation of its recent glacial history as well as to determine the surface velocity field of the glacial system. Numerical modelling will be employed in the future to describe the past history of the system and to predict how it might respond to different future scenarios of climate change.
Name:
SHULAMIT
GORDON Phone:
+64 3 358 0200
Fax:
+64 3 358 0211
Email:
s.gordon at antarcticanz.govt.nz
Contact Address:
Antarctica New Zealand
Private Bag 4745 City:
Christchurch
Country:
New Zealand
Personnel
BRYAN
STOREY Role:
INVESTIGATOR
Phone:
+64 3 364 2197
Email:
bryan.storey at canterbury.ac.nz
Contact Address:
Gateway Antarctica
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4745 Province or State:
Christchurch
Postal Code:
4800
Country:
NEW ZEALAND
WENDY
LAWSON Role:
INVESTIGATOR
Phone:
+64 03 364 2920
Fax:
+64 03 364 2907
Email:
wendy.lawson at canterbury.ac.nz
Contact Address:
Geography Department
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4745 City:
Christchurch
Postal Code:
4800
Country:
NEW ZEALAND
KURT
JOY Role:
INVESTIGATOR
Phone:
+64 03 366 7001
Fax:
+64 03 364 2490
Email:
kurt.joy at pg.canterbury.ac.nz
Email:
kurt at abandonednz.com
Contact Address:
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4745 City:
Christchurch
Country:
New Zealand
CEISHA
POIROT Role:
DIF AUTHOR
Phone:
+64 3 358 0200
Fax:
+64 3 358 0211
Email:
c.poirot at antarcticanz.govt.nz
Contact Address:
Antarctica New Zealand
Private Bag 4745 City:
Christchurch
Country:
New Zealand
Creation and Review Dates
DIF Creation Date:
2005-07-26
Last DIF Revision Date:
2010-09-20
