AuScope set to help enable collaborative Antarctic ice expedition
AuScope’s Land-2-Sea Geoscience pilot project (L2SG) will enable scientists at ANZIC and ICDP to investigate ice melting rates of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). This new data collection project will critically underpin regionally sensitive climate mitigation and adaptation planning. Image: Dr Sarah Kachovich, ANZIC Program Manager
Global rates of continental ice melting and sea-level rise are accelerating, however, they are expected to vary from region to region depending on where, when and how fast ice melts. Knowing precisely what these rates are will be essential for science-based, regional climate mitigation and adaptation planning. With NCRIS support, scientists will shortly embark on an expedition to Antarctica to collect new data to do just that for this region. But first, expedition leaders at ANZIC must build the expedition team. Hurry, applications close on Monday 21 February 2022!
Exploring beneath Antarctica
In late 2021, AuScope announced a new collection of pilot projects, including the Land-2-Sea Geoscience pilot project (L2SG), which is designed to support ANZIC ( the Australian and New Zealand component of the International Ocean Discovery Program Consortium) and its land-based partner ICDP (the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program) in deploying new, low-cost drilling technology to retrieve cores from previously inaccessible sedimentary deposits beneath Antarctic ice shelves and sea ice.
L2SG will contribute to the collaborative ANZIC and ICDP project called SWAIS-2C (Sensitivity of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to 2 degrees Celsius), which involves deploying new, low-cost drilling technology to retrieve cores from previously inaccessible sedimentary deposits beneath ice shelves and sea ice of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). This will occur over the 2022 — 2023 summer drilling period and be followed by a one-month onshore analysis of the core in which researchers will determine the sensitivity of the WAIS to a warming climate and tectonic processes.
Why the West Antarctica Ice Sheet (WAIS) matters
Today, the melting of WAIS in Antarctica is among the largest threats of rapid sea level rise, but the full impacts of different greenhouse-gas emissions trajectories remain unclear. Recent results for the last interglacial, the previous warm period when global temperature was ~1 °C higher and sea level reached several meters (up to 10 m) higher than today, indicate that a dominant portion of the melt water came from Antarctica. Did the WAIS melt during the last interglacial? SWAIS-2C (and L2SG) seeks to explore.
Collaborating globally
The AuScope enabled L2SG represents Australia’s first involvement and collaboration with ANZIC and ICDP, including their respective international community. Together the team is driving innovation across a major gap between marine and continental geoscience research through a focus on transects from ocean basins onto the continents. SWAIS-2C and L2SG Project Leader from ANZIC, Dr Sara Kachovich say that:
“By AuScope investing in SWAIS-2C through L2SG, we’ll be able to assess the value to Australia of accessing the ICDP’s resources and expertise to answer bigger and more complex scientific questions.”
Sarah explains the gravity of global-scale scientific collaboration like SWAIS-2C and L2SG:
“In times of global crisis, international projects and collaborations are incredibly important to Australia by not only helping to secure the economy, but to ensure the health and wellbeing of the population.
Scientific drilling will be key to addressing many of the fundamental questions and challenges that will be faced by Australia over the coming century. From contributing to our knowledge of mineral resource formation, to helping forecast the impacts of environmental change on our farms, ecosystems and coasts, to safely sequestering sufficient carbon to achieve net-zero emissions.”
WRITTEN BY
Dr Sarah Kachovich (ANZIC), Philomena Manifold and Jo Condon (AuScope)
JOIN THE EXPEDITION
Applications are now open to participate and collaborate in SWAIS-2C in Otago, New Zealand. ANZIC is currently seeking
three Australian representatives to participate with research expertise in physical properties, paleomagnetism, and biostratigraphy / micropaleontology (i.e., siliceous microfossils, benthic foraminifera, and palynology). ANZIC encourages applications from all qualified scientists (including graduate students).
If you would like more information about this Project, please contact Dr Sarah Kachovich, ANZIC Program Manager.
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