WAIS Divide field camp opened

The WAIS Divide project is funded by United States National Science Foundation and the purpose of the project is to collect a deep ice core covering approximately one glacial cycle (~100,000 years) from the ice divide in central West Antarctica. Studies carried out on this ice core will provide new information on past climate and atmospheric greenhouse gas composition as well as the present and future stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

A map of Antarctica

 

Upon opening most things in camp were found to have wintered well and now the generators are running and the crew has started preparing the skiway for this season's flights to the camp. In early December, this year's crew of drillers and core handlers will arrive at WAIS Divide via Christchurch, New Zealand and McMurdo Station, Antarctica. They will continue the drilling from the depth of 578 m that was reached last season and attempt to drill at least to the bottom of the brittle ice zone. According to the plan bedrock (3465 m below the ice surface) will be reached during the 2011/2012 season.

This season the Centre for Ice and Climate is sending Susanne Lilja Buchardt (PhD Student) to join the project as a core handler. Last season CIC members Inger Seierstad and Trevor Popp also participated in the WAIS Divide field camp. Updates on the field work at WAIS Divide and more information on the goals and
participants of the project can be found at
www.waisdivide.unh.edu