WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is believed to be vulnerable to climate change as it is grounded below sea level, is drained by rapidly flowing ice streams and is fringed by floating ice shelves subject to melting by incursions of relatively warm Antarctic circumpolar water. Currently, the most rapidly thinning glaciers in Antarctica occur in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Sea sectors. This study seeks to place the present day observations into a longer-term geological context. Mechanisms that led to the retreat of the ice sheet from the West Antarctic continental shelf since the last glacial maximum will be investigated. This study will build on a number of previous investigations and fill in key data gaps in the region. Bathymetric mapping and direct sampling of relict glacial features on the continental shelves of the Bellingshausen (Marguerite Bay), Amundsen (Pine Island Bay) and eastern Ross Seas will be conducted via dedicated science time on the Swedish Icebreaker Oden. Sites for Kasten coring will be selected on the basis of detailed swath mapping. Radiocarbon dating of glaciomarine deposits in the new and existing cores will refine the timing of retreat events. Geomorphic features of paleo ice streams such as grounding line wedges and ice scours will be examined to assess whether the retreat occurred continuously and/or episodically. Sediments will be examined for paleontological evidence of warm ocean water intrusions during retreat as well as for mineral evidence of possible melt water origins.
Broader impacts:
This project is collaborative with colleagues from the US, Sweden, the UK, France, Japan and Poland. It will entail the training of three PhD students at Rice University and so afford them international field work experience. One of these will be transitioning to post-doc status in the course of this project. An undergraduate student will also be involved in the fieldwork phase of the research. The PI expects to continue to be active in Rice University's Houston area high school teacher outreach program as well as a separate program to convey science to elderly people confined in assisted living and retirement facilities.
Choose a quarter and click "Go."
| AWARD OVERVIEW |
| Award Number |
0837925 |
Funding Agency |
National Science Foundation |
| Total Award Amount |
$426,939 |
Project Location - City |
Houston |
| Award Date |
06/10/2009 |
Project Location - State |
TX |
| Project Status |
More than 50% Completed |
Project Location - Zip |
77005-1827
|
| Jobs Reported |
2.18 |
Congressional District |
02 |
| Project Location - Country |
US |
|
|
Recipient Information
(Grants)
| Recipient Information (Grants) |
|
Recipient Name
|
WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY |
| Recipient DUNS Number |
050299031
|
| Recipient Address |
6100 MAIN ST |
| Recipient City |
HOUSTON |
| Recipient State |
Texas |
| Recipient Zip |
77005-1827 |
| Recipient Congressional District |
02 |
| Recipient Country |
USA |
Required to Report Top 5
Highly Compensated Officials |
No |
Projects and Jobs Information
| Projects and Jobs Information |
| Project Title |
History of, and Mechanisms Leading to, Post-LGM Retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
| Project Status |
More than 50% Completed |
| Final Project Report Submitted |
No |
| Project Activities Description |
Research & Public Policy Analysis |
| Quarterly Activities/Project Description |
Research has focused on the timing of retreat of the ancestral Pine Island Ice Stream from the continental shelf during the past 18,000 years and on those mechanisms that contributed to its retreat. This research is based on data and cores acquired during a highly successful cruise that was conducted in Pine Island Bay (PIB) during the 2010 field season as a joint effort with US and Swedish scientists. Bedforms in outer PIB document episodic retreat in from the continental shelf. A robust radiocarbon chronostratigraphy was established from a range of glacimarine sediments that record the overall retreat of the ice stream. The results show that retreat from the outer continental shelf began shortly after the LGM and before 16.4 k cal yr BP, as a likely response to rising sea level. The next phase of grounding line retreat took place prior to ~12.3 k cal yr BP, after which a large ice shelf covered the inner part of PIB until 10.6 k cal yr BP. There is evidence that widespread impingement of warm water onto the continental shelf caused abrupt retreat of the ice shelf and ice stream grounding line. Yet another phase of rapid retreat occurred between 7.8-7.0 k cal yr BP and was possibly triggered by subglacial water flowing from beneath the ice stream. The final phase of retreat ended before ~1.3 k cal yr BP when the grounding line migrated to a location near the current ice margin. Thus, the retreat of the ice stream was episodic in nature and caused by different mechanisms. Our results also indicate that the current rapid retreat of the Pine Island Glacier front is not unprecedented and that subglacial water may be contributing to instability of the ice sheet. One of the students is continuing her tenure at Rice as a post-doc. The PI and post-doc have both been engaged in outreach activities involving public presentations and courses taught for area teachers.
|
| Jobs Created |
2.18 |
| Description of Jobs Created |
Created: Research Assistant. Retained: Research Assistant. |
Purchaser Information
(Grants)
| Purchaser Information |
| Contracting Office ID |
Not Reported |
| Contracting Office Name |
Not Available |
| Contracting Office Region |
Not Available |
| TAS Major Program |
49-0101 |
| Award Information |
| Award Date |
06/10/2009 |
| Award Number |
0837925 |
| Order Number |
|
| Award Type |
Grants |
| Funding Agency ID |
49 |
| Funding Agency Name |
National Science Foundation |
| Funding Office Name |
Not Available |
| Awarding Agency ID |
49 |
| Awarding Agency Name |
National Science Foundation |
| Amount of Award |
$426,939 |
| Funds Invoiced/Received |
$349,644 |
| Expenditure Amount |
$353,464 |
| Infrastructure Expenditure Amount |
$0 |
| Infrastructure Purpose and Rationale |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Name |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Email |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Phone |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Address |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact City |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact State |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Zip |
Not Reported |
Product or Service Information
(Grants)
| Product or Service Information |
| Primary Activity Code |
**K |
| Activity Description |
Research & Public Policy Analysis |
| Sub-Awards Information |
| Sub-awards to Organizations |
0 |
| Sub-award Amounts to Organizations |
$0 |
| Sub-Awards to Individuals |
0 |
| Sub-Award Amounts to Individuals |
$0 |
| Number of Sub-awards less than $25,000/award |
0 |
| Amount of Sub-awards less than $25,000/award |
$0 |
| Number of payments to vendors greater than $25,000 |
0 |
| Total Amount of payments to vendors greater than $25,000/award |
$0 |
| Number of payments to vendors less than $25,000/award |
2 |
| Total Amount of payments to vendors less than $25,000/award |
$75 |
| Location Information |
| Latitude, Longitude |
29º 43' 20",
-95º 24' 21" |
| Congressional District |
02 |
| Address 1 |
6100 Main Street |
| Address 2 |
|
| City |
Houston |
| County |
Harris |
| State |
TX |
| Zip |
77005-1827 |
|
 |