Allan Hills Pleistocene Ice Project (PIP)
Abstract
A major international effort to identify at least 1.5 Ma old ice for paleoclimate reconstructions has successfully resulted in the selection of several potential drill sites in East Antarctica. At this point it is indisputable that the Antarctic ice sheet captures a continuous envinronmental record of the Earth that spans the Mid Pleistocene Transition (MPT). In addition to traditional ice coring approaches, the oldest ice can also be recovered in Antarctic Blue Ice Areas (BIA). We have already successfully demonstrated that the Allan Hills (AH) BIA captures a regional climate signal and robust record of 1Ma atmosphere that can be studied with a relatively uncomplicated logistical imprint and essentially unlimited sampling volume. The attractiveness of unlimited sampling of known age ice is the basis for the "ice park" concept proposed earlier by our research team. The idea is that, once the age of ice exposed along the flow line at the surface of BIA is mapped, it could be sampled for numerous research projects as needed. Here we propose an intermediate ( 1,150 m deep) ice core drill site, located only 240 km away from McMurdo base that will help to develop a, continuous, high quality regional paleoclimate record that is at least 1Ma old. We will introduce and discuss the glaciological settings, paleoclimate signals and possible limitations and advantages of the 1 Ma AH BIA regional paleoclimate record. The research was funded by NSF Division of Polar Programs.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFMPP31B2272K
- Keywords:
-
- 4901 Abrupt/rapid climate change;
- PALEOCEANOGRAPHYDE: 4910 Astronomical forcing;
- PALEOCEANOGRAPHYDE: 4912 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling;
- PALEOCEANOGRAPHYDE: 4962 Thermohaline;
- PALEOCEANOGRAPHY