P - R
PANDA
Proposal URL: http://classic.ipy.org/development/eoi/proposal-details.php?id=313 The Dome A region is the highest plateau of the Antarctic ice sheet, and could be the coldest place on the Earths surface. The transect from Prydz Bay-Amery Ice Shelf-Lambert Glacier Basin-Dome A is an interconnected ocean, ice-shelf and ice sheet system, which plays a very important role in east Antarctica mass balance, sea level and climate change. Dome A is a little known region of the Antarctic and, as it is the highest part of Antarctic ice sheet, it is an ideal place for observing the earths environmental background and making new scientific findings in a range of disciplines The ice thickness at the summit of Dome A was measured as over 3000 m by the 21st Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE-21) in the austral summer of 2004/2005. Snow accumulation occurs mostly by diamond dust sublimation directly from the troposphere and the oldest ice in Antarctica may be found there. It is hence a potential site to reconstruct a 1.2M year recordof the past climate and environment. With the extremely cold, dry and stable air found at the summit of Dome A, the area provides the best site on the Earths surface for the conduct of a wide range of astronomical observations, from optical to millimetre wavelengths. Beneath the ice at Dome A and near the centre of the Antarctic Continent lie the unexplored Gamburtsev sub-glacial mountains. Study of these may contribute greatly to theoretical earth science and to understanding the geological history of Antarctica. Observations along the Zhongshan-Dome A are important for studying ice dynamic processes and mass balance, recent climate history and SolarWind/Magnetosphere/Ionosphere coupling. The ocean circulation in Prydz Bay is one of the major gyres around the Antarctic and it both affects and is affected by interaction beneath the Amery Ice Shelf. Improved oceanographic studies are required of the Prydz Bay circulation, its role in Southern Ocean circulation, and the potential impacts of change on both physical and biological systems. What we will do for PANDA? PANDA presents a integrated view of the Prydz Bay-Amery-Lambert glacier basin-Dome A system, with Chinese scientific and logistical leadership, partnership, coordination and cooperation for many international IPY efforts focused on this region and on Antarctica. Specifically, Chinese leadership and partnership as part of PANDA will support IPY through the following objectives: - To construct a scientific research station at the summit of Dome A supporting future scientific programs in this region nationally and internationally. - To establish a long-term observing/monitoring system for climate change research along the Prydz Bay, Amery Ice Shelf, Lambert glacier basin and Dome A transect, a data sparse region of Antarctica. This will involve partnerships with other meteorological, glaciological and oceanographic projects during IPY. - To improve understanding on variability and physical processes of the ocean and sea ice in the Prydz Bay region, and on their response and feedback to climate change. This will involve partnership with the IPY SASSI programme. - To understand processes of interaction between ocean and ice shelf and their effect on the stability of the ice shelf and ice sheet. - To obtain a series of shallow ice cores between Zhongshan and Dome A for investigation of recent climate variability and change, and a medium depth ice core at Dome A. - To determine site characteristics for deep ice core drilling at Dome A to potentially re-construct a 1.2M year climate record. This assessment during IPY will lead to new efforts to start deep ice core drilling in the summer of 2009/2010. -To assess site characteristics at Dome A for astronomical observations. -To find a suitable site for sub-glacial geological drilling in the Gamburtsev Mountains area. -To establish a chain of magnetometers between Zhongshan and Dome A for studying the dynamics of the solar wind-magnetospheric-ionospheric coupling. This will include comprehensive upper atmosphere observations at Zhongshan Station and will involve cooperation with the IPY solar-earth coupling and magnetosphere dynamics programmes. Many of these activities will leave a legacy of an infrastructure capability for international research after IPY. Planned field activities during 2007-2010: 1. Prydz Bay and Amery Ice Shelf -During austral summers of 2005/2006, 2007/2008 and 2008/2009: oceanographic and ice shelf surveys in Prydz Bay and Amery Ice Shenlf. -2007/2008: deploy hydrographic instruments into the cavity beneath the Amery Ice Shelf in collaboration with an Australian hot water drilling project. Obtain 2 years continuous measurements from the instruments. 2. Zhongshan-Dome A traverse and activities at the summit of Dome A: 2007/2008 season: - Glaciological observations along Zhongshan-Dome A transect. - To carry out glaciological observations and recover a 350-500m ice core at the summit of Dome A. - Undertake an ice radar survey in the Gamburtsev sub glacial area to search the suitable site for a geological drilling. - Determine a deep ice core drilling site, and transport a deep ice core drill to the summit of Dome A from Dome F. - To set up a 100 m2 building at Dome A. - To install several instruments for assessing astronomical conditions at Dome A - Install 4 low power magnetometers along the track. - Establish fuel depots at Dome A and at a site 800km south of Zhongshan Station. 2008/2009 season: - To complete Dome A Station with a building area of 250 m2 and facilities for 10 winterers. - To make a pilot hole for deep ice core drilling and set up deep ice core drilling system. - Undertake further glaciological observations of the area. - Other observations. 2009/2010 season: - To operate the Dome A station and start deep ice core drilling there. - Other observation including astronomy observations, etc. Previous work at Zhongshan-Dome A, Amery Ice Shelf and Prydz Bay by CHINARE During the last decade CHINARE has carried out following research work: -Four inland traverses from the Zhongshan Station towards Dome A have been made in the summers of 1996/1997, 1997/1998,1998/1999 and 2004/2005. Glaciological observations were obtained and samples were obtained from shallow cores and snow pits along the route. During the latest traverse, the CHINARE team reached the summit of the Dome by snow mobiles. A series of measurements in glaciology and meteorology were carried out, and two automatic weather stations were installed in collaboration with Australia, one is at the summit of the Dome and one at the mid-point of the transect. -Glaciological field programs have been conducted on the Amery Ice Shelf in the summers of 2002/2003, 2003/2004, 2004/2005. The major work has included ice radar surveys of ice thickness, GPS measurements of ice velocity, estimation of ice shelf mass balance, recovery of a 296m ice core, and hydrographic observations along the edge of the Amery Ice Shelf. -Physical oceanography, chemical oceanography, marine biology and geochemistry observations in the Prydz Bay region, have been carried out since 1989. A series of data have been obtained. -Ground-based observations of the ionosphere (imaging riometer), optical aurora, geomagnetic fields, etc. have been carried out at Zhongshan Station for more than ten years.