Collaborative Research: Conference: Conference support for the 2nd RAID Science Planning Workshop

Non-technical Abstract The Antarctic ice sheets are a critical element of Earth’s climate system and are undergoing rapid but poorly quantified change. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest repository of fresh water on the planet and represents the greatest potential contribution to sea-level rise, yet little is known about its thermal and mechanical conditions, as well as its potential for ice-mass loss. It also contains the oldest atmospheric climate records on the planet (trapped as bubbles of ancient air in ice); exploration for and use of those records is key to reliable modeling of potential climate variations in the near- and mid-term future. Much has been learned over the past decades from satellite observation, but we need direct observation within the East Antarctic Ice Sheet to validate and understand the state of change. To address these problems, the US Rapid Access Ice Drill was developed as a new drilling technology capable of quickly penetrating to the glacial bed of Antarctic ice sheets, retrieving ice core and rock core samples, and providing boreholes for down-hole logging of physical properties in ice. It has been tested in the field in Antarctica and is now ready for scientific research. The Principal Investigators of this award will convene a workshop to bring together research scientists with relevant experience to guide how, when and where the Rapid Access Ice Drill will be used for exploration for the oldest ice, to validate airborne radar imaging of glacial layers, to observe the conditions at the base of the ice sheet, and to recover cores of subglacial rock samples for laboratory analysis. The workshop will emphasize participation by early-career researchers who represent the next generation of polar scientists to engage in Antarctic research at the critical boundary separating the ice sheet from the solid earth below. Technical Abstract The Antarctic ice sheets are a critical element of Earth’s climate system and are undergoing rapid but poorly quantified change. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest repository of fresh water on the planet and represents the greatest potential contribution to sea-level rise, yet little is known about its thermal and mechanical conditions, as well as its potential for ice-mass loss. It also contains the oldest meteoric and atmospheric gas climate records on the planet; exploration for and utilization of those records is key to reliable modeling of climate variations in the near- and mid-term future. Exploration of the interior of the East Antarctic ice sheet has proceeded slowly but steadily over several decades, mainly through remote sensing technologies. Despite great progress, pressing questions remain about Earth's climate >1 m.y. ago, ice deformation, geothermal heat flow, basal material properties, and subglacial geology. These problems are best addressed by quickly penetrating to the glacial bed of Antarctic ice sheets, retrieving ice core and rock core samples, and providing boreholes for down-hole logging of physical properties in ice. This is made possible by the US Rapid Access Ice Drill, developed as a new drilling technology capable of direct access. It has been tested in the field in Antarctica and is now ready for scientific research. The Principal Investigators of this award will convene a workshop in 2024 to support research community use of the Rapid Access Ice Drill in Antarctica. Workshop participants will meet to consider how the drilling system can best be used to advance our understanding of current operative ice-sheet processes, past climate records, history of ice-sheet development, and the geological substrate to the East Antarctic ice sheet, all of which have societal relevance. Research scientists with relevant experience will meet to guide how, when and where the Rapid Access Ice Drill will be used for exploration for the oldest ice, to validate airborne radar imaging of glacial layers, to observe the conditions at the base of the ice sheet, and to recover cores of subglacial rock samples for laboratory analysis. The workshop will emphasize participation by early-career researchers who represent the next generation of polar scientists to engage in Antarctic research at the critical cryosphere-geosphere boundary. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.