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‘Essentially the most change is occurring on the interface between the ice and the ocean’
Dr Thompson will use geophysical devices and radar to measure ice thickness, and seismic devices to offer level measurements of the ocean mattress.
“That may give us an thought of the thickness of the water column between the bottom of the ice and the ocean mattress. That’s essential as a result of it permits us to foretell the place completely different currents may entry the ice shelf.”
The glaciologist may even use a scorching water drill to penetrate the glacier so ice and oceanographic devices could be suspended by way of the ice and the ocean and retrieved subsequent yr.
“We predict from different areas in Antarctica, adjustments could also be occurring on the interface between the ice and the ocean, on the base of a few of these massive ice cabinets and glaciers.
“It is without doubt one of the most troublesome locations to look at and that is what we’re actually involved in taking a look at this discipline season,” Dr Thompson stated.
A novel function of the Denman Terrestrial Marketing campaign is that the scientists come from a variety of establishments and disciplines.
“It means we’ll study a lot in regards to the system itself,” Dr Thompson stated.
“Some persons are focussing on what occurred a thousand years in the past and that’s serving to us perceive what’s occurring now.
“There hasn’t been a lot work finished on this area earlier than so there’s a variety of uncertainty about what the bottom of the glacier seems like.
“It’s additionally essentially the most northerly system outdoors the Antarctic Peninsula so doubtlessly it’s extra susceptible to a warming local weather than among the different methods in East Antarctica.”
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