FINAL AWARD REPORT: 2nd RAID Science Planning Workshop

The US Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID) is a new, one-of-a-kind drilling platform developed for deep ice- sheet research in Antarctica. This report summarizes outcomes of the 2nd RAID Science Planning Workshop, which took place in Herndon, Virginia, on September 25–27, 2024. Funded through a collaborative NSF award to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Planetary Science Institute, this workshop built upon the foundation established during the first NSF-supported RAID Science Planning Workshop held in La Jolla in 2017. Since then, significant advancements have been made with the RAID drilling platform and other emerging technologies and methodologies, motivating the gathering of scientists interested in collaborative use of this unique research tool.
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<br/>The primary objectives of the workshop were to: 1) re-envision how RAID can best address current scientific challenges, 2) update the science planning framework for future drilling activities, and 3) engage a new generation of polar researchers in RAID science and development. Over two and a half days, scientists with an interest in utilizing the RAID platform—or the samples and boreholes it generates—convened to devise a comprehensive, long-term deployment strategy. The outcome of this collaboration is a detailed Long Range Science Plan articulating the science community’s envisioned applications for the facility. This plan includes disciplinary perspectives that outline applications of the RAID platform to address crucial scientific questions related to the ice sheet and underlying bedrock.