Development of a Polar Multidisciplinary Airborne Imaging System for the International Polar Year 2007-2009

This project develops a system of airborne instruments to explore the polar ice sheets and their underlying environments. The instrument suite includes an ice-penetrating radar, laser altimeter, gravimeter and magnetometer. Airborne geophysical measurements are key to understanding the 99% of Antarctica and 85% of Greenland covered by ice, which have thus far been studied at the postage stamp level. Projects linking ice sheet behavior to underlying geology will immediately benefit from this system, but even more exciting are the system's potential uses for work at the frontiers of polar science, such as: 1) exploring subglacial lakes, recently discovered and potentially the most unique sites on Earth for understanding life in extreme environments; 2) locating the deepest, oldest ice, which would offer million year and older samples of the atmosphere; and 3) interpreting Antarctica's subglacial geology, which contains unique and unstudied volcanoes, mountains, and tectonic provinces. In terms of broader impacts, this project constructs research infrastructure critical to society's understanding of sea level rise, and supports a project involving domestic, international, and private sector collaborations.