U.S. scientists travel to Antarctica, Greenland, Alaska, and other glaciated regions around the world to conduct fieldwork in some of the harshest conditions on Earth. Below you can find information about current and upcoming IDP-supported fieldwork. You can also view information about IDP-supported completed fieldwork.
Fieldwork
You can use the drop-down menus below to filter the projects by Field Season or Equipment. If you use the drop-down menus to filter the projects, click the blue "Apply" button to run the filter. To reset the filter to show all projects, click the red "Reset" button.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14
| Project | Equipment | Point of Contact | Description | Schedule (Estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAREER: Characterizing Feedbacks in Arctic Ponds while Incorporating Next-Generation Technologies and Arctic Field Experiences in Education | SIPRE Hand Auger | Christian Andresen, University of Wisconsin-Madison. |
Wetlands represent a significant portion of the Arctic landscape and are characterized by their numerous polygonal thaw ponds. These Arctic pond habitats are hotspots for biodiversity and carbon cycling. Particularly, ponds are key emitters of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This project will characterize the role of Arctic wetland ponds in regional land-atmosphere carbon exchange, estimate their contributions of methane to the atmosphere, and assess how they have changed over the past 50 years to better anticipate their future role in Arctic carbon cycling and feedbacks to climate. The researchers will use a SIPRE hand auger to assist in the setup of eddy-covariance flux towers that measure methane and carbon dioxide fluxes from tundra ponds, and meteorological information. |
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| Collaborative Research: AON Network for Observing Transformation of the Greenland Ice Sheet Firn Layer | IDDO Hand Auger, Sidewinder | Joel Harper, University of Montana. Toby Meierbachtol, University of Wyoming. |
This project will establish a network of instrumented sites to observe transformation of the Greenland Ice sheet’s percolation zone firn layer. Using the IDDO Hand Auger and Sidewinder, repeat cores will be collected over five years to track density and ice content changes, and instrumentation installed in core holes will monitor firn temperature evolution and compaction of the firn layer. The data from these efforts will be of high value to scientists focused on changes in storage capacity of the firn layer, process details of meltwater infiltration in cold firn, and the influence of firn compaction and melt on satellite-observed ice sheet elevation. |
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| Collaborative Research: North American ice patches: Assessing formation, morphology, and persistence through the Holocene and links to climate, humans, and the environment | Chipmunk Drill, Prairie Dog Drill, Sidewinder | Nathan Chellman, Desert Research Institute. |
Ice is a crucial component of the Earth system and exists in a variety of landforms, including polar ice caps, glaciers, and permafrost. Long-lived, shallow ice patches are relatively obscure ice features that have persisted for thousands of years in certain alpine landscapes and serve as ecologically and culturally significant archives of past climate and environmental conditions, vegetation changes, and human and animal activities. Because these ice patches can be up to 10,000 years old, they preserve some of the oldest ice on Earth outside the polar regions. This project will study North American ice patches located in the northern Rocky Mountains and Alaska to develop detailed, multifaceted records of environmental and ecological change in high-elevation regions across a range of geographic regions where few high-resolution, long-term historical records exist. Fieldwork is (tentatively) scheduled across several field sites and seasons as follows:
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| Collaborative Research: North American ice patches: Assessing formation, morphology, and persistence through the Holocene and links to climate, humans, and the environment | Prairie Dog Drill, Chipmunk Drill, Sidewinder | Nathan Chellman, Desert Research Institute. |
Ice is a crucial component of the Earth system and exists in a variety of landforms, including polar ice caps, glaciers, and permafrost. Long-lived, shallow ice patches are relatively obscure ice features that have persisted for thousands of years in certain alpine landscapes and serve as ecologically and culturally significant archives of past climate and environmental conditions, vegetation changes, and human and animal activities. Because these ice patches can be up to 10,000 years old, they preserve some of the oldest ice on Earth outside the polar regions. This project will study North American ice patches located in the northern Rocky Mountains and Alaska to develop detailed, multifaceted records of environmental and ecological change in high-elevation regions across a range of geographic regions where few high-resolution, long-term historical records exist. Fieldwork is (tentatively) scheduled across several field sites and seasons as follows:
|
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| Collaborative Research: North American ice patches: Assessing formation, morphology, and persistence through the Holocene and links to climate, humans, and the environment | Chipmunk Drill | Nathan Chellman, Desert Research Institute. |
Ice is a crucial component of the Earth system and exists in a variety of landforms, including polar ice caps, glaciers, and permafrost. Long-lived, shallow ice patches are relatively obscure ice features that have persisted for thousands of years in certain alpine landscapes and serve as ecologically and culturally significant archives of past climate and environmental conditions, vegetation changes, and human and animal activities. Because these ice patches can be up to 10,000 years old, they preserve some of the oldest ice on Earth outside the polar regions. This project will study North American ice patches located in the northern Rocky Mountains and Alaska to develop detailed, multifaceted records of environmental and ecological change in high-elevation regions across a range of geographic regions where few high-resolution, long-term historical records exist. Fieldwork is (tentatively) scheduled across several field sites and seasons as follows:
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| WoU-MMA: Ice Characterization and Calibration to Enable Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Astronomy | Sidewinder, IDDO Hand Auger | Dave Besson, The University of Kansas. |
The objective of this research is to extract ice cores to make fine-grained permittivity measurements, which will provide detailed information on radio-frequency propagation through polar ice. The investigators' goal is to resolve current discrepancies between data and calculation and fill in gaps in understanding, necessary for measurements of ultra-high energy neutrino-induced radio signals. The investigators' also propose to make measurements, or place limits on borehole closure, which is essential to the long-term operation of radio receiver detectors in Antarctica or Greenland. The science team plans to drill shallow holes to 30 m maximum depth with an IDDO 3-Inch Hand Auger and Sidewinder. One hole would be drilled approximately 2 km from Summit Station, Greenland, and the other hole approximately 4 km from Summit Station. The science team plans to conduct measurements of complex permittivity on the cores collected. |
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| Project | Equipment | Point of Contact | Description | Schedule (Estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAREER: Characterizing Feedbacks in Arctic Ponds while Incorporating Next-Generation Technologies and Arctic Field Experiences in Education | SIPRE Hand Auger | Christian Andresen, University of Wisconsin-Madison. |
Wetlands represent a significant portion of the Arctic landscape and are characterized by their numerous polygonal thaw ponds. These Arctic pond habitats are hotspots for biodiversity and carbon cycling. Particularly, ponds are key emitters of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This project will characterize the role of Arctic wetland ponds in regional land-atmosphere carbon exchange, estimate their contributions of methane to the atmosphere, and assess how they have changed over the past 50 years to better anticipate their future role in Arctic carbon cycling and feedbacks to climate. The researchers will use a SIPRE hand auger to assist in the setup of eddy-covariance flux towers that measure methane and carbon dioxide fluxes from tundra ponds, and meteorological information. |
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| Collaborative Research: North American ice patches: Assessing formation, morphology, and persistence through the Holocene and links to climate, humans, and the environment | Chipmunk Drill | Nathan Chellman, Desert Research Institute. |
Ice is a crucial component of the Earth system and exists in a variety of landforms, including polar ice caps, glaciers, and permafrost. Long-lived, shallow ice patches are relatively obscure ice features that have persisted for thousands of years in certain alpine landscapes and serve as ecologically and culturally significant archives of past climate and environmental conditions, vegetation changes, and human and animal activities. Because these ice patches can be up to 10,000 years old, they preserve some of the oldest ice on Earth outside the polar regions. This project will study North American ice patches located in the northern Rocky Mountains and Alaska to develop detailed, multifaceted records of environmental and ecological change in high-elevation regions across a range of geographic regions where few high-resolution, long-term historical records exist. Fieldwork is (tentatively) scheduled across several field sites and seasons as follows:
|
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| Collaborative Research: North American ice patches: Assessing formation, morphology, and persistence through the Holocene and links to climate, humans, and the environment | Prairie Dog Drill, Chipmunk Drill, Sidewinder | Nathan Chellman, Desert Research Institute. |
Ice is a crucial component of the Earth system and exists in a variety of landforms, including polar ice caps, glaciers, and permafrost. Long-lived, shallow ice patches are relatively obscure ice features that have persisted for thousands of years in certain alpine landscapes and serve as ecologically and culturally significant archives of past climate and environmental conditions, vegetation changes, and human and animal activities. Because these ice patches can be up to 10,000 years old, they preserve some of the oldest ice on Earth outside the polar regions. This project will study North American ice patches located in the northern Rocky Mountains and Alaska to develop detailed, multifaceted records of environmental and ecological change in high-elevation regions across a range of geographic regions where few high-resolution, long-term historical records exist. Fieldwork is (tentatively) scheduled across several field sites and seasons as follows:
|
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| Project | Equipment | Point of Contact | Description | Schedule (Estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collaborative Research: North American ice patches: Assessing formation, morphology, and persistence through the Holocene and links to climate, humans, and the environment | Chipmunk Drill | Nathan Chellman, Desert Research Institute. |
Ice is a crucial component of the Earth system and exists in a variety of landforms, including polar ice caps, glaciers, and permafrost. Long-lived, shallow ice patches are relatively obscure ice features that have persisted for thousands of years in certain alpine landscapes and serve as ecologically and culturally significant archives of past climate and environmental conditions, vegetation changes, and human and animal activities. Because these ice patches can be up to 10,000 years old, they preserve some of the oldest ice on Earth outside the polar regions. This project will study North American ice patches located in the northern Rocky Mountains and Alaska to develop detailed, multifaceted records of environmental and ecological change in high-elevation regions across a range of geographic regions where few high-resolution, long-term historical records exist. Fieldwork is (tentatively) scheduled across several field sites and seasons as follows:
|
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| Project | Equipment | Point of Contact | Description | Schedule (Estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collaborative Research: An Ice Core from Hercules Dome, East Antarctica | Foro 3000 Drill | Eric Steig, University of Washington. Murat Aydin, University of California Irvine. TJ Fudge, University of Washington. Joe Souney, University of New Hampshire. |
The goal of this project is to drill and recover an ice core from Hercules Dome, Antarctica. The geographic setting of Hercules Dome makes it well-situated to investigate changes in the size of the West Antarctic ice sheet over long time periods. The base of the West Antarctic ice sheet lies below sea level, which makes this part of Antarctica vulnerable to melting from the relatively warm deep water of the Southern Ocean. An important research question is whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsed during Earth's last prolonged warm period, about 125,000 years ago, when the ocean was warmer and sea level was several meters higher than today. Evidence for or against such a collapse will be recorded in the chemistry and physical properties of the ice. Glaciological conditions at Hercules Dome are simple, with well-defined layering to the bed, optimal for the recovery of a deep ice core reaching to the last interglacial period. An ice core from Hercules Dome will provide a research opportunity for ice-core analysts and others to make progress on a number of science priorities, including the environmental conditions of the last interglacial period, the history of gases and aerosols, and the magnitude and timing of changes in temperature and snow accumulation over the last 150,000 years. For more information, visit the Hercules Dome website. |
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| Project | Equipment | Point of Contact | Description | Schedule (Estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collaborative Research: An Ice Core from Hercules Dome, East Antarctica | Foro 3000 Drill | Eric Steig, University of Washington. Murat Aydin, University of California Irvine. TJ Fudge, University of Washington. Joe Souney, University of New Hampshire. |
The goal of this project is to drill and recover an ice core from Hercules Dome, Antarctica. The geographic setting of Hercules Dome makes it well-situated to investigate changes in the size of the West Antarctic ice sheet over long time periods. The base of the West Antarctic ice sheet lies below sea level, which makes this part of Antarctica vulnerable to melting from the relatively warm deep water of the Southern Ocean. An important research question is whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsed during Earth's last prolonged warm period, about 125,000 years ago, when the ocean was warmer and sea level was several meters higher than today. Evidence for or against such a collapse will be recorded in the chemistry and physical properties of the ice. Glaciological conditions at Hercules Dome are simple, with well-defined layering to the bed, optimal for the recovery of a deep ice core reaching to the last interglacial period. An ice core from Hercules Dome will provide a research opportunity for ice-core analysts and others to make progress on a number of science priorities, including the environmental conditions of the last interglacial period, the history of gases and aerosols, and the magnitude and timing of changes in temperature and snow accumulation over the last 150,000 years. For more information, visit the Hercules Dome website. |
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| Project | Equipment | Point of Contact | Description | Schedule (Estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collaborative Research: An Ice Core from Hercules Dome, East Antarctica | Foro 3000 Drill | Eric Steig, University of Washington. Murat Aydin, University of California Irvine. TJ Fudge, University of Washington. Joe Souney, University of New Hampshire. |
The goal of this project is to drill and recover an ice core from Hercules Dome, Antarctica. The geographic setting of Hercules Dome makes it well-situated to investigate changes in the size of the West Antarctic ice sheet over long time periods. The base of the West Antarctic ice sheet lies below sea level, which makes this part of Antarctica vulnerable to melting from the relatively warm deep water of the Southern Ocean. An important research question is whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsed during Earth's last prolonged warm period, about 125,000 years ago, when the ocean was warmer and sea level was several meters higher than today. Evidence for or against such a collapse will be recorded in the chemistry and physical properties of the ice. Glaciological conditions at Hercules Dome are simple, with well-defined layering to the bed, optimal for the recovery of a deep ice core reaching to the last interglacial period. An ice core from Hercules Dome will provide a research opportunity for ice-core analysts and others to make progress on a number of science priorities, including the environmental conditions of the last interglacial period, the history of gases and aerosols, and the magnitude and timing of changes in temperature and snow accumulation over the last 150,000 years. For more information, visit the Hercules Dome website. |
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| Project | Equipment | Point of Contact | Description | Schedule (Estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collaborative Research: An Ice Core from Hercules Dome, East Antarctica | Foro 3000 Drill | Eric Steig, University of Washington. Murat Aydin, University of California Irvine. TJ Fudge, University of Washington. Joe Souney, University of New Hampshire. |
The goal of this project is to drill and recover an ice core from Hercules Dome, Antarctica. The geographic setting of Hercules Dome makes it well-situated to investigate changes in the size of the West Antarctic ice sheet over long time periods. The base of the West Antarctic ice sheet lies below sea level, which makes this part of Antarctica vulnerable to melting from the relatively warm deep water of the Southern Ocean. An important research question is whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsed during Earth's last prolonged warm period, about 125,000 years ago, when the ocean was warmer and sea level was several meters higher than today. Evidence for or against such a collapse will be recorded in the chemistry and physical properties of the ice. Glaciological conditions at Hercules Dome are simple, with well-defined layering to the bed, optimal for the recovery of a deep ice core reaching to the last interglacial period. An ice core from Hercules Dome will provide a research opportunity for ice-core analysts and others to make progress on a number of science priorities, including the environmental conditions of the last interglacial period, the history of gases and aerosols, and the magnitude and timing of changes in temperature and snow accumulation over the last 150,000 years. For more information, visit the Hercules Dome website. |
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