IDP Ice Core Working Group (IDP-ICWG): Paleoclimate Ice Core Research Priorities in Antarctica

The ice-coring priorities for Antarctica are driven by global-scale questions about the forcing mechanisms of Earth’s climate system as well as Antarctic-centric questions concerning how much and how fast Antarctica will contribute to future sea-level rise. Antarctica’s unique climate and glaciological settings preserve records of the past atmosphere that can be obtained nowhere else on Earth. Understanding the causes of past climate changes as preserved in the Antarctic ice sheets is a primary research goal across all Antarctic science disciplines (NASEM 2015). The future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is of particular concern because irreversible ice loss contributing to sea level rise may already be underway (Joughin et al. 2014, Rignot et al. 2013). Improvements in technology have increased the scientific return from Antarctic ice cores by allowing seasonal-scale determinations of temperature, precipitation, and other climate variables, as well as measurement of microbes, organic carbon, ultra-trace gases, and isotopic composition of greenhouse gases. The purpose of this white paper is to provide community guidance for ice core science occurring in Antarctica over the next 5-10 years, focused on the most pressing scientific questions about Earth’s climate.