IDP Ice Core Working Group: Community Recommendations for the NSF Ice Core Facility

Ice cores have provided seminal records of past environmental change, including abrupt climate change and greenhouse gas concentrations. The National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility (ICF) has been integral to advances in our understanding of natural and anthropogenic climate change. For more than 25 years, the ICF has helped facilitate an inclusive community through access to its facilities and the ice archived within. As the original facility has reached its design age, a new facility of similar size is being planned. This document provides recommendations from the research community for consideration in the planning process in the following areas:
Archive – implement rolling racking and design dedicated storage for large diameter cores
Processing – utilize an open-floor concept for the exam freezer, develop tools for large diameter core processing, and consider a modular workspace for specific investigations
Scientific Instruments – support PI measurements useful to broad range of researchers
Database – help to coordinate database updates utilizing existing data centers to improve usability by researchers
Inclusivity – continue to promote broad access to facilities and samples from the archive