As you may have seen, a number of sub-committees are proposed within the new SCAR/INSTANT scientific research program. Each of these sub-committees focusses on particular aspects of INSTANT and we are looking for wide community involvement. One proposed group - Antarctic Geological Boundary Conditions (ABC) - has the aim of better interpreting past and present geological boundary conditions and developing them as inputs to numerical models.
In doing this, our objectives are to:
- Determine how geological measurements can be interpreted and integrated with topography and modelling to improve knowledge of modern and past basal conditions E.g. ‘sediment’, lithology, water, roughness might all impact ice flow and landscape evolution. This might lead to new maps of subglacial lithology (e.g. linking potential fields, seismics and drilling etc.) and ‘sediment’ distribution (or ‘slip maps’)
- Consider feedbacks between geological processes and ice flow (e.g. erosion, deposition, tectonics etc.)
- Understand how the landscape/geological conditions of Antarctica have changed through time and reconstruct past landscapes (topography, slip etc.) for use in numerical models.
To consider these objectives, we will need a broad range of expertise that crosses disciplines and might include: aerogeophysics, geology, tectonics, geomorphology, provenance, seismics, rock drilling, glaciology/modelling etc., and these aspects will need considered in both the marine and terrestrial realms of Antarctica.
If anyone is interested in being involved in the ABC sub-committee then please fill in this google form or get in touch with me (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to find out more or register interest. Furthermore, we are looking for people to contribute to the leadership of this committee should it go ahead and we welcome researchers from all career stages and backgrounds to help push this work forward. It might work well if you have a particular interest in one of the above aims where you feel you have particular expertise and understanding of the field. Again, please indicate on the form or contact me if you are interested in helping steer this work – don’t be shy!
More information about INSTANT is available at: https://www.scar.org/science/instant/home/ and the sub-committee proposals are visible in the resources area.
