Studying the Denman Glacier from the sea
The Denman Marine Voyage (DMV) will take more than 60 scientists to the Denman Glacier region for 2 months in late February, 2025.
The voyage is coordinated by the Australian Antarctic Program and involves scientists from the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science (ACEAS), the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership (AAPP), Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF) and the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD).
Science and technical teams will work closely with the ship’s crew across 24-hour shifts and use a range of methods – including bathymetry (sea floor mapping), rock and sediment sampling, sea-glider and mooring deployments, seal tagging and physical and chemical oceanography – to learn more about the factors influencing the glacier’s melt rate and its possible contribution to higher sea levels in future.
Work groups will also seek to find out more about the region’s biodiversity and atmospheric processes in the region – key indicators of the system’s past and future states.
Findings from the DMV will build on those from the Denman Terrestrial Campaign, a three-year science program investigating the Denman Glacier from a deep field camp at Bunger Hills.
The voyage is the first dedicated marine science voyage for Australia’s icebreaker RSV Nuyina and will put many of the ship’s 150 science systems to the test for the first time.