Geochemistry of basement rocks and lake sediments of the Larsemann Hills

Project aim

The objectives of this project are: to characterise the composition of bedrock in the Larsemann Hills; to document the history of climatic changes in East Antarctica, and of fluctuations in the ice-cover during the Holocene, by using the sedimentary record of the Larsemann Hills freshwater lakes.The Larsemann Hills are an ideal location for this project because very little is known about the composition of the bedrock, and because the sedimentary record of their freshwater lakes is very suitable for palaeoclimatic studies. In addition, this project will generate key data for the assessment of human impact in the lake systems.