Summary
The ICECAP project represents a return to the long-range, internationally collaborative Antarctic aerogeophysics last seen in the 1970’s SPRI/NSF/TUD project. ICECAP is a joint IPY collaboration between the University of Texas at Austin (funded by NSF), the University of Edinburgh (funded by NERC) and the Australian Antarctic Division, and a participant in the ACE project. The aim of the project is to fill in the remaining major gaps in coverage of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, focusing on the major subglacial basins. The purpose of the ICECAP multiyear survey is three fold: understand the configuration of the Aurora and Wilkes Subglacial Basins; to better constrain the geometry of Byrd and Totten Glaciers, especially with respect to marine ice sheet instabilities; and to map out the age-depth distribution of the ice sheet, for the purpose of locating old ice. In January 2009, our team began a reconnaissance survey of the Aurora Subglacial Basin (ASB) working out of the new air support facilities at Australia's Casey Station. We employed a ski-equipped Basler (DC-3T) with an out-and-back range of 1050 km. No interior field camp support was required. During three weeks of work, successfully collected over 37,000 line kilometers of data over the ASB, including coherent ice penetrating radar data, laser altimetry, magnetic and gravity. We have drastically improved the ice thickness coverage of the ASB, previously known from a handful of ground traverses. The first year survey was arranged as a fan of radial lines, to maximize coverage and to establish a context for planning the second year’s work, in addition, connections were made to the Lake Rostock radar survey and to the Dome C ice core site. In this presentation, we will discuss survey logistics, the data collected and some initial results. We will also discuss the plan for the 2009-10 season of ICECAP.