Project Title

CRREL support to the Leverett Glacier

Summary

Event Number:
T-941-M
NSF Agreement

Program Director:
Ms. Carla Haroz

ASC POC/Implementer:
Matthew Erickson / Paul Duit

Principal Investigator(s)

Ms. Renee Melendy
Renee.D.Melendy@usace.army.mil
US Army Cold Regions Research & Engineering Lab

Location

Supporting Stations: McMurdo Station
Research Locations: Leverett Glacier

Description

Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) activities encompass engineering and basic research in support of a variety of projects at both McMurdo and South Pole Stations. The project proposes a ground campaign using manual and robotic (as available) ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveying to both validate the remote sensing imagery compiled as part of the ANT-22-03 CRREL project and find a better route that is free of crevasses now and in the future. In addition, the team will collect snow property data (snow density and hardness) in order to determine best-practice snow bridge crossing criteria for the area (snow properties are currently unknown) as well as ice velocity movement data using GPS station installations. The results from this project have the potential to increase safety for field groups using the traverse route, as well as increased efficiency by eliminating the need for the traverse group to navigate around problem areas as they occur.

Field Season Overview

Two participants will deploy for the month of January to complete Leverett Glacier reroute fieldwork. This work requires fieldwork in conjunction with the South Pole Traverse (SPoT), with the timeline coordinated with SPoT2 so that SPoT2 personnel can conduct the fieldwork component of the project, namely field supervision, field safety coordination, blasting, heavy equipment operation, and mechanic duties.

Deploying Team Members