Project Title

CAREER: Linking cold desert groundwater to thermokarst & chemical weathering in partnership with the Geoscience UAV Academy

Summary

Event Number:
G-083-M
NSF / OPP Award 1847067

Program Director:
Dr. Michael Jackson

ASC POC/Implementer:
Ryan Steiner / Jenny Cunningham

Principal Investigator(s)

Dr. Joseph Levy
jlevy@colgate.edu
Colgate University
Department of Geology
Hamilton, New York

Location

Supporting Stations: McMurdo Station
Research Locations: South Fork Wright Valley, Goldman Glacier, Beacon Valley

Description

Water tracks are the basic hydrological unit that currently feeds the rapidly-changing polar and permafrost wetlands in the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys. Despite the importance of water tracks in the Dry Valleys hydrologic cycle and their influence on biogeochemistry, little is known about how these water tracks control the unique brine processes operating in Antarctic ice-free areas. Both groundwater availability and geochemistry shape Antarctic microbial communities, connecting soil geology and hydrology to carbon cycling and ecosystem functioning. The objectives of this project are to: 1) map water tracks to determine the spatial distribution and seasonal magnitude of groundwater impacts on the McMurdo Dry Valleys near-surface environment; 2) establish an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) academy training earth sciences students to answer geoscience questions using drone-based platforms and remote sensing techniques; and 3) provide a formative step in the development of the Principal Investigator as a teacher-scholar.

Field Season Overview

In their second field season, four participants will deploy to McMurdo Station between mid-December and late January to continue monitoring water tracks in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The team will rotate between tent camps at Howard Glacier and South Fork Wright Valley, where they will travel on foot to water tracks to conduct UAV surveys, collect water and soil samples, and download and retrieve dataloggers. They will also make a helicopter day trip to Beacon Valley to retrieve dataloggers deployed in the previous season. Camp put-in, moves, and take-out will also be accomplished by helicopter. The group will use Crary Laboratory space for preparing electronics prior to field deployment, and for sorting and repackaging samples after field deployment.

Deploying Team Members