Between 1997 and 1999 the international Cape Roberts Project (CRP) has recovered up to long drill cores in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, to reconstruct the glaciation history of Antarctica. Scientists from various institutes in seven countries have participated: Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, and the US. After a seismic pre-site survey the area off Cape Roberts in the Ross Sea at the margin of the
Transantarctic Mountains
The Transantarctic Mountains (abbreviated TAM) comprise a mountain range of uplifted rock (primarily sedimentary) in Antarctica which extends, with some interruptions, across the continent from Cape Adare in northern Victoria Land to Coats L ...
(77°S 163°43'E) was found to be suitable.
Drilling was performed using a conventional core wireline system with a drill derrick, protected by a cover against the rough climate. Sea ice was thick with a water depth of below. Four overlapping drill cores at three sites reflect in excellent quality the geological history and glaciation of the Antarctic during the last 34 million years.
As a logistic and scientific basis the American
McMurdo Station
McMurdo Station is an American Antarctic research station on the southern tip of Ross Island. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), a branch of the National Science Foundation. The station is ...
and
Scott Base of New Zealand were used. Supply of the drill site was performed with motor sledges and snow mobiles, exchange of personal with helicopters. The costs for the logistics were around US$4 million.
See also
*
List of Antarctic field camps
Many research stations in Antarctica support satellite field camps which are, in general, seasonal camps. The type of field camp can vary – some are permanent structures used during the annual Antarctic summer, whereas others are little more tha ...
Gallery
Image:CRP_barrett_hg.jpg, Peter Barrett, chief scientist
Image:CRP_derrick_hg.jpg, CRP drill derrick on sea ice
Image:CRP_logo_hg.jpg, CRP Logo
References
* Peter J. Barrett: ''Cape Roberts Project - Science Plan''. 1998, S. 99f
(pdf 30MB)* Barrett, Peter J; Fielding, Christopher R; Wise, Sherwood W (1998): Initial report on CRP-1, Cape Roberts Project, Antarctica, ''Terra Antarctica'', 5(1), 187 pp,
hdl:10013/epic.28286.d001(pdf 16 MB)
* Fielding, Christopher R; Thomson, MRA (1999): Studies from the Cape Roberts Project, Ross Sea Antarctica, Initial Report on CRP-2/2A, ''Terra Antarctica'', 6(1/2), 173 pp
* Barrett, Peter J; Sarti, M; Wise, Sherwood W (2000): Studies from the Cape Roberts Project, Ross Sea, Antarctica, Initial Reports on CRP-3, ''Terra Antarctica'', 7(1/2), 209 pp
* The first scientific results were published in the journa
(ISSN 1122-8628); see volume 5(3) 1998, 7(3+4) 2000, 8(4) 2001
* Further publications can be found in international journals, e.g. a
Cold Regions Bibliography Project (search for "Cape Roberts Project").
* Results from core analysis are accessible via the data librar
PANGAEA
External links
Official Website
{{Antarctic fields camp
Science and technology in Antarctica
1997 establishments in Antarctica