Project to study water at pole

• By JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Nov 23, 2009 - Page: 1A

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Water systems beneath Antarctica’s massive ice sheets are among the world’s last unexplored regions.

But many of the mysteries of the world’s subglacial environments will be unlocked in the coming years thanks to a new research team planning to drill to the lakes beneath the frozen continent, said LSU biological scientist Brent Christner.

Christner is helping lead the biological aspects of the acronym-laden WISSARD — Whillans Ice Stream Sub-glacial Access Research Drilling — project to discover what kinds of life thrive underneath Antarctica.

Christner, who has made multiple trips to Antarctica to study microorganisms and bacteria, said this is his largest-yet and most-exciting project.

The long-held assumption was that no water existed between the miles of ice sheets and the sediment beneath, Christner said. However, it turns out that the ground at the bottom creates enough heat from the earth that is trapped by ice to create lakes beneath the ice. There are complete bodies of water and full waterway systems deep down, he said.

“This is new territory because the assumption was if you’re in the ice, you’re doing nothing,” Christner said. “But there’s a lot of water underneath the east and west Antarctic ice sheets.

“Actually getting into these (water) systems is something I’ve been longing to do,” he said. “It’s exciting stuff because the payoff is going to be huge.”

The nine-institution research team, including LSU, intends to do its exploring thanks to a $10 million National Science Foundation  grant.

At least 15 percent of the planet’s surface is frozen, Christner said, so understanding what exists beneath should be monumentally important.

“It’s quite substantial and it’s been ignored to date,” he said, noting that the team’s discoveries could lead to information about global warming and rising ocean levels.

Much of the next year will be spent finalizing hot water-drilling technology that will be constantly cleaned and filtered to avoid messing up the natural environment, Christner said.

The team will drill at least 800 meters — about a half of a mile — with a 250-degree hot-water drill to create an ice cavern. The team will spend close to three years in the field.

“We’re going to essentially follow the water out into the ocean,” he said.