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U.S. Antarctic Program, 1998-1999 ......................... iii Biology and medical research .................................. 1 Long-term ecological research.................................14 Environmental research..........................................16 Geology and geophysics ..........................................17 Glaciology .............................................................35 Ocean and climate studies ......................................40 Aeronomy and astrophysics ....................................45 Technical projects..................................................56 U.S. Antarctic Program, 1998-1999 iii U.S. Antarctic Program, 1998-1999 In Antarctica, the U.S. Antarctic Program will · a U.S.–French–Australian collaboration to support 142 research projects during the 1998- study katabatic winds along the coast of 1999 austral summer and the 1999 austral East Antarctica winter at the three U.S. stations (McMurdo, · continued support of the Center for Astro- Amundsen-Scott South Pole, and Palmer), physical Research in Antarctica at the geo- aboard its two research ships (Laurence M. graphic South Pole Gould and Nathaniel B. Palmer) in the Ross Sea and in the Antarctic Peninsula region, at re- · measuring, monitoring, and studying at- mote field camps, and in cooperation with the mospheric trace gases associated with the national antarctic programs of the other Ant- annual depletion of the ozone layer above arctic Treaty nations. Many of the projects Antarctica. that make up the program, which is funded Science teams will also make use of a conti- and managed by the National Science Foun- nent-wide network of automatic weather sta- dation (NSF), are part of the international ef- tions, a network of six automated geophysical fort to understand the Antarctic and its role in observatories, ultraviolet-radiation monitors global processes. NSF also supports research at the three U.S. stations, and a high-altitude, that can be best or only performed in long-duration balloon that will circumnavi- Antarctica. gate the continent and carry instruments for The scientists who will conduct the projects two projects—a study of cosmic microwave described in this book come primarily from background radiation and an optical investi- U. S. universities and have won NSF support gation of the genesis of solar activity. in response to Antarctic Research Program An- Logistics resources to support these research nouncement and Proposal Guide. Operational projects include heavy-lift, ski-equipped C- resources in Antarctica are also used to sup- 130 airplanes operated by the U.S. Navy and port scientists from other Federal agencies. the New York Air National Guard, ski- Highlights of this year's austral summer pro- equipped Twin Otter airplanes chartered gram include: from a Canadian firm, and C-141 and C-5 air- planes provided by the U.S. Air Force be- · continued geological work at Cape Roberts tween New Zealand and McMurdo Station. near McMurdo Station Contract helicopters are headquartered at · long-term ecological research in the McMurdo Station to provide operational and McMurdo Dry Valleys and in the Palmer close science support. Ground vehicles are Station region of the Antarctic Peninsula operated and maintained by an NSF contrac- tor (Antarctic Support Associates), which also · recovery of a 1,000-meter ice core from provides specialized science support and Siple Dome in West Antarctica other services. Annually, a U.S. Coast Guard · interdisciplinary study of atmospheric icebreaker opens a channel to McMurdo Sta- forcing, ocean hydrography, sea-ice dy- tion and provides additional science support. namics, primary productivity, and pe- A tanker and a cargo ship, operated by the lagic-benthic coupling in the southwestern Military Sealift Command, bring fuel, cargo, Ross Sea and equipment each January. U.S. Antarctic Program, 1998-1999 iii This book, which is intended to keep scien- · Antarctic Journal of the United States review tists and others informed about the U.S. ant- issues, which contain short reports by in- arctic research program, is arranged in scien- vestigators about research recently per- tific discipline order, except for one section formed in Antarctica. These issues are online focused on multi-investigator, multi-discipli- (http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/antarct/jour- nary long-term ecological research projects nal) and are available in print from the and a short list of technical projects. The or- Office of Polar Programs (dfriscic der reflects the organization of the Antarctic @nsf.gov). Sciences Section of NSF's Office of Polar Pro- grams, which funds projects in biology, medi- · A Library of Congress bibliography covers cal research, ocean sciences, climate studies, the world literature back to 1951. Principal geology and geophysics, glaciology, aero- products are the monthly Current Antarctic nomy, astronomy, and astrophysics. Literature—online at http://www. crrel.usace.army.mil/ library/aware/ ant- Related information products that are pro- lit.htm—and annual Antarctic Bibliogra- duced or funded by NSF include: phy—available from the Government Print- ing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Na- · Press releases issued by the Foundation’s tional Information Services Corporation Public Affairs Office to describe specific re- (410-243-0797 or [email protected]) sells a search progress. See the NSF World Wide CD-ROM holding this database and other Web page at http://www.nsf.gov or call polar bibliographies. 703-306-1070. iv U.S. Antarctic Program, 1998-1999 This graph shows the number of projects (by science pro- gram) that the U.S. Antarctic Program will support in Antarctica during 1998- 1999. Tech- nical support includes maintenance and upgrade of such equipment as the UV moni- tors at Mc- Murdo and Palmer Sta- tions and other projects like ice core drilling at Siple Dome. The table below shows the number of projects by science program and location. The "McMurdo Station and vicinity" count in- cludes projects in the McMurdo Dry Valleys and at Cape Roberts. Aeronomy & Biology & Geology & Glaciology Ocean & Environ- Technical Astrophysics Medicine Geophys- Climate mental Re- support ics Studies search McMurdo Station 9 13 13 1 1 1 2 and vicinity McMurdo and 7 1 2 0 0 0 2 South Pole Sta- tions Remote continen- 0 3 12 11 3 0 0 tal sites Palmer and 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 McMurdo Stations McMurdo/Ross 0 5 0 0 6 0 0 Sea region, ship- board Palmer Station/ 1 9 1 0 4 0 0 Peninsula region Peninsula region 0 10 6 0 1 1 0 (ship-board only) South Pole only 14 0 1 0 3 1 1 TOTAL 32 42 35 12 18 3 6 U.S. Antarctic Program, 1998-1999 v Biology and medical research Evidence is strong that the climate of the Ant- Photochemical and optical properties of ant- arctic Peninsula has changed appreciably in arctic waters in response to changing ultra- violet-B radiation. Kenneth Mopper, Washing- this century. Weather records indicate that ton State University, and David Kieber, State mean summer air temperatures have risen University of New York. The decrease in strato- more than 1°C over the past 45 years at some spheric ozone over the Antarctic results in an peninsula locations. In addition to this warm- increase in the ultraviolet-B (UV-B) flux in the ing trend, springtime ozone depletion events euphotic zone. The increase leads to cellular have resulted in well-documented increases in damage to aquatic organisms, as documented ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation levels. These by photoinhibition and decreased productiv- rapid changes in regional climate provide a ity. Cellular damage can occur either intracel- unique opportunity to assess the impacts of lularly or externally at the cell surface from climate change on vascular plants. biomolecular reactions with externally gener- Although the presence of only two native vas- ated reactive transients. The extent of this ex- cular plant species (Deschampsia antarctica and tracellular damage will depend on the photo- Colobanthus quitensis) and their sparse distri- chemistry of the seawater surrounding the bution in Antarctica attest to the severe condi- cell. Until recently, nothing was known about tions for plant survival, there are already indi- the type of photochemical processes, rates, cations that climate changes are exerting a and steady-state concentrations of transients strong influence on these species. Regional in antarctic waters. warming appears to be leading to rapid in- Our field experiments will allow the construc- creases in populations of these species, based tion of predictive models of photochemical on censuses taken along the peninsula. The production rates in surface waters and with influence of enhanced UV-B levels on these depth. These studies will involve further species is less clear. quantum yield measurements, development of An experiment has been initiated in which a sensitive underwater actinometer system, temperature and UV radiation levels are ma- and use of a new underwater multichannel nipulated around naturally growing Des- photometer. The model will allow the predic- champsia and Colobanthus plants on the Ant- tion of the impact of varying levels of UV-B on arctic Peninsula to assess their responses to the photoproduction and steady-state concen- these factors. Assessment involves examining tration of several key reactive transient species changes in photosynthesis, growth, and re- in the upper water column. In addition to this production of these plants following warming effort, experiments will also be performed to