CANBERRA, ACT, Aug. 7 -- Geoscience Australia issued the following news release:
Earth science at work from land to sea
As Australia shivers in the winter, it's a good time to look back over a successful summer of Earth science in the Antarctic.
Geoscience Australia's Earth science experts play an important role in the Australian Antarctic Program, applying our specific expertise to our frozen territory in the south.
Director of Antarctic Geoscience, Dr Steph McLennan, explained that over the 2024-25 summer, our team's skills were put to good use on the land and on the water.
We have an important role in ensuring that our geophysical observatories (geomagnetic, seismic and infrasound) in Antarctica are properly maintained and able to continue to deliver essential data throughout very harsh conditions, which is why engineers Andrew Hislop and Garrick Madge headed south to the Davis Infrasound Facility to conduct essential maintenance.
"The Facility is a joint operation between Geoscience Australia, the Australian Antarctic Division and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation. It's one of more than 300 facilities worldwide supplying data to the International Monitoring System, helping realise a world free from nuclear weapons," Dr McLennan explained.
Geoscience Australia's experts were also involved in two separate areas of the Australian Antarctic Program's Denman Glacier campaigns.
"Marine geoscientist Jasmin Wells was a valuable member of the Denman Marine Voyage, working alongside colleagues from Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future and other research programs to better understand the Denman Glacier in East Antarctica."
"This is part of a multi-year campaign of onshore remote field camps and the first dedicated science voyage of Australia's icebreaker, RSV Nuyina," Dr McLennan said.
This glacier is vulnerable to climate change and has the potential to increase global sea levels by 1.5metres. Unlike the glaciers of West Antarctica, little is known about the Denman Glacier system and the campaign set out to remedy this. An important part of the research voyage was mapping the seabed around the glacier and adjacent Shackleton Iceshelf.
"The mapping activities give context to all the other science taking place," Dr McLennan explained. "This included better targeting of sample sites and observations as well as understanding pathways for warm ocean water melting the ice from beneath."
"These data are vital to understanding the past and the future of this vulnerable part of East Antarctica."
Geoscience Australia's Dr Ross Whitmore and Caleb Bishop were also involved in the Denman campaign, working on the land-based side of the project.
Ross and Caleb were kept very busy during the trip, mapping and sampling different landscape features to understand vulnerability to human impacts.
Their observations are essential to help support decisions around field operations, infrastructure, and rehabilitation. The data and observations are also important for understanding the biodiversity of the region: how it is changing and its vulnerability to climate change.
"As a party to the Antarctic Treaty, Australia is committed to managing and protecting the environment," Dr McLennan added.
"We can't do that unless we truly understand the environment, so the land-based part of the Denman campaign was part of our long-standing work on human impacts in Antarctica."
"Ross and Caleb's work is a valuable part of the ongoing Denman project and will feed into broader research into the future."
This season's work is already changing how Australia plans and rehabilitates field operations, with more impacts likely to come.
"Geoscience Australia's work in Antarctica may only be a small part of our overall remit in managing Australia's marine jurisdictions and coastal regions but it's a valuable component of the overall Australian Antarctic Program," Dr McLennan said.
"Many of the geoscience tools and techniques that we use to understand the Australian continent can also apply to further Australia's understanding Antarctica."
Antarctic facts:
The Australian Antarctic Territory covers some 42% of Antarctica.
The landmass of this territory is nearly 80% the size of Australia, and the offshore jurisdiction is about the size of Western Australia.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
