First Leg of Antarctic iSTAR Mission Complete

A team of British scientists, including Dr Stephen Cornford from the University of Bristol, has returned from a gruelling 1,500km journey across the ice of West Antarctica after successfully accomplishing the first leg of their groundbreaking mission.

The iSTAR science programme brings together multi-disciplinary teams to investigate ice loss from Pine Island Glacier, the biggest single contributor to worldwide sea level rise.  The next step of the programme, an ocean investigation, is now underway.

Launched last November, iSTAR is an ambitious scientific programme, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and uniting leading scientists from 11 UK universities and from British Antarctic Survey, ( see also Science Community Focus, Labmate UK & Ireland, November 2013).  The project is centred on measuring changes to the flow and thickness of glaciers using the latest technologies and to investigate the role that the ocean plays in transporting warm water beneath ice shelves.  This multi-disciplinary mission is the first of its kind for the UK.

The team travelled 1,500km (932 miles) by ‘tractor train’ across the glacier ice, taking samples and measurements as they went.  This is the first time in recent British history that this method of crossing the ice has been undertaken.  Sophisticated equipment, supplies and fuel were loaded on to specially designed rubber mats and towed by huge tractors.  A ‘caboose’ (a caravan-like office and living space) housed technical equipment and provided a warm space for the science team to plan their days’ work.

Programme lead Dr Andy Smith from British Antarctic Survey said: "The ice-traverse has been a huge success.  We visited all the proposed sites on the route, conducted considerably more experiments than had been originally planned and completed much quicker than expected.  Our success has been thanks to the excellent support we have received, the sheer hard work and dedication of all the traverse members and some good luck with the weather. We are very pleased to have successfully completed this year’s deep-field work."