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Technology
The study of subglacial environments requires a diverse set of technologies that include:
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entry,
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observatories,
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sample collection and return, and
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methodologies tailored to the environmental conditions of subglacial environments.
An essential element for accomplishing the science objectives is the establishment of protocols for environmental stewardship and standards to minimize contamination of these unique environments. These protocols must be tailored to be compatible with the wide range of scientific investigations outlined above. Environmental stewardship aspects are two-fold:
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protecting the environment by minimizing alterations and
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retrieving uncompromised samples for scientific investigations.
Given the potentially low biomass and dilute chemistries expected in these environments, both aspects will pose challenges for current technologies. Once standards are agreed, the main phase of subglacial access and sampling can begin in earnest.
The scope of the research agenda will require the study of multiple sites across the Antarctic continent. The range of subglacial lake environments provides added power to experimental designs that can now be formulated to test hypothesis across sites that have experienced differing histories and environmental conditions. The adoption of a multi-site exploration framework entails a number of additional requirements for exploration and study.
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Access drilling and sampling technologies must be adapted and/or developed that can arrive on site, rapidly access the base of the ice sheet, retrieve and process artifact-free samples, and depart for the next location in a timely manner.
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The establishment of inter-laboratory methodological comparisons is needed to facilitate data comparisons and integration across multiple laboratories.
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Agreed decontamination protocols for all devices and observatories should be developed. Protocols for aseptic sample handling in the field and in laboratory studies should be agreed on.
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Technologies for fast, clean access to large volumes of water and sediment samples must be developed.
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There is also the need for a central archive to maintain the integrity of samples for future investigations and provide for wide dissemination.
Advancement in our understanding of the distribution; origin; stability; and physical, chemical, and biological dynamics of subglacial environments will require the systematic integration of data from surface experiments, airborne campaigns and satellite sensors. Numerical models must be integrated with empirical data to address important questions concerning the origins and evolution of subglacial environments. Models must be integrated with analyses of global climate, sea level change, ice sheet stability, and hydrologic and chemical cycles. To better understand subglacial environments as hydrological systems, a methodical inventory and characterization of sub-ice watersheds and regional geomorphology is needed.
Technology....The Long Version
For more details go to ..... Technological Challenges
Enabling Technologies, Remote Observations, Models, Entry Technologies, In Situ Observations, and Sediment Cores