Project

4333

Chief Investigator

ARMAND, A/Prof. Leanne - Australian National University

Title

Interactions of the Totten Glacier with the Southern Ocean through multiple glacial cycles.

Project aims

The Totten Glacier is a large outlet glacier in East Antarctica that is thinning rapidly. It drains a very deep subglacial basin, which has the thickest ice covering the Antarctic landmass. Rapid thinning could cause accelerated melting of the Antarctic ice sheet and accelerated sea level rise. This survey will study how the Totten Glacier behaved during past times of warming climate by examining the sediment it delivered to the continental slope. We will study how the water masses and sea ice evolved around the Totten Glacier during these warm episodes to better understand the mechanisms causing the present melting. This will help understand the role of ocean warming in melting the Antarctic ice sheet and reduce uncertainties in sea level predictions. The survey will also provide sea floor habitat mapping on the continental slope in a proposed Marine Protected Area.

Project gallery


Project Summary of the Season 2015/16

Project 4333, is 7 months into the first year and advances have been principally related to the administrative commencement of the program. Such activities have been related to setting up contracts between the AAD and Macquarie University, the Australian National University and Geoscience Australia; voyage planning with the Marine National Facility (RV Investigator) which stated in early March 2017; and planning advertising for the PhD student scholarship through Macquarie University (with top-up from AAD 4333 funds) expected to be offered for recruitment in the later half of 2016.

Project Summary of the Season 2016/17

The 2016/2017 season saw the success full completion of the marine survey phase of the project. The survey was conducted on the RV Investigator (Survey IN2017-V01). The vessel departed Hobart on 14 January 2017 and returned 5 March 2017. It was in the survey area from 20 January till 27 February 2017. We collected 48,000 km2 multibeam data with sub-bottom profiles, 6 long piston cores, 10 kasten cores, 7 multicores, 7 plankton net hauls and 31 CTD casts. Seismic reflection profiles totalling 322 line kilometers were also collected. Six sea floor videos were acquired to assist sea floor habitat mapping.

Category 1: Peer-reviewed literature

Donda F., Leitchenkov G., Brancolini G., Romeo R., DeSantis L., Escutia C., O'Brien P.E., Armand L., Caburlotto A., Cotterle D. (2020) The influence of the Totten Glacier on the Late Cenozoic sedimentary record, Antarctic Science 1-13; [Ref: 16270]

O'Brien P. E., Post A.L., Edwards S., Martin T., Caburlotto A., Donda F., Leitchenkov G., Romeo R., Duffy M., Evangelinos D., Holder L., Leventer A., Lopez-Quiros A., Opdyke B.N., Armand L.K. (2020) L. (2020) Continental slope and rise geomorphology seaward of the Totten Glacier, East Antarctica 112°E-122°E, Marine Geology 427. .; [Ref: 16369]

Category 4: Popular articles

Post A.L., O'Brien P.E., Edwards S., Carroll A.G., Malakoff K., Armand L.K. (2020) Upper slope processes and seafloor ecosystems on the Sabrina continental slope, East Antarctica, Marine Geology .; [Ref: 16199]

O'Brien P., Armand L.K. (2017) Antarctic submarine canyons revealed during sea floor sediment survey, The Australian Antarctic Magazine, December 2017 .; [Ref: 16200]

Category 6: Report

Armand L.K., O'Brien P.E. (2018) Interactions of the Totten Glacier with the Southern Ocean through multiple glacial cycles Post-survey report, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra .; [Ref: 16056]