What lies beneath

By Haley Jones

Monday, November 10, 2008

Under more than two miles of Antarctica’s ice may lie a mountain range larger than the European Alps.

In less than a month, engineering student Chris McMinn will head to the continent to determine whether the ranges exists, and, if so, how large it is.

McMinn, Olathe junior, is a member of the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, or CReSIS, a research group that develops radars to measure ice depth. David Braaten, professor of geography, is going with McMinn on the four-week trip. He said no one had ever accurately measured the depth of the ice or found what was beneath it. Seismic measurements taken in the 1950s are one of the few concrete pieces of evidence supporting the mountain range’s existence. Braaten said a stronger pull of gravity in certain areas of the continent indicated a mountain range.

“It tells you there’s something massive down there,” Braaten said. “It’s a true discovery. Our radars will determine it precisely. We’ll come back with a very detailed understanding of the extent of the mountain and how high the slopes are.”

McMinn and Braaten are going on the research expedition with groups from other universities and with the British Antarctic Survey. The temporary campsite where they will live is at an elevation of 11,000 feet. To put that in perspective, McMinn said, the average skydiver jumps from 5,000 feet.

McMinn said he was excited to go on the trip but nervous because of the risks associated with Antarctica’s high elevation and severe climate.

“I can feel the panic sitting there,” he said. “I think it’s actually going to kick in when I get on the plane.”

Because 98 percent of Antarctica is covered with snow and ice, the continent reflects almost all the sun’s light rather than absorbing it. Antarctica has less rainfall than a desert and temperatures range from negative 40 to negative 94 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. These extreme temperatures make simple tasks like taking a shower and drinking water difficult.

McMinn said that the group would have to melt the water they used, but that he wasn’t sure what the bathrooms would be like.

“We’re really high up there,” he said. “You could have health issues because of the pressure change. And everything is 100 percent bone dry.”

McMinn said he and the other researchers would have to wear at least 30 SPF sunscreen at all times and don UV-blocking sunglasses to protect them from the harsh Antarctic sun. But his biggest concern was their computers overheating because of the lack of water in the atmosphere.

“It’s so cold that all the water freezes,” he said. “It’s drier than a desert.”

Ian Cahir, communications coordinator for the engineering department, said the radar CReSIS developed was one of the most advanced of its kind and could help predict the effect polar ice sheets had on sea level change.

Columbia University requested to copy the CReSIS radar system because it was the only one of its type available. After the data are collected in Antarctica, it will be returned to the University for McMinn and other CReSIS members to analyze.

— — Edited by Adam Mowder

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