Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 12/05/2009 - 18:12
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IceCube: In-ice Antarctic Telescope

Hello! My scientific question is: Is the construction of the ice-cube going to give us information about global warming? And how can this give us new information on preventing or decreasing the rate of global warming?

Thank you, Milena Ramirez

Mon, 12/07/2009 - 11:31

Casey OHara

Hi Milena, thanks for the great question!  The quick answer is: no.  IceCube is not looking at global warming at all...the neutrinos that they are trying to detect come from far outside our solar system, from black holes, gamma ray bursts, supernovas, and that kind of thing.  So IceCube at first glance has nothing to do with climate change.
But the longer answer is: yes.  In order to understand the data they get from the IceCube project, the IceCube scientists and engineers have to know lots about the ice!  So they have studied ash layers from volcanic eruptions, they have studied the bubbles in the ice, and they have studied how the ice moves.  To do this, they have used many different methods and sensors to get a very detailed idea (a scientific model) of the Antarctic ice sheet.  The information they have learned helps other scientists who study the way glaciers are created and how they move.  This information can help us understand past climates and what is happening to our world today.
One more thing: there are many other projects happening down here at the South Pole, including one I hope to see today that studies the atmosphere at the South Pole and compares it to the atmosphere in other parts of the world.  They study carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases" that affect our climate.  This research definitely gives us new information on climate change and how humans can have a positive effect.
--Mr. O'Hara