Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 12/15/2008 - 11:00
Forums
Oden Antarctic Expedition 08

Hey Jeff,

I have completely enjoyed the pictures and videos so far.  As much as I am not a fan of the cold weather I am glad that I can enjoy them through pictures and videos.  The video of the penguins was very cool and the pictures of the blue icebergs are unreal.  It is amazing how the penguins come very close yet still keep their distance so they are not touched.  Anyway back to the question at hand.  While the team melts the ice cores drilled to study the algae will they also be looking at the concentration of Carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases as indicators of past and present climate shift and what types of instruments are used to measure these concentrations?

Mr. Garippa

Gloversville Earth Science

Tue, 12/16/2008 - 10:03

Jeff Peneston

Mr. Garippa,
The primary point of the ice research is to understand what kinds of gases are given off or absorbed by the ice algae/bacteria communities.  CO2, and organohalogens are just some of the gases being tested for.  These play a variety of roles in climate change.  Extra CO2 can keep the Earth warmer and Organohalogens can breakdown atmospheric ozone which could lead to cooling.  We just don’t know what or how much is being produced by these huge ice algae communities or what net effect it can have on climate.  However, none of this research will be used for paleoclimate studies because we are only sampling 1-3 year old sea ice with living algae in it.  Paleoclimate studies require the laminated, ancient ice of the glaciers on the continent.  A great deal of paleoclimate data is also found by studying the fossil algae (diatom shells) in the layers of marine sediments at the bottom of the sea around Antarctica.  
Making memories in the ice,
Jeff Peneston