Drill sites on Coulman High (CH) on the Ross Ice Shelf east of Ross Island target Neogene strata older than that recovered from ANDRILL holes at sites MIS and SMS in 2006-07 and 2007-08. The central science issues are to retrieve complete records of climate and ice sheet cycles going back to early stages of Antarctic glaciations around 35 million years ago. We conducted site surveys at the front of the ice shelf in 2003 and 2004 (below) under the premise that the advancing ice sheet will in time cover the survey lines thereby allowing drilling into the sea bed survey from the ice shelf. Technical challenges at CH include a 250 meter thick ice shelf that is moving at ~3 meters per day.
Research Icebreaker Nathanial B. Palmer conducting sonar surveys at the front of the Ross Ice Shelf east of Ross Island, Ross Sea Antarctica. Photo by Bruce Luyendyk
