Phil Bart's Expedition in Antarctica

    01/20/2015

    MCMURDO STATION, ANTARCTICA

     

    A student research team led by Dr. Phil Bart has made its way to Antarctica to begin an expedition into the Ross Sea. The group of 3 undergraduate students, 2 master's students, and a PhD student left Baton Rouge on Wednesday January 14th, 2015 heading to Christchurch, New Zealand. From there the group boarded a military C130 transport plane and flew to McMurdo Station in Antarctica where they are anxiously awaiting to board the ice breaking research ship Nathaniel B. Palmer. For 29 days the team will be at sea on the research vessel investigating details of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat that occurred during the global climate transition from the last glacial maximum to the current interglacial period. To accomplish this goal, the group will be collecting geophysical as well as geological data in the Ross Sea, the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. For the most part, the seismic and multibeam geophysical data will be processed on board by the team, while the geologic data such as Kasten, Piston, and Box cores will be described and sampled on board the ship and later studied in more detail back home at LSU. After collecting all their data the team will sail to Australia for their return flight to Baton Rouge.