This award supports a sampling program to determine the physical controls on chemical constituent deposition and regional chemical composition gradients over the Greenland ice sheet. The program will include three types of sampling: (1) snowpits and shallow cores (total depth about 20m), (2) surface snow, and (3) air sampling. The study areas will include the general regions of the GISP II site, Dye 3, Dye 2, and Camp Century. In each of the study areas one main snowpit and a shallow core at the base of this snowpit will be analyzed and a high volume air sample will be collected. Traverses via snowmobile will be conducted from each of the main sites. Sampling will be carried out every 10 to 20 km along the traverse routes, which will be up to 250 km in length. Sampling during the first season will be in the GISP II site area north of Crete, because of a major reduction in logistical cost that will be realized by combining with Dr. John Bolzan's field party during their glaciological and geophysical survey. Work will also be initiated in this area because of the importance of acquiring as much information as possible about the GISP II site prior to deep drilling.
