This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The proposed research will quantify the hydrological and biogeochemical effects of shallow permafrost on habitat suitability for soil ecosystems in the Antarctic Dry Valleys. The role of permafrost processes in the Dry Valleys ecosystem is poorly understood, therefore definition of relationships among permafrost, soil moisture, hyporheic zones, and geochemical brines is an important advance. The investigators will apply mapping techniques developed for planetary geology missions, including remote mapping and geomorphic analysis, to Antarctic permafrost. This effort will be combined with ecological, hydrological, and geochemical characterization, enabling documentation of permafrost effects on water and nutrient cycling in Antarctic soil ecosystems. Antarctic results will guide emerging astrobiological interpretation of permafrost landforms on Mars. The research partnership combines a postdoctoral geologist from a planetary permafrost background and LTER interdisciplinary scientists, to provide new perspectives for understanding physical/biological processes permafrost habitats. The fellowship will advance the investigator's career goals of becoming a university scientist, and will provide cross-training between planetary geology, earth sciences and ecological sciences. Direct societal impacts will be derived from interactions with diverse undergraduates through teaching and research mentoring at the urban Portland State University campus. K-12 teacher and student field experiences sponsored by the Schoolyard LTER will broaden public awareness of Antarctic research experiences.
