This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The award will support an investigation of snow accumulation in the south-eastern sector of the Greenland ice sheet. Snow accumulation rates on the Greenland ice sheet have been significantly underestimated and the missing mass prevents accurate estimates of the overall ice sheet mass balance. The south-eastern sector of the ice sheet contains the largest proportion of the missing mass. Consequently, this study will measure snow accumulation using new and existing firn cores along two transects in the south-east Greenland data void and, by combining the firn core records with ground-penetrating radar surveys, develop continuous accumulation transects between 2500 m and 500 m elevation. Successful completion of the investigation will fill a geographic gap in knowledge of accumulation on the Greenland ice sheet, and the data will have broader scientific value for remote sensing of accumulation and ice sheet mass balance, and ice sheet and climate modeling. In addition to the scientific benefits, the 'Broader Impacts' of the investigation include a comprehensive suite of informal and formal education and outreach activities for all age groups. Notable among these is a collaboration with the Utah Museum of Natural History that includes the development of a display about snow accumulation in Greenland, hosting a workshop for teachers, and project scientists' participation in "Scientist in the Spotlight" and "Science Movie Night" series.
