This project will study lavas from the McMurdo area of Antarctica to understand the structure and changes of the Earth's magnetic field over the past five million years. Located at the top of the hypothetical tangent cylinder of flow within the Earth's core, polar samples are uniquely positioned to ascertain its characteristics and further our understanding of the core dynamo. Samples will be collected from Ross Island, Mt. Erebus, the Dry Valleys, and surrounding areas for paleomagnetic and geochronologic measurements. In addition to the core studies, the data will also contribute to plate tectonic reconstructions and magnetostratigraphy, which are critical to interpreting the sediment record of global climate change around Antarctica.
The broader impacts of this project include graduate student education and K12 teacher professional development in conjunction with the ERESE and COSEE projects.
