
NSF Org: |
OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) |
Recipient: |
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Initial Amendment Date: | July 8, 2021 |
Latest Amendment Date: | July 8, 2021 |
Award Number: | 2122248 |
Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
Program Manager: |
Vladimir Papitashvili
vpapita@nsf.gov (703)292-7425 OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
Start Date: | August 15, 2021 |
End Date: | July 31, 2026 (Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $483,028.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $483,028.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
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History of Investigator: |
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Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
801 LEROY PL SOCORRO NM US 87801-4681 (575)835-5496 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
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Primary Place of Performance: |
801 Leroy Place Socorro NM US 87801-4681 |
Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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Parent UEI: |
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NSF Program(s): | ANT Earth Sciences |
Primary Program Source: |
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Program Reference Code(s): |
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Program Element Code(s): |
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Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.078 |
ABSTRACT
This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).
The geologic record reveals that volcanic activity increases when glaciers retreat and major ice sheets thin. This relationship produces a positive feedback mechanism where the uptick in volcanism increases greenhouse gasses concentrations, leading to climate warming and further deglaciation. Although the pattern between volcanism and deglaciation is observed in the geologic record, the exact mechanism(s) by which glaciers impact a volcanic plumbing system is unknown. This project focuses on Mount Waesche, a volcano in West Antarctica, that frequently erupts during warm, interglacial periods and undergoes a period of less activity during cold, glacial periods. This project will examine compositions of the rocks and minerals from Mount Waesche to determine magma storage depths, allowing the investigators to understand how magma plumbing systems change in response to glacial cycles. These results will be compared with geodynamic simulations to understand the physics behind the effects of deglaciation on the magmatic plumbing systems within Earth?s crust. The investigators will additionally partner with Mentoring Kids Works to develop several Polar and Earth Science Educational Modules aimed at improving reading skills in third grade students in New Mexico. The proposed Polar and Earth Science program consists of modules that include readings of books introducing students to Earth and Polar science themes, paired with Earth and Polar Science activities, followed by simple experiments, where students make predictions and collect data. Information required to implement our Polar and Earth Science curriculum will be made available online.
Isotopic and sedimentary datasets reveal that volcanic activity typically increases during interglacial periods. However, the physical mechanisms through which changes in the surface loading affect volcanic magmatic plumbing systems remain unconstrained. Recently generated 40Ar/39Ar eruption ages indicate that 86% of the dated samples from Mt. Waesche, a late Quaternary volcano in Marie Byrd land, correlate with interglacial periods, suggesting this volcano uniquely responds to changes in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. We propose to combine the petrology of Mount Waesche?s volcanic record, constraints on changing ice loads through time, and geodynamic modelling to: (1) Determine how pre-eruptive storage conditions change during glacial and interglacial periods using whole rock and mineral compositions of volcanic rocks; (2) Conduct geodynamic modeling to elucidate the relationship between lithospheric structure, temporal variations in ice sheet thickness, and subsequent changes in crustal stresses and magmatic transport and, therefore, the mechanism(s) by which deglaciation impacts magmatic plumbing systems; (3) Use the outcomes of objectives (1) and (2) to provide new constraints on the changes in ice sheet thickness through time that could plausibly trigger future volcanic and magmatic activity in West Antarctica. This collaborative approach will provide a novel methodology to determine prior magnitudes and rates of ice load changes within the Marie Byrd Land region of Antarctica. Lastly, estimates of WAIS elevation changes from this study will be compared to ongoing studies at Mount Waesche focused on constraining last interglacial ice sheet draw down using cosmogenic exposure ages obtained from shallow drilling. The scope of work also includes a partnership with Mentoring Kids Works to develop several Polar and Earth Science Educational Modules aimed at improving reading skills in third grade students in New Mexico. The proposed Polar and Earth Science program consists of modules that include readings of books introducing students to Earth and Polar science themes, paired with Earth and Polar Science activities, followed by simple experiments, where students make predictions and collect data. Information required to implement our Polar and Earth Science curriculum will be made available online.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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