SPECIAL CALL: The U.S. Science Support Program is issuing a special call for experienced scientists to apply for Expedition 379 in the following specialties: biostratigraphy, with a particular focus in radiolaria of the Antarctic region or Southern Ocean. The deadline to apply for this special call is February 26, 2018 at 11:59 PM EST.

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is now accepting applications for scientific participants on Expedition 379 Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet History, aboard the JOIDES Resolution. For more information about the expedition science objectives and implementation plan, watch a recorded webinar that was held on 21 September 2017 (click here to access).

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is largely marine-based, highly sensitive to climatic and oceanographic changes, has had a dynamic history over the last several million years, and if completely melted, could result in a global sea-level rise of 3.3-4.3 m. Expedition 379 will obtain records from the continental shelf and rise of the Amundsen Sea to document WAIS dynamics in an area unaffected by other ice sheets as well and that currently experiences the largest ice loss in Antarctica. The primary objectives include (a) reconstructing the Paleogene to Holocene glacial history of West Antarctica, (b) correlating the Amundsen Sea WAIS-proximal records with global records of ice volume changes and air/seawater temperature proxy records, (c) constraining the relationship between incursions of warm water masses onto the continental shelf and the stability of marine-based ice sheet margins, and (d) reconstructing major WAIS advances onto the middle and outer shelf, including the first ice sheet expansion onto the continental shelf of the Amundsen Sea Embayment and its possible control by the uplift of Marie Byrd Land.

The expedition will take place from 18 January through 20 March 2019.

This is a special call for an experienced biostratigrapher, with a particular focus in radiolaria of the Antarctic region or Southern Ocean. U.S.-affiliated scientists interested in participating in this expedition should apply to sail through the U.S. Science Support Program. The deadline for this special call is February 26, 2018.

For questions, please email usssp@ldeo.columbia.edu