Italy National Report Prepared by: Massimo Frezzotti, ENEA
email:frezzotti@casaccia.enea.it
Page 1
As a part of ITASE (International TransAntarctic Scientific Expedition), the Italian Antarctic Programme, between 1996 and 2004, performed three traverse, firn cores at selected site using Twin Otter and spot research at selected sites about the time variability of precipitation and the redistribution process. The objectives of the researches are to develop an understanding of the latitudinal and longitudinal gradient, along three transept East-West (Terra Nova Bay-Dome C, Taylor Dome-Dome C and Talos Dome – D66) and two transept North-South (Dumont d’Urville-Dome C a GV7-Talos Dome – Taylor Dome), documenting the last 200-1000 years of the climatic, atmospheric and surface conditions over the Eastern and NE Dome C drainage area and the Northern Victoria Land.
Both traverse and Twin Otter activity were performed in collaboration with French colleagues.
The main Italian
institutes, which are involved in glaciological field programs in
Antarctica, are:
CLIM-OSS: ENEA Roma
DISTART: Univ. Bologna
DST: Univ. Milano
INGV: Roma
DISGAM: Univ. Trieste
DISAT: Univ. Milano-Bicocca
DC: Univ. Firenze
1996 Traverse from Zucchelli Station at Terra Nova Bay Station (164°06'E 74°41'S) to Talos Dome (159°04’E 72°46’S)
The traverse took place between 3 and 30 November 1996 and the distance covered was about 600 km. The traverse team consisted of six people: two diesel mechanics and four researchers. The traverse consisted of four articulated sledges pulled by two Pisten Bully 330 Kassbohrers. Along the traverse two cores (TD 89 m and ST556 20 m depth) were drilled in the Talos Dome area. The drilling site is located at an elevation of 2300 m and a temperature of -41.1°C (TD) and of -38.1°C (ST556) were recorded at a depth of 15 m. Along the 400 km of traverse 66 accumulation stakes were set up at intervals of 5 km. Strain nets consisting of 9 stakes to study deformation were installed and measured using GPS.
1998/99 Traverse from Terra Nova Bay Station (164°06'E 74°41'S) to Concordia Station (123°23.71'E 75°06.1'S)
The traverse took place between 20 November 1998 and 16 January 1999 along the Eastern Dome C drainage area. The distance covered was about 1300 km. The traverse team consisted of eight people: three mechanics and five scientists (four Italian and a French guest). Twenty-four shallow snow-firn cores, up to 53 m in depth, were drilled at 8 sites along the traverse and five at Dome C. Shallow cores were analysed in-situ for core temperature, to a depth of up to 30 m, and density. Seven snow-pits were also dug, up to three metres in depth, to investigate snow stratigraphy, grain size and morphology, density, and for chemical and isotopic analysis. Drillings to one metre for density and chemical-isotopic analysis were also carried out along the traverse every 5 km (227 samples). At each of the eight core sites, strain nets consisting of three stakes to study deformation were installed and measured using GPS, together with nets of 39 stakes to study snow accumulation and submergence velocities (coffee-can). Snow radar (GPR) and GPS surveys over a distance of 2800 km were performed in order to link core sites and provided detailed information on spatial variability in snow accumulation. A spatial distribution survey of the micro-relief surface type, size and orientation was conducted along the traverse and continuously along some profiles in the megadune area. Along the traverse 230 gravity and magnetic stations supplemented by airborne radio echo sounding (2600 km during the 1997/98 Italian Expedition) were acquired.
1999/2000 Dome C survey
Snow radar (GPR) and GPS surveys over a distance of 500 km were performed at Dome C, during 1999/2000, in order to link core sites drilled by French and Italian and provided detailed information on spatial variability in snow accumulation. AWS and farm stakes at 2 selected sites (Dome C drainage area) were installed and maintained, to characterise spatial and temporal variability and covariance of snow precipitation over local and seasonal scales.
2001/2002 Traverse from D85 (134°08.625’E 70°25.656’S) to M4 (155°17.99’E, 74°26.935’S)
The traverse took place along Adélie, George V, Oates and Northern Victoria Lands between 3 November 2001 and 16 January 2002. The distance covered was about 1875 km. The traverse team consisted of eight people: three mechanics, four scientists (three Italian and a French guest) and a doctor. Eighteen shallow snow-firn cores, up to 55 m in depth, were drilled. Shallow cores were analysed in-situ for core temperature, to a depth of up to 30 m, and density. Eight snow-pits were also dug, up to two metres in depth, to investigate snow stratigraphy, density and for chemical and isotopic analysis. Drillings to one metre for chemical-isotopic analysis were also carried out along the traverse every 5 km (363 samples). At eight sites submergence velocities and stake farms were installed and measured using GPS, to study variability of snow accumulation and submergence velocities. At 30 sites stakes for ice velocity were measured by GPS. Snow radar (GPR) and GPS surveys over a distance of 3245 km were performed in order to link core sites, provided detailed information on spatial variability in snow accumulation and to provided a detailed description of Talos Dome area. A spatial distribution survey of the micro-relief surface type, size and orientation was conducted along the traverse. Along the traverse 340 gravity and magnetic stations supplemented by airborne radio echo sounding (3000 km) were acquired.
2002/2003 Twin Otter activity
A Twin Otter aircraft was used in December 2002 and January 2003 to obtain 14 shallow snow-firn cores, up to 17 m in depth, at selected locations in George V, Oates and Northern Victoria Lands. Snow accumulation rates were determined from the depth of the 1965 radioactive layers, chemical and isotopical analyses are performing on the whole cores. Stake farms along the previous traverses has been re-surveyed to determine the snow accumulation temporal variability.
2003/2004 Twin Otter activity
A Twin Otter aircraft was used in December 2002 and January 2003 along the previous traverses to survey the stake farms and coffee can system to study variability of snow accumulation and submergence velocities.