ATHENA: Advancing TecHnologies and ENvironmental stewardship for subglacial exploration in Antarctica J.L. Wadham, P.T Doran
Feb 15, 2016
ATHENA: Advancing TecHnologies and ENvironmental stewardship for subglacial
exploration in Antarctica
J.L. Wadham, P.T Doran
SCAR-SALE
SRP - Subglacial Antarctic Lake Environments (SALE) formed 10 years ago to help guide new science
Disbanding, having met goals Need now for continued communication
to help funded and planned SAE programmes meet environmental and technological challenges
ATHENA Objectives
ATHENA will ensure that subglacial aquatic exploration over the next 5-10 years is underpinned by the technological and environmental protection infrastructure required to ensure the highest science return possible. This will be done through coordination of international activities linked to funded lake drilling campaigns and other subglacial aquatic environment investigations.
Environmental Protection
Current environmental protocols based on limited data and no lake samples
There will be a need to have an independent science body track protocols against new knowledge
Active SAE groups will benefit from a robust exchange of information on techniques for meeting environmental goals
Aseptic sampling at Lake Vida
Seigert et al. 2007
How can Athena advance Environmental Protection
– Provide a forum for the sharing of information relating to environmental protection
– Liaise with the existing AG-CCR-SAE (Code of Conduct for the Exploration and Research of Subglacial Aquatic Environments) Action Group to implement and document recommendations on environmental stewardship that may be updated as new information is acquired
– Keep all groups focused on the global importance of environmental protection
Technologies Limited sensor toolkit: few suitable COTS/marine
sensors (low temperature, low levels of analytes)
Currently no autonomous devices that can be deployed to SAEs: communications issues, limited sensors, size, EP concerns Spatially and temporally limited data from SAEs
Need carefully coordinated international effort Lake Ellsworth probe (NOCS)
How can ATHENA advance technologies?
Link to Environmental Stewardship: “clean” technologies
Propose new models for technology provision (e.g. space flight engineering)
Stimulate and accelerate technological development for the “next phase”
Cryo-Egg (Bristol)
ENDURANCE, Stone Aerospace
Define common data capture requirements , performance data (e.g. ATHENA website/meetings)
Encourage engagement between groups
Link to existing SCAR programmes Code of Conduct for the Exploration and
Research of Subglacial Aquatic Environments (AG-CCER-SAE) - Action Group (cross SSG)
Sub-Ice Geological Exploration (SIeGE) Expert Group– Coordinate and develop multinational capabilities in
geophysics and drilling to address broad geoscience problems
ACE (via access to sediments), EBA (clean technologies and environmental protocols specific to the subglacial zone)
Plan for delivery Kick-off meeting fall AGU 2010 Improve the present knowledge on clean access and
sample retrieval for chemical/biological analysis (collaboration with the AG-CCR-SAE, detailed protocols)
Organise thematic cross-disciplinary sessions and meetings –AGE 2011, 2012, ISAES (2011), SCAR (2012)
Budget $13k for 2 years ($11k-workshop, $2k website)2010 2011 2012AGU
SCAR
WS(IT)
Follow-on proposal
ISAES
AGU
Membership
*Jemma Wadham (UK) and *Peter Doran (US): co-chairs Christoph Mayer (Germany) Carlo Barbante (Italy) *Warwick Vincent (Canada) *Irina Alekhina (Russia – link to Vostok drilling
programme) Matt Mowlem (UK – link to Lake Ellsworth Exploration
Programme) Alberto Behar (US – link to WISSARD drilling
programme) Alex Pyne (New Zealand – link to ANDRILL) Satoshi Imura (Japan)*also on AG-CCR-SAE (Code of Conduct for the Exploration and
Research of Subglacial Aquatic Environments)
Ellsworth Consortium
Conclusions ATHENA responds to immediate and time-
limited needs for SAE science:– Tackle issues of environmental stewardship
surrounding lake access and sampling– Coordinate and accelerate progress of
technologies needed to secure the future of SAE exploration
Smith et al (2009)
Future: programme planning group or extension of expert group, depending on findings of SAE exploration and needs in 2 years time