New Zealand participation in the International ANDRILL programme is supported by NZ membership of the ANDRILL Science Committee (ASC), which is supported by GNS Science, the University of Otago and Victoria University of Wellington. Funding for scientist participation in the first two drill seasons for ANDRILL (MIS and SMS) came from the Foundation for Research Science and Technology, the Marsden Fund, research organisations internal funding. Funding for the New Zealand 25% contribution to operational costs and purchase of equipment was managed by Antarctica New Zealand.
New Zealand took a significant leadership role in the first ANDRILL Portfolio, through Tim Naish as Co-Chief Scientist for MIS and Gary Wilson as chair of the science organizational committee MASIC.
One of the high level research goals for the FRST funded project is to improve understanding of the fundamental behaviour of the Ross Ice Shelf-West Antarctic Ice Sheet system and its role in global sea-level and ocean circulation (which affects New Zealand's climate). The project derives paleoclimate interpretation from drill core records of past "natural" climate cycles, and especially periods of past climatic warmth to calibrate computer climate models, in order to develop a context against which future changes can be more rigorously assessed.
The ANDRILL Science Management Office (SMO) is located in Nebraska, USA. Further information is available at www.andrill.org.
Participating New Zealand research institutions
Project support
Antarctica New Zealand is responsible for logistics for New Zealand Antarctic research programmes, and was appointed Project Operator for the ANDRILL Project for the MIS and SMS drill holes. The VUW SDO was involved in helping to plan and manage drilling equipment and operations for MIS and SMS.
Recent drilling activity
On-ice and off-ice teams are currently working on analysis and synthesis of results from both these projects.
Proposed future work
Find the international ANDRILL website here.