B-320 - Dry Valleys Cryoconite Holes
PI: Dr. Andrew Fountain
Project Lead: Andrew Fountain
Funding Source: NSF/PLR Award 1443373
Location: McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Dates: 2016-10-01 to 2017-06-01
Project Summary
Cryoconite is a combination of dust and microbial material that can absorb solar radiation and cause localized melting when deposited on glacial surfaces. These melt areas, called cryoconite holes, become hosts to ice-bound microbe communities that feature a complex array of primary producers and consumers. Low temperatures in the McMurdo Dry Valleys cause ice lids to form over the holes and entomb the communities, which can persist for decades. The holes melt internally each summer, and during very warm summers the ice lid can melt, creating an open ecosystem that can allow transfer of biological material and potential reorganization of the community. Through field sampling and creation of experimental cryoconite holes, researchers will investigate how the stochastic processes that guide microbial community assembly will affect patterns in biodiversity and ecosystem processes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. [From usap.gov]