CR
Cryospheric Sciences

iron

Image of the Week – The Lost Meteorites of Antarctica…

May 24, 2019
Image of the Week – The Lost Meteorites of Antarctica…
Fig. 1: Searching for meteorites in the Recovery Glacier region of Antarctica [Credit: Katherine Joy/Lost Meteorites of Antarctica].

 When most people think of Antarctica, meteorites aren’t the first things that come to mind. Perhaps they imagine the huge ice shelves, the desolate interior, or perhaps penguin colonies near one of the scientific bases — but usually not meteorites. So why is our project looking for meteorites in Antarctica, and besides, aren’t they all lost until they are found? Let’s start with the A ...[Read More]

Image of the Week — Microbes munch on iron beneath glaciers

March 31, 2017
Image of the Week — Microbes munch on iron beneath glaciers
Experiment showing that microbes in subglacial sediment reduce more iron when it's colder (blue lines, i.e. 4°C ) than when it's warmer (red lines,  15°C.) [Credit: adapted from Nixon et al, (2017) Fig.1] Click here here to enlarge the image.

The interface between a glacier and its underlying bedrock is known as the subglacial zone. Here lie subglacial sediments, the product of mechanical crushing of the rock by the glacial ice. Despite their lack of sunlight, nutrients and oxygen, subglacial sediments host active and diverse communities of microorganisms. What we (don’t) know about subglacial microorganisms The past few decades ...[Read More]