Amery Ice Shelf Ocean Cavity Measurements from 2003-2004 Antarctic Expedition

Australian Ocean Data Network provides an educational product detailing oceanographic measurements from beneath the Amery Ice Shelf in eastern Antarctica. The data was collected during a 2003-2004 summer expedition where scientists drilled through hundreds of meters of ice to deploy instruments into the sub-ice-shelf cavity. This resource includes teacher answers for classroom use.

Use Cases

• Analyzing water column properties like temperature and salinity from instrument profiles lowered through the ice.
• Studying the physical oceanography of a sub-ice-shelf cavity that never sees sunlight.
• Using expedition findings on ocean cavity conditions for educational lesson plans and student exercises.
• Investigating the interface between the Antarctic ice shelf and the underlying ocean using real drilling and measurement data.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated month-long scientific expedition on the Amery Ice Shelf.
• Includes educational scaffolding with provided teacher answers for classroom implementation.
• Focuses on a unique and difficult-to-access environment beneath an Antarctic ice shelf.

Limitations

• Specific data formats, row counts, and measurement columns are not detailed in the available description.
• The primary data collection occurred during a single summer season (2003-2004), limiting temporal analysis.
• The resource is presented as an educational activity, which may prioritize instructional value over raw data accessibility.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Instruments were lowered through a drill hole in the ice shelf during a field expedition.

Time Range

Summer season of 2003-2004.

Freshness

Metadata was last updated on 2026-04-04, though the underlying data is from 2003-2004.

Geography

Amery Ice Shelf in eastern Antarctica.