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Heading South: NIU Researchers To Study Antarctic

NIU Today

A group of Northern Illinois University researchers are bound for Antarcticato study the effect of climate change on rising seawaters.

The trip was halted earlier this year due to the partial government shutdown.

It's a green light now.

NIU geology professor Ross Powell has been waiting his entire career to reach the part of the continent where a massive ice sheet meets the Ross Sea. He says he's looked at similar environments in different places around the world, but says this is the toughest one to deal with because the ice above it is so thick.

Powell says the Greenland ice sheet and the Antarctic contain so much water volume that as they melt they will dramatically rise sea levels. People are concerned how fast they are going to react to the warming, and how much volume of ice will be melted into the ocean.

The exploration will last just over a week. NIU researcher Reed Scherer says the team will have to work around the clock.

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NIU Scientist Reed Scherer talks about time constraints in gathering data at the drill site.

Credit NIU Today

Scherer says he has wanted to drill at the grounding zone (the place where the ocean is reaching the ice that's on the sea bed) since he was a graduate student.

Now, he gets to share the experience with current NIU geology students.  Graduate student Jason Coenen says he is excited to make the trek.

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NIU Geology Graduate Student Jason Coenen talks about his upcoming trip to Antarctica

The team is expected to leave just after Christmas.

Jenna Dooley has spent her professional career in public radio. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois - Springfield. She returned to Northern Public Radio in DeKalb after several years hosting Morning Edition at WUIS-FM in Springfield. She is a former "Newsfinder of the Year" from the Illinois Associated Press and recipient of NIU's Donald R. Grubb Journalism Alumni Award. She is an active member of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and an adjunct instructor at NIU.
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