WISSARD

An Integrated Study of Marine Ice Sheet Stability and Subglacial Life Habitats in West Antarctica:

The Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD) project is a 6-year (2009-2015) initiative focused on the hydrological continuum beneath the Whillans Ice Stream in glaciological, microbiological, geochemical, and oceanographic contexts.

Research will be conducted through three complimentary projects:

• GBASE: Geomicrobiology of Antarctic Subglacial Environment
• LISSARD: Lake and Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling
• RAGES: Robotic Access to Grounding-zones for Exploration and Science