West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core Project

The U.S research community is conducting a deep ice coring project in West Antarctica for studies of climate, ice sheet history and cryobiology. This project is collecting a deep ice core from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) ice flow divide and integrating approximately 20 separate but synergistic projects to analyze the ice and interpret the records. Learn more about WAIS Divide.

Important Information for Scientists Investigators from the United States need to submit a proposal to NSF to obtain samples from the WAIS Divide ice core or access the borehole. If you are planning on submitting a proposal you must contact the WAIS Divide Science Coordination Office (SCO) (kendrick "at" dri.edu) and obtain a letter from the SCO stating that your proposal is consistent with the WAIS Divide operation plan. This letter needs to be submitted with your NSF proposal. For more information, please read this.

Latest News & Information

February 2009 Quarterly Update February 2009 Quarterly Update from the WAIS Divide Science Coordination Office is now available. Read/Download...

Latest Field Update from WAIS Divide Read the latest field update from WAIS Divide. More...

Deep into WAIS Divide: Project continues major effort to recover high-resolution climate record of last 100,000 years (opens in new window) The Antarctic Sun news story.

Connecting the pieces: Antarctic ice core to improve greenhouse gas climate record (opens in new window) The Antarctic Sun news story.

Biological pulse: WAIS Divide project searches for life in the ice (opens in new window) The Antarctic Sun news story.