Concordia Antarctic Seismic Experiment (International Polar Year)

So what exactly are we hoping to do during the International Polar Year? The short answer is study Earth structure.

The exact details of what we will end up doing are as yet unknown, dependent as they are on funding results, logistic possibilities, and the whims of equipment and nature. However, we do know what it is we hope to achieve.

Most if not all the projects that have been proposed for the IPY are listed in an Expression of Intent (EoI) Database maintained on www.ipy.org. The following is an excerpt of the EoI for our seismic experiment project (links within the excerpts are to Wikipedia entries for technical terms). Interested readers can find the full EoI here.

Concordia Antarctic Seismic Experiment for the International Polar Year (CASE-IPY)

We propose deploying 10 broad-band seismometers in Antarctica, starting at the French-Italian scientific base at Concordia, and trending southwards. Our deployment will be coordinated with those of our Italian, American and Australian colleagues in order to achieve maximum coverage of the Antarctica Plateau and to share a maximum of logistical support. Our combined deployments will allow us to improve our knowledge of the crustal and lithospheric structure of Antarctica, as well as to provide data for core studies.