European Ocean Biodiversity Information System

Between 1997 and 1999 the international Cape Roberts Project (CRP) has recovered up to 1000 m long drill cores in the Ross Sea, Antarctica to reconstruct the glaciation history of Antarctica. Scientists from various institutes in seven countries have participated: Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, and USA. After a seismic pre-site survey the area off Cape Roberts in the Ross Sea at the margin of the Transantarctic Mountains (77°S 163°43'E) was found to be suitable. The project obtained continuous core through 1500 m of strata, ranging in age from 34 to 17 million years old, and representing a period when the Victoria land coast of Antarctica changed from a cool temperate to a subpolar climate. Research on the cores continued over three years with FRST post-doctoral fellowship support to Gavin Dunbar (to study ice margin and sea level changes) and Vanessa Thorn, who is now at the University of Leeds (to study plant microfossils as recorders of past climate).