Between 1997 and 1999 the international Cape Roberts Project (CRP) has recovered up to 1000 m (3,280.8 ft) 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

Transantarctic Mountains

The three largest mountain ranges on the Antarctic continent are the Transantarctic Mountains , the West Antarctica Ranges, and the East Antarctica Ranges. The Transantarctic Mountains compose a mountain range in Antarctica which extend, with some interruptions, across the continent from Cape Adare...

 (77°S 163°43'E) was found to be suitable.

Drilling was performed using a conventional core wireline system with a drill derrick, protected by a cover against the rough climate. Sea ice was 2 m (6.6 ft) thick with a water depth of 150 – below. Four overlapping drill cores at three sites reflect in excellent quality the geological history and glaciation of the Antarctic during the last 34 million years.

As a logistic and scientific basis the American McMurdo Station

McMurdo Station

McMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research center located on the southern tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand-claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National...

 and Scott Base

Scott Base

Scott Base is a research facility located in Antarctica and is operated by New Zealand. It was named after Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Royal Navy, leader of two British expeditions to the Ross Sea area of Antarctica...

of New Zealand were used. Supply of the drill site was performed with motor sledges and snow mobiles, exchange of personal with helicopters. The costs for the logistics were around four Million US dollar.

External links

• Cape Roberts Project, Antarctica (official Website)