OGS participates in the international CORIBAR project for paleoclimatic study of the Barents Sea

OGS took part in the cruise CORIBAR (coring in the NW Barents Sea) to study the past deglaciation of the Barents Sea and provide information to better understand the possible future melting of ice due to climate change.
Three researchers OGS (Andrea Caburlotto, Renata Lucchi Michele Rebesco) participated in the cruise on the ship Maria S. Merian from 16 July to 15 August 2013 along with other German, Spanish, Danish and Norwegian scientists.
The aim of the study was to collect and analyze, for the first time, sediment samples from glacial wedges (Grounding Zone Wedges) generated by the ice during his retreat (deglaciation) about 15,000 years ago. These deposits were identified in 2008 during the EGLACOM cruise on the ship OGS-Explora during the International Polar Year 2007-2009. The glacial wedges are considered fundamental for the stabilization of the ice sheets during the early stages of sea-level rise associated with the increase of temperature, a situation that is also found nowadays as a consequence of the current climate change.
In addition to a large amount of surface sediments collected with traditional techniques, during the CORIBAR cruise samples were collected up to 40 m deep with an innovative tool never used before in polar environments: the drilling rig MeBo. This tool is lowered to the bottom of the sea and operates in semi-automated mode controlled by the ship, therefore without suffering the effects of wave motion.
The large amount of data collected will now be analyzed by OGS and the international team involved, also in collaboration with other research institutes and Italian universities.