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IMAGE CAPTION                Antarctic Ice Borehole Probe Project
                             March 16, 2001

A water-filled cavity, seen in this image, resides at the base of 
an Antarctic ice stream.  Discovered during the Antarctic Ice 
Borehole Project, this water pocket was captured by the side-
looking camera of an ice probe designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory.  The water cavity measures approximately 1.4 meters 
(4.6 feet) deep and is thought to aid in the flow of ice streams.  
Based on previous calculations, researchers expected the depth of 
a water basal cavity to be only in the millimeter range.  

The West Antarctic ice sheet, along with the rest of the 
Antarctic ice sheet, holds a potential treasure trove of 
information related to the geological history of this frozen 
continent and the mechanisms by which ice travels from the ice 
sheet to the sea.  Studies show that significant changes in 
glacier melting and flow rates could have a considerable impact 
on global sea levels.
 
The Antarctic Ice Borehole Project is a collaborative effort of 
JPL and the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, 
supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation, Arlington, 
Va.  The three-month glaciological investigation, from October 
2000 to January 2001, took place at Stream C, an area in the West 
Antarctic ice sheet where 150 years ago the ice suddenly stopped 
flowing in one area in the middle of the stream.

Photo Credit: NASA/JPL