Insights on Global Warming: Findings from the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

You specialize in “glacial geology.” What kind of science is that?

Glaciers and ice sheets are the gigantic clusters of ice found in Antarctica, on the Himalayan mountains, and on the Alps as well. Glaciers do three things: erode soil and rocks, transport materials, and accumulate sediments. Glacial geology is the study to investigate such geological processes of snow and ice which affects on the earth surface environments.

What kind of research have you conducted?

My research is mainly focused on Antarctica. I started my Antarctic study when I found curious landforms on my first Antarctic expedition from 1992 to 1994. What I found were landforms indicating that water might have flowed on the ground surface of Antarctica, where it is so cold that liquid water was thought not to exist. Although those are familiar features to me as a mountain climber, I might have overlooked them if I still had adhered to the conventional idea that there’s no liquid water in Antarctica. “These landforms look like sculpted by running water... but where did the water come from? From under the ice sheet?” One question followed another, and I was in anguish wanting to quickly return to Japan and launch a full-scale study. At that time, similar landforms had been found in Europe and elsewhere, and most researchers interpreted them as having been carved out by ice. There were few researchers who, like myself, thought that it had been eroded by water. However, subsequent studies and research established that there are a number of water storages beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, and the water still drains like rivers. In recent years, we have succeeded in capturing the subaquatic scene under the ice with video cameras as well. It was an incredibly thrilling experience to witness the aquatic life swimming beneath the ice.

Items filled with memories of Antarctica

1, Metal fitting from a Syowa Station prefab	2, Erosional rock surface formed by the blasted strong wind with ice particles	3, Cup noodle container and a mug
A metal fixing plug from the former Radio and Ionosphere Research Building at Syowa Station, established in 1966. The prefabrication technology used for this building was developed in advance to withstand the extreme Antarctic conditions of that era, and it played a significant role in advancing modern architectural technology in Japan.	Ice, propelled by a blizzard, forcefully struck the center of the rock and effectively scooped it out. This is a distinctive phenomenon in Antarctica, where blizzards frequently take place.	These objects were submerged deep in the ocean at depths ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 meters. As a result of the uniformly applied high water pressure, their original rounded shape transformed into well-defined hexagonal shapes.
4, Helmet	5, Windbreaker	6, Antarctic ice
Helmets are a crucial necessity for work in Antarctica! 'Station Leader Etto' (winter team in Japanese) is indicated on the back.	This windbreakers was rationed out to the expedition team. The number of the expeditions I have participated in so far is sewn into on the sleeve.	As the ice melt, the ancient air bubbles trapped within it make popping or crackling sounds.

Please tell us about serving as winter team leader on your fourth expedition to Antarctica.

The primary responsibility of a wintering station leader is to ensure the safety of the wintering team. In Antarctica, clear skies can quickly transform into blizzards of such ferocity that visibility is reduced to less than one meter within just a few minutes. To ensure the team's safety, I, as a leader, must promptly and accurately issue mandatory directives, such as curfews, sheltering in place, and prohibiting solo activities. Also, it’s essential to take care of the members’ physical and mental health.

*Picture courtesy of the National Institute of Polar Research

How will the research results you have obtained be used?

On the results of our research expeditions, we could tell that the rising sea water temperature due to global warming is gradually melting the ice shelves (the ice around the rim of Antarctica). Currently, we are also investigating how the water storage under the ice sheet affects the ice sheet melting, which leads to the global sea level rise. While it may not be possible to halt global warming itself, we believe that by elucidating phenomena occurring in the present, we can take action for the future. Furthermore, we have established a new drilling camp, 'Dome Fuji Site II,' and have handed it over to the next expedition team for further preparations. Japanese scientists have recently estimated the existence of the world's oldest ice, potentially dating back up to one million years. A Japanese research team is planning to retrieve this ice, a feat never before accomplished by any other country. I'm excited to see what discoveries await us within this ancient ice.