Nicole Bader

I am studying the moraine sequence of Mt. Achernar, located in the Queen Alexandra Range along the Law Glacier, Antarctica.  It is my goal to characterize the composition of till collected from the sequential moraine ridges along Mt. Achernar and to establish time constraints for this moraine sequence though the use of U-Pb dating of detrital zircons.  In addition, I intend to study the geomorphology of this region to better understand the formation of this vast ablation moraine. 

I will test three hypotheses: the moraine sequence at Mt. Achernar contains a mixture of subglacially derived sediment and locally-derived debris eroded from nearby bedrock, till composition within the moraine varies through time, and the morainal ridges reflect pre-Last Glacial Maximum changes in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet as well as changes since the LGM.