Inlandsis 99
Sport and scientific research
What is Inlandsis?
- This sub glacial journey takes place in a part of Greenland
called “Inland Ice”. During the summer this large
ice sheet is transformed as the surface melts creating miles of
icy rivers. An ice cave is created by the swirl of melted ice
in the crevasses; inside, galleries, cascades and basins are formed.
In 1986, Janot Lamberton and Jean- Marc Boivin, two scientist
and alpinists, descended the world record depth of 110m. Since
then Janot Lamberton and his team have continued to explore ice
caves in Greenland, breaking world records, his last one was in
1998 of a 203m vertical descent. Janot Lamberton started to take
a scientific approach to his explorations such as topographic
studies for glaciology laboratories and microbiologic samples.
The team of Inlandsis 99 consisted of:
- Team leader: Janot Lamberton, speleologist, alpinist, pioneer
of sub glacial explorations.
- Director of Cryptogamy Laboratory: Alain Coute
- Doctor of Alpine Geography: Luc Moreau
- Speleologist: Janine Lamberton
- Photographic Reporter: Philippe Bourseiller
- Biologist: Anette Grongaard.
- Glaciologist Alpinist: Patrick Wagnon
- Speleologist: Mael Lamberton
- Speleologist: Sam Keller
- Biologist: Hazel Barton
- Biologist: Sandra Mac Innes
The goal of Inlandsis is much more than
just sports and world records it is “the advancement of
mankind in balance with nature and science”. As the ice
can preserve microorganisms and oxygen older than 250, 000 years.
Therefore the purpose of the expedition is mainly to perform studies
and researches of glaciology and microbiology in the ice.
The fields of research in glaciology are:
Glacial Karstic Morphology (study of the structure of the ice
cave). The study of circulation and melting of water inside the
glacier has hydroelectric power and drinkable water interests.
Study of crystallography determines how crystals of ice have evolved
over time.
Samples of different types of ice are chemically tested to determine
the origin of their blue and white colors.
The microbiology research focus on algae
as they are the main producers of oxygen in the planet. One of
the interesting particularities of these algae are to survive
in an extreme climate. For example some of them uses antifreeze
substance while others shelter inside a shell. They have also
discovered that algae trapped in older layers of ice have a method
for preserving their life for a long period of time. But the most
interesting discovery was of the Tardigrada, a small animal that
has the ability to free - dry himself to survive the most radical
conditions and for an undetermined period of time. These abilities
can be effective in the conservation of human organs.
The yearly explorations are very expensive
and the team has trouble financing them every year. They are in
need of new sponsors for their future expeditions and to help
them to fully accomplish their scientific researches. Janot Lamberton’s
team next plan is to explore radioactivity in the ice sheet and
apply their current knowledge to the bacterial and aero spatial
fields.
