Scientific Discovery in Antarctic Sheds New Light on Climate Cha

["Greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY IN ANTARCTIC SHEDS NEW LIGHT ON 
CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS


Antarctic Peninsula, 3 February, 1997 -- Scientists aboard a
Greenpeace ship have discovered a deep underwater trench which
may provide significant new insights into the effects of climate
change on the continent.

The 800 metre deep submarine trench was discovered as the MV
Arctic Sunrise was travelling through uncharted waters formerly
occupied by the Larsen Ice Shelf, which collapsed suddenly in
1995. The collapse of the ice shelf has been linked to global
warming resulting from the burning of fossil fuels.

The trench was measured on the ship's echo sounder by Greenpeace
scientist, Auckland-based Ricardo Roura, and Argentinian
 
Antarctic Institute (IAA) researcher Jorge Lusky, who are
working on a joint scientific programme aimed at finding
evidence of the processes leading to the ice shelf collapse.

Dr Rodolfo Del Valle, Head of the Geology Department at the IAA
said: "From a geological point of view, this is a tremendous
discovery which we were not expecting."  He added that it would
help scientists understand how and why the shelf collapsed. "It
is possible to link the retreat of the glaciers and the ice
shelf collapse to the greenhouse effect."

The MV Arctic Sunrise is on a five week "Polar Meltdown" Tour
documenting impacts of climate change.  

Greenpeace Expedition Coordinator, Janet Dalziell of Auckland,
said: "This discovery was possible only because the ice shelf
had collapsed, as a consequence of climate change."

ENDS

Contacts on board the MV Arctic Sunrise tel +(874) (or 871) 130
25 77 (via Inmarsat at US$10 a minute- please note the ship is
16 hrs behind NZ time)
Ricardo Roura, scientist (English, Spanish)
Janet Dalziell, Expedition Coordinator (English)
Adam Laidlaw, Climate Campaigner 09 630 6317
Glyn Walters, 025 931 363