National Institute of Polar Research

Evolution and response of solid earth in polar regions

Investigation of changes in solid earth and surface environment from the polar regions

Principal Investigator  Yoshifumi Nogi

To elucidate changes in solid earth with various time and space scales from the polar regions

Phenomena in solid earth span various timescales, from the present time to several billions of years, and space scales, as the coupling of the surface environment changes, and amalgamation and fragmentation of continents. In the polar regions, a wide range of solid earth phenomena can be observed, such as the present crustal movement controlled by changes in ice sheet mass, and the formation and dispersion of continents. The polar regions are, therefore, ideal areas for understanding the evolution and response of solid earth based on the integrated research of diverse disciplines related to solid earth science and multidisciplinary studies concerning environmental changes to Earth's surface.. This project aims to investigate: (1) the response of solid earth related to environmental changes to Earth's surface ranging from the present to several million years ago, and (2) the evolution of solid earth over a geological timescale, from several million to billion years, based on the scientific research in polar regions.