The DEAIS project, led by researchers from the University of Bern, investigates how the Antarctic Ice Sheet in Dronning Maud Land has changed over time. By reconstructing the history of ice coverage and ice sheet retreat, the project aims to improve our understanding of how Antarctica may respond to future climate change and contribute to global sea-level rise.

To achieve this, researchers use cosmogenic sampling of exposed rocks collected from nunataks and former glacial deposits in the Sør Rondane Mountains. These measurements allow scientists to determine when the rocks became ice-free and to reconstruct the pace of deglaciation and long-term changes in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.

The Sør Rondane Mountains provide an ideal natural laboratory because they remain relatively unexplored and contain well-preserved evidence of past glacier movements. Using Princess Elisabeth Antarctica as a base, researchers can access a range of study sites across the region and investigate former ice margins and patterns of ice retreat.

By extending our knowledge far beyond the short satellite record available today, the DEAIS project provides valuable information on the long-term behaviour of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and supports more accurate predictions of its future evolution in a warming climate.