The McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project is an interdisciplinary study of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in a cold desert region of Antarctica. LTER projects are funded to advance our understanding of ecosystem processes and responses to natural and anthropogenic disturbances over timescales longer than a typical research grant (6 year funding cycle vs. 3 year funding cycle). The MCM LTER is in its 5th continuous grant cycle (through 2023). Read more on the MCM LTER Project.
MCM5 Research Hypotheses
McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER Areas of Research
- Meteorology
- Glaciers
- Streams
- Limnology
- Soil Ecology
- Environmental History
- Molecular Biodiversity
- Ecosystem Modeling
- LTER Environmental Stewardship
MCM5 Research Highlights
MCM LTER NSF Proposals: