Full Proposals for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Proposed IPY Activity Details

1.0 PROPOSER INFORMATION

(Activity ID No: 14)

1.1 Title of Activity
Integrated Arctic Ocean Observing System

1.2 Short Form Title of Proposed Activity
iAOOS

1.3 Activity Leader Details
ISAC Program Officer, TBD
International Study of Arctic Change (ISAC)
Sweden

1.4 Lead International Organisation(s) (if applicable)
Arctic Ocean Sciences Board (AOSB)
WCRP's Climate and Cryosphere (CliC)
NULL
NULL

1.5 Other Countries involved in the activity
US
France
Norway
Sweden
Germany
Poland
Canada
China
Japan
Russia
Denmark
UK
NULL
NULL
NULL
NULL

1.6 Expression of Intent ID #'s brought together in this proposed activity
80, 18, 42, 45, 113, 114, 158, 212, 241, 329, 367, 373, 385, 522, 537, 546, 562, 578, 607, 620, 644, 666, 681, 682, 832, 860, 896, 902, 915, 916, 921, 20, 35, 54, 63, 67, 86, 98, 120, 124, 129, 133, 134, 139, 145, 157, 164, 167, 179, 185, 223, 269, 324, 308, 691, 640, 990

1.7 Location of Field Activities
Arctic

1.8 Which IPY themes are addressed
1. Current state of the environment
2. Change in the polar regions
3. Polar-global linkages/tele-connections
4. Exploring new frontiers

1.9 What is the main IPY target addressed by this activity
4. Legacy

2.0 SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITY

iAOOS Science Plan

It is recognized that understanding and forecasting the physical state of our planet requires a system of systems; continual monitoring must operate in parallel with state-of-the-art modelling to provide the most accurate description and initiate the best possible forecasts. Maintaining monitoring systems is expensive, and requires international cooperation. Therefore, the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), co-sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Council for Science (ICSU), was established in 1992 to ensure that the observations and information needed to address climate-related issues are obtained and made available to all potential users. GCOS builds upon, and works in partnership with, other existing and developing observing systems such as the Global Terrestrial Observing System, the Global Observing System and Global Atmospheric Watch of the World Meteorological Organization and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).
The Second Report on the Adequacy of the Global Observing Systems for Climate in Support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) prepared by GCOS, states, concerning adequacy of the ocean networks to provide the observations needed to support the prediction of future changes in the climate system that “High-latitude waters and sea-ice have been identified as particularly sensitive to climate change. Sea ice extent, concentration and thickness data will thus be particularly helpful for testing climate model skills”. Likewise it states, concerning the adequacy of the ocean networks to support the attribution of the causes of climate change that “High-latitude regions pose particular difficulties due to the harsh environment and the presence of sea ice. Present autonomous technologies such as Argo floats are not suited to such regions. Such gaps in the ocean observational coverage are a concern because they introduce uncertainties when testing models and prevent a full understanding of ocean-ice interactions and detection of temperature and salinity changes.”
It is mainly because of these technological challenges that there does not yet exist an Arctic Ocean Observing System (an Arctic GOOS) or an Arctic GCOS. A formal Observing System must rely on proven technology, and we expect that the occurrence of the International Polar Year will allow us to make significant steps towards an Arctic Observing System. Because of the time-limited high focus and elevated funding levels during the IPY years, scientists and engineers from numerous nations will be brought together to master the technological challenges. At the same time, the envisioned high-intensity observing period of the IPY years will allow us to intensively observe the system during that time period, so that one can, through the integration of observations and models, design a cost-effective, feasible Arctic Observing System for the future, formally to become part of GCOS and GOOS.
The European community has recently made a significant commitment to IPY and the development of an Arctic observing system by funding the Integrated Project DAMOCLES (Developing Arctic Modelling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies). On-going and planned studies as part of the U.S Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) are investigating the freshwater cycle in the Arctic Ocean, physical circulation, sea ice dynamics, and both terrestrial and marine ecosystem change of direct connection to human interactions. Because of this and many other on-going activities in the Arctic, as well as the numerous EOIs submitted to IPY relating to observing the Arctic atmosphere, cryosphere and ocean, there exists a clear possibility of mobilizing resources at an unprecedented level for observations during the IPY years. These components have been compiled, by Bob Dickson (AOSB and CEFAS) into an outline science plan for iAOOS (see attached). If the funding rounds permit anything like the scale of scientific effort proposed here, it will certainly be the largest and most intense collaborative research effort ever devoted to the variability of the physical and biogeochemical environment of the Arctic Ocean and the ice and atmosphere above.

2.1 What is the evidence of inter-disciplinarity in this activity?
iAOOS is inter-disciplinary in several ways: it brings together atmospheric scientists, oceanographers and cryospheric scientists, and it brings together engineers, observationalists and modellers. Through the direct impact for instance on human activities of Arctic climate variability there are links between the natural sciences and a large variety of other fields. Through the interactions between Arctic variability and the global climate system, for instance through oceanic-cryospheric interactions, there will be links between the polar science community and climate community. Many of these links are formalized in, for instance, the EU-funded project DAMOCLES and the US-SEARCH program, both important pillars of iAOOS, which is part of ISAC and contributes to both AOSB and CliC.

2.2 What will be the significant advances/developments from this activity? What will be the major deliverables? What are the outputs for your peers?
The legacy of this project will be the design of a cost-effective and technologically feasible long-term monitoring system for the Arctic. Such a system would merge into a global monitoring system, used to improve our understanding and forecasting skills of our physical climate system and the overall Arctic ecosystem response. Numerous scientific advances will obviously emerge, concerning the interplays between atmosphere, ice and ocean, to be documented in the peer-reviewed scientific press as well as in more layman-accessible form. Making iAOOS possible requires the cooperation of hundreds of scientists and engineers, a feat that would attest to the goodwill and idealism characteristic of people working in this harsh environment.
By filling gaps in our spatial coverage and extending the available series in time, the intention of iAOOS is to view the ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere system of high northern latitudes operating as a complete system. Improving our understanding of that system and testing its predictability does seem to be the most direct way of extending the ability of society to mitigate for or adapt to its changes.

2.3 Outline the geographical location(s) for the proposed field work (approximate coordinates will be helpful if possible)

2.4 Define the approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities?

2.5 What major logistic support/facilities will be required for this project?
Icebreaker
Remotely Operated Vehicle
Ice strengthened research ship
Multi-instrumented platforms
Ship recovery of buoys etc
New field station
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
Radars

Further details – Other: Satellites, acoustic tomography, profiling floats and sea-gliders, ice-tethered platforms, ice-surface met and sensor systems, helicopters and fixed wing ice-observation sensors

2.6 How will the required logistics be supplied? Have operators been approached?

2.7 If working in the Arctic regions, has there been contact with local indigenous groups or relevant authorities regarding access?

3.0 STRUCTURE OF THE ACTIVITY

3.1 Origin of the activity
This activity is the start of a new programme that will outlive IPY

3.2 How will the activity be organised and managed? Describe the proposed management structure and means for coordinating across the cluster
iAOOS, carrying international coordination under the aegis of AOSB and CliC, will bring together national and international programs. These include the activities of the Ocean Circulation cluster of IPY (which includes multi-disciplinary subclusters for ice, physical, biogeochemical and biological components), parts of the US-SEARCH program, the DAMOCLES Integrated project of the EC Framework Programme 6, and activities of the Pacific Arctic Group (Asian, Russian, Canadian and US partners).
As with the science plan for iAOOS, there are a number of positive ways of arranging a management plan once we determine the outcome of the funding for the various components. Any management structure, however, will be organized first at the subcluster level. Attention is currently being given to defining the subclusters of projects into which various tasks will be subdivided, each of which will be responsible for the detailed planning to implementation of a significant task. For example subclusters might include: (1) Shelf basin interactions coordinated by Jackie Grebmeier, (2) Arctic boundary current arrays coordinated by Igor Polyakov, (3) EC-DAMOCLES coordinated by Jean-Claude Gascard, (4) subarctic gateway moorings and regional modelling, and (5) marine components of SEARCH, coordinated by Peter Schlosser. Defining the subclusters and their make-up is not possible until after funding decisions have been made, but they are intended to have their own management structure once they are defined. It is emphasized that iAOOS is a science plan, with broad objectives, and that those components actually funded will be organized and managed within the subclusters and coordinated by the new International Study for Arctic Change (ISAC) international program office.
We envision development of a “senior officials oversight committee" with representation from all the major subclusters of the iAOOS program, located under the new ISAC IPO in Stockholm. The senior officials oversight committee will undertake to ensure that: 1) Where possible, scientific activities will be integrated, or at a minimum, coordinated across programs, 2) Subclusters are in close communication to ensure that resources are used effectively and efficiently, 3)Resource managers are aware of all planned and ongoing activities, 4) Standard guidelines for data collection are established and maintained and, 5) Scientific iAOOS activities are coordinated with other IIIPY activities in the Arctic Ocean

3.3 Will the activity leave a legacy of infrastructure and if so in what form?
The goal is that the legacy of this project will be a long-term monitoring system for the Arctic ocean/sea-ice/atmosphere system. Such a monitoring system would include technological solutions for obtaining and calibrating observations in cold and ice-covered environments, a functioning data management system, technological solutions to transfer data near-real time from ocean, ice and atmosphere to that data bank, and the design, based on a deep understanding of information transfer within the climate system, of the least-costly, yet sufficient for decision-making, observing system for the Arctic. This system would merge into a global monitoring system, used to improve our understanding and forecasting skills of our physical climate system and its impact on the overall Arctic system, in general. The funding of a long-term monitoring system for the Arctic will depend on future commitment from the national operational agencies. It is the objective of iAOOS to determine how it can be done, practically.

3.4 Will the activity involve nations other than traditional polar nations? How will this be addressed?
There is a developing interest by the Asian nations not bordering the Arctic but interested in the climate change impacts as they influence their own countries climate and natural system. Opportunities for coordinated use and servicing of Arctic observatory platforms and joint oceanographic cruises and/or ice camps will enhance the international collaboration potential of the iAOOS format.

3.5 Will this activity be linked with other IPY core activities? If yes please specify
Since iAOOS is focused on the Arctic Ocean domain (although including the sea ice and atmosphere above), it is natural that it creates strong links with core programs that consider the atmosphere and cryosphere without lateral boundaries. In particular, we will link with “Weather and Climate: IPY-Thorpex”, “Multi-disciplinary Observing Systems: International Arctic System for Observing the Atmosphere”, and “Cryosphere: State and fate of the Polar Cryosphere”. Since iAOOS is focused on the natural sciences primarily, we will also ensure strong links with “Change: Adaptation and Vulnerability; coupled human-environment systems”. This later collaboration will expand the relationship between the physical climate system and the ecosystem-human response aspects of a changing Arctic. Other linkages are with tracer studies to be made in the framework of GEOTRACES which will help to distinguish between freshwater sources in the Arctic, the Bipolar Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation study, and the terrestrial network ACCRO-Net (Arctic Circum-Polar Coastal (and Rivers) Observation Network.

3.6 How will the activity manage its data? Is there a viable plan and which data management organisations/structures will be involved?
iAOOS will follow and contribute to the design of the IPY data management policy and plan. Within Damocles, SEARCH and CliC we already have data management plans in place which can be used to develop links to each other and/or to a specific IPY data management center if it is set up.

3.7 Data Policy Agreement
Will this activity sign up to the IPY draft Data Policy (see website)
Yes

3.8 How will the activity contribute to developing the next generation of polar scientists, logisticians, etc.?
Development of a state-of-the-art monitoring system for the Arctic requires significant technological development and requires the expertise of a new generation of engineers and scientists. We do, however, recognize the many obstacles for new scientists who wishe to work in an environment so specialized in terms of equipment needed etc. We therefore encourage all traditional polar researchers contributing to iAOOS to entrain younger scientists as well as specialists from fields complementing that of polar science, whenever possible.

3.9 How will this activity address education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
We plan a range of interactive websites and semi-permanent exhibits as well as educational summer schools, including on board icebreakers, for communication and outreach. In general, the iAOOS scientists are encouraged to make themselves available to the media. For 2-way interaction with indigenous communities, we identify two Groups as our primary advisors/collaborators on ‘human dimension’ issues. These are the International Network of Arctic Indigenous Community-based Environmental Monitoring and Information Stations (AICEMI) and the Arctic Residents Network (ARN).

3.10 What are the proposed sources of funding for this activity?
Following endorsement from the national and international IPY committees, funding is to be sought through the normal routes (National Funding Agencies and interagency funding groups). The European Union has already contributed substantially to iAOOS, through DAMOCLES, and the US has already funded some of the SEARCH projects.

3.11 Additional Comments
The first 31 EoIs plus Damocles EoIs listed in 1.6 have specifically asked to be part of iAOOS (Also included in this list are #86 and #757). The remainder related to the iAOOS activity but have not formally responded to as to whether or not they wish to be clustered with iAOOS. We keep them in and will modify 1.6 if they wish to be excluded or if it becomes clear that funding will not be available for the activity.
In 4.2 we have only listed those individuals who have expressed an interest in being part of iAOOS or one of its subclusters. Other names will be added as we progress and determine funding arrangements.

4.0 CONSORTIUM INFORMATION

4.1 Contact Details

Lead Contact
Prof Jean Claude Gascard
AOSB, iAOOS Working Group Chair
Universite Pierre et Marie CurieTour 45, 5eme etage4, Place Jussieu
75252 Pari
France

Tel:          +33 1 44 27 70 70
Mobile:   N/A
Fax:         +33 1 44 27 38 05
Email:       gascard@lodyc.jussieu.fr

Second Contact
Dr Cecilie Mauritzen
CliC, Arctic Climate Panel Chair
Norwegian Meteorological Institute P.O. Box 43 Blindern
0313 Oslo
Norway

Tel:          +47 22 96 33 45
Mobile:   +47 90 74 85 74
Fax:         +47 22 96 30 50
Email:      c.mauritzen@met.no

4.2 Other significant consortium members and their affiliation