Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Amundsen Sea Embayment Plan  (ASEP)

Outline
ASEP (http://igloo.gsfc.nasa.gov/wais/links/ASEP-final.pdf) was originally cast in 2001 as a follow-on study to a decade of multidisciplinary investigations under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) initiative. It remained a pending project within the US. Now, with IPY on the horizon, the scientific foci of ASEP, participation and public presence of ASEP are all being expanded. This expression of interest represents an “umbrella” description of this expansion. The original ASEP concept is embodied in four separate expressions of interest dealing with ice dynamics and stability; ice-ocean interaction; paleoclimatic records; and a modelling synthesis that incorporates the other three activities into a predictive community model. As with the original ASEP, the primary science issue is the stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet. Recent measurements of the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctic have underscored the accelerating changes underway that demand immediate study. ASEP requires basic data sets. Many, such as surface elevation and velocity, are known, but ongoing change requires remeasurement or monitoring. Others, such as ice thickness, basal conditions and composition, and internal temperature, are almost completely unknown. Thanks to WAIS, FRISP and allied programs, most of the techniques to obtain these data are already well-developed for the areas of WAIS feeding the Filchner-Ronne and Ross ice shelves. The ASEP will focus on collecting data sets for the much more poorly sampled Amundsen Sea Embayment. These data will be used to study ongoing change as well as to develop improved predictive capability. In particular the plan will focus on acquiring satellite, airborne, shipborne, and ground-based data sets as outlined in the Amundsen Sea Embayment Project put forth by the U.S. and British ice sheet communities. The goal of ASEP can only be achieved by producing accurate and testable numerical simulations of ice flow that represent the dynamics of the region. Development of ice sheet models to produce these simulations will, in itself, require a significant effort supported by field measurements of the geometry of each basin, the internal, subglacial, and adjacent resistances to ice flow, the processes that add and subtract mass from the system, and investigation of possible non-linearities in the response to changes in these processes.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The project will make a major contribution to Theme 1: the current state of the polar environment and to Theme 2: change in polar regions. This umbrella proposal will contribute new data to assess the present condition of the West Antarctic ice sheet, how it is changing and a better prediction of future changes, including its future contribution to sea level. The Amundsen Sea sector has been poorly sampled, and this project will significantly increase our knowledge of conditions in that crucial part of West Antarctica. It will also contribute to improved ice sheet modelling in a general way with improved models and to the global paleoclimatic record.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
We will partner with UK researchers, who have submitted a parallel EoI with broadly similar goals. Additionally, we will actively seek out partners in other countries for both oceanographic (such as Germany or Australia) and terrestrial studies (such as Japan, Norway and Sweden). A significant part of the effort will include satellite imagery, which provides opportunities for international cooperation from Canada (for Radarsat) and ESA (for ERS and EnviSAT).

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Amundsen Sea Embayment (e.g., the catchments of Pine Island, Thwaites, Smith, Koehler Glaciers, from the divides to the edges of the continental shelves beyond the present limit of the adjoining ice shelves).

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: Nov 2007 – Feb 2008      Nov 2008 – Feb 2009      

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Surface studies will require significant LC-130 support for base camps; Twin Otter or other durable aircraft to transport field parties to key locations within the Amundsen Sea catchment basin and for airborne geophysical surveys; ice strengthened or ice-breaking research ship capabilities to operate close to the ice-shelf front; and helicopter support to quickly sample coastal nunataks for geologic specimens.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
As an area of Antarctica undergoing some of the most rapid changes, these activities will serve to open up this sector to further studies. To date the great distances to established national bases have hampered accessibility for research.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Own national polar operator
Another national polar operator
National agency

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
To be submitted to US IPY committee and components are already part of BAS 5-year plan

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Exp
It is built on the original ASEP, itself an outgrowth of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) initiative. It also includes goals of the recently approved multifaceted BAS project GRADES (including the IMAGES, TIGRIS and QWAD components).

How will the project be organised and managed?
This represents an umbrella proposal, however the management will be extremely light-handed, leaving it to the more focused science projects to provide the planning and execution management. This proposal represents a backbone for communication and community interaction as has been successfully exercised since 1990 by the leadership of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Initiative.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Likely funding agencies (NSF and NASA in the US, NERC in the UK) already require strong education and outreach programs as well as a strong emphasis on demonstrating societal benefit. These outreach efforts will be coordinated to highlight their role in the IPY.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
All NSF-funded proposals have strict data archiving and management requirements. We will work with the National Snow/Ice Data Center (NSIDC) for long-term archiving and distribution of the data products. The World Data Centers will also receive archival copies of all collected data.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
We will pursue funding for this research through existing programs and IPY budget augmentations.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
This proposal anticipates participation by a large cross-section of the international West Antarctic Ice Sheet community who have already expressed interest through participation in the several workshops that resulted in the Amundsen Sea Embayment Project (ASEP) Science and Implementation Plan (http://igloo.gsfc.nasa.gov/wais/links/ASEP-final.pdf). THIS PROPOSAL IS PURPOSEFULLY BEING SUBMITTED AS A COMMUNITY PROPOSAL TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION BY NEW RESEARCHERS AND RESEARCHER OURSIDE THE PRESENT WAIS COMMUNITY.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Robert Bindschadler
Code 970
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
20771
USA

Tel: 301-614-5664
Mobile: 301-655-2064
Fax: 301-614-5666
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information