Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

The Thermal State of Permafrost: An IPA Contribution to the International Polar Year and the International Year of Planet Earth  (IPA TSP)

Outline
The IPA project Thermal State of Permafrost (TSP) will measure temperatures in existing and new boreholes over a fixed time period to provide a “snapshot” of permafrost temperatures in both time and space. There is currently no global database that defines the thermal state of permafrost within a specific time period. Existing temperature measurements were obtained at various depths and periods over five or more decades. We know, however that these temperatures have changed, at variable rates, in different regions. The acquired temperature data set will serve as a baseline assessing the rate of change of near-surface permafrost temperatures and permafrost boundaries, to validate climate model scenarios, and for temperature reanalysis. TSP, a component of the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P) ,addresses broader concerns related to a warming Earth and the attendant societal issues in its high-latitude and high-mountain regions. The Thermal State of Permafrost (TSP) objectives and plan are to:· Obtain a set of standardized temperature measurements in all permafrost regions of Planet Earth (snapshot) · Produce a global data set and maps of contemporary permafrost ground temperatures · Increase the number of GTN-P borehole and active layer sites · Provide measurement strategies and protocols · Contribute data to verify models and reanalysis approaches for past, present and future permafrost and active layer temperatures and scenarios · Report initial results at 2008 conferences (including modeling and mapping).The TSP Borehole Campaign is proposed to take place over a 12-18 month period during 2007-08. Data will be incorporated into the WMO/FAO/IPA Global Terrestrial Network-Permafrost (GTN-P). The GTN-P presently consists of more than 425 candidate boreholes including the PACE network (Permafrost and Climate in Europe) and some of the 125 sites in the Circumpolar Active Layer Network (GTN-P/CALM) network. TSP will work in close collaboration with those projects. The initial boreholes, which are listed on the web range in depth from less that 10m to greater that 300 metres (www.gtnp.org). A series of planning meetings to verify sites and measurement protocols are planned at international conferences and workshops in 2005 and 2006. Measurements of borehole temperatures will be obtained either on a year-round basis with data recorders or by logging holes several times during the campaign. Initial results will be presented at the Ninth International Conference on Permafrost in Fairbanks in June 2008 and at the 33rd Geological Congress in Olso in August 2008, and at SCAR conferences.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The acquired permafrost temperatures and related data sets will serve as a “snapshot” for the establishment of a baseline against which to assess future changes in permafrost, to validate climate model scenarios, and provide data for reanalysis of past ground temperature (Themes 1 and 2). The recent Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) reported renewed concerns that enhanced thawing or degradation of permafrost has major impacts on infrastructures and coastal processes and local communities (Theme 6). Many of these issues will be addressed in future IPCC assessments and TSP results will provide authoritative documentation on existing conditions and changes.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
IPA is an affiliated organization of IUGS and IGU, and is a partner in Year of Planet Earth.. The SCAR Expert Group on Permafrost is our partner for Antarctica. IPA and CliC (WCRP) have a MOU. IPA manages GTN-P for WMO. The IPA Secretariat at UNIS (Svalbard) provides international coordination.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
TSP involves all permafrost regions of the Earth in which boreholes are available or will be drilled during the IPY, and where associated active layer and climate data exist. This includes the Arctic, major subarctic regions, lower latitude mountains and plateaus, the Antarctic and subantarctc islands (see 3.6 for details) .

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 06/06 – 12/08            
Antarctic: 12/05 –04/08            

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Helicopter support will be required for remote sites in Russia and Alaska, and can be shared with others when feasible. New boreholes from 20-100m deep at new locations or adjacent to existing sites are planned. The possibility of using a coiled Fast Mechanical-Access Drill for permafrost is being explored.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
TSP seeks to establish permanent permafrost borehole observatories on lands that are protected from human disturbances and in conjunction with other environmental research. Therefore, ground temperature measurements and related data obtained by future generations of researchers will reflect natural change in climate and the environment.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Logistics are at the individual national project level. The majority of boreholes are accessible by ground transportation. Helicopter support will be required for some sites in Russia and the US.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Endorsements are pending in countries with National IPY committees. All IPA members have been asked to include reference to TSP in their own IPY activities. The TSP was approved by the IPA Council in 2003 and is incorporated into activities of the SCAR Expert Group on Permafrost and Periglacial Environments.

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?

TSP can be considered an extension of the WMO/GCOS and FAO/GTOS networks under GTN-P; but is a stand-alone project designed to commemorate the IPY and the International Year of Planet Earth. The IPA is the facilitator for GTN-P.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The IPA and its 24-member Council form the core oversight organization. Within IPA there are several working groups and data activities that share common interest in TSP. A small project management team, consisting of designated national and regional (PACE, SCAR, etc) representatives will be identified to manage TSP planning and coordination. Workshops at national and international conferences will be used to develop and track project plans. See 4.1 and 4.2 for partial list of provisional team members.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
All national participating programmes are urged to include young researchers and students in TSP. Universities are establishing curricula with field sites (e.g. Tyumen State Oil and Gas University and the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) provides courses and workshops). The IPA web and Frozen Ground news bulletin will disseminate information.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
The WMO GTN-P web site at the Geological Survey of Canada (www.gtnp.org) is the primary location for borehole metadata. TSP borehole and related data will be submitted periodically to the GTN-P web. Final borehole data sets will be archived at NSIDC with an initial Legacy CD for the 2008 NICOP.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Principal field funding would be from national and regional governments, and regional programmes (EU, INTAS), and where possible private sources such as oil and gas and other resource developers. There is an IPA planning proposal pending with the International Union of Geological Sciences. IUGS has provided modest seed funding

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The following lists the countries and number of boreholes and CALM sites currently identified within the GTN-P. Additional boreholes will be identified throughout the planning phases (2005-2006). The* indicates incomplete initial compilation: Antarctica (10); Argentina (1), Canada (80), China* (35), Denmark/Greenland (2), Germany (1); Iceland (4), Italy (3), Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan (6), Mongolia (15), Spain (4), Sweden (2), Switzerland* (12), Norway*/Svalbard (8), Russia* (180), USA (60).

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Jerry Brown
International Permafrost Association
P.O. Box 7
Woods Hole, MA
2543
USA

Tel: 1 508 457 4982
Mobile:
Fax: 1 508 457 4982
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information