Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Interdisciplinary Studies of the Annual Pack Ice Environment  (ISAPIE)

Outline
ISAPIE is proposed to be a drifting, icebreaker-based camp for year-round studies focused on the pack ice physical, chemical, and biological environment. ISAPIE studies will focus on ice-surface and lower atmospheric processes crucial for understanding and modeling the significant changes occurring to the pack ice mass balance, and methodology development for accurate long-term monitoring of parameters crucial for understanding these changes and attributing their causes. Process examples include albedo evolution of first-year ice and meltponds, the effects of snow processes and spatial heterogeneity on surface sensible heat fluxes and atmospheric turbulence, optical properties of sea ice on multiple spatial scales, radiative effects of soot and contaminants in the ice and snow, and the effects of atmospheric synoptic and mesoscale processes and associated clouds on the surface energy budget. Methodology development includes improving automated surface-based year-round measurements of the surface energy fluxes and mass balance and optimally integrating and evaluating measurements from satellite remote sensors, surface-based in-situ sensors, and airborne robotic sensors for long-term monitoring of the pack ice mass balance and surface energy budget. The structure and crucial processes in the atmospheric boundary layer, the pack ice, and the upper ocean will be probed with remote and in-situ sensors. Much of the integration of these physical process studies with studies of chemical and biological processes will be through interactions with the OASIS and ASCOS programs. The proposed pack ice field program measurements are focused on processes unique to the pack ice environment and important for climate models. The long-term utility of such process studies comes from improving numerical models through improved parameterizations, using the detailed process observations for validating numerical models, and enhancing the conceptual understanding of the pack-ice environment. We propose that this ocean deployment be undertaken with support of at least one icebreaker and that the deployment last a year. Collocation of the OASIS and ISAPIE ice camps would provide synergistic interdisciplinary scientific benefits to each field program in addition to minimizing logistical costs. Similar simultaneous measurements at ASCOS and ISAPIE would provide spatial variability data during the late summer. This proposed field program will provide 1) short-term, detailed measurements at a point in a crucial but data-sparse region of the Arctic during the IPY, 2) a long-term legacy by developing long-term measurement methodologies and model improvements, and 3) a direct and substantial benefit to the ongoing SEARCH, CliC (Climate and Cryosphere), OASIS, and ASCOS programs.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The radiative, dynamic, and chemical processes producing the unique ice-atmosphere environment over the Arctic Ocean will be better understood, as will the likely roles of these processes in changing this environment. Methodologies to monitor key parameters with accuracies necessary to detect climatic change, to attribute responsibility to the processes causing this change, and to evaluate the role of anthropogenic sources in this change will result, leaving a long-term legacy through development of long-term measurement methodologies and climate model improvements.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The consortium of 19 scientists directly involved in ISAPIE represents the United States and Sweden. Through collaboration with the OASIS and ASCOS programs, scientist from 14 additional countries will be involved.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Proposed drift starting points include the Beaufort Gyre, the Chukchi Sea, and the East Siberian Sea. The latter is preferable for some but may present more difficult logistics. Ideally, the camp will drift towards the North Pole during the 13 months, though it is unlikely to reach it.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: Ice Drift: 08/2007 – 10/2008            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Facilities required include: ice-breaker, ice-strengthened research ship, ship recovery of buoys, helicopters, fixed wing transport aircraft, fuel depots, multi-instrumented platforms, ice drilling capability, snow terrain vehicles, new field station, radars, remotely operated vehicle (through coordination with AV Explorers), and satellites. Resource sharing with collocated projects (e.g., OASIS) is anticipated.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
ISAPIE will leave improved automated buoys for measurements of surface energy budget and mass balance components. An equally important legacy will be more accurate, integrated, long-term, surface energy flux measurement methodologies based on surface, satellite and AUV measurements; improved understanding of pack ice physical processes; and improvements in climate models.

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

The significant amount of logistical support needs to be secured through collaboration between different projects needing a year-long, manned, pack ice measurement platform and the agencies funding these projects. This requires significant interagency and international cooperation at both the scientific level and the funding agency level.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Being considered. This expression of interest is in the process of being considered by the U.S. National Committee for the IPY.

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?
New
While this is a new autonomous proposal, the objectives and fieldwork requirements are such that it fits extremely well with and is easily linked to the OASIS program and some objectives of the ASCOS program and several IPY submissions from NOAA organizations.

How will the project be organised and managed?
A Scientific Steering Committee will be established to oversee the scientific planning and to interact with collaborating projects such as OASIS. An ISAPIE project office will be established at a participating institution (e.g, University of Colorado) to oversee the logistics and communications.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Participating universities will train graduate students through fieldwork and data analysis. The ISAPIE Project Office and individual projects will develop web pages and K-12 outreach programs to present the motivation, progress and general results of the project. Scientific results will be presented at conferences and in peer-reviewed literature.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
ISAPIE will follow the IPY 2007-2008 data and information management policy, submit information and data in a timely fashion, and comply with other relevant IPY 2007-2008 data and information management policy. ISAPIE may request funds to involve JOSS in handling the data management and dissemination.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
It is anticipated that funding will be requested during 2005 from the U. S. National Science Foundation and possibly other U.S funding agencies (e.g., NOAA).

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The 19 participants of ISAPIE are linked through their scientific needs to access the ice pack environment on either a year-round basis or during deep winter, and through the synergistic nature of their measurements. Several other IPY submitted projects, such as OASIS, have similar needs. Because of the combined needs of the many IPY projects and the valuable scientific legacy a year-round ice drift would provide, we strongly encourage the IPY committee to recommend such an endeavour and the various funding agencies to provide the international coordination of resources to make it possible.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Ola Persson
Campus Box 216
University of Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
80309-0216
USA

Tel: 303-497-5078
Mobile:
Fax: 303-497-6101
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information