Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Temperate ice caps in changing climates  (Temperate ice caps in changing climates)

Outline
Iceland is located just below the Arctic Circle, but natural science research in the country is often considered to be within the scope of Arctic studies. About 10% of the surface area of Iceland is covered by temperate ice caps, situated in an area of maritime climate in the middle of the main track of low pressure systems across the North-Atlantic Ocean. The ice caps are strongly affected by climate variations in the North-Atlantic Region, and their potential as archives of climatic and volcanic history has been assessed in recent pilot projects. Several studies indicate that atmospheric signals can be retrieved from ice cores drilled on polythermal and temperate ice caps on Svalbard, in Patagonia, and in Iceland, in spite of periodical melting in their accumulation areas. Within the framework of IPY activities, we propose to carry out the following activities in the years 2005-2008: In the pre-IPY phase (2005-2006), the construction of a new ice core drill specifically designed for drilling in temperate ice will be completed. A drilling test will be carried out on the summit of Bardarbunga (2000 m a.s.l.), with the aim of retrieving a 100 m core covering the second half of the 20th century. Dating will be accomplished by dust measurements, and oxygen isotope analysis will allow studies of the temporal relationship between O-18 concentrations and air temperature at high elevations in Iceland. In the IPY phase (2007-2008), a 300 m ice core will be drilled to bedrock at the summit of the Hofsjökull ice cap, Central Iceland. Modelling studies indicate that a 500 year record of climate-related parameters may be retrieved at this site, and such a record would be likely to provide new impetus to the study of recent climatic changes in the North Atlantic Region. The study of the ice core will also focus on the physical properties of temperate ice and on the local and global dust fluxes in the region. The ice-core data derived from the projects outlined above will provide new input for models predicting the response of glaciers and ice caps to projected future climate changes. Such research is of importance within Iceland in connection with studies of changes in river runoff affecting the utilization of hydropower, and also internationally due to the effect of increased glacier ablation on worldwide sea level rise. It is hoped that the IPY activities will provide new impetus to glaciological studies in Iceland, utilizing already existing networks of collaboration between Icelandic research institutes and their international partners and leading to the formation of new collaborative ties.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Theme #2: The major aim of the project is to establish an annually resolved record of precipitation and temperature variation proxies in the Central Highlands of Iceland, covering the last 500 years. The data would advance our knowledge of recent climate variations in the North Atlantic region on decadal and centurial timescales, several centuries beyond the period covered by instrumental records. Theme #4: The proposed project on Hofsjökull would result in one of the first ice core drillings through a temperate ice cap. New knowledge of the internal structure of temperate ice masses can be expected from this work. Data from the Bardarbunga core will help estimate the input of atmospherically transported material into subglacial lakes beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Collaboration with leading ice core laboratories in Europe have already been established in pilot studies in recent years. Advanced core processing facilities at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven are available for project members. The Glaciology Department at the University of Copenhagen and the Arctic Centre in Rovaniemi, Finland have expressed interest in cooperation.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Field activities will be concentrated on the most promising ice core drilling sites in Iceland: the summit of the Hofsjökull ice cap (1790 m a.s.l.) and the interior region of the ice-filled volcanic caldera in Bardarbunga (2000 m a.s.l.). Associated projects will be carried out in the vicinity of these two sites.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 06/2006      06/2007      06/2008
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
The capacity for ice core drilling and on-site logging and packing of ice cores is a prerequisite. A new drill is expected to become operational in 2005. Excellent ice core processing facilities and a variety of measurement techniques are available at the Alfred Wegener Instittute in Bremerhaven.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The project will lead to new developments in ice core drilling on temperate ice masses. Moreover, the project calls for the use of efficient methods for handling, logging, and transporting ice cores from near-zero temperatures at the drilling sites to freezer storage. The lessons learned will be presented to the larger community at meetings and in publications.

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

Glaciological research in Iceland has for decades relied on logistic support provided by the Icelandic Glaciological Society. The upcoming projects have already been endorsed by the Society and other bodies, which have a vested interest in these studies. Ice core processing facilities in Germany are available.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
The Icelandic Centre for Research and the US National Geographic Society have provided startup funding for pilot drillings and for the construction of a new drill in 2001-2004. Facilities for core processing have been made readily available at institutes in Germany and Denmark, and fruitful collaborative ties with Finnish and US scientists have been established.

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?
yes
The project is essentially an expansion of an existing activity, which fits very well with the major aims of IPY. The ice core drilling project will be closely tied to a new US-Icelandic research effort in Iceland, aiming to sample the subglacial lakes beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap for biological studies.

How will the project be organised and managed?
Participants in the proposed project have already worked together on core drilling and processing and a procedure for sharing organisational responsibilities is already in place. The lead contact will organise interaction with collaborators in other countries

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Participants in the project will work together with the National IPY Committee and others in bringing information to students and the general public in lectures, media and exhibitions.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
Within Iceland, results will be stored in a data bank on hydrology and glaciology operated by the Hydrological Service of the National Energy Authority. The data will also be deposited in the paleoclimate section of the National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, USA.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Funding will be sought from the Icelandic Centre for Research and other national bodies which provide support for glaciological studies in Iceland. Possibilities for participation in EU funded paleoclimate and glaciology projects will be actively pursued. The lead contact is a co-investigator on a project run by the NASA Astrobiology Institute and possibilities for contributions from this program are being investigated.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The lead contact submitted two research ideas to the IPY office in 2004. This Expression of Interest is focused on one of these ideas, which outlines plans for the drilling and analysis of ice cores from temperate ice caps in Iceland. The project will be closely tied with activities outlined in the other research idea, which focussed on studies of subglacial lakes beneath the ice caps in Iceland. The subglacial lake study is highly relevant for IPY as an Arctic counterpart to planned research on Antarctic subglacial lakes.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr  Thorsteinn Thorsteinsson
Hydrological Service, National Energy Authority
Grensasvegi 9
Reykjavik
IS-108
Iceland

Tel: +354 569 6000
Mobile:
Fax: +354 568 8896
Email:

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Other Information