Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Arctic Ocean Warming in the past  (WARMPAST)

Outline
The overall goal of this initiative is to advance our knowledge of climate warming in the Arctic, by studying past climate change. We will mainly focus on the ocean circulation and climate in the Fram Strait and Barents Sea-Svalbard continental margin. The present climate in the Arctic shows signs of rapid change with decreasing sea ice cover and increasing sea temperature of the Atlantic Water. The implications of this warming is highly uncertain, as modelling experiments projecting temperatures for the next 100 years show a large scatter at high northern latitudes.The project will include the following modules (M): M1 Rapid changes in the Atlantic Water inflow through the Fram Strait, M2 Ice sheet/glacier response to warming, M3 Improving ocean temperature and sea-ice proxies (ST); M4 Climate modelling.M1: Periods in the past during which the climate was instable and reached warmer conditions than today: a) Marine isotope stage (MIS) 12/11, b) MIS 6/5, c) Younger Dryas/Holocene climate optimum and d) Last millennium. SST will be quantified using a multidisciplinary approach, combining faunal/floral based transfer functions and geochemical tracers. For the last millennium climate will be investigated in both marine sediments, lake sediments and ice cores from Svalbard as well as the relationship between climate and human activities. M2: Implications of climate warming for growth and decay of ice sheets and tide water glaciers, and its effect on ice stream dynamics in the Barents Sea and the Svalbard margin.M3: Reconstructions of SST < 5OC based both on transfer functions and geochemical tracers are subject to large uncertainties. This is partly due to incomplete modern training sets at high latitudes. We aim to improve modern analogue data on planktonic and benthic foraminifera, diatoms, dinocysts, foraminiferal Ca/Mg-ratios and oxygen and carbon isotopes. From the same proxies we will also develop transfer functions for sea ice.M4: An important motivation for attempting to simulate the climatic conditions of the past is that such experiments provide opportunities for evaluating how models respond to large changes in forcing.Combined with high resolution acoustic data, cores will be sampled from high resolution sediment fans off northern and western Spitsbergen, the Spitsbergen fjords and Barents Sea margin. Multi-core/box core surface samples >70ON in the NE Atlantic will be sampled. The project will include exchange programs and training courses for PhD students and young researchers.This expression of intent focus on research questions addressed by IGP-PAGES and CLIVAR.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
1) Processes and implications of climate warming in the Arctic2) Improved tools for reconstructing past climate in the Arctic3) Better understanding of the role of the Arctic for global warming4) Increased knowledge on the response of ice-sheet and local glaciers (growth, decay and dynamics) to climate warming 5) Improved capability to predict future climate change on shorter (decadal) and longer (> 100 years) time scales.6) Climatic change and its implications for human activities7) New generation of “climate specialists”

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
INSTAAR, University of Colorado, Boulder , USAAlfred Wegener Inst. GermanyIFM-GEOMAR GermanyUniversity of IcelandProf. Anne de Verna, GEOTOP, Université de Québec à Montréal, CanadaUniversity of St. Petersburg, Dept. Biology, RussiaUniversity of Vrije, Amsterdam, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, The NetherlandsNTNU-Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NorwayThe Univ. Tromsoe, NorwayThe University Courses on SvalbardThe Norwegian Polar Institute

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Combined with high resolution acoustic data (sparker, chirp sounder), cores will be sampled from high resolution sediment fans off northern and western Spitsbergen, the Spitsbergen fjords (in particular Kongsfjorden) and the Barents Sea margin. Undisturbed surface sediments will be sampled by multi-corer and/or box corer >70ON in the NE Atlantic.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: June/2007 – September/2007      June/2008 – September/2008      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Ice strengthened research vessel R/V Jan Mayen (UoT) and Lance (Norwegian Polar Institute)Sediment sampling: gravity corer, piston corer, box corer, multi corer, Acoustic survey: sparker, multibeam echo sounder, 3.5 kHz echo sounder, chrip sounder.; CTD, water samples. The cruises with R/V Jan Mayen will be shared with the IPY-project proposed by Andreassen & Vorren (UoT).The Norwegian marine biological laboratory in Ny Ålesund, Svalbard.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
A reference set of surface sediment samples from high latitudes.

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
Commercial operator
Own support
Other sources of support

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
The proposal will be submitted the national IPY committee of the participating countries.

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 Project ? YES Component of an existing or planned activity ?NO This is a new autonomous proposal. It will also contribute to the IPY initiatives CARE and APEX.

How will the project be organised and managed?
Coordinator: Morten Hald + project secretariat + data management at the UoT.The project will be organized in four modules, each with a module leaderCoordinator + module leaders will also act as a steering committee for the project.Annual project meetings; detailed plan for exchange of PhD students and scientists. The project will actively participate and suggest sessions at larger international meetings, e.g. AGU and EUG.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Arrange training courses for PhD and post Docs:Univ. Tromsoe: “Polar marine sedimentary environments” + “3-D Seismic Interpretation” Cf. http://uit.no/geologi/3590/One international conferenceMobility scholarship for PhDs and Post docs.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
Data management will be an integrated part of the four project modules and follow the standards of EU-projects. The producers are main responsible for quality control. Format, distribution and submission of data will be assisted by the project secretariat. The data will be submitted to well recognized global data centres.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
50 words maxEach participating institution will apply funding from their national research funding agencies.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Professor Morten Hald



N-9037
Norway

Tel: 4777644412
Mobile: 4797522982
Fax: 4777645600
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information