Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #97:Ocean-Atmosphere-Sea Ice-Snowpack (OASIS) Interactions  (OASIS)

Outline
OASIS is an internationally collaborative effort involving, to date, Arctic researchers from Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S., and is open to participation by people from all nations. The objectives of OASIS are to determine the importance of OASIS chemical, physical and biological exchange processes on tropospheric chemistry, the cryosphere, and the marine environment, and their feedback mechanisms in the context of a changing climate. To reach the goals of OASIS it will be essential to undertake studies in the harsh and changing environment of the Arctic Ocean. IPY represents a unique opportunity to develop new initiatives that enable the community to do the best science, made possible by an international approach to logistics and experimentation. During IPY (2007 – 2008), we propose to: 1. Establish a network of Arctic Ocean buoys that will enable year-round measurements of ozone, related chemical species, and supporting meteorological variables. This work is aimed at filling major gaps in our knowledge of the physical and chemical variables involved with Arctic Ocean surface ozone and mercury depletion. The network will be organized in close cooperation with the International Arctic Buoy Project and the proposed Arctic Ocean Observing System. In addition, coordination is envisaged with the satellite remote sensing community involved with measurements of halogen oxides, sea surface characteristics, and other chemical and physical parameters. 2. Conduct ice camp studies of OASIS chemical exchange., Chemical species will include DMS, CO2, VOCs, O3, Hg, RGM, and particulate phase Hg, POPs (persistent organic pollutants), halogen oxides and molecular halogens, OVOCs (carbonyls and carboxylic acids), organo-halogen compounds, snow-phase ions, snow, ice and ocean bacteria and micro-algae, and aerosols. Cloud optical properties and general meteorological parameters will be measured. The impact on, and by, the physical state of the ocean-sea ice atmosphere (OSA) will be the dynamic and thermodynamic forcing of this system. In addition to this field work, OASIS will 3. Conduct supporting laboratory studies of chemical and physical processes relevant to snow, ice, gas, and aerosol phase photochemistry and chemical exchange processes 4. Develop and apply 1D and 3D models of OASIS exchange and associated atmospheric chemistry and cloud physics impacts, in association with scientists involved with 1-3 above. The background, internationally vetted Science Plan, and future Implementation Plan for OASIS can be obtained at: http://www.chem.purdue.edu/arctic/OASISHomePage.htm

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
OASIS will directly address themes 1 through 4 with important connections to the health of northern peoples (theme 6). 1) Status: OASIS will provide critical information on how the changing marine cryosphere is affecting chemical processes across the OSA interface. 2) Change: OASIS will elucidate the sources, sinks, and transport processes coupling southern contaminant inputs to northern effects. Futhermore critical information on how sea ice moderates carbon fluxes across the OSA will be obtained. 3) Linkages: OASIS will examine teleconnections in meteorology and chemical/contaminant fluxes associated with changes in sea ice. 4) New frontiers: Little is known about physical/chemical processes associated with sea ice (the principal focus of OASIS). 6) Human societies: Resilience and sustainability of northern peoples is intimately connected to the marine ecosystem and contaminants.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
OASIS involves international, interdisciplinary collaboration from a large group of scientists. At this time, participants come from Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S. OASIS is endorsed by the international IGBP programs SOLAS and IGAC (project Air-Ice-Chemical Interactions).

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
(1) An Arctic Ocean-wide surface network will be established in collaboration with the IABP and AOOS programs. (2) A year long ice camp study will be conducted from an ice breaker that will be frozen well removed from the coastal zone in the Arctic ice sheet at a location yet to be determined. Possible locations include the Beaufort Sea gyre, the circumarctic basin flaw lead system and the North Pole. In addition, OASIS will endeavour to participate in other polar research cruises, and temporary ice floe studies during IPY.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: Network: 05/07 – open ended      Frozen icebreaker 08/07 – 08/08      Polar research cruises, ice floe studies tbd
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Ice-breaker Multi-instrumented platforms Snow terrain vehicles Ice strengthened research ship Helicopters Existing field stations Remotely Operated Vehicle Fixed wing geophysical aircraft New field station Ice-tethered buoys, Fixed wing transport aircraft, Observatories Satellites, Fuel depots, Radars, Ice drilling capability, (b) (1)integrated with IABP and AOOS. Fully shared (2)year-long ice camp: research ice-breaker (proposed candidate: CCGS Amundsen). This can and will be shared with other IPY projects that will benefit from a year-long campaign over the frozen ocean, well removed from the Arctic coastal waters. It is envisaged that other projects will play a large role in addressing the OASIS objectives.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The chemistry observing network will continue indefinitely beyond the IPY time frame. The aim is to obtain a long term dataset of chemical measurements over the frozen ocean that will be essential for future climate change assessment studies

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

Funds will be required to support a Canadian Contribution to the field logistics (icebreaker) as well as funds to support field work, students, and analysis. Significant funds will be brought into this collaboration from other sources in Canada (e.g., government, university, foundation, etc).

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
By IGBP programs IGAC and SOLAS; pending from LOICZ. Through two international workshops in November 2002 (US-NSF sponsored) and January 2005 (Italian-CNR sponsored) leading to development of OASIS Science and Implementation Plans. Endorsement by IPY National Committees in progress. Coordination with AMAP in progress. This pre-proposal has been reviewed and is being submitted by the Canadian Steering Committee (CSC). Ongoing discussions will integrate this pre-proposal into a larger network of related national and international initiatives. The CSC has initially sorted this pre-proposal into: THEME: Education, Outreach & Communication SUB-THEME: Variability and change in the Canadian Cryosphere

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?
No
The field campaigns described here form two critical components in the context of the overall OASIS objective.

How will the project be organised and managed?
OASIS will be managed by a coordinating office, which will be established for this purpose alone with financial contributions from European and North American sponsoring agencies. It will be managed by a member of the Executive committee, and have offices in Europe (Rome) and North America (location to be determined). With estimated contributions and participations from > 200 scientists world-wide, the coordinator will • Coordinate writing efforts • Communicate between Executive Committee and all partners on all questions • Coordinate proposal activities with the goal of maximum networking • Organize meetings, workshops, etc. • Organize field sites, platforms, etc locally • Be a resource center/exchange for logistics • Communicate with funding agencies • Present OASIS at international meetings

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
* public media opportunities aboard the icebreaker. * international (under)graduate student program geared towards engaging the next generation scientists in northern physical/chemical process. * engagement of Northern communities through community visits (where possible) and bilateral exchange of northern peoples as advisors and wildlife observers aboard the icebreaker during the overwintering experiment.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
Data repositories will be maintained at the European and North American network offices, integrating all physical and chemical data collected as part of field experiments, laboratory studies, and modelling results. Data policies will follow IGBP guidelines and will be made available as part of a legacy data repository from OASIS.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Through National funding agencies from the countries of origin of the participants.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Recent Canadian networks in the polar regions have focuses on physical-biological coupling (e.g., JGOFS, NOW, CASES). These experiments have provided much needed information on the changes occurring within the marine cryosphere to current and projected changes in snow and sea ice geophysics. OASIS fills the critical gap focusing on physical-chemical coupling and the response of this coupling to the observed changes occurring within the snow/sea ice system.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Jan Bottenheim
Environment Canada, Meteorological Service of Canada(DOE/MSC/ACSD/ARQD/ARQM)
4905 Dufferin Street
Toronto, Ontario
M3H 5T4
Canada

Tel: 416-739-4838
Mobile:
Fax: 416-739-5704
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information