Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

An Array of Ice-Tethered Profilers to Observe the Arctic Ocean  (An Array of Arctic ITPs)

Outline
The polar oceans, due to their ice cover and the associated logistical difficulties it presents, are poorly sampled in comparison to the temperate seas. This observational gap represents a critical shortcoming of the envisioned "global" ocean observing system. Beyond a geographic gap, this lack of data inhibits advances in understanding critical climate processes such as the major fresh water anomalies that intermittently appear in the subpolar North Atlantic causing profound changes in deep convection, water mass modification, and possibly the meridional overturning circulation. Several researchers have implicated the Arctic as the source of these fresh water anomalies (via sea ice and/or low upper-ocean salinities) but the observational evidence is sketchy, verification data for models is limited, and theoretical understanding is incomplete. With NSF support, WHOI investigators have developed and field tested an automated, easily-deployed Ice-Tethered Profiler (ITP; http://www.whoi.edu/itp) capable of returning daily high-vertical-resolution measurements of upper ocean temperature and salinity in the Arctic Ocean (to 800 m depth) during all seasons over a three year lifetime. The ITP transmits data in near-real time (and so is immediately available to the public) and is low-cost, allowing systems to be considered expendable (thus alleviating the need for expensive recovery operations). An array of 20-30 ITPs spanning the ice-covered Arctic Ocean and returning ~daily profiles of ocean temperature and salinity is an achievable goal for the IPY. Such an array would continuously supply information between manned field operations and provide a large-scale context for more local observations. Moreover, an ongoing ITP array would be an ideal legacy of the IPY by providing a temporal context for the observations obtained in 2007-2008. This concept for an Arctic array of ITPs is synergistic with two other ideas to be suggested independently: Arctic acoustic tomography and free-drifting profiling floats. ITPs could be equipped with acoustic receivers to greatly expand the spatial resolution of a tomographic sampling program. And drifting profiling floats could be used to expand the array equatorward into the regions of seasonal ice cover. In combination, these three measurement systems could provide unprecedented temporal and spatial coverage of the Arctic Ocean during the IPY and beyond.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
This project will advance the IPY “status’ theme by determining the current state of the temperature and salinity structure of the upper Arctic Ocean under perennial sea ice, the “change” theme through comparison with the historical record, and the “global linkages” theme by supplying information to investigate Arctic connections to North Atlantic freshwater anomalies.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
International collaboration will be a necessary requirement for determining the placement of the ITP array, for installing the systems throughout the Arctic, and for assimilating the data into relevant process studies and models.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The field operations will be conducted throughout the entire perennial ice pack region of the Arctic Ocean.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 03/07-02/09 (and beyond)            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Deployment of the ITPs may be conducted either from ice camps or icebreakers, and these resources can by shared with other IPY projects.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The 3 year lifetime of ITPs exceeds the duration of the IPY timeframe, so that the systems will continue observing beyond the IPY.

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

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Development of the ITP has been supported by the National Science Foundation. International workshops have endorsed the concept of observing the Arctic ocean using ice-tethered platforms.

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
Plans are pending to implement a skeleton array of ITPs in the Arctic prior to the IPY, but realization of a full array during IPY would require an additional effort.

How will the project be organised and managed?
In consultation with the Arctic research community, we will develop the plan for establishing and maintaining the array of ITP's contributing to an Arctic Ocean sustained observing system.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
We will craft a web site devoted to the project that will follow the project evolution from concept to real-time data reception, provide technical information on the ITP instrument, host public access to the recovered data, and present designs for the ocean-scale array to the Arctic research community and accept recommendations

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
At least two levels of ITP data reporting will be provided: real time information for scientific and operational needs, and a higher level of derived products. These products will be distributed on the ITP website and will be made available for archiving at national and world data centers.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
A combination of ongoing research grants and new proposals to national funding agencies will be required to fund the project.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr John Toole
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
MailStop 21
Woods Hole, MA
02543-1541
USA

Tel: 508-289-2531
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Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information