Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

The Davis Strait Arctic Gateway: Ocean Circulation and West Greenland Climate Change since the Last Glacial Maximum  (Davis Strait Arctic Gateway (DASAG))

Outline
The freshwater balance in the Polar region has been identified as a major driver of the global climate system. Low-salinity Polar Water from the Arctic Ocean enters the North Atlantic via two major current systems, i.e. the East Greenland Current and the Baffin - Labrador Current, and it directly affects sea-surface conditions in the northern Labrador Sea. Sea-surface conditions in the Davis Strait Arctic Gateway are also influenced by melt-water from the Greenland Inland Ice. As one of the major areas of deep-water formation, the Labrador Sea is an important component of the present-day North Atlantic thermohaline circulation (THC). Generally, enhanced freshwater fluxes will favour sea-ice formation and lead to a reduction of deep-water convection, and the Labrador Sea is particularly sensitive to freshwater forcing. Models suggest that, with future global warming LSW formation will cease. It is our purpose to reconstruct sea-surface conditions and deep-water circulation variability in the Baffin Bay - Labrador Sea region off the coast of West Greenland in relation to climate change since and during the Last Glacial Maximum. Particular attention will be given to the West Greenland sea-ice and iceberg environment and possible linkages with the THC. Further focus will be on the observed feature of an air temperature "seesaw" between (south)west Greenland and northwest Europe, with special reference to the Younger Dryas and major Holocene climatic episodes and anomalies as the '8.2 ka cold event' and Thermal Maximum. A multi-disciplinary approach using a variety of proxy data will address links between sea-surface conditions, iceberg/melt-water production, deep-water circulation and (rapid) climate change at sub-centennial time scales since and during the Last Glacial Maximum. The specific objectives of the project are to investigate: • deepwater/LSW flow fluctuations with particular focus on the Younger Dryas and 8.2 ka cold event • regional sea-surface conditions with specific attention to the Younger Dryas, 8.2 ka cold event, HTM, and Medieval Warm Period/Little Ice Age • major IRD/iceberg drift/meltwater events with a detailed study of the Holocene history of the Jakobshavn Isfjord iceberg production at Disko Bugt. • the links between climate events recorded onshore Greenland and open ocean circulation in the Davis Strait Arctic gateway • the relationship between maritime climate in the Baffin Bay - Labrador Sea region and northwest Europe (temperature "seesaw") .

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Significant advances from this project will be an enhanced understanding of the role of melt-water outflow from Greenland and further knowledge of the role of the Davis Strait oceanic gateway. This gateway is crucial for freshwater (Polar water) export from the Arctic towards the Labrador Sea, where modelling shows deep-water formation being more sensitive to freshwater input than found for the Greenland Sea. It will enhance the understanding of climatic and oceanographic changes occurring in the Arctic within the last approximately 25.000 years and their link to the global climate system.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The research will be carried out by a team of scientists and students from several countries, including Denmark, Norway, Germany, The Netherlands and China.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The study area is the northern Labrador Sea – Davis Strait –Baffin Bay area, 60-80 °N, 50-60 °W.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Fieldwork facilities, i.e. research vessel shiptime and ice-based sediment coring operations as well as laboratory resources will be shared with other projects (e.g. UK NERC, Durham University; NL NWO Amsterdam University proposal)

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
As a contribution to APEX this project may continue beyond IPY as a European Science Foundation activity of international research in polar regions. A comparable model was previously advocated by PONAM and QUEEN. The infrastructure legacy will include intellectual advances, institutional collaboration, and training of the next generation of scientists.

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

If granted by NERC, part of the logistics will be coordinated with Durham University (Jakobshavn Isbrae project)

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
This falls within the national IPY propriety “Arctic Climate – Variability, Change and Impact. The Danish IPY committee has been contacted.

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

DASAG (“Davis Strait Arctic Gateway”) will be under the umbrella of APEX (IPY 183). APEX plans to act as a catalyst towards the development of a holistic understanding of Arctic's role in the global climate system, thus making significant advances within IPY Themes 1-3. APEX will investigate scientifically unexplored areas of the Arctic (Theme 4). An improved understanding of the palaeoclimate and its extremes are important to improve and test prognostic climatic models, which are used to predict living conditions (incl. economics, fishing, sea routes etc.) in the Arctic regions and, thus, contribute to advances regarding IPY Themes 5 and 6.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The umbrella for our proposal will be the IPY proposal 183 ‘APEX’. APEX is also an initiative for a new ESF programme, which is planned to run over the usual 5-yr term of ESF programmes and thus beyond the IPY. The proposed APEX Steering Committee consists of one representative from each of the participating countries. The Steering Committee will organize workshops and publications in special volumes of peer-review journals. The administrative work will mainly be carried out by the chairman and an appointed secretary. Project management of DASAG is carried out by Antoon Kuijpers and Marit-Solveig Seidenkrantz (Denmark).

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The research team will include Master- and Ph.D. students. Results will be presented at international conferences, in peer-reviewed journals and in papers and lectures for broad audiences. Our results and project information will also be displayed on an APEX webpage hosted at Stockholm University (see IPY proposal 183).

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Data management will be structured within the APEX initiative

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Danish Natural Science Research Council (FNU) – funding has been provided.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Paleoceanographic data interpretation will be done with the help of information from modern oceanographic investigations in the area as, for instance, carried out in Davis Strait by the University of Washington (US) and Labrador Sea (Kiel University).

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Antoon Kuijpers
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
Øster Voldgade 10, Copenhagen
1350
Denmark

Tel: +45 3814 2367
Mobile: no
Fax: +45 3814 2050
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation