Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

The Thermal State of Permafrost: A U.S. Contribution to the International Network of Permafrost Observatories (INPO)  (US TSP)

Outline
The International Permafrost Association’s project Thermal State of Permafrost (TSP) will measure temperatures in existing and new boreholes over a fixed time period to provide a “snapshot” of permafrost temperatures in both time and space. There is currently no global database that defines the thermal state of permafrost within a specific time period. Existing temperature measurements were obtained at various depths and periods over five or more decades. These temperatures have changed at different rates in different regions (permafrost zones occupy 25% of the ice-free lands of Planet Earth). The acquired temperature data set will serve as a baseline to assess the rate of change of near-surface permafrost temperatures and permafrost boundaries, to validate climate model scenarios, and for temperature reanalysis. TSP, a component of the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P), addresses broader concerns related to a warming Earth and the attendant societal issues in the high-latitudes and mountain regions. The GTN-P presently consists of more than 425 candidate boreholes including the PACE network (Permafrost and Climate in Europe) and some of the 125 sites in the Circumpolar Active Layer Network (GTN-P/CALM) network. TSP will serve as the basis for the development of an International Network of Permafrost Observatories (INPO). In Alaska, two major series of boreholes exist within the GTN-P with observations dating back to the 1980s, and for some locations back to the 1950s: (1) the U.S. Geological Survey deep boreholes (>125 m) and (2) the University of Alaska’s intermediate boreholes (<100m). The U.S. TSP programme will link the Alaskan boreholes (presently 66) with similar sets of observations in other countries; and in so doing will formally initiate the INPO. Approximately 10 new boreholes are proposed for the Alaska network. Objectives of the U.S. TSP project are: Objective 1: Upgrade, maintain and acquire data from the Alaskan networks of permafrost observatories during the period 2005 to 2009. Objective 2: Participate in the acquisition and management of a comparable set of data from other regional observatories. Objective 3: Participate in the planning and implementation of the International Network of Permafrost Observatories (INPO). Objective 4: Encourage the development of a new generation of permafrost specialists through international educational and research centers and programmes. Objective 5: Report initial results at the Ninth International Conference on Permafrost (June 2008, Fairbanks), at the 33rd International Geological Congress (Oslo, August 2008), and SCAR and other conferences in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the IPY.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The acquired permafrost temperatures and related data sets will serve as a “snapshot” for the establishment of a baseline against which to assess future changes in permafrost, to validate climate model scenarios, and provide data for reanalysis of past ground temperature (Themes 1 and 2). The recent Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) reported renewed concerns that enhanced thawing or degradation of permafrost has major impacts on infrastructures and coastal processes and local communities (Theme 6). Many of these issues will be addressed in future IPCC assessments and TSP results will provide authoritative documentation on existing conditions and changes.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Russia is a major partner in the proposed US TSP project. The U.S. is a founding member of the IPA, an affiliated organization of IUGS and IGU. The project contributes to CliC (WCRP), GTN-P (WMO and FAO) and the SCAR Expert Group on Permafrost.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The Alaska deep boreholes are located in northern Alaska (NPRA and adjacent State lands). Most of the University of Alaska holes are located along roads Alaska and from Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks. TSP regions include Arctic, Subarctic, lower latitude mountains and plateaus, and the Antarctic and subantarctc islands.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 05/06 – 12/08            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Helicopter support is required for sites in NPRA to service climate stations and log the deep boreholes. Additional boreholes (<100m) at several new locations (includingToolik LTER) or adjacent to existing sites are planned. We will encourage drilling a borehole in the contiguous U.S. Rockies (Niwot LTER).

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
TSP seeks to establish the International Network of Permafrost Observatories on lands that are protected from human disturbances. Therefore, permafrost temperatures obtained in the future decades will reflect natural change in the environment. Examples are the permafrost observatories located at Barrow and the Toolik, Bonanza Creek and Niwot LTERs.

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

Ideally, federal and state agencies will sponsor the activities and provide logistics. New boreholes will require a funded drilling contractor. Industry support will be requested for specific tasks.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
An international TSP document has been submitted by IPA to ICSU/WMO. All IPA members have been asked to include reference to TSP in their own IPY activities. The TSP was approved by the IPA Council in 2003 and is incorporated into activities of the SCAR Expert Group on Permafrost and Periglacial Environments.

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

Boreholes temperature measurements have been ongoing at these sites since the 1980s, and at some as early as 1950s. TSP can be considered an extension of the WMO/GCOS and FAO/GTOS networks under GTN-P; but is a stand-alone project designed to commemorate the IPY and the International Year of Planet Earth.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The investigators listed in 4.0 will form a technical team to insure field and data coordination both in Alaska and internationally with the IPA TSP activities. A member of the NSF-funded CALM project will be part of the team since active layer observations at many sites are co-shared. Within IPA there are several working groups and data activities that have common interests in TSP (U.S. participants include: Roger Barry, F. E, Nelson and V. E. Romanovsky). Workshops at national and international conferences will be used to develop and track U.S. and international project plans.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
We are committed to encourage a new generation of permafrost researchers. U.S. proposals include provisions for PhD candidates and post doc positions. International collaborative field sites and student exchanges are being developed (e.g. Tyumen State University, Siberia, and UNIS in Svalbard). The USPA and IPA web sites provide current information.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
In the U.S. borehole data sets will be archived at NSIDC with an initial “Legacy CD” planned for the 2008 NICOP. The GTN-P web site at the Geological Survey of Canada (www.gtnp.org) is the primary location for borehole metadata. TSP borehole data will be submitted periodically to the GTN-P web.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
A Geophysical Institute proposal has been NSF for support of long-term permafrost observatories in Alaska and selected sires in Russia. We are coordinating with NASA’s NEESPI program for additional collaborative efforts in Russia. There is an IPA planning request pending for international travel with the IUGS.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The following are available Alaska boreholes: USGS: 21 holes (200-900 m deep) with permafrost between 200 to 400 m thick. UAF/Geophysical Institute (GI): 22 holes between 30 and 80 m deep. UAF/GI/International Arctic Research Center: 6 holes at Barrow between 10 and 50 m deep and one hole at Gakona (30 m) and Fox (18 m). UAF/ Water and Environmental Research Center: 16 holes between 10 and 30 m deep. Plans are to drill additional holes below the depth of zero amplitude in order to reconstruct longer thermal histories and observe decadal variations.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Vladimir Romanovsky
Geophysical Institute
University of Alaska
99775-7320
USA

Tel: 1 907 474 7459
Mobile: no
Fax: 1 907 474 7290
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation