Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Synoptic ocean transects of trace elements and their isotopes in the Arctic Ocean. A contribution to the international GEOTRACES and SEARCH programs during IPY  (US GEOTRACES in the Arctic)

Outline
The marine biogeochemical community is developing a research plan to contribute to a new international research initiative (the GEOTRACES program), which aims to identify, characterize and quantify processes that control the distribution of key trace elements and isotopes (TEIs) in the global ocean and their sensitivity to changing environmental conditions in order to elucidate the supply of micronutrients, contaminant dispersal, and tracers of past and present ocean conditions. This initiative builds on recent advances in clean sampling protocols, analytical techniques, data assimilation, and modeling strategies, and is prompted by the increasing recognition that TEIs are playing a crucial role as regulators and recorders of important biogeochemical and physical processes that control the structure and productivity of marine ecosystems, the dispersion of contaminants in the marine environment, the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and global climate. The GEOTRACES program will consist of sampling detailed water column sections in all major ocean basins to establish the large scale distribution of selected TEIs in relation to more traditional hydrographic parameters. This information will be introduced into forward and inverse models to quantitatively evaluate the sources and sinks of the TEIs at the ocean interface with atmosphere, freshwater, ocean margins, mid-ocean ridges, and deep-sea sediments. This large scale sampling strategy will be complemented by process and time-series studies in strategically located regions to (1) more firmly establish their internal cycling within the ocean (physical transport, biological uptake and regeneration, chemical scavenging), (2) characterize more completely the physical, chemical and biological processes regulating their distributions, (3) develop geochemical proxies for reconstructing the evolution of these processes from the sediment record, and (4) assess their sensitivity to and role in global change. A number of the tracers of interest in the GEOTRACES program have yet to be measured in the Arctic but have great promise for providing entirely new perspectives regarding the Arctic system just as it is undergoing significant change. Integration of a detailed study of the distribution and cycling of key TEIs [such as micronutrients (Fe, Cu, Zn, Co etc.), source tracers (Ba, Al, Mn, isotopes of Nd, Hf, Fe, Mo, Cd, Re etc.), natural (Th, Ra, 231Pa, 10Be, 7Be, 210Po, 210Pb, etc. ) and artificial radioisotopes (239/240Pu, 137Cs, 129I, 99Tc, etc.) documenting removal and transport processes, contaminants (Hg, Pb, Ag, Sn etc.)] into a multidisciplinary program aimed at investigating the rapid environmental changes occurring today in the Arctic Ocean (iAOOS: integrated Arctic Ocean Observing System), will uniquely contribute to further documenting and elucidating the causes and consequences of on-going changes in sea ice cover, primary production, food web structure, carbon flux, hydrography, circulation, shelf-basin exchange and river discharge in this important oceanic region.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Theme 1: Determination of present day distribution and biogeochemical cycles of key TEIs providing unique insights into changes in circulation, hydrography, sea ice movement, ecosystem structure, carbon cycle, greenhouse gas emission, contaminant dispersal and their interactions in the Arctic Ocean. Theme 2: Ground-truth of existing geochemical paleoceanographic proxies and development of new ones specifically for the Arctic environment for reconstructing past changes in the processes and factors listed under theme 1; Providing a baseline for subsequent studies of Arctic change. Theme 3: Arctic GEOTRACES will be integrated within the global GEOTRACES program, which will also cover sub-polar and low latitude regions of the ocean. Theme 4: Use and further development of state-of-the-art sampling, analytical, data reduction and modelling techniques to systematically study and retrieve information from seawater TEIs.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
GEOTRACES is an international project under development, which has been initiated by an international consortium of scientists (Organizing Committee: R. Anderson, USA; R. Francois, Canada; M. Frank, Germany; G. Henderson, UK; C. Jeandel, France; M. Sharma, USA). A science plan is being written by a larger group of scientists with funding from SCOR (ICSU) and will be available in January 2005. Anticipated Arctic collaborations within IPY are with SPACE (Germany), SNAPSHOT and SEARCH (USA), international Shelf Basin Exchanges (SBE), Ocean Fluxes and Flows (CA), CAMES (CA), coordinated in iAOOS (coordinator R. Dickson, UK). It would also be appropriate for the GEOTRACES to participate in river sampling efforts where feasible.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Multiple transects across the major Arctic shelves and basins as per the umbrella proposal iAOOS (integrated Arctic Ocean Observing System), which includes SNAPSHOT/SPACE/SEARCH and proposes a synoptic and interdisciplinary study of the Arctic Ocean. Also to include trans-Arctic sections not shown there.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 03/07 – 10/07      03/08 – 10/08      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Ice-breakers, ice strengthened research ships, remotely operated vehicles, satellites, Nuclear submarine (water samples through intake), aircraft piggy-backing on existing logistics such as for the NPEO

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
No

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

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
This program will be reviewed by the national IPY steering committees of the US, Canada, Germany, Norway, Spain and other countries with ARCTIC-GEOTRACES participants. We anticipate approval of the international GEOTRACES Science Plan by SCOR and ICSU in Summer 2005

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?


The work proposed here will be integrated in the international GEOTRACES program. It will also be coordinated with the SEARCH program as it will provide a basis for Addressing the objectives of that program.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The national GEOTRACES committees will work in close association with the international GEOTRACES Scientific Steering Committee, which will oversee an International Program Office (IPO) and a Data Management System. The US Arctic component will also coordinate with the SEARCH Scientific Steering Committee.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
One of the central objectives of the GEOTRACES program is education, building and maintaining a core community of marine scientists who understand and are able to integrate the chemical, physical and biological processes regulating the distribution and properties of TEIs well enough to exploit them reliably in future interdisciplinary studies. Outreach and communication will be conducted through various media outlets, internet, brochures and by promoting school participation through interactive distance learning websites. The US Arctic component would hope to involve teachers through a program like TREC as this would not only make good use of resources in reaching a wider audience but also providing labor to accomplish the sampling task.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Data management for this project will be handled through the international GEOTRACES Data Assembly Center under the supervision of a Data Management Committee, which will handle data from all countries participating in the GEOTRACES program. The Arctic component will conform to what emerges as a data management strategy for the NSF Arctic Division for the IPY and related efforts (SEARCH, etc). This will likely entail submission to appropriate data centers through which long term archival will be arranged and well as coordination through a porthole entity. If the NSF OCE Chemical Oceanography Division funds or co-funds efforts, then the program will conform to its expectations regarding data management as well.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
GEOTRACES- will seek funding from appropriate national funding programs. For the US Arctic component this would include the NSF OCE Chemical Oceanography and OPP Arctic Natural Sciences and ARCSS programs.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
This EOI was submitted late due to a misunderstanding of the coordinator regarding the IPY EOI process. This application reads very similarly to one submitted on time by Dr. Michiel Rutgers van der Loeff.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Professor Kelly Faulkner
Oregon State University
College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Science
104 Ocean Admin Bldg. Corvallis, OR
97330-5503
USA

Tel: +1 541-737-3625
Mobile: no
Fax: +1 541-737-2064
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation