Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Holocene environments in the western Arctic Ocean  

Outline
Present warming of the Arctic has profound effects on the Arctic Ocean. To evaluate these effects, we need to investigate the environments in the Arctic Ocean during the warm periods of the past. One of the target warm intervals is the Holocene thermal maximum, which is practically unexplored in the Arctic Ocean. The major limiting factors are low sedimentation rates in the arctic deep-sea basins and logistical difficulties in accessing the central Arctic. During the expedition on the USCGC Healy in June 2005 to the Chukchi/Alaska Margin, western Arcic Ocean, we have collected new sediment records from sites with expanded Holocene sedimentation rates. More cores are expected to be collected from the western Arctic Ocean during the next expedition in August-September 2005 (HOTRAX: Healy-Oden Trans-Arctic Expedition). The cored Holocene accumulations occur in a wide range of sedimentary environments, from the shallow shelf to the lower continental slope, and reach the thickness of 20 m. Investigation of these records will allow an evaluation of Holocene oceanographic conditions in the hydrographically dynamic Chukchi region on the century to, possibly, decadal time scales. This will include proxies to sea-ice coverge and circulation, productivity, and temperature and salinity of surficial and subsurface waters.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
This study has a potential to provide the first high-resolution sedimentary record from the Arctic Ocean representing the entire Holocene and a significant portion of the Late Pleistocene. Expected outcomes of this proposal are: (1) documenting and processing a unique cache of sediment cores from the Arctic Ocean to serve as research material for the coming decades and (2) providing new insights into the paleoclimatic history of the Arctic, notably into the warm state of the Arctic Ocean experienced in the past several thousand years.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The proposed project involves collaboration between researchers from USA, Canada, and Sweden. This includes research planning, data analyses and evaluation, and publication of results. This project has a direct relevance to the IPY topic ‘Paleoclimate’, and specifically to the cluster ‘Arctic Paleoclimate and its Extremes (APEX)’ (ID #183).

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
No additional field work is requested

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

Significant facilities will be required for this project:

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?

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

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?

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

This proposal is a continuation of the current project ‘Trans-Arctic 2005 Expedition for Development of a Pan-Arctic Stratigraphy and Paleoclimate Record’ funded by the US NSF and coordinated with the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. The current grant is dedicated to data collection and the proposed project seeks the data analysis.

How will the project be organised and managed?
This project is a self-managed activity organized by a group of PIs from the Old Dominion Univ., Ohio State University, Univ. Quebec Montreal, and Stockholm University. The US PIs have a long record of establishing and managing projects with the NSF Office of Polar Programs. Coordination of research will be maintained by annual meetings of PIs and collaborators.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Students will be able to follow and participate in the expeditions and core studies via several venues: NSF program ‘Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic’, links to special websites, and work on selected projects. Media coverage is planned to document cruise activities and provide video for news and educational purposes.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The data will be submitted to the National Geophysical Data Center within two years of their generation. We will develop a web site dedicated to this project and will make preliminary data available there within six months of the completion of processing.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Funding for sample processing, data analyses, PI meetings, and presentation of results will be requested from the national agencies. Funding for international meetings with other IPY groups, such as within a network established by the APEX cluster, is expected from international sources.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Professor Dennis Darby
Old Dominion University
4600 Elkhorn Ave., Norfolk, VA
23529
USA

Tel: 1-757-683-4701
Mobile: no
Fax: 1-757-683-5303
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation