Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Deep vertical coupling: coupling processes in the atmosphere and their response to solar variability and climate change  (DEEVERT-IPY)

Outline
Circulation, radiation and chemistry in the stratosphere (altitudes 10-50km) are affected by processes in the mesosphere and thermosphere above (50-150km), and affect climate and chemistry in the troposphere below. This is due to vertical coupling processes, many of which operate in polar regions and are best observed there, some only operating there. The stratosphere also filters ascending waves, whose breaking above controls much of the stratosphere’s poleward circulation. Vertical coupling plays a major role in solar variability’s influence on climate, whose detailed explanation IPCC recognises as a major scientific challenge. This influence must be quantified so that its contribution to climate change can be distinguished from anthropogenic climate change, and understood so that we can predict future climate. The coupling processes range from transport of energy and momentum by ascending atmospheric waves, to thunderstorms’ influence on the global electrical circuit. Despite their importance, our understanding of many remains very poor. The mesosphere-thermosphere is an important transitional zone where processes act to filter and shape the field of waves and tides ascending from below. DEEVERT-IPY will investigate the full range of coupling processes. Field measurements will emphasise polar regions because many vertical coupling phenomena are best observed there: (a) Anomalies in wind and height of the polar stratospheric vortex propagate down to the surface. (b) Descent of upper stratospheric air in polar winter is part of the global stratospheric circulation. Descent greatly modifies the chemistry of the lower stratosphere and enables ozone destruction. (c) Auroral electrons create NO in the polar winter mesosphere, which descends to the stratosphere and changes stratospheric chemistry. (d) Polar mesospheric clouds occur above the summer pole, due to cooling caused by ascent forced globally by waves. Their increase is speculated to have resulted from globally increased greenhouse gases, an interpretation now challenged by new data. DEEVERT-IPY will combine the start of long-term monitoring with intensive campaigns to investigate selected mechanisms in great detail – for example, establishing climatologies of waves and tides in the mesosphere and thermosphere, and studying wave breaking using a range of in-situ and remote techniques. Other intensive campaigns will focus on (a)-(d) above plus other vertical coupling issues, and a post-IPY goal is to examine details of vertical coupling’s role in the atmospheric response to solar variability. The programme includes upward extension of global atmospheric models, and laboratory measurements of chemical processes at lower temperatures and pressures.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Polar atmospheric parameters near 80 km will be measured for the first time or with greatly improved accuracy (Themes1&4, Target1) • Processes whereby polar stratospheres influence surface climate will be confirmed and the influence of solar variability on climate via similar processes quantified (Themes2&5, Target1) • Polar atmospheric wave breaking’s influence on global stratospheric and mesospheric circulation will be determined (Theme3, Target1) • Effects of increased stratospheric H2O and greenhouse gases on polar mesospheric clouds will be determined (Themes2,3,5, Target1) • DEEVERT instruments will remain operational well beyond IPY (Target4)

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
NULL

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
• Scandinavia: ALOMAR lidar, Portable Lidar, Mesospheric imager, Microwave radiometer, Meteor radars, EISCAT, Kiruna MST radar & mm-radiometer & NLC cameras • Antarctic: Halley Microwave radiometer, Rothera Visible spectrometer, WASA(Q.M.Land) MST radar

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: ALOMAR, EISCAT: Aug07–Dec11      Kiruna facilities: Aug 07 – Dec 09      Imager, radiometer: Aug08–Dec11
Antarctic: Halley radiometer: Mar07–Dec09      WASA radar: Aug 07 – Dec 09      Rothera spectrometr: Mar07–Dec13

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
• ALOMAR and EISCAT are large existing international facilities • DEEVERT-UK is bidding for £4M for instruments/facilities • Other DEEVERT-IPY partners will bid to national polar agencies • UK has committed £5.3M to IPY • Antarctic facilities are in IRF and BAS programmes

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
New instruments will be deployed in the Arctic (imager, radiometer) and will continue there until at least 2011 or be redeployed there (portable Lidar) after 2010 • Antarctic instruments will continue until at least 2010 (radiometer, radar) or well beyond (spectrometer)

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

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
DEEVERT-IPY will be submitted to UK IPY shortly after EoI submission

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?
Expansion

• EISCAT and ALOMAR are ongoing • E-STAR and CAWSES have been planned for 2 or more years • Antarctic facilities were already planned by IRF and BAS • DEEVERT-UK is new and at the bid stage • Some other DEEVERT-IPY activities are new

How will the project be organised and managed?
• A DEEVERT-IPY committee will be set up to co-ordinate activities, and work with E-STAR, CAWSES and DEEVERT-UK • DEEVERT-UK will be a joint UK Research Council programme (PPARC & NERC), with similar programme structure to a NERC thematic programme, with a single joint Programme Manager and a single joint Steering Group • BAS input and co-ordination will be via members of the DEEVERT-UK Steering Group

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
• DEEVERT-IPY will establish an outreach website to publicise activities, which will feed in to the overall IPY outreach activity.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
•• We are committed to open data access via a website and existing data centres • DEEVERT-UK will use the British Atmospheric Data Centre and UK Solar System Data Centre, and includes £0.6M for UKSSDC subscription plus £0.2M for archiving by data analysts

How is it proposed to fund the project?
• Research Councils of 16 European countries have expressed interest in the E-STAR programme (deadline for formal commitments 28Feb05) • We are bidding to UK Research Councils (PPARC and NERC) for over £8M • BAS and IRF funding are already secured

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
•International partners: ALOMAR-Observatory, Norway – U-P.Hoppe Inst-Space-Physics(IRF), Sweden – S.Kirkwood Inst-Atmos-Physics, Germany – F-J.Lübken Sondrestrom Res-Facility, Greenland – J.Thayer Geophys-Institute, Alaska – R.Collins U-Colorado-Boulder – G.Thomas NCAR-Boulder – R.Garcia EISCAT climatology, Scandinavia/U-Leipzig – C.Jacobi U-Illinois-Urbana-Champaign – C.Gardner • DEEVERT-UK is linked to international SCOSTEP CAWSES programme and ESF’s E-STAR project, and will form the UK contribution to them. • New generation of polar researchers: Much of the work will be by doctoral students and junior postdoctoral researchers, with new opportunities for their polar field work The DEEVERT-UK bid includes over £5M for students and postdocs

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Howard Roscoe
British Antarctic Survey
Madingley Rd
Cambridge
CB3 0ET
UK

Tel: 44-1223-221431
Mobile: -
Fax: 44-1223-362616
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation