Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Permafrost, soils and periglacial processes in the Antarctic Peninsula region. Spanish contribution to the international proposal ANTPAS (Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Permafrost, Periglacial and Soil Environments)  (ANTPAS-SPAIN)

Outline
Information on the distribution, thickness, age, and physical and geochemical properties of permafrost is highly fragmented and absent for large sectors of Antarctica. At the same time, active layer and permafrost conditions are highly sensitive to climatic fluctuations and changes will affect regional hydrology, ecosystems functioning, landscape stability and human environmental impacts. Antarctic permafrost and soils hold potential to archive long-term (Ma) records of past environmental change and biological activity and provide millennial-scale archives of surface temperature. Furthermore, this is the closest analogue for understanding planetary permafrost. The combined working groups of the International Permafrost Association (IPA) and the SCAR Standing Scientific Group on Geosciences (SSGG) on Antarctic permafrost and periglacial environments, in close working relationship with the IPA Cryosols and Astrobiology working groups, have launched the ANTPAS project to develop an internationally coordinated research. This proposal is a contribution to the ANTPAS project by two Spanish research groups, from the universities Autonomous of Madrid (UAM), lead by Dr. Jeronimo Lopez, and Alcala de Henares (UAH), lead by Dr. Miguel Ramos. The group of the UAM will participate studying mainly the characteristics and mapping of permafrost, soils and periglacial processes in the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula and the surrounding islands. The group of the UAH will participate mainly drilling and studying two new boreholes for permafrost monitoring and implementing periglacial processes monitoring sites close to the Spanish stations in Livingston and Deception islands, South Shetland Islands. The mentioned objectives of both groups are clear components of the general and specific objectives of the ANTPAS project, as implementation of an Antarctic network of boreholes for permafrost monitoring; compilation of thematic maps on Antarctic permafrost soils as models of our current scientific understanding of the region; monitoring of active layer and periglacial processes as the Antarctic component of the IPA Thermal State of Permafrost (TSP), the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P) and extending the current Circum-polar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) system to the Antarctic region (CALM-S); and to integrate datasets on permafrost and soils. ANTPAS will develop an intensive program of activities that will have immediate important scientific outputs on our understanding of the Antarctic terrestrial cryosphere, its responses to climate change and human impacts. The established monitoring network will provide a platform for long-term monitoring of the state of permafrost and future responses to climate change. The database system will provide a legacy for systematic archiving of Antarctic permafrost and soils parameters.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
To contribute to the following objectives of ANTPAS: Theme 1: Characterize permafrost and soil parameters. Detecting and mapping the presence of permafrost, soils and periglacial processes. Monitoring current active- layer and permafrost conditions providing baseline data for future changes in permafrost. Theme 2: Long term environmental change record based on parameters from boreholes. Theme 3: Extension and integration of permafrost and active layer response signals to climate change in the global cryosphere through the global GTN-P and CALM-S. Theme 4: Exploring Earths oldest permafrost and soils as an analogue for planetary permafrost and astrobiology

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
ANTPAS is coordinated by the combined IPA and SCAR GSSG working groups on Antarctic Permafrost and Periglacial Environments. ANTPAS implements the GTN-P and CALM monitoring networks in the Antarctic regions. Other collaborators: IPA WG on Cryosols, IPA WG on Periglacial Processes, Dry Valleys LTER, RiSCC.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
ANTPAS-SPAIN field activities will be conducted in Northern Antarctic Peninsula Region, including locations in the northern end of the peninsula and several islands (UAM group) and focusing specially in Livingston and Deception Islands (UAH group).

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: 12/2006 – 02/2007 (UAM and UAH groups)      12/2007 – 02/2008 (UAM and UAH groups      12/2008 - 02/2009 (UAH group)

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
New boreholes will be drilled close to the Spanish Antarctic Stations in Livingston and Deception Islands. Drilling equipment will be used and transported by ship from Europe. Helicopter transport may be needed. Routine logistical support for summer expeditions, including use of field camps and existing stations.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
A data repository for existing and new data sets on Antarctic permafrost and soils will be established. An Antarctic observational network on ground temperature (permafrost and active layer) and related data will provide long-term data on natural change in climate and environment.

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

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
This Expression of Intent has been endorsed by the Spanish IPY National Committee. ANTPAS is endorsed by the IPA, ISPRS (International Society for Photogrammentry and Remote Sensing) and support is pending from the SCAR GSGG and the IUSS (International Union of Soil Sciences). All IPA and SCAR working group members have been asked to include ANTPAS in their national IPY proposals.

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?
New

This is a new proposal. However monitoring of active layer and permafrost temperatures and of meteorological conditions in Livingston and Deception Islands, as well as geomorphological mapping with focus on permafrost and periglacial processes have been major research themes in the Spanish Antarctic Programme during several years. ANTPAS provides a platform for an extension of the previous activities.

How will the project be organised and managed?
Each one of the groups of UAM and UAH will have their own organization, however both will act coordinated and maintaining regular meetings and cooperation. Both groups are already connected to the ANTPAS proposal and will participate at ANTPAS workshops in international meetings in order to coordinate the activities. ANTPAS will maintain annual meetings. A website and listserver have been established (http://earth.waikato.ac.nz/antpas). The Second European Conference on Permafrost, Potsdam, June 2005, host the next full programme meeting.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Admission of young researchers and students, organization of public lectures, special sessions in scientific conferences and workshops, dissemination of information by the media through press-releases with project news and results.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Results of the proposed research will be included in the database of the Spanish National Antarctic Data Center that is connected to the Antarctic Master Directory (AMD). Ground temperature data will be available at the GIFA-UAH web site. Permafrost data will be periodically submitted to GTN-P database. It is expected that ANTPAS will organise a web-based database system and offer long-term data management support.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The UAM and UAH groups will submit separate proposals in January 2005 to the Spanish Antarctic Programme (National R&D Programme). After their evaluation decissions about aproval and finantial support will be communicated around summer 2005.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The UAM and UAH groups have 15 years of research experience in the South Shetlands Islands region in issues related to this proposal. They have maintained cooperation with researches from Brasil, Italy, Korea, Sweden, UK and USA (UAM group) and from Portugal and Switzerland (UAH group). Cooperation with the University of Lisbon started in 1999 and fills the IPY additional criteria: “Includes nations not traditionally involved in polar research”.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Jeronimo Lopez-Martinez
Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Faculty of Sciences. University Autonoma


28049 Madrid
Spain

Tel: +34 1 4974513
Mobile: no
Fax: +34 1 4974900
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation