Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Late Holocene Fluctuations of Oceanic Polar Front: PalaeoOceanographic Record of Climatic Changes in Marine Sediments of Southern Spitsbergen.  (HOLOPOL)

Outline
The main aim of the project is the identification of the oceanic polar front fluctuations and changes in glacial processes activities in the Late Holocene, their impact on sedimentation and productivity in the Hornsund fjord and at the adjacent shelf region.The goal is going to be reached through following research tasks: - Determination of sediment accumulation rates and their fluctuations and creation of geochronlogical frame for the studied sediment cores. - Interpretation of changes in sedimentary environment through detailed structural and textural analysis of the sediments (X-ray pictures, grain size analysis, component analysis, determination of IRD factor). - Reconstruction of surface water temperature of shelf waters (based on the planktonic foarminifera composition and oxygen stable isotopes) and estimation of the amount of freshwater delivery to the fjord (based on the same methods). - Determination of changes in vertical fluxes of biogenic components: foraminifera and organic carbon. - Reconstruction of changeability of marine environment through factor analysis of benthic and planktonic foraminifera associations. - Comparison of the surface water temperature record, abundance of certain species foraminifera, productivity and sediment accumulation rates in relation to position and gradients on the polar front and to the extents of glaciers. The south-western coast of Spitsbergen, selected for the study, is a climatically sensitive area. The main reason for this is the present oceanographic regime characterized by north-flowing warm Atlantic Water in the West Spitsbergen Current and cold Polar Water transported by Sørkapp Current. The paleoceanographic reconstruction of the environmental conditions in warmer period of the Holocene will enable to forecast the results of recent climate warming.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The paleoceanographic reconstruction of the environmental conditions in warmer period of the Holocene will enable to forecast the responds of climate system during the modern warming as well as to reveal the full range of seasonal to millennial-scale climate variability. Proposed investigations will enable to complete species list of foraminifera in Hornsund, which is the only location in the European Sector of Arctic included in the frame of UE Programme BIOMARE to ATBI type (All Taxon Biodiversity Inventory).The collected data and samples will be used for teaching purposes at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (Geology, Environmental Protection) and Gdansk University (Oceanography) in Poland. The list of foraminifera species along with their photographic documentation will be published on the web site of the European Marine Biodiversity Sites - BIODAF (www.iopan.gda.pl/projects/biodaff/ ).

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Datings with 210Pb and 137Cs methods as well as stabile isotopes of δ13C and δ15N will be done in the Geoforschungszentrum in Potsdam, Germany (the institution which cooperates with Institute of Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University (Poznan, Poland.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The problem is going to be based on investigations of sediment cores taken in a transect from the Hornsund fjord head to the shelf break west from Southern Spitsbergen (Svalbard), the area where West Spitsbergen Current and Sørkapp Current form the oceanic polar fornt.

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

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
The fieldwork will be done from r/v OCEANIA along with another scientific projects.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The project will fit r/v OCEANIA with long sediment corer.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator

Required logistics will be secured by Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Accepted by Polish National Committee for 4th International Polar Year 2007-2008.

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

It is a new autonomous proposal.

How will the project be organised and managed?
Project will be managed by Dr. Marek Zajaczkowski from Institute of Oceanology PAS in Sopot (Poland) and there will be two additional contractors: Dr. Witold Szczucinski from Adam .Mickiewicz University in Poznan (Poland) and Dr. Wojciech Majewski from Institute of Paleobiology PAS in Warsaw (Poland), new partners might be appointed and join the management team.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The collected data and samples will be used for teaching purposes at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (geology, environmental protection) and Gdansk University (oceanography). The list of foraminifera species along with their photographic documentation will be published on the web site of the European Marine Biodiversity Sites - BIODAF (www.iopan.gda.pl/projects/biodaff/).

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Faunistic data are going to be provided for OBIS (Ocean Biogeographic Information System) and related biodiversity databases, as well as presented on open, web page.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The project will be fund partly by Institute of Oceanology PAS and partly by grant of Polish Ministry of Scientific Research and Information Technology.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
No

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Marek Zajaczkowski
Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences
55 Powstancow Warszawy Str.
Sopot
81-712
Poland

Tel: +48 585517283
Mobile: +48 606857328
Fax: +48 505512130
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation