Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Monitoring the Arctic Stratosphere Above Greenland  (MASAG)

Outline
Understanding the causes of the observed stratospheric ozone depletion has been a major focus of atmospheric research for the past decades. Due to its coupling with the global climate and its influence on the UV-radiation at the surface the stratospheric ozone layer is of global interest and high importance for Understanding the causes of the observed stratospheric ozone depletion has been a major focus of atmospheric research for the past decades. Due to its coupling with the global climate and its influence on the UV-radiation at the surface the stratospheric ozone layer is of global interest and high importance for the biosphere, essentially in the polar regions where the occurrence of the “ozone hole” is an indicator of the status of the stratosphere. The ozone layer is expected to recover in the future decades, however, the timing and extent of this recovery is uncertain and the available models disagree with the timing. It is an absolute requirement to continuously observe the ozone layer and connected key constituents, in particular in polar regions. For observing long-term trends it is important to have well calibrated and stable instruments, running continuously in order to provide uninterrupted time series. We propose to perform microwave observations of some key species connected to the chemistry and dynamics of the stratospheric ozone layer at the high altitude research station SUMMIT on the inland ice of Greenland. Microwave instruments can be well calibrated and are stable, running continuously to provide uninterrupted time series. They allow to retrieve the concentration profiles throughout the whole stratosphere up to the lower mesosphere. However they are adversely affected by high tropospheric water vapour. Summit is by far the best observing site in the whole Arctic, due to the very low troposphere water vapour content at the altitude of 3220m, allowing excellent stratospheric observations year-round. The instrument we suggest to use has been developed and installed at Summit within the RAMAS (Radiometer for Atmospheric Measurements At Summit) project, funded within the framework of the 5th European PCRDT programme. These observations permit the simultaneous retrieval of the vertical profiles of O3 and other key species like ClO, HCN, HNO3 and N2O in the stratosphere from about 15 to 60 km. The general objective of the MASAG project is to intensify the European contribution of stratospheric observations in the Arctic into worldwide observation systems such as the international Network for Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC), to participate in an international effort to detect and document climate change, and to provide tools for calibrating space borne sensors. The consortium consists of partners from four European nations (Denmark, France, Germany, Great-Britian) with additional partners from the USA and Japan.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The most significant topics are: - Development and implementation of a system for long-term systematic observations of atmospheric parameters in the Arctic. - Detecting and documenting of climate change. - Determining the impact and mechanisms of greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric pollutants on climate and ozone depletion. - Supporting activities carried out within the research priority “Global Change and Ecosystems” of the EU. - Reinforcing the contribution to Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and to Global Observing Systems, such as Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). - Integration and linkages between observing systems and other data sources.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The consortium includes members from four European countries: Danish Meteorology Institute, Denmark, University of Bremen, Germany, Université Bordeaux 1, France, University of Leeds, UK, and two partners in the USA (Naval Research Laboratory) and Japan (University of Nagoya).

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
We propose to perform regular observations with the RAMAS instrument at the high altitude research station Summit in Greenland (72°N, 38°W, 3220 m above sea level) to study the long-term evolution of the stratospheric ozone layer on a continuous basis. Over the last three years the RAMAS instrument was developed and installed at Summit and trial operations have been performed.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 01/2005-12/2008            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Logistical support is given by US coast guard. This includes transportation of personnel and equipment to and from SUMMIT, housing at the station, and technical support.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The project will not leave any legacy at the station. It is planned that the observations are part of a long term monitoring effort (NDSC).

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

Many activities at Summit are performed by the german polar operators in cooperation with polar operators from other contries of our consortium. The activities are supported by the german polar institute, the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. Military support is given by the transport to Summit by the US coast guard. The station is run by the commercial company VECO Polar Resources.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
The project has been endorsed by the EU within the project RAMAS and by the French Institut National des Sciences de l’Univers (CNRS/INSU) associated to the Université Bordeaux 1. We hope a renewal of the EU endorsement in the framework of a Specific Support Action 2005-2006. The project is strongly supported by the NDSC. An endorsement by the German national IPY-commission is requested.

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

The project started in 2001 funded by the EU. After the completion of the instrumentation, observations started in 2003 and are planned to continue over a long time span (monitoring) as required by the scientific goal of the whole project and by the international NDSC organization.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be managed by the consortium. The coordinator is the University of Bremen, Germany. The management has been established for more than three years in the framework of the EU. The management structure for the measuring phase is therefore well established and is planned to stay unchanged as it worked efficiently for more than 3 years.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The project and activities at SUMMIT are presented on an Internet site(http://www.ram.uni-bremen.de/index_ramas.html). It involves students and young scientists. Participants of the consortium also offer information in the form of lectures and appropriate documents for the general public in their respective institutions. The partners will address the public regularly with dedicated information on the Arctic stratosphere and in particular the state of the ozone layer.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The project will be managed by the consortium. The management and links to appropriate data bases (NDSC) are well established. By publications in the open literature, both in scientific and non-scientific journals we will disseminate our findings.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The initial main funding source was the EU over the period 2001-2004. For 2005-2006, a new proposal was recently submitted the 6th framework program of the EU as a Specific Support Action (SSA). Some national funding should also be available, while furthermore logistic support is granted by the US National Science Foundation (NSF).

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The ozone chemistry at different altitudes is dominated by various radicals (Cly between 15 km and 50 km, HOx between 12 km and 15 km, NOy above 50 km). It is therefore necessary to observe vertical profiles of the species involved and not just their total columns. Furthermore, to identify dynamically driven changes in stratospheric ozone, the observations also have to include appropriate tracers, such as N2O.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Pro Justus Notholt
University of Bremen
Otto-Hahn-Allee
Bremen
28334
Germany

Tel: +49-421-218-8982
Mobile: no
Fax: +49-421-218-4555
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation