Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Permafrost, Periglacial and Soil Environments. A contribution from Portugal to the international proposal ANTPAS.  (ANTPAS-PORTUGAL)

Outline
Antarctic permafrost is integral to the terrestrial cryosphere, however, knowledge of its distribution, thickness, age, and physical and geochemical properties is fragmented or absent for large sectors of the continent and sub-Antarctic islands. 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, human infrastructures and environmental impacts. Antarctic permafrost and soils hold potential to archive long-term (Ma) records of past environmental conditions 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, with several partner organisations and groups, have launched the ANTPAS project to develop an internationally coordinated, web-accessible, database and monitoring system on Antarctic permafrost and soils (international ANTPAS EoI). This proposal is the contribution to ANTPAS by the research group of the Centre for Geographical Research, University of Lisbon (CEG-UL) working in the Antarctic in collaboration with the group of the Department of Physics of the University of Alcalá de Henares, Spain (UAH). The research activities will be conducted in Livingston and Deception islands (South Shetlands) and will focus on: 1) drilling and studying two boreholes for permafrost monitoring; 2) implementing monitoring sites for periglacial processes; 3) Spatial modelling of permafrost distribution and characteristics. The mentioned objectives are 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 extensive program of activities that will have long-term 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 thermal 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-PORTUGAL field activities will focus in the South Shetlands, especially in Livingston and Deception Islands.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: 12/2006-02/2007      12/2007-02/2008      12/2008-02/2009

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?
Another national polar operator
National agency
Military support
Other sources of support

Support from private foundations

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
ANTPAS-PORTUGAL EoI is coordinated by Gonçalo Vieira, which is now organising the National Committee for the IPY. ANTPAS is endorsed by the IPA, ISPRS and support is pending from the SCAR GSSG and the IUSS. 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 the CEG-UL group has been collaborating with the UAH group in several projects focusing on monitoring of active layer and permafrost temperatures and of meteorological conditions in Livingston and Deception Islands. ANTPAS provides a platform for an extension of the previous activities.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The CEG-UL group works in collaboration with the UAH-Spain group. 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, will 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 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 with a mirror at CEG-UL. 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 CEG-UL will submit a proposal with the UAH group in January 2005 to the Spanish Antarctic Programme. Other proposals are being prepared to submit to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (MCIES – Portugal) in the next call for scientific proposals 2005/06. Funding by Portuguese private foundations will be attempted.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The CEG-UL is working in collaboration with the UAH-Spain group since 1999 in the framework of the Spanish Antarctic Programme. ANTPAS can be an excellent opportunity to advance officially with Portuguese funding for polar research and to attract political and social attention towards the polar regions, since Portugal has no polar programme (IPY additional criteria: “Includes nations not traditionally involved in polar research”).

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Goncalo Vieira
Centro de Estudos Geograficos / Centre for Geographical Research
Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras
Alameda da Universidade
1600-214 Lisboa
Portugal

Tel: +351 217940218
Mobile: +351 966475980
Fax: +351 217938690
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation