Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

A next generation International Research Icebreaking facility for the Polar Oceans during IPY 2007-2008 and beyond  (AURORA BOREALIS)

Outline
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this proposed IPY project is the initiation of a New International Research Facility and a long-term international strategy for research in the Polar Oceans supported by this facility. The International Polar Year 2007-2008 will be the most significant opportunity for fifty years to enable a large group of Nations to cooperate on constructing a major Polar research facility to support long-term scientific observations and the ability to carry out sampling of the deepest and most inaccessible parts of planet earth. The Project will therefore provide a legacy both scientific and logistical for the next 20 years. We are proposing to put in place the conditions for a significant financial and strategic interaction during the IPY. As the previous IGY in 1957 left a legacy of significant organisational and infrastructural legacy. IPY in 2007-2007 will enable nations to address major areas of scientific cooperation and AURORA BOREALIS will contribute in a major way to this goal. This project will enable the agreement of a group of nations to agree on and initiate the construction of a dedicated research drilling Icebreaker for the Polar Regions for the use of the International research community. This project will aim to bring nations together during the IPY to allow a significant move to commit to a next generation state of the art research facility; this will have important political and socio-economic benefits. International cooperation is at the heart of the International Polar Year and this project focuses on achieving a previously unrealised level of collaboration. The AURORA BOREALIS project is of international importance as it provides a international facility to address the major scientific challenges of the Polar Oceans in the Arctic and the Antarctic including contributing towards a significant understanding of the climate record, biological systems, life in extreme environments and structure and composition of crust beneath the most inaccessible areas on the planet. The Polar Oceans and importance for Mankind:Global climate models demonstrate the sensitivity of the Polar Regions to changes in the forcing of the Ocean climate system. Global climate change amplified in the high latitude areas has a profound effect on circum arctic populations. This is particularly apparent in the social and economic damage arising from more frequent climate induced extreme events. The AURORA BOREALIS will be fundamental in contributing towards an international concerted effort to understanding these changes in the earth system. Critical Scientific Drivers: 1. In spite of the vital role of Polar Oceans in the earth system there have been relatively few biological investigations in the wintertime or transition into spring when the understanding of the interactions between solar radiation, nutrients and life systems are the most critical. This lack of knowledge is in a large part due to the technological difficulties of observation at these times. This is where a dedicated international research icebreaking vessel would be invaluable.2. The lack of knowledge of the tectonic structure of the crust beneath the Polar Oceans is impeding our reconstructions of paleogeography and hence sampling of critical areas of the Arctic Basin and Antarctic Ice infested shelves will be critical to really understanding the sedimentation rates and quantification and dynamics of physical, chemical and biological processes at all seasons and in a wide geographic coverage of the Polar Regions.The following scientific research areas will also be addressed using such an international facility: 3. The ventilation of Polar Ocean waters and shelf-basin Exchange4. Air-Sea Caron Dioxide Flux Feedbacks in a changing polar Ocean System5. Modern Geodynamics and Hydrothermalism6., The Stability of Offshore Permafrost and Ice shelves 4. The AURORA BOREALIS will provide the impetus for nations to work together in addressing the critical scientific questions. It will provide the training for young scientists and be an international focus providing visibility of the importance of the Polar Regions to the general public and decision makers.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The Project would enable the implementation of a major research Infrastructure for directly supporting the International Research community by new observational techniques through state of the art technological innovations and enable the identification of global linkages between the Polar Regions and the rest of the planet. By facilitating access for multinational and multidisciplinary investigations to the most extreme areas on the planet. The project contributes directly to all of themes in the proposed IPY - 1. Determine the present environmental status -by multidisciplinary research in the Polar Oceans during the most critical and under-sampled seasons of the year.2. Quantification of sedimentation rates and tectonic processes in the polar Oceans3. Understanding of tele-connections between polar Oceans and mid-low latitudes4. Investigate the frontiers by accessing the most extreme environments on the planet by the pooling of resources to observe processes. 5. A vantage point- as a platform for observatory experiments-contributing a global suite of monitoring facilities 6. To examine the effects of climate change on circum polar human populations- this is particularly important for providing advice to governments and decision makers in preparation and forewarning for environmental threats and socio-economic damage by natural or anthropogenic drivers.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
This project is based on a major decadal science strategy 2006-2016 for the Deep Arctic Ocean published recently by the European Polar Board of the European Science Foundation and a working group of 10 Nations. It has major international collaboration and there is also significant interest from Europe, Russian Federation and the United States.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The permanently ice covered areas of the Central Arctic Ocean and Ice infested and covered shelf areas of the Antarctic-Southern Ocean.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 07-09            
Antarctic: 07-09            

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
If the facility is constructed and research platform exists at the time of the IPY 2007-2008 it will provide major support to the implementation of all of the scientific themes within the International Polar Year. The facility will be operated in cooperation with all of the major Polar Bodies and national operators involved in the implementation group.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The project will leave a major international legacy of a multipurpose ice-breaking research platform with a deep drilling capability with an expected lifespan of over 20 Years and 300,000 scientist days. It will be the most significant facility to be constructed for the use of a group of nations in the Polar Oceans. This facility will require major investment for construction and operation and can only be implemented at a multi-country scale. A Consortium of a group of Nations will seek to implement the AURORA BOREALIS facility through an intergovernmental agreement

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

The Science perspective developed by the European Polar Board provides a logistical insight into the requirements. The various technical feasibility studies outline the technical facilities On the vessel and the external; support required for running the facility.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Y The Science perspective and importance of the AURORA BOREALIS project has been endorsed at a national and International level by the European Polar Board (which is composed of 20 European Countries. The project has been independently reviewed by the German Presidential Commission and significant interest from Russia and the United States in the project. The International Polar Year is a Major vehicle for the cooperation of a significant group of nations to implement the AURORA BOREALIS facility. This will be a global activity and significantly contribute towards an understanding of Climate Change in the Polar Oceans.

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?
yes

The project was initiated through the publication of an initial science perspective by the European Polar Board. The IPY is seen as a very powerful vehicle for implementation of the project an international scale and commitment at an intergovernmental level. The Scientific themes identified for the IPY also correspond with many of themes addressed in the Science perspective of Aurora Borealis. Thus AURORA BOREALIS as an official IPY Project would provide a major contribution to long-term observation and legacy.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be managed by an implementation consortium established by international negotiation between the interested nations. Internationally partners will be engaged at a national government level and an agreement to move ahead with constructing such a facility will be agreed during the International Polar Year. This is therefore a major strategic project for IPY. An international agreement during the IPY will be a major concrete deliverable of the project. The European Polar Board and the New 19 nation European Polar Consortium will provide guiding inputs and direction to this process and discussions.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
1. The initiation of AURORA BOREALIS as an international agreement during 2007-2008 will present a case for the involvement of young and new potential researchers utilising such a technically advanced facility giving the possibility of 300,000 scientist days. It would be a multi-cultural and diverse stimulating environment for scientists to cooperate in exchanging ideas and intellectual experience.2. The general public and decision makers will be engaged by the extent to which AURORA BOREALIS will contribute to Understanding Global Climate change. The commitment of the major investment will require justification on the practical use of the facility for societal benefit. 3. The facility could act as a floating polar university and engage circum arctic communities-enhancing international cooperation in the Russian Arctic and nations such as Greenland. 4. School children would be encouraged to take part in virtual interactions between the ship and the classroom Eg; the exploration deep vent systems, the sub-ice processes in the arctic and Antarctic winter. This would enable children to experience the Polar Environment in a safe way.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Data collected using such an international facility will be handled and managed by the joint Antarctic data management committee COMNAP and SCAR (JCADM) and the various World Data centres and members of the consortium (facility owners). To be developed further in a full proposal. The drilling data will be handled through the existing IODP system and through ECORD.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The project will be funded by National contributions of a group of Nations represented in an implementation consortium. Funding through the EU framework programme 7 in the support for the construction of new research infrastructures will be applied for together with similar mechanisms with other international Partners such as the US and Russia. The initial construction costs will total around 200-300 Million Euros.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The AURORA BOREALIS is envisaged a major international facility for the Polar Regions and will provide scientific insights to the most inaccessible regions of the Earth. The International Polar Year 2007-2008 will be the most significant event for fifty years for nations to cooperate in putting in place the conditions and support for leaving a legacy of advanced observational systems for the Polar Regions. AURORA BOREALIS will require international scale of agreement and implementation.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Prof Jörn Thiede
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Am Handelshaften 12
Bremerhaven
27570
Germany

Tel: 49 (0) 4 71 48 31 11 01
Mobile: no
Fax: 49 (0) 471 48 31 11 02
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation