Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

The State and Fate of the Polar Cryosphere  (CliC - State of the Cryosphere)

Outline
The cryosphere is arguably the most visible feature of the Earth’s polar regions. The cryosphere – sea-, lake-, and river-ice, snow cover and solid precipitation, glaciers, icebergs, ice sheets, ice caps, and frozen ground – plays an integral role in not only the polar climate system, but also in the global climate system. It is inseparable from the polar freshwater system, both on land, ice and in the sea. Understanding the state of the cryosphere, and its associated past, present and future variability and change in time and space, is essential to understanding the polar environment in terms of its physical and biogeochemical interactions with the ocean, atmosphere and terrestrial systems, and the impacts on and interactions with social, cultural and economic systems. This project, proposed by World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) project, provides a framework for assessing the polar cryospheric system and the related physical and chemical processes, interactions and impacts within the Earth system. The IPY provides the opportunity for a coordinated circumpolar assessment of both polar regions by nations and their organisations, scientists and residents that likely would not be otherwise undertaken. Traditional knowledge will be incorporated in this assessment. We are interested in a sustained long-term cryospheric polar observing system, which would be implemented in the future through GCOS, GOOS, GTOS, CEOS for the sake of countries and future systems like GEOSS, The observing system will include relevant research observations and should be based on innovative technology. The IPY presents an opportunity to put some components of such a system in place. CliC is capable of, and eager to, provide the framework for coordination of this cryospheric observational system. In the process of enhancing our ability to measure and monitor the cryosphere, we propose to coordinate activities that will create a “snapshot” of the cryosphere and evaluate its current (IPY) state in the context of past states. We will 1. assess the current state of the cryospheric parameters in the polar regions, 2. formulate the observational requirements of cryospheric variables for weather and climate monitoring and prediction, 3. strengthen international cooperation in the development of cryospheric observing systems. CliC will provide over-arching coordination of smaller-scale IPY projects and national activities, both within and outside of the IPY scope (as appropriate), linking them together in a way that increases the benefit to the IPY effort. The project will not only be a key element within IPY but will also support the new Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) Cryosphere Theme, which is being developed by CliC and SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research).

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
This project will evaluate the current state of the polar environment (Theme 1) by coordinating the development of a synoptic set of multidisciplinary observations to establish the status of the polar environment in 2007-2008. It will address change in the polar regions (Theme 2) through the acquisition of key datasets and multidisciplinary observational networks necessary to understand factors controlling changes in the cryosphere. These datasets and observational networks will be integrated with global datasets and networks to help us understand polar-global linkages and interaction (Theme 3).

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
As part of WCRP, CliC is inherently international in structure. This project is even broader than CliC, however, and will be relevant to the same groups involved in the IGOS Cryosphere Theme development: ICSU, IOC, WMO, several space agencies, GOOS, GCOS and GTOS, IGBP, WCRP, SCAR and other appropriate organisations. Many national agencies are involved, including the Meteorological Service of Canada, ESA, the Geological Survey of Canada, the International Permafrost Association, the Finnish Institute of Marine Research, the British Antarctic Survey, the Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage, the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center of Norway, the National Meteorological Services of Norway and Denmark, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
No fieldwork is proposed here. Instead, we will work with data collected by others, both in situ, remotely sensed, and modelled.

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

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
No new facilities or logistic support are being proposed. The project will require data from existing and newly established IPY networks and observatories and those collected by other IPY investigators, as described above.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The project would leave a legacy of * a comprehensive, international cryospheric observing system, * established international collaboration and co-operation in polar regions research and monitoring, * a broad-ranging set of samples, data and information regarding the state and behaviour of the polar regions to provide a reference for comparison with the future and the past, and * observing sites, facilities and systems to support ongoing polar research and monitoring.

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

An international effort such as this would most benefit from individual national contributions combined with international funding that would bring together an international team of researchers to address these issues.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
The conceptual framework and detailed plans proposed here have been endorsed by the IGOS Partners as a new IGOS Cryosphere Theme and by WCRP/CliC.

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, but one which is intentionally aligned with the goals and objectives of the IGOS Cryosphere Theme.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The programme will be managed by the CliC Science Steering Group (SSG). The CliC Science and Implementation Plans provide the overall pan-polar structure.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Much of the activity will take place in academic institutions and will therefore involve students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Web-based data visualization and distribution tools will be used for disseminating results to the broad community.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Datasets will be managed according to the IOOS and GOOS standards for data management. They will be archived in the World Data Centers and national data centers, as appropriate. Datasets will be freely available after “privilege period” for the principal investigators (to be determined). Datasets that need to be archived include, but are not limited to * the WMO GTS data stream (from polar nations), * specialized cryospheric and related data sets (e.g., NSIDC, Global Precipitation Climate Centre), * national network data from participating polar nations (buoys, ships, regional surface arrays), * operational satellite products, including radar, SAF data, and OSI-SAF sea ice products, * numerical weather prediction data (initialization data, reanalysis products, regional climate outputs, etc.), * data from research projects (SEARCH (Study of Environmental Arctic Change), AOSF, OASIS, RIME,SBI), * specialized observations of the cryosphere, * historical data and results. The CliC Data Management and Information Panel will provide oversight to our data management needs.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
It is proposed that individual national research sponsors provide funding for their participation in the programme.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
We ask that the IPY Joint Committee acknowledge the IGOS-P Theme on Cryosphere as a useful coordinating mechanism for cryospheric observations in the future, particularly with respect to the legacy that it leaves after the IPY.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Jeffrey Key
1225 West Dayton Street
Madison, WI
53562
USA

Tel: 608-263-2605
Mobile: no
Fax: 608-262-5974
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation