Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #103:The Thermal State of Permafrost (TSP): A Canadian contribution to the International Permafrost Association’s International Polar Year Project  (Thermal State of Permafrost – TSP - Canada)

Outline
The International Polar Year offers a unique opportunity for the International Permafrost Association (IPA) to conduct a well-designed global and coordinated, multi-national programme of permafrost observations in order to explore present conditions and their spatial and temporal variability. This proposal describes the Canadian contribution to the IPA/IPY project. The Thermal State of Permafrost (TSP) project proposes a campaign to measure permafrost temperatures in new and existing boreholes over a fixed time period to provide a “snapshot” of permafrost temperatures in both time and space. Canada will contribute to development of a global database that defines the thermal state of permafrost within a specified period and provides a baseline against which to measure change. The analysis of permafrost temperature data collected over the past two to three decades will allow characterization of recent changes in permafrost conditions. The results of the project will be applicable to climate change studies through detection of the climate signal and assessment of impacts. The project is also applicable to a number of societal concerns as landscape instability may result as permafrost warms and thaws in response to climate warming and this has implications for infrastructure integrity, landuse planning and northern lifestyles. Through collection and analysis of data from an existing monitoring network which includes the Geological Survey of Canada’s sites in the western and high Arctic, TSP plans to meet the following objectives: (1) obtain a set of standardized temperature measurements for all Canadian monitoring sites (snapshot); (2) produce a data set and map of contemporary permafrost ground temperatures contributing to a global effort; (3) increase the number of monitoring sites prior to the IPY; (4) Provide data to verify models to improve prediction of future permafrost conditions; (5) Report initial results at 2008 conferences including the 9th International Permafrost Conference and in scientific papers and outreach products.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The project advances understanding of the polar cryosphere and its relationship to the climate system through an investigation of permafrost (Theme 1, 2, 3). This is advanced by a characterization of the current state of permafrost and recent change. Information provided to northern communities will aid in landuse planning decisions (Theme 6). The research, databases and establishment of new sites will provide a legacy for future research (Target 1, 3 and 4). Dissemination of data and research results through popular and scientific products will facilitate education of the general public as well as decision makers on matters related to permafrost and the polar regions (Target 2).

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Collaboration occurs through contributions to the International Permafrost Association’s IPY/TSP project (J.Brown and others), the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost and the WCRP/Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) IPY project, Evolution and Fate of the Cryosphere (B.Goodison and others).

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Canadian permafrost region including sites in the Mackenzie Valley and Delta, southern Yukon, high Arctic and perhaps northern Quebec.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 01/06 – 03/07 new site establishment      05/07 –10/07      05/08– 10/08
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Requirements include: fixed wing, helicopter, field station/accommodations, soil/rock drilling Sharing of flying time with other IPY projects (eg. WCRP/CliC) as well as other northern scientists working in similar areas is a possibility.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The project will leave a legacy of a network of permafrost monitoring sites as well as a data management and dissemination framework which will support future research. Collaboration with other members of the Canadian cryospheric community will leave a legacy of integrated northern observatories.

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

Applications will be submitted to Polar Continental Shelf for logistical support. Dept. of National Defence provides support at CFS Alert. Other support will be funded through existing federal government (eg. NRCan/GSC) funds as well as any new federal funds secured in future proposals related to IPY.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Yes- The project is a component of the Canadian “Evolution and Fate of the Cryosphere” IPY project to be approved at a national level. In addition, the Canadian National Committee for the IPA also supports this project as a contribution to the IPA’s TSP project for IPY. This pre-proposal has been reviewed and is being submitted by the Canadian Steering Committee (CSC). Ongoing discussions will integrate this pre-proposal into a larger network of related national and international initiatives. The CSC has initially sorted this pre-proposal into: THEME: Education, Outreach & Communication SUB-THEME: Variability and change in the Canadian Cryosphere

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

This project is a component of an existing and ongoing permafrost monitoring network that was established in 2001 and contributes to the IPA’s Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P). The TSP project also draws on the Geological Survey of Canada’s (GSC) ongoing permafrost-climate change research.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will depend on the existing framework and management structure established for the Canadian Permafrost Monitoring Network which is coordinated by the GSC. International coordination will occur through the GTN-P for which GSC plays a coordination and leadership role. Additional coordination will occur at the national level through the well established CRYSYS project and the IPY cryosphere project.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The existing web sites for the Canadian network and the GTN-P will be expanded to include an outreach component. WCRP/CliC and IPA newsletters will be utilized. Outreach also occurs through the State of the Canadian Cryosphere website and results of IPY projects will be disseminated through the site. Consultation with government communication departments will occur to facilitate dissemination of information at various venues.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Data management and dissemination nodes exist for the Canadian Network and GTN-P. These nodes link and/or contribute to the World Data Centres (through NSIDC), Canadian Cryospheric Information Network, and WCRP/CliC. Further developments will occur through national and international collaboration.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Components of the project, including activities leading up to IPY period will be funded through existing federal government funding obtained by the GSC for maintenance and enhancement of the network (~$3million Total 04/05-07/08, mainly Mackenzie). Proposals are currently under development to secure further federal funding for support through the IPY period (~150K/yr, other regions).

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
This project builds on existing efforts that have involved collaboration within the Canadian cryospheric community over the last decade to maintain and enhance a cryospheric observation network. The TSP-Canada project will be integrated with IPY initiatives related to other cryospheric components in order to obtain a more complete picture of the Canadian cryosphere and also contribute to a larger international effort.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr  Sharon Smith
Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada
601 Booth Street
Ottawa ON
K1A 0E8
Canada

Tel: 613 947 7066
Mobile: no
Fax: 613 992 0190
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation