Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #96: The Circumpolar Flaw Lead (CFL) system  (CFL)

Outline
CFL is an international collaboration of physicists, chemists, biologists, climatologists, oceanographers and Arctic marine ecologists. The aim is a system-wide study of the circumpolar flaw lead system from an integrative perspective. The flaw lead system is a perennial characteristic of the central Arctic sea ice, which is being heavily affected by recent reductions in the aerial extent and thickness of sea ice. The CFL separates the central Arctic Pack from the landfast ice over the continental shelves in the northern hemisphere. The shelves are the productive portions of the marine ecosystem and they are undergoing substantial change as the length of the ice season is reduced hemispherically. The deep basins contain the multiyear sea ice which survives any particular summer. Though not as biologically productive as the shelves, they are significant repositories of biogeochemical fluxes. The CFL provides an ideal location to examine the complex processes that are driving the reduction in sea ice at the hemispheric scale by examining the consequences of this change over the continental shelves, shelf break and the deep basins of the Arctic. The CFL program builds upon successful Canadian-led research networks such as the North Open Water (NOW) polynya study, the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (CASES), and the Joint Western Arctic Climate Study (JWACS). We propose to engage scientists from several countries including Canada, China, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.A and look forward to collaborations with others within the framework of the IPY. We propose a study with three integrated themes: a) An observatory, b) A field study, c) A modelling study. This triumvirate will integrate a series of testable hypotheses designed to examine the importance of climate processes which are changing the nature of the flaw lead system in the northern hemisphere, and the effect these changes have on marine ecosystem processes, carbon fluxes, and the exchange of greenhouses gases across the ocean-sea ice-atmosphere interface. We are particularly interested in the effects that changes in the flaw lead system may have on physical-biological coupling at the local to hemispheric scale and consequently how these processes affect the transport and fate of contaminants in the Arctic.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
CFL will directly address themes 1 through 4 of the IPY. 1) Status: CFL will provide critical information on how global climate change is affecting the circumpolar flaw lead system and through this the response of the central pack and the landfast ice surrounding the Arctic basin. 2) Change: CFL will elucidate the sources, sinks, and transport processes associated with biological and biogeochemical fluxes on and at the shelf breaks. 3) CFL will examine teleconnections in meteorology and energy, mass and gas fluxes associated with changes in sea ice and answer the question of whether the arctic can be considered a net source or sink for CO2. 4) The circumpolar flaw lead system has never been examined in a unified way yet it represents a critical feedback mechanism assisting with the further decay of annual sea ice. 6) The flaw lead system is a critical outer margin of the landfast zones and thus have an important role in the way that Arctic peoples use this re! source.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
CFL involves international, interdisciplinary collaboration from a large group of scientists building upon recently successful international experiments such as NOW, CASES and JWACS. Participants come from Canada, China, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the U.K. and the U.S.A We would also plan to engage school aged kids from the circumpolar aboriginal communities and southern centres in an international ‘Schools on Board’ outreach project.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
(1) A CFL observatory will be required with ocean, sea ice, atmosphere and biogeochemical measurements being integrated within the CFL. This network can be established through collaborations with existing groups working within the IPY framework. (2) A year long icebreaker study would be required with one or more vessels working simultaneously in different sectors of the circumpolar flaw lead system. The ships would begin at the end of the summer and work throughout the year in the flaw lead system conducting a highly integrated physical/biological study of the shelf/basin processes operating in the CFL. (3) A modelling study will be developed to occur in concert with the observatory and field studies to provide both upstream and downstream model development, testing and prediction.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: Observatory – 2006-2008      Field Study – 2007-2008      Modelling Study – 2006-2009
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
(a) Ice-breaker Multi-instrumented platforms Snow terrain vehicles Ice strengthened research ship Helicopters Existing field stations Remotely Operated Vehicle Fixed wing geophysical aircraft New field station Fixed wing transport aircraft Observatories Satellites Fuel depots Radars Ice drilling capability (b) (1) integrated with IABP and AOOS. Fully shared (2) year-long ice camp: research ice-breaker (proposed candidate: CCGS Amundsen). This can and will be shared with other IPY projects that will benefit from a year-long campaign over the frozen ocean (shared with other marine IPY programs).

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The observatory could remain as a legacy from this experiment and perhaps become part of an international polar observing program. The field experiment results will add to the detailed process level knowledge of how the sea ice is being forced by oceanic and atmospheric changes associated with global warming. The physical-biological coupling provides knowledge on how the marine ecosystem will likely respond to the observed and predicted changes and the modelling elements will remain as tools to monitor and predict these changes into the future.

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

Funds will be required to support a Canadian Contribution to the field logistics (icebreaker) as well as funds to support field work, students, and analysis. Significant funds will be brought into this collaboration from other sources in Canada (e.g., government, university, foundation, etc). Canadian leadership with strong international contributions make a network like CFI possible for the time frame of the IPY.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
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: Ecosystems Terrestrial Processes

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 is a new project which builds upon recently successful Canadian Led international experiments. It also extends and integrates research of the natural sciences subteams of ArcticNet and several international programs which examine physical-biological coupling in the circumpolar Arctic.

How will the project be organised and managed?
CFL will be managed by a coordinating office, which will be established for this purpose alone with financial contributions from partner organizations. A science management team will integrate and coordinate development and realization of the science plan. An international steering committee with oversee and direct management through a network director. Tasks will include • Plan and executive organizational meetings • Communicate between Executive Committee and partners • Plan and execute timing of the three program elements • Coordinate proposal activities with the goal of maximum networking • Organize meetings, workshops, etc. • Organize field sites, platforms, etc locally • Be a resource centre for exchange for logistics • Communicate with funding agencies

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
We plan to engage the public through media opportunities aboard the icebreaker. We also plan an international program to bring undergraduate students to the field program through an existing outreach program known as ‘Schools on Board’ (http://www.cases.quebec-ocean.ulaval.ca/school05.asp) We would plan an international schools on board to highlight the IPY. Northern communities will be engaged through development of community visits and bilateral exchange of northern peoples as advisors and wildlife observers aboard the icebreaker during the overwintering experiment. We would also integrate this program with ongoing community based monitoring programs operating in the circumpolar arctic where local peoples establish monitoring stations and measure selected environmental variables.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Data repositories will be developed and maintained at a North American and European node of the CFL. These databases will integrate all physical, biological and chemical data collected as part of this experiment and will integrate laboratory and modelling initiatives into this overall management framework. Data policies will follow the guidelines of IGBP and will be made available as part of a legacy data repository from CFL. World Data centres will also be considered as a data repository.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Existing funds for this network exist through individual grants to network investigators, partnerships with federal agencies (e.g., DFO, MSC, EC, DND, IANA, etc). The program would also function collaboratively and extend elements of the natural science elements of ArcticNet. New funds will be required to integrate and expand the existing resources into a functional Canadian led international network of the IPY. We estimate that this project, when integrated with other IPY initiatives, will required about 15M$ in new funds which will lever about 30$M in existing funds.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Changes in the polar regions are evident in the reduction in sea ice areal extent and thickness. The flaw lead system represents a unique circum-Arctic feature where this change is most apparent and where feedbacks occur that will enhance the observed rates of the affected processes. The IPY provides the necessary framework to focus on this lead system in a truly circumpolar sense. IPY deliberations will be required to mount the required number of icebreakers and moorings for observatories, and to engage the international modelling community in a truly integrated IPY flaw lead system study.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Prof  David Barber
Canada Research Chair in Arctic System Science
Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS), University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R32 2N2
Canada

Tel: 204-474-6981
Mobile: 204-470-4159
Fax: 204-474-7699
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation