Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #126:Ocean Fluxes and Flows  (Ocean Fluxes and Flows)

Outline
Ocean fluxes and flows include the movement of properties into, through and out of the polar oceans. This thematic activity is closely related to Canadian Theme 2, which focuses specifically on freshwater, and it is expected that proposed field expeditions, modelling, moorings and financial budgeting will necessarily overlap between these two themes. Project components summarized here include observational surveys, moorings, process studies, and modelling of biogeochemical properties in the Arctic Ocean other than fresh water. Measured properties will include: 1) benchmark oceanographic data (e.g., salt, temperature, nutrients, dissolved oxygen); 2) the carbon system (inorganic and organic carbon, 13C, particulate and dissolved organic carbon, organic biomarkers); 3) Micronutrients (e.g., Fe, Cu, Zn, Co); 4) Specific source and process tracers (e.g., Ba, Al, Mn, Mo, Cd, Re); 5) Rare earth elements and stable isotopic compositions of a variety of elements (e.g., Pb, Nd, Hf, Fe, Mo, Cd) and; 5) natural and artificial radionuclides (e.g., 210Pb, 239/240Pu, 129I, 137Cs, 99Tc). These measurements will be made in an interdisciplinary context that includes biological observations and, where possible and practical, water column measurements will be accompanied by sediment cores. Furthermore, moorings will be used to provide high-resolution and year-round data for strategic locations. Within this thematic grouping, measurement and modelling of fluxes and flows will include: 1) The import or export of materials to and from the Arctic Ocean (exchange with Pacific and Atlantic Oceans); 2) Import of materials from the drainage basins (river inflow, coastal erosion); 3) Exchange of properties between shelves and basins; 4) Movement of materials between major basins and along shelf margins in organized currents; 5) Exchange of material between ocean and sediment; 6) Exchange of materials with the atmosphere and; 7) Transport of material by ice. A component of the work will focus on the large-scale Arctic Ocean by collecting coherent sectional data around the entire polar margin (flaw leads and boundaries). This approach will produce a snapshot of the entire ocean that will allow comparisons between regions, the inference of connections between basins and coherent transport/exchange pathways and will provide a universal benchmark against which future change can be assessed. Other components in the Canadian Theme 6 will focus on key flux and transport processes such as: 1) CH4 evasion from arctic shelf sediments; 2) atmosphere-ice-ocean exchange in flaw-lead polynyas; 3) Short-cut flux pathways of contaminants (e.g., contaminant vectors within the organic carbon cycle or foodwebs). The latter contaminant flux pathways will clearly have implications for humans living in the Arctic. The broad suite of measurements listed above, together with large-scale comparative studies will produce important advances on the Arctic Ocean’s role in carbon sequestration, on the transport of material and present connectivity within the Arctic and between the Arctic and adjacent oceans, and the vulnerability to change. The Arctic Ocean will form a key setting to conduct this research, but parallel studies in Hudson Bay are also proposed partly because these will be supported by modelling and measurements already undertaken and partly because Hudson Bay is in the vanguard of change and, therefore, a crucial Canadian site to monitor. The intensive studies proposed in Canadian Theme 6 for IPY will provide a benchmark against which change can be assessed, and historical perspectives from sediment cores to provide a wider context of past change within which to interpret the flux and flow studies proposed above. Continued monitoring of key sections around the Arctic Ocean (e.g. for Canada, the Canadian Beaufort Sea section would be important) will provide a strategic method of observing change IPY.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
1. Current State: This project will produce the benchmark assessment of PanArctic polynyas and margins which, together with the complete suite of biogeochemical measurements, would provide by far the best snapshot of the present state of the Arctic Ocean 2. Change in polar regions: The greatest changes in the Arctic are likely to occur at or near the shelf edge where change in ice climate coincides with important forcing (upwelling, boundary currents). The Canadian Theme 6 benchmark will provide a coherent baseline against which to assess future PanArctic change in this region; sediment cores will provide insight into past change; process studies will provide input to models exploring future change. 3. Polar-global linkages: The carbon cycle work will assess the Arctic’s role in the global carbon cycle; tracer work will reveal connections between the Arctic and adjacent oceans. 4. New frontiers: Many of the tracers proposed here have never been measured in the Arctic or applied to arctic problems. We anticipate that exciting connections will emerge from collaborative work with these tracers to set time scales and transport processes, and the microbial science community studying carbon pathways. 5. Vantage Point. The tracers proposed here will provide new insights on cold-ocean and ice processes. 6. Human Societies. Contaminant work on pathways will advance our understanding of risks to humans and ecosystems.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
International collaboration will occur through high-profile international programs (e.g., OASIS, GEOTRACES, CATS/ASOF; CLIVAR) and national programs (MERICA, PEARL, NCP) In addition to these projects, and very likely providing important settings within which to conduct them, the Canadian Theme 6 proposal of leading ocean expeditions to produce PanArctic comparative studies of polynyas (CFL) and margins (CAME) must be done in an international context so that all Arctic sectors can be sampled and such that all Arctic nations have an opportunity to plan, and benefit from, the science. Thus scientists from Norway (e.g., Wassmann), Russia (e.g., Semiletov); USA (e.g., Grebmeier) and others will be invited to collaborate.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
1. Pan Arctic (margins of the polar ocean (CAME); flaw lead polynyas of the polar oceans (CFL). 2. Hudson Bay 3. Beaufort Gyre, coastal Beaufort Sea/Amundsen Gulf (likely that OASIS would be conducted in this region) 4. Lancaster Sound/Baffin Bay/Davis Strait

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: (August-October) 2007/2008 2008-2017?      OASIS (Feb-July)      PEARL (Year round after 2005)
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
The large-scale, ship-based part of the program will require a dedicated ice-breaker capable of working in multiyear ice (CCGS Louis S. St. Laurent) for the summer of 2007 or 2008 or both. Field programs to study polynyas will require a range of logistical support (e.g., ice breakers, ice-strengthened research ship, remotely operated vehicles, aircraft support). Process studies like OASIS will require field camps.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The main legacy will be the dataset, a greater scientific understanding and the fostering of a new set of arctic ocean scientists who would launch their careers within this program. An important outcome of Canadian Theme 6 would be a much better insight into how to design and conduct Arctic Ocean monitoring to inform us of change.

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

This project would clearly require close collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard for ice breaker support, but aircraft (fixed wing/rotary wing) could be contracted. Field camps and assistance from Polar Continental Shelf Project would also be advantageous.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Yes- Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment Canada have endorsed this proposal in principle and funds are to be secured through an MC. 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: Arctic Ocean Fluxes & Flows

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

Will build on existing projects where appropriate (e.g., MERICA) The proposals to conduct PanArctic surveys and process studies, and to put in place moorings are all new, requiring full funding and logistic support. Other components of the study (e.g., OASIS) are moving forward but are not yet funded. Finally, some projects already being conducted (e.g., CATS) may offer benefits to the Canadian Theme 6 proposal through adding components.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be managed through a joint DFO-EC Project Steering Committee which will establish ties between atmospheric, ocean and terrestrial based work.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Education and outreach will include 1) Training of students through graduate degrees; 2) Inclusion of a ‘student on board’ component of the field work; 3) Community visits to display and discuss the science; 4) Development of a website and 5) Inclusion of writers and artists within the program.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
We propose that DFO would take the lead in archiving and managing the multi-disciplinary data sets to be obtained by the PanArctic transect expeditions. Although DFO has already in place a data-management capability, this would clearly need be expanded to encompass an undertaking of this size. Investigators working within the Ocean and Fluxes Theme would be required to submit their data to a DFO data management facility expanded for this task.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
This project will require dedicated ship time plus funding to support what is predominantly new work. Such funding must come from an MC. For collaborative work with other nations, it is anticipated that funding from other national sources will accompany such investigators. The predominant requirement for funding will be during the IPY (2007/08) itself, but leadup funding to prepare and plan, and funding after the field work to analyse data, interpret and present results and maintain monitoring components will also be needed.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr  R.W Macdonald
Dept of Fisheries and Oceans
PO Box 6000
Sidney BC
V8L 4B2
Canada

Tel: (250) 363-6409
Mobile: no
Fax: (250) 363-6807
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation