Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Russian Antarctic Oceanography Studies  (RAOS)

Outline
The Southern Ocean is of crucial role for the global climate system. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is the dominant element of the Southern Ocean dynamics connecting the ocean basins. Fluxes of mass, heat and freshwater through links between neighbouring oceans can play an important role in shaping the characteristics of the circulation and properties in these oceans. Interocean exchange variability may be closely coupled with climate variability. Of particular interest are the links of the South Atlantic with the Indian and Pacific Oceans, which make possible the existence of a «global» thermohaline circulation, i.e., the unique global reach of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) and of the compensating return flow within the ocean upper layer. This circulation, known as the `conveyor belt', redistributes water, heat and salt over the global ocean. Variability in the South Atlantic interocean exchange induces variability in the global thermohaline circulation and it can affect the production of NADW and associated Atlantic climate variability. Whereas this interocean exchange is suspected to play a major role in the Atlantic climate, our understanding of its structure and variability is at best rudimentary due to the lack of data.GoodHope project aims to fill this gap by establishing a program of observations. As the part of the GoodHope project the RAOS project has the following objectives:to study Indo-Atlantic interocean exchanges (in terms of water masses and budgets);to monitor the variability of Southern Atlantic Ocean frontal systems.We will make high density XBT repeated transects from Cape Town to the Antarctic continent along SR2 WOCE-CLIVAR line in the summer seasons of 2007 – 2009. For this task we will use research and supply icebreaker AKADEMIK FEDOROV. Repeat XBT lines across “chokepoint” section provide measurements of changes in upper ocean heat content and SST on both seasonal and interannual time scales. In addition, by exploiting the relationship between upper ocean temperature and dynamic height, XBTs can be used to infer velocities.Additionally we plan detailed spatial CTD surveys of the Antarctic Slope Front (ASF) at the different sites of Antarctic Continental margin (possible areas: Eastern Weddell Sea, Prydz Bay, Cosmonauts Sea). The spatial and temporal variability of the ASF structure will be studied. This process study should address the question: What is the role of ASF in the exchanges of mass, heat and freshwater between the shelf and ocean regimes?

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
LIVAR sections in the Southern Ocean and we will have a series of snapshots which together with satellite observations and profiling floats will help us to understand the changes in the ocean- sea ice- atmosphere system of Southern Ocean and Antarctic marginal seas. This is necessary for validation of the climate models and, therefore, for improving of predictability of climate systems.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The RAOS project is the input to GoodHope project of CLIVAR and to the following IPY proposals: “SOUTHERN OCEAN CHOKEOINTS: Monitoring fluxes associated with water exchanges between the three ocean basins” and BONUS-GOODHOPE. The proposal will be collaborative with the SASSI (Synoptic Antarctic Shelf-Slope Interaction) IPY proposal. The RAOS project is also the input to the iAnZone – the SCOR affiliated program.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The RAOS domain is the Southern Atlantic Ocean and the Eastern Weddell Sea, Prydz Bay area and the Cosmonauts Sea.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: 01/07-02/07      02/08-03/08      01/09-02/09

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Two/three weeks of the ship’s time during each season. The work will be done from r/v AKADEMIK FEDOROV during the Russian Antarctic Expedition. XBT probes and CTD profilers are needed. Use of ship’s helicopters is also expected.Must be shareable with other projects (e.g., marine biology studies and/or deployment of profiling floats, ARGOS buoys or other ice-borne instruments from the AKADEMIK FEDOROV).

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
YES - The scientific equipment which will be prepared for the project will be used for future Antarctic oceanography studies.

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

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
YES - Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology (Roshydromet) Russian Federal Program “World Ocean”, Subprogram “Antarctica” Russian Antarctic Expedition of Roshydromet Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Organizing Committee of the Russian Federation for the IPY 2007/08 GoodHope project of CLIVAR ”International IPY initiative “SOUTHERN OCEAN CHOKEOINTS: Monitoring fluxes associated with water exchanges between the three ocean basins” International IPY initiative BONUS-GOODHOPE

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 is a component of the research activities within the framework of the Subprogram “Antarctica” of the Russian Federal Program “World Ocean”. The project is a part of the existing GoodHope international project of CLIVAR

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be carried out within the framework of Subprogram “Antarctica” of Federal Programme “World Ocean”. The field works will be done during the annual Russian Antarctic Expeditions. The project will be coordinated with the CLIVAR/CliC/SCAR Southern Ocean Panel and the iAnZone Steering Committee.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Results of the project will be presented through reports, papers and web site of the Federal Program “World Ocean”. Students and graduate students will participate in the project. The participation of journalists during the field work is expected. Permanent press conferences will be organised.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The data obtained during the field phase of RAOS will be presented to the users through the web technology. A web site will be created at the AARI with online information on ongoing tasks. During the 3-year project the data will have restricted access and it will be reserved to all GoodHope partners. After that and after the validation procedure data will be sent to the World Data Centres in standard formats.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
It is proposed to fund the project through the Federal Programme “World Ocean”, IPY Program of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) and Russian Antarctic Expedition

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
AARI is responsible for Russian logistic operations and research in the Southern Ocean. AARI is the owner of r/v AKADEMIK FEDOROV . She operates annually in the Antarctic waters during the permanent Russian Antarctic Expedition. The AARI team has a great experience in field works in the Southern Ocean.The oceanography studies will be accompanied by the routine meteorology and sea ice measurements and atmosphere physics and marine biology studies. We will try to find possibility to work on the drifting and/or fast ice.In spite of the field work and data analysis we will use numerical models and laboratory modelling (rotating tank experiments to study convection processes).

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Alexander Klepikov
Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) of Roshydromet
38 Bering str
Saint-Petersburg
199397
Russia

Tel: 7 (812) 352-02-26
Mobile: no
Fax: 7 (812) 352-26-88
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation