Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Super Station program around the circum Arctic ocean for the multidisciplinary fields  (SUPERSTATION)

Outline
Making the terrestrial observatory networks at the base camps around the circum Arctic ocean, a long –term monitoring studies in multidisciplinary fields such as lower, middle and upper atmospheres, magnetosphere, terrestrial and ecological, and glaciological sciences are performed. Mainly Arctic Environmental Research Center (AERC), National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) operates and observes the Arctic environmental changes and the responses to the changes where reveals most drastically in the Northern hemisphere and the role playing in the global environmental change. Circum Arctic ocean observatory networks: To reveal the long term environmental changes in the main three stations areas mentioned below around the circum Arctic ocean in the Pacific sectors, AERC develops the basic integrated stations (super station) and observatory camps (substation) over a very wide area. 1) Svalbard Super Station AERC collaborates with the Norwegian Polar Research Institute and manages the monitoring station.Candidate area: Ny-Alesund Station (existing). 2) Arctic Canada Super Station Collaborating with Ministry of Environment, Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Meteorological Service of Canada, AERC develops new observatory station in the high Canadian Arctic. Candidate area: Alert, the Northernmost of the Canadian Arctic. 3) Arctic Russia Super StationCollaborating with the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI), AERC develops the research station at the eastern part of the Arctic Russia.Candidate area: Tiksi, the mouth of the river Rena.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
It is the most important achieve to accumulate high quality data by a long-term observation in the Arctic to predict the global and Arctic environmental changes. It is also significant to continue the observation over ten years to understand the implication of the change and to assess the environmental affect: e.g. Solar observation with a scale of eleven-year cycle, Arctic, North Atlantic and North Pacific oscillations with a scale of several to dozen years. It is meaningful for this plans to be able to fill up blank areas of various scientific fields because the Arctic covers the vast areas of oceans, lands and islands.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Norway: Norwegian Polar Research Institute, Tromso University, Oslo University Canada: Ministry of Environment, Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Meteorological Service of Canada , Toronto University, University of British Colombia, Canadian Wildlife Service, Natural Resources, CanadaRussia: Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Norway: Ny-Alesund, SvalbardCanada: Alert, the northernmost of Canadian Arctic. Russia: Tiksi, the mouth of the river Rena

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 07/07 – 08/07       07/08– 08/08      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Norway: Longyearbyn to Ny-Alesund using charter Twin Otter aircrafts or helicopter Canada: Resolute Bay to a runway near Alert station via Eureka using charter Twin Otter or helicopter. Russia: Tiksi, Japanese scientists started the 1998 observation in GAME/Siberia tundra region (Tiksi) via Lake Baikal.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
If three super stations will be able to provide lots of scientists the facilities as international station, the monitoring studies in each region will develop favourably. Not only Japan-Norway, Japan-Canada, Japan-Russia colleagues, but also international researchers will visit there. The planning will be a legacy of infrastructure.

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

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
This project depends on the logistics and supports of the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Japan.

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?


Super Station planning is expanded from the plans performed in the International Station in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard. However, because the regions are the most appropriate area for the monitoring site.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The research project will be planned by the Japan-Norway, Japan-Canada, Japan- Russia collaborated study. The monitoring Station should be managed by the collaboration under the preservation of environments, but the observatory equipments and logistic gears are prepared by Japanese side. The expenses for the establishment of new hut will be decided in future negotiation.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
This project welcomes the university students with even high school students as a summer school. Student involvement is suitable for the education to consider global climate change in the reconnaissance field work.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The obtained data will be deposited to and managed at the Arctic environmental Research Center (AERC) in NIPR, other universities and institutes. NIPR is in charged of the data management in the framework of the Inter-University Research Institute cooperation.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The PI and co-PI apply for major funding opportunities in Japan such as Grant-in-Aid for Science Research by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Monbusho’budget).

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
In this research project, the Japanese scientists with mainly NIPR member have been strongly collaborated with Canadian scientists. This project will be one of the research initiatives of the Inter-Governmental Panel between both countries.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Hiroshi Kanda
9-10, Kaga 1-chome, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo


173-8515
Japan

Tel: +81-(0)3-3962-4761
Mobile: no
Fax: +81-(0)3-3962-1525
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation