Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

ATMOSPHERIC MONITORING NETWORK FOR ANTHROPOGENIC POLLUTION IN POLAR REGIONS  (ATMOPOL)

Outline
The project aims at establishing a long-term Arctic-Antarctic network of monitoring stations for atmospheric monitoring of anthropogenic pollution. Based upon the long and excellent experiences with different scientific groups performing air monitoring within the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), an expanded network will be established including all AMAP stations and all major Antarctic “year-around” research stations. As an integrated project within the “International Polar Year 2007-08” initiative, the ATMOPOL co-operation intend to · Establish a long-term coordinated international Arctic-Antarctic contaminant programme. · Develop and implement a joint sampling and monitoring strategy as an official guideline for all participating stations. · Support bi-polar international atmospheric research with high-quality data on atmospheric long-range transport of contaminants (sources, pathways and fate). Based upon the well-established experiences of circum-Arctic atmospheric contaminant monitoring in the Arctic under the AMAP umbrella, a bi-polar atmospheric contaminant network will be established and maintained. In conjunction with the polar network of atmospheric monitoring stations for air pollution, surface-based and satellite instrumentation will be utilised to provide the characterization of the Arctic atmospheric-water-ice cycle. Together with numerical weather prediction and chemical transport model calculations, simultaneous measurements of pollutants at various locations in the Arctic and Antarctic will enhance our understanding of chemical transport and distribution as well as their long-term atmospheric trends. A secretariat and a “scientific project board” will be established. During this initial phase of the project (2006), a guideline on priority target compounds, sampling strategies, equipment and instrumentation, analytical requirements, as well as quality assurance protocols (including laboratory intercalibration exercises) will be developed and implemented. The ATMOPOL initiative aims to address highly relevant environmental change processes and, thus, will contribute to answers of the following scientific questions: · How does climate change influence the atmospheric long-range transport of pollutants? · Are environmental scientists able to fill the gaps in international pollution inventories and identification of possible sources for atmospheric pollution in polar regions? · What are the differences in transport pathways and distribution patterns of various atmospheric pollutants between Arctic and Antarctic environments? Why are there such differences? The project is aiming to establish a cooperative network on atmospheric contaminant monitoring in polar regions far beyond the IPY 2007/08 period and is, thus, planned as an “open-end” programme. All produced data will be available for all participating institutions for scientific purposes as basis for joint publications and reports from the ATMOPOL database accessible via the IPY-webpage.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The overall objectives of ATMOPOL initiative response directly to all four major environmental goals of the IPY 2007/08 programme. ATMOPOL will firstly add new scientifically-based knowledge on the global aspects of atmospheric pollutant transport into polar regions. Secondly, the monitoring programme will serve as a scientific tool for early identification of environmental changes. Thirdly, the logistic challenges for research in polar regions will lead to the development of new scientific solutions for long-term atmospheric monitoring, for example using newly developed passive air sampling methods. In addition, coordination strategies and instrumentation/ methods used will be highly advanced and adapted by all parties. As such, this concept will have the potential for a milestone in international cooperation for global monitoring and survey of anthropogenic pollution in the polar atmosphere.Last by not the least, the scientific results expected by the ATMOP! OL initiative will have a strong impact on education on all levels (including schoolchildren) as well as the public and decision-makers.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
International commitment and cooperation is the basis for the here-described endeavour. The core-group of the ATMOPOL initiative will consist of Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Norway,Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI),Norwegian Meteorological Institute (met.no), Norway,Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland,British Antarctic Survey (BAS), UK, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar Sciences (AWI), GermanyAustralian Antarctic Division (AAD), Australia, Greenland Environmental Observatory, Summit (USA)and Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC). The AMAP circum-Arctic network will be actively involved. All major research stations in Arctic and Antarctic regions will be invited to participate in the planned network. Thematic linkage with other IPY initiatives (e.g., planned ITCT Arctic initiative, ARCLIDIV) will be identified for co-operation and data exchange.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The monitoring network will be based upon standard instrumentation/ methods for trace gases, metals and POP (= persistent organic pollutants) monitoring in the polar atmosphere. High-volume sampling devices will be used for sampling. Weekly samples will be collected over a 2 year period based upon a sampling and analytical protocol harmonised between all stations involved. The instrumentation and sample handling will be organised by a responsible scientist at each station. Quantification and analysis will be performed by appointed national laboratories following strict quality control protocols.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 01/07 – 12/08            
Antarctic: 01/07 – 12/08            

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Logistic required: · Training of the appointed personnel (logistic)· Purchase of equipment and adaptation of infrastructure · Transport of the equipment, installation and calibration (ship/airplane) · Electric power supply for the sampling device (including shelter for a whole year continous sampling campaign) · Sample storage (freezer) · “Contamination free “ transport to the laboratory (gas-tight container)

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The ATMOPOL initiative will be organised as an “open-end” co-operation because only long term monitoring commitment will result in the planned unique data set as an important information source for polar atmospheric contamination. Adjustments and improvements will be continuously discussed and implemented in the project scheme. The Secretariat and the “scientific project panel” will be established and maintain the project initiative even after the end of IPY 2007.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator
National agency
Military support
Own support
Other sources of support

The project initiative will be based upon financial and logistic support of national polar operators. The respective participating research station will be responsible for funding and logistics. However, a joint ATMOPOL secretariat will be established for quality control, communication and co-ordination between the monitoring stations, decision makers and the public.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
The national IPY committees for all stations involved will separately evaluate the project as a part of the national and international efforts for receiving funding for the project. In addition, the ATMOPOL project proposal will ask for support at all relevant conventions and environmental monitoring initiatives involved in Arctic and Antarctic surveys.

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?
New

The ATMOPOL project will be established as new monitoring initiative based upon already existing structures through AMAP and other conventions and monitoring initiatives. Thus, the ATMOPOL initiative will draw advantage from already established Arctic and Antarctic infrastructure and co-operation networks. However, the ATMOPOL co-operation will be based upon new concepts with respect to monitoring strategies, quality control and co-operation harmonisation in order to meet the considerable challenges related to the global aspects of the ATMOPOL co-operation.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be organised as co-operative efforts by all joining institutions. National experts will be appointed as representatives for the ATMOPOL “scientific project panel”. A leader of the ATMOPOL initiative will be appointed during the “kick-off” meeting in 2006. For logistics and communication, an ATMOPOL secretariat will be established at one of the host institutions. The secretariat will consist of a managing officer and a secretary. The secretariat will support the “scientific project panel” by providing communication tools, reports and other relevant information. In order to provide a continuous and adequate communication platform a ATMOPOL website, newsletter and electronic communication tool will be established and maintained by the secretariat.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
ATMOPOL will address important scientific topics with regard to environmental change and global atmospheric transport. Thus, the findings of ATMOPOL will be communicated in scientific publications and reports to the public, other monitoring initiatives, conventions and decision makers.In addition, carefully adapted information will be provided on the ATMOPOL web-page for educational purposes (University, school teachers etc.).Once a year, a popular scientific summary of the results including highlights of the project will be presented and published prepared for a broad, generally-educated readership.All results related to the ATMOPOL network will be published in scientific papers and summarised in a chapter in the planned IPY book series on polar environmental Research (Springer Editors), short title “From Pole to Pole”

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The project will be based upon cooperation agreements between national research stations. The data obtained will be solely the properties of the respective institution. However, as a part of the ATMOPOL cooperation, an open and trustful information exchange is essential for the success of the project. Therefore, as a part of the final agreements between the national cooperating institutions, rules for accessibility of data, use for joint publication, publication plan etc. will be signed.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
After approval as IPY 2007/08 initiative, all cooperating institutions will apply for funding at their respective national funding agencies. It is expected that the financial support of the ATMOPOL secretariat and the regular meetings of the “scientific project panel” will be implemented into the national proposals with about 1-2% of the annual national budgets.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
As the infrastructures are already established in the circum-Arctic countries, the major focus will be laid upon the establishment of monitoring facilities in Antarctica new atmospheric monitoring facilities in the Arctic and logistic challenges with regard to installation/ maintenance of equipment as well as sample handling and transport. The monitoring strategies will be developed based upon the extensive experiences already gain under the AMAP monitoring program.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Roland Kallenborn
P.O. Box 100
Instituttveien 18
2027
Norway

Tel: +4763898237
Mobile: +4790879988
Fax: +4763898050
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation