Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Synoptic Antarctic Shelf-Slope Interactions Study; an IPY project from iAnZone  (SASSI)

Outline
SASSI objectives: 1. Obtain a circumpolar synoptic view of Antarctic shelf and slope oceanography 2. Assess quantitatively the properties and amount of inflow of warm, saline deep water onto the continental shelf 3. Assess the role of this onshore heat transport in melting sea ice and ice shelves 4. Determine where, when and how this oceanic inflow is transformed over the shelf domain into dense Shelf Water and its subsequent derivative Antarctic Bottom Water, through net cooling and freshwater fluxes during the seasonal sea ice melting/freezing cycle 5. Assess the importance of ice shelves in the net freshening process 6. Understand the dynamics of the coastal current and slope front systems, and how they influence the exchanges between sea ice, glacial ice, coastal and deep ocean waters 7. Quantify freshwater transports around Antarctica through both currents and atmosphere-ocean-ice interaction 8. Assess the degree to which current coupled ocean-ice models represent the shelf system and its variability 9. Design a long-term monitoring system over the Antarctic continental margins that can act as an early indicator of global climate changes 10. Identify key Antarctic shelf/slope processes that should be included or parameterised in future climate models. SASSI approaches: Short synoptic transects will be undertaken circumpolarly radiating outwards across the Antarctic continental shelf and slope, incorporating where possible: * CTD/ADCP section of closely spaced stations. * Collection of water samples for tracer and chemical analyses including oxygen isotopes, nutrients and trace gases. * Deployment of moored instruments along each section to measure temperature, salinity, current velocities and sea level for at least one year. * Deployment of autonomous water samplers on the shelf to collect weekly samples for tracer analyses. * Deployment of ice-hardened surface ocean drifters across the coastal and slope break current systems, measuring temperature, salinity, sea level pressure and location. * Air-sea heat and freshwater flux measurements. * Swath bathymetric surveys of the complex shelf and slope terrain. * Turbulent mixing measurements. * Continuation poleward beneath ice shelves and/or sea ice using autonomous vehicles such as Autosub. We will deploy subsurface Lagrangian floats tracked acoustically beneath the seasonal sea ice throughout the winter. They provide profiles of temperature and salinity, and location, every 10 days. Plans are already in hand to ensonify the Weddell Sea. Extension of this tracking network to other regions surrounding Antarctica will be undertaken through SASSI to provide polar coverage to the global Argo programme.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Theme 1: SASSI will provide a unique synoptic snapshot of the Antarctic continental shelf and slope environment, including physical (iAnZone), biogeochemical (GEOTRACES, SOLAS, IMBER) and biodiversity (CoML, GLOBEC) measurements: a legacy against which to measure future change. Theme 2: SASSI aims to understand and parameterise the continental shelf and slope processes that are currently absent from climate models, yet are critical to understanding global climate variability. Theme 4: SASSI will make observations in regions never previously studied. The first sub-ice observations, through moored instrumentation, under-ice floats, and AUV/ROVs, are likely to radically alter our view of the Antarctic system. q2_1_Location : Antarctic continental shelf and slope, circumpolar, ocean, atmosphere, sea ice and ice shelf environments. With links to and comparisons with analogous Arctic shelf/slope studies being proposed by others.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
SASSI has been devised by an international programme, iAnZone, with close links to SCOR, SCAR and CLIVAR. The planning workshop involved scientists from 9 nations. The current iAnZone steering committee involves scientists from 10 nations.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Antarctic continental shelf and slope, circumpolar, ocean, atmosphere, sea ice and ice shelf environments. With links to and comparisons with analogous Arctic shelf/slope studies being proposed by others.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: 01-03/2008 primary sections      03/2007 - 03/2009 moored instrumentation      03/2007 - 03/2009 under ice floats and surface drifters

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Shiptime, mostly on ice strengthened research ships. AUVs and ROVs for under ice observations.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
SASSI will leave a legacy of a design for a climate observing system on the Antarctic continental shelf and slope.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Own national polar operator
Another national polar operator
National agency

Logistic support is being sought by each of the iAnZone partner nations. The short hydrographic sections are specifically designed so that nations with only limited science time or expertise available on Antarctic supply vessels can make a full and important contribution.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
SASSI is endorsed by iAnZone and contributes to CASO. SASSI is the outcome of an iAnZone open workshop in August 2004 with US, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Norway, Japan, Finland, Russia and New Zealand participation. Endorsement is already approved from the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR).

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

SASSI is a new iAnZone project but follows a series of successful international collaborative iAnZone projects to address different aspects of science in the Antarctic zone, including Ice Station Weddell, AnzFlux, DOVETAIL, ISPOL and AnSlope.

How will the project be organised and managed?
iAnZone has organised collaborative Antarctic projects before and the organisational infrastructure is already in place. We have a regularly-rotating SCOR-approved steering committee with current members from Japan, Finland, New Zealand, China, Italy, USA, Brazil, Germany, Australia and Russia, currently chaired by the UK. The iAnZone biennial meetings, workshops and mailing list are open to all. We will particularly welcome nations new to Antarctic research who wish to use IPY to develop their own expertise, for example by participating in short sections on their own vessels or those of other nations.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Participation in SASSI’s short but exciting sections provides ideal training for students, young scientists and people from developing nations. The iAnZone website will be maintained and developed. The iAnZone mailing list will remain open to all subscribers. Further outreach efforts are subject to funding for webpage or secretarial support.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
iAnZone has reached agreement with the CLIVAR/CliC/SCAR Southern Ocean Panel that CLIVAR will manage the SASSI data sets.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Each nation will apply for its own funding. EU funding will be explored. The project sections are designed to be achievable even by nations with few resources, by taking advantage of Antarctic supply ships. Other nations may play a full part by contributing moored arrays, floats or drifters.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
SASSI provides a framework for close cooperation and collaboration with other programmes. We are already working with other international programmes such as GEOTRACES, SOLAS, GLOBEC, CoML and IMBER to develop complementary biological and chemical components of SASSI. For example, SOLAS will make measurements of the carbonate system along the SASSI sections. There will be a workshop to develop the SASSI project at the next iAnZone biennial meeting, to be held in Venice in October 2005 in conjunction with the Ross Sea conference. The full SASSI proposal document is available on the iAnZone website http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/fac/physocean/ianzone/

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Karen Heywood
School of Environmental Sciences
University of East Anglia
Norwich
NR4 7TJ
UK

Tel: 01603 592555
Mobile: no
Fax: no
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation