Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Pacific Arctic Shelf Studies: Pacific Influence in the Arctic Amerasian Seas  (PIAAS)

Outline
A major constraint on our ability to understand linkages between the Arctic Ocean and the global climate system is the scarcity of observational data in the Siberian Arctic marginal seas where major fresh water input and terrestrial CNP fluxes exist. The specific role of the Pacific derived/halocline waters in climate change has yet to be elucidated. Marginal seas in the Pacific sector of the Arctic, has never been investigated by modern techniques despite the progress that has been made in new technologies useful for measuring ocean characteristics of interest. In this project we focus on poorly explored areas located west from the U.S.-Russia boundary, because it is impossible to understand and model the water and chemicals transport between the Pacific and the Arctic Oceans using the geographically bounded datasets. Within the framework of this project (2007-2008), we will initiate efforts to establish a long-term, mooring-based observational system over the shelf in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. Moorings installed in selected key sites combined with detailed ship-based process-oriented studies in the Bering Sea (over the east and west shelves), Chukchi Sea, the East-Siberian Sea, and Laptev Sea will provide insight into the interaction between the Pacific and Arctic oceans over the shelves. The goal is to achieve a quantitative assessment of circulation, water mass transformations and CNP cycles with specific focus on studying the role of sub-sea permafrost dynamics in the thermal balance of the bottom sediment- sea water system and in greenhouse gases release. This process-oriented observational project is a vital component for modeling the rate of energy, water, and CNP exchange between the Pacific Ocean, land and arctic shelves and the Arctic Basin in order to clarify mechanisms of the arctic halocline formation in the most unexplored area of the Arctic Ocean. Studying carbon cycling in the East Siberian Arctic marginal seas will have a high scientific priority in order to establish the carbon budget and evaluate the role of the Arctic region in global carbon cycling, especially in the coastal zone where the redistribution of carbon between terrestrial and marine environments occurs and the characteristics of carbon exchange with atmosphere are unknown.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
To achieve the goals of this project, we will collect and catalog new data (obtained with high-tech equipment made in the United States) and all available historical data relevant to the water mass exchange processes and dynamics of the CO2 system in the Alaskan and Siberian part of the Bering and Chukchi seas, the East-Siberian Sea, and Laptev Sea including Russian data previously unavailable in the West. The recently developed data assimilation model of the ocean will assimilate the mooring and cruise data, providing an opportunity to reconstruct the principal features of the ocean circulation over the Amerasian shelf for every day during the observational period (2005-2007). The reconstructed ocean circulation will be compared with historical data to improve our understanding of both modern and past oceanic processes, on scales from the 1950s to the present time. Sinks and sources of major greenhouse gases will be quantified. Possible decay of gas hydrates will be studied using complex geophysical, and biogeochemical techniques. Besides supplying crucial data on FW and CNP fluxes to global change scientists, this proposal will have impacts on scientific infrastructure and human resources. The work will promote training by supporting students at various levels and by reaching the public and interested scientists through a dedicated website

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
This proposal will provide for collaboration between two Arctic countries, the United States (International Arctic Research Center/University Alaska Fairbanks, IARC/UAF), and Russian Federation (Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, FEBRAS), and. Scientists from Europe (Sweden and others) and affiliated Pacific Rim nations, principally Japan, Canada, and China, who share a common interest in pan-Arctic land-shelf and land-basin interactions, are encouraged to participate in this project under the umbrella of IARC/UAF and FEBRAS. This project will be a valuable contribution by IARC and FEBRAS to the Pan-Arctic SEARCH (Study of Environmental Arctic Change) Program and development of international cooperation primarily between Russia, USA, Sweden, and Japan

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Pacific sector of the Arctic: Russian Exclusive Economical zone: the Laptev, East-Siberian, Chukchi, and Bering seas. Watersheds of the Lena and Kolyma rivers will be also underway.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 07/07-10/07      07/08-10/08      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Charter of the mid-size oceanographic vessel from 2007-2008 will be arranged. The support from Russian heavy icebreaker will be required to work in the area located north and north-west from the Wrangell Island (Pole of the Inaccessibility). Discussion with Sweden scientists (I/B Oden) are already underway to better access to the outer shelf/shelf slope regions. Cooperation with other countries is also strongly appreciated.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
Yes

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

The mid-size oceanographic vessel will rely on FEBRAS operators, while the scientific instrumentation will be based on our own available resources as well as on national agencies and private foundations. The icebreaker support needs additional resources from international and national funds.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Yes-Limited funds are available from Russian Academy of Sciences through the long-term FEBRAS East-Siberian Project. The Russian and USA IPY committees do not endorse any project prior to the submission of EoIs.

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

Both: PIAAS is a new project initiated by the IPY initiative. However, it is a component of the existing FEBRAS project: Complex oceanographic studies in the East-Siberian region: consequences of Global changes and catastrophic processes", and Pacific Arctic Shelf Studies (PASS) funded from NOAA through the IARC/UAF. Pending support from the NASA/NEESPI project “Linking North Eurasian River Discharge and Terrestrial Carbon Export in the Arctic Ocean, NEWS/04-2-0000-0330” may become available.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The PIAAS joins Russian and US teams, each having one or several leaders (all project members under 4.2). The whole project will be coordinated by a scientific steering group (ssg), where each sub-discipline will be presented.The chairmen of the ssg will represent the project in coordination with other national and international relevant projects and bodies. Names of the PIAAS leaders may be changed before submission of proposals.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The work will promote training by supporting students at various levels and by reaching the public and interested scientists through a dedicated website. All level students from Russia and US will be involved in joint field and analytical work. It will be the first project focused on the observation and modelling in the Eat-Siberian region. This proposal will also provide for collaboration between two Arctic Pacific countries, the Russian Federation and United States. Scientists from affiliated nations, principally Canada, Japan and China, who share a common interest in pan-Arctic land-shelf and land-basin interactions, are encouraged to participate in this project under the umbrella of IARC/UAF. Cooperative studies with Sweden scientists are now under discussion.This project will be a valuable contribution by FEBRAS and IARC to the Pan-Arctic SEARCH (Study of Environmental Arctic Change) Program and development of international cooperation primarily between USA, Russia, Sweden, and Japan. Field training of new generation of scientists from the United States and Russian Federation will become available through the bi-national Vitus Bering Laboratory, which was established during October 2002 between IARC UAF and FEBRAS.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
A dedicated web site will be opened for this project at FEBRAS and IARC both, including a meta-data base, where home of the preliminary data will be given. The largest historical data base will be established at FEBRAS to be available for project scientists and students.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Except for the logistics (mainly supported by FEBRAS and PASS/IARC) the project is expected to be funded by grants from the Russian and US funding agencies and the INTAS to the leaders of the different sub-projects

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Chairman, FEBRAS Valentin Sergienko
Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (FEBRAS)
50 Svetlanskaya Street
Vladivostok
690950

Tel: +7 4232 264997
Mobile: no
Fax: +7 4232 261025
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation