Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

European Solar-Terrestrial and Atmospheric Research  (E-STAR)

Outline
To understand climate change is essential for the future of civilisation. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that the Sun was probably responsible for much of the changes in the early part of the 20th century. Yet, the physical processes responsible for these changes are poorly understood at present. The Sun is a variable star. The output of the Sun has two components - electromagnetic radiation and energetic charged particles which vary on all time scales and influence both the interplanetary space and the Earth's atmospheric environment, where weather and climate affect human life on planet Earth. The polar regions are windows to the open space. The Sun deposits a substantial amount of energy into the polar regions, where energetic charged particles ionise the atmosphere and modify microphysical processes, which are relevant for cloud and ice formation. The heating of the polar atmospheres from the Sun’s energetic input results in disturbances of neutral atmosphere dynamics, which can propagate in the form of waves over long distances towards lower latitudes and thereby affect the Earth’s weather and climate. E-STAR quantifies four major areas of uncertainty in climate change which are directly or indirectly associated with the variability of the Sun's energy output. E-STAR identifies the factors which amplify these processes and determines the response of the atmosphere and the climate system on spaceship Earth.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
E-STAR mainly contributes to the IPY Themes #1.1, #1.3, #2.1, #3.5, #5.1, #5.2, and #5.3 by determination of the physical mechanisms, which causally link extraterrestrial driving forces to the Earth’s weather and climate. E-STAR determines the factors which amplify these processes within the climate system through a series of observational campaigns and modelling approaches, which are organised in four science themes on: (1) extraterrestrial drivers, (2) global atmospheric electric circuit, (3) atmospheric dynamics and chemistry, and (4) the synthesis of atmospheric processes, all of which determine the response of the climate system on the Earth.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
20 national funding agencies from 16 European countries expressed interest in participation in the E-STAR programme at present. Yet, the E-STAR programme is open to the participation from organisations around the world and may grow into a global programme of research in the future.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Fenno-Scandia and Antarctica. Individual projects in Antarctica may be conducted on the emerging European base, and on bases of the United Kingdom and Russia, in collaboration with bases of the United States and Japan.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 2007 – 2008            
Antarctic: 2007 – 2008            

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Not known at present. See 3.6 for more details. It is expected that E-STAR mainly requires access to ground based facilities such as radars, existing field stations and observatories. Satellites, such as ENVISAT, may contribute. New field stations with open data access are very likely to be proposed within E-STAR.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
Not known at present. See 3.6 for more details. It is expected that E-STAR will leave a new generation of ground based observatories for the continuous measurement of solar-terrestrial relationships, and hence a legacy is very likely.

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

Many of the regions, where experiments are likely to be deployed, can be reached by commercial transport and with national operators. All Antarctic work would need to be supported by national operators.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
20 national funding institutions from 16 European countries expressed interest in participation in the E-STAR programme at present. The formal commitment to the E-STAR programme is solicited from the participating national funding agencies by February 28th, 2005. The E-STAR programme is also open to networked contributions from other nations.

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?
No

It is expected that a significant number of research proposals in the E-STAR framework will be related to the polar regions, which play a key role in the understanding of solar-terrestrial relationships and their role in the global climate system.

How will the project be organised and managed?
E-STAR is managed by a full time employee of the European Science Foundation (ESF) based in Strasbourg, France. The scientific activities are overseen by a management committee formed by one representative from each participating national funding agency plus one representative from the ESF. An independent international steering committee formed of leading scientists in the field, with a mandate from the funding agencies, will undertake and oversee the peer review assessment of proposals to the programme. The successful participants in E-STAR projects will meet regularly on scientific meetings to discuss the way forward.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
E-STAR will mainly provide scientific education and training for the next generation of polar researchers. General outreach and communication issues will be dealt within the E-STAR programme by the European Science Foundation.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
E-STAR builds on the development of GRID’s, by providing specialised generic software for solar terrestrial and atmospheric research physics. The new paradigm of internationally linked high speed GRID computing is a particularly useful integration tool, as it permits layered computation to support scientists as well as decision and policy makers.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
E-STAR projects will be financially supported by the participating national funding agencies. The coordination of E-STAR scientists is funded through an already existing contract between the European Science Foundation and the European Commission.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
E-STAR is promoted by the European Science Foundation (ESF), which also hosts the European Polar Board (EPB). The contribution of E-STAR to the IPY is not clear at present with regard to specific project questions 1.6/2.1/2.3/2.4/3.1. The outline proposals submitted to E-STAR will be collected by 01.04.05 and screened by 01.06.05. Successful proposals will start at the beginning of 2006 such that the first experimental work will begin in 2007-2008 to match the IPY. E-STAR established liaisons with the CAWSES programme of SCOSTEP, the ICESTAR programme of SCAR, and the COST action 724 of the European Commission.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Martin Fullekrug
University of Bath, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Telecommunications, Space and Radio Group
Bath
BA2 7AY
UK

Tel: +44 1225 6053
Mobile: no
Fax: +44 1225 6305
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation