Work Package 1: In situ observations
Task 1.1: Standard section Svinøy
Objective: Develop the Svinøy Section into a complete, sustainable, simple and robust upstream reference-system for monitoring the Atlantic inflow toward the Arctic Ocean during IPY.
Task 1.1 Deployment / recoveries Svinøy section (Orvik)
The S1 master mooring in position 62 deg 49.4N; 4 deg 17.8 E was recovered and redeployed successfully in March and October resulting in a nearly continuous time series since 1995. Also mooring SE3 at 2000 m depth was served successfully .In November the array will be completed with deployment of 4 Pressure Inverted Echo Sounders (PIES) and 2 additional mooring (as SE3) in the vicinity of 2000 m depth.
Task 1.2: Measurements at Weather Station Mike
Objective: Secure the continuation of Station M ocean time series, augment the observations with modern instrumentation, and make autonomous transects of the Norwegian Atlantic Current using gliders
1.2 OWS M ocean measurements (Mauritzen)
Postdoc Frode Høydalsvik started July 18. He visited Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington in August for an introductory study of the seaglider's design and function and assisted in the deployment of two seagliders for testing. He is also making a first examination of seaglider data and data from Station Mike. We plan to deploy the first glider December 1 2007 on the Norwegian Coastguard Vessel KV Eigun..
Task 1.3: Radiation measurements at Bjørnøya and Weather Station Mike
Objective: Update Bjørnøya and OWS Mike with modern instrumentation for radiative fluxes, to obtain a data set for the WP3 validation of EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Radiative Fluxes
1.3 OWS M and Bjørnøya, installing radiative flux instrumentation (Godøy)
Instrumentation for observation of downwelling radiative fluxes are being implemented at Bjørnøya. Concerning implementation at OWS M a visit to the ship and owner have been performed in order to find suitable locations for the instruments and cables. Design is ongoing.
Task 1.4: Heat -, salt - and mass flux measurements in the Fugløya-Bear Island section
Objective: To secure the continuation of the monitoring of the Barents Sea branch of the Atlantic Water inflow to the Arctic during IPY.
1.4 Deployment / recovery Fugløya - Bear Island instrumentation (Skagseth)
The current meter mooring array in the Fugløya - Bear Island section has been recovered and redeployed in June-July 2007. Two additional moorings have been deployed at 600 m depths: in the Gimsøy section at N 68° 51', E 13° 15', and in the Bear Island West section at N 71° 08', E 15° 39'.
Task 1.5: The Norwegian Atlantic Current bifurcation at 73oN; glider surveys in the Gimsøy- and Bear Island West sections
Objective: Implement a system of autonomous platforms to obtain detailed hydrographic data at the NwAC bifurcation at the western entrance to the Barents Sea.
1.5 Norwegian Atlantic Current bifurcation glider operation 1 (Skagseth)
Two gliders have been ordered from the WEB research. Based on experience using an IMR glider during the IPY-NESSAR project (K. Drinkwater) it was decided to have one deepwater type (can profile down to a 1000 m) and one shallow water type (can profile down to 200 m). Delivery date by the end of 2007. The work with the standard hydrographic sections by IMR is going on. In 2007 the Bear Island - Fugløya will be taken 6 times, the Gimsøy section 5 times, and the Bear Island West section 2-3 times.
Task 1.6: Mooring section Fram Strait East - the West Spitsbergen Current
Objective: Extend the Fram Strait East monitoring line with a mooring on the shelf break, that will enable us to capture the strongest signal in the topographically vorticity wave field.
1.6 Fram Strait East mooring deployment / recovery (Nilsen)
Two moorings were successfully deployed on the West Spitsbergen Shelf break September 11 2007 at the following positions: F0: N78° 49.975', E008° 51.825' at 224 m. S1: N78° 45.642', E008° 57.781' at 210 m.
Task 1.7: Drifting Stations Tara and NP-35
Objective: Contribute to the logistics necessary to carry out the Tara drift station, and install instrumentation at Tara and NP-35 necessary to feed data into the ice albedo feedback studies in WP3.
Task 1.8: The drift of the Tara, which started in September 2006, is still going on, but Tara is expected to reach the ice edge in the Fram Strait around November/December 2007. M . Nicolaus from the Norwegian Polar Institute visited Tara in April 2007 together with an international researcher group for installations of radiometers and optical measurements. The drift of NP-35 started recently, in September 2007. We have expressed that we want to set up radiometers on NP-35, and the Russian AARI has opened that we will get the opportunity for this in April 2008. We did not get the opportunity to participate in the current Russian cruise on which NP-35 was installed. (Gerland)
Task 1.8: Drifting station KV Svalbard
Objective: To carry out two intensive winter/spring field campaigns that provide new data from the output end of the Transpolar Drift that are required for the relevant tasks in our WP3 and other iAOOS upstream components.
KVS field campaign 1 (Wassmann, Hansen)
The field campaign with KV Svalbard to the East Greenland current, western Fram Strait took place from 10-30 April 2007. The scientific crew consisted of 29 scientists from 8 nations, including Russia. Three laboratory containers was bought and mounted on the ships afterdeck to facilitate biological sampling and on-deck work. A hydraulic winch was borrowed from the Institute of Marin Research and welded to the deck. Sampling took place during two drifting stations from 80 and 77 °N. Each drift lasted a week. Data was collected within the fields of biology, oceanography and sea-ice-physics. A rented helicopter secured data collection along cross-shelf transects. All necessary equipment was loaded in Tromsø, while the scientists entered and left the ship in Longyearbyen. In spite of periods with heavy ice-conditions and low temperatures, the field campaign was a success. The cooperation with the coast guard was excellent and constructive and their assistance invaluable.
Task 1.9: Freshwater mooring sections along the East Greenland Current; 79 and 74°N
Objective: To fill the gap in instrumentation in the freshwater observation arrays that prevents us from calculating the freshwater transport divergence between the individual arrays.
1.9 Freshwater obs array deployment / recovery + analysis (Hansen)
Arbeidet under disse milepælene er avhengig av data innsamlet under tokt med KV Svalbard eller fra instrumenter som er planlagt utsatt i løpet av september 2007. Det vitenskapelige arbeidet er derfor ennå i startfasen, hovedfokus har til nå vært på teknisk tilrettelegging og toktplanlegging. Data innsamlet under KV Svalbard toktet er prosessert og kvalitetssikret, og den vitenskapelige analysen er såvidt igang.
Related Task: Mooring section Nordaustlandet
Objective: To complete the DAMOCLES and NABOS mooring array north of Spitsbergen to be able to fully capture the inflow of Atlantic Water to the Arctic.
Due to harsh weather conditions the DAMOCLES mooring at 32E, 82N was not recovered this year, and it can therefore not be replaced until 2008. (Mauritzen)
Related project: The Poleward Project
Work Package 2: Operational ocean and sea ice monitoring and forecasting system
Task 2.1: Optimal retrieval, characterization and synergy of remote sensing data
The main source of observation coverage for regular monitoring of both sea ice and sea surface temperature (SST) is satellites.
2.1.1 Setting up near-real-time processing system for sea ice drift observations (Schyberg)
An algorithm has been designed to retrieve sea ice drift from low resolving sensors (currently the SSM/I). It is able to measure the ice displacement vectors inside a pair of daily satellite composite images. Efforts are being made to also retrieve the drift uncertainty so that ocean models can assimilate the product more efficiently. A prototype sea-ice drift processing chain is run and monitored everyday at met.no to assess the overall quality of the algorithm. A validation against drifting buoys is in preparation as well as the use of other instruments (e.g. METOP ASCAT).
2.1.3 Building database for collocated sea ice drift products from different algorithms and sensors (Schyberg)
No activity so far.
Task 2.2: Optimized methods for data assimilation
To produce good ice and ocean forecasts with a model it is not only important that the forcing from the atmosphere is well described. The forecast quality is also dependent on a good estimate of the initial state through data assimilation.
2.2.1 Implementation of multivariate assimilation of ice concentration and ice velocity (Burud)
We are currently implementing an improved version of the multivariate data assimilation technique called SEIK. In this version the observations will have a only a local influence radius which was not the case in the previous version of SEIK. This is expected to be completed by November 2007 and we will then start the assimilation of ice parameters.
2.2.2 Implementation of the SST dynamical projection method (Burud)
No activity so far. We plan to start working on this towards the end of this year (2007) and beginning of 2008.
Task 2.3: Sea ice modeling
The quality of the final analyzed product in a monitoring system is influenced by the quality of the atmospheric forcing fields, observations, the assimilation methods and the underlying models in such a way that weaknesses in one component can degenerate the final product.
2.3.1 Include and test the influence of the full thickness distribution of the ice model (Debernard)
We have just started considering different options for inclusion of a full ice thickness distribution in the ice-ocean forecast system. One option is to introduce the thickness distribution in the present forecast system, or we can adopt an existing ice model that already has this functionality. At present, the most likely solution is to adopt the CICE ice-model, and couple this model to the new ocean forecast model that has been chosen at met.no. The step towards a new upgraded ice-ocean forecast system is then shorter than it would be if we updated the old system, and then later introduced the new ocean code. CICE is the same ice model as has been chosen in the NorClim project. Using the same model here will optimise the use of resources in both projects. CICE is well suited for the process studies and model improvements that should be the focus later in the project.
Work Package 3: Process Experiments
Task 3.1: Monitoring upstream conditions: strength and along-path evolution of mass, salt and heat fluxes, and water masses of the Norwegian Atlantic Current
Main objective: Quantify and understand the mass, heat and salt fluxes, and the processes modifying the Atlantic Water as flowing through the Norwegian Sea toward the Arctic.
3.1: Relate temperature and salinity data at the various sections - Svinøy, Mike, Gimsøy, bifurcation region, WSC, etc - to eachother, (Orvik, Høydalsvik, Skagseth, Nilsen)
Time series of fluxes in the Fugløya - Bear Island section is processed for comparison with other sections. Sensitivity of the Norwegian Atlantic Current in the Barents Sea Opening to wind and storm tracks is analysed. (Skagseth)
Task 3.2: Towards a modern Weather Station Mike
Main objective: To investigate the feasibility of using autonomous instrumentation for obtaining oceanographic information at Station Mike.
Glider not deployed yet - analysis will begin in 2008. (Mauritzen, Høydalsvik)
Task 3.3: Bifurcation of the Norwegian Atlantic Current into a Barents Sea and a Fram Strait path
Main objective The overall objective of this task is to improve the understanding of the mechanisms governing the bifurcation of the NwAC into the Barents Sea and to the West Spitzbergen Current (WSC) and use this as basis for interpretation of observed variations in the Arctic.
Analysis has not begun yet (Skagseth)
Task 3.4: The buoyancy budget of the Arctic and Subarctic Seas
Main objective: To improve the understanding of what sets the density field of the Arctic and Subarctic Seas with special emphasis on the role of mesoscale eddies and mean advection.
3.4 Analysis (Tverberg)
The UNIS group (Nilsen, Skogseth and Teigen) have started the observation program on ocean current, temperature and salinity at the West Spitsbergen side of the ASOF section. Data analysis and preliminary results in connection to task 3.4.1 and 3.4.3, regarding the generation of topographic waves and their role in the cooling of the WSC, have been presented at the Polar Dynamics conference in Bergen, August 2007.
Task 3.5: Carbon Cycling in the Arctic Ocean outflow
Main objective: To investigate carbon cycling and lower trophic level ecosystem functions on the East Greenland shelf to evaluate the physical forcing and sensitivity to climate change for the fate of biogenic matter.
3.5 Analysis, field work (Wassmann)
Biological data for evaluation of the carbon flow in the ecosystem was sampled during three field campaigns to the ice-covered western Fram Strait in 2007; the KV Svalbard cruise in April, a 10 days cruise with FF Jan Mayen in May, and during a cruise with FF Lance in September. Data for quantification and composition of nutrients, pigments, particulate organic carbon, phyto-, micro- and mesozooplankton were sampled, and process studies to quantify production and vertical export were conducted during the April and May cruises. The analytical processes have started.
Task 3.6: Sea ice feedback mechanisms
Main objective: Combine measurements and simplified model concepts to investigate processes important for the sea ice albedo feedback loop, and improve their representation in general circulation models.
Extensive optical measurements of snow and sea ice properties could be conducted on ice stations during the cruise with KV Svalbard to the Fram Strait in April 2007. Snow and ice was sampled, too. Data processing is ongoing. Project links to another NFR-funded activity (Black Carbon, Norklima, leader T.K. Berntsen) are established. (Gerland)
Task 3.7 Surface radiative fluxes
The EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice SAF routinely produce surface radiative fluxes from remote sensing data (AVHRR on NOAA POES and EPS METOP in the future) at high latitudes (Godøy, 2005).
3.7 Analysis, field work (Godøy)
Collocation software for extraction of remote sensing radiative flux products along with NWP and SYNOP data is being developed. When in situ observations of radiative flux data is available the collocation software is modified with an extra module.
Task 3.8: Monitoring downstream conditions: Fate of the freshwater
Main objective: Estimate the fresh water transport on the shelf at 79 N and monitor the strength and along-path evolution of the ice, freshwater and volume transport of the East Greenland Current and the Transpolar Drift as it exits the Arctic.
3.8 Freshwater obs array deployment / recovery + analysis (Hansen)
Arbeidet under disse milepælene er avhengig av data innsamlet under tokt med KV Svalbard eller fra instrumenter som er planlagt utsatt i løpet av september 2007. Det vitenskapelige arbeidet er derfor ennå i startfasen, hovedfokus har til nå vært på teknisk tilrettelegging og toktplanlegging. Data innsamlet under KV Svalbard toktet er prosessert og kvalitetssikret, og den vitenskapelige analysen er såvidt igang.
Task 3.9: Inverted estuarine circulation - driving the export of freshwater
Main objective: To develop conceptual models related to the circulation driven by the Arctic freshwater.
No activity so far, work to be begun later (Tverberg)
Work Package 4: Data management
4.1 Data management (Godøy)
During the first phase of the project focus has been on further development of the DAMOCLES data management system. The original system was based upon use of netCDF and the CF standard. This ensures a cost-effective system where metadata can be automatically fed into the metadatabase. Furthermore data are available in a standard file format which encourage data exchange. However this approach might not be beneficial for all datasets. Datasets used by the project might already be available online and in another format. Thus adjusting the data management system to house datasets in other file formats or by link only have been emphasized.
The DAMOCLES data management system was developed for DAMOCLES. In order to add data from several projects while retaining project identity some adjustments are required.
Some of the datasets generated by iAOOS/THORPEX are quite voluminous. This requires some care when setting up an data management/archive system. Contact has been established with NORSTORE with the purpose of defining requirements for an interface between the metadata system developed for iAOOS/THORPEX and the large scale file storage capacity that is currently being designed for NORSTORE.
During the first phase the initial data report has been compiled.
Work Package 5: Outreach
General outreach is of particular importance to the Norwegian IPY effort. IPY should lead to increased researcher recruitment and increased interest among students within the fields of polar science. It should also increase the general awareness of polar issues and its significance for society. Within iAOOS Norway we acknowledge the importance of outreach, and we strive to use the occasion of the IPY to lift the general awareness about polar research. We hope that the iAOOS project will be a relevant project to use to gain media attention for the IPY in general here in Norway as well as internationally. We intend to pursue the outreach along two main lines; School based education and general outreach.
Task 5.1: Higher Education ()
5.2 Summer school (Nilsen)
The IPY International Sea-Ice Summer School (www.seaice.info) was successfully completed at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS, www.unis.no) in Longyearbyen during 2-13 July 2007. 92 participants from 16 different nations and 23 lecturers from 12 different nations gathered for two very intense and interesting weeks of science, social events and outdoor activities. The main focus of the scientific programme was on sea ice physics, mechanics and dynamics, but it also included marine ice fauna biology, biogeochemical processes, remote sensing and paleo-oceanography. A total of 66 hours of lectures were given, with two additional poster sessions where most participants presented their work. Outside the university, a busy social programme allowed the participants and lecturers to get to know each other and to talk about the latest in sea-ice research.
This was the third time in history that a sea-ice summer school was organized, following similar events in Italy in 1981 and Finland in 1994. The aim was to gather world's foremost experts in the field today, to educate tomorrow's sea ice experts and to inspire and stimulate networking and cooperation within the sea-ice research community. A textbook based on the lectures given at the summer school is planned to be produced.
There was an overwhelming response both from the invited speakers and from students who were interested in attending: more than 170 student applications were received before the application deadline. The positive and enthusiastic attitude prevailed throughout the two weeks with activities every day. The poster sessions continued until nearly midnight after long days of lectures. It seemed that the midnight sun, good weather and stimulating exchange kept the energy level high among all present, hopefully with a lasting effect on the coming years of sea-ice research. It is planned that the summer-school website (www.seaice.info) will become one of the central sources of sea-ice related information, which also provide a platform for students and scientists alike to keep the spirit of the summer school alive for years to come.
The International Sea-Ice Summer School is part of the International Polar Year (IPY). The summer school was made possible by funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers and both Norwegian, The Norwegian research Council through two IPY projects, iAOOS Norway and BIAC, and the EU research project DAMOCLES. Read more about the summer school at www.seaice.info.
5.3: Incorporating elementary and primary schools.
5.4: Internet site
Plan: iAOOS Norway will maintain an internet site describing the program and field activities, existing knowledge, new data and results as they come in, including interactive pages for educational purposes. The site will feature a link to real time oceanographic observations performed by the sea gliders in the project. Acknowledging that an ambitious internet site requires resources, we budget for person months to develop and maintain such a site along with the project administration. These person months are combined with another IPY funded project, THORPEX, ensuring a streamlined use of the resources.
An external webpage, www.iaoos.no, has been established. (Randen)
5.5 Open ship (Hansen)
After 3 weeks in the drift ice east of Greenland, the iAOOS Norway scientists and the crew on KV Svalbard arranged "Open ship" in Longyearbyen. The helicopter hangar on-board was turned into an exhibition hall where about 200 visitors from Longyearbyen could ask questions and get an impression of the scientific activities in the project and during the cruise. A number of stands ranged in topic from ice-cores, experiments illustrating watermass characteristics and living plankton organisms exemplifying the biologic activities in the watermasses drifting out from the Arctic Ocean. A model of the Arctic Ocean with large scale current systems and ice drift explained the huge area involved. The crew arranges guided tours around the ship, and a popular scientific lecture in the operation center on the bridge focused on the climatic challenges we are seeing. Journalists from two newspapers and TV2 were present and reported from the arrangement.
Task 5.6: Media participation
Plan: The project will invite and encourage journalists to participate on the field campaigns and on the deployment operations on the drift stations Tara and NP-35. A professional photographer and film/TV photographer will be invited to participate on the field campaigns. We intend to seek a versatile photographer with proven abilities to produce books and exhibitions from diverse photographic genres such as underwater photography, portraits, sport and action, wildlife and scenery. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation's documentary department will be invited to participate as well, and is showing interest in the project. We also seek to invite government officials and representatives from political organisations to visit during the field campaigns.
A promotional leaflet on the project was produced for the opening of the Polar Year. The project leader, Cecilie Mauritzen, was a profiled guest at NRK Lørdagsrevyen on May 5th. (Randen)
Project communication, outreach and administration (Dalsbø, Randen)
iAOOS cooperates with the IPY-Thorpex project on these matters. Tine Randen is employed in a half time position as responsible for communication, while Gudmund A Dalsbø holds a half time position as administrator.
Legal contracts between the institutions participating in the project have been signed. An internal wiki is established.
