Research Programme Polar, Marine and Coastal Systems

Current and future Arctic research priorities of GermanyNicole Biebow, AWI

Arctic Science and Technology (S&T) Collaboration and Engagement Workshop, Ottawa, 09.12.2014

German Arctic Research Strategy:

Rapid Climate Change in the Arctic: Polar Research as a Global

Responsibility

Published 2012based on

Framework programme:"Research for Sustainable Development (FONA) "by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

http://www.fona.de/mediathek/pdf/Rapid_Climate_Change_in_the_Arctic.pdf

The content

22 Pages

Four main chapters:

1. The Strategic Goals for Arctic Research

2. Arctic Research: The Central Questions

3. The State of German Polar Research

4. Implementation of the Arctic Research Strategy

The Strategic Goals for Arctic Research

The program recognizes the need:• to observe the changes in the Arctic in more detail;

• to measure the feedback effects of polar and global processes in the Earth system;

• to improve prediction models.

The research is intended to informsociety and policy makers, so thatthe potential local and global consequences of climate change in the Arctic can be appraised. This will form the basis for sustainable development strategies on the national and international – and especially the European – level.

Arctic Research: The Central Questions

2.1 The Past, Present and Future of Climate Change in the Arctic

2.2 Contributions of the GreenlandIce Sheet to Sea Level Rise

2.3 The Decline in Arctic Sea Ice

2.4 Permafrost and Gas Hydratesas Unknown Variables in theClimate System

2.5 Adaptation of Polar Organismsto Changes in the Arctic Environment

2.6 The Risks and Opportunities of Increasing Commercial Exploitation of the Arctic

AWI contribution to the German Research Strategy

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AWI contribution to the Arctic Research Strategy

StakeholderPoles Oceans Coasts

Topic 1Changes and regional feedbacks

in Arctic and Antarctic

WP4: Arctic sea ice and its interaction with ocean and ecosystems

Research Strategy

HabitatPhysics

Sea iceOcean

Biology

BiodiversityEcology

Geochemistry

NutrientsGas exchange

Ice properties

ProductionSedimentation

Topic 1 / WP 4: Arctic Sea Ice

Impacts of

sea ice

change

Objectives

• Asses changes of sea-ice volume

• Quantify changes in ocean heat and fresh water

• Clarify impacts of ice retreat on productivity, ocean circulation, geochemical fluxes

• Quantify ecosystem changes from surface to depth

Questions

• What governs the long-term variation in Arctic sea ice cover?

• What are the consequences of sea-ice retreat on ocean circulation and ecosystems?

• How do shifts in Arctic biodiversity alter geochemical functions?

Topic 1 / WP 4: Arctic Sea Ice

Sea ice volume assessment => Assess changes¾ Continuation of time-series measurements

¾ Model validation and development

¾ Arctic-wide estimates

Simulated

Observed

Topic 1 WP3: Degrading permafrost

CO2 CH4

Carbon export: riverine export, greenhouse gas emission, and microbial degradation

DOC, POC, nutrientsdissolved CH4

How much DOC andPOC is exported? What

is its molecularcomposition and age?

How muchgreenhouse gas is

exchanged? Which OM ismicrobially

decomposed?

International initiatives in AWI interest

International initiatives

Multi-year, coordinated, and comprehensive measurements, extending from the atmosphere through the sea-ice and into the ocean, are needed in the central Arctic Basin to provide a process-level understanding of the changing central Arctic climate system. This will contribute to improved modeling of Arctic climate and weather, and prediction of Arctic sea-ice concentrations.

Why?• Lack of system- and process-level

understanding of Arctic change• Model parameterization shortcomings• Few process-level observations in new

central Arctic• Changing Arctic has implications for lower-

latitude weather & large-scale circulation• Resource development, commerce,

ecological, & societal interests

Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC)

MOSAiC Scientific Questions

How do changes in the Arctic atmosphere-ice-ocean system drive heat & mass transfers of importance to climate &ecosystems?

What are the processes & feedbacks affecting sea-ice cover, atmosphere-ocean stratification and energy budgets in the Arctic?

Will an ice-reduced Arctic become more biologically productive and what are the climatological consequences of this?

How do interfacial exchange rates, biology & chemistry couple to regulate the major elemental cycles?

How do the different scales of spatial and temporal heterogeneity within the ocean, ice & atmosphere interact to impact the linkages or feedbacks within the system?

www.mosaicobservatory.org

SIOS marine component: multidisciplinary studies in a rapidly changing part of the ocean

• Key components of the marine componentmarine observatories and ship-based ecosystem time series- deep sea observatory HAUSGARTEN west of Svalbard- stations in fjords in western and northern Svalbard

Map: SIOS Photo: Andreas Winter

European & international cooperation at Svalbard

FRontiers in Arctic marine Monitoring - FRAM

In-situ observation at the sea-floor and in the water column. Development of a novel deep sea observatory in the Fram

strait

Initiated & coordinated by:

21 partners from Europe, USA and Canada,„Letters  of support“  fromIASC, ISAC and SAON

A strategy for meeting the needs for marine research in the Arctic

ARICE – Arctic Research Icebreaker Consortium for Europe

The objectives of ARICE

. The primary objectives are to: • Achieve a year-round availability of

heavy icebreakers in the Arctic by operating Oden and Polarstern in an European/International consortium,

• Increase the coordination of available heavy icebreakers with ice-margin vessels in order to relieve the heavy icebreakers,

• Create a mechanism for a more cost-effective usage through transnational harmonisation, especially in the High Arctic,

• to  concentrate  today’s  heterogeneous national polar research strategies into a coherent science planning based on an open, transparent international consensus.

EU-PolarNet – Connecting Science with Society

Invited to grant preparation

22 Partners from 17 European nations,Letters of Support from 16 national or international organisations (e.g. SCAR, IASC, IASSA etc.)

MISSIONThe overall goal of EU-PolarNet is to develop for the first time an Integrated European Polar Research Programme that is co-designed with all relevant stakeholders and international partners. This European Polar Research Programme will be accompanied by a realistic and feasible implementation plan to provide Europe with the capability to define the nature of environmental risks so that governments can design policy measures to mitigate them and businesses and other stakeholders benefit from the opportunities that are opening up in the Polar Regions.

¾ To improve coordination in polar research and develop a comprehensive European Polar Research Programme and related infrastructure implementation plan,

¾ To communicate user needs to the appropriate scientific community by setting up a continuous stakeholder dialogue,

¾ To implement the Transatlantic Research Alliance by including partners from the US and Canada,

¾ To cooperate with partners from other third countries and to support the Belmont Forum cooperative research actions,

¾ To enhance the coordination with international research organisations, programmes and operational services,

¾ To support the coordination and optimisation of existing monitoring and modelling programmes and related infrastructures,

¾ To work towards interoperability of and open access to observational and modelling data and related products.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

Trilateral EU/US/Canada WorkshopArctic scientific cooperation in the framework of the Transatlantic

Ocean Research AllianceTromsø, 21st January, 2015Participants will be invited by the respective partner

Projects envisaged by the EC for Transatlantic Cooperation Calls for the following themes might be opened 2016/2017

1) Arctic observing systems, data sharing and observing infrastructure;

2) The impact of Arctic changes on the weather and climate of Northern latitudes;

3) The impact of climate change on Arctic ecosystems and the related socio-economic risks and opportunities.

FIRST ACTIONS

Questions?Thanks a lot for your attention