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E-4-AANI-1
Passport of joint Russian-U.S. project
1. Title
Investigations of seasonal variability of carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor fluxes in the
Arctic from measurements at the Tiksi Hydrometeorological Observatory and the drifting
stations “North Pole”.
2. Abstract
The fundamental scientific problem addressed by this project is the impact of greenhouse
on modern variability of Arctic climate.
The specific fundamental problem is investigations of the seasonal and inter-annual
variability of energy and gas exchanges (heat, water, carbon dioxide and methane) in the
context of the variability of Arctic regional climate.
Over the last decade, the climatic changes occurring in the Arctic and surrounding regions
are among the most significant on the planet. Considerable changes have been observed in
atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and terrestrial systems. The contribution of Arctic
terrestrial and ocean ecosystems to the regional and global balance of atmospheric methane and
greenhouse gases are a topic of particular concern. Rising temperatures lead to degradation of
frozen ground on land and below the ocean, and destruction of coastal ice systems. These
processes in turn impact biogeochemical cycles and the potential balance/release of organics that
have been trapped in permafrost. An end-product of the disintegration of permafrost organics is
the release of fundamental greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane to the
atmosphere. It is theorized that the release of the greenhouse gases trapped in permafrost could
significantly impact future climate warming in ways that are not yet understood.
Current measurements suggest that the air – surface interaction processes are significant in
determining trends in the Arctic Ocean ice reduction, temperature trends of surrounding regions
and region-wide permafrost destruction. Therefore, to understand modern climate variability and
regional Arctic warming trends, the new requirement becomes long-term, year-round monitoring
of the individual components of the mass and energy balance equations in strategically located,
representative Arctic regions. In response to this requirement the project International Arctic
Systems for Observing the Atmosphere (IASOA - www.iasoa.org) has developed into one of the
key legacy projects of the International Polar Year. An infrastructure goal of IASOA during the
IPY was a partnership between Roshydromet, RAS, NOAA and NSF to establish
Hydrometeorological Observatory in Tiksi, Russia. The observatory is designed to conduct
comprehensive studies of interrelated components of the Arctic climate system, including the
atmospheric and hydrological processes that change the chemical composition of the atmosphere,
degradation of permafrost and coastal erosion and the accompanying processes of gas mass
transfer of the underlying surface with the atmosphere, including greenhouse gases. The main
objective of the proposed project is a comprehensive analysis of long-term observations on the
basis the Hydrometeorological Observatory in Tiksi of heat, momentum, water vapor, carbon
dioxide and methane fluxes in the atmosphere, the study of its interannual and seasonal
variability, and relationship with other atmospheric processes. For comparison, the data of
similar measurements obtained within existing network of Arctic atmospheric observatories,
including the observatory at Barrow (Alaska, USA), Eureka and Alert (Canada), Ny-Alesund
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(Norway), as well as data of specialized experiments to be held at the drifting stations "North
Pole" will be used.
The project implementation will contribute significantly to the understanding of the
relationship processes causing variability of the Arctic climate, and will also contribute to the
development of Russian-American cooperation in the exploration of the Polar Regions.
3. Description of the expected project results
Upon completion of the project the following results will be produced:
- organized on the basis of the Hydrometeorological Observatory in Tiksi, in cooperation
between Roshydromet and NOAA, a year-round monitoring of heat, water vapor, momentum,
carbon dioxide, methane fluxes, and temperature of the soil active layer;
- completed comprehensive analysis the data of observations, directed to study the
interannual and seasonal variability of the of energy - gas exchange processes between surface
and atmosphere in its relation to large-scale atmospheric processes;
- executed comparison with data of similar measurements on the existing network of the
Arctic atmospheric observatories, as well as with data of specialized experiments, conducted in
the Arctic basin;
- developed parameterizations for calculating of carbon dioxide and methane fluxes under
different weather conditions;
- identified characteristic features of the carbon cycle in atmosphere of the Arctic region;
- obtained new experimental data on the mechanism of formation the maximum of the main
greenhouse gases (methane and carbon dioxide) over the Arctic and the genesis of the sources of
methane and carbon dioxide in the polar regions.
Information to be obtained during the project will be posted on the WEB sites of existing
international Arctic observatories and will make a significant contribution to the assessment of
Arctic climate change needed to develop procedures for international monitoring of the natural
environment. The results of work will be used for scientific substantiation of strategic planning
cost-effective and environmentally sound business, including marine activities, and addressing
the challenges to the development of the Northern Sea Route.
4. Novelty, description of competitive advantages of the developed technology
The formation of climate, both global and regional, largely determines due to the processes at
interface of underlying surface and atmosphere. In this case, one of the most important tasks of
air – surface interaction description is the estimation of turbulent fluxes of heat, moisture and
trace gases in the atmospheric surface layer. There are a number of studies devoted to
parameterization of these fluxes. Currently, it is generally accepted so-called bulk aerodynamic
formulas that use standard meteorological characteristics and empirical exchange coefficients. In
turn, used exchange coefficients depend on meteorological conditions and the state of the
surface. Arctic coastal zones characterized by complex surface structure: soil plots varying
degrees of waterlogging and snowy, rocky or covered with tundra vegetation, the presence of
land-sea interface, most of the year covered by ice. The structure of the ice cover of the Arctic
basin also characterized by a complex structure (ice of various thicknesses, leads, hummocks,
melt ponds). As a result, air flow, passing from one surface to another, transforming, and there is
a complex system of internal boundary layers. The exchange processes are dependent on often
hard-formalized factors. Complex experiments, executed during past decades have collected
considerable information about the characteristics of energy exchange in the Polar Regions
(Andreas et all, 2005; Jordan et al, 1999; Persson et al 2002). But even such complex experiment
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as SHEBA did not answer the question what is the cause of differences of model and
experimental data in determining turbulent fluxes (Beesley et al, 2000).
Concentration of trace gases in the atmosphere attract much more attention in connection
with the problem of global warming, the cause of which is often associated with increasing the
concentrations of these contaminants. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere over the period of instrumental observations and increasing of its anthropogenic
sources is no doubt. However, the causes and consequences of its growth for the Earth climate is
still under debate. Arctic ecosystems most sensitive to climatic changes and, accordingly, is most
vulnerable. But processes of greenhouse gases exchange in the Arctic have been little studied,
and measurements are occasional (Semiletov et al, 2004, 2007, Semiletov, Repina, 2007,
Nedashkovsky & Makshtas 2010). Practically there are no data about effects on gas exchange
(fluxes of carbon dioxide, methane) of permafrost degradation and the relationship between gas
exchange processes to variability of the Arctic climate system, including large-scale atmospheric
circulation and the processes in the active layer of soil and sea ice cover. The project will use the
results of direct measurements (eddy-correlation) of turbulent heat, momentum, carbon dioxide
and methane fluxes, which will be held on different types of underlying surface, and
measurement using chambers, installed on different types of underlying surface. Implementation
of this project will contribute significantly to the understanding of the relationship between
processes determining the climate variability in the Arctic. His complex character fully
determines its competitiveness.
5. Expected effect of the project results
The results obtained in the course of the project realization will be used to assess changes in
Arctic climate, necessary for the development of procedures for international monitoring of the
natural environment. The results of work will be used for scientific background of strategic
planning cost-effective and environmentally friendly economic activities, including navigation,
in the Arctic.
6. Proposed participants of the project consortium (research, education, commercial)
Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute of Roshydromet.
Makshtas Aleksandr Petrovich, PhD, leading scientist, maksh@aari.nw.ru.
Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Repina Irina Anatolievna, PhD, head of laboratory, repina@ifaran.ru.
St. Petersburg State University, Department of Geography and Geoecology.
Bekryaev
Roman
Viktorovich,
PhD,
associate
professor,
bekrjaev@mail.ru.
7. Preliminary plan of project preparation and performance, main project milestones
May 2011 - co-ordination meeting of project participants;
June - August 2011 - organization of monitoring of heat and greenhouse gas fluxes in the GMO
Tiksi;
October 2011 - the organization of monitoring the concentration and fluxes of greenhouse gases
on the drifting station "North Pole"
2012 - 2013 - the fulfillment of two annual cycles of greenhouse gases flux measurements and
related meteorological observation, providing of permanent transmission of data to project
participants by satellite channel, the creation of electronic archives.
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2014-preparation of final report, including analysis the data of year-round monitoring of heat,
water vapor, momentum, carbon dioxide, and methane fluxes and temperature regime of soil
active layer and snow - sea ice cover in comparison with similar measurements on the existing
network of Arctic atmospheric observatories, as well as with the data of specialized experiments
conducted in the Arctic basin; new parameterizations for calculations of energy balance
components and fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane under different weather conditions,
description of the characteristics of carbon cycle in the Arctic atmosphere, new experimental
data on the mechanism of forming the maximum of the main greenhouse gases (methane and
carbon dioxide) over the Arctic and the genesis of the sources of methane and carbon dioxide in
the circumpolar regions.