IASOA

 The NOAA team has arrived in Tiksi!  For details about this trip, visit http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/psd3/arctic/observatories/tiksi/.

THURSDAY, 09 JULY 2009 

The June 2009 (24th) issue of the Ny-Alesund Newsletter will soon be available online (go to 'Newsletters' under the main menu).  Highlights from the issue are as follows: 

• The "Terrestrial Ecocsystems Research Flagship" has been initiated through a workshop organized by the Svalbard Science Forum (SSF).  This program will join Ny-Alesund's other two flagships, the atmospheric and marine initiatives.  Results of the workshop will be published in a scientific paper on the terrestrial ecosystem in Kongsfjorden. (Source: Hubner, Christiane, SSF, 24th Issue)

• Norwegian Polar Institute and Paul Scherrer Institut scientists have recovered a 149m ice core from Svalbard from an elevation of 1200m.  This core is expected to go back 1000 years. (source: 24th Issue)

• A new project called NSINK (Sources, sinks and impacts of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the Arctic) will bring scientists from the Norsk Polarinstitutt (or NPI), University of Uppsala, University of Innsbruck, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, and the University of Sheffield to research reactive nitrogen in the Arctic. (source: Roberts, Tjarda, NPI, 24th Issue)

• A Symposium held in Ny-Alesund June 8-10, 2009 was titled "Climate change: Understanding and influencing global politics towards Copenhagen and beyond".  Participants included Ms. Tora Aasland, the Norwegian Minister of Research and Higher Education, and Mr. Liu Yanhua, the Chinese Vice Minister of Science and Technology.

• Starting August 1, 2009 proposals within the realm of geodesy and space geodesy will be accepted for ARCFAC V.  Teams with successful proposals will have a no-cost stay at Ny-Alesund for the duration of their fieldwork. (source: 24th Issue)

• The Sverdrup Station has installed a new weather display showing the last 6 hours weather with data provided by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. (source: 24th Issue)

• New solar panels have been installed on two of the buildings at AWIPEV Corbel Station along with a wind mill to generate power during long Arctic winter nights.  The last phase of station restoration will be completed spring of 2010. (source: Delbart, Frank, IPEV, 24th Issue)

TUESDAY, 07 JULY 2009 

IPY's Polaris Project 

The latest issue of Eos (weekly newspaper) from the AGU highlights the merits of the IPY's Polaris Project.  The Polaris Project's goal is to study the effects of climate change in the Siberian Arctic.  Beginning in 2008, 20 undergraduate students were chosen to attend a 30 day field course in Siberia.  During the field campaign, the project is located at the Northeast Science Station near Cherskii, which provides access to various ecosystems.  Specifically, close proximity to rivers, streams, lakes, an estuary, and the Arctic Ocean is of key importance.  A 30m barge capable of being towed up and downstream houses the Polaris participants.  The focus of the field work is on studying the transport and transformation of organic matter and nutrients as they move downstream with upland water to empty into the Arctic Ocean.  Examples of some of the projects begun during the 2008 field campaign are a survey of organic matter in lake and stream ecosystems, the effects of permafrost melt on aquatic biogeochemistry, and the use of remote sensing in determining lake drainage rates.  The course will be ongoing until at least 2010 with the hope that it will continue longer.  In Polaris's first year, two student-led presentations were accepted and presented at the 2008 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco.  This year's Polaris Project field expedition began July 2, 2009 and will be underway until the beginning of August.  Reports and updates on the trip can be found at the Polaris Project blog site.  

Polaris Project Participant Institutions:

Carleton College (U.S)

Clark University (U.S)

College of the Holy Cross (U.S)

St. Olaf College (U.S)

University of Nevada, Reno (U.S)

Western Washington University (U.S)

Yakutsk State University in Siberia (Russia)

Reference: 

Holmes, R. Max, "A Field Course in the Siberian Arctic: 30 Days, 20 People, 3 Continents, 1 Barge", Eos, 90(26), June 30, 2009, 222-3.