SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research)

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Appendix 5

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Appendices

SCAR’s Action and Expert Groups

Geosciences SSG

Action Group on “Communication and Outreach” (COG): to provide information on Antarctic geoscientific research to the scientific and community and the wider public.

Action Group on “Acoustics in the Marine Environment”: to consider the effects on marine mammals of noise created by marine scientific activities (such as echo-sounding and airgun surveys).

Action Group (Cross-SSG) on “Antarctic Treaty and Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP)”: to communicate with SCAR representative at the CEP and ATCM to bring matters of concern to the CEP and Treaty to the SSG-G for advice and to identify areas of concern in geosciences and geospatial information, raise them in Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) fora, and provide scientific advice.

Action Group on “Marine Survey Coordination”: to develop mechanisms for improved communication about planned marine surveys within the Antarctic community.

Expert Group on “Geographical Information” (EGGI): to create an Antarctic Spatial Data Infrastructure (ANTSDI) by: providing Antarctic fundamental geographic information products and policies in support of all SCAR science programmes and operations management and the global user; integrating and coordinating Antarctic mapping and GIS programmes; promoting an open standards approach to support free and unrestricted data access; promoting capacity building towards sound Antarctic geographic data management within all SCAR nations; and promoting to COMNAP the data and products that the EGGI produces.

Expert Group on “Permafrost and Periglacial Environments” (EGPPE): to provide coordination, communication and exchange of data amongst Antarctic permafrost researchers within SCAR and IPA and promote interaction and collaboration with SCAR and IPA working groups; to collect and collate spatial data on permafrost and cryosols and contribute to databases for Antarctic soils, permafrost and ground ice conditions including the active layer; to develop and promote monitoring/ observation protocols and networks; to promote international cooperation and facilitate collaborative field research; and to address key science questions pertaining to permafrost.

Expert Group on “Geodetic Infrastructure of Antarctica” (GIANT): to provide a common geodetic reference system for all Antarctic scientists and operators; to contribute to global geodesy for the study of the physical processes of the earth and the maintenance of the precise terrestrial reference frame; to provide information for monitoring the horizontal and vertical motion of the Antarctic.

Expert Group on “Antarctic Neotectonics” (ANTEC): to promote and coordinate multidisciplinary, multinational research relevant to Antarctic neotectonics; to identify ‘target sites’ where there is a need for deployment of geodetic and seismic stations and arrays, and airborne, marine and field campaigns; to encourage and coordinate the installation of instruments at permanent sites and in regional networks (GPS, gravity, seismic) for focused studies in target areas; and to promote and coordinate sharing of instrumentation, logistics, and data.

Expert Group on “Antarctic Digital Magnetic Anomaly Project “(ADMAP): to produce a coordinated effort for: compiling the existing magnetic data acquired by various institutions; coordinating protocols for data distribution; serving as a reference for future survey planning; archiving and maintaining the magnetic anomaly data base of Antarctica.

Expert Group on “International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean” (IBCSO): to act as the steering group for production of a revised chart of the bathymetry of the Southern Ocean, in conjunction with the IHO and GEBCO.

Life Sciences SSG

Action Group on “Global International Waters Assessment” (GIWA): to provide the information required for a Global Waters Assessment for Area 66: Antarctica.

Action Group on “Best Practices for Conservation”: to review and establish current best practices for conservation in an Antarctic context.

Action Group on Biological Monitoring: to organize a workshop on this topic, in order to produce a (set of) protocol(s) for biological monitoring activities for environmental management purposes.

Action Group for the “Census of Marine Life” (CoML): to act as a scientific steering committee for the Southern Ocean component of the global CoML programme.

Expert Group on: “Birds”: to provide long-term data on avian populations in the region; to encourage, coordinate and support research on seabirds; to contribute to their conservation; and to provide scientific advice to SCAR.

Expert Group on “Seals”: to provide information on the status of seal stocks as required by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (CCAS); to encourage research and information exchange on this group of animals; and to provide advice to SCAR.

Expert Group on “Human Biology and Medicine”: to provide a forum for medical, physiopathological, behavioural, clinical, and biological scientists; to promote high quality research in polar human biology in association with appropriate international scientific organizations; to encourage cooperation in the continued evolution of high quality healthcare and the prevention of injury and disease in the Antarctic; and to promote the full use of the unique environment of the Antarctic to allow understanding of major health problems in extreme environments in particular, and in mankind in general.

Physical Sciences SSG

Action Group on: “Plateau Astronomy Site Testing in Antarctica” (PASTA): to coordinate the efforts to properly characterize the conditions available at various sites on the Antarctic plateau, delivering and compiling the required site testing data.

Action Group on “Modelling and Observational Studies of Antarctic Katabatic Winds” (MOSAK): to analyze, understand and model katabatic wind events, and to develop a new map of katabatic wind distribution and strength over the Antarctic ice sheet.

Action Group (Cross-SSG) on Coordination of Scientific Activities on King George Island: to encourage different national groups on King Gorge Island to share information about their research plans, so as to avoid unnecessary duplication of costly activities.

Expert Group on “SCAR and Oceanography”: - to facilitate coordination between the physical oceanographic research groups currently active and those planning research in the Southern Ocean; to encourage an inter-disciplinary approach to Southern Ocean observations, modelling and research, recognizing the inter- dependence of physical, chemical and biological processes in the ocean at present and in the past; to identify historical and reference data set of value to researchers, focusing initially on physical oceanography data; to encourage the exchange of information with operational agencies.

Expert Group on “Antarctic and Astronomy and Astrophysics” (AAA): to coordinate efforts to explore the potential for astronomical observations in the Antarctic.

Expert Group on “Operational Meteorology in the Antarctic”: to liaise with WMO over observing standards, the use of new data/model fields and weather forecasting in the Antarctic; to maintains links with COMNAP/SCALOP; and to provide scientific advice to WMO on Antarctic meteorology.

Expert Group on “Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Sea Level” (ISMASS): to understand the relationship between Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Sea Level, by determining the present accumulation rate over the entire ice sheet and measuring ice thickness and velocities at the grounding zone of the ice sheet and glaciers.

Expert Group on Ice Drilling Technology: to facilitate communication among international ice drilling communities; to create an international forum for strategic development of new ice drilling and borehole testing concepts and technologies and continued improvement of existing technologies; to provide a pool of expertise to address SCAR issues related to ice drilling and coring; and to enhance international cooperation and communication on large- and small-scale ice core recovery projects.