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SCAR Newsletter: Issue 11, July 2007
SCAR Science and Business News
It's not too late to register for 10th SCAR International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES X)
Every 4 years this exciting science meeting brings together active geoscientists from different Earth Science disciplines to talk about their latest research, to discover who's doing what, to form new collaborative ventures, and to develop their networks. This time it will all be happening on the coast in sunny California. The meeting is on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, from August 26 through September 1, 2007. The 5 conference themes include Antarctic climate evolution and global linkages; GeoCryoDynamics – the links between the geosphere, cryosphere and climate; Antarctica in the global geodynamic system; science in the International Polar Year; Antarctica's impact on the evolution of the biosphere; and new frontiers. There is still time to submit 150 word abstracts (by July 1). Information about the meeting is available from http://isaes2007.geol.ucsb.edu/
New Executive Officer for SCAR
As from 2 July 2007, SCAR will be joined by a new Executive Officer, Dr Mike Sparrow of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK.
Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) News
The Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) is SCAR's contribution to a global Census of Marine Life (CoML). The Scientific Steering Committee of CAML and invited experts met in Bialowieza, Poland, from June 4-6, 2007, in conjunction with the SCAR-MarBIN Workshop on 7-8 June. Participants discussed a planned synthesis of CAML activities, in the context of the CoML and of the International Polar Year. Critical delivery dates for CAML's synthesis plan are the end of the IPY in March 2009 and the annual 'CoML All Program' meetings, leading up to the CoML finale in 2010. With 13 other Census field projects, CAML will present the results from its initial year of fieldwork at the CoML All Program Meeting 12-18 November 2007 in Auckland, New Zealand. The synthesis will appear in an integrated series of scientific publications and media announcements, and significant scientific publications bearing CAML's imprimatur are appearing already.
The data for the synthesis are being collected during CAML's field work activity for IPY 2007/09. CAML is coordinating Antarctic biodiversity projects on 18 research vessels, together with data from tourist vessels, from the Continuous Plankton Recorder programme, and from historical collections. For consistency in comparison, uniform sampling protocols and an expedition database have been developed in support of quantitative synthesis with a statistically-robust design. Special resources have been dedicated to barcoding and microbes. A CAML barcoding coordinator has been appointed, based at BAS. The four-pronged approach to identification (voucher specimen, gene sequence, image, metadata) is coming together under plans for an Encyclopaedia of Antarctic Marine Life including "wikispecies" pages.
Venezuela has joined Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay in the Consortium of South American nations called I Oficina Latinoamericana para el Census of Antarctic Marine Life (OLÁ-CAML). The Antarctic Institute of Peru (INANPE) recently completed a voyage on "Humboldt" 9 January-12 February from Punta Arenas, with a project on benthic biodiversity in Admiralty Bay.
Further details are available on the CAML website and the Antarctic data portal SCAR-MarBIN
Bizarre new deep-sea creatures found off Antarctica
A treasure trove of more than 700 new species has been uncovered in the dark depths of oceans surrounding Antarctica, during the ANDEEP cruise led by Angelika Brandt from Hamburg University. ANDEEP is making a contribution to SCAR's Census of Antarctic Marine Life, itself a component of the global Census of Marine Life. For details see 'National Geographic News'
Update on Integrating analyses of Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Southern Ocean (ICED)
The ICED website has recently been updated with the latest news, events and products. Visit http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/Resources/BSD/ICED/index.htm
The final draft of the ICED Science Plan is currently under the last stages of review by the ICED Interim Steering Committee. It will go for formal review to GLOBEC and IMBER during early June 2007. Activity has been relatively limited to date given the focus on developing the science plan and on establishing the website. Once the science plan is formally adopted, ICED will appoint a steering committee and become a fully active programme. IPY will be an initial focus. Please read ICED Update Report for more information.
Southern Ocean Bathymetric Chart making progress
One of SCAR's goals is an improved International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO), which is run by agroup at the Alfred Wegener Institute. Details can be seen on the IBCSO website. All scientistists interested in contributing to this programme are invited to attend the IBCSO business meeting during the 10th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Science (ISAES) at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) on 1 September 2007. Please see details of the Meeting.
Cryosphere Theme approved
At the 14th meeting of the Partners for an Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS), at UNESCO's HQ in Paris on May 30, the plan for CryOS, an observing systems for the cryosphere, was approved as a theme document. The comments by the Partners were unanimously positive and glowing. They liked how comprehensive the report is, and referred to it as the "bible" of cryospheric observations. Keith Alverson, one of the two IGOS co-chairs, concluded the comment period stating that "Ice is now a component of the Earth System"! The latest (May 29) version of the plan is available at http://stratus.ssec.wisc.edu/cryos/documents.html, which is the Documents page of the IGOS Cryosphere website. Congratulations to Jeff Key, of NOAA NESDIS, for leading the process. The Cryosphere theme document is considered to be a product of the SCAR Standing Scientific Group for the Physical Sciences. It is also a key component of the IPY Cryosphere programme. The observing system, CryOS, will be a major legacy of the IPY. It is relevant to the work of SCAR's glaciological groups including ISMASS, ASPecT, ITASE and AGCS.
SCAR attends XXX Antarctic Treaty Meeting, New Delhi
Between 30 April 7 and 11 May 2007, SCAR was represented at the XXX Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM), which included the X meeting of the Committee on Environmental Protection (CEP) by the SCAR President: Chris Rapley, the Executive Director: Colin Summerhayes, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee on the Antarctic Treaty System: Prof Steven Chown. SCAR presented 3 working papers and 9 information papers, but unfortunately had to withdraw its working paper on the listing of the Giant Petrel as new but unpublished data arrived late to suggest that the population of this bird might not be at risk in the region. The submitted papers are readable at http://www.scar.org/treaty/atcmxxx/. SCAR's papers were well received and led to the creation of 2 Resolutions, one regarding what to do about Giant Petrels between now and the next ATCM (June 2008) - Resolution E, and one on the need to establish and'or maintain the environmental observing systems that will form a key legacy of the International Polar Year - Resolution G. The SCAR Lecture, given by Prof Chris Rapley, on 'Climate Change and the Antarctic: What Next?' was very well received, and a number of requests were made for copies of the Powerpoint presentation, which is posted on the SCAR website at http://www.scar.org/communications/. along with his lecture notes. A full report of the meeting wil be provided to the SCAR Executive Committee at it's meeting in July, and subsequently will be published on the SC-ATS webpage at http://www.scar.org/about/standingcommittees/antarctictreatysystem/
Exploration of Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments: Environmental and Scientific Stewardship
Radar measurements have revealed a vast network of lakes, rivers and streams beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. The next stage of exploration requires direct sampling of these aquatic systems. However,if sampling is not done cautiously, the environmental integrity and scientific value of these environments could be compromised. Carefully managed research should proceed, guided by internationally agreed upon research protocols.
Read The National Academy of Sciences report
SCAR Winds Workshop Report
Antarctic Science News
Ice Charts more accessible via new web portal
On behalf of the International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG) (see http://nsidc.org/noaa/iicwg/) Polar View is developing a web portal for the International Polar Year (IPY) in order to make more easily accessible the ice charts of the world (see http://www.ipy-ice-portal.com/). Presently, only a couple of ice centres are successfully interfaced to the website, but that number will increase significantly over the next few weeks.
Saturation of the Southern Ocean CO2 sink due to recent climate change
Extracted from Science Express Index (17 May 2007):
Based on observed atmospheric CO2 concentration and an inverse method, the authors estimate that the Southern Ocean sink of CO2 has weakened between 1981 and 2004 by 0.08 PgC/y per decade relative to the trend expected from the large increase in atmospheric CO2 This weakening is attributed to the observed increase in Southern Ocean winds resulting from human activities and projected to continue in the future. Consequences include a reduction in the efficiency of the Southern Ocean sink of CO2 in the short term (~25 years) and possibly a higher level of stabilization of atmospheric CO2 on a multicentury time scale.
Read Press Release issued by University of East Anglia and British Antarctic Survey
Glaciers melting rapidly in Antarctica
The UK's 'Independent' Newspaper (6 June 2007) reported that news about Antarctic glaciers means that action on climate change is now more urgent than ever. The story is based on a study by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, which shows that 300 glaciers in Antarctica have begun to move more quickly into the ocean. Rising temperatures are causing glaciers as far apart as Alaska, Greenland and now Antarctica to break up and slip into the ocean at a faster rate than expected. Earlier this year the IPCC said sea levels this century could rise by between 20 cms and 43 cms but it accepted that this could be a serious underestimate if ice sheets and glaciers undergo the sort of dynamic changes that existing computer models do not take fully into account. The evidence from British Antarctic Survey scientists tends to suggest that the IPCC estimates are conservative.
Thinning of West Antarctic Ice Sheet demands improved monitoring to reduce uncertainty over potential sea-level rise
(from the University of Texas at Austin Office of Public Affairs, 28 March 2007)
Polar ice experts from Europe and theUnited States, meeting to pursue greater scientific consensus over the fate of the world's largest fresh water reservoir, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, conclude a recent three-day meeting at The University of Texas at Austin's Jackson School of Geosciences with a comprehensive call for improved monitoring. See attachment for further details
The need for new Ice Sheet Models
A one-day workshop on ice sheet modeling was held at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) on 8 January 2007.
Read the Report of the Workshop on Ice Sheet Modeling
Advanced Biology training course in Antarctica
This National Science Foundation sponsored course will be held in Antarctica at the United States' McMurdo Station for one month, starting January 2008. This is an international course, open to all nationalities. Applications are invited from graduate students currently enrolled in a PhD program, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty-level research scientists who are interested in the study of extreme environments and the biology of Antarctic organisms. The course will accommodate up to 20 students. Full scholarships are available for each student accepted into the course to cover the cost of travel from home institution to Antarctica, and room and board while in Antarctica. The emphasis of the Antarctic Biology Course is on integrative biology, with laboratory- and field-based projects focused on adaptations in an extreme polar environment. A diverse teaching faculty will offer students the opportunity to study a wide range of Antarctic organisms (bacteria, algae, invertebrates, and fish), as well as studying several different levels of biological analysis (molecular biology, biomechanics, physiological ecology, species diversity, and evolution). Deadline for receipt of completed applications is August 15, 2007. For more information and on-line applications, please see http://antarctica.usc.edu
UNESCO-Cousteau Chair launched in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Environmental Sciences
On Friday 22 June in Hobart, in the presence of Diane Cousteau, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tasmania and the Chair of the Board of the International Antarctic Institute will launch the UNESCO-Cousteau Ecotechnie Chair in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Environmental Sciences. The new Chairman is Andrew McMinn of the International Antarctic Institute and the Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies at the University of Tasmania. For details, please contact Patti Virtue (email: virtue@utas.edu.au)
Forthcoming Events
Live Earth concert in Antarctica
Al Gore, author of the recent film on climate change, is now working on a Live Aid type of concert to drum up support for action against climate change. It will take place on July 7th, on all 7 continents, including Antarctica, where the British Antarctic Survey's rock-band 'Nunatak' will perform at the UK base at Rothera. For more details see http://www.liveearth.org/event.php, and http://www.relix.com/Features/Daily_News/Live_Earth_Antarctica_200706132353.htm
Biennial SCAR Meeting
5-7 July 2008, St Petersburg, Russia:
- XXX SCAR Science Week with business meetings and workshops of SCAR's Standing Scientific Groups.
8-11 July 2008, St Petersburg, Russia:
- Joint SCAR-IASC Open Science Conference (4-days). The theme is Polar Research - Arctic and Antarctic Perspectives in the International Polar Year.
14-16 July 2008, Moscow, Russia:
- XXX SCAR Delegates' Meeting.
First circular is likely in July 2007 and further details will follow in due course.
Other Events
Other events of interest to the SCAR Community are listed at: www.scar.org/events/
Newsletter prepared by Colin Summerhayes and Karen Smith, SCAR Secretariat. Please send feedback to info@scar.org
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