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SCAR Newsletter: Issue 21, December 2009
SCAR and Policy
SCAR in Copenhagen for the Climate Conference
SCAR was accepted as a Non-Governmental Organisation for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Copenhagen, December 7-18). The SCAR Executive Committee agreed that Colin Summerhayes (Executive Director) should attend the meeting to represent SCAR and to deliver talks on SCAR's recently published review "Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment" (ACCE). Copies of the review had previously been sent to the heads of each of the conference delegations from so-called Annex I countries, and to those of the SCAR member countries among the Non-Annex I countries. Dr Summerhayes gave the ACCE talk in the WWF "Arctic Tent" on Friday December 11, and again at a press conference in North Atlantic House on Sunday December 13. The latter session also involved a presentation by Dr Dorthe Dahl-Jensen (SCAR, Denmark) on "The Greenland Ice Sheet in a Changing Climate", which had just been published by the Arctic Council's Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP).
The Greenland and ACCE reports indicate that the two ice sheets are losing about the same mass of ice to the sea each year, each contributing to a rise of around 0.5 mm/yr for a total of 1 mm/yr of the total current rate of rise (3.4 mm/yr), the rest of which comes from melting mountain ice and from the thermal expansion of seawater. The session was moderated by Dr Bob Corell, and included presentations on changing Arctic ecology by Dr Terry Callaghan, and on the effects of global warming on Inuit populations in Greenland.
On Monday December 14, Dr Corell and Dr Dahl-Jensen, together with the Danish and Norwegian Ministers of the Environment and Al Gore, launched the results of another polar study - "Melting snow and ice: a call for action" (published by the Centre for Ice, Climate and Ecosystems, Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø. 92pp.) That same report featured again in a further presentation by Dr Jan-Gunnar Winther and Dr Dahl-Jensen on Tuesday December 15. Also on the Monday, Dr Rob Dunbar (Stanford University), a former co-chair of SCAR's Antarctic Climate Evolution (ACE) programme, gave radio and TV interviews on "West Antarctica - a source of melting ice and rising seas", drawing heavily on the ACCE report. Thus one way or another SCAR's climate programme and the rapid increase in ice discharge from West Antarctica and the consequence for rising sea levels were much in evidence during the run up to the final deliberations that were scheduled for the end of the week. By these means SCAR has been quite effective in meeting one of its key goals - to advise policy makers on the implications of Antarctic science for policy.
SCAR begins interacting with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
On October 26-29, Dr Peter Barrett (NZ) attended the 31st Session of the IPCC, which was refining plans for the 5th Assessment Report (AR5), which will be published in 2014. The reporting process now seems to be paying appropriate attention to Antarctic climate issues, but there is scope for expanding the remit of the assessment to include past geological periods when the Earth was as warm and had as much CO2 in the atmosphere as the world we seem to be heading for. His report on the meeting and his proposal for adding 'deep time' to the IPCC remit can be seen on the IPCC Interactions page of the SCAR website. The key message Dr Barrett learned at Bali was the importance of getting good people nominated through the National Committee process. SCAR's ACE and AGCS communities should be thinking about this.
Science News
SCAR publishes "Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment" report
Following production of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report in 2005, SCAR decided that a southern hemisphere equivalent was required, and set about producing it. 100 scientists from 13 countries contributed as authors, and the manuscript was worked up by an editorial team of 9, headed by Dr John Turner of the British Antarctic Survey - reflecting the fact that the work began as a project of SCAR's "Antarctica in the Global Climate System" scientific research programme, of which he was at the time the scientific leader. The project expanded through time to incorporate the past climate dimension, provided by scientists from SCAR's "Antarctic Climate Evolution" programme, and the biological impacts, provided by scientists from SCAR's "Evolution and Biodiversity in the Antarctic" programme.
The completed report was printed in October and has been mailed to authors and to the Heads of Delegations to the 15th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Conference on Climate Change, which takes place in Copenhagen in December. SCAR produced only 500 hard copies, having decided that this ought to be a web-based product that was readily available at no cost to the entire scientific community. It was felt that this is the sort of scientific service SCAR should be providing to the community. Remaining hard copies will in addition go to SCAR national committees and delegates, to COMNAP and to the Treaty Parties as well as to a wide selection of polar and other libraries. Elements of the report have already been published as scientific papers in Reviews of Geophysics (January 2009) and will appear in the December issue of the Antarctic Science Journal. Annual reviews of the science of climate change in the Antarctic, based on the ongoing work in the report, have been presented to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and the associated Committee on Environmental Protection.
The editors are most grateful to the many authors who contributed text, to the many reviewers who commented on the circulated drafts in summer 2007 and summer 2008, and to their parent institutions for allowing them the time to contribute to this magnum opus. No doubt with more time and effort an even better job could have been done, but the end result is a volume that will be a landmark for many years and that will guide future research directions in SCAR and at the national level. SCAR will continue supplying annual updates on climate to the ATCM, and will in due course update the ACCE report itself as the science evolves. Thanks go to all those involved in the report's production, and to BAS for providing support for the press conference at the Science Media Centre in London on November 30, at which the book was formally launched.
The report is available from the ACCE page of the SCAR website, along with copies of the press release, and a document detailing the main 10 points from the report. For further enquiries, consult the SCAR Executive Director at cps32@cam.ac.uk.
Meeting report and poster available on the Southern Ocean Observing System
The latest meeting report of the SCAR/SCOR Oceanography Expert Group, focussing on the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), is now available as SCAR Report 35, as is a poster from the OceanObs09 conference. The goal of the SOOS is to provide the sustained multi-disciplinary observations needed to detect, interpret and respond to changes in the Southern Ocean. The Oceanography Expert Group, in consultation with other groups and invited experts, is currently finalising a draft of the SOOS planning document, which will be available for comment by the community sometime in December.
Census of Antarctic Marine LIfe (CAML) reports in
Based on the largest-ever survey of marine biodiversity in Antarctica, CAML is currently integrating samples and data taken on 18 major research vessels during the IPY. Over a million geo-referenced species records are available in the newly-restructured dataportal, linked to a register of 15,860 taxa (including 10,120 verified species) and 11,000 DNA barcodes. The South American coordination of CAML has completed a matrix of research across the Antarctic programs of seven countries. In the next year, CAML plans to double the number of species records and barcodes. The CAML survey is of global significance and will provide data for scientific investigations for many years. Integration and synthesis of the data are underway in selected projects, with key discoveries in the biogeography of octopus and pycnogonids; review of circum-Antarctic ecoregions, regime shift in zooplankton and time-series analysis of benthic fauna over 30 years in Admiralty Bay. A gap analysis using current data has explored the spatial, depth and taxonomic coverage of the survey.
The capacity of Antarctic biodiversity researchers has been enhanced by CAML through SCAR. CAML funded three early career scientists for the July 2009 SCAR Biology Symposium in Sapporo, Japan and a total of 15 CAML papers were presented. The discoveries in molecular biology were outstanding, showing that the Antarctic fauna is the source of many far-flung groups including isopods, pycnogonids and octopus. Jan Strugnell received a SCAR young career research award for her presentation showing evidence from eight genes on the repeated colonisation of the deep sea by octopus from Antarctica. In July 2010, CAML will present the latest results at the SCAR Open Science Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Results from the deep sea will be featured at the International Polar Year Science Conference in Oslo, Norway in June 2010. For more details see, the 2009 CAML Annual Report.
Operation Ice Bridge: Mission Antarctica begins
NASA's Operation Ice Bridge got underway in the Southern Hemisphere on Friday October 16, with a DC-8 plane flying the first of a series of missions to measure Antarctic ice. Although ice can and is measured from satellites, there will be a gap in NASA's measurements after ICESat-I comes to the end of its life this year and before the start of ICESat-II in 2014. To plug this gap, the space agency is stepping up with a six-year programme of ice-measuring plane flights. "The DC-8 flew two parallel tracks along the coast, one just offshore over the floating ice shelf, and one just inland. By measuring on either side of the 'grounding line' between the floating ice and the ice on land, scientists can determine the rate at which this near-shore part of the ice shelf is melting," said NASA. The plane is too large for Antarctic runways so it launched from Chile at 9:11 local time and flew south to the Getz Ice Shelf.
Although Friday's flight is being reported as the start of Operation Ice Bridge, the very first OIB flights were actually made in April in the Northern Hemisphere.
Article taken from the Nature blog.
Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets may be shrinking faster than thought
As reported in Science (9 October 2009,Vol. 326. no. 5950, p. 217) losses from the great ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland appear to have accelerated during the past 7 years. The results, in press at Geophysical Research Letters, are based on measurements by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission.
The mass changes of Greenland and Antarctica during the past seven years have all been negative, geophysicist Isabella Velicogna of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, concludes in the study. On Greenland, she calculates, the rate of ice mass loss doubled over the seven-year period, producing an acceleration of –30 cubic kilometers of water lost per year. On Antarctica, the loss rate more than doubled to produce a similar acceleration. Together, that would make for a 5% acceleration each year in the rise of sea level. Compounded year after year, "that is a big thing," says Velicogna. "We should be more concerned." For further details, please read the full Science article.
Global surface temperature predictions based on observations
Numerical models find it difficult to produce reliable predictions of Earth's surface temperature for the near future. To improve temperature forecasts, Lean and Rind (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2009GL038932, 2009) decomposed the observed temperature change in recent years into components due to anthropogenic causes and due to natural causes. Their study explains why 1998 was especially warm and why surface temperatures have not increased since. 1998 was influenced by a super El Niño, and since 2000, declining solar activity and La Niña cooling have cancelled the warming due to increased greenhouses gases, keeping temperatures more or less constant (though still much warmer than in the 1960s). The authors used their decomposition to predict that from 2009-2014 global temperature will increase by about 0.15°C as both anthropogenic forcing and solar irradiance increase. From 2014-2019 decreasing solar irradiance (decline of the next sunspot cycle) will likely cancel much anthropogenic warming, so leading to only slight temperature increases during those years. Because these projections are based on observations of how ocean and solar influences have changed global temperatures in the recent past the authors believe their forecasts are the most reliable available. Note that the trend underlying these various changes is upward due to anthropogenic forcing (modified from EOS, v.90 (no.37), September 2009 p.327].
Data and Information Management
Polar Information Commons (PIC): Establishing the framework for long-term stewardship of polar data and information
As part of the legacy of the International Polar Year (IPY 2007-2008), SCAR is working with the International Council for Science (ICSU) and other bodies to develop the concept and implementation plans for a Polar Information Commons (PIC) that will facilitate the internatonal exchange of polar scientific data. The international PIC team has developed an exciting vision and workable approach for the PIC that will achieve the project goals to establish a sustainable long-term framework for preservation and access of polar data and entrain new stakeholders and participants into polar data management. In short, the PIC will enable both individuals and organisations to make their data available openly through the PIC, while at the same time preserving their ability to gain credit and recognition for their work through a set of community norms. Using a PIC digital "badge", polar data centres, libraries, and other groups will be able to freely assess these open resources and determine what contributions need and deserve acquisition, archiving, and value-added, long-term management. A flyer summarizing the PIC concept has been produced. This and other materials are now available on the PIC website. Readers' inputs on the specific design and content of the web site would be most appreciated.
Daily Antarctic MODIS Mosaics
Daily MODIS mosaics of Antarctica are now available from the NASA Rapid Response website in near-realtime. A complete mosaic of previous day(s) can be viewed by clicking on the 'Prev' button on the top of the Antarctic Mosaic page.
Each day a set of true colour images are generated from data from the Terra and Aqua satellites at 4km, 2km, 1km and 250m resolutions along with a 367 false-colour image generated from Terra. By clicking on each individual tile within the mosaic, a page featuring that tile will come up, and the 250m image for that tile can be downloaded.
The images are mapped using the Polar Stereographic projection with origin at 0 longitude and -90 latitude with a -71 standard parallel (also known as EPSG code 3031). Each one of the files can be downloaded with the metadata file and directly used in GIS and remote sensing software for integration into other products and services.
Information on using the mosaic image in GIS and image processing software packages is available on the NASA FAQ page.
This project was funded through the Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. US Antarctic Program support for this product will be provided though the Antarctic Geospatial Information Center, funded through the National Science Foundation Office Office of Polar Programs.
USGS Antarctic Air Photography now digital and online
The USGS Antarctic Resource Center has completed the medium resolution scans of their entire air photography collection from 1947 to the present of 330,000 photos. All photos have been placed online with known digitised flightlines and calibration information by the Antarctic Geospatial Information Center and can be downloaded from USGS Air Photography website. If requested, all of the images can be written to a 2 tb hard disk and shipped to researchers and other programmes. Contact Michelle LaRue at larue010@umn.edu for more information.
Honours and Awards
Professor Steven Chown awarded the first Martha T Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica
An outstanding researcher and world renowned advisor to the Antarctic Treaty System, Professor Steven Chown of Stellenbosch University, South Africa, has been named the inaugural recipient of the prestigious Martha T. Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica. Professor Chown is a widely published and cited authority on invasive species and the effect of climate change and human interactions on Antarctica. The Selection Committee of leading Antarctic scientists and policy makers cited his outstanding contributions to both science and policy in Antarctica. Professor Chown plays a critical role in Antarctic policy by leading the delegation of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) at the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCMs). His advice and leadership has been pivotal in advising policy makers in a wide range of environmental stewardship issues before the ATCM's Committee on Environmental Protection.
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| Professor Steven Chown |
Professor Chown searching for invertebrates in tussock grass on sub-Antarctic Heard |
Professor Chown will be awarded the Prize and deliver the Muse Lecture at the Oslo International Polar Year Conference in June 2010 and will also be a guest of honour at the SCAR Open Science Conference in Buenos Aires in August 2010.
SCAR seeks nominations for SCAR medals for 2010
The SCAR medals are awarded biennially either for excellence in Antarctic research or for International Scientific Coordination. The awards in 2010 will take place during the Open Science Conference in Buenos Aires on August 5. For details see the description of the Awards Scheme on the SCAR Awards page, and note the need to use the nomination form. The deadline for nominations is 1 April 2010.
Job Vacancies
Vacancy - Executive Officer of SCAR
SCAR is seeking an Executive Officer to assist in the running of the SCAR Secretariat. The post is offered on either a full-time or part-time (3 days a week) basis and is a permanent position, starting March 1st. Candidates should preferably have a MSc or PhD degree in a scientific discipline relevant to research in Antarctica or the Southern Ocean and must be fluent in spoken and written English. For more information, please see the further details of the post. Applications should be sent by 10 January 2010, to the SCAR Secretariat, Scott Polar Research Institute, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1ER, UK (by mail or fax (+44 1223 336549), but preferably by e-mail to info@scar.org). SCAR is an equal opportunity employer.
Other SCAR-Related Newsletters
- The latest edition of the EBA Newsletter, issue 4 (October 2009) is now available from their website.
- Monthly 'Notes from the President', a series of open letters from SCAR President, Chuck Kennicutt, are posted in the Communication and Education section of the SCAR website.
Events
1st Circular issued for SCAR Open Science Conference
The 1st Circular for the 4th SCAR Open Science Conference is now available. The conference, which takes place from 3 - 6 August 2010 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has the theme "Antarctica - Witness to the Past and Guide to the Future".
People intending to attend the Conference may wish also to register for the AGU meeting of the Americas, 8-13 August 2010, to be held at the Rafain Hotel and Convention Center, Av. Olímpio Rafagnin 2357, Foz do Iguaçu - PR, 85862-210, Brazil. For details, see the SCAR Events page.
Polar Science Conferences in 2010
The 1st Circular for the 4th SCAR Open Science Conference, which takes place on 3-6 August 2010 in Buenos Aires, will be issued shortly. The conference theme is "Antarctica - Witness to the Past and Guide to the Future". The science programme of the OSC will consist of up to 53 sessions on 4 themes: (i) Connectivity and cross-scale interactions; (ii) Tipping points; (iii) Ecosystem health; (iv) Continuity and change. At this time the draft programme contains some 53 sessions. The final distribution of sessions will depend on the receipt of abstracts, which will be called for in the 1st Circular and on the conference web site (when open). The conference will be an integral part of the XXXI SCAR meeting (see the SCAR Events page for details).
In addition, the 2nd Circular and Call for Abstracts for the IPY Oslo Science Conference (8-12 June 2010) with its theme of "Polar Science - Global Impact", has just been issued; more information is available on the conference website. This meeting will demonstrate, strengthen, and extend the International Polar Year's accomplishments in science and outreach. The conference is an essential opportunity to display and explore the full breadth and implications of IPY activities. The international and interdisciplinary science conference will in particular highlight the global impact of the changes that have been observed in the Polar Regions. This meeting is jointly sposnored by SCAR and its Artic counterpart, the International Artic Science Committee, along with ICSU and WMO.
Other Events
Other events of interest to the SCAR Community are listed on the Events page.
Newsletter prepared by Colin Summerhayes and Rosemary Nash, SCAR Secretariat. Please send feedback to info@scar.org
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