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SCAR Report No. 13, November 1996 

Appendix 4

Report on SCAR-IGBP discussions at the IGBP Core Project Officers' meeting at
Texel, The Netherlands, 14-15 February 1996

Background

In December, 1995 SCAR and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) held a workshop with representatives of START to determine whether the START framework provided the best mechanism for the development of linkages between the regional programmes of SCAR/IASC and the global scale programmes of IGBP/WCRP/HDP. The outcomes of this meeting were: the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the establishment of a START regional Antarctic committee through which the inter-organisational linkages (SCAR to IGBP/WCRP) could be developed; and, an invitation for SCAR representatives to attend the 1996 IGBP Core Projects Officers (CPO) annual meeting, to discuss direct linkages between SCAR global change research projects and the IGBP core projects.

The 1996 IGBP CPO meeting was held at the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research from the 13th to the 15th February, 1996. SCAR and IASC were invited to attend discussions on the evening of the 14th and to make a presentation on the SCAR and IASC Global Change Programmes and their potential linkages to the IGBP Core Projects on the morning of the 15th. The remainder of the meeting was closed to SCAR and IASC representatives. Dr Ian Goodwin represented the SCAR Global Change Programme, Professor Manfred Lange, the IASC Global Change Programme, and Dr Olav Orheim represented the SCAR and IASC executives, and the overall interests of the polar programmes.

Meeting Agenda and Discussions

Professor Chris Rapley, Executive Director of IGBP outlined that there has been a long history of discussions between SCAR and IGBP about formalising the relationship between the two organisations. There was a general attitude amongst the IGBP, START and SCOR representatives that SCAR's commitment to Global Change research has been erratic over the last three years. They had interpreted from the observed changes to GLOCHANT following the XXIII SCAR meeting in Rome that Antarctic Global Change research had had its 'wings clipped' and was therefore significantly less of a force. Chris Rapley stated that the purpose of the meeting was to investigate once and for all, whether there were any substantial linkages between the two programs, that were worthy of pursuit.

Olav Orheim presented a brief history of SCAR and the development of a SCAR Global Change Programme. Ian Goodwin then presented a detailed overview of the SCAR Global Change Programme, based on the component projects, their key scientific objectives and their potential linkages to IGBP core projects. The component projects discussed were:

Note: programmes denoted by * are in development and have not been presented to the SCAR executive for approval.

The overall response from the IGBP CPOs was very positive, with obviously greater interest from some CPOs, whose projects had a greater disciplinary overlap. It was recognised that SCAR's science agenda was focused towards a unique regional environment and that embedded in this agenda was the SCAR global change agenda. The CPOs suggested that they will now take the SCAR presentation and table it at their next science steering committee meetings to determine whether we need to formalise the following linkages with the core projects.

Past Global Changes (PAGES) Linkages

It was recognised that the greatest potential linkages were with the Past Global Changes (PAGES) project, particularly if SCAR could contribute a programme on Palaeoenvironments from the sedimentary record, such as the proposed ANTIME programme, in addition to the operational joint SCAR/PAGES PICE programme, and the SCAR/PAGES endorsed International Trans-Antarctic Science Expedition (ITASE). The most appropriate linkage for ISMASS was also recognised as with PAGES. The ISMASS programme through its research on the evolution of the ice sheet over the last 2,000 years will contribute to PAGES Focus 2 on Variability in the Polar Regions, Temporal Stream 1, (the last 2,000 years).

Land Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ), Southern Ocean-Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (SO-JGOFS), and Southern Ocean-Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (SO-GLOBEC) Linkages

Dr John Pernetta, the LOICZ CPO stated that LOICZ does not presently have an interest in Antarctica. The primary reasons for this are that the LOICZ steering committee does not comprise any members with an Antarctic background, and that the LOICZ project was at capacity in coordinating research in the temperate and tropical regions. However, he agreed that LOICZ would be interested in the results from SCAR research relevant to LOICZ science objectives, such as that outlined in the CS-EASIZ science plan and the current draft of the ASPECT science plan, which would potentially contribute to the LOICZ focus 1 on External Forcing and Boundary Conditions and Focus 3 on Carbon Fluxes and Trace Gas Emissions. In addition the ASPECT project could potentially contribute to the joint JGOFS/LOICZ Continental Margin Task Team. It was recognised that the ISMASS programme would contribute to the LOICZ Framework Activity 6 on Rates, Causes and Impacts of Sea-Level Change.

CS-EASIZ has potential linkages to SO-GLOBEC and SO-JGOFS, although the exact nature of the linkages is not clear and Ian Goodwin has requested that Ms Elizabeth Gross, the GLOBEC CPO and Executive Director of SCOR, and Dr Roger Hansen, the new JGOFS CPO, prepare a response document on where potential SCAR linkages need to be developed with these projects.

However, the linkages between the proposed ASPECT programme and IGBP, SCOR and WCRP are unclear. A major thrust of the ASPECT programme is its multidisciplinary focus on the sea-ice zone, by combining research on physical sea ice processes, ocean-atmosphere interaction and sea-ice biology. This focus suffered a set back at the meeting when Elizabeth Gross informed the meeting that SCOR has recently endorsed its Working Group 86 on Sea-Ice Biology with Dr Steve Ackley as chairman. Dr Ackley has also been instrumental in the development of the ASPECT science plan, with his submissions on sea-ice biology. Other SCAR scientists (including Dr Ian Allison, Dr Harvey Marchant) working on the draft ASPECT science plan were unaware of the developments in SCOR. Ms Gross went further to outline to the meeting that the sea-ice research community was indeed a small group and that we must avoid duplication of effort in the establishment of research initiatives. Consequently it is apparent the SCAR ASPECT group needs to re-evaluate its approach to the problem, especially in the light of recent correspondence between representatives of the WCRP CLIVAR and ACSYS programmes, who have indicated to Dr Ian Allison that WCRP is interested in joint initiatives with SCAR on research on Antarctic sea-ice physical processes, ocean-atmosphere interaction and climate. Dr Allison (GoS/GLOCHANT) and Dr Howard Cattle (GoS/GLOCHANT and ACSYS Steering Committee) will continue discussions with WCRP about the nature of future collaboration, prior to and during the WCRP meeting in Toulouse, France, in March, 1996. Dr Howard Cattle will represent both SCAR-GLOCHANT and WCRP-ACSYS at the Toulouse meeting and will present the case for a joint sponsorship of research in the Antarctic sea-ice zone. In view of the SCOR Working Group 86 initiative on Sea-Ice Biology it may be necessary for SCAR to repackage its CS-EASIZ project to include the pack-ice zone biology together with the existing coastal and shelf focus, and to investigate joint sponsorship with SCOR. Alternatively, SCAR-GLOCHANT needs to investigate the possibility of the joint sponsorship of ASPECT with the SCOR Working Group 86. Exactly what contribution or commitment SCOR could make, is unclear and is the subject of discussions between Dr Goodwin and Ms Gross and between Drs Allison and Ackley. Discussions will also continue between Dr Goodwin and Dr Hansen and Ms Gross about the need for ASPECT and/or CS-EASIZ to contribute to SO-JGOFS by forming an extension of the SO-JGOFS project into the pack-ice and coastal zones.

International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC)

Dr Alex Pszenny the IGAC CPO confirmed that there is a direct linkage between the SCAR/PAGES ITASE project and the Polar Atmosphere Snow Chemistry (PASC) within IGAC. ITASE has a strong focus on snow chemistry, snow accumulation rate, stable isotopes and microparticles over the last 100-200 year time-scale. Dr Pszenny recognised the importance of this program in proving a baseline for the PASC project. There is also a direct linkage between the PICE project and PASC through the need for detailed experiments on snow/atmospheric exchange processes around every deep ice-core drilling site.

Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE)

Dr Will Steffen the GCTE CPO expressed interest in the BIOTAS programme and suggested that there was a potential direct linkage between BIOTAS and the GCTE Focus 4 on Ecological Complexity. Dr Steffen was very enthusiastic about the BIOTAS programme and its focus on simple ecosystems, their colonisation and response to harsh conditions such as aridity, enhanced UV-B radiation and cold temperatures.

IGBP Data and Information System (IGBP-DIS)

Dr Gerard Szejwach the Director of IGBP-DIS expressed an interest in Antarctic environmental data sets. He suggested that the first linkage between SCAR and IGBP-DIS would be the submission of a metadata directory of SCAR Global Change data. Mr Mark Thorley (GoS/GLOCHANT and Co-Chairman of the SCAR-COMNAP ad hoc Planning Group on Antarctic Data Management) has informed me that ICAIR is hosting presently a metadata directory on behalf of SCAR. Mr Thorley will discuss with IGBP-DIS the requirements and methods of sharing information about data sets.

System for Analysis, Research and Training (START)

Dr Goodwin had fruitful discussions with Dr Hassan Virji, Deputy Director START. As a result, the Final Draft of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between SCAR and START, for SCAR-GLOCHANT to become the START Regional Committee for the Antarctic, within the START Regional Research Network, was submitted to START. The MOU will be discussed at the START executive committee meeting in April, and then pending modifications, and approval by the SCAR Delegates in August, will be proposed at the START Joint Standing Committee meeting in November.

Meeting Outcomes

The meeting proved to be fruitful from a number of aspects, not least from the point of view of determining the similarities and differences, opportunities and limitations for linking global change research between SCAR and IGBP in an open exchange. The major outcomes were:

Dr Ian D. Goodwin

SCAR Global Change Programme Coordinator

22 February, 1996