NSF Award
0612391
This proposal seeks support to deploy an array of autonomous ice mass balance buoys designed to ascertain thermodynamic changes in the mass balance of Arctic sea ice. Specifically, the ice mass balance (IMB) buoys will be incorporated in the Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies (DAMOCLES) atmosphere-ice-ocean observing array with the intention of being operational during the International Polar Year (IPY). The sea ice component of the DAMOCLES sea ice array includes a variety of instruments that examine ice thickness at varying temporal and spatial scales. The IMB adds the critical capability to autonomously attribute thermodynamically-driven changes in the thickness of the ice cover. The IMB buoy can determine what portion of the thickness changes are due to<br/>differences in snow depth, ice growth, surface melt, and bottom melt. A substantial portion of this proposed effort will be directed towards building and deploying IMBs. In the first year, 14 IMBs will be built and deployed with logistics support provided by DAMOCLES. During the deployment of each buoy, a surface-based survey will be conducted to determine the spatial distribution of snow depth and ice thickness. The effort in the second and third years will consist of analyzing, disseminating, and archiving the data from the IMBs, to create a data base of information that can be widely used to improve the understanding of changes in the Arctic sea ice cover. This work will significantly enhance ongoing ice mass balance (IMB) buoy deployments currently sponsored by NOAA, as a contribution to Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH), and coordinated with the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP) and the North Pole Environmental Observatory (NPEO). The extensive outreach plans associated with DAMOCLES, SEARCH, and IPY will be fully supported. Further, the existing ice balance Web site (http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil/sid/IMB/index.htm) will be expanded to include the IMB data collected during DAMOCLES and a section designed specifically for the public, presenting the sea ice mass balance work in the broader climate change context. Educational outreach will be demonstrated through classroom visits with a local elementary school, the involvement of undergraduate students, and community lectures.
