Topic 1: The Changing Arctic and Antarctic
Mission
Understanding and quantification of recent climate variability and change in the north and south polar regions through physical, chemical and biological investigations of key processes in ocean, atmosphere, cryosphere, shelf systems and permafrost areas by means of field studies, experimental work and modelling.
WP 1: Role of Ice Sheets in the Earth System
Work Package 1 combines research on ice sheets and their interaction with atmosphere and ocean. Polar ice sheets are a sensitive component of the earth system in terms of sea level change. To narrow the contribution of ice sheets to sea level change their mass balance has to be determined by quantifying the mass fluxes across the interfaces with atmosphere and ocean. The polar ice sheets archive palaeoclimate conditions with the enclosed air as the only direct opportunity to sample gases from the past. The sub-glacial environment deep beneath the ice sheet's surface gains increasing scientific interest because it provides a habitat for extreme life and its water affects ice sheet dynamics. Disintegrating ice shelves and calving iceberg impact macro-benthic systems at the sea floor, which we study to predict the dynamics of benthic systems.
WP 2 "Aerosol, water vapour, and ozone feedbacks in the Arctic climate system"
In Work Package 2 comprehensive measurements of the Arctic atmosphere will be obtained and analysed from ground based, airborne, and space borne platforms. Particular attention will be given to aerosol, clouds, water vapour, and ozone and their interactions and feedback processes. Building on IPY projects and their legacy, long-term data sets as well as data from dedicated new field programmes will be used to determine spatial and temporal patterns of Arctic changes in the coupled climate system.
WP 3 "Sea ice – atmosphere – ocean – ecosystem interactions in a bi-polar perspective"
Research in Work Package 3 will focus on the investigation of the interaction processes between sea ice, atmosphere, and ocean to help understanding the changes in Antarctic and Arctic sea ice conditions as well as their impact on ecosystems and food webs. This includes detailed investigations of sea ice types and composition, surface parameters, leads and melting processes. Ocean currents that link Polar Regions to global oceans are affected by and feed back to the sea ice change by variation in heat and fresh water content. These changes will be addressed through a dedicated combination of long-term observations and modelling.
WP 4 "Antarctic Circumpolar Climate and Ecosystem Study"
Work Package 4 concentrates on the Southern Ocean and is designed to investigate climate change issues such as the changes in the physical, chemical and biological properties that are currently underway, the role of the Southern Ocean as a source or sink of atmospheric CO2, the impact of ocean acidification on the pelagic ecosystem, the influence of large-scale iron input on global climate and the feasibility and risks of employing iron-fertilization as a geo-engineering option to mitigate the greenhouse gas problem.
WP 5 "The role of degrading permafrost and carbon turnover in the coastal, shelf and deep sea environment"
Work Package 5 focuses on effects of changes in specific Arctic areas on permafrost systems in terrestrial, coastal and sub-sea regions and adjacent ocean and deep-sea environments, and its impact on budgets of carbon and energy. The dynamics of gas hydrates in permafrost and deeper marine sediments will be quantified. Changes in the Arctic coastal zone may alter production, transportation and fate of organic matter, all of which contribute to the transport of carbon and energy in Arctic areas.
WP 6 "Ocean warming and acidification: organisms and their changing role in marine ecosystems"
Work Package 6 hosts activities which elaborate the functional specialization of selected polar marine species, from algae to mammals, on polar climate regimes and associated living conditions. These activities qualify and quantify the responses of model organisms to ongoing warming and acidification trends at key functional levels, from molecular to ecosystem. Building on recent progress, they also characterize the physiological and ecological background of species-specific sensitivities as well as the capacity of organisms and ecosystems to acclimate or adapt to change.