One Ice Floe – Many Priorities

ROV City (Foto: Esther Horvath)
ROV City

How we’re keeping our footprint in the Arctic to a minimum

By Marcel Nicolaus

Our standards concerning the precision of our measurements and the overall scale of observations of the atmosphere, ice and ocean are naturally quite different from those 125 years ago, when Nansen first set out to study and explore the Arctic Ocean by drifting with the ice. Whereas, by today’s standards, Nansen ‘only’ made very general observations, we now rely on highly specialised instruments and platforms, which can only be effectively used with a fully equipped research icebreaker as their base, together with an extensive camp on the surface of the ice. The goal is to record time series that are as comprehensive and consistent as possible – on board Polarstern, on and in the sea ice, and in the ocean. In this regard, all measurements and projects also have to fulfil stringent criteria regarding the quality and completeness of the data. Making this a reality during MOSAiC requires careful planning and detailed coordination, as well as the occasional compromise.

When it comes to ‘classic’ Polarstern expeditions, individual research groups’ requirements can be taken into account fairly easily: the ship can be optimally positioned for current wind conditions, the ice is still pristine upon arrival, and the ocean currents at the time of measurement are known in advance. In contrast, during MOSAiC we will (for the most part, and hopefully) be firmly lodged in the ice, and our stations on the floe will operate for a year; accordingly, we have to plan for a number of additional aspects, and in some cases, have to employ wholly new concepts. The goal now is to adapt the camp’s layout to the local conditions. In the end, we will hopefully have the best-possible time series of the entire year, with very little influence from parallel measurements and activities, or from Polarstern herself. Though some individual data points will surely be affected by our own measurements, subsequent filtering and adjustment processes will help ensure that our findings reflect the conditions in the untouched Arctic as accurately as possible.

Remote Sensing Site (Foto: Esther Horvath)
Remote Sensing Site (Photo: Esther Horvath)

As is always the case for measurements taken from the ship, we also keep a close eye on the effects of Polarstern’s emissions on our readings. This happens e.g. when the wind blows emissions into our instruments’ intake ports. Consequently, we deploy them at locations that are very rarely affected by these emissions. Depending on the instrument, if the wind shifts to an undesired direction, the intake of air is either automatically interrupted to avoid the data’s being distorted; or the measurement cycle continues, and the data in question is subsequently marked and removed from the adjusted time series.

When it comes to the outlet for our filtered wastewater (technically clean water), a pump system was installed on Polarstern that reintroduces the salt previously removed from it, before discharging the water at a depth of ca. 150 m. The times at which these ‘dumps’ are made are documented, allowing any potential influences on them to be identified after the fact.

One unique aspect of the MOSAiC camp, compared to normal station-based work, is definitely the power network on the ice. It allows us to centrally and continually supply our devices and stations with electrical power, doing away with the need to use several smaller generators, which would produce additional emissions at various locations. This approach also makes it easier to filter data with regard to the wind direction.

Stromkabel auf dem Eis (Foto: Esther Horvath)
Cable on the ice (Photo: Esther Horvath)

The position of Met City, where the majority of meteorological measurements on the sea ice are made, is at the edge of the ice camp, so that the sector of air / wind that is unaffected by Polarstern and structures in the camp is as large as possible. In the initial design, the measurements were undisturbed in a sector of more than 270 degrees, since all the main installations were situated in the same direction. Yet the latest shift in the ice conditions has reduced that area somewhat; and thanks to ice dynamics, it will constantly change. Nevertheless, for the purposes of data processing, we have a clearly defined sector to work with.

Met Tower (Foto: Esther Horvath)
Met Tower (Photo: Esther Horvath)

Our ‘dark site’ is a station ca. 1.5 km north of the main camp, which lies beyond the large pack-ice hummocks and is largely unaffected by any artificial light. Here we exclusively work using infrared, so as to minimise our light pollution and influence on the development of the ecosystem within and below the ice as little as possible. The majority of ice cores are collected at the dark site, while a handful of autonomous devices record additional environmental data. It’s also where we take snow samples, as far from Polarstern as possible.

In terms of traveling on the ice, we have established a ‘walking culture’. Needless to say, we can’t entirely avoid using snowmobiles, especially when it comes to setting up large and heavy structures on the ice. Nevertheless, now most trips are made on foot or using skis. Especially skis have become quite popular, and lend our work a very rustic character when we ‘hike’ across the (in some places, heavily deformed) ice, towing a Nansen sledge behind us.

Ocean City (Foto: Ying Chih Fang)
Ocean City (Photo: Ying Chih Fang)

Last but not least, there is the logistics and recreation zone right beside the ship. Since we don’t have to worry about potentially influencing measurements here, the zone can also be used to gather readings for comparison. This data can then be used to put other findings in perspective. But here, too, we try to keep our footprint to a minimum. In addition, this zone is essential to maintaining a productive and harmonious environment on board, as it offers everyone a place to rest and relax, or to gaze at the starry sky or Northern Lights.

Balloon Town (Foto: Esther Horvath)
Balloon Town (Photo: Esther Horvath)

Readers comments (14)

  1. Albert Butkas

    Thank you for your hard work and sacrifice. I live just south of Rochester NY USA. It is winter weather here and I have put on my snow suit to work outdoors. I will be 75 soon and have had a long career in environmental analysis and regulation with our state government. Your work is of the upmost importance to all of us although I did laugh when Rex linked it to the formation of policy. Our current federal leadership just does not get it. Will any of your data collection shed any light on the AMOC studies? Thanks again Al

    1. Marlena Witte

      Dear Al,

      Thank you for your interest in the MOSAiC expedition.
      To answer your question, “Will any of your data collection shed any light on
      the AMOC studies”: the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is part of the global
      thermohaline conveyor belt circulation. Water formed by deep mixing (“convection”) in the Labrador,
      Irminger and Nordic seas circulates southward to be upwelled in the Southern,
      Indian and Pacific Oceans, ultimately returning to the convection regions by
      currents in the upper ocean. The Arctic receives about one tenth of the worlds’
      continental runoff. This fresh water is exported from the Arctic in the upper
      ocean as low salinity water through the western Fram Strait and the Canadian
      Arctic Archipelago into the North Atlantic. This Polar surface
      water is formed by water originally from the North Atlantic and, to some extent, the Pacific, mixed with
      fresh water from precipitation / continental runoff and ice melt / formation.
      Variation in the export of fairly fresh water from the Arctic has the potential
      to influence deep water formation by deep mixing in the regions mentioned above.
      This Arctic water can flow from the Arctic to the North Atlantic within less than a year.
      Likewise, sea ice, subject to the near-surface processes in the Arctic that we
      are studying, is partly exported to the Nordic Seas and the North Atlantic,
      contributing to an input of fresh water there when melting.
      In addition, the Denmark Straits dense overflow, between Iceland and Greenland,
      contributes significantly to the thermohaline overturning, and about half of
      this dense water, originating in the Atlantic, has passed through the Arctic
      Ocean and the Nordic Seas. On the way, this water is modified by the various
      processes in these regions.
      The focus of MOSAiC is to study feedback between the atmosphere, sea-ice and
      the upper ocean. Hence, at least from an oceanic perspective,
      our work will not directly help to understand the
      AMOC, but will further our knowledge of processes that can indirectly influence
      the AMOC.

      Best, Ben
      (Ben Rabe, Physical Oceanographer at the Alfred Wegener Institute)

      1. Albert Butkas

        i just read this and wonder what you think of the analysis and thank you for your reply to my question

        Could we cool the Earth with an ice-free Arctic?
        The Arctic region is heating up faster than any other place on Earth, and as more and more sea ice is lost every year, we are already feeling the impacts. IIASA researchers explored strategies for cooling down the oceans in a world without this important cooling mechanism.
        Scientists estimate that summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean will be largely gone within a generation. This is bad news for the world, as ice and snow reflect a high proportion of the sun’s energy into space, thus keeping the planet cool. As the Arctic loses snow and ice, bare rock and water become exposed and absorb more and more of the sun’s energy, making it warmer – a process known as the albedo effect.
        Given that it would be very difficult to reverse this trend, even if we do manage to reach the 1.5°C target set out in the Paris Agreement, IIASA researchers explored what would happen if we were to reverse this logic and make the Arctic region a net contributor to cooling down the world’s oceans and by extension the Earth. In their new paper published in the Springer journal SN Applied Sciences, the authors analyzed what the Arctic’s contribution to global warming would be if there were no ice cover, even throughout the winter months. They also looked at ways the world could adapt to the resulting new climate conditions.
        “The Arctic Ocean ice cover works as a strong insulator, impeding the heat from the ocean below to warm up the atmosphere above. If this ice layer were however removed, the atmosphere would increase in temperature by around 20°C during the winter. This increase in temperature would in turn increase the heat irradiated into space and, thus cooling down the oceans,” explains study lead-author Julian Hunt, who currently holds a postdoc fellowship at IIASA.
        According to the authors, the main factor that contributes to maintaining the Arctic sea ice cover is the fact that the superficial Arctic Ocean (the top 100 meters) has a salinity that is around 5 grams per liter (g/l) lower than that of the Atlantic Ocean. This stops the Atlantic Ocean from flowing above the cold Arctic waters. The authors argue that increasing the salinity of the Arctic Ocean surface would allow the warmer and less salty North Atlantic Ocean current to flow over the surface of the Arctic Ocean, thereby considerably increasing the temperature of the Arctic atmosphere, and releasing the ocean heat trapped under the ice. The researchers propose three strategies to achieve this:
        The first strategy entails reducing the flow of water from major rivers from Russia and Canada into the Arctic, by pumping the water to regions in the USA and Central Asia where it could be used to increase agricultural production in regions with low water availability. As a second strategy, the researchers suggest creating submerged barriers in front of Greenland glaciers to reduce the melting of the Greenland ice sheets, while the third strategy would be to pump water from the superficial Arctic Ocean to the deep ocean so that it is mixed with the more salty water below. The pumps in such a project would run on electricity generated from intermittent solar and wind sources, allowing a smoother implementation of these technologies.
        The researchers’ analysis show that with an average 116 GW of energy during 50 years of operation, these strategies could reduce the salinity of the Superficial Arctic Ocean waters to 2g/l. This would increase the flow of the North Atlantic current into the Arctic and considerably reduce the ice cover on the Arctic during the winter.
        Despite the concerns about the loss of sea ice in the Arctic the authors point out that there are several advantages to an ice-free Arctic scenario: Ships would for example be able to navigate through the Arctic Ocean throughout the whole year, which would reduce the distance for shipping goods from Asia to Europe and North America. In addition, the temperature in the Arctic would increase during the winter months, which would reduce the demand for heating in Europe, North America, and Asia during the winter. The frequency and intensity of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean could also be reduced due to the reduction in temperature in Atlantic Ocean waters. On top of this, the ice-free waters could also help to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere.
        Hunt however cautions that while there are benefits to an ice-free Arctic, it is difficult to predict what the impact will be on global sea levels, as the higher Arctic temperatures would result in increased melting of the Greenland ice sheet. It is also difficult to predict the changes in the world climate as the polar circle will be considerably weakened during the winter.
        “Although it is important to mitigate the impacts from climate change with the reduction in CO2 emissions, we should also think of ways to adapt the world to the new climate conditions to avoid uncontrollable, unpredictable and destructive climate change resulting in socioeconomic and environmental collapse. Climate change is a major issue and all options should be considered when dealing with it,” Hunt concludes.
        ###
        Reference
        Hunt J, Nascimento A, Diuana F, de Assis Brasil Weber N, Castro G, Chaves A, Mesquita A, Colling A, & Schneider P (2019). Cooling down the world oceans and the earth by enhancing the North Atlantic Ocean current. SN Applied Sciences DOI: 10.1007/s42452-019-1755-y
        Contacts:
        Researcher contact
        Julian Hunt

Postdoctoral Research Scholar

IIASA Energy Program

IIASA Water Program

Tel: +43 2236 807 675

hunt@iiasa.ac.at
        Press Officer
        Ansa Heyl

IIASA Press Office

Tel: +43 2236 807 574

Mob: +43 676 83 807 574

heyl@iiasa.ac.at
        About IIASA:
        The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an international scientific institute that conducts research into the critical issues of global environmental, economic, technological, and social change that we face in the twenty-first century. Our findings provide valuable options to policymakers to shape the future of our changing world. IIASA is independent and funded by prestigious research funding agencies in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. http://www.iiasa.ac.at
        Media Contact
Ansa Heyl
heyl@iiasa.ac.at
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s42452-019-1755-y

        1. Marlena Witte

          Dear Al,
          I have forwarded your answer to our scientist Ben Rabe.
          However, I cannot promise if and when he will answer, since he is in the Central Arctic right now :-)

          All the best,
          Marlena from AWI media team

  2. Ann Jones

    I have fond memories of our daughter working on Polarstern during 2013 – 2015. She now works at MRL, Tromso in Norway and is now on a cruise around Svalbard doing CTD and ice core measurements. She has been experiencing temperatures of around -24degreesC (dropping to -31degreesC at night). Are your temperatures similar and, if so, how do you cope? I am amazed that you will be in that environment for a year!

    1. Marlena Witte

      Hey Ann, you can check the temperatures in our MOSAiC web app: https://follow.mosaic-expedition.org
      Currently it is -25,3 ° C. 🥶

      All the best,
      Marlena from AWI media team.

  3. Jörg Zensen

    Thank you so much for your very hard work to explore how to keep our little blue planet alive.

  4. Mark Longuet-Higgins

    Thank you very very much for all that you are doing to further human knowledge, and make facts and natures’ processes visible to the world! It is vital that your work and results is made public, and that we act immediately and correctly both politically and economically. I and all my friends throughout the world wish you all the best, as you work diligently to understand and help our planet.

  5. Jeff Lane

    Any Ham Radio ops on the Polarstern. WB1ELU here Jeff Lane.

    Professor Astronomy , and Curator of the Cosmos, yes me!

    Following your journey on your Web site. Share with friends, family and students your super work.

    take care, keep looking up, watch your step. You have Polar Bears around any Leopard seals, wild stories from past explorers being chased by Leopard seals!

  6. Albert Butkas

    Thats fine. I just wanted him to know about these proposals for the Arctic. It is one of many engineering proposals and wish to have someone in your science team give me some idea how to think about them. It seems to me that events are starting to overtake us and we as humans may make mistakes without a deliberative environmental analysis which has been part of my life long career as an environmental analyst and permit administrator in New York State. Thanks Al

  7. Kerstin

    When I first heard about this expedition -long before it started in 09/19 in Tromso/Norway- I was fascinated by the idea of making a “mixture of an old and a new expedition”. Fram-expedition in the 19. century and now MOSAIC , both drifting through the Arctic, but nowadays with the newest technology of the 21. century.

    I follow your journey on your web site and I am really impressed by your work, which is so important for our planet.

    When is the first publication of scientific results to be expected?

    Have a nice New Years Eve and a happy new year.
    All the best
    Kerstin

  8. Richard Moore

    Happy New Year to Polarstern and crew! Thanks for all you do. Best wishes for 2020.

  9. Tore Forsgren

    I am an engineer with great appreciation for being curious and investigative. I just want to bless you all from global climate “hypochondria” and give you permission to conduct research and read the instruments with curiosity and an open mind.

    I feel in media there is a push to have already conclusions and to be opinionated about saving the planet. Science is best served in the long run by strong and independent researchers drawing conclusions based on what is actually there. Once you have the facts you may be able to make a better planet so it is important to get it absolutely right.

    If in any way biased, the project will be less effective in actually saving the planet so there is no rush. The truth must be established AFTER the research and concluded in a mode of being suspicious and prone to double checking and to not fall in love with a conclusion.

    Much like the formality applied in crime investigations where close friends, relatives and work mates may bias the investigation with feelings.

    A just want to bless you from the feelings of a dying earth and to continuously and professionally self monitor for the risk of being too closely related to the victim.

  10. Ramona H.

    Hi. I would like to know more about your Met Tower and other instruments you use. My husband works for Campbell Scientific Inc. and we are curious if their equipment and dataloggers are used for your work.

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