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Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System = SIOS

Ragnhild Rønneberg, senior adviser

Presentation for EU Expert group on Marine InfrastructureBrussels March 4th, 2011

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Agenda

• Many thanks for the invitation!• Background for SIOS• Status and content of SIOS• Marine initiatives (SIOS-related)• Discussion - input from you to us !

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SIOS in a nutshell• Build an interdisciplinary environmental

research and monitoring infrastructure capable of observing the Earth system in the Arctic and providing the observationalbasis for verification of Earth System models in this region.

• Integrate the studies of: – Meteorological, Geophysical,

Cryospheric, Hydrological, Chemicaland Biological processes

…….From a set of monitoring platforms (ocean, ice/glacier, terrestrial, atmosphere/space) matching the ESM

• Establish a Knowledge Centre

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SIOS goals for the future…

• Understand the environmental and climate state/changes in the high arctic ….

• Efficiency in research in/on/around Svalbard• International cooperation• Sharing of equipment, data and knowledge• Lessen the burden on a vulnerable environment

• Improve observation systems and provide data to modelling systems….. And for policy making.

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SIOS - international project • Project endorsed by the Norwegian Ministry of Research and Education in

2009

• The Research Council of Norway being the coordinating institution (supported by UNIS and NPI)

• 14 nations and 26 active cooperating partners (11 Norwegian) + 24 associated partners (…… Norwegian)

• Total cost: approx. 6,6 mill Euros (36 months)– Contribution from EU: 4 mill Euros (36 months)– October 1. 2010 – September 30. 2013

• 1 of 2 Norwegian initiatives in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure (ESFRI). A total of 44 initiatives.

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Why Svalbard ?

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High Arctic = early warning for climate changes

• Many observations done and many ongoing in a broad range of disciplines

• Many different modelling systems in many disciplines

• Many un-answered questions !• Sub-optimal use of research equipment !?• New investments needed – which and for what purpose?

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Why Svalbard ? cont.

• Excellent opportunities for studies of ecosystem changes.

• Well positioned to observe and analyse the changing Arctic ice cover.

• Well positioned to study the energy balance in the atmosphere.

• The location provides for dense satellite monitoring.

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Why Svalbard ? cont.

• Research organizations from 20 countries are present on a regular basis, operating a wide variety of land and sea-based facilities.

• Norway has established an international university in Longyearbyen with students and staff from 32 countries.

• Svalbard is accessible all year round because of its advanced community infrastructure and its relatively mild climate.

• Svalbard has the highest available data bandwidth in the High Arctic.

• And…….

…existing research facilities

UNIS

Russian station Barentsburg

Meteorological station, Aldegondabreen

HAUSGARTEN seafloor observatory

Ny-Ålesund International Research Station

Polish Polar Station Hornsund

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Work packages in SIOS

WP Alegal aspects

WP 3

financial strategy

WP 2legal and

governance structure

WP 6data management and utilisation plan

WP 5

logistics plan

WP 7remote sensing

strategy

WP 8internal integration

strategy

WP 9international coop.

and integration

WP1

project management

WP Benvironmental

framework

WP Cgap analysis

WP 4infrastructure

access

01.10.10

Funded by EUFunded by RCN/MRU

Major steps towards the goal: 1. Assess the present infrastructure and activities in Svalbard to

identify gaps and weaknesses related to the needs of Earth System Models (ESM). Invest in additional infrastructure and activities to close these gaps

2. Organize all relevant infrastructure and all research and monitoring activities into observation platforms which are most appropriate w.r.t. practical and organisational aspects

3. Establish a Knowledge Centrein Longyearbyen for datacollection/aggregation/access, education and outreach, cooperative efforts, and input to Earth System modeling

4. Take action to coordinate the SIOS initiative with complementary ESFRI environmental initiatives as well as other global and Arctic observation systems and related modelling efforts

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From gaps to platforms….Gap –analysis

1. Magnetosphere, ionosphere and connection to climate

2. The coupled arctic climate system; atmosphere – ocean – ice

3. Environmental changes and marine ecosystems

4. Environmental changes and terrestrial ecosystems

5. Solid Earth large-scale processes

6. Environmental pollution; sources, transport and effects

Ocean/ Marine

Terrestrial

Ice/Glaciers

Atmospheric/ Space

What exists, w

here, owned by whom -

and what is on th

e wish list a

nd for w

hat purpose ??

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SIOS research key topics1. Vertical coupling in the arctic atmosphere downward from space2. The Arctic lower atmosphere – boundary layer system: dynamical and

radiation feedback processes3. Oceanic and sea ice processes4. Marine transport of energy, nutrients and pollution (horizontally,

vertically and through the food chain)5. Glacier and ice cap mass balance and dynamics6. Greenhouse gas processes and feedbacks in the Arctic climate

system7. Arctic permafrost, periglacial geomorphological processes including

geohazards related to periglacial landscape development8. Isostasy and changes in Solid Earth’s local and regional stress field 9. Direct human impact of the Arctic System10. Inter-compartmental transition processes related to pollutants and

impact of climate change11. Arctic ecosystem resilience to climate variability and change

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KC - the node in the structure

Atmospheric /SpaceTerrestrialOcean / MarineIce / glaciers

Observational platforms

Integrating platforms

Selected contributing organizations

UNIS NPI AWI AARINERCCNR IGFPAS PRIC

ACIASelected end- users: Policy makers, modelling systems, NGOs

IPCC EU European government policy boards

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The Knowledge Centre“The heart and mind of SIOS”:• Where the needs of Earth System

Modeling are addressed.• Where all activities are coordinated.• Where all research and monitoring data

are shared.• Where all participating nations/ institutions have equal

influence on priorities.• Where all participating nations/ institutions have equal

access to results.• … including Education, Outreach and field support……• … building on Svalbard Science Forum

What are the challenges? History of establishment of the various polar

stations:

topics, character, size determined in advance at national level cooperation opportunities investigated after establishment Svalbard Treaty freedomCan one build an integrated autonomous facility out of this?

Choice of research sites: determined by historical factors (coal mining, not scientific suitability): all along the west coast; to a large degree cemented by today’s environmental jurisdictionWill it be possible to build the required network with these practical limitations?

Interdisciplinary character (”intellectual barriers”): between disciplines based on history (e.g., lower – upper atmosphere), ways of working and thinking, logistical approachesCan SIOS achieve what numerous previous initiatives didn’t?

SvalSat, Platåberget, Longyearbyen

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Challenges, cont.

Valid systems on both sides (observers – modellers) - Who requires what and for which purpose ?

Relevant data / quality of data /scaling /grids ? Arctic perspective (not necessarily from Svalbard) ? All IPY-data from the Arctic ?

Financial structure, - which nations will put money into the pool ?

Organisation?

Agree on the building blocks for the common future…….

… but the opportunities… Genuine interest of all nations present in Svalbard to integrate

activities SIOS already influences other cooperation initiatives in

Svalbard, e.g., Ny-Ålesund flagship projects Much more effective use of financial resources Fronting as an EU large research infrastructure Already today great interest from countries not present in

Svalbard: Denmark, USA, Canada excellent conditions for contributing to a pan-Arctic cooperation

SIOS can be a true node/glue between most of the environment-related ESFRI projects: EMSO – ERICON AB – ICOS – LIFEWATCH – EISCAT-3D – EPOS – EURO-ARGO

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Sites on Svalbard…

Existing infrastructure: 322

Proposed infrastructure: 174

Infrastructure Inventory – Gap Identification

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Infrastructure proposals, 2 examples:

• Real-time biophysical Arctic observatories and fjord laboratories (37 mill NOK, 2011-2013), 5 new ones !

• High-resolution acoustic sounding system for marine research in Svalbard and Norwegian high arctic (5,3 mill NOK, 15 år)

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KongHau• Real-time bio-physical Arctic

observatories on Svalbard

• FramCentre partners:– Norwegian Polar Institute– University Centre in Svalbard – AkvaplanNiva AS– University in Tromsø

• International partners– AWI (Germany)– SAMS (UK)– IOPAS (Poland)

Project leader and photo: Professor Jørgen Berge, UNIS og AkvaplanNiva

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Our plans - in short…

• From October 1th 2010 - October 1th 2013• Masterplan (Governance structure, financial

strategy, investments, strategic processes etc.)• During spring/summer 2011

• Finalize the gab-synthesis report• Organize a workshop for WP8 (in Svalbard)• Coordination of future investments with related ESFRI projects: EMSO,

EISCAT_3D, ICOS, Aurora Borealis, EuroARGO, EPOS etc.• 2 next years:

– Establishment of cooperation with international Arctic networks (SAON, SCANNET,…) and EO organisations (ESA, NASA,…) in the next 2 years

• From the end of 2013 - SIOS formal estblishment - operational phase • the KC is up and running, ready to provide good service and excellent

science (since much infrastructure already in place)

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Thanks for your kind attention

Foto: Janne Søreide Photos: Ragnhild Rønneberg,08.02.2011

The SIOS consortium • Research Council of Norway (coordinator)• Norwegian Polar Institute• University Centre in Svalbard, UNIS• Norwegian Space Centre• University of Bergen• University of Tromsø• Norwegian Meteorological Institute• Nansen Environmental & Remote Sensing Center• Institute of Marine Research• Norwegian Institute for Air Research• Andøya Rocket RangeAR• Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine

Research, Germany• Institute of Geophysics - PAS, Poland• National Research Council, Italy• National Environmental Research Council, UK• Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Russia • Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finland• Aarhus University - National Environmental

Research Institute, Denmark• University of Groningen, Netherlands• Korea Polar Research Institute, Korea• Polar Research Institute of China, China• Institut Polaire Paul Emile Victor, France• Institute of Oceanology – PAS, Poland• Polar Geophysical Institute – RAS, Russia• ITM, Stockholm University, Sweden• National Institute of Polar Research, Japan

• Norwegian Institute of Water Research• Kings Bay AS• Akvaplan-niva AS• University of Oslo• Norwegian Institute of Nature Research• Norwegian University of Science & Technology• Norwegian Energy and Water Resources

Directorate• Kongsberg Satellite Services AS• Northern Research Institute Tromsø• Norwegian Mapping Authority• Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research• Centre of Ocean & Antarctic Research, India• Institute of Botany – Czech Academy of

Sciences, Czech Republic• Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain• National Science Foundation, USA• Scottish Association for Marine Science, UK• EISCAT Scientific Association• Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Finland• University of Leicester, UK• Kola Science Center – RAS, Russia• Geophysical Survey – RAS, Russia• University of Helsinki, Finland

SIOS-PP associated partnersSIOS-PP full partners