The Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) and its Scientific Research Programs

(SRP’s)

M. Candidi

Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research

Standing Scientific Group on Physical Sciences

chair

IFSI-INAF, Roma, Italia

Outline of presentation

• SCAR: the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research

• SCAR Standing Scientific Groups (SSG’s)

• SCAR Scientific Research Programs (SRP’s)

• IASC the International Arctic Scientific Committee

ICSU established the IGY, the International Geophysical Year, 1957-58, which included a major Antarctic component, the

Special Committee on Antarctic Research to coordinate the scientific research of the twelve nations which were active in Antarctica. The success of the IGY led to the establishment of the ICSU Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

(SCAR) and to the development of the Antarctic Treaty.

SCAR is charged by ICSU with the initiation, promotion and co-ordination of scientific research in Antarctica.

SCAR provides international scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). SCAR is the interdisciplinary, non-governmental organization which draws on the expertise of an international mix of scientists across the complete scientific spectrum. After the IGY, SCAR has provided scientific advice to the ATS and made recommendations, most of which have been incorporated into ATS instruments, like the international agreements which protect the ecology and environment of Antarctica.

The appointed national Delegates from the member states of SCAR, meet every two years. They decide SCAR policy and strategy. They also elect from among themselves an Executive Committee.

SCAR historywww.scar.org

PresidentProf. Chris G RapleyBritish Antarctic Survey CambridgeUnited Kingdom

Past-PresidentProf. Dr. Jörn ThiedeAlfred Wegener Institut Bremerhaven,Germany

Prof. Antonio MeloniIstituto Nazionale Geofisica VulcanologiaRoma, Italia

Prof. Sergio MarenssiInstituto Antarctico ArgentinoBuenos Aires

Prof. Mahlon KennicutDirector Sustainable DevelopmentCollege Station USA

Prof. Zhanhai ZhangPolar Research InstituteChina

Vice-Presidents

Two stay, two go at each SCAR assembly

Executive DirectorDr. Colin SummerhayesScott Polar Research InstituteCambridgeUnited Kingdom

Executive Committee

As determined in Hobart, July 2006

SCAR Membership growth chart ArgentinaAustralia BelgiumBrazilBulgariaCanadaChile ChinaEcuadorFinlandFranceGermanyIndiaItalyJapanKorea NetherlandsNew ZealandNorwayPeruPolandRussiaSouth AfricaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandUkraineUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguay

URSIIUPSIUPACIUGSIUGGIUBSIGU

DenmarkMalaysiaPakistanPortugal

IAU requested to join SCAR in 2006, John Storey nominated as IAU representative to SCAR. Decision to be made in St. Petersburg

Full member countries, and unions

Associate member countries

Article III of The Antarctic Treaty

1. In order to promote international cooperation in scientific investigation in Antarctica .. the Contracting Parties agree that, to the greatest extent feasible and practicable:a. …b. …c. scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available.

Scientific Programs of SCAR

• ACE (Antarctic Climate Evolution) expressed by SSG/GS

• EBA (Evolution and Biodiversity in Antarctica) expressed by SSG/LS

• SALE (Sub Antarctic Lake Exploration) interdisciplinary

• AGCS (Antarctica in the Global Climate System) expressed by SSG/PS

• ICESTAR (Interhemispheric Conjugacy Effects in Solar Terrestrial and Aeronomy Research) expressed by SSG/PS

All established in Bremen at SCAR XXVIII

In Hobart, at SCAR XXIX, the Delegates have welcomed the proposal to establish a third SRP within SSG/PS, on Antarctic Astronomy. This will be drafted before July 2007 and presented officially to the Delegates in Saint Petersburg, at SCARXXX, in July 2008

Programs of the Standing Scientific Group on Geo Sciences

• ACE (Antarctic Climate Evolution) • to continue the study of Antarctic climate and

glacial history, during the last 140 million years, by linking climate and ice sheet modelling studies with geophysical surveys and geological investigations on and around the Antarctic continent

ACE - Antarctic Climate Evolution

http://www.ace.scar.org/

Programs of the Standing Scientific Group on Life Sciences

• EBA (Evolution and Biodiversity in Antarctica) • Understand the evolution and diversity of life in the Antarctic.

• Determine how these have influenced the properties and dynamics of present Antarctic ecosystems and the Southern Ocean system.

• Make predictions on how organisms and communities are responding and will respond to current and future environmental change.

• Identify EBA science outcomes that are relevant to conservation policy and to communicate this science to the SCAR Antarctic Treaty System via the SCAR ATS Committee

Outcomes of EBA: scientific applications

• Comprehensive and evolutive census of Antarctic marine biodiversity

• Assessment of effects of climate change• Assessment of effects of global scale pollution• Prediction of spread of invasive species• Detection of biodiversity hotspots from species to

phylum levels• Facilitation of biogeographic synthesis• Identification of gaps in biodiversity surveys

Interdisciplinary Program of the three Standing Scientific Groups

• SALE (Sub Glacial Lake Exploration) • Advance our understanding of the geological evolution of our planet’s 5th

largest continent, through a holistic view of the forces that have shaped Antarctica, and the subglacial sedimentary records of Antarctic paleoclimate and ice sheet history, and stability

• Develop the next generation of ice sheet models incorporating subglacial environments

• Refine and improve accurate portrayal of the complex interplay of tectonics, ice sheet dynamics and climate.

• Define the role of subglacial discharges in (past) ocean circulation and deep-water formation, past and future climate change, geomorphic change, and material exchange and biological diversity among lakes

• Identify seed organisms and their adaptations in response to tectonic, geological and climatic forcings.

• Establish the phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of subglacial organisms and their evolutionary position in the Tree of Life.

Latest Scientific Findings

Subglacial Lakes are Common Features of Ice Sheets - more than 145 Subglacial Lakes are Common Features of Ice Sheets - more than 145 identified Subglacial Lakesidentified Subglacial Lakes

A Spectrum of Subglacial Environments – the beginnings of a A Spectrum of Subglacial Environments – the beginnings of a classification systemclassification system

Subglacial Hydrologic Systems – rapid water movement beneath ice Subglacial Hydrologic Systems – rapid water movement beneath ice sheetssheets

Linkage of Subglacial Lakes and Ice Streams –subglacial lakes Linkage of Subglacial Lakes and Ice Streams –subglacial lakes influence ice sheet movementinfluence ice sheet movement

Paleo-outbursts of Subglacial Waters – possible links to global climate Paleo-outbursts of Subglacial Waters – possible links to global climate changechange

Programs of the Standing Scientific Group on Physical Sciences

• AGCS (Antarctica in the Global Climate System) .. the role of Antarctica in the global climate system and in Global Change ... a cross-disciplinary Scientific Programme Planning Group .. Determine the future directions of SCAR climate science. Provide a climate system research network to advise SCAR and enhance cooperation between SCAR and major international climate programmes (WCRP, IGBP, IHDP, etc)

To understand the mechanisms controlling the climate of the To understand the mechanisms controlling the climate of the Antarctic – its cycles and variabilityAntarctic – its cycles and variability

To explain why the climate has changed in the past – roughly the To explain why the climate has changed in the past – roughly the last 20K years since the Last Glacial Maximumlast 20K years since the Last Glacial Maximum

To predict how the climate of the Antarctic might change over the To predict how the climate of the Antarctic might change over the next century under various greenhouse gas emission scenarios next century under various greenhouse gas emission scenarios

The Goals of AGCS

Theme 1 – Decadal time scale variability (Dave Bromwich)

Theme 2 - Global & Regional Signals in Ice Cores (Paul Mayewski)

Theme 3 – Natural/Anthropogenic Forcing on the Antarctic Climate System (John Turner)

Theme 4 - The Export of Antarctic Climate Signals (Mike Meredith)

Programs of the Standing Scientific Group on Physical Sciences

• ICESTAR (Interhemispheric Conjugacy Effects in Solar Terrestial and Aeronomy Research) Solar-terrestrial, geophysical and atmospheric physics observations in the Arctic and Antarctic, to study two kinds of interhemispheric conjugacy: (1) Antarctica is a landmass, but an ocean covers the Arctic; asymmetry in the physics and chemistry of the polar atmosphere. (2) geomagnetic: The geomagnetic poles are shifted with respect to the geographic poles (9° in the north, 15° in the south).

SCAR Cross-Linkages Workshop6-8 November 2006

Societa Geografica Italiana,Villa Celimontana, Rome, Italy

(i) primary objective: to encourage the development of cross-discipline research within SCAR, to develop concrete actions that

will lead to a closer working relationship between SCAR's SRPs and the SSGs, including ways to make these interaction work better –

such as joint sponsorship of workshops, science sessions at meetings, combining efforts on education, outreach and communication, and on data where appropriate, and other activities that will bring the

communities together.

(ii) how are the different SRP’s planning to deal with the data sharing and archiving issues.

(iii) IPY developments

With regard to combining efforts on education, outreach and communication:

What is expected of SSG’s, in view of the SCAR communication plan? SRPs and SSGs should be developing their ideas on how to implement the SCAR capacity building education and training plan and the SCAR communications plan in their specific areas.

With regard to data sharing, this is the province of JCADM working with the SSGs and SRPs. The development of a SCAR data and information strategy has been postponed pending the development of such a strategy by the IPY data committee, which is co-chaired by the chair of JCADM.

4. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPROVING LINKAGES 4.1 IASC

… SCAR and IASC intend to combine their efforts in selected fields andactivities .. so as to raise the level of impact of both organizations interms of scientific advances and of advising policy makers (for example of the likelihood and likely effects of climate change), as well as to avoid duplication. These linkages are now the subject of a Letter of Agreement under which SCAR and IASC agree:(i) to invite each other to attend the meetings of their major bodies (SCAR Delegates’ Meeting and IASC Council);(ii) to encourage appropriate linkages between the relevant existing SCAR and IASC scientific projects;(iii) to encourage their scientific communities to develop joint bipolar projects and approaches in appropriate fields;(iv) to work together in arranging workshops, conferences, and reports ontopics of mutual scientific interest;(v) to exchange ideas on best practices in data and information management;(vi) to exchange newsletters and advertise each other’s newsletters and web sites on their own web sites;(vii) to develop combined approaches to communicating with the wider community on the significance of polar research to the solution of societal issues, including their respective experience in giving advice to the AC and ATCM.

The agreement will remain in force for 5 years, thereafter be reviewed andcontinued as appropriate.

Examples of cross-linkages in ICESTAR activities:

(a)monitoring ionospheric electron content and irregularities using GPS receivers. If we know more about the ionosphere and its effects we can make GPS more accurate. There is also a potential link to POLENET, which has a wide network of GPS receivers.

(b) TIMIS studies the possible link (transfer of energy) between powerful weather systems and the upper atmosphere/ionosphere.

The IPY requests bipolar attitude: most of the scientists involved in ICESTAR have a bipolar program; I would like to check whether any of

them is officially involved with IASC.

Suggestion: ICESTAR to request the addition of a representative of IASC, a scientist mostly

involved with northern hemisphere STP science, to the Steering Committee. (This

would be a sign to SCAR and to the IPY of the attention that ICESTAR gives to the bipolar

theme).

The International Arctic Science CommitteeIASC Membership

CanadaChinaDenmarkFinlandFranceGermanyIcelandItalyJapan

The NetherlandsNorwayPolandRepublic of KoreaRussiaSwedenSwitzerlandUnited KingdomUnited States of America

The IASC member organisations are national science organisations covering all fields of Arctic research. Each national member organisation has a mechanism to provide ongoing contact between its council member and its Arctic science community.

IASC Structure

IASC uses this structure to identify scientific priorities, members of working groups, etc. A science programme recommended by IASC should be of high priority to Arctic or global science.

Council•National Representatives

Executive Committee•President•Four Vice Presidents•Chair or Regional Board•Executive Secretary

Regional Board•Representatives from

the eight Arctic countries

Secretariat•Executive Secretary•Assistant

IASC is a non-governmental organisation whose aim is to encourage and facilitate cooperation in all aspects of Arctic research, in all countries engaged in Arctic research and in all areas of the Arctic region.

IASC Mission

IASC ProjectsIASC assists with project development by

providing

•guidelines for preparation of project

proposals

•seed money for project planning

•travel support for younger scientists

IASC projects cover all fields of Arctic

research

Emphasis is on circum-Arctic cooperationIASC supports 10 – 15 projects which are described in the IASC Project Catalogue and on the IASC web site: www.iasc.se.

International Polar Year 2007/2008 (IPY)

Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA)An international project of the Arctic Council and IASC to evaluate and

synthesize knowledge on Arctic climate variability, climate change, and their impacts.ACIA Reports• Scientific Report (1000 pages)• Synthesis Report (140 pages)• Policy Report

http://www.amap.no/acia/

2nd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning

www.icarp.dk

• Prepares Arctic research plans to guide international co-operation over the next 10-15 years

• Brings together senior and young scholars, policy experts, Arctic indigenous and other residents, science and land managers as well as funding agencies

• Conference took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, 10-12 November 2005

• Comprehensive pre-conference process engaged over 140 scientists in the preparation of 12 science plans

Thank you.

I hope to see you all in Saint Petersburg!

(2008! results to be highlighted, midway through IPY)

The SOC is now in the process of listing the session titles: I would like input from ICESTAR and IHY