Arctic Field Projects
Project Title: Collaborative Research: AON: The Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (Arctic-GRO) (Award# 1602615)
PI: Holmes, Robert Max (rmholmes@whrc.org)
Phone: (508) 444.1548
Institute/Department: Woods Hole Research Center,
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\AON
Program Manager: Dr. Roberto Delgado (robdelga@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Geological Sciences\Biogeochemistry | Geological Sciences\Climate Change | Geological Sciences\Hydrology | Geological Sciences\Rivers |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| Project: http://www.arcticgreatrivers.org |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=16... |
| Data: https://arcticdata.io/ |
Science Summary:
Just like changes in blood chemistry can be used to diagnose an individual's health, so too can changes in river water chemistry be used to evaluate the condition of a river's watershed. In the Arctic, six massive rivers capture freshwater runoff from two-thirds of the land area that drains to the Arctic Ocean. The chemistry of this runoff reflects watershed characteristics (e.g. soil composition), and carries essential nutrients to the marine environment. The overarching scientific objective of the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (Arctic-GRO) is to make sustained observations of the chemistry of these six large rivers, which is vital for assessing changes on land that subsequently impact physical, chemical, and biological properties of the Arctic Ocean. The project involves partnerships with the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council, The Pilot Station Traditional Council, the Gwichya Gwich'in Renewable Resource Council, and with the University of Alaska at Kuskowkwin community college that serves the largely Yup’ik residents of the Yukon-Kuskowkwim Delta. . The six rivers included in the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory are the Yukon and Mackenzie in North American and the Ob, Yenisey, Lena, and Kolyma in Eurasia. The rivers will be sampled near their mouths, every two months for three years, using identical sample collection and preservation protocols. Approximately 40 parameters will be measured on all samples including dissolved and particulate organic carbon concentrations and isotopic compositions, concentrations of dissolved nutrients, major ions, and trace elements, and optical properties of dissolved organic matter, including UV absorbance and fluorescence excitation-emission matrices. For QA/QC purposes, every analysis will be conducted at a single laboratory. The resulting data, along with complementary data on river discharge, will be made available without restriction at the Arctic-GRO website (arcticgreatrivers.org) and through the NSF Arctic Data Center. Arctic-GRO data, which build on observatory records that extend back to 2003, provide valuable end-members for the oceanographic research community as well as for analyses of terrestrial landscape change.
Logistics Summary:
This collaboration between Holmes (1602615, LEAD, WHRC), Spencer, (1603149, FSU), McClelland (1602680, U Texas), and Shiklomanov (1602879, UNH) will continue the Arctic-GRO river sampling project (previously under NSF grant #1107774) for 2017 through 2019. The project will continue sampling the Ob’, Yenisey, Lena, and Kolyma rivers in Siberia, and the Yukon and Mackenzie rivers in North America. The sampling will occur six times a year on a bi-monthly basis with approximately 40 parameters being measured on each set of samples. Local and regional partners will carry out a majority of the sampling, though the U.S. researchers will take occasional trips to the field to participate in sampling.
CPS will provide subcontracting support required to complete all of the sampling in Russia, Canada, and Alaska, user days at Northeast Science Station (NESS), and assistance with the annual US import of water samples from the four Russian rivers. All other logistics will be organized and paid for through the grant.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2017 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Kolyma River | 09 / 04 / 2018 | 09 / 13 / 2018 | 1 |
| 2018 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 |
Project Title: Collaborative Research: Vegetation And Ecosystem Impacts On Permafrost Vulnerability (Award# 1417908)
PI: Kholodov, Alexander (alkholodov@alaska.edu )
Phone: (907) 474.7698
Institute/Department: U of Alaska, Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\ARCSS
Program Manager: Dr. Gregory Anderson (greander@nsf.gov )
Discipline(s): | Geological Sciences |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=14... |
| Data: https://arcticdata.io/ |
Science Summary:
Nontechnical Realistic representations of heat exchange in permafrost ecosystems are necessary for accurate predictive understanding of the permafrost carbon feedback under future climate scenarios. This project will provide a quantitative pan-arctic assessment of the effects of vegetation and landscape characteristics on permafrost thermal regimes. By working across ecosystems, landscape characteristics, and regions, the research will identify broad trends, and intensive energy balance sites will provide a mechanistic study of ecosystem impacts on permafrost response to climate change. The impacts of this study will be enhanced through integration of research results into regional and site-specific permafrost models and synthesis activities that will examine ecosystem impacts on energy balance and permafrost vulnerability to climate change. This work will have broad impacts on the scientific community and general public because it brings together important issues in the global environment and raises awareness of the connection between ecosystem dynamics and permafrost thaw. The proposed project will provide training opportunities for undergraduate students through collaboration between the researchers and an NSF funded field research experience for undergraduates. The researchers will mentor several students as part of this proposed work and will also teach two arctic system science courses at a predominantly undergraduate institution. This project will enhance scientific understanding through continued work with education centers, local communities and, in particular, with teachers and outreach coordinators. Technical Significant declines in permafrost distribution are expected as the climate warms, but large uncertainties remain in determining the fate of permafrost under future climate scenarios. These uncertainties are driven, in large part, by vegetation and ecosystem properties that modulate the effect of climate on permafrost temperatures. Long-term monitoring of permafrost temperatures demonstrates the importance of these local conditions, yet there has been no pan-arctic effort to measure ecological and landscape variables in concert with permafrost temperature monitoring. This project will use a combination of field and remotely-sensed data to address the question of how vegetation and landscape factors modulate permafrost temperature response to climate change. To address this question the researchers will couple an extensive pan-arctic assessment of vegetation-permafrost dynamics with an intensive study of shrub and tree canopy cover effects on ecosystem energy balance. The first component of this research will be conducted at long-term permafrost temperature monitoring sites in Siberia and Alaska, and the second component, the vegetation-energy balance sites that will be established as part of this proposal, will be conducted at a shrub-tree canopy cover gradient in Siberia, where most permafrost regions are located. These intensively studied energy balance sites will provide an improved mechanistic understanding of the effects of ecosystem components, and interactions among these components, on ecosystem energy balance and permafrost vulnerability to climate change. This mechanistic knowledge will, in turn, support interpretation of broad patterns observed through a pan-arctic sampling of the permafrost temperature monitoring sites.
Logistics Summary:
This collaborative project between Natali (1417700, WHRC), Loranty (1417745, Colgate U) and Kholodov (1417908, UAF) will utilize a combination of field and remotely sensed data to understand how vegetation and landscape factors might modulate permafrost temperature response to climate change. Logistic details under 1417700.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2015 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Alaska - Nome | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Alaska - Toolik | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Alaska - Toolik | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Chokurdakh | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Alaska - Toolik | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Fairbanks | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Toolik | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 |
Project Title: Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: A research study of local economies and decision making in Kamchatka, Russia (Award# 1417707)
PI: Koester, David C (dckoester@alaska.edu)
Phone: (907) 474.7133
Institute/Department: U of Alaska, Fairbanks, Department of Anthropology
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\ASSP
Program Manager: Dr. Colleen Strawhacker (colstraw@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Social and Human Sciences |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=14... |
Science Summary:
This award supports a doctoral dissertation research project that investigates the social and cultural effects of Post-Soviet economic policies on indigenous communities in Kamchatka Russia. By comparing traditional modes of transportation (the dog sled) with the Soviet subsidized mode of transportation (the snow machine) the researcher will examine how policies made in Moscow and enforced in Kamchatka had an effect on contemporary local decision-making and the economies of indigenous communities. The project has the potential to increase our understanding of how 20th Century federal economic and social policies affect the trajectory of 21st Century local decision-making in a rapidly changing and globalizing economy. In addition, this project will contribute to the training of the next generation of social scientists. The research will compare the social, cultural, economic, and environmental implications of the choice between 'dogs vs. snow-machines' in subsistence and travel strategies by indigenous people. Combining local histories with larger global impacts to identify the meaning and decision making processes that led to a decline in the use of sled dogs as a mode of transportation concurrent with the rise in snow machine use in rural communities and to their return as fossil fuel costs rise. This project focuses on the socio-cultural and environmental implications of the choice between 'dogs vs. snow-machines' in subsistence and travel strategies in Kamchatka. The layers of social significance attached to these decisions is further emphasized by the fact that salmon is the "fuel" that powers both of those technologies. Salmon has two profoundly different uses in this regard: one as the protein/energy source ingested by dogs and the other as a commodity, where salmon roe is used to pay for fuel (often wasting the flesh). The researcher aims to increase knowledge in the field of anthropology on northern communities and the political economy of Post-Soviet era globalization and to create a culture history of dog sledding in the north.
Logistics Summary:
This doctoral dissertation project compares the effects of commoditized versus consumed salmon in Kamchatka via the use of sled dogs vs. snow machines. The research combines local histories with larger global impacts to identify the meaning and decision making processes that led to a decline in the use of sled dogs as a mode of transportation concurrent with the rise in snow machine use in rural communities and to their incipient return as fossil fuel costs rise. One researcher will conduct two stints of summer fieldwork in Kamchatka, Russia, with the indigenous Nymylan people in order to conduct interviews, engage in participant observation, and review literature and archival information
All logistics will be organized by the researcher and paid through the grant.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2015 | Russia - Kamchatka Peninsula | 08 / 03 / 2015 | 08 / 31 / 2015 | 1 |
| 2017 | Russia - Kamchatka Peninsula | 07 / 24 / 2017 | 08 / 27 / 2017 | 1 |
Project Title: RUI: Collaborative Research: Fire regime influences on carbon dynamics of Siberian boreal forests (Award# 1304464)
PI: Loranty, Michael (mloranty@colgate.edu)
Phone: (315) 228.7451
Institute/Department: Colgate University,
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\ARCSS
Program Manager: Dr. Neil Swanberg (nswanber@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Biology\Ecosystem Ecology | Biology\Fire Ecology | Biology\Forest Ecology | Biology\Global Change |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| Data: http://www.lter.uaf.edu/data |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=13... |
Science Summary:
Boreal forests cover 40% of the vegetated land area above the Arctic Circle and are a critical component of arctic ecosystems. Global change models predict boreal forests will become increasingly susceptible to fire activity with climate warming. Because these forests contain a large proportion of global terrestrial carbon (C) stocks, changes in the fire regime are likely to alter global C cycling. Increased fire activity will increase C emissions to the atmosphere, with a potential positive feedback to climate warming. However, an altered fire regime may also initiate cascading effects on forest regrowth and permafrost degradation that could magnify or offset this feedback. Fire effects on these ecological mechanisms remain uncertain but will ultimately determine whether arctic ecosystems act as a C source or sink under future climate change scenarios. The primary objective of this research is to increase our understanding of post-fire C dynamics in boreal forests of the Siberian arctic by elucidating the ecological mechanisms by which increased fire severity could influence C accumulation and storage over the successional interval. The overarching hypothesis is that post-fire soil organic layer (SOL) depth regulates net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) through indirect impacts on forest regrowth and permafrost stability because of its role as a barrier to seed germination and thermal regulator. The team will: 1) link near term fire effects on SOL depth to changes in larch recruitment and permafrost characteristics in experimental burn plots created in 2012, 2) determine the relationship between post-fire stand structure and above- and belowground C pools at the local and landscape level across stands of varying age and topographic positions, and 3) test via experimental manipulations and field observations the mechanisms by which fire-driven changes in stand density indirectly affect moss growth, SOL development, and susceptibility of deeper C pools to warming, decomposition, and release into the atmosphere. This research will offer novel insights into the importance of both vegetation and soil processes within arctic ecosystems in determining the net feedback of an intensified fire regime to the climate system. Intellectual Merit: Larch forests of the Siberian arctic comprise 20% of all boreal forest ecosystems and are distinct from other boreal forests in that they consist of a single tree genus (Larix spp.) with a deciduous growth habit and often grow on continuous, C-rich ?yedoma? permafrost. Thus, their response to warming climate and an altered fire regime is likely to differ from boreal forests in other regions. Uncertainties regarding current C pools in Siberian boreal forests remain a significant factor affecting our ability to predict climate-induced changes to the global C cycle. The proposed study will contribute to our understanding of how arctic forest fires impact global C cycling and provide essential data necessary for scaling-up arctic C pools, estimating C emissions from arctic fires, and calibrating predictive models of future global C cycling. Broader Impacts: This project will result in the training of undergraduate and graduate students from two predominantly undergraduate institutions and one Hispanic-Serving Institution. The PI and her students will develop outreach activities with local K-12 schools in south Texas to help teachers create lesson plans involving arctic science, boreal ecology, and climate change and involve researcher presentations to science classrooms to provide real-life examples of arctic research and expose K-12 students to different career and educational paths in the sciences.
Logistics Summary:
This collaborative grant between Loranty (1623764, Colgate, LEAD), Natali (1304007, WHRC), Mack (1545558, NAU) and Loranty (1304464, Colgate) will continue work begun by the Lead PI under NSF award # 1103443, to increase the understanding of post-fire C dynamics in boreal forests of the Siberian arctic. The team is interested in investigating feedbacks between climate, fire, permafrost, and forest structure in Siberian larch forests, using a combination of observations across natural gradients and experimental manipulations. See 1623764 for logistic details.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2014 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 |
Project Title: Collaborative Research: Vegetation And Ecosystem Impacts On Permafrost Vulnerability (Award# 1417745)
PI: Loranty, Michael (mloranty@colgate.edu)
Phone: (315) 228.7451
Institute/Department: Colgate University,
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\ARCSS
Program Manager: Dr. Gregory Anderson (greander@nsf.gov )
Discipline(s): | Geological Sciences |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=14... |
| Data: https://arcticdata.io/ |
Science Summary:
Nontechnical Realistic representations of heat exchange in permafrost ecosystems are necessary for accurate predictive understanding of the permafrost carbon feedback under future climate scenarios. This project will provide a quantitative pan-arctic assessment of the effects of vegetation and landscape characteristics on permafrost thermal regimes. By working across ecosystems, landscape characteristics, and regions, the research will identify broad trends, and intensive energy balance sites will provide a mechanistic study of ecosystem impacts on permafrost response to climate change. The impacts of this study will be enhanced through integration of research results into regional and site-specific permafrost models and synthesis activities that will examine ecosystem impacts on energy balance and permafrost vulnerability to climate change. This work will have broad impacts on the scientific community and general public because it brings together important issues in the global environment and raises awareness of the connection between ecosystem dynamics and permafrost thaw. The proposed project will provide training opportunities for undergraduate students through collaboration between the researchers and an NSF funded field research experience for undergraduates. The researchers will mentor several students as part of this proposed work and will also teach two arctic system science courses at a predominantly undergraduate institution. This project will enhance scientific understanding through continued work with education centers, local communities and, in particular, with teachers and outreach coordinators. Technical Significant declines in permafrost distribution are expected as the climate warms, but large uncertainties remain in determining the fate of permafrost under future climate scenarios. These uncertainties are driven, in large part, by vegetation and ecosystem properties that modulate the effect of climate on permafrost temperatures. Long-term monitoring of permafrost temperatures demonstrates the importance of these local conditions, yet there has been no pan-arctic effort to measure ecological and landscape variables in concert with permafrost temperature monitoring. This project will use a combination of field and remotely-sensed data to address the question of how vegetation and landscape factors modulate permafrost temperature response to climate change. To address this question the researchers will couple an extensive pan-arctic assessment of vegetation-permafrost dynamics with an intensive study of shrub and tree canopy cover effects on ecosystem energy balance. The first component of this research will be conducted at long-term permafrost temperature monitoring sites in Siberia and Alaska, and the second component, the vegetation-energy balance sites that will be established as part of this proposal, will be conducted at a shrub-tree canopy cover gradient in Siberia, where most permafrost regions are located. These intensively studied energy balance sites will provide an improved mechanistic understanding of the effects of ecosystem components, and interactions among these components, on ecosystem energy balance and permafrost vulnerability to climate change. This mechanistic knowledge will, in turn, support interpretation of broad patterns observed through a pan-arctic sampling of the permafrost temperature monitoring sites.
Logistics Summary:
This collaborative project between Natali (1417700, WHRC), Loranty (1417745, Colgate U) and Kholodov (1417908, UAF) will utilize a combination of field and remotely sensed data to understand how vegetation and landscape factors might modulate permafrost temperature response to climate change. Logistic details under 1417700.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2015 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Alaska - Nome | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Alaska - Toolik | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Alaska - Toolik | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Chokurdakh | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Alaska - Toolik | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Fairbanks | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Toolik | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 |
Project Title: RUI: Collaborative Research: Fire regime influences on carbon dynamics of Siberian boreal forests (Award# 1623764)
PI: Loranty, Michael (mloranty@colgate.edu)
Phone: (315) 228.7451
Institute/Department: Colgate University,
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\ARCSS
Program Manager: Dr. Neil Swanberg (nswanber@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Biology\Ecosystem Ecology | Biology\Fire Ecology | Biology\Forest Ecology | Biology\Global Change |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| Data: http://www.lter.uaf.edu/data |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=16... |
Science Summary:
Boreal forests cover 40% of the vegetated land area above the Arctic Circle and are a critical component of arctic ecosystems. Global change models predict boreal forests will become increasingly susceptible to fire activity with climate warming. Because these forests contain a large proportion of global terrestrial carbon (C) stocks, changes in the fire regime are likely to alter global C cycling. Increased fire activity will increase C emissions to the atmosphere, with a potential positive feedback to climate warming. However, an altered fire regime may also initiate cascading effects on forest regrowth and permafrost degradation that could magnify or offset this feedback. Fire effects on these ecological mechanisms remain uncertain but will ultimately determine whether arctic ecosystems act as a C source or sink under future climate change scenarios. The primary objective of this research is to increase our understanding of post-fire C dynamics in boreal forests of the Siberian arctic by elucidating the ecological mechanisms by which increased fire severity could influence C accumulation and storage over the successional interval. The overarching hypothesis is that post-fire soil organic layer (SOL) depth regulates net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) through indirect impacts on forest regrowth and permafrost stability because of its role as a barrier to seed germination and thermal regulator. The team will: 1) link near term fire effects on SOL depth to changes in larch recruitment and permafrost characteristics in experimental burn plots created in 2012, 2) determine the relationship between post-fire stand structure and above- and belowground C pools at the local and landscape level across stands of varying age and topographic positions, and 3) test via experimental manipulations and field observations the mechanisms by which fire-driven changes in stand density indirectly affect moss growth, SOL development, and susceptibility of deeper C pools to warming, decomposition, and release into the atmosphere. This research will offer novel insights into the importance of both vegetation and soil processes within arctic ecosystems in determining the net feedback of an intensified fire regime to the climate system. Intellectual Merit: Larch forests of the Siberian arctic comprise 20% of all boreal forest ecosystems and are distinct from other boreal forests in that they consist of a single tree genus (Larix spp.) with a deciduous growth habit and often grow on continuous, C-rich ?yedoma? permafrost. Thus, their response to warming climate and an altered fire regime is likely to differ from boreal forests in other regions. Uncertainties regarding current C pools in Siberian boreal forests remain a significant factor affecting our ability to predict climate-induced changes to the global C cycle. The proposed study will contribute to our understanding of how arctic forest fires impact global C cycling and provide essential data necessary for scaling-up arctic C pools, estimating C emissions from arctic fires, and calibrating predictive models of future global C cycling. Broader Impacts: This project will result in the training of undergraduate and graduate students from two predominantly undergraduate institutions and one Hispanic-Serving Institution. The PI and her students will develop outreach activities with local K-12 schools in south Texas to help teachers create lesson plans involving arctic science, boreal ecology, and climate change and involve researcher presentations to science classrooms to provide real-life examples of arctic research and expose K-12 students to different career and educational paths in the sciences.
Logistics Summary:
Originally overseen by PI Heather Alexander (NSF awards 1304040 and 1103443), leadership of this collaboration transferred in 2016 to PI Loranty (1623764 Colgate U). Additional principal grantees include Natali (1304007, WHRC), Mack (1545558, NAU) and Loranty (1304464). The research team will continue efforts to increase understanding of post-fire carbon dynamics in boreal forests of the Siberian Arctic. The team will investigate feedbacks between climate, fire, permafrost, and forest structure in Siberian larch forests, using a combination of observations across natural gradients and experimental manipulations. Under this collaboration, researchers are funded to conduct field work during four consecutive years beginning in 2014. (For 2014-2015 activities, see the record for NSF award 1304040.) Each year, four to six field-team members will work out of the Northeast Science Station (NESS) in Cherskii to complete field measurements over the course of a three- to four-week summer season. During these excursions, researchers will continue to quantify carbon pools and fluxes at the experimental burn site and within existing and newly established sites along the density gradient. The team will measure forest regeneration within the burn site and within the CALM grids. They also will measure soil conditions at all field sites. Following the field season, the PIs and other research team members will compile, organize, and analyze data. In addition, the PIs will train graduate students in Arctic ecology. In 2017 personnel from this grant will collaborate with NSF Grant 1417700 (Natali) to combine resources. In 2016, this grant transferred to PI Loranty. Details for prior field seasons are under NSF grant 1304040 (PI Alexander). In 2017, this grant received a no cost extension to extend their field season to a later date allowing researchers to access more deeply thawed soils for analysis of root function.
Each year, CPS will subcontract with NESS for user days and sampling support. All other logistics will be paid by the researchers from the grant.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2016 | Russia - Cherskii | 06 / 25 / 2016 | 07 / 28 / 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | Russia - Cherskii | 06 / 16 / 2017 | 09 / 25 / 2017 | 13 |
Project Title: RUI: Collaborative Research: Fire regime influences on carbon dynamics of Siberian boreal forests (Award# 1545558)
PI: Mack, Michelle C (michelle.mack@nau.edu)
Phone: (928) 523.9415
Institute/Department: Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\PPD
Program Manager: Dr. Neil Swanberg (nswanber@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Biology\Ecosystem Ecology | Biology\Fire Ecology | Biology\Forest Ecology | Biology\Global Change |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| Data: http://www.lter.uaf.edu/data |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=15... |
Science Summary:
Boreal forests cover 40% of the vegetated land area above the Arctic Circle and are a critical component of arctic ecosystems. Global change models predict boreal forests will become increasingly susceptible to fire activity with climate warming. Because these forests contain a large proportion of global terrestrial carbon (C) stocks, changes in the fire regime are likely to alter global C cycling. Increased fire activity will increase C emissions to the atmosphere, with a potential positive feedback to climate warming. However, an altered fire regime may also initiate cascading effects on forest regrowth and permafrost degradation that could magnify or offset this feedback. Fire effects on these ecological mechanisms remain uncertain but will ultimately determine whether arctic ecosystems act as a C source or sink under future climate change scenarios. The primary objective of this research is to increase our understanding of post-fire C dynamics in boreal forests of the Siberian arctic by elucidating the ecological mechanisms by which increased fire severity could influence C accumulation and storage over the successional interval. The overarching hypothesis is that post-fire soil organic layer (SOL) depth regulates net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) through indirect impacts on forest regrowth and permafrost stability because of its role as a barrier to seed germination and thermal regulator. The team will: 1) link near term fire effects on SOL depth to changes in larch recruitment and permafrost characteristics in experimental burn plots created in 2012, 2) determine the relationship between post-fire stand structure and above- and belowground C pools at the local and landscape level across stands of varying age and topographic positions, and 3) test via experimental manipulations and field observations the mechanisms by which fire-driven changes in stand density indirectly affect moss growth, SOL development, and susceptibility of deeper C pools to warming, decomposition, and release into the atmosphere. This research will offer novel insights into the importance of both vegetation and soil processes within arctic ecosystems in determining the net feedback of an intensified fire regime to the climate system. Intellectual Merit: Larch forests of the Siberian arctic comprise 20% of all boreal forest ecosystems and are distinct from other boreal forests in that they consist of a single tree genus (Larix spp.) with a deciduous growth habit and often grow on continuous, C-rich ?yedoma? permafrost. Thus, their response to warming climate and an altered fire regime is likely to differ from boreal forests in other regions. Uncertainties regarding current C pools in Siberian boreal forests remain a significant factor affecting our ability to predict climate-induced changes to the global C cycle. The proposed study will contribute to our understanding of how arctic forest fires impact global C cycling and provide essential data necessary for scaling-up arctic C pools, estimating C emissions from arctic fires, and calibrating predictive models of future global C cycling. Broader Impacts: This project will result in the training of undergraduate and graduate students from two predominantly undergraduate institutions and one Hispanic-Serving Institution. The PI and her students will develop outreach activities with local K-12 schools in south Texas to help teachers create lesson plans involving arctic science, boreal ecology, and climate change and involve researcher presentations to science classrooms to provide real-life examples of arctic research and expose K-12 students to different career and educational paths in the sciences.
Logistics Summary:
This collaborative grant between Alexander (1304040,UTB LEAD), Natali (1304007, WHRC), Mack (1545558, NAU) and Loranty (1304464, Colgate) will continue work begun by the Lead PI under NSF award #1103443, to increase the understanding of post-fire C dynamics in boreal forests of the Siberian arctic. The team is interested in investigating feedbacks between climate, fire, permafrost, and forest structure in Siberian larch forests, using a combination of observations across natural gradients and experimental manipulations. See 1304040 for logistic details. [NOTE *Mack changed institutions from University of Florida to Northern Arizona University at which time a new grant was given to Mack (1545558). 2014 work is carried under grant 1303940 and work will be continued from 2015-2017 under 1545558. The lead on the collaboration is still Alexander, 1304040.]
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2015 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 |
Project Title: Collaborative Research: AON: The Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (Arctic-GRO) (Award# 1602680)
PI: McClelland, James W (jimm@utexas.edu)
Phone: (361) 749.6756
Institute/Department: U of Texas, Austin, Marine Science Institute
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\AON
Program Manager: Dr. Roberto Delgado (robdelga@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Geological Sciences\Biogeochemistry | Geological Sciences\Climate Change | Geological Sciences\Hydrology | Geological Sciences\Rivers |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| Project: http://www.arcticgreatrivers.org |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=16... |
| Data: https://arcticdata.io/ |
Science Summary:
Just like changes in blood chemistry can be used to diagnose an individual's health, so too can changes in river water chemistry be used to evaluate the condition of a river's watershed. In the Arctic, six massive rivers capture freshwater runoff from two-thirds of the land area that drains to the Arctic Ocean. The chemistry of this runoff reflects watershed characteristics (e.g. soil composition), and carries essential nutrients to the marine environment. The overarching scientific objective of the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (Arctic-GRO) is to make sustained observations of the chemistry of these six large rivers, which is vital for assessing changes on land that subsequently impact physical, chemical, and biological properties of the Arctic Ocean. The project involves partnerships with the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council, The Pilot Station Traditional Council, the Gwichya Gwich'in Renewable Resource Council, and with the University of Alaska at Kuskowkwin community college that serves the largely Yup’ik residents of the Yukon-Kuskowkwim Delta. . The six rivers included in the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory are the Yukon and Mackenzie in North American and the Ob, Yenisey, Lena, and Kolyma in Eurasia. The rivers will be sampled near their mouths, every two months for three years, using identical sample collection and preservation protocols. Approximately 40 parameters will be measured on all samples including dissolved and particulate organic carbon concentrations and isotopic compositions, concentrations of dissolved nutrients, major ions, and trace elements, and optical properties of dissolved organic matter, including UV absorbance and fluorescence excitation-emission matrices. For QA/QC purposes, every analysis will be conducted at a single laboratory. The resulting data, along with complementary data on river discharge, will be made available without restriction at the Arctic-GRO website (arcticgreatrivers.org) and through the NSF Arctic Data Center. Arctic-GRO data, which build on observatory records that extend back to 2003, provide valuable end-members for the oceanographic research community as well as for analyses of terrestrial landscape change.
Logistics Summary:
This collaboration between Holmes (1602615, LEAD, WHRC), Spencer, (1603149, FSU), McClelland (1602680, UTexas), and Shiklomanov (1602879, UNH) will continue the Arctic-GRO river sampling project (previously under 1107774) for 2017 through 2019. Logistic details under 1602615.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2017 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 |
Project Title: RUI: Collaborative Research: Fire regime influences on carbon dynamics of Siberian boreal forests (Award# 1304007)
PI: Natali, Susan M (snatali@whrc.org)
Phone: (508) 444.1560
Institute/Department: Woods Hole Research Center,
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\ARCSS
Program Manager: Dr. Neil Swanberg (nswanber@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Biology\Ecosystem Ecology | Biology\Fire Ecology | Biology\Forest Ecology | Biology\Global Change |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| Data: http://www.lter.uaf.edu/data |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=13... |
Science Summary:
Boreal forests cover 40% of the vegetated land area above the Arctic Circle and are a critical component of arctic ecosystems. Global change models predict boreal forests will become increasingly susceptible to fire activity with climate warming. Because these forests contain a large proportion of global terrestrial carbon (C) stocks, changes in the fire regime are likely to alter global C cycling. Increased fire activity will increase C emissions to the atmosphere, with a potential positive feedback to climate warming. However, an altered fire regime may also initiate cascading effects on forest regrowth and permafrost degradation that could magnify or offset this feedback. Fire effects on these ecological mechanisms remain uncertain but will ultimately determine whether arctic ecosystems act as a C source or sink under future climate change scenarios. The primary objective of this research is to increase our understanding of post-fire C dynamics in boreal forests of the Siberian arctic by elucidating the ecological mechanisms by which increased fire severity could influence C accumulation and storage over the successional interval. The overarching hypothesis is that post-fire soil organic layer (SOL) depth regulates net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) through indirect impacts on forest regrowth and permafrost stability because of its role as a barrier to seed germination and thermal regulator. The team will: 1) link near term fire effects on SOL depth to changes in larch recruitment and permafrost characteristics in experimental burn plots created in 2012, 2) determine the relationship between post-fire stand structure and above- and belowground C pools at the local and landscape level across stands of varying age and topographic positions, and 3) test via experimental manipulations and field observations the mechanisms by which fire-driven changes in stand density indirectly affect moss growth, SOL development, and susceptibility of deeper C pools to warming, decomposition, and release into the atmosphere. This research will offer novel insights into the importance of both vegetation and soil processes within arctic ecosystems in determining the net feedback of an intensified fire regime to the climate system. Intellectual Merit: Larch forests of the Siberian arctic comprise 20% of all boreal forest ecosystems and are distinct from other boreal forests in that they consist of a single tree genus (Larix spp.) with a deciduous growth habit and often grow on continuous, C-rich ?yedoma? permafrost. Thus, their response to warming climate and an altered fire regime is likely to differ from boreal forests in other regions. Uncertainties regarding current C pools in Siberian boreal forests remain a significant factor affecting our ability to predict climate-induced changes to the global C cycle. The proposed study will contribute to our understanding of how arctic forest fires impact global C cycling and provide essential data necessary for scaling-up arctic C pools, estimating C emissions from arctic fires, and calibrating predictive models of future global C cycling. Broader Impacts: This project will result in the training of undergraduate and graduate students from two predominantly undergraduate institutions and one Hispanic-Serving Institution. The PI and her students will develop outreach activities with local K-12 schools in south Texas to help teachers create lesson plans involving arctic science, boreal ecology, and climate change and involve researcher presentations to science classrooms to provide real-life examples of arctic research and expose K-12 students to different career and educational paths in the sciences.
Logistics Summary:
This collaborative grant between Loranty (1623764, Colgate, LEAD), Natali (1304007, WHRC), Mack (1545558, NAU) and Loranty (1304464, Colgate) will continue work begun by the Lead PI under NSF award # 1103443, to increase the understanding of post-fire C dynamics in boreal forests of the Siberian arctic. The team is interested in investigating feedbacks between climate, fire, permafrost, and forest structure in Siberian larch forests, using a combination of observations across natural gradients and experimental manipulations. See 1623764 for logistic details.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2014 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Cherskii | 0 |
Project Title: Collaborative Research: Vegetation And Ecosystem Impacts On Permafrost Vulnerability (Award# 1417700)
PI: Natali, Susan M (snatali@whrc.org)
Phone: (508) 444.1560
Institute/Department: Woods Hole Research Center,
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\ARCSS
Program Manager: Dr. Gregory Anderson (greander@nsf.gov )
Discipline(s): | Geological Sciences |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=14... |
| Data: https://arcticdata.io/ |
Science Summary:
Realistic representations of heat exchange in permafrost ecosystems are necessary for accurate predictive understanding of the permafrost carbon feedback under future climate scenarios. This project will provide a quantitative pan-arctic assessment of the effects of vegetation and landscape characteristics on permafrost thermal regimes. By working across ecosystems, landscape characteristics, and regions, the research will identify broad trends, and intensive energy balance sites will provide a mechanistic study of ecosystem impacts on permafrost response to climate change. The impacts of this study will be enhanced through integration of research results into regional and site-specific permafrost models and synthesis activities that will examine ecosystem impacts on energy balance and permafrost vulnerability to climate change. Significant declines in permafrost distribution are expected as the climate warms, but large uncertainties remain in determining the fate of permafrost under future climate scenarios. These uncertainties are driven, in large part, by vegetation and ecosystem properties that modulate the effect of climate on permafrost temperatures. Long-term monitoring of permafrost temperatures demonstrates the importance of these local conditions, yet there has been no pan-arctic effort to measure ecological and landscape variables in concert with permafrost temperature monitoring. This project will use a combination of field and remotely-sensed data to address the question of how vegetation and landscape factors modulate permafrost temperature response to climate change. To address this question the researchers will couple an extensive pan-arctic assessment of vegetation-permafrost dynamics with an intensive study of shrub and tree canopy cover effects on ecosystem energy balance. The first component of this research will be conducted at long-term permafrost temperature monitoring sites in Siberia and Alaska, and the second component, the vegetation-energy balance sites that will be established as part of this proposal, will be conducted at a shrub-tree canopy cover gradient in Siberia, where most permafrost regions are located. These intensively studied energy balance sites will provide an improved mechanistic understanding of the effects of ecosystem components, and interactions among these components, on ecosystem energy balance and permafrost vulnerability to climate change. This mechanistic knowledge will, in turn, support interpretation of broad patterns observed through a pan-arctic sampling of the permafrost temperature monitoring sites.
Logistics Summary:
This collaborative project between Natali (1417700, WHRC Lead), Loranty (1417745, Colgate U) and Kholodov (1417908, UAF) will utilize a combination of field and remotely sensed data to understand how vegetation and landscape factors might modulate permafrost temperature response to climate change. Beginning in July 2015, and for three consecutive summers thereafter, a field team of 2-8 will conduct measurements of vegetation, soil and landscape variables at NSF Arctic Observing Network (AON) long term permafrost borehole monitoring sites in Alaska and Russia. Field teams will work along Alaska’s Dalton Highway from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay in spring and summer, with overnights at Coldfoot, Toolik Field Station and in Prudhoe Bay. Researchers also will establish four vegetation-energy balance study sites comprising shrub-tree canopy cover gradient in Cherskii, Russia, in eastern Siberia. In 2015, and through 2018, researchers will visit all sites to collect data from automated instruments. In Russia, personnel from this grant collaborate with NSF Grant 1623764 (Loranty) to combine resources. In 2016, PolarTREC teacher Stanley Skotnicki (1525880SS) will join the team in Russia.
In Alaska, IAB will provide access to infrastructure and services at Toolik Field Station. CPS will provide user days at Toolik and Prudhoe Bay, truck rental in Fairbanks, lodging at Coldfoot, and minimal camping equipment including a medical kit, satellite phones, and VHF radios. In Russia, CPS will provide user days at the Northeast Science Station and technical field support and satellite phones. All other logistics, including land use permits, will be arranged and paid for by the PI from the research grant.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2015 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 07 / 06 / 2015 | 07 / 08 / 2015 | 7 |
| 2015 | Alaska - Fairbanks | 07 / 01 / 2015 | 08 / 15 / 2015 | 8 |
| 2015 | Alaska - Nome | 07 / 27 / 2015 | 07 / 31 / 2015 | 4 |
| 2015 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 07 / 15 / 2015 | 07 / 18 / 2015 | 7 |
| 2015 | Alaska - Toolik | 06 / 23 / 2015 | 08 / 03 / 2015 | 9 |
| 2015 | Russia - Cherskii | 06 / 30 / 2015 | 07 / 21 / 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 08 / 08 / 2016 | 08 / 20 / 2016 | 3 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 04 / 03 / 2016 | 08 / 20 / 2016 | 5 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Toolik | 04 / 03 / 2016 | 08 / 20 / 2016 | 8 |
| 2016 | Russia - Cherskii | 06 / 26 / 2015 | 09 / 01 / 2016 | 10 |
| 2016 | Russia - Chokurdakh | 07 / 02 / 2016 | 07 / 28 / 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 09 / 01 / 2017 | 09 / 15 / 2017 | 4 |
| 2017 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 09 / 01 / 2017 | 09 / 15 / 2017 | 4 |
| 2017 | Alaska - Toolik | 06 / 20 / 2017 | 09 / 15 / 2017 | 6 |
| 2017 | Russia - Cherskii | 05 / 17 / 2017 | 07 / 19 / 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | Alaska - Coldfoot | 09 / 03 / 2018 | 09 / 04 / 2018 | 2 |
| 2018 | Alaska - Fairbanks | 06 / 28 / 2018 | 08 / 28 / 2018 | 5 |
| 2018 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 09 / 02 / 2018 | 09 / 03 / 2018 | 2 |
| 2018 | Alaska - Toolik | 07 / 09 / 2018 | 09 / 02 / 2018 | 2 |
| 2018 | Russia - Cherskii | 06 / 11 / 2018 | 06 / 29 / 2018 | 1 |
Project Title: Community Adaptations and Knowledge Sharing in Alaska and Siberia: Utilizing Indigenous Research Methods (Award# 1424042)
PI: Rasmus, Stacy M (smrasmus@alaska.edu)
Phone: (907) 474.7352
Institute/Department: U of Alaska, Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology/CANHR
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\ASSP
Program Manager: Dr. Colleen Strawhacker (colstraw@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Social and Human Sciences |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=14... |
| Data: http://www.uaf.edu/canhr/ |
Science Summary:
Colonialism and environmental change threaten the overall survival of Indigenous Arctic people. They must continually innovate and adopt new strategies for social persistence, adaptation and transformation. The goal of the Community Adaptation project is to discover indigenous patterns of adaptive and resilient responses to critical situations through an exchange of knowledge between members of two arctic communities in Alaska and Siberia. The project aims to: 1) develop and implement a fieldwork course and knowledge exchange with indigenous youth, community members and leaders from Alaska and Siberia; 2) conduct two fieldwork exchanges in Alaska and Siberia with indigenous community collaborators; 3) develop a comparative model of social resilience and community sustainability that describes how diverse communities in the Arctic are coping, adapting, and transforming as a result of changing social and environmental conditions; and 4) establish an innovative methodology for engaging arctic indigenous community members in collaborative research. The study will be the first to engage indigenous community members from Alaska and Siberia in a collaborative exchange and discovery process as part of a research design utilizing innovative indigenous research methodologies. The study adds a critical new perspective to resilience theory that takes into account the transformative capacity of indigenous peoples and communities. The project aims to impact the international indigenous and scientific communities by broadening the inclusion of underrepresented minorities in research, and more effectively engaging indigenous communities and peoples as part of research collaborations.
Logistics Summary:
This grant extends the collaboration between two indigenous scholars working in two different regions of the Arctic with two very different histories. The goals are to develop and implement an indigenous research methodologies in the arctic field course; conduct with two fieldwork exchanges in Siberia and Alaska to engage indigenous community members as co-researchers; develop a comparative model of social resilience that describe how local communities are coping, adapting and transforming in response to changing conditions; and establish best practices for Arctic indigenous community engagement in social sciences. Primary locations for the fieldwork exchanges are in southeast Alaska and far northeastern Russia, between two indigenous groups: the Yup’ik in Alaska and the Eveny in Siberia. There are three phases to the project. In phase one, the focus is on community planning and training in a 10-day field course held in Fairbanks, Alaska, and consisting of 10 Yup’ik community members and 10 Eveny community members along with the project researchers. Phase two involves the field work exchanges between Yup’ik and Eveny (four select participants from each community). Phase three involves the development of findings and products from the research exchange. Dr. Olga Ulturgasheva, at the University of Manchester, serves as a co-Principal Investigator through a subaward and will work collaboratively to carry out research across sites, manage data, conduct ethnographic fieldwork in Eveny and Yup’ik communities.
All logistics will be organized by the researcher and paid through the grant.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2015 | Alaska - Fairbanks | 08 / 15 / 2015 | 08 / 24 / 2015 | 21 |
| 2015 | Alaska - Hooper Bay | 08 / 10 / 2015 | 08 / 17 / 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Fairbanks | 06 / 28 / 2016 | 07 / 06 / 2016 | 2 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Hooper Bay | 08 / 01 / 2016 | 08 / 15 / 2016 | 7 |
| 2017 | Russia - Topolinyy | 03 / 15 / 2017 | 08 / 16 / 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | Alaska - Hooper Bay | 08 / 01 / 2018 | 08 / 01 / 2018 | 1 |
Project Title: Collaborative Research: AON: The Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (Arctic-GRO) (Award# 1602879)
PI: Shiklomanov, Alexander (alex.shiklomanov@unh.edu)
Phone: (603) 862.1234
Institute/Department: U of New Hampshire, Complex Systems Research Center
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\AON
Program Manager: Dr. Roberto Delgado (robdelga@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Geological Sciences\Biogeochemistry | Geological Sciences\Climate Change | Geological Sciences\Hydrology | Geological Sciences\Rivers |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| Project: http://www.arcticgreatrivers.org |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=16... |
| Data: https://arcticdata.io/ |
Science Summary:
Just like changes in blood chemistry can be used to diagnose an individual's health, so too can changes in river water chemistry be used to evaluate the condition of a river's watershed. In the Arctic, six massive rivers capture freshwater runoff from two-thirds of the land area that drains to the Arctic Ocean. The chemistry of this runoff reflects watershed characteristics (e.g. soil composition), and carries essential nutrients to the marine environment. The overarching scientific objective of the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (Arctic-GRO) is to make sustained observations of the chemistry of these six large rivers, which is vital for assessing changes on land that subsequently impact physical, chemical, and biological properties of the Arctic Ocean. The project involves partnerships with the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council, The Pilot Station Traditional Council, the Gwichya Gwich'in Renewable Resource Council, and with the University of Alaska at Kuskowkwin community college that serves the largely Yup’ik residents of the Yukon-Kuskowkwim Delta. . The six rivers included in the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory are the Yukon and Mackenzie in North American and the Ob, Yenisey, Lena, and Kolyma in Eurasia. The rivers will be sampled near their mouths, every two months for three years, using identical sample collection and preservation protocols. Approximately 40 parameters will be measured on all samples including dissolved and particulate organic carbon concentrations and isotopic compositions, concentrations of dissolved nutrients, major ions, and trace elements, and optical properties of dissolved organic matter, including UV absorbance and fluorescence excitation-emission matrices. For QA/QC purposes, every analysis will be conducted at a single laboratory. The resulting data, along with complementary data on river discharge, will be made available without restriction at the Arctic-GRO website (arcticgreatrivers.org) and through the NSF Arctic Data Center. Arctic-GRO data, which build on observatory records that extend back to 2003, provide valuable end-members for the oceanographic research community as well as for analyses of terrestrial landscape change.
Logistics Summary:
This collaboration between Holmes (1602615, LEAD, WHRC), Spencer, (1603149, FSU), McClelland (1602680, UTexas), and Shiklomanov (1602879, UNH) will continue the Arctic-GRO river sampling project (previously under 1107774) for 2017 through 2019. Logistic details under 1602615.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2017 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 |
Project Title: The Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring Network-CALM IV (2014-2018): Long-term Observations on the Climate-Active Layer-Permafrost System (Award# 1304555)
PI: Shiklomanov, Nikolay I (shiklom@gwu.edu )
Phone: (202) 994.3966
Institute/Department: George Washington University, Dept. of Geography
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\AON
Program Manager: Dr. Diane McKnight (dmcknigh@nsf.gov )
Discipline(s): | Cryosphere\Permafrost | Meteorology and Climate |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| Data: http://page21.org/ |
| Project: http://www.gwu.edu/~calm/ |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=13... |
| Data: http://www.permafrost.su/ |
Science Summary:
Global climate change is producing serious impacts on natural and human systems in permafrost regions. The Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) program is concerned, in the first instance, with observing the response of the active layer and near-surface permafrost to climate change at multi-decade time scales. CALM and its companion borehole temperature program, Thermal State of Permafrost, are closely coordinated international observation networks devoted to permafrost (together, they comprise the Global Terrestrial Network-Permafrost, or GTN-P). The present active-layer network of 260 sites represents the only coordinated and standardized program of observations designed to observe and detect decadal changes in the dynamics of seasonal thawing and freezing in high-latitude soils. Development of long-term records of active-layer thickness and dynamics, obtained using standard measurement protocols, is the essential rationale behind the CALM network. Local site conditions and seasonal variations in climate create complex interactions that determine the magnitude of seasonal soil thaw and the effects of biogeochemical processes. Long-term time series of thaw measurements at the same locations and across diverse terrain types and regions are required to identify scales of spatial variation, establish trends, and validate models. CALM continues to contribute to geocryological theory through its work on the transition layer, thaw subsidence in natural landscapes, and its incorporation of new technologies to the solution of permafrost problems. Theoretical advances, in turn, feed back into the program’s monitoring mission. CALM’s experimental observation programs have made fundamental discoveries achievable only in the context of long-term monitoring, including documentation of widespread thaw subsidence in natural landscapes. Subsidence monitoring forms an integral component of the CALM IV observation program. Although the CALM IV project is concerned only with observing stations located in the Arctic region, it is important to note that the larger CALM program is a global network incorporating observatories outside the Arctic Circle, including a rapidly developing Antarctic component (“CALM-South”). More than half of the sites in the CALM network are maintained and data reported on a voluntary basis.
Logistics Summary:
The Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) program continues work from NSF grant 1002119 and will concentrate on the response of the active layer and near-surface permafrost to climate change at multi-decadal time scales. CALM and its companion borehole temperature program, Thermal State of Permafrost, are closely coordinated international observation networks devoted to permafrost. The present active-layer network of 260 sites represents the only coordinated and standardized program of observations designed to observe and detect decadal changes in the dynamics of seasonal thawing and freezing in high-latitude soils. From 2014-2018, CALM IV will continue annual observations at a number of sites in Alaska and Russia. A number of them are supported by CPS and include Utqiagvik (Barrow), Atqasuk, Ivotuk area (4 sites), Toolik Lake area (8), Prudhoe Bay area (5), as well as Council and Kougarok on the Seward Peninsula, the Kolyma Lowlands (25), and in Lavrentia. Work at each site includes annual thaw depth, ground subsidence measurements and annual service of data loggers and instrumentation installed during CALM I, CALM II, and CALM III. In Barrow the work will be under way in mid- to late August by a field party consisting of 4 people (plus one UNAVCO support person in some years). In 2016, the team plans to also monitor seasonal thaw and ground subsidence progression during June-July. In the Toolik Lake and Prudhoe Bay areas, the work will be primarily done in mid- to late August with a field party of 5-6 people (plus one UNAVCO support person in some years). In 2016, the team plans to also monitor seasonal thaw and ground subsidence progression in June-July and measure snow depth in Utqiagvik (Barrow) in April. On the Seward Peninsula the work will be primarily done in late August-early September with a field party of 4. In the Cherskii and Lavrentiya areas, teams of up to two local research assistants will complete fieldwork July-September with annual Cherskii visits by a Moscow-based collaborator. In 2018, CALM IV will continue annual observations at a number of sites in Alaska and Russia and will complete its final year of field work under this grant. A number of these sites are supported by CPS and include Utqiagvik, Atqasuk, Ivotuk area (4 sites), Toolik Lake area (8), Prudhoe Bay area (5), Council and Kougarok on the Seward Peninsula, the Kolyma Lowlands (25 sites), and Lavrentiya. Work at each site includes annual thaw depth, ground subsidence measurements, and annual service of data loggers and instrumentation installed during CALM I, CALM II, and CALM III.
IAB will provide access to infrastructure and services at Toolik Field Station. CPS will provide Toolik user days; lodging at Prudhoe Bay, Utqiagvik, and Nome; vehicle rentals; air support (both fixed wing and helicopter); satellite phones and hand-held radios; and permitting support in Utqiagvik. In Russia, CPS will support user days, sampling support, and organization/implementation of sampling trips via contract with the Northeast Science Station (NESS) in Cherskii and the Chukotka Science Support Group (CSSG) in Chukotka. UNAVCO will provide technical equipment and services. All other logistics will be arranged and paid for by the PI, including field work at any other sites not supported by CPS and any required land use permits in the Toolik area.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2014 | Alaska - Atqasuk | 08 / 21 / 2014 | 08 / 21 / 2014 | 5 |
| 2014 | Alaska - Council | 08 / 26 / 2014 | 08 / 26 / 2014 | 4 |
| 2014 | Alaska - Ivotuk | 08 / 19 / 2014 | 08 / 19 / 2014 | 5 |
| 2014 | Alaska - Kougarok | 08 / 27 / 2014 | 08 / 27 / 2014 | 4 |
| 2014 | Alaska - Nome | 08 / 25 / 2014 | 08 / 28 / 2014 | 4 |
| 2014 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 08 / 07 / 2014 | 08 / 12 / 2014 | 4 |
| 2014 | Alaska - Toolik | 08 / 06 / 2014 | 08 / 17 / 2014 | 4 |
| 2014 | Alaska - Utqiaġvik (Barrow) | 08 / 17 / 2014 | 08 / 24 / 2014 | 5 |
| 2014 | Russia - Cherskii | 08 / 15 / 2014 | 09 / 15 / 2014 | 1 |
| 2014 | Russia - Chukotka | 07 / 06 / 2014 | 09 / 01 / 2014 | 2 |
| 2014 | Russia - Kolyma River | 08 / 15 / 2014 | 09 / 15 / 2014 | 1 |
| 2014 | Russia - Lavrentiya | 07 / 06 / 2014 | 09 / 01 / 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | Alaska - Manley Hot Springs | 08 / 07 / 2015 | 08 / 08 / 2015 | 4 |
| 2015 | Alaska - Nome | 08 / 28 / 2015 | 09 / 01 / 2015 | 4 |
| 2015 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 08 / 09 / 2015 | 08 / 20 / 2015 | 6 |
| 2015 | Alaska - Toolik | 08 / 08 / 2015 | 08 / 22 / 2015 | 6 |
| 2015 | Alaska - Utqiaġvik (Barrow) | 08 / 20 / 2015 | 08 / 28 / 2015 | 5 |
| 2015 | Russia - Cherskii | 08 / 01 / 2015 | 08 / 21 / 2015 | 1 |
| 2015 | Russia - Lavrentiya | 06 / 14 / 2015 | 09 / 28 / 2015 | 2 |
| 2015 | Russia - Lorino | 06 / 14 / 2015 | 09 / 28 / 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Eagle | 07 / 01 / 2016 | 08 / 07 / 2016 | 2 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Fairbanks | 07 / 01 / 2016 | 08 / 20 / 2016 | 4 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Mount Fairplay | 07 / 01 / 2016 | 08 / 07 / 2016 | 2 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Nome | 08 / 24 / 2016 | 09 / 02 / 2016 | 4 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 08 / 09 / 2016 | 08 / 13 / 2016 | 5 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Toolik | 07 / 01 / 2016 | 08 / 19 / 2016 | 5 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Utqiaġvik (Barrow) | 04 / 01 / 2016 | 08 / 23 / 2016 | 7 |
| 2016 | Russia - Cherskii | 08 / 25 / 2016 | 09 / 23 / 2016 | 1 |
| 2016 | Russia - Chukotka | 06 / 15 / 2016 | 09 / 15 / 2016 | 2 |
| 2016 | Russia - Lavrentiya | 06 / 15 / 2016 | 09 / 15 / 2016 | 3 |
| 2016 | Russia - Lorino | 06 / 15 / 2016 | 09 / 15 / 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | Alaska - Nome | 08 / 24 / 2017 | 08 / 30 / 2017 | 3 |
| 2017 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 08 / 09 / 2017 | 08 / 13 / 2017 | 6 |
| 2017 | Alaska - Toolik | 08 / 08 / 2017 | 08 / 20 / 2017 | 5 |
| 2017 | Alaska - Utqiaġvik (Barrow) | 08 / 19 / 2017 | 08 / 23 / 2017 | 4 |
| 2017 | Russia - Cherskii | 07 / 19 / 2017 | 08 / 16 / 2017 | 1 |
| 2017 | Russia - Chukotka | 07 / 15 / 2017 | 09 / 01 / 2017 | 2 |
| 2017 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Lavrentiya | 07 / 15 / 2017 | 09 / 01 / 2017 | 2 |
| 2017 | Russia - Lorino | 07 / 15 / 2017 | 09 / 01 / 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | Alaska - Fairbanks | 08 / 02 / 2018 | 08 / 04 / 2018 | 4 |
| 2018 | Alaska - Ivotuk | 08 / 15 / 2018 | 08 / 15 / 2018 | 4 |
| 2018 | Alaska - Nome | 08 / 23 / 2018 | 08 / 28 / 2018 | 4 |
| 2018 | Alaska - Prudhoe Bay | 08 / 06 / 2018 | 08 / 17 / 2018 | 4 |
| 2018 | Alaska - Toolik | 08 / 05 / 2018 | 08 / 16 / 2018 | 4 |
| 2018 | Alaska - Utqiaġvik (Barrow) | 08 / 18 / 2018 | 08 / 22 / 2018 | 5 |
| 2018 | Russia - Cherskii | 08 / 19 / 2018 | 09 / 10 / 2018 | 1 |
| 2018 | Russia - Chukotka | 08 / 01 / 2018 | 10 / 04 / 2018 | 2 |
| 2018 | Russia - Lavrentiya | 08 / 01 / 2018 | 10 / 04 / 2018 | 2 |
| 2018 | Russia - Lorino | 08 / 01 / 2018 | 10 / 04 / 2018 | 2 |
Project Title: Collaborative Research: AON: The Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (Arctic-GRO) (Award# 1603149)
PI: Spencer, Robert G (rgspencer@fsu.edu)
Phone: (530) 601.0623
Institute/Department: Florida State University, Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\AON
Program Manager: Dr. Roberto Delgado (robdelga@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Geological Sciences\Biogeochemistry | Geological Sciences\Climate Change | Geological Sciences\Hydrology | Geological Sciences\Rivers |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| Project: http://www.arcticgreatrivers.org |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=16... |
| Data: https://arcticdata.io/ |
Science Summary:
Just like changes in blood chemistry can be used to diagnose an individual's health, so too can changes in river water chemistry be used to evaluate the condition of a river's watershed. In the Arctic, six massive rivers capture freshwater runoff from two-thirds of the land area that drains to the Arctic Ocean. The chemistry of this runoff reflects watershed characteristics (e.g. soil composition), and carries essential nutrients to the marine environment. The overarching scientific objective of the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (Arctic-GRO) is to make sustained observations of the chemistry of these six large rivers, which is vital for assessing changes on land that subsequently impact physical, chemical, and biological properties of the Arctic Ocean. The project involves partnerships with the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council, The Pilot Station Traditional Council, the Gwichya Gwich'in Renewable Resource Council, and with the University of Alaska at Kuskowkwin community college that serves the largely Yup’ik residents of the Yukon-Kuskowkwim Delta. . The six rivers included in the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory are the Yukon and Mackenzie in North American and the Ob, Yenisey, Lena, and Kolyma in Eurasia. The rivers will be sampled near their mouths, every two months for three years, using identical sample collection and preservation protocols. Approximately 40 parameters will be measured on all samples including dissolved and particulate organic carbon concentrations and isotopic compositions, concentrations of dissolved nutrients, major ions, and trace elements, and optical properties of dissolved organic matter, including UV absorbance and fluorescence excitation-emission matrices. For QA/QC purposes, every analysis will be conducted at a single laboratory. The resulting data, along with complementary data on river discharge, will be made available without restriction at the Arctic-GRO website (arcticgreatrivers.org) and through the NSF Arctic Data Center. Arctic-GRO data, which build on observatory records that extend back to 2003, provide valuable end-members for the oceanographic research community as well as for analyses of terrestrial landscape change.
Logistics Summary:
This collaboration between Holmes (1602615, LEAD, WHRC), Spencer, (1603149, FSU), McClelland (1602680, UTexas), and Shiklomanov (1602879, UNH) will continue the Arctic-GRO river sampling project (previously under 1107774) for 2017 through 2019. Logistic details under 1602615.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2017 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Alaska - Pilot Station | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Canada - Mackenzie Delta | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Kolyma River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Lena River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Ob River | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Yenisey River | 0 |
Project Title: Food Security and Lactic Bacteria Use in Alaska and the Bering Strait Region (Award# 1418443)
PI: Yamin-Pasternak, Sveta (syamin@alaska.edu)
Phone: (907) 474.6758
Institute/Department: U of Alaska, Fairbanks, Department of Anthropology
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\ASSP
Program Manager: Dr. Colleen Strawhacker (colstraw@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Social and Human Sciences |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=14... |
Science Summary:
The foundation of this work is situated at the crossings of the community and researcher interests in studying the traditional methods of preparing and preserving subsistence products by means of aging and fermentation. Drawing on the insight of first-hand observations the PIs have outlined major areas of concern associated with the preparation of the culturally important aged food recipes in the Bering Strait communities of Alaska and Chukotka, Russia. Broadly, these concerns relate to the challenges posed by 1) contemporary built environments and 2) climatic change, which affect the outcome of fermentation and 3) the need to document and disseminate the investigative approaches implemented by local preparers, as they attempt to understand and adapt their culinary craft to the challenges of the ongoing social-environmental changes. Poor air circulation in interior domestic spaces, groundwater seepage into the permafrost storage cellars, and a range of sensory experiences of aged foods are among the interacting factors surrounding the practices of fermentation. The proposed investigation sets out to explore how the contemporary built environments and cultural values on both sides of the Bering Strait interact with changing climatic conditions to affect fermentation. In collaboration with experts in the participating communities in Chukotka and Alaska, the project team will attempt to develop a systemic framework for considering, as inclusively and comprehensively as possible, the perceived social and environmental changes to which people are striving to adapt as they modify, abandon, or continue to implement various fermentation techniques. The primary data collection will take place in the course of field research in the coastal communities of Enmelen, Sireniki, Novoe Chaplino, Lavrenitya, Lorino, and a reindeer herder camp in the vicinity of Lorino, Russia, and in the Alaskan communities of Gambell, Savoonga, Shishmaref, and Little Diomede. The timing of the researcher involvement in each locale will correspond to a specific set of activities in the cycle of preparing, distributing, and consuming foods made by the means of fermentation. Our data will be gathered primarily through qualitative ethnographic methods. The interpretive framework will be informed by diverse expertise in coastal-marine ecosystems, cold climate architecture, issues of health and environmental pollutants connected with Arctic cuisine, food anthropology, aesthetics, and local ecological knowledge - specialty areas represented by the PI team and project advisors.
Logistics Summary:
The PI will study traditional methods of preparing and preserving subsistence foods in the Bering Strait region of the Arctic by means of aging and fermentation. The investigation sets out to explore how the contemporary built environments and cultural values on both sides of the Bering Strait interact with changing climatic conditions to affect fermentation. During 2015 and 2016, a field team of 2-5 will conduct ethnographic fieldwork in Russia’s Chukotkan communities of Enmelen, Sireniki, Novoe Chaplino, Lavrentiya, and Lorino, and in a reindeer herder camp in the Lorino tundra. In Alaska, they will work in Little Diomede, Shishmaref, Savoonga, and Gambell. On average, the team will spend two weeks in each community. Field work in 2015 will follow this schedule: • Enmelen, Sireniki (timed with the season of consuming lengthily-fermented foods, aged over the course of six months or more) • Little Diomede, June (timed with the transition from whaling to walrus hunting and the first stages of processing the catch) • Shishmaref, May (timed with bearded seal processing and a set of activities known locally as “putting away black meat”) • Lavrentiya (and the nearby subsistence camp Nunyamo), Lorino (and the nearby subsistence camp Akkani), and a reindeer herder camp in the Lorino-Yanrakinnot tundra, July–August (timed with the intense processing of tundra greens, mushrooms, berries, and numerous fish and mammal products). Field work in 2016 is as follows: March - April 2016 • 2 Russian collaborators from the Northwest Public Health Research Center in St. Petersburg working in Chukotka (fieldwork in communities and lab analysis in Anadyr): Enmelen (5 days), Nunligran (5 days), Sireniki (5 days), Novoe Chaplino (5 days), Provideniya (7days), Anadyr (7days) Late May - June 2016: • 2 UAF researchers working Gambell (1 week) and Savoonga (1 week) • 1 UAF researchers working in Shishmaref (1 week) and Little Diomede (1 week) Late May – Early August 2016 • 1 UAF researcher working in Chukotka: Neshkan (30 days), Enurmino (15 days), Lorino – Akani (10 days), Lavrentiya (10 days), Provideniya (10 days), Anadyr (10 days) Late September-October, 2016: • 1 UAF researcher working in Shishmaref (1 week) and Little Diomede (1 week) Under NSF supplement #1650378, the project will return in 2017. Three researchers (including one new grad student) will visit numerous villages to interview elders and collect plant samples.Details of the field work are TBD.
In 2015 CPS will provide fixed wing charter from Nome to Provideniya, Russia; travel tickets to Alaskan communities; subcontract with the Chukotka Science Support Group (CSSG) for work in Chukotka, including but not limited to - travel tickets to communities, local staff support, transportation, and lodging. In 2016 CPS will provide a round trip commercial air ticket between Fairbanks and Anadyr, Russia; travel tickets to Alaskan communities; subcontract with the Chukotka Science Support Group (CSSG) for work in Chukotka, including but not limited to travel tickets to communities, local staff support, transportation, and lodging. In 2017 CPS will provide for Russia: travel, lodging, meals, interview/consulting fees, and guiding via an arrangement with Chukotka Science Support Group (CSSG), one roundtrip charter for two between Nome and Provideniya. All other logistics will be arranged and paid for by the PI from the research grant.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2015 | Alaska - Little Diomede Island | 06 / 01 / 2015 | 06 / 13 / 2015 | 4 |
| 2015 | Alaska - Shishmaref | 05 / 25 / 2015 | 05 / 31 / 2015 | 3 |
| 2015 | Russia - Enmelen | 07 / 26 / 2015 | 08 / 17 / 2015 | 2 |
| 2015 | Russia - Sireniki | 08 / 17 / 2015 | 08 / 26 / 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Gambell | 05 / 30 / 2016 | 06 / 15 / 2016 | 3 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Little Diomede Island | 09 / 30 / 2016 | 10 / 06 / 2016 | 1 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Savoonga | 05 / 30 / 2016 | 06 / 15 / 2016 | 3 |
| 2016 | Alaska - Shishmaref | 09 / 30 / 2016 | 10 / 06 / 2016 | 1 |
| 2016 | Russia - Anadyr | 05 / 19 / 2016 | 08 / 19 / 2016 | 1 |
| 2016 | Russia - Enmelen | 03 / 21 / 2016 | 04 / 08 / 2016 | 2 |
| 2016 | Russia - Enurmino | 05 / 19 / 2016 | 08 / 19 / 2016 | 1 |
| 2016 | Russia - Lavrentiya | 05 / 19 / 2016 | 08 / 19 / 2016 | 1 |
| 2016 | Russia - Lorino | 05 / 19 / 2016 | 08 / 19 / 2016 | 1 |
| 2016 | Russia - Neshkan | 05 / 19 / 2016 | 08 / 19 / 2016 | 1 |
| 2016 | Russia - Nunligran | 03 / 21 / 2016 | 04 / 08 / 2016 | 2 |
| 2016 | Russia - Provideniya | 03 / 21 / 2016 | 04 / 08 / 2016 | 2 |
| 2016 | Russia - Sireniki | 03 / 21 / 2016 | 04 / 08 / 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | Russia - Akani | 07 / 02 / 2017 | 08 / 08 / 2017 | 2 |
| 2017 | Russia - Enurmino | 07 / 01 / 2017 | 08 / 31 / 2017 | 1 |
| 2017 | Russia - Lavrentiya | 07 / 02 / 2017 | 08 / 08 / 2017 | 2 |
| 2017 | Russia - Lorino | 07 / 02 / 2017 | 08 / 08 / 2017 | 2 |
| 2017 | Russia - Neshkan | 07 / 01 / 2017 | 08 / 31 / 2017 | 1 |
| 2017 | Russia - Nunyamo | 07 / 02 / 2017 | 08 / 08 / 2017 | 2 |
| 2017 | Russia - Pinakul | 07 / 02 / 2017 | 08 / 08 / 2017 | 2 |
| 2017 | Russia - Provideniya | 07 / 02 / 2017 | 08 / 08 / 2017 | 2 |
Project Title: UAF participation in: C budget of ecosystems and cities and villages on permafrost in eastern Russian Arctic (COPERA) (Award# 1534766)
PI: Yoshikawa, Kenji (kyoshikawa@alaska.edu)
Phone: (907) 474.6090
Institute/Department: U of Alaska, Fairbanks, Water and Environmental Research Center
IPY Project?
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\ARCSS
Program Manager: Dr. Gregory Anderson (greander@nsf.gov )
Discipline(s): | Cryosphere\Permafrost |
| Project Web Site(s): |
| Blog: http://ine.uaf.edu/werc/projects/permafrost/ |
| Data: http://ine.uaf.edu/werc/projects/permafrost/ |
| Data: http://www.iarc.uaf.edu/data |
| NSF_Award_Info: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=15... |
| Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/TNPermafrost/about/?re... |
Science Summary:
This projects supports U.S. researchers participating in a project competitively selected by a 14-country initiative on global change research through the Belmont Forum. The Belmont Forum is a high level group of the world’s major and emerging funders of global environmental change research and international science councils. It aims to accelerate delivery of the international environmental research most urgently needed to remove critical barriers to sustainability by aligning and mobilizing international resources. Each partner country provides funding for their researchers within a consortium to alleviate the need for funds to cross international borders. This approach facilitates effective leveraging of national resources to support excellent research on topics of global relevance best tackled through a multinational approach, recognizing that global challenges need global solutions. Working together in this Collaborative Research Action, the partner agencies have provided support for research projects that utilize existing Arctic observing systems, datasets and models to evaluate key sustainability challenges and opportunities in the Arctic region, to innovate new sustainability science theory and approaches to these challenges and opportunities, and support decision-making towards a sustainable Arctic environment. The eastern Siberian ecosystem is established on the largest and deepest permafrost region in the world, where much of the earth’s carbon dioxide is sequestrated. This unique permafrost-based ecosystem is currently threatened by global warming. In addition to the direct effects of this warming, permafrost degradation may cause further change in vegetation and carbon budget and greenhouse gas emission that may then feedback to the climate system. In this vulnerable region, considerable economic and demographic change is taking place as populations within the cities of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) expand and increase their carbon emissions, while smaller settlements decline and struggle to afford heating fuel due to rising costs associated with the urban demands for energy. The environmental impacts of population and emission growth in this environmentally vulnerable region and the need for viable low carbon energy solutions for Arctic residents drive the COPERA project. The collaborative research team from the US, Russia, and Japan will establish a permafrost, hydrological, and meteorological observing network in cooperation with local communities to estimate CO2 sequestration by the permafrost ecosystem (tundra and taiga) and CO2 emission form cities and villages. In this study, the carbon budget (CO2 sequestration by ecosystem and CO2 emission through human activity) is estimated as a measure of two different points of view. One is a measure of impact on climate and environment, and the other is that of living cost because more fuel combustion means higher cost for energy. Both of these measures have impacts well beyond the local effects in the Sakha region. Data gathered during this project will be translated into publicly accessible materials and shared with local residents and government to inform municipal, regional, or Republic governmental committees and/or council meetings.
Logistics Summary:
This is a five year collaborative project between Russia, Japan, and United States through the Belmont Forum. It aims to integrate research, education, and outreach activities concerning permafrost and future sustainability of Arctic communities located on permafrost. The US portion of this project consists of installing boreholes into the permafrost near schools in Siberia (primarily Northern Sakha and Chukotka), Russia. The boreholes will be three to six meters in depth and approximately 50 will be installed each year (five years for a total of 250 boreholes) in undisturbed areas near the schools, and school children and other local community members would assist with regular monitoring and maintenance of the boreholes. Outreach activities such as town meetings and the creation of educational materials will occur throughout the project.
All logistics will be organized by the researcher and paid through the grant.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2016 | Russia - Belaya Gora | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Chokurdakh | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Deputatskiy | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Kazachie | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Khatassy | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Kustur | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Nizhny Bestyakh | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Petropavlovsk | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Pokrovsk | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Russkoe Uste | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Sinsk | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Suturuokha | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Tabaga | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Tiksi | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Ust-Maya | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Russia - Yakutsk | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Belaya Gora | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Chokurdakh | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Deputatskiy | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Kazachie | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Khatassy | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Kustur | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Nizhny Bestyakh | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Petropavlovsk | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Pokrovsk | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Russkoe Uste | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Sinsk | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Suturuokha | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Tabaga | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Tiksi | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Ust-Maya | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Russia - Yakutsk | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Belaya Gora | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Chokurdakh | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Deputatskiy | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Kazachie | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Khatassy | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Kustur | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Nizhny Bestyakh | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Petropavlovsk | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Pokrovsk | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Russkoe Uste | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Sinsk | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Suturuokha | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Tabaga | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Tiksi | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Ust-Maya | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Russia - Yakutsk | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Belaya Gora | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Chokurdakh | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Deputatskiy | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Kazachie | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Khatassy | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Kustur | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Nizhny Bestyakh | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Petropavlovsk | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Pokrovsk | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Russkoe Uste | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Sinsk | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Suturuokha | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Tabaga | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Tiksi | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Ust-Maya | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Russia - Yakutsk | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Belaya Gora | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Chokurdakh | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Deputatskiy | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Kazachie | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Khatassy | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Kustur | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Nizhny Bestyakh | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Petropavlovsk | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Pokrovsk | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Russkoe Uste | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Sinsk | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Suturuokha | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Tabaga | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Tiksi | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Ust-Maya | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Russia - Yakutsk | 1 |
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