Synoptic Arctic Survey

SAS has a session on ASSW2021. Submit abstracts through the ASSW21 website https://assw2021.pt/

The new deadline is Dec 10, 2020.

ASSW21 Theme: Observing the Arctic

Session ID: 17 – The Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) Activities

Abstract

The Central Arctic Ocean remains profoundly understudied, particularly carbon cycling, ecosystem alteration, and associated changes in atmosphere, ice and ocean physics that influence those biological and biogeochemical systems. The region is expected to continue to make marked changes over the next decades, driven by ongoing climate warming, yet our understanding of key process is limited for this area. The international Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) seeks to quantify the present states of the physical, biological, and biogeochemical systems of the Arctic Ocean. Multiple countries have both confirmed and pending cruises as part of the 2020/2021 SAS networked activities. Key goals of the SAS are to establish the present state of the Arctic system, to document temporal changes where possible through comparison with historical data, and to quantify linkages between the adjacent shelves, slopes, and deep basins, objectives that are shared with the broader Pan-Arctic effort of the composite SAS. The SAS consists of regional shelf-to-basin ship-based surveys in 2020 and 2021 to obtain a Pan-Arctic understanding of essential ocean variables (EOVs) on a quasi-synoptic, spatially distributed basis in which no single nation bears the full burden of collecting the requisite data. The multi-country field effort will provide a strong basis for educational opportunities for early career scientists. This SAS session will outline the benchmark and important legacy for SAS activities to future, quasi-decadal assessments of rapid and evolving Arctic Ocean system change. Updates on the 2020 SAS field program results and upcoming national plans for 2021 activities will be provided during the session.

Key-words

Central Arctic Ocean, Pan-Arctic, ecosystem, climate change

Conveners

Jacqueline M. Grebmeier | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Solomons, Maryland, USA
Oyvind Paasche | Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research and NORCE Climate, Bergen, Norway
Christina Goethel | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Solomons, Maryland, USA

Thanks to our three speakers and to everyone who attended the Webinar! Watch it above.

The Synotic Arctic Survey (SAS) is still going strong despite the situation with Covid-19. On this occasion, we would like to bring you up to speed on the status of the Arctic Ocean and of SAS and hereby invite you to join the Synoptic Arctic Survey’s fall Webinar “A New Arctic Emerging” on September 2, 15:00 – 17:00 (UTC +2).

This Webinar will address the Arctic Ocean in response to present and future climate change with focus on marine physical, biogeochemical, and ecological processes, and emphasizes the underlying question behind SAS’s science plan: What are the present state and major ongoing transformations of the Arctic marine system?

There will be three solicited talks with room for questions and discussions:

1. Andrey Proshutinsky (WHOI) – Freshwater in the Beaufort Gyre; accumulation, release processes, and their influence on Arctic circulation and climate.

2. Ryan Woosley (MiT) – Freshening of the western Arctic and the impacts on anthropogenic carbon uptake potential.

3. Marit Reigstad (UiT) – Understanding the driving mechanisms and potential fate of increased primary production in the Arctic.

The Webinar will take place in GoToMeeting, and moderated by Øyvind Paasche, the Chair of SAS’ Scientific Steering Committee.

If you are interested in joining, please email Anne Kari Meisingset at anne.meisingset(@)uib.no to get the meeting ID.

Hope to see you there!

On the 11th of June, a virtual SSC meeting was held. It dealt with updates from planned SAS expeditions, the construction of a new SAS data portal, as well as upcoming meetings and webinars suchs as the Arctic Science Ministerial Meeting and next year’s Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW). A brief summary of relevant updates are provided in the following. 

Despite the COVID-19 situation many of the SAS cruises are still going as planned in 2020, whereas others are postponed until 2021 or even 2022. The cruises going as planned in 2020 include the Korean and Japanese cruises in the Pacific Central Arctic Ocean from August 8 to September 4 (Korea) and from 13 October to 22 October (Japan), and the Norwegian/Russian contribution in the Barents Sea in August/September, the Canada/USA/EU cruise in Davis Strait from August 22 to September 17, and the Canada/USA/Japan cruise in the Beaufort Gyre from September 14 to to October 3. 

SSC was also informed about two potentially new SAS cruises planned for 2021 which we were delighted to learn about. Karen Edelvang presented the Danish contribution “Polar DREAM 2021 – From glacier to glacier”, a survey consisting of three ships that will take measurements at 1) the glacier front and shelf break on the south-eastern parts of Greenland, 2) the glacier front and shelf break in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, and 3) across Fram Strait. 

Vito Vitale gave a presentation on the tentative plans for the Italian 2021 summer expedition with the newly acquired icebreaker Laura Bassi. This expedition can potentially contribute with physical, biological, atmospheric, and geological/geophysical measurements outside the west coast of Svalbard which will be most valuable to SAS and the international community. 

Details on these cruises in addition to plans for all SAS expeditions can be found in the cruise matrix from the “Expeditions” tab. This table has updated information on all cruises in collaboration with SAS.