| NSF Org: |
OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 25, 2019 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 25, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1935309 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Roberto Delgado
robdelga@nsf.gov (703)292-2397 OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2019 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2021 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $49,961.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $49,961.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2145 N TANANA LOOP FAIRBANKS AK US 99775-0001 (907)474-7301 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
West Ridge Research Bldg 008 Fairbanks AK US 99775-7880 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | AON-Arctic Observing Network |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.078 |
ABSTRACT
Rapidly changing conditions in the Arctic have increased access to natural resources and maritime routes. Such increased access affects not only the natural environment, but also impacts the lives of Indigenous and local residents. Thawing permafrost and coastal erosion affect infrastructure, communities, and ecosystems. The enormity of the region exacerbates security and safety concerns created by lack of infrastructure, insufficient emergency response capabilities, and scarce monitoring. Evolving Arctic conditions also present significant challenges for scientists and policy makers, such as insufficient observations and monitoring to build more robust climate models. This project supports a conference in Fairbanks, Alaska, to scope the science drivers for the creation of a US High Arctic Research Center (HARC) located at or near Oliktok Point in Alaska. Intended outcomes of the conference include well-defined science questions to be answered by access to the Arctic that HARC would create, the potential role for the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies, and a list of stakeholders. This workshop will engage Arctic experts and knowledge holders to develop scientific justification for evaluating the potential establishment of another permanent research facility in the Arctic. The pursuit of a US High Arctic Research Center will formalize relationships and communication pathways among scientists, Arctic communities, industry, state and federal agencies, and international partners.
This workshop will engage Arctic domain science experts to articulate the research needs and scientific priorities for a permanent, year-round research station in the US High Arctic where restricted air space, coastal access, and existing infrastructure will improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of basic science and operations. Experts from disciplines across Earth sciences will be brought together to help define the science drivers and expand interdisciplinary collaborations to create broader impacts to basic research including better forecasting, enhanced modeling, and improved understanding of environmental change and its ramifications. The workshop will identify the key science missions and technical activities that would be essential to realize this proposition. While the increase in human interaction with the Arctic environment is primarily due to the increase in natural resource exploitation and the changing global climate, these activities also create cultural, development, and socioeconomic changes and opportunities. The pursuit and establishment of a multifaceted research, education, and outreach program, as will be developed through this project, may ensure that the knowledge gained by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and its HARC partners will be developed with, and transferred, to Arctic stakeholders.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Accomplishments
What are the major goals of the project?
The major goals of the U.S. High Arctic Research Center (HARC) workshop were to: 1) identify science requirements for the facility, and 2) identify key long-term measurements that would require a High Arctic facility in the U.S.
What was accomplished under these goals?
Major Activities
The workshop included a series of overview presentations on the morning of Day 1 followed by facilitated breakout sessions in the afternoon that continued on Day 2. Over forty participants discussed and debated the drivers in four key science areas:
- Atmosphere
- Arctic Ocean and Ice
- Terrestrial
- Observations and Technology
Workshop participants divided into four groups with each group attending four, one-hour facilitated session on Day 1 focused on scientific gaps and drivers in each of the key science areas identified above. Dedicated scribes recorded notes for each session and summaries of the discussions were produced at the conclusion of each session.
On Day 2, the four groups reconvened for a half-hour facilitated session that focused specifically on developing a list of science gaps, capability needs, and needs for instrumentation and technology for each key science area based on the previous day’s discussions. Following these sessions, workshop facilitators worked to synthesize and summarize the results to identify consensus needs. At the conclusion of the workshop, key science drivers and next steps were identified and discussed.
Specific Objectives
The workshop focused on specific ways the proposed facility might serve U.S. needs including scientific research, technology research and development, sustainable development, national security interests, and Arctic community support. Specifically, the breakout session attempted to identify:
- Capabilities and/or facilities required to serve different needs and opportunities.
- Critical capabilities and/or facilities required during a design phase of facility development to address current gaps and issues, as well as additional needs that could be handled during subsequent phases of development.
- Networks or organizations that should be involved in further evaluating/developing HARC opportunities for research.
- Best approach to compliment, coordinate, and leverage existing research, national security, and industry facilities and capabilities in the region.
- Lessons learned from other polar research facilities.
Significant Results
The US HARC science driver workshop concluded that there was ample evidence of a need for a High Arctic research facility to provide a platform from which scientists can address both observation and research gaps in the U.S. High Arctic.
The following key science drivers were identified:
- The Beaufort Sea has many gaps in observations and monitoring of terrestrial, atmospheric, and oceanic environments
- Impacts of (and on) human activities from changes in the U.S. Arctic are poorly understood, particularly along the North Slope of Alaska
- Higher resolution measurements are needed to support higher resolution modeling, and U.S. Arctic observations are most scarce in the High Arctic
- Many new technologies, including unmanned aerial systems and state-of-the-art sensors, are available to advance observations and operations for U.S. Arctic science and research
- Seasonal transitions, or shoulder seasons, are both logistically/observationally challenging and scientifically interesting
Additional Key Outcomes or Other Achievements
1) Restricted and warning air spaces at Oliktok Pont: The workshop attendees agreed to a strong recommendation for the Team to maintain operational availability for the special airspaces currently operated by Sandia National Laboratories for the DOE. There is concern that DOE may not keep the air space in place due to the move of the Oliktok Point ARM facility, and this was raised multiple times as a major concern.
2) Discussions in all four groups centered on the need for a year-round facility that supports collaboration among multiple communities involved in research, testing, demonstrations, exercises, and national security activities. The need for facilities was unanimous.
3) While fruitful to have the discussion of the science drivers with researchers, the workshop uncovered the need to conduct similar workshops with indigenous and local communities, national security agencies and DoD, potential industry partners, and other potential international and domestic partners.
Last Modified: 01/27/2022
Modified by: Nettie Labelle-Hamer
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