Earth Science Project Office
ICESCAPE Home Page
Impacts of Climate on the Eco-Systems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment (ICESCAPE) is a multi-year NASA shipborne project. The bulk of the research will take place in the Beaufort and Chukchi Sea’s in the summers of 2010 and 2011.
The Arctic sea ice cover is in decline. The retreat of the summer ice cover, a general thinning, and a transition to a younger, a more vulnerable ice pack have been well documented. Melt seasons are starting earlier and lasting longer. These changes can profoundly impact the physical, biological, and geochemical state of the Arctic Ocean region. Climate models project that changes in the ice cover may accelerate in the future, with a possible transition to ice free summers later this century. These changes are quite pronounced in the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea and have consequences for the Arctic Ocean ecosystem, potentially affecting everything from sea ice algae to polar bears.
The central science question of this program is, “What is the impact of climate change (natural and anthropogenic) on the biogeochemistry and ecology of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas?” While both of these regions are experiencing significant changes in the ice cover, their biogeochemical response will likely be quite different due to their distinct physical, chemical, and biological differences.
ICESCAPE will pursue the above central science question and associated issues through an interdisciplinary, cross cutting approach integrating field expeditions, modeling, and satellite remote sensing. Central to the success of this program is a quantitative and reliable determination of chemical and biological fluxes to and from open water, ice and snow surfaces, as a function of relevant environmental conditions such as the nature of the surfaces. This will be pursued in ways that couple remotely sensed information to that obtained via state-of-the-art chemical, physical and biological sensors located in water, on or under ice, and in the atmosphere. Assimilation and synthesis of data will benefit from coupled atmosphere, biology/ecology, ocean, and sea ice linked modeling.
ESPO News:
ICESCAPE NewsOIB Arctic Mar-May 2012
HS3 Aug-Sep 2012
OIB Antarctic, Oct-Nov 2011
HS3, Aug-Sep 2011
ATTREX Jan-Feb 2013
SEAC4RS Aug-Sep 2012
Seagrass Apr-May, Nov 2012 & Jan 2013
Aircraft: SIERRA
Location(s): Cedar Key, FL, Key West, FL and Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Science Goals: High Resolution Assessment of Carbon Dynamics in Seagrass and Coral Reef Biomes; Science objectives are to image sea grass and coral for understanding carbon dynamics in addition to improving methodologies for calibrating orbital imagery in the littoral zone.
ESPO Role/Lead: ESPO is providing logistic support - Quincy Allison and Marshal Chaidez
Aircraft: NASA WFF P-3, LaRC HU-25 Falcon
Location(s): Thule and Kangerlussuaq Greenland, Fairbanks AK
Science Goals: Ongoing investigation of the thinning and movement of Antarctic Sea and Land Ice. Data collected during IceBridge will help scientists bridge the gap in polar observations between NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) -- in orbit since 2003 -- and ICESat-2, planned for late 2015. ICESat stopped collecting science data in 2009, making IceBridge critical for ensuring a continuous series of observations. IceBridge will use airborne instruments to map Arctic and Antarctic areas once a year.
ESPO Role/Lead: ESPO providing Deployment Management - Kent Shiffer (DM), Jhony Zavaleta (Deputy DM).
Others: Jhony Zavaleta returned once again to Thule Greenland at the end of May to complete wrap up the mission details with the Thule Air Base operations.
Accomplishments this past month: Operation IceBridge is now complete. The LaRC falcon has completed all of its expected flight lines and has returned to Langley. The WFF P-3 has also completed an unprecedented Cryospheric campaign and returned to the US on May 25th.. Flying over 328 total hours including 252 science hours at an estimated distance of 82,815 nautical miles over the arctic and island of Greenland. All P-3 and Falcon flight reports can be viewed on the ESPO OIB web site at: Web Site
Aircraft: NASA DC-8, NSF G-V
Location(s): Punta Arenas, Chile
Science Goals: Ongoing investigation of the thinning and movement of Antarctic Sea and Land Ice. Data collected during IceBridge will help scientists bridge the gap in polar observations between NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) -- in orbit since 2003 -- and ICESat-2, planned for late 2015. ICESat stopped collecting science data in 2009, making IceBridge critical for ensuring a continuous series of observations. IceBridge will use airborne instruments to map Arctic and Antarctic areas once a year.
ESPO Role/Lead: ESPO providing Deployment Management - Kent Shiffer (DM), Jhony Zavaleta (Deputy DM).
Other details: This is the first time the NSF G-V has joined the OIB team and will fly the LVIS instrument at high altitude. (Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor).
Web Site
Aircraft: 2 Global Hawks (AV-1 and AV-6)
Location(s): WFF (Wallops)
Science Goals: To investigate the processes that underlie hurricane formation and intensity change in the Atlantic Ocean basin.
ESPO Role/Lead: ESPO providing Project Management - Marilyn Vasques (PM), Bernie Luna (Deputy PM)
Other details: This will be the first deployment of the GH to a remote location and the first use of its 2nd ground set. It will also be the first time NASA will fly 2 GHs on the same mission. Both GHs will not fly a storm at the same time but shortly after one returns to base, the other can take off. The Payload Mobile Operations Facility (PMOF) is expected to transit to WFF July 6. More info at HS3Web site
Current plan
Integration begins: July 1
GH 872 (AV-6) transits to WFF: Aug 29
Science flights begin Sept 1
GH 871 (AV-1) transits to WFF Sept 7
Science flight complete Oct 5
Accomplishments this past month: Science team telecon conducted May 23rd. Preparations for integration and deployment continue. Science, operations, safety and E/PO telecons continue and operations, safety and budget documentation is in work. During a flight of the ongoing KQX/DARPA tests, the Global Hawk flew within 40 feet of each other. Although this is not a requirement for HS3, it is a major milestone for KQX. After a few weeks of analysis, they will fly again and attempt to connect the aircraft for air-to-air refueling. The two GHs were to be turned over to HS3 June 30. HS3 just got a request to explain the impact of giving KQX 2 more weeks. The impact will be severe and the justification will be presented by HS3 June 12.
Aircraft: Global Hawk AV-6
Location(s): DFRC
Science Goals: Further investigate the water vapor physics and the chemistry of the tropical tropopause
ESPO Role/Lead: ESPO providing Project Management - Dave Jordan (PM), Jhony Zavaleta (Deputy PM).
Other details: Web Site
Aircraft: NASA ER-2, DC-8, NSF G-V
Location(s): Utapao Thailand
Science Goals: This scientific experiment will address key science questions regarding the influence of Asian emissions on clouds, climate, and air quality as well as fundamental satellite observability of the system. SEAC4RS will facilitate progress in understanding and improving predictive capability for changes in the ozone layer, climate forcing, and air quality associated with changes in atmospheric composition.
ESPO Role/Lead: ESPO providing Project Management - Kent Shiffer (PM), Jhony Zavaleta (Deputy PM).
Other details: Other aircraft may join the SEAC4RS team including the Royal Thai Rainmaking operation. SEAC4RS Web Site
Accomplishments this past month: The DC3 NSF/NASA mission, (preliminary mission to SEAC4RS) is currently deployed with the NASA DC-8 and NSF G-V aircraft in Salina KS. ESPO team members Kent Shiffer and Sue Tolley are planning to visit Thailand again to finalize deployment site particulars on June 16th. They will be joined by an ER-2 pilot and will review the facilities and provide a safety briefing to the airport.
