Future Science Opportunities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean (2011) / Chapter Skim
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Recent findings in the region have included enormous lakes and mountain ranges buried beneath ice and entire ecosystems of never-seen-before life forms. The rocks, sediments, and ice of Antarctica hold a trove of information about the past history of Earth's climate, continents, and life forms.
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activity; the committee's task was to identify and summarize the changes to important science conducted on Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean that will demand attention over the next two decades. The second activity is an NSF-organized Blue Ribbon Panel intended to assist in making strategic decisions to improve the logistical support of the U.S.
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The strong westerly winds that circle the Antarctic continent influence global atmospheric circulation. To improve projections of future changes in atmospheric circulation, enhanced observations and modeling capacity are needed to understand the role of the Antarctic ozone hole and the influence of global climate change.
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Changes in the ecosystems of the Antarctic region may be a harbinger of larger changes to come, and therefore monitoring Antarctic change could allow scientists to predict future ecosystem change elsewhere. What Role Has Antarctica Played in Changing the Planet in the Past?
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Physical and chemical analyses of cores drilled into the sediments at the bottom of the Southern Ocean can provide records of ocean temperatures, salinity, circulation, and biological productivity through time. Studying the composition of ice cores and the impurities and gases trapped in ice sheets has yielded information on past climate conditions and atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations.
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Organisms native to Antarctica have evolved characteristics that allow them to thrive in the region's harsh conditions. These adaptations include changes in body shape, cardiovascular control, and metabolism that allow organisms to avoid hypothermia or hypoxia (low oxygen levels)
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OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE RESEARCH IN ANTARCTICA AND THE SOUTHERN OCEAN The committee identified several opportunities to be leveraged to ensure a strong and efficient U.S. Antarctic Program into the future -- collaboration; energy, technology, and infrastructure; and education -- and identified two new initiatives -- expansion of an observing network with data integration and improvements in scientific modeling capabilities -- that are critical to achieving rapid and meaningful advances in science in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in the coming 10-20 years.
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Options to address this shortage include the purchase of any new polar class icebreaker by the United States either alone or in partnership with other countries and the leasing of icebreakers flagged by other countries. Based on the scientific research needs outlined in this report, the committee strongly supports the conclusion from previous reports that the United States should develop sufficient icebreaking capacity, either on a national or international basis.
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Based on previous examples such as the Arctic Observing Network and the proposed Pan-Antarctic Observation System, this initiative would provide the framework for intensive data collection, management, dissemination, and synthesis across projects and across disciplines; lay the foundation for many future Antarctic and Southern Ocean observations; utilize models to evaluate and plan the optimal locations for observations; and maximize the scientific output from the deployment of resource-intensive observing platforms. Any observing system would be incomplete without the simultaneous development of new models that can assimilate the observational data and provide sophisticated tools for data analysis and synthesis.
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Here, the committee suggests actions for the United States to achieve success for the next generation of Antarctic and Southern Ocean science. Lead the development of a large-scale, interdisciplinary observing network and support a new generation of robust Earth system models To record the ongoing changes in the Antarctic atmosphere, ice sheets, oceans, and ecosystems, scientists need observing systems that can collect the necessary data.
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public. Continue strong logistical support for Antarctic science Because conducting the far-reaching and innovative work recommended in this report will continue to require extensive logistical support, the committee encourages the NSF-led Blue Ribbon Panel to develop a plan to support Antarctic science in the next two decades with the following goals: 11
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CLOSING THOUGHTS Despite the challenges of working in the harsh environment of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, the region offers great insight into the changing planet and is an invaluable and unique platform for scientists to make new discoveries. Preserving the unique environment of the Antarctic region for new observations and experimental science requires a continued commitment to stewardship.
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Emperor penguins are the largest of all penguins, standing up to 42 inches (115 cm) tall and weighing 84 lb (38 kg)
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