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The Poles: Indicators of Global Climate Change New findings in polar research: understanding the
environmental health of our planet |
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Brussels 28 February 2003 Media briefing on board the Research Vessel "Polarstern" Bremerhaven, Germany, Friday 28 February, 2003 Key words: Polar research, Global Change, Climate change The polar environment and the world’s oceans are invaluable sources of information for climate research. Exploring these regions promises tremendous rewards in terms of understanding past climate … and making more accurate predictions of future changes. The oldest ice ever retrieved was recently extracted from a depth of more than 3.000 metres in Antarctica. What can it tell us about past and future climate conditions? Recent observations show a dramatic thinning of the Arctic ice cover. How is this linked to climate change? On the occasion of this one-day media briefing, European experts in the field of polar research will give exclusive insights into the retrieval and evaluation of nature's archives of climate history. The first scientific measurements about the composition of the atmosphere were made in the 1950s. As there are no available records before that, our only source of information is provided by polar ice-core analysis. EPICA is one of the "ice coring" projects to be presented in this media briefing. "Europe is at the forefront of international efforts in polar research. Poles are unique indicators of climate change processes and therefore polar research is a key element in our overall research effort on global change," says EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin. "There are some other "ice coring" research initiatives around the world, supported by the USA, Russia or Japan, but EPICA provides the oldest ice ever retrieved in Antarctica. These ice samples allow us to go further back in time and to better understand past climate, including the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Likewise the findings from AICSEX project showing dramatic changes in Arctic ice cover, possibly linked to climate change, may have major economic impacts, which need to be addressed at the international level." The focus of the media briefing will be the presentation of three outstanding European polar research projects on-board the Polarstern, before its departure the same day from Bremerhaven to an Arctic mission (see agenda of the meeting in Annex 1). The Polarstern, a double-hulled icebreaker, spends approximately 320 days in the Arctic or Antarctic each year and can operate at temperatures as low as - 50ºC. The three European projects are (see more information in Annex 2): The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) will describe how the oldest ice ever was retrieved. This ice was recovered at over 3.000 m depth, near bedrock, and is around 800,000 years old. Journalists will learn what this ice tells us about emissions of greenhouse gases, temperatures, atmospheric composition, pollution, precipitation and volcanic eruptions in the past. This project, which has been running since 1995, has received EU support of about €10 million. http://www.awi-bremerhaven.de/GPH/EPICA/index.html The Arctic Ice Cover Simulation Experiment (AICSEX) will demonstrate how data gathered in the Arctic regions are evaluated. Emphasis will be on the climate changes affecting the Arctic Sea ice cover and the possible consequences resulting from the present dramatic thinning of the ice. Expected developments during the coming decades, based on advanced climate models, will be presented. The Pole - Ocean - Pole (POP) project is analysing deep-sea sediments and ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica on a common time scale, to establish "cause-and-effect" relations in the climate system. This project will provide unique insights into the climatic changes across the globe.
For EPICA and POP projects Hans Brelen Telephone 32. 2. 2962129 For AICSEX project Ib Troen Telephone 32.2.2950465
Julia Acevedo Telephone: 32 2 2952043
Draft Agenda Chairman: Jürgen Rosenbaum (European Commission, Research DG, Head of Unit, Information and Communication) 10.00 Registration on board the research vessel "PolarStern"(Harbour of Bremerhaven- Lloyd Werft) 10.30 Welcome Address
11.00 - 11.20
11.20 – 11.50 Coffee break 11.50 - 12.10
(Cambridge University (UK) 12.10 – 12.30
(Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NO) 12.30 Questions 12.40 Buffet Lunch 14.00 Visit to the Polar Stern Research Vessel 15.30 End of the Media Event – Bus to Bremen Railway Station and Airport Annex 2: Short summaries of the selected projects AICSEX - Arctic Ice Cover Simulation Experiment The aim of the project is to compare the natural variability and trends during the last century for selected observed climate sensitive variables and coupled global/nested climate models, in order to assess the model capabilities for prediction of climate changes in the Arctic, Nordic and Baltic Seas. These objectives will be achieved through an integrated observational and modelling approach. The models predictions will be used to assess the risk for abrupt changes in the ice cover in the Arctic Ocean and Baltic Sea to assess the impact of a melting ice cover on the marine carbon uptake, deep water formation and thermohaline circulation in the Nordic Seas and North Atlantic. The economic impact of a melting Arctic ice cover will be assessed for fisheries, shipping, off-shore and hydro-electric energy industries through a dedicated industrial users reference group. The research consortium
EPICA – European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica EPICA is a long-term European deep ice-core drilling project in Antarctica to derive high-resolution records of climate and atmospheric composition through several glacial-interglacial cycles. To achieve EPICA's goals it is necessary to drill at two sites, both to achieve the required resolution on different timescales and an adequate continent wide perspective. On the one hand the project will focus on an ice core from Dome C, where core retrieval has already started during the first EPICA phases and will continue during the timeframe of this proposal. On the other hand deep drilling will start in Dronning Maud Land, where the pre-site survey has identified a suitable drill site and where we will specifically look for the signatures of the rapid climatic oscillations found in the Greenland icecore records. The research consortium
POP – Pole-Ocean-Pole: Global Stratigraphy for Millennial Climate Variability POP will generate the data to place abrupt climatic events recorded in deep-sea sediments and ice cores from Greenland and Antarctic on a common time scale. This will be precise enough to allow cause-and-effects to be established. Over the Ocean, the North Atlantic, the area of the Indian monsoon, the Subantarctic and the Ocean Deep Water masses will be covered. We will generate temperature, nutrient and chemical proxy records. In ice cares we will deal with records of both the ice and the contained atmospheric gases. The time resolution in both, the marine and ice cores will be better than 200 years and will cover about 350 thousand years. It uses modelling to optimise temporal correlation, develop a common time scale and evaluate the implications of results for climatic change. All data sets will be archived electronically. Findings will facilitate use of high-resolution palaeoclimatic records for understanding the climate system. The research consortium
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