The Beaufort Gyre System: Flywheel of the Arctic Climate?

该项目探讨了这样一种假设，即波弗特环流(BG)系统(海洋、海冰和大气)的状态和变异性是北极气候健康的自然指标。这项建议的主要目标是了解BG系统的结构、其调节机制以及对北极气候的影响。项目组打算根据特别设计的观测方案、改进的模拟研究以及对改进和重建的历史数据集的分析，在2003-2008年期间调查该系统的大气、冰冻圈和海洋组成部分的组成和变化，从而实现这一目标。该项目将使用几种主要方法来探索BG系统：现场观测、卫星遥感技术、示踪分析方法、数值建模、历史数据挖掘和重建程序以及统计分析工具。将采用新技术：系泊剖面仪仪器、能够测绘冰盖区域海冰厚度和海面高度的卫星技术，以及易于部署的能够返回每日高垂直分辨率上层海洋温度和盐度测量的冰系带剖面仪。该项目广泛依赖于与其他NSF项目和加拿大合作者的合作，与俄罗斯科学家的分包，以及从我们的美国和来自德国和英国的国际合作者免费获得其他产品。

This project explores the hypothesis that the state and variability of the Beaufort Gyre (BG) system (ocean, sea ice and atmosphere) are natural indicators of Arctic climate health. The major goal of this proposal is to understand the structure of the BG system, its regulating mechanisms, and impact on Arctic climate. The project team intend to accomplish this by investigating the composition and variability during the period 2003 - 2008 of the atmospheric, cryospheric and oceanic components of this system based on a specially designed observational program, improved modeling studies, and analyses of improved and reconstructed historical data sets. The project will use several major methods to explore the BG system: in situ observations, satellite remote sensing technology, methods of tracer analyses, numerical modeling, historical data mining and reconstruction procedures, and statistical analyses tools. New technologies will be applied; moored profiler instrumentation, satellite techniques allowing mapping of sea ice thickness and sea surface heights in the ice covered regions, and an easily-deployed Ice-Tethered Profiler (ITP) capable of returning daily high-vertical-resolution measurements of upper ocean temperature and salinity. This project relies extensively on working with other NSF projects, and Canadian collaborators, subcontracting with Russian scientists, and freely obtaining other products from our USA and international collaborators from Germany and UK.