Collaborative Research: Sustained Observations of the North Pole Environment to Characterize Ongoing Arctic Change

该奖项支持继续开展北极环境观测站(NPEO)的航空水文调查，作为北极观测网络(AON)和北极环境变化研究(SEARCH)的一部分。在年度航空水文调查期间，将完成一系列任务：(1)将测量水柱中的电导率/盐度、温度、溶解氧和营养物质的剖面；(2)将提取水样并送回实验室进行各种示踪剂[盐度、钡、碱度、溶解氧、营养物质、O-18三角洲]的分析；(3)将为其他海洋观测项目部署各种冰基漂流仪器，包括冰块平衡浮标、冰系留剖面仪和大气压力浮标。NPEO的“智力价值”在于它成功地跟踪了自2000年以来空气-冰-海洋系统的变化，并获得了有助于回答以下问题的数据：“长期趋势和年代际变化的结合是否将北冰洋推向了新的季节性冰盖制度的边缘？”NPEO的“更广泛的影响”集中在促进其他研究人员的科学努力，以及教育公众关于北极环境变化的知识。NPEO通过提供科学数据，开发新的观测方法，并为其他北极研究人员提供业务现场支持，改善了科学基础设施。非营利组织继续利用北极提供的声望，为非正规教育和外联提供许多途径。NPEO维护一个网站，参加在西雅图太平洋科学中心举行的一年一度的极地科学周末的各种讲座和演示，并将在SACNAS(芝加哥人/拉丁裔和美洲原住民科学促进会)会议上赞助一个摊位，旨在扩大代表不足的群体在环境科学职业中的参与。

This award supports the continuation of the aerial hydrographic surveys component of the North Pole Environmental Observatory (NPEO) as part of the Arctic Observing Network (AON) and the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH). During the annual aerial hydrographic surveys a number of tasks will be completed: (1) conductivity/salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and nutrient profiles will be measured in the water column; (2) water samples will be retrieved and returned to the laboratory for analysis of a variety of tracers [salinity, Ba, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, delta O-18]; and (3) a variety of ice-based drifting instruments will be deployed for other AON projects, including ice mass balance buoys, ice-tethered profilers and atmospheric pressure buoys. The "Intellectual Merit" of NPEO rests on its foundation of successfully tracking change in the air-ice-ocean system since 2000, and obtaining data that will help to answer the question "have a combination of long-term trends and decadal variability driven the Arctic Ocean to the brink of a new seasonal ice regime?" The "Broader Impacts" of NPEO center on enabling the scientific efforts of other investigators, and educating the public about environmental change in the Arctic. NPEO improves the scientific infrastructure by providing scientific data, developing new observational methods, and providing operational field support to other Arctic researchers. NPEO continues to take advantage of the cachet that the North Pole provides for generating many avenues for informal education and outreach. NPEO maintains a Web site, participates in various talks and demonstrations at the annual Polar Science Weekend at Seattle's Pacific Science Center, and will sponsor a booth at the SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Latinos and Native Americans in Science) conference aimed at broadening participation of under-represented groups in careers in environmental science.