Ice Mass Balance Buoys for the Arctic Observing Network: Observing and Understanding a Changing Arctic Sea Ice Cover

北冰洋的海冰覆盖率正在下降。海冰的面积在减少，冰层在变薄。观察和了解冰层的这种减少对于预测未来的冰层状况和制定应对这些变化的计划至关重要。该项目使用自主浮标来确定海冰的质量平衡。海冰物质平衡是一个简单的概念。它是指冰在冬天生长了多少，在夏天融化了多少；具体地说，是冰表面融化了多少，冰底融化了多少。这种分离使得能够确定大气和海洋的相对贡献。这些浮标将与其他测量大气和海洋状况的仪器一起部署在关键地点。浮标部署位置受建模研究和后勤机会的影响。冰质量平衡数据将用于深入了解当前海冰快速减少的驱动因素和北冰洋上层特征的变化，并改进海冰和气候模型。季节性冰质量平衡浮标基于SPAR型船体设计。它们被设计成安装在冰中，并在开阔的水域中稳定地直立漂浮。浮标上的传感器包提供了关于位置、气压、空气-雪-冰-上层海洋温度的垂直剖面、雪深、冰厚度、冰生长、表面融化、底部融化和海洋热通量的时间序列数据。该项目将每年采购和部署至少8个浮标；对来自这些浮标的数据进行处理和存档，以便所有用户都能完全、免费和立即获得；在浮标生产过程中安装新的传感器，并使这项不断改进的技术可用；继续在一个可公开访问的网站上公布质量平衡结果。冰块平衡浮标也将成为一项名为“领养浮标”的中学科学项目的核心内容。通过与学校的观察点合作，他们收集类似于安装在北极的浮标测量的数据，八年级学生将获得制定假设、访问、处理和分析数据以及向同龄人展示结果的第一手经验。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Arctic sea ice cover is in decline. The areal extent of sea ice is decreasing and the ice is getting thinner. Observing and understanding this ice loss is critical to predict future ice conditions and develop plans to respond to these changes. This project uses autonomous buoys to determine the mass balance of sea ice. The sea ice mass balance is a simple concept. It is how much the ice grows in winter and how much it melts in summer; specifically, how much it melts on the surface of the ice and how much on the bottom of the ice. This separation enables the relative contributions of the atmosphere and the ocean to be determined. These buoys will be deployed at key locations in partnership with other instruments measuring conditions in the atmosphere and ocean. Buoy deployment locations are influenced by modeling studies and by logistical opportunities. The ice mass balance data will be used to gain insights into the drivers of the current rapid sea ice decline and changes in the characteristics of the upper layers of the Arctic Ocean and to improve models of sea ice and climate.Seasonal ice mass balance buoys are based on a spar-type hull design. They are designed to be installed in the ice and to float stably upright in open water. The sensor package on the buoy provides time series data on position, barometric pressure, vertical profiles of air-snow-ice-upper ocean temperature, snow depth, ice thickness, ice growth, surface melt, bottom melt, and ocean heat flux. This project will procure and deploy a minimum of eight buoys per year; process and archive the data from these buoys to be fully, freely, and immediately accessible to all users; implement new sensors into the buoy production process and make this ever-improving technology available; and continue to post mass balance results on a publicly accessible website. The ice mass balance buoys will also be the centerpiece of a middle school science program called “Adopt-a-buoy.” By working with an observation site at the school, where they collect data similar to measurements by buoys installed in the Arctic, eighth-grade students will gain firsthand experience formulating hypotheses, accessing, processing and analyzing data, and presenting results to their peers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.