2021 Antarctic Subsea Cable Workshop: High-Speed Connectivity Needs to Advance US Antarctic Science

麦克默多车站目前的网络容量甚至不足以被视为“宽带”，夏季人口多达1000人，共享的连接相当于美国一个典型的三口之家所享受的连接。不断变化的南极冰盖和南大洋是大型、复杂的系统，需要尖端技术来进行尖端研究，遥感技术变得越来越有用，甚至有必要在足够的空间和时间尺度上监测变化。南极科学还经常涉及现有卫星通信基础设施目前无法满足的大量数据传输需求。这次研讨会将汇集来自南极科学学科的代表--从天文学到动物学--以及研究和教育网络专家，以探索通过大幅提高实时网络连接而实现的科学进步，并考虑海底电缆仪器的机会。本次研讨会将评估海底光缆对美国南极计划中高容量实时连接的重要性，该计划处于我们星球面临的一些与气候相关的最大挑战的前沿。讲习班将：(1)记录未得到满足或未得到满足的当前科学和后勤连通性需求；(2)探索未来计划研究的连通性需求，并注意到如果现代网络基础设施赋能研究的全部价值能够带给南极研究界，将可能取得的科学进展；以及(3)在规划作为科学观测站的全仪表化通信电缆方面发现科学机会。由于持续的新冠肺炎疫情，研讨会将在网上进行托管和在线直播。虽然讲习班将仅限于受邀人员，以促进协作工作环境，但将通过调查和对产出草案的评论寻求社区的广泛意见。研讨会总结文件和报告将提交给国家科学基金会。将美国南极的连通性提高数量级将对科学和物流产生革命性的影响，它很可能开启一个更容易获得、更高效和更可持续的南极科学新纪元。这一奖项反映了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。

Current networking capacity at McMurdo Station is insufficient to even be considered “broadband,” with a summer population of up to 1000 people sharing what is equivalent to the connection enjoyed by a typical family of three in the United States. The changing Antarctic ice sheets and Southern Ocean are large, complex systems that require cutting edge technology to do cutting edge research, with remote technology becoming increasingly useful and even necessary to monitor changes at sufficient spatial and temporal scales. Antarctic science also often involves large data-transfer needs not currently met by existing satellite communication infrastructure. This workshop will gather representatives from across Antarctic science disciplines—from astronomy to zoology—as well as research and education networking experts to explore the scientific advances that would be enabled through dramatically increased real-time network connectivity, and also consider opportunities for subsea cable instrumentation.This workshop will assess the importance of a subsea fiber optic cable for high-capacity real-time connectivity in the US Antarctic Program, which is at the forefront of some of the greatest climate-related challenges facing our planet. The workshop will: (1) document unmet or poorly met current scientific and logistic needs for connectivity; (2) explore connectivity needs for planned future research and note the scientific advances that would be possible if the full value of modern cyberinfrastructure-empowered research could be brought to the Antarctic research community; and (3) identify scientific opportunities in planning a fully instrumented communication cable as a scientific observatory. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the workshop will be hosted and streamed online. While the workshop will be limited to invited personnel in order to facilitate a collaborative working environment, broad community input will be sought via survey and via comment on draft outputs. A workshop summary document and report will be delivered to NSF. Increasing US Antarctic connectivity by orders of magnitude will be transformative for science and logistics, and it may well usher in a new era of Antarctic science that is more accessible, efficient and sustainable.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.