Science
This science section is for scientists interested in the results and data available from the missions undertaken to date. It will be updated regularly.
Delivering scientific findings which are authoritative, independent and valuable to science is fundamental to Geo Mission’s work. This is why all science supported by Geo Mission is now subject to the full peer review process, from initial acceptance of the research project for support through to final publication with a journal. __________________________________________________________________________________________
Arctic Surveys 2012 – 2016
We invite expressions of interest for research programmes in the Canadian High Arctic region for 2012-2016. Please complete the application form and return no later than 17:00 GMT Friday 10 June 2011 to tim.cullingford@geomission.co.uk.
For more information contact Dr. Tim Cullingford, Science Manager, on +44 (0)203 1708090 or email tim.cullingford@geomission.co.uk. Visit www.catlinarcticsurvey.com to learn more about our previous research expeditions.
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Catlin Arctic Survey 2011
The field research component of the third Catlin Arctic Survey is now complete. Catlin Arctic Survey 2011 focused on the Arctic’s role in driving thermohaline circulation – powerful ocean currents that circulate warm and cold water around the world’s oceans.
While a number of processes drive thermohaline circulation, there are a few that are unique to the Arctic. Catlin Arctic Survey 2011 set out to uncover more information about this important ocean system. Participating scientists on the Survey have now returned to their home institutions to analyse the samples and data they retrieved.
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Catlin Arctic Survey 2010
Analysis is continuing to be undertaken on the samples and data retrieved from the Arctic Ocean by the 2010 Survey. Catlin Arctic Survey 2010 focused on what is widely considered to be the ‘other’ carbon problem beyond climate change, that of ocean acidification. The Survey undertook research into how greenhouse gases could affect the sea water and its marine life.
Once prepared scientific papers have been peer-reviewed, and then have been accepted as ‘in-press’ (i.e. ready for dissemination) by a scientific journal, they will be posted here. In the meantime, a summary of the research projects being undertaken and the associated data collected can be downloaded below.
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Catlin Arctic Survey 2009
The first Survey investigated the thickness of the Arctic Ocean’s sea ice with the objective of contributing to improved forecasting when the sea ice cover may no longer be a year-round surface feature. Read how the data collected was used here.
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Peer Review Process
‘Peer review’ is an internationally accepted process of review and critique of research quality by the scientific community. Science Programme Manager, Dr Tim Cullingford, runs this stringent assessment process for Geo Mission.
Modeled on criteria used by national research grant-awarding bodies, peer review ensures only high quality research of scientific and societal merit is undertaken.
For the first stage of the process, research proposals are sent for peer review – a process whereby relevant international experts are invited to assess and comment on the proposals. Following this, proposers are given the opportunity to modify, respond to, or reject the peer reviews. A ‘moderating’ Science Advisory Panel – comprised of experts in the relevant scientific area(s), assesses proposals, reviewers’ comments and proposers’ replies. This panel then ranks the proposals according to the strict criteria applied by national research grant-awarding bodies.
For Catlin Arctic Survey 2011, the ‘Arctic Science Advisory Panel’ endorsed the peer review process conducted by Geo Mission as being of comparable quality to that followed by UK research councils.
|
Researcher |
Institute/University |
Research Area of Interest |
| Prof. Peter Wadhams
|
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Polar Ocean Physics Group, University of Cambridge, UK | Expert in sea ice physics, data technologies and analyses |
| Dr. Nick Toberg
|
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Polar Ocean Physics Group, University of Cambridge, UK | Sea ice physics, data technologies and analyses |
| Dr. Christian Haas | University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Expert in sea ice physics, data technologies and analyses |
| Dr. Seymour Laxon | Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling, Department of Earth Sciences, University College, London, UK | Satellite remote sensing for sea ice |
| Dr. Ron Kwok | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Caltech/NASA), Pasadena, California, USA | Mass and energy balance of Arctic ice cover and role of sea ice in global climate. |
| Prof. Lisa Miller
|
Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
|
Climate geochemist, CO2 dynamics in ice-covered waters, ocean acidification, atmosphere to ice to ocean flux of CO2 |
| Dr. Glenn Cooper
|
Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
|
Ocean acidification, atmosphere to ice to ocean flux of CO2 |
| Dr. Bill Williams
|
Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
|
Shelf-break exchange and upwelling of nutrient-rich water in relation to Arctic change. |
| Dr. Oliver Wurl
|
Old Dominion University, Dept. Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Norfolk, Virginia, USA | Sea-surface microlayer and influence on CO2 flux from atmosphere in the Arctic Ocean |
| Keith Johnson
|
Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
|
Technical advice for Catlin Arctic Survey 2010 |
| Dr. Connie Lovejoy
|
Université Laval, Department de Biologie, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Québec City, Quebec, Canada | Arctic Microbiology |
| Dr. Robert Clement | School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK | CO2 flux measurements; remote sensing and data interpretation. |
| Prof. Jean-Pierre Gattuso | Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche, CNRS, University of Paris Pierre and Marie Curie 6, France | Response of marine organisms to ocean acidification. Carbon and carbonate cycling. |
| Dr. Steeve Comeau
|
Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche, CNRS, University of Paris Pierre and Marie Curie 6, France | Response of marine organisms to ocean acidification. Carbon and carbonate cycling. |
| Dr. Laura Edwards | University of Southampton, Southampton, UK | Carbon dioxide flux through sea ice - Remote sensing of the oceans and cryosphere |
| Dr. Nick Hardman-Mountford | Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK | Remote sensing of ecosystems, ocean biogeochemical mapping, pCO2 and carbonate system monitoring. |
| Dr. Helen Findlay
|
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK | Biological and physical contributions to carbon and nutrient cycling through and below sea-ice. |
| Dr. Jack Gilbert
|
Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, USA | Environmental Microbiologist |
| Dr. Ceri Lewis | College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter Hatherly Laboratories, Exeter, UK | Environmental biology of marine invertebrates and response to effects of carbon dioxide on the Arctic Ocean |
| Kristina Brown
|
University of British Columbia, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, British Columbia, Canada | CO2 dynamics, using tracers to track ocean currents. |
| Prof. Philippe Tortell
|
University of British Columbia, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, British Columbia, Canada | Biogeochemist: gas dynamics and biological productivity, cycling of climate-active gases (N2O, CH4, DMS) in seawater. |
| Prof. Roger Francois
|
University of British Columbia, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, British Columbia, Canada | Marine geochemist and Canada Research Chair in recognition of his expertise with carbon isotopes and marine fluxes. |
| Prof. Timothy N. Papakyriakou | University of Manitoba, Department of Environment and Geography, Winnipeg, Canada | Micrometeorologist, studying both heat and CO2 fluxes in polar marine environments. |
| Prof. Vadim Paka
|
Atlantic Branch of Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Kaliningrad, Russia | Diffusion and mixing at the vertical ice-water interface of Arctic sea ice meltwater. |
| Dr. Victoria Hill
|
Old Dominion University, Dept. Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Norfolk, Virginia, USA | CDOM in Arctic surface waters, implications for solar heating, thermal stratification and circulation. |
| Prof. Richard Zimmerman
|
Old Dominion University, Dept. Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Norfolk, Virginia, USA | CDOM in Arctic surface waters, implications for solar heating, thermal stratification and circulation. |
| David Ruble
|
Old Dominion University, Dept. Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Norfolk, Virginia, USA | CDOM in Arctic surface waters, implications for solar heating, thermal stratification and circulation. |
| Dr. Gregory Cutter
|
Old Dominion University, Dept. Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Norfolk, Virginia, USA | Sea-surface microlayer and influence on CO2 flux from atmosphere in the Arctic Ocean |
| Dr. Svein Vagle
|
Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
|
Sea-surface microlayer and influence on CO2 flux from atmosphere in the Arctic Ocean |
| Dr. Simon Boxall
|
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK | Diffusion and mixing at the vertical ice-water interface of Arctic sea ice meltwater. |
| Victoria Thorneton-Field | National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK | Diffusion and mixing at the vertical ice-water interface of Arctic sea ice meltwater. |
| Prof. Jinlun Zhang
|
Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA | Ice-ocean modeling of sea ice response to surface heat fluxes and sea ice growth/decay on thermohaline circulation. |