Multiple AGU Fall Meeting Announcements
Office of Naval Research Arctic Research Program
Wednesday, 7 December 2011 at 5:00-6:00 p.m. PST
Arctic Community Meeting Room
San Francisco, CaliforniaA New Vision for Research Support in Interior Greenland
Thursday, 8 December 2011 at 6:30-8:00 p.m. PST
Arctic Community Meeting Room
San Francisco, California
- Office of Naval Research Arctic Research Program
Wednesday, 7 December 2011 at 5:00-6:00 p.m. PST
Arctic Community Meeting Room
San Francisco, California
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Arctic Research Program has reserved
the Arctic Community Meeting Room during the American Geophysical Union
(AGU) Fall Meeting on Wednesday, 7 December 2011 at 5:00-6:00 p.m. PST.
The Arctic Community Meeting Room is located a block away from Moscone
Center West, on the fourth floor of the San Francisco Marriott Marquis
in Pacific Room J.
During the meeting, Scott Harper and Martin Jeffries will be available
to discuss the new program, answer your questions, and listen to your
ideas.
For further information, please contact:
Martin Jeffries
Email: martin.jeffries [at] navy.mil
- A New Vision for Research Support in Interior Greenland
Thursday, 8 December 2011 at 6:30-8:00 p.m. PST
Arctic Community Meeting Room
San Francisco, California
Organizers announce that a meeting on A New Vision for Research Support
in Interior Greenland will be held in the Arctic Community Meeting Room
during the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San
Francisco, California. It is scheduled for Thursday, 8 December 2011 at
6:30-8:00 p.m. PST. The meeting room is located in the San Francisco
Marriott Marquis, Pacific Room J.
Recent investments by NSF's Office of Polar Programs (OPP) Arctic
Research Support and Logistics (ARSL) have recreated capability to
support research high on the Greenland ice sheet using overland
traverses in addition to aircraft. To date the Greenland Inland Traverse
(GrIT) has been in development, but has successfully completed two round
trips from Thule to Summit, delivering significant quantities of fuel to
both NEEM and Summit in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Plans are being
developed to expand capacity and capability of GrIT. One motivating
factor for expanding GrIT is to facilitate the demobilization of NEEM
and redevelopment of Summit, but it is also exciting to point out that
an operational GrIT ushers in expanded opportunities to support a range
of research projects literally anywhere on the central portion of the
ice sheet.
The concept for operational GrIT envisions a "split fleet" with one part
shuttling material from Thule through the marginal zone during a brief
springtime window each year, while the other part of the fleet
transports material from the inland side of the margin to wherever it is
needed. The inland part of the fleet should be able to operate
throughout summer, or maybe even longer.
The inland fleet will need a logistical hub on the ice sheet, for
maintenance and over-wintering. The location of this hub may be
permanent, or it could move frequently, but it will not be at Summit.
The hub could be a base for summertime science projects, and possible
year round access to the hub is being considered.
The inland logistic hub for GrIT is expected to also serve as the home
base for flexible 'Mobile Camps' that will be available for deployment
where needed to support future science. Design of these camps is in very
early stages.
OPP and CPS are seeking input from the community doing, or
contemplating, research on the Greenland ice sheet. Thoughts on possible
locations for an interior logistics hub are welcome. Comments on the
types of support and facilities that should be incorporated into Mobile
Camps will be particularly useful. Meeting organizers will solicit
responses to the following questions:
- How large would a field team have to be for your science
requirements?
- Would you plan to make measurements along a traverse route, or
would your work be focused on a certain region around a deployed
Mobile Camp?
- For survey types of research, would you work only while
vehicles/sleds were in transit, or would you need frequent stops for
a few hours or days?
- If your research is mainly stationary, would you need a camp for a
few days/weeks, most of a summer season, or multiple summers at a
single location?
Organizers expect that nearly every investigator or research team will
have different responses to these types of questions. All interested
researchers are invited to join the meeting to make sure your needs and
views are known as the discussion and planning move forward.
For further information, please contact:
Robert Hawley
Email: Robert.L.Hawley [at] dartmouth.edu