China's Arctic Expedition and Research

Yuansheng LiPolar Research Institute of China

2012.4.2327 Sep 2012, Helsinki

OutlineChinese National Arctic Research Expedition

(CHINARE) and IPY China ProgramThe fifth Chinese National Arctic Research

Expedition (CHINARE-5) A perspective on developments of Chinese

Arctic research

Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE) and IPY China Program

Organization for CHINARE

CHINARE (Chinese National Antarctic / Arctic Research Expedition) participated by research institutes and universities

PRIC / SOA (Polar Research Institute of China) provides logistic supports to CHINARE and hubs the polar research community

CAA @SOA (Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration) organizes the CHINARE and administrates polar affairs for the SOA

SOA (State Oceanic Administration) administrates over polar affairs with an advisory committee participated by 13 ministries/agencies of the central government

Length: 167 mMax. breadth: 22.6 mPower max. 13200 KWDisplacement: 21000 tMax. Speed: 17.9 nm/hIce-breaking: 1.5 nm/hPersonal berth: 120Lift capability: 100 t

Made in Ukraine in 1993 and renovated in China in 2007

Polar research vessel Xuelong Polar research vessel Xuelong Polar research vessel Xuelong Polar research vessel Xuelong

Yellow River Station founded at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard in 2004, Max for 18 summer and wintering

Research: Aurora & ionosphere, Marine biology, Glaciology, Meteorology, Geodesy, etc.

Antarctic Research StationsAntarctic Research Stations

Artic Research StationArtic Research Station Artic Research StationArtic Research Station

IPY China ProgramIPY China ProgramIPY China ProgramIPY China Program

The Prydz Bay, Amery Ice Shelf and Dome A Observatories （ PANDA ）

Arctic Change and its Tele-impact on Mid-latitudes （ ARCTIML ）

International Cooperation

Outreach, Education and Data Sharing

IPY China Program

ARCTIML:

Arctic Change and its Tele-impact on Mid-latitudes

AlaskaAlaska

Arctic OceanArctic Ocean

SiberiaSiberia

Observations of sea ice in the Arctic during CHINARE

IMB deployed in CHINARE-2010 EM sea ice thickness measurementsSAMS Ice thermistor Strings

Helicopter platform Ice station and camp platform

Xuelong platform

Observations of sea ice in the Arctic during CHINARE (cont.)

Radiation measurements of the lead

Spectral albedo of melt pond

spectral radiation reflectance and transmittance measurements Helicopter-mounted video

physical structures of snow and sea ice

Sea Ice Measurements

IMB moved east and finally drifted to the perennial ice zone north of Greenland Island, 94 longitudes west of the start, the maximum velocity of 27.3cm/s was found in mid-October.

IMB deployed in CHINARE-2008

150 oW

125 oW

100oW 75

o W

50o W

80 oN

82 oN

84 oN

86 oN

mm

Lom

onosov Ridge

Alpha Ridge

Makarov Basin

Canada Basin

Amerasian Basin Nansen

Basin

-4000 -3500 -3000 -2500 -2000 -1500 -1000 -500 0

Strat12 Oct. 2008

Greenland

Ellesmere Island

19 Jun. 2009

30 Apr.2009

23 Aug. 2008

1 Dec. 2008 11 Mar.

200920 Jan. 2009

End7 Jul.

Lincoln Sheft

bathymetry, m

The oceanic (equivalent latent) heat flux at the ice base could be related to those in surface-water temperature, those in ice drift speed and the bottom topography.

135 W

134 W

133 W

132 W

131 W

130 W

129 W

128 W

127 W

126 W

125 W

124 W

123 W

122 W

121 W

120 W

119 W

118 W

117 W

116 W

115 W

114 W

113 W

112 W

111 W

110 W

109 W

108 W

107 W

106 W

105 W

104 W

103 W

102 W

101 W

100 W

99 W

98 W

97 W

96 W

95 W

94 W

93 W

92 W

91 W

90 W

89 W 88 W 87 W 86 W 85 W 84 W 83 W 82 W 81 W 80 W 79 W 78 W 77 W 76 W 75 W 74 W 73

W 72 W 71

W 70

W 69 W 68

W 67

W

66 W

65 W

64 W

63 W

62 W

61 W

60 W

59 W

58 W

57 W

56 W

55 W

54 W

53 W

52 W

51 W

50 W

49 W

48 W

47 W

46 W

45 W

44 W

43 W

42 W

41 W

40 W

39 W

38 W

37 W

36 W

35 W

34 W

33 W

32 W

31

W

30

W

29

W

28

W

27

W

26

W

25

W

24

W

23

W

22

W

21

W

20

W

84 N

85

N

86 N

87

N

84 N

85 N

86 N

87 N

135 W

125 W

115

W

105 W

95 W 85

W 65

W

55

W 45

W

35 W

25

W

75 W

-3765-4665 -1065 -165-2865Bathymetry, m

-1965

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

18 Oct. 2008

27 Jun. 2009

Fw , W/m2

Heat fluxes within and under sea-ice cover in the high Arctic

Date

Dep

th /

cm

1 Otc. 2010 31 Otc. 2010 30 Nov. 2010 30 Dec. 2010 29 Jan. 2011 28 Feb. 2011 30 Mar. 2011 29 Apr. 2011 29 May. 2011 28 Jun. 2011-240

-210

-180

-150

-120

-90

-60

-30

0

30

18 May 2011

0o

180oW

Track of ATrack of BTrack of CTrack of D

GreenlandFram Strait

Lincoln Sea

Kara Sea

Barents Sea

Svalbard

Greenland Sea

Beaufort Sea

data collection of the ice-based buoys deployed during CHINARE-2010

During CHINARE-2010, we deployed 5 ice-based buoys, including 2 Thermistor Chains designed by Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) and 3 GPS buoys designed by MetOceanin the central Arctic, for monitoring the thermodynamic and kinematic processes of the Arctic sea ice.

Evolutions of sea-ice internal temperature from 17 Aug. 2010 to Jul. 2011

Trajectory of the ice-based buoys

Thermodynamics properties of the floe-lead system

The field measurements include surface air temperature above the floe, albedo of the lead, seawater temperatures in the lead and under the floe, the lateral and bottom mass balance of the floe.

The observation system for the thermodynamics properties of the floe-lead system

From then onward, the albedo of the thin ice-covered lead in band of 320~950nm was 0.46(±0.03), the vertical seawater-temperature gradient in the lead, as well as the seawater temperatures both in the lead and under the floe decreased gradually, while the oceanic heat under the ice was being at a low level.

Spectral (colorplot) and broadband (greenline) albedo of the thin ice-covered lead, and the wavelength with maximum albedo (blueline)

Mainly first year ice;

Obvious internal melting of

ice;

High T/low density/low salinity,

stratification

0

20

-20

-40

-60

-80

-100

-120

-140

-160

-180

cm

Water level

Granular ice

Transition layer

Columnar ice

Discontinuous interface

Station 3 Station 4 Station 5 Station 6 Station 7 Station 8 Ice camp

0 1 2 3 4

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

S = 2.7 0.8(Z>0.9)

Temperature C

S = 0.20.2(Z<0.2)

S = 3.75Z - 0.04(0.2<Z<0.9)

R2 = 0.55

P < 0.01

Salinity /PSU

-1.2 -0.8 -0.4 0.0 0.41.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0T = -1.19Z - 0.15

R2 = 0.79

P < 0.01

Nor

mal

ized

dep

th

0 100 6007008009001.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

= 866 68(Z<0.65)

= 240Z + 747(0<Z<0.65)

R2 = 0.49

P < 0.01

Density / (kg/m3)

Characteristics of Sea Ice in the High Arctic based on Ice Core

Reflection and transmission of irradiance by snow and sea ice in the high Arctic in summer of 2010

The snow melting has a greater effect on

transmission of irradiance than the ice

melting;For 1.6m ice with 2.5~8cm snow, ~65%

reflected, ~30% absorbed, <7% transmitted；The maintenance of ice melting is from the

oceanic heat flux (melt pond+lead, not sea ice)

Pacific Inflow and Mesoscale Eddy in the Western Arctic: Based on FESOM with regional focus

Global configuration

Regional focus on the shelfbreak of western

Arctic (Resolution is about 3km )

Integrated from 1994-2004, the first 3 years as a

spinup

Near-Surface Warm Core Eddy in the Summer

Mesoscale eddy has the ability to transport

warm water into Canada Basin

Snapshot of ocean current and

temprature at 50m （ Snapshot ， 30-9-1997）

Sea Ice-Ocean Interaction Process

The mushroom shape of the temperature field

(above figure) shows coherent eddy structure

just out of the Barrow Canyon, the warm water

comes from the Alaska Coastal Current (ACW).

Ice Concentration and velocity

Sea ice melting curve under

different temperature profile

Published in Science, 22 July 2010

Annual measurement of all stakes on both Austre Lovénbreen and Pedersenbreen since 2005 for ice flow rate by GPS

Automatic weather station

The monitoring and studies of glaciers in Svalbard

Based on long-term monitoring of mass balance, ice flow, borehole temperature, meteorology on glaciers Austre Lovénbreen and Pedersenbreen, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, following studies will be carried out: main characteristics in glaciology, energy and mass balance on glacial surface, glacier fluctuation and its relationship to climate changes, et al.

Biological Observations in Svalbard

Collect water sample by CTD

International projects

13-14 Re

Zhongshan StationZhongshan Station

Yellow River StationYellow River Station

Conjugate observation of dayside aurora

The fifth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE-5)

Deploying the large observing buoy in CHINARE-5t

Xuelong sailing throuth the Northeast passage

Xuelong visiting Iceland and taking scientific research in the Atlantic Arctic region

A perspective on developments of Chinese Arctic research

New icebreaker under design

• Displacement of 8000 tons, 20,000 nm endurance, self-sustaining for 60 days • Ice breaking capability of 1.5m sea ice plus 0.2m snow, at speed of 2 to 3 knots• Hydrographic, chemical , biological, geological and geophysical investigation

Polar environments monitoring

• Period:2012~2016

• Expeditons: Antarctic 5+Arctic 3

New Arctic Research StationsNew Arctic Research Stations

Joint Observatory of Aurorain Iceland

Polaris Climate Change Observatory Shanghai (PCCOS))

Summary• The IPY 2007-2008 has given China a great opportunity to explore

frontiers of polar science in cooperation with international partners.

• By launching a national program, China has achieved dimensional developments of polar linkage, especially, in understanding of the earth system and global climate change, in raising of public and governmental polar awareness and interests, in innovation of polar science, technology, and in promoting international cooperation.

• China will make bigger efforts to understand polar environmental changes and ecological evolution, to develop innovate polar engineering technologies, to explore unknown frontiers on the earth and in the deep universe, and to cultivate a harmonious culture to safeguard a sustainable planet.