Akademik Fedorov”
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NABOS 2013 Arctic Expedition aboard RV “Akademik Fedorov” August 21 – September 22, 2013 Expedition Organizers: International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, St.Petersburg, Russia Summer School Organizers: International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics RAS, Moscow, Russia Expedition is funded/supported by: National Science Foundation of the USA Japan Agency for Marine Science and Technology Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environment Protection Summer school is funded/supported by: National Science Foundation of the USA Russian Academy of Sciences Russian Foundation for Basic Research Content Page 1. Introduction (V. Ivanov) ……………………………… 4 2. Cruise itinerary (V. Ivanov) ……………………………… 4 3. Meteorological and ice conditions (I. Repina, A. Masanov, ……………………………… 6 V. Ivanov) 4. Description of observations ……………………………… 8 4.1 Moorings deployment (I. Wadington, R. Rember, V. ……………………………… 9 Ivanov) 4.2 Other devices deployment (J. Kemp, R. Rember, ……………………………… 11 V.Ivanov) 4.3 Hydrographic (CTD/LADCP/XCTD/XBT) measurements ……………………………… 13 (S. Kirillov, V. Ivanov) 4.4 Hydrochemical sampling and measurements ……………………………… 14 4.4.1 Sampling Rationale and Proposed Work for ……………………………… 14 Hydrochemical Observations (R. Rember) 4.4.2. Dissolved oxygen, nitrate, barium and stable oxygen ……………………………… 15 isotopes (M. Alkire, R. Rember) 4.4.3. Nutrients and Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (T. ……………………………… 18 Whitledge, J. Mathis, P. Rivera) 4.4.4. Chlorophyll and Fluorescence Measurements (D. ……………………………… 19 Stockwell) 4.4.5. Carbon and nitrogen productions of phytoplankton (J. ……………………………… 19 H. Lee, H.W. Lee) 4.4.6. NO3- N and O isotopes (J. Granger, L. Treibergs) ……………………………… 21 4.4.7. Silicate and methane measurements (E.Vinogradova, A. ……………………………… 21 Nikulina) 4.4.8. Water sampling for DOC/POC, n-alkanes and mass ……………………………… 25 concentrations of particulate matter (A. Drozdova, M. Ponyaev) 4.4.9. Water sampling for carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus ……………………………… 26 (K. Artamonova, I.Gangnus) 4.5. Air-sea interaction (I. Repina, L. Yurganov, K. Komatsu) ……………………………… 27 5. Summer School aboard “Akademik Fedorov” (V. Alexeev, ……………………………… 35 I. Rrpina) 6. Summary (V. Ivanov) ……………………………… 37 1. Introduction The 2013 research cruise in the Arctic Ocean aboard icebreaker Akademik Fedorov was the 9th annual expedition under the aegis of NABOS (=Nansen Amundsen Basin Observations System) conducted by International Arctic Research Center (IARC) University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA in partnership with Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) St.Petersburg Russia. The main goal of the NABOS project is to provide quantitative assessment of circulation and water mass transformation along the principal pathways transporting water from the Nordic Seas to the Arctic Basin. Specific feature of this cruise was that it took place under conditions of substantially reduced summer ice cover over the major part of the Arctic Ocean. Reduced sea ice causes changes in the water column and in the overlying atmosphere. Documenting of these changes was the main target of the NABOS 2013 cruise. The scope of this goal and the opportunities of extended scientific research in the Arctic, provided during NABOS expeditions, encouraged scientific institutions from the USA, Europe and Asia to raise funds, contribute to the cruise program and to send their personnel to the expedition, thus giving it a true multidisciplinary status. The information collected during the cruise is unique and very valid for understanding of the Arctic climate change. Important outreach component of the cruise was the Summer School, which provided an excellent opportunity for graduate students, PhD students and early career scientists from US, Europe and Russia to learn about the climate change in the Arctic and to participate in field experiments onboard. This report informs about the cruise route, schedule, meteorological and ice conditions and briefly describes observations, carried out during the 2013 NABOS cruise and Summer School activities. 2. Cruise itinerary Icebreaker Akademik Fedorov left Kirkenes, Norway at 8 a.m. local time on August 21, 2013 after loading/mounting the equipment and embarkation of the expedition team. The research area included Eurasian continental margin from St. Anna Trough to the East Siberian Sea (Fig. 1). Operation area partly overlapped with the Russian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). On August 23, 2013 the vessel arrived at the first CTD station at the eastern flank of St. Anna Trough. The glider (underwater autonomous vehicle) was launched and test CTD cast was carried out. During the next two days the ship was steaming towards the main mooring line in the Laptev Sea. The route was planned along the pack ice edge without entering the consolidated pack in order to save time. Five CTD casts were fulfilled en route about 80 miles apart. On August 26 in the morning the first mooring was deployed on the Laptev Sea shelf. The second mooring was deployed on the same day in the evening. No ice was present at both mooring sites. During the next 2.5 days the CTD line along 126ºE was accomplished and two more moorings were deployed at the northern end of this line. These two deployments were carried out in the ice covered area with total ice concentration 60-80%. On August, 29 the ship turned to the east and started steaming to the northern end of the second mooring line. Three CTD casts were done within the next 2 days before the ship entered consolidated heavy ice pack. The speed dropped to 2-3 knots and the ship had to move back and force in order to make its route. On August 30 it was decided to get out of the ice massif using the shortest way and to steam towards the southern end of the second mooring line along the ice edge in the open water. CTD casts at the second mooring line started on August 31 early in the morning. The mooring at this line was deployed on the same day in the evening. On September, 1 the ship reached the ice edge in the south and started steaming towards the easternmost mooring line, doing CTD casts en route. At about 153 ºE the ship was stuck in the heavy consolidated pack ice with the thickness up to 2 m. Compression of ice additionally impeded further motion. The easternmost mooring line appeared to be in the area with heavy ice conditions, the ship could not operate successfully. Basing on this information the decision was taken to cancel recovery and redeployment of the easternmost mooring and to update the operational cruise plan accordingly. Fig.1 NABOS 2013 cruise map On September, 4 the ship turned back towards the southern end of the second mooring line at 144ºE and started the CTD line towards the south end of the first mooring line, thus enclosing the CTD polygon, containing cross-slope sections at 126 and 142ºE. This section was accomplished on September, 6 early in the morning. The same day two remaining moorings scheduled for the first mooring line, were deployed. During triangulation of the M14 mooring it appeared that the upper flotation did not submerge, pointing out that the bottom depth in the deployment point was less than it was supposed to be. On the next day M14 mooring was recovered and redeployed at the correct depth. On September, 8 the ship got out of the ice massif and started the first additional CTD section, crossing the Laptev Sea slope at 110ºE. Late in the evening on September, 10 this CTD line was interrupted at the middle slope by stormy conditions: strong wind (over 18 m/s) and high waves (over 3 m), which made the rosetta launch unsafe. The decision was taken to shut down further sampling at this section. The ship sheltered in the marginal ice zone at the northern end of the second additional section (105ºE). This section was finalized at Severnaya Zemlya shelf on September, 13. The same day the third additional cross-slope transect was done at 95ºE with the starting point at the traverse of cape Arkticheskiy. The mooring, which remained due to not getting to the easternmost mooring line, was deployed at 2700 depth at this mooring line on September 14. The same day the ship turned towards the northernmost scheduled point at 90ºE, 85ºN. Due to presence of heavy pack ice at this point, the CTD line was started at 84º30‟N. Stormy conditions interrupted this line in the evening of September, 16 when the ship was close to the last mooring deployment point. On September, 17 in the morning the state of the sea reasonably calmed down and the deployment of the mooring was done. The same day in the evening the section along 90ºE was resumed. Stormy conditions prevented rosetta launch at the upper slope points. The ship continued slowly moving towards the shelf and remaining sampling points were casted with expendable devices (XCTD and XBT). On September, 18 the ship moved to the position of the final CTD section across St. Anna Trough. This section was accomplished by the morning of September, 19. At noon of September, 19 the ship started steaming towards Kirkrenes, where she safely arrived at 18:00 on September 22. 3. Meteorological and ice conditions Weather conditions during the cruise were rather variable. The air temperature was about zero degrees on the average (Fig. 2). However, in the eastern part of operational area the temperature was about -5-7ºC. The surface water temperature was well above freezing point in the open water and near the freezing point under the ice. High humidity in the MIZ caused fast icing of meteorological instruments, thus biasing the measurements of sea-air interaction. 10 T air mean 8 Tair max 6 Tair min 4 2 C 0 0 -2 -4 -6 -8 235 237 239 241 243 245 247 249 251 253 255 257 259 261 263 Julian day Fig.