Colleagues:
The National Science Foundation and the Danish Polar Center are
jointly supporting a small workshop in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland to
explore joint interest in science programs that could utilize a new
winter-over capability at the Summit Camp at 10,000 feet on the
Greenland ice cap.
This year, the NSF Office of Polar Programs is supporting a small field
party during winter 1997-98 that will conduct an experiment to examine
the full annual cycle of air and snow chemistry at Summit so that
variations in ice chemistry in the GISP2 and GRIP ice cores may be
better interpreted. Improvements to the Summit camp will include two
winterized buildings that can be re-positioned each year to avoid being
permanently snowed in, as is presently the case for the "big-house"
that was used to support GISP2 drilling.
The pilot project this year will determine if the enhanced
capability at Summit is adequate to allow planning of a larger
science program involving winter-over teams. In anticipation of a
successful effort this year, NSF has been asked by the DPC to
consider a planning meeting to discuss potential collaborative
research projects using the new capability.
NSF requests researchers in all disciplines to let us know about the
type of research projects that will be enhanced, for example, by
measurements for a full annual cycle at the 10,000 foot altitude or
winter projects that require dark skies and clear conditions
experienced at Summit. We expect to invite proponents who can represent
wide segments of the community in each discipline to attend the
workshop at the Kangerlussuaq International Science Center on May
21-22. We expect to provide transportation and support for expenses at
the meeting for US participants.
Please send a brief description of the type of science that could best
be done at the Summit camp requiring a full annual cycle or the unique
environmental conditions at the site, and indicate if you would be
available the week of May 18 to represent your discipline at the
meeting. Please reply to either of us by March 15.
Mike Ledbetter (mledbett [at] nsf.gov)
Director, Arctic System Science Program
Odile de La Beaujardiere (odelabe [at] nsf.gov)
Director, Arctic Natural Sciences Program