National Science Foundation and Science National Science Foundation and Science Community Needs for Polar IcebreakersCommunity Needs for Polar Icebreakers

Background material prepared for the August 26, 2005 meeting of the NAS/NRC Task Force on Assessment of U.S. Coast

Guar Polar Icebreaker Roles and Future Needs

Karl Erb, Director

Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation

NSF Polar RolesNSF Polar Roles

National Science Foundation –

• Provides $96 million for Arctic fundamental research

• Chairs the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (to coordinate Federal Arctic research)

• Provides $266 million for Antarctic fundamental research

• Manages the U.S. Antarctic Program

NSF Provides $96 Million (33%) of the NSF Provides $96 Million (33%) of the Federal Funding for Arctic ResearchFederal Funding for Arctic Research

Funding DecisionsFunding Decisions

• Funding decisions based on peer review of scientific merit and broader impacts– 3,100 proposals over 5 years

– 1,500 researchers

• Future directions guided by science community input– NAS reports

– Workshops (80 such)

– IASC, SCAR, etc.

– Disciplinary roadmaps

Life in the Cold and DarkLife in the Cold and Dark

Bacteria Found in Melt Samples Taken from Ice Thought To Be Refrozen from the Waters of Lake Vostok.

Snow Bacteria Found at the geographic South Pole

Some Polar KSome Polar Knowledgenowledge FrontiersFrontiers

• Ice, Earth, and Climate

• Life in the Cold and Dark

• Origins of the Universe

Major Major Study Study

Sites in Sites in the Arcticthe Arctic

USCG USCG HealyHealy and German icebreaker and German icebreaker PolarsternPolarstern in the Arctic Ocean in the Arctic Ocean

SHEBASHEBA

Study of Environmental Study of Environmental ARctic CHange (SEARCH)ARctic CHange (SEARCH)

SEARCH is a multi-agency, international, interdisciplinary research effort to understand the full scope of changes occurring in the Arctic

http://www.arcus.org/search/

Year

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Bio

mas

s In

dex

(tho

usan

d m

t)

0

50

100

150

200

Entire survey areaSE Middle ShelfNW Middle Shelf

156 W162 168 174 180

54

56

58

60

62

64 N

SE Middle Shelf

NW Middle Shelf

Brodeur et al. (submitted)

Bering Bering SeaSea

Jellyfish

Global ocean circulationGlobal ocean circulation

Antarctic ScienceAntarctic Science

Science performed includes:•Upper atmosphere

studies•Astrophysics•Climate change•Seismology•Glaciology•Volcanology•Life in the Cold and Dark McMurdo StationMcMurdo Station

BeardmoreBeardmoreGlacier Glacier 375 nm 375 nm

Palmer StationPalmer Station

Amundsen-ScottAmundsen-ScottSouth Pole Station South Pole Station 730 nm 730 nm

Vostok StationVostok Station(Russian) 708 nm (Russian) 708 nm SipleSiple

DomeDome540 nm540 nm

Downstream CDownstream C507 nm507 nm

To Christchurch, To Christchurch, 2,085 NM2,085 NM

U.S. Antarctic ProgramU.S. Antarctic ProgramResources Resources –– Ships Ships

USAP USAP research research

icebreakericebreaker

Nathaniel Nathaniel

B. PalmerB. PalmerContract cargo ship Contract cargo ship American TernAmerican Tern

USAP research icebreakerUSAP research icebreaker

Laurence M. Gould Laurence M. Gould

USCG USCG Polar StarPolar Star and the Russian and the Russian icebreaker icebreaker KrasinKrasin, McMurdo Sound 2005, McMurdo Sound 2005

Presidential Memorandum 6646Presidential Memorandum 6646(1982)(1982)

Tasked NSF to

• Manage the U. S. Antarctic Program on behalf of the U.S. government.

• Develop and fund the associated research program

• Draw upon logistic support capabilities of government agencies on a cost reimbursable basis

• Use commercial support and management facilities where these are determined to be cost effective and not detrimental to the national interest.

1994 Presidential Decision 1994 Presidential Decision DirectiveDirective

Four basic objectives of U.S. policy in Antarctica:

1.Protecting the relatively unspoiled environment of Antarctica and its associated ecosystems;

2.Preserving and pursuing unique opportunities for scientific research to understand Antarctica and global physical and environmental systems;

3.Maintaining Antarctica as an area of international cooperation reserved exclusively for peaceful purposes; and

4.Assuring the conservation and sustainable management of the living resources in the oceans surrounding Antarctica.

Ozone Hole, September 2004Ozone Hole, September 2004

The Changing Antarctic Ice SheetThe Changing Antarctic Ice Sheet

Cosmic Cosmic microwave microwave background if a background if a camera were camera were sensitive to sensitive to microwavesmicrowaves

Astrophysical ResearchAstrophysical Research

Amundsen-Scott South Pole Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, January 2005Station, January 2005

Teachers Experiencing Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the ArcticAntarctica and the Arctic

McMurdo StationMcMurdo Station

BeardmoreBeardmoreGlacier Glacier 375 nm 375 nm

Palmer StationPalmer Station

Amundsen-ScottAmundsen-ScottSouth Pole Station 730 nm South Pole Station 730 nm

Vostok StationVostok Station(Russian) 708 (Russian) 708 nm nm

SipleSipleDomeDome540 nm540 nm

Downstream CDownstream C507 nm507 nm

To Christchurch, To Christchurch, 2,085 NM2,085 NM

Some Some Antarctic Antarctic

Study SitesStudy Sites

McMurdo Sound McMurdo Sound Shipping Channel & Shipping Channel & Turning BasinTurning Basin

NSF/OPP Advisory NSF/OPP Advisory Committee report – Committee report – USAP ResupplyUSAP Resupply

KrasinKrasin and USCG and USCG Polar StarPolar Star in McMurdo Sound, 2005in McMurdo Sound, 2005

Ship CapabilitiesShip Capabilities

Days at Sea

Science & Support

Crew HP Displacement (tons)

Ft/KtS

Polar Star/ Polar Sea

200 20 145 18,000 (diesel)

75,000 (turbine)

13,400 6 ft at 6 kts

Krasin ? 0 65 35,500 20,000 6 ft at 3 kts

Healy 200 35 85 30,000 16,400 4.5 ft at 3 kts

NBP 300+ 39 22 13,000 6,800 3 ft at 3 kts

Polarstern 330 50 44 20,000 17,300 4 ft at 5 kts

LMG 320 28 16 4,575 3,400 1 ft at 3 kts

ARRV 300+ 24 17 5,750 2,900 2.5 ft at 3 kts

Current ship resourcesCurrent ship resources

Current Resources

Research Supply Age

POLAR STAR/SEA + 29/27 years

KRASIN + 29 years

HEALY + 6 years

NBP + 13 years

LMG + + 10 years

Military Sealift + Various

ARRV + To be built

Meeting Future Needs for Meeting Future Needs for Heavy Icebreaking CapabilityHeavy Icebreaking Capability

POLAR STAR/SEA - SLEP?New Heavy Ice Breaker?

One or Two?Icebreaker only or multi-purpose?Antarctic only?Arctic and Antarctic?Build to lease?Government Owned, Contractor operated?Shared use with private sector?Military or commercial crew?Military or commercial construction?