Polar Science / PARCA-PLUS Meeting
October 24--26, 2005
Baltimore Wyndham Hotel
(Don't Park In The Basement; Park In The Public Lot Under Fayette Street)

Meeting was called by Waleed Abdalati (who will desist as NASA OPP December 31 2005). There was some NSF representation (though not Scott Borg) in keeping with the sub-theme of NSF-NASA mutualism.

In attendance:
Bob Thomas Wallops
Jay Zwally GSFC ICESat
Bob Bindschadler GSFC
Katy Farness (representing Ken Jezek) Byrd Polar OSU
Ian Joughin APL-UW
Mark Fahnestock UNH
Eric Rignot JPL
Ginny Catania IG UT Austin
Martin Truffer GI-UAF
Todd Dupont PSU Modeling
Ted Scambos NSIDC
Craig Lingle GI-UAF
Vladek Tulaszyk UCSC
Jason Box Byrd
Alberto Bahar JPL robotics
Bea Csatho Byrd Polar OSU
Rob Fatland Vexcel Corp
Robin Abbott
Helen Fricker Scripps
Larry
Dorothy Hall GSFC
John Burk
Sung Im JPL
Bill Kraebel
Koni Stefan NSIDC
(others)

The meeting consisted of:
Discussion of recent results; Antarctica and TVGs but principle emphasis on Greenland.
Very intensive related discussion on implications and polar science synthesis.
Coordination planning for future work.
Discussion of community directions (IPY, NAS) and future NASA missions and support.

Additional notes:
Novatel GPS / Gen-3 will be last development effort in the currently funded WSN.
Two researchers expressed interest in collaborating with Vexcel on the WSN program (Catania and Csatho).
WSN nodes will be built for Martin/Mark/Jacobshavn and made available to Ian and others next summer.
Alberto Bahar of JPL is happy to have us visit in January.
Bob Bindschadler remarked on some of the recent history in NASA.
Ken Jezek's list of crucial instruments and objectives (compiled from an informal survey) was discussed at the end of the meeting.
Of particular interest to Vexcel is the ongoing project of Prasad Goghenini's at KU which includes a sled-mounted bed-imaging SAR.
Truffer and Bindschadler have a pending drilling project at the outboard edge of Whillans grounding line.

Follow-on Action Items:
Get on the NSIDC cryo-list.
Sign up with Ted Scambos for the May IPY meeting.
Place talk as PDFs on web site.
Contact the NNTP guy.
Contact Csatho, Catania.
Understand the KU project.
Contact Alberto concerning January visit. (Brick in rover / Controllable light power in borehole camera).

Viewgraph Presentation for this meeting by Rob Fatland on WSN project
General Remarks on Polar Science
Home


Appendix: A Few Detailed Notes from Selected Talks

MM5 accumulation maps for Antarctica
Source: Davis? Monaghan, Bromwich, Wang (submitted)
Polar MM5: Atmospheric mesoscale model adapted for high latitude applications by OSU's climate group.
David Vaughan AA accumulation map 1999.
There are two Polar MM5 AA accumulation maps (E40 ("Era 40") and NN2) covering circa 1985 - 2001.
Center 5cm and 2cm Water Equivalent annual precipitation.
Model accumulation, compare to observed precipitation.
Result is: Not much going on accumulation-wise 1985-2001.
Look up: Southern Annular Mode (SAM).
http://polarmet.mps.ohio-stsate.edu

Todd Dupont: Small Ice Shelves Matter: What controls how much buttressing an ice shelf can provide?
GD & AA
Butressing is the degree to which ice shef streching tendency is reduced by drag.
Re-examine static force balance at ice-water interface.
See MacAyeal/Morland depth-integrated stress-equilibrium equations for a ice shelf; FEM, linear basis functions.
Flat or wedge shaped thickness profile.
Longitudinal deviatoric stress
output is buttressing parameter f = 1 - (viscous stretching stress) / (ice-front stretching stress), L = ...
"Wider shelves care about calving more than narrow shelves."
"Flatter shelf cares more about calving than a tapered shelf."
Todd should give some exemplary geometries.

Scambos: Many Items including MOA
MOA 260 MODIS images (blowing snow and cloud shadows removed...)
How do you reconcile differences in solar illumination I wonder? Ah, they chose a self-consistent solar elevation.
MOG as well, both MOA and MOG available soon.
Boulder May 15-16 2006 Meeting in Boulder for IPY.)
Photolinometry: Elevation maps of Greenland from AVHRR images; inferred slopes added to a reference DEM.
Can invert to bed elevations (undulations)
Accumulation mapping
Thermal variation mapping
Larsen-B Breakup: Surface melting drove ponds into cracks.
Along peninsula can see wetter snow getting darker from south to north.
Surface melting versus radar backscatter intensity looks like an H-R diagram.
Bergs: Develop melt ponds and then disintegrate (just like the Larsen!)
Glaciers that were stoppered by Larsen B are all accelerating (like mad?)
Chemotropic life forms living on methane and hydrocarbons... under Larsen-B.
Iceberg cowboys... bergs have designations like "43F".

Alberto Behar: Over, On, In and Below the Ice
Micro Gondola multi-day, 3-5 kg, "PAUSE" Freewave 180km magnetometer, to 280km.
Tumbleweed wind-driven with central core, air-filled, Iridium phone; air drop concept; from twin otter
Polar rovers with balloon tires
Mars test vehicle... How much to use?
Pole-net Antarctic wireless network (with Novatel) low-temp lithium ion batts; testing with UNAVCO.
Cryobot testbed: Ice Borehole Probe; eventually a mini self-contained hot water drill.
    BAS Rutford (lost hose at 2 km), BRapids.
Lake Elsworth Consortium (U. of Bristol) and the JPL UV Probe Micro Sub.