Call for Planning Letters
Emerging Dynamics of the Marginal Ice Zone
Office of Naval Research
Submission deadline: Friday, 1 April 2011.
For further information, please contact:
Martin Jeffries
Program Officer and Arctic Science Advisor
Phone: 703-696-7825
Email: martin.jeffries [at] navy.mil
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) announces a Department Research
Initiative (DRI) - "Emerging Dynamics of the Marginal Ice Zone" - and
call for planning letters. Planning letters are due no later than
Friday, 1 April 2011.
DRI Description
In response to the observed trend of reduced arctic sea ice volume
during the boreal summer, the U.S. Navy has a renewed interest in
understanding and predicting the environment in this region, including a
desire to forecast the presence or absence of sea ice at a variety of
lead times. However, there remain fundamental gaps in our knowledge of
the physical processes, interactions, and feedbacks that are critical to
understanding the seasonal evolution of sea ice. To address this issue,
the ONR will support a 5-year Department Research Initiative (DRI) to
better understand the emerging dynamics of the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ).
The goal of the DRI is to improve the knowledge and understanding of the
physics of the retreating summer ice edge and MIZ in the Beaufort and
Chukchi seas. The approach will be to integrate data from in situ
sensing platforms, remotely-sensed observations, and integrated process
models to develop a comprehensive, quantitative picture of open-ocean,
ice edge and MIZ processes, interactions, and feedbacks as the ice
retreats. The observational data set that is generated will also be used
to evaluate the skill of numerical models run by the Naval Research
Laboratory (NRL) and academic researchers in conjunction with this DRI.
The following scientific questions will drive the research program:
- Does the increasing area of open water in the Beaufort and Chukchi
seas amplify the seasonality of the Arctic Ocean sea ice cover? - What role do waves and swell play in the retreat of the ice cover?
- What role do solar radiation and surface fluxes of sensible and
latent heat play in the retreat of the ice cover? - How does the ice volume evolve as the ice retreats?
- As the ice cover retreats, do vertical mixing and upwelling of warm
water in the water column occur and amplify ice loss? - What is the magnitude of vertical mixing and is it due to
wind-induced upwelling, inertial waves, and shear; or is it due to the
generation of internal waves at the halocline? - What are the relative magnitudes of each of the various processes,
both local and non-local, which are driving the ice retreat? - Which of the processes are likely to have significant positive
feedbacks, and which are likely to strengthen in the future? - How do current coupled models represent the relevant processes at
different space and time scales, and what resolution is required to
adequately simulate the key processes?
This DRI is expected to run for five years, from FY12 to FY16. Years 1
and 2 will focus on science and experiment planning, science team
building, developing inter-agency and international collaboration, and
equipment development and testing. The major field effort will occur in
Year 3 (FY14), followed by two years of data analysis, synthesis of
results, and evaluation of predictive skill of integrated models. The
overall effort will require integration of theory, in situ and remote
sensing observations, and modeling to accelerate discovery and
understanding. Each individual or team of investigators need not propose
all components. Successful investigators will be expected to work
productively and constructively in an inter-disciplinary team
environment; team building will occur after selection. This DRI is an
ONR contribution to the federal inter-agency Study of Environmental
Arctic Change (SEARCH; http://www.arcus.org/search/index.php).
Planning Letter Content
The letter should include:
- Contact information for the principal and co-investigators, including
full mailing address, email address and phone number for each. - A maximum three-page synopsis of the proposed research, including a
rationale, questions and/or hypotheses to be addressed, the methods to
be used, and anticipated results. Think of this as the Executive Summary
of a full proposal. A description of the role of each investigator
should also be included in the three pages. - Investigators should focus on what is new, groundbreaking, or
potentially transformative about the proposed research and not worry
about justifying the relevance to the Navy. - No more than one page describing the estimated budget, with
approximate cost per year up to a maximum of five years. Any major
equipment procurements or unusual costs (e.g., ship, aircraft, computer)
should be identified. - Up to one page of relevant references to the literature.
- A one-page biographical sketch for each investigator, with a focus on
research activities and publications relevant to the proposed research.
Purpose of Planning Letters
The purpose of the planning letter is to allow investigators to submit
their ideas for ONR to evaluate, provide technical feedback, and
indicate whether investigators will be encouraged to submit full
proposals. ONR will respond to planning letters by 29 April 2011 to
allow nine weeks for full proposal preparation and submission no later
than 1 July 2011. It is anticipated that awards will be made with funds
available in October 2011.
Submission of Planning Letters
All planning letters should be submitted via email to Martin Jeffries
(martin.jeffries [at] navy.mil) no later than Friday, 1 April 2011.
For further information, please contact:
Martin Jeffries
Program Officer and Arctic Science Advisor
Phone: 703-696-7825
Email: martin.jeffries [at] navy.mil