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Given the complexity of the emerging science of ocean change, all questions regarding the specific research projects being undertaken will be referred to the scientific institutions involved. It may take three to four weeks to get a response.
We will aim to deal with any questions regarding the Explorer Team, Ice Base or Operations within one week.
Click on the questions to read the answers posted so far.
How will the samples from the Explorer Team get back? Who will be analysing them? How are these going to be kept "fresh"?
The explorers are going to be doing more basic research on the chemistry and biological content of the seawater samples they obtain. For biological analysis, they will filter the samples and the resultant filtrated contents can be frozen for return to the various institutions that will be using the samples.
Those samples taken for chemical content of the water will be kept warm in insulated boxes, heated with bottles containing hot water they will boil up every day. These will be picked up on the resupply missions and kept warm throughout their journey to the UK.
Why do you need the scientists to actually go there? Can’t you just send samples back to them in their labs?
There are a host of reasons why this isn’t possible. The main ones are:
a) pH ‘goes off’ so any measurements have to be done in situ on fresh samples
b) we are setting up ‘mesocosms’ – where samples are taken direct from the ocean and put into experimental aquaria where scientists observe them on a daily basis
c) the research and sample taking needs to be done with precision and a high level of skill and requires a degree of ‘pilot analysis’ in the early stages. Also, much of this research is being conducted for the first time in these exact conditions – and whilst it is possible to try and plan for this, there will always be situations and circumstances that arise that can only ever be resolved by having qualified professionals ‘on the ground’.
What will happen to all the human waste and litter?
The Ice Base has an environmentally friendly toilet. The PETT is a lightweight and portable ‘dry’ system toilet, which uses a disposable bag. All human waste is being dealt with in accordance with the regulations laid down by the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) that has granted permission for the Ice Base location. Any litter created by the Explorer Team will be picked up during resupplies and disposed of accordingly.
Why not go in the summer when it is warmer and there is less ice cover? Wouldn't it be easier to access the ocean at that time of year?
The colder the water is the greater the solubility of CO2. This time of year and this far north provides some of the coldest waters on the planet and is thus unique for studying atmosphere to ocean CO2 flux. Also experiments at this time of the year allow us to make observations before, during and after the sea ice melts. This is crucial as observations that are taken only during an early stage of melting will be very different from those taken later providing inaccurate data. In addition, with less sea-ice melting during the colder season, the fresh water of the ice will not contaminate the ocean salt water.
How can you tell how the whole Arctic Ocean is responding when you're sampling next to its shore?
The survey will be sampling both coastal and deep ocean environments. Whilst the Ice Base scientists will be recording data from the coastal region, the Explorer Team will be much further out on the ice to record data from the deep ocean. Since the variation between coastal and deep-sea environments is less pronounced in the polar regions, the data recorded by the Ice Base scientists of the coastal region will still be of significant value. Importantly the observations and measurements made by both teams will be compared to provide accurate up to date information for inclusion in ocean acidification models.
Aren’t there better and more accurate ways to measure the sea ice, such as satellites?
Gathering as much data as possible is always important. Whilst there are a number of ways of obtaining data to determine sea ice thickness including satellites, sonar equipment on submarines beneath the ice as well as airborne equipment, no single method is completely reliable. Satellites, for example, can only measure the thickness of ice above the surface of the water and then estimate the complete thickness. Submarine sonar equipment requires a number of assumptions in order to estimate the thickness such as the density of the ice being measured. Airborne equipment has trouble determining the difference between ice thickness and snow depth and can experience difficulties in adverse weather conditions such as heavy cloud cover. That is why the data gathered by the Explorer Team is so important in providing the fullest and most accurate measurements and predictions along with the data from other methods.
In light of recent issues surrounding some climate change scientists how can we trust the Catlin Arctic Survey?
The Survey is being undertaken by respected scientists in the field of ocean acidification research. Any observations and measurements taken by them, and the complimentary data recorded by the Explorer Team, will be rigorously analysed and the conclusions drawn will be peer-reviewed before any publication of them is considered. Comparisons will also be made with other data sources to ensure the information is reliable. On a personal note, as Arctic enthusiasts, our main concern is we get a clear, accurate and realistic picture of how theArctic is responding to increasing atmospheric CO2 so that the appropriate actions be taken to mitigate any detrimental effects on this vulnerable environment. If he studies show we have no cause for concern, so much the better!
Is there a conflict of interest between Catlin the sponsor and Catlin the insurer?
The Catlin Arctic Survey is an entirely separate entity from the Catlin Group who sponsors the survey. Whilst Catlin is a commercial entity this in no way suggests any partiality on the behalf of the Explorer Team, the Ice-Base scientists or the data they are collecting
Catlin’s official statement regarding their sponsorship of the Catlin Arctic Survey is: “Catlin's sponsorship of the Catlin Arctic Survey demonstrates the Group's commitment to the better understanding of changes to the Earth's environment. Catlin recognises that climate change and other environmental changes are creating a new set of risks for the insurance industry and its policyholders. Our aim is to help researchers obtain the impartial scientific data required to make more reliable conclusions about the potential impact of these environmental changes”.
Couldn’t you use a helicopter to get the samples the Explorer Team are collecting? Wouldn’t this be much safer?
Helicopters can raise as many problems as they solve. In the extremely cold weather of the Arctic any device that uses electronic circuitry slows down considerably and, on occasion, can stop functioning completely. With this in mind, an experienced and well-trained team on the ice is safer than using a helicopter. Nevertheless, for the Explorer Team, safety is always paramount, and a great deal of time and effort goes into ensuring the teams are well prepared for their time on the ice.
Why is it called Ocean Acidification? The ocean is alkaline and model predictions suggest it will never become acidic.
Acidification refers to the process of the lowering of the ocean’s pH on the pH scale. If the ocean’s pH falls it is referred to as acidification regardless of whether the water remains alkaline i.e. above pH 7. To understand this, consider a temperature change of -200C to -100C. The temperature is still warming despite -100C still being below freezing.
What’s the difference between Ocean Acidification and Climate Change?
Climate Change concerns the effects of changes to average global temperature i.e. global warming with resulting changes in weather patterns and effects on the environment. Ocean Acidification specifically refers to the dropping pH of the oceans due to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere being absorbed by the seawater. While Climate Change and Ocean Acidification may share a common cause (increases in CO2 in the atmosphere) they are not the same.
How do we know what the pH of the ocean was in the past given that the pH scale was not introduced until 1909?
When ice sheets build up into glaciers, air bubbles become trapped in the freezing ice. By analysing the CO2 content of these air bubbles, scientists can estimate the atmospheric CO2 concentration in the recent past. Since the atmospheric CO2 concentration remains roughly in equilibrium with ocean CO2 concentration the ocean CO2 content can be calculated and thus the pH value. In order to ascertain pH values from earlier periods, say millions of years ago, scientists can analyse the preserved skeletons and shells of marine calcifying organisms which can record a variety of elements during their formation to provide information about the environmental conditions during the animal’s lifetime.
Don’t shellfish use CO2 in the formation of their shells, trapping it when they die? Therefore isn’t it a good thing that it’s being absorbed by the oceans where it can be collected in the shells of these organisms?
Some molluscs do ‘trap’ CO2 in the process of forming their shells. This then stays trapped until the shell decomposes and is then released into the surrounding environment. Despite the fact many molluscs can take a very long time to decompose, they will do so inevitably and release the CO2 they hold. As such this could never be considered a long-term solution. Higher levels of CO2 would still be present in the ocean. More importantly the pH value of the ocean appears to be falling despite this process occurring. To put it simply, although animals like molluscs do ‘trap’ CO2 they do not do so in enough quantities to prevent ocean acidification.