The Transpolar System of the Arctic Ocean (Transdrift)

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The Transpolar System of the Arctic Ocean – Transdrift


The joint Russian-German research project „Laptev Sea System" aims to assess how climate change will affect the highly sensitive Arctic environment and in how far the changes will be of consequence for Europe. The main objectives are to investigate:

  • the changes in oceanic transfer of energy, matter and momentum in the Transpolar Drift system as a result of climate change;
  • the ecological consequences of climate change in the region of the Transpolar Drift Stream;
  • regional changes of the atmosphere/sea ice/ocean system in the Arctic.

Research areas are the Laptev Sea as the most important area of sea-ice production and the Fram Strait as the only deepwater and intermediate water connection between the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean (and, therefore, the World Ocean). The Transpolar Drift Stream connects both regions. At the same time, the Russian partner institution, the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, St. Petersburg, implements multidisciplinary investigations in the Central Arctic Ocean as the key research topic of their research program „Arctic Basin Cluster".

 

 

German project leader:

Dr. Heidemarie Kassens
GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

Russian project leader:

Prof. Dr. Leonid A. Timokhov
Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
   

 

Project duration:  1 March 2013 – 31 December 2016

 

 

Subprojects (SP) and Subproject Leaders

SP 1 GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel SP 1A: Transpolar Matter Fluxes Prof. Dr. Martin Frank
mfrank@geomar.de
SP 1B: Coordination Dr. Heidemarie Kassens
hkassens@geomar.de
SP 2 Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine
Research, Bremerhaven		 SP 2A: Sea-Ice and Ocean Dynamics Dr. Jens Hölemann
jens.hoelemann@awi.de
SP 2B: Ecological Consequences Dr. Thomas Soltwedel
thomas.soltwedel@awi.de
SP 2C: Arctic Biomarkers Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Stein
ruediger.stein@awi.de
SP 3 Mainz Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Literature SP 3A: Arctic Halocline Dr. Robert Spielhagen
rspielhagen@geomar.de
SP 3B: History of the Transpolar Drift Stream
SP 4 Trier University SP 4: Atmosphere/Sea Ice/Ocean System Univ. Prof. Dr. Günther Heinemann
heinemann@uni-trier.de
SP 5 Kiel University SP 5A: Marine Biocoenoses Prof. Dr. Dieter Piepenburg
dpiepenburg@ecology.uni-kiel.de
SP 5B: Geochemical proxies Dr. C.-Dieter Garbe-Schönberg
dgs@gpi.uni-kiel.de

 

 

 

Work packages

No. Work Package Subprojects
I The impact of the Sea-Ice and Ocean Dynamics in the Laptev Sea on the Transpolar Drift
System		 SP 2A: Sea-Ice and Ocean Dynamics
II Arctic Halocline, Water-Mass Formation and Matter Transport in the Transpolar Drift System SP 1A: Transpolar Matter Fluxes
SP 3A: Arctic Halocline
III Ecological Consequences of Climate Change in Key Regions of the Transpolar Drift Stream SP 2B: Ecological Consequences
SP 5A: Marine Biocoenoses
IV Regional Changes in the Atmosphere/Sea Ice/Ocean System in the Arctic SP 4: Atmosphere/Sea Ice/Ocean System
V Stability of the Arctic Climate System: History of the Transpolar Drift Stream SP 2C: Arctic Biomarkers
SP 3B: History of the Transpolar Drift Stream
SP 5B: Geochemical Proxies
VI Coordination SP 1B: Coordination

 

 

 

Cooperating Institutes and Universities in Russia:

 

Cooperating Institutes and Universities in Germany:

 

Other Cooperating Institutes and Universities: