Coordination, Data Management and Enhancement of the International Arctic Buoy Programme [2013-2016]

This project is a renewal of the National Science Foundation (NSF) funding of the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP) through the U.S. Interagency Arctic Buoy Program (USIABP). The project will coordinate data management and deployment of enhanced buoys by the USIABP. The IABP provides long-term observations from the Arctic Ocean which are essential for Arctic forecasting and research. This project supports a network of automatic data buoys to monitor synoptic-scale fields of surface air pressure, air temperature, and ice motion throughout the Arctic Ocean, an activity that was recommended by the National Academy of Sciences in 1974. University of Washington s Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) initiated the program in 1978 and became the IABP in 1991 to provide meteorological and oceanographic data for real-time operational requirements and research purposes including support to the World Climate Research Programme and the World Weather Watch Programme. The observations from the IABP have been essential for: 1.) Monitoring Arctic and global climate change; 2.) Forecasting weather and sea ice conditions; 3.) Forcing, assimilation and validation of global weather and climate models; 4.) Validation of satellite data; etc. These observations provide the longest continuing record for the Arctic, and have been one of the cornerstones for environmental forecasting and studies of climate and climate change. The IABP is composed of 20 different research and operational institutions from 9 different countries (found at: http://iabp.apl.washington.edu/Participants.htm ). The IABP is funded and managed by participants of the program. Management of the IABP is the responsibility of the Executive Committee, and operation of the program was delegated to the Coordinator of the IABP, Ignatius Rigor.本项目为美国国家科学基金会（National Science Foundation, NSF）通过美国跨机构北极浮标项目（U.S. Interagency Arctic Buoy Program, USIABP）对国际北极浮标项目（International Arctic Buoy Programme, IABP）的资助续约项目。本项目将协调USIABP开展数据管理工作，并部署升级后的浮标。IABP提供北冰洋长期观测数据，该数据对于北极预报与研究至关重要。本项目支持一套自动数据浮标网络，用于监测北冰洋全域的天气尺度地表气压、气温及海冰运动场，该观测工作由美国国家科学院于1974年提出倡议。华盛顿大学应用物理实验室（Applied Physics Laboratory, APL）于1978年启动该项目，并于1991年更名为IABP，旨在为实时业务需求及各类研究提供气象与海洋学数据，其中包括对世界气候研究计划（World Climate Research Programme）及世界天气监视网计划（World Weather Watch Programme）的支持。IABP的观测数据对于以下方面不可或缺：1. 监测北极及全球气候变化；2. 预报天气与海冰状况；3. 为全球天气与气候模式提供强迫、同化与验证支撑；4. 卫星数据的验证等。此类观测数据构建了北极地区现存最长的连续观测记录，亦是环境预报以及气候与气候变化研究的核心基石之一。IABP由来自9个国家的20家不同研究与业务机构组成（详情见：http://iabp.apl.washington.edu/Participants.htm）。该项目由参与方共同资助与管理，其管理工作由执行委员会负责，项目运营则委托给IABP协调员伊格内修斯·里戈尔（Ignatius Rigor）。