Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: A Workshop

推进南极研究的技术发展：研讨会

• 批准号: 2132040
• 负责人: Amanda Staudt
• 金额: $ 21.51万
• 依托单位: National Academy of Sciences
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2023-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2132040&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Technology; Developments; Advance; Antarctic; Research

Research in the Antarctic region poses tremendous challenges due to the region’s remoteness, isolation, and extreme weather. The U.S. Antarctic Program is responsible for helping the scientific community find ways to overcome these challenges, and operate safely and effectively in this unique terrain. The proposed workshop activity will help NSF identify and explore a variety of cutting-edge technological advances that facilitate Antarctic research and the logistics that support this research. The types of technological developments that may be explored include, for instance, those related to new environmental sensors; data and communications technologies; electronics, batteries, and power systems for cold-weather environments; transportation and housing; and ‘autonomous’ instruments that can operate without human presence. Advances in these areas will allow Antarctic research to be carried out in a way that is more efficient, safe, and reliable, and over a greater spatial/temporal range, while minimizing costs and environmental impacts. The types of research that such advances would enable can benefit society in numerous ways—for instance, leading to better predictions of how sea level rise will unfold over time; greater capacity to monitor and foresee disruptive space weather events; stronger understanding of changes in biological and ecological communities that can ripple across food webs; and insights into the capacity of the Southern Ocean to absorb carbon and heat and thus drive the rate of climate change. To help NSF better address Antarctic challenges, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine proposes to organize a workshop that will explore how cutting-edge technology developments can be harnessed to build a stronger foundation for expanding scientific discovery--at lower cost, with a smaller environmental impact, and with greater safety and efficiency--across all fields of Antarctic and Southern Ocean research. A committee will be convened to organize an online/virtual workshop forum that is designed to solicit broad community input to this topic—drawing upon insights from within and beyond the Antarctic research community. The workshop will explore opportunities to advance areas such as: observing systems for geological, biological, atmospheric, cryospheric, oceanic environments; astronomy, astrophysics, space weather research sensors; data and communications technologies; low-temperature electronics and system components, batteries, and power systems for cold-weather environments; remote logistics; and robotics and autonomous instrument engineering. This effort will build upon the extensive networks of expertise and contacts from the Academies’ Polar Research Board, and several other relevant National Academies Boards. National Academies' staff will author a workshop proceedings, which will provide an overview of the information shared, and a general synthesis of key ideas arising in the discussions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

由于地处偏远、偏僻和极端天气，南极地区的研究面临着巨大的挑战，美国南极项目负责帮助科学界找到克服这些挑战的方法，并在这个独特的地形研讨会活动中安全有效地开展工作。将帮助国家科学基金会识别和探索各种尖端技术进步，以促进南极研究和支持这项研究的后勤工作。例如，可能探索的技术发展类型包括与新环境传感器相关的技术；和通信技术；用于寒冷天气环境的电子、电池和电力系统；以及可以在无人存在的情况下运行的“自主”仪器。更高效、更安全、更可靠，并且在更大的空间/时间范围内，同时最大限度地减少成本和环境影响，这些进步所带来的研究类型可以通过多种方式造福社会，例如，更好地预测海洋如何变化。水平上升将展开时间；更强的监测和预测空间天气事件的能力；更深入地了解可能影响食物网的生物和生态群落的变化，并深入了解南大洋吸收碳和热量的能力，从而推动气候变化的速度；为了帮助国家科学基金会更好地应对南极挑战，美国国家科学院、工程院和医学院提议组织一次研讨会，探讨如何利用尖端技术的发展，为扩大科学发现奠定更坚实的基础——在较低的条件下。成本、环境影响较小将召集一个委员会组织一个在线/虚拟研讨会论坛，旨在征求社区对此主题的广泛意见，并汲取内部见解。研讨会将探讨推进以下领域的机会：地质、生物、大气、冰冻圈、海洋环境观测系统；天文学、天体物理学、空间天气研究数据和通信技术；用于寒冷天气环境的低温电子和系统组件、电池和电力系统；这项工作将建立在学院极地研究委员会广泛的专业知识和联系网络的基础上；其他几个相关的国家科学院委员会的工作人员将撰写一份研讨会记录，其中将概述信息共享以及讨论中出现的关键想法的总体综合。该奖项反映了国家科学基金会的法定使命，并已得到批准。通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，认为值得支持。