| Summary: | This Integrated National Science Foundation (NSF) Support Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Education (INSPIRE) award is partially funded by the Arctic Natural Sciences Program in the Division of Polar Programs in the Directorate for Geosciences, the Communications, Circuits and Sensing Systems Program in the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems in the Directorate for Engineering ,and the Division of Computer and network Systems in the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering. The Principal Investigators (PIs) propose to design and develop an integrated underwater acoustic sensor network for ice-covered seas. It will transmit data wirelessly through acoustic waves from sub-surface ocean sensors to a receiving array with a surface connection to satellites and the Internet. The PIs will expand the limits and capabilities of underwater communication networks in the transition zone where sea ice changes from 1) smooth land-fast ice to 2) ridged mobile ice to 3) open water. This transition zone evolves in both time and space within the 30-50 km foot-print of the proposed networked sensor and communication network array. This goal requires integration of both existing knowledge from a set of diverse disciplines and intellectual innovations within each discipline. It will modify underwater communication network theory, coastal acoustic propagation and scattering, and experimental design of oceanography. Providing long-term, long-range acoustic connectivity, the PI team will address three major new research challenges: 1) Mid-frequency (1-5 kHz), mid-range (10 km) acoustic wave propagation in the transition zone; 2) Data telemetry in the new communication environment; and 3) Resilient sensor networks that cope with and harness complex dynamics of the transition zone. The multi-disciplinary team will implement reliable modem hardware, integrate it with resilient network protocol, and optimize the system design for Arctic deployment to support an ocean experiment off Thule, Greenland. The sensor and communication network will support 1) long-term, intelligent distributed Arctic observing systems, 2) assimilation of remote-sensing and in-situ under-ice measurements, and 3) regional and global climate modeling with real-time measurements. Such a network holds the promise to revolutionize under-ice ocean sampling in polar regions. Data will be broadly disseminated via the web and archived for public access. Planned outreach includes participation in the field program of Greenlandic residents from the Inupiat village of Qaanaaq and meaningful classroom involvement from the elementary to community college levels. The PIs are also committed to outreach through their global print, radio, television, and electronic media contacts.
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