Oceanography

The oceans and the polar seas are studied for their physio-chemical and biological properties, their water mass circulation patterns, their exchange of heat and energy with the atmosphere and the geological processes that are active in the different oceanic basins that contribute to the deposition of marine sediments.

Scientists at the Institute of Polar Sciences deal with several aspects of oceanography in the polar seas:

Physical and chemical oceanography

The polar oceans are one of the most important elements driving global climate. Dense and cold waters produced at high latitudes spread throughout the oceans and contribute to the global ocean Conveyor Belt. These water masses transport both heat and dissolved substances, gases and particles around the globe, significantly affecting the overall composition of the oceans and, ultimately, the Earth's climate. The chemical composition of water masses flowing in the polar seas, including their trace elements, organic compounds, stable and radiogenic isotope composition, allows us to evaluate the relationships between the different water masses (e.g. old vs. recently ventilated waters) and improve our understanding of the underlying processes. These data will then be used by climate modelers to tune and refine model parameters to improve understanding of the interactions between the water masses and improve our knowledge of the overall global climate system.

Biological oceanography

The relationships between the abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem generate a cyclical flow of matter in the epipelagic environment, which is driven by solar radiation and can be modified by natural and/or anthropogenic causes. Low temperatures and the absence of light in the meso- and bathypelagic zones are not limiting factors for life, including in the benthic habitat. The long polar night heavily affects life under the seasonal sea ice by reducing the supply of organic matter for the marine food web, which is forced to migrate during the winter months. In spring, the sea ice becomes the template habitat for a number of autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms. After melting, it releases a significant amount of essential nutrients and organic matter and promotes the fertilization of the sea. In summer, the marine trophic web participates in the transfer of organic matter towards the mainland, by partially contributing to the terrestrial food web in coastal areas.

Paleoceanography

Marine sediment cores collected in the polar regions represent a unique climate archive for studying recent global changes and past variations. The study of these archives can shed new light on the impact of different natural forcings, including sea ice extent, ocean productivity and volcanic eruptions, on the climatic evolution of our planet. One of the major topics in the climate change studies is the ability to discriminate between the natural variability of the climate system and the anthropogenic influence. Paleoceanography uses biological, physical and geochemical proxies which are measurable descriptors for key environmental variables. In particular, the analysis of trace elements, stable and radiogenic isotopes, organic compounds and biogenic silica in marine sedimentary archives and in biogenic carbonates (foraminifera, cold-water corals, barnacles) enables us to reconstruct past variations in seawater temperature, salinity, carbon cycle, sea ice extent, productivity, circulation and ventilation of the polar oceans. In addition, a better understanding of the natural climate variability through the acquisition of paleoceanographic data and the comparison with model simulations, helps us to improve the performance of predictive climate models. The Institute of Polar Sciences is actively involved in the acquisition of high resolution paleoceanographic records in the Ross Sea and in different regions of the Arctic Ocean as well as the development of new geochemical proxies for paleoclimate-related studies in the polar regions during the Quaternary.

Photo by Leonardo Langone (CNR-ISP) - Laminated sediments taken from the Bay of Edisto (Ross Sea)

Published in Research Topics

Ministero dell'Universita e Ricerca
Programma Ricerche Artico
Programma Nazionale di Ricerca in Antartide

Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale
L'Italia e l’Artico
L’Italia e l’Antartide

   CNR-ISP
   National Research Council
   Institute of Polar Sciences
   c/o Scientific Campus - Ca' Foscari University Venice - Via Torino, 155 - 30172 VENEZIA MESTRE (VE)
   Phone: +39 041 2348547 - E-mail: protocollo.isp AT pec.cnr.it
   Fax: +39 041 2348 549 - Codice Fiscale: 80054330586 - P.I.:02118311006

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