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Unravelling FRESHwater and ocean Currents changes in the Arctic using REmote sensing

Project description

Remote sensing for freshwater transport forecasting in the Arctic

The Arctic is warming rapidly, leading to sea ice loss and freshwater accumulation, which may destabilise ocean currents. The future of Arctic freshwater is uncertain, making improved estimates using remote sensing and AI essential for understanding climate impacts. The ERC-funded FRESH-CARE project aims to develop methodologies for forecasting freshwater transport in the Arctic, leveraging satellite data, AI and in situ information under various Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. It will introduce a new AI-based approach to analyse ocean currents and quantify freshwater transport through key Arctic gateways. Additionally, the project will use a coupled ice-ocean model for simulations spanning from the 2010s to the 2040s, providing high-resolution estimates of ocean currents and freshwater distribution.

Objective

The Arctic is warming rapidly, causing significant hydrographic changes including sea ice retreat, freshwater accumulation, and altered ocean currents. These changes intensify water stratification potentially destabilizing Earth's thermohaline circulation. Despite its key role in global climate system, the ultimate fate of Arctic freshwater remains unconstrained. Current estimates lack the resolution that remote sensing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can provide. It is crucial to improve freshwater flux uncertainties, to better constrain future projections and understand global climate impacts.

FRESH-CARE aims to transform our understanding of Arctic freshwater dynamics. It will develop innovative methodologies that leverage (radiometric, thermal, and altimetric) satellite data, AI-integrate remote sensing and in-situ information, and run model simulations to forecast freshwater transports under various Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. FRESH-CARE will focus on three specific objectives: (1) develop a novel AI-based methodology to characterize four-dimensional ocean currents; (2) quantify freshwater transports through the main Arctic gateways; and (3) perform simulations for future Arctic freshwater scenarios using a coupled ice–ocean model.

Overall, I envision that FRESH-CARE will offer a multidisciplinary view of ocean currents and freshwater fluxes in the Arctic Ocean over three decades, from hindcast in the 2010s to forecasts into the 2040s. FRESH-CARE will provide pan-Arctic estimates of ocean currents and freshwater distribution with high spatiotemporal resolution, benefiting polar oceanographers, earth modelers, and climate scientists, as well as to the society at large. FRESH-CARE findings will enhance the understanding and assimilation of ocean freshwater in future global climate models.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG

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Host institution

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 499 482,00
Address
CALLE SERRANO 117
28006 MADRID
Spain

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Region
Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid
Activity type
Research Organisations
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 499 482,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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