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Photo
by Sara Wang
The
Sea-ice Environmental Research Facility (SERF) is the first experimental
sea-ice facility in Canada. Located on the campus of the University of
Manitoba, the main feature of the SERF facility is an outdoor seawater pool
(60 feet long, 30 feet wide and 8 feet deep). It is equipped with a movable
roof to control snow cover and ice growth, and various sensors and instruments
to allow real-time monitoring. The SERF facility also includes a trailer
laboratory and a storage building.
By
fabricating and growing sea ice under various controlled conditions, mesocosm-scale studies will be carried out at SERF to
enhance our fundamental understanding of how sea ice forms and melts on
polar oceans, and to gain insight into the processes that regulate the
exchange of energy and matter between the ocean and atmosphere. Along with
the concurrent field studies onboard the Canadian Research Icebreaker Amundsen
in the Arctic Ocean, experimental studies at SERF will improve our ability
to predict the impact of the rapid sea-ice loss on the marine ecosystem, on
Arctic and global climates, on transport and biogeochemical cycles of
greenhouse gases and contaminants, and on the human use of sea ice.
SERF is
funded by the Canada Foundation
for Innovation, the Manitoba Research and Innovation Fund, and the
University of Manitoba. The project is led by Drs. Fei
Wang, Tim Papakyriakou, David Barber, and Soren Rysgaard.
For
further information, please contact Dr. Fei Wang
(wangf@ms.umanitoba.ca;
Tel.: 204-474-6250).
Milestones:
(See SERF News for
more updates)
Mar., 2012: End
of Year 1 experiments
Feb. 10, 2012:
Frost flowers bloomed at SERF
Feb. 8, 2012: SERF
Grand Opening
Dec. 06, 2011:
First pancake ice formed at SERF
Dec. 2011:
Construction completed
May 2011:
Construction started
Feb. 2011:
Revised SERF design went out to tender
July 14, 2009: The
fence of SERF was up!
Jan. 6, 2009:
Formal announcement of funding from CFI.
Feb. 15, 2008:
CFI-LOF proposal submitted to Ottawa.
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Principal investigators at the Grand
Opening. From left: Drs. Soren Rysgaard, Dave Barber, Fei
Wang (SERF Project Leader), Tim Papakyriakou, and
Norm Halden (Photo by Mike Latschislaw).
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Frost flowers grown at SERF (photo
by Fei Wang) (movie).
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Pancake ice grown at SERF (photo by
David Mosscrop).
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The SERF complex (photo by Fei
Wang)
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