News Archive

Please join us next week for our first two live PolarConnect Events (webinars) – both broadcast from Toolik Field Station in Alaska.

Our first event will be on Tuesday, 25 June at 10 am AKDT with educator Ale Martinez and the Phenology and Vegetation in the Warming Arctic 2019 Team. Ale's team is studying environmental variability and increased temperature on tundra plant phenology, growth, species composition and ecosystem function. You can read more about her experience here.

Our second event will be with educator David Walker and the team studying Carbon in the Arctic. It will be held on Wednesday, 26 June 2019 at 4 pm AKDT. During this event, the team will share their recent research on how microbes and sunlight interact in the Arctic and where thawing permafrost soils release large amounts of carbon from land to water. You can read more about his experience and the research here. Register today!

The “Bridging Science, Art, and Community in the New Arctic” conference will be held 23-25 September 2019 in Charlottesville, VA. This event will feature an interdisciplinary symposium and workshops, a musical performance and art exhibition, and poster sessions. The UVA Environmental Resilience Institute’s Arctic CoLab is organizing the event, with assistance from ARCUS. Funding is provided by NSF, with additional support from UVA’s Institute for Humanities and Global Cultures, and Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation. Registration is free.

The Spring 2019 issue of Witness the Arctic is now published online. This issue includes articles about Bering Sea conditions during the 2019 spring season, an ongoing study of catastrophic lake drainage in the Arctic system, a study of Arctic data portals, and observations from Arctic Indigenous scholar, Rosemary Ahtuangaruak; news from the Local Environmental Observer Network, the Polar Research Board, IARPC Collaborations, the SEARCH program, the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2, and the ARCUS membership program; comments from the ARCUS Executive Director’s office, board members, and Board President Audrey Taylor; and a highlight of ARCUS member institution, the Sitka Sound Science Center.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces the call for contributions for the 2019 Sea Ice Outlook June report (based on May data). The Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share ideas.

Pan-Arctic and Regional Sea Ice Extent Outlooks and any additional figures and gridded fields will be accepted for the 2019 June Outlook. We particularly encourage submissions for the Alaska region (i.e., Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas). For those interested, submissions for Hudson Bay are also accepted. Submissions that include spatial forecast maps are encouraged.

The 2019 SIO will also accept pan-Antarctic sea ice extent of the September monthly mean. Informal sea ice observations and other parameters not included in the regular monthly reports are also invited. All participants whose methods provide information at the local scale to are encouraged to provide full spatial fields via the SIPN Data Portal.

Submission deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Wednesday, 12 June 2019 (firm).

In a new commentary in Nature, SEARCH's Permafrost Action Team indicates a possible doubling of warming from carbon released by thawing permafrost. "An important gap in our understanding of the consequences of a warming Arctic has been how much carbon will thawing permafrost release to the atmosphere and how quickly? This report advances our understanding of the processes, further refines the estimates, and clearly points to the next steps in research," notes Brendan Kelly, Executive Director of SEARCH.

The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference Organizing Committee has announced extended deadlines for the following conference dates:

• Poster Abstracts Deadline: 20 May 2019
• Travel Award Applications Deadline: 20 May 2019
• Poster Decisions and Travel Award Winners Announced: 17 June 2019
• Early-bird Registration Rates End: 10 July 2019

The April 2019 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes three articles: “Comparative Study Explores Northern Dene Astronomical Knowledge,” an investigation of how Northern Dene peoples perceive, conceptualize, and integrate the sky and its contents into systems of knowledge and worldview; “A Remarkable Response of Ice-Rich Permafrost Terrain to Summer Warming,” highlighting the dramatic impact of thawing permafrost on Arctic environments; and “A New and Exciting Age in Polar Science,” an essay by Kelly K. Falkner, Director of the Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) is pleased to host Helen M. Aderman, 2019 Arctic Indigenous Scholar, for a seminar/webinar entitled, “The Bristol Bay Marine Ecosystem & Subsistence Resource Needs”. The event will be held on Monday, 6 May 2019 at 12:00-1:00 p.m. EDT at the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) office in Washington, D.C. A live webinar is also available to those unable to attend in person. Registration is required for both the in-person and live-streamed events.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network – Phase 2 (SIPN2) invites registration for an open webinar entitled "ICESat-2 over Sea Ice: Early Results" featuring Ron Kwok, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the ICESat-2 Team. The presentation will focus on one of NASA’s science objectives for the ICESat-2 altimetry mission—to provide observations to quantify changes and to add to previous satellite and airborne records of freeboard, thickness, and sea surface height of the ice-covered Arctic and Southern Oceans. This event will be held on Tuesday, 7 May 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. AKDT.

ARCUS invites registration for the next Arctic Research Seminar Series event featuring Lawrence Hamilton (Carsey School of Public Policy, University of New Hampshire). This event, titled “What People Know: Asking About the Arctic on U.S. General-Public Surveys,” will be held on Friday, 3 May 2019 at 12:00-1:00 p.m. EDT in Washington D.C. This seminar will also be available as a webinar live-stream for those unable to attend in person.

The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference Organizing Committee has announced extended deadlines for the following conference dates:

• Poster Abstracts Deadline: 20 May 2019
• Travel Award Applications Deadline: 20 May 2019
• Poster Decisions and Travel Award Winners Announced: 17 June 2019
• Early-bird Registration Rates End: 10 July 2019

The 2019 Anchorage Arctic Research Summit will be held Thursday, 2 May from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Anchorage Museum in Anchorage, Alaska. The conference theme is “Transforming Research and Scholarship in the North” and will bring together members of the Anchorage-area Arctic research community to share information about their diverse research and creative activities, and to foster new connections. Registration is open.

Date and Time: 14 May 2019, 10:00 a.m. AKT/ 2:00 p.m. ET
Location: This event will be held online via Zoom Video Conferencing.

For more information, contact Andrea Fisher, SEARCH Research Associate, afisher13 [at] alaska.edu

The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) invites participation in a virtual discussion, Intersection of Arctic Science and Policy. This web presentation will be held 14 May 2019 at 10:00 a.m. AKT/ 11:00 a.m. PT/ 12:00 p.m. MT/ 1:00 p.m. CT/ 2:00 p.m. ET via Zoom Video Conferencing.

Dr. Brendan Kelly, SEARCH Executive Director, will present a short history of Arctic research policy—from the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 to the Department of Defense Arctic Strategy of 2017—followed by observations on the future science needed to support policy. Input from others on the call is encouraged.

Open to anyone interested in Arctic research and policies. The discussion is part of the lead up to the Arctic Futures 2050 conference that will take place September 4-6, 2019 at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Registration for the conference is now open.

ARCUS is accepting applications for a motivated, organized, and detail-oriented Project Assistant. This position is a non-exempt, full-time position, paid on an hourly basis. Hiring preference will be given to candidates located in Fairbanks. Additional consideration may be given to qualified Alaska-based candidates with demonstrated ability to work from a remote location.

General responsibilities will include travel planning, workshop planning support and implementation, assistance with ARCUS programs, and general administrative support.

Applications will be reviewed beginning Friday, 26 April 2019 and the position will remain open until filled.

The Permafrost Collaboration Team of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) is organizing a webinar on Monday, April 15 at 2pm EDT to discuss the Arctic Futures 2050 conference and to begin exploring within the permafrost community the knowledge needed to inform decisions concerning the Arctic in coming decades.

To participate, please request an account on the IARPC Collaborations website and the join the IARPC Permafrost Collaboration Team. Once you are signed in, you will be able to view the meeting login details here.

The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference Organizing Committee announces travel award opportunities for early-career researchers and Indigenous knowledge holders. The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference will be an international conference designed to enhance collaboration between Arctic scientists from many disciplines, diverse Indigenous knowledge holders, and policy makers from all levels of government. Travel award applications are due 1 May 2019.

The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference Organizing Committee announces travel award opportunities for early-career researchers and Indigenous knowledge holders. The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference—convened by the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH)—will be an international conference designed to enhance collaboration between Arctic scientists from many disciplines, diverse Indigenous knowledge holders, and policy makers from all levels of government. The conference will be held 4-6 September 2019 at the National Academies of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Applications are due 20 May 2019.

The March 2019 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes two articles: “Novel Project Seeks Understanding of Air Pollution Processes in Arctic Conditions,” summarizing efforts to increase understanding of pollution processes relevant to Arctic winter conditions; and “Alaska NSF Program Releases Stakeholder Engagement Report,” summarizing findings of a six-year project entitled “Alaska Adapting to Changing Environments.”

ARCUS invites registration for our next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Elena Sparrow (UAF, Winterberry Project), Marilyn Sigman (Alaska Sea Grant), Michael Køie Poulsen (NORDECO, INTAROS), and Ted Cheeseman (Polar Citizen Science Collective). This seminar, titled “Community Science in Arctic Research and Observing – Past, Present, and Future,” will be held Wednesday, 10 April 2019 from 8:00-9:00am AKDT (12:00-1:00pm EDT) in room 501 of the Akasofu Building (2160 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775) on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. A live webinar is also available to those unable to attend in person.

The 2019 Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook season is underway with a record-early start in response to low sea ice conditions in the Bering Sea. Weekly outlooks are published each Friday and include sea ice, weather, and remote sensing information from the National Weather Service and local observations from SIWO observers Bering Strait coastal communities. The Outlook for March 22nd includes an additional contribution from Matthew Druckenmiller and Hajo Eicken, The State of the Ice at Season’s Start.

Chair of the SEARCH Science Steering Committee, Dr. Marika Holland, has been awarded this year's IASC Medal for "Outstanding Achievement and Scientific Leadership role in Understanding, Modeling and Predicting the Arctic Climate System, in particular Sea Ice". The Medal will be awarded at the upcoming Arctic Science Summit Week, which will be held in Arkhangelsk, Russia, 22 – 30 May, 2019, where Dr. Holland will deliver a remote lecture.

The 2018 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) Post-Season Report is now available online. This report centers around forecasts of pan-Arctic September minimum sea ice extent, while also including information about forecasts of sea ice probability and a synthesis of observed Arctic conditions from June to September 2018. It also includes a review of forecasts for the Alaskan sector; an evaluation of the SIO forecast skill; discussions about Antarctic maxima sea ice extent forecasts; the Sea Ice Drift Forecast Experiment; an overview of sea ice forecasting needs of the Alaska marine shipping industry; and ideas of how to continue efforts to understand sea ice predictability and how to create information products that are accessible to stakeholders so that the science can be used in decision making to improve outcomes. The SIO is a community network activity led by the Sea Ice Prediction Network-Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team with contributions from key partners.

The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference Organizing Committee invites abstracts for posters; poster sessions will be held during each day of the conference as an integral part of the agenda and expansion of the plenary sessions. Poster abstracts are due 1 May 2019.

The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference—convened by the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH)—will be an international conference designed to enhance collaboration between Arctic scientists from many disciplines, diverse Indigenous knowledge holders, and policy makers from all levels of government. The conference will be held 4-6 September 2019 in Washington, D.C. The Organizing Committee invites abstracts for posters; poster sessions will be held during each day of the conference as an integral part of the agenda and expansion of the plenary sessions. Poster abstracts are due 20 May 2019.

ARCUS invites registration for our next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Donna Hauser (International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks). This seminar, titled “Diverse Responses and Emerging Risks for Marine Mammals in a Rapidly Changing Arctic,” will be held Monday, 25 March 2019 from 11:00am-12:00pm AKDT in room 501 of the Akasofu Building (2160 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775) on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. A live webinar is also available to those unable to attend in person.