News Archive

Registration is now open for the ARCUS D.C. Arctic Research seminar/webinar “Development on Ice: Social and Economic Impacts of Arctic Transportation Infrastructure”. Featuring Cryopolitics' editor, Mia Bennett, the presentation will discuss the mechanisms connecting northern communities to regional and global transportation networks. The event will be held Friday, 14 April from 12:00-1:00pm EDT. Registration is required for both the live event, held at the ARCUS D.C. office, and the online webinar.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) announced that on 7 March 2017 the sea ice extent over the Arctic Ocean reached 14.42 million square kilometers (5.57 million square miles), then gradually began its decline with the start of the melt season. The sea ice maximum refers to the point at which sea ice is at its highest seasonal extent. According to scientists at NSIDC, Arctic sea ice was at a record low maximum extent for the third straight year.

The SEARCH Sea Ice Action Team’s First Knowledge Exchange Workshop on the Impacts of Arctic Sea-Ice Loss took place over two days in Washington, DC during September 2016. Over 30 scientific experts, representatives from government and non-governmental organizations, arctic residents, and other stakeholders defined and addressed important societal questions raised by sea-ice loss, and explored new approaches and partnerships for advancing awareness and understanding of the associated impacts. The workshop exchanged best practices and opportunities for communicating with various audiences—policymakers, the media, local arctic residents and stakeholders, and other science disciplines. Participants discussed the state of scientific knowledge and engagement across three themes related to arctic sea-ice loss: arctic marine ecosystems, lower latitude weather, and human activities in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas. Participants agreed that the newly initiated Sea Ice Action Network, supported by SEARCH and guided by the Sea Ice Action Team, will provide a promising collaborative approach to communicating the implications of arctic sea-ice loss, sharing diverse perspectives, and facilitating more sophisticated discussions on effective responses.

The SEARCH Permafrost Action team hosted the International Workshop to Reconcile Northern Permafrost Region Methane Budgets in Seattle, WA during 7-9 March. A group of 42 scientists representing terrestrial, coastal, and atmospheric methane sources, as well as modelers, focused on synthetic products and collaborations. Products from the workshop will include meeting reports (EOS, Witness the Arctic) and teams have been formed to produce several peer-reviewed papers.

ARCUS is looking for a highly motivated and experienced business manager to join our team! The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining the business, financial, and administrative systems of ARCUS. The position is located in Fairbanks, Alaska. Applications are due 5:00 pm AK Tuesday, 28 March.

Photos from three recent PolarTREC teacher expeditions are now available on ARCUS' Internet Media Archive. PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is a program in which middle and high school teachers spend 3-6 weeks participating in hands-on field research experiences in the polar regions. The newest albums are Anne Schoeffler's Climate Change and Pollinators expedition to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland; Karen Temple-Beamish's Carbon Balance in Warming and Drying Tundra expedition outside of Healy, Alaska; and Sandra Thornton's Chukchi Sea Borderland expedition aboard the USCGC Healy icebreaker in the northern Chukchi Sea. There are many more PolarTREC albums available on our archive, with more to be added soon. The photos are free to download and use for educational and non-profit use as long as the provided photo credit is used for each photo.

A recording is now available of the ARCUS D.C. Arctic Research seminar/webinar featuring Heather A. Conley of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Heather's presentation discusses the future of Arctic shipping, including areas of cooperation between Arctic actors.

On March 24, 2017, ARCUS and the University of Alaska Anchorage will hold the first Anchorage Arctic Research Day, in UAA's Rasmuson Hall. This event will bring together the rich Arctic research community within the municipality of Anchorage so that we can share information about the diversity of research and creative activity being conducted by researchers from a broad array of organizations, and foster new connections and collaborations.

A recording is now available of the ARCUS D.C. Arctic Research seminar/webinar featuring Dr. John Farrell, Executive Director of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission. John's presentation provides an update on the work of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission and speaks on the topic of science and public policy.

ARCUS welcomes the new 2017 cohort of PolarTREC teachers to Fairbanks, Alaska! They have arrived for their weeklong PolarTREC Orientation. PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is a program in which middle and high school teachers spend 3-6 weeks participating in hands-on field research experiences in the polar regions. Check out where the teachers will be going, which research projects they will be working on, who they will be working with, and where they will be going.

REMINDER: Call for Abstracts and Registration for the Polar Prediction Workshop 2017 (PPW 2017) and the 2nd Sea Ice Model Intercomparison Project Meeting (2nd SIMIP Meeting). Both events are jointly organized by the Polar Climate Predictability Initiative (WCRP-PCPI), the (Polar Prediction Project WWRP-PPP), the Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN), and the Sea Ice Model Intercomparison Project (SIMIP). The workshops will convene 27 to 30 March 2017 at Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Registration and abstract submission deadline: Monday, 30 January 2017.

More information as well as registration and abstract submission forms are available here.

Or, follow instructions from the link to the Science Workshops page found on the Polar Prediction website.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN) announces availability of the 2016 Arctic Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) Post-Season Report! The SIO is an activity of the SIPN project as a contribution to the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH).

The organizers thank the groups and individuals that contributed to the 2016 Sea Ice Outlook; there were a total of 104 submissions of pan-Arctic September extent forecasts, with 30 in June, 35 in July, and 39 in August (a record number of contributions). This year for the first time organizers also collected forecasts of the extent in the combined Chukchi, Bering, and Beaufort seas, which they refer to as the "Alaskan Region."

The post-season report was developed by the 2016 Sea Ice Outlook Post-Season Action Team, the SIPN Leadership Team, and with input provided to an earlier draft of the post-season report via circulation on the SIPN mailing list.

A recording of the latest ARCUS D.C. Arctic Research seminar/webinar featuring Craig Fleener, State of Alaska Arctic Policy Advisor, is now available. Craig's presentation highlights key Arctic research priorities from a state policy perspective, focusing on the important role that science and research should play in improving the day-to-day lives of local Alaskans.

Registration is now open for the ARCUS D.C. Arctic Research seminar/webinar featuring Craig Fleener Arctic Policy Advisor for the State of Alaska. The event will be held Wednesday, 11 January 2017 from 12:00-1:00pm ET. Registration is required for both the live event, held at the ARCUS D.C. office, and online webinar.

Happy Holidays from everyone at ARCUS, and thank you to our colleagues, collaborators, and members for a wonderful year. If you or your organization have not yet joined ARCUS as a member, now is the time!

For the month of December, we are offering Individual Memberships for only $25! As an ARCUS member you will help to support our mission and vision of linking international Arctic researchers, educators, communities, and other stakeholders who are promoting discovery and understanding of the Arctic. Join the ARCUS community now and support the ongoing research and innovative educational initiatives that are helping to shape the future of the Arctic and our planet.

SEARCH Executive Director Brendan Kelly was quoted in an article, "Arctic's year of crazy extremes as warming hits overdrive", which covered the release of NOAA's Arctic Report Card—a peer-reviewed report summarizing the state of the Arctic system.

Join other Arctic researchers in conversation, networking, and socializing at the ARCUS 2016 Annual Meeting and Arctic Research Community Reception on Wednesday, 14 December 2016 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. PST at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis hotel. No ticket or reservations are required. For members unable to join in person, a teleconference option will also be provided.

The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) will hold an open Town Hall meeting on Monday, 12 December from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. PT in the Foothill E room of the San Francisco Marriott Marquis hotel. At the event, SEARCH leads will introduce new Arctic change information resources and discuss how researchers, agencies, and stakeholders can contribute to and participate in SEARCH activities. The event will be live-streamed for online participation.

Join the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) next week (11-16 December) in San Francisco for the American Geophysical Union's 2016 Fall Meeting. The SEARCH community will have a large presence at the conference and we invite you to connect with us at one of our many sessions or events.

A new article published in the December 2016 issue of Scientific American highlights how the Arctic's thawing tundra will likely accelerate global climate change. The article was written by Dr. Ted Schuur, leader of SEARCH's Permafrost Action Team.

A recording of the last ARCUS D.C. Arctic Research seminar/webinar “Observations and Predictions for Arctic Sea-Ice Use: Perspectives from Coastal Alaska” featuring Hajo Eicken of University of Alaska Fairbanks is now available. Hajo's presentation explores how combinations of surface-based observations, Indigenous and local knowledge, and remote sensing can be used to react and respond to rapid change in coastal ice environments.

Join us for a special international day of activities including a live event from McMurdo, Antarctica on December 1 with PolarTREC teacher Tim Dwyer and the research team looking at Polar Gigantism in Antarctica. Learn more about the importance of the Antarctica Treaty and how it impacts research being conducted in Antarctica. This event is in celebration and coordination with ARCUS, APECS, and Our Spaces. For additional Antarctica Day activities, check out this website.

Event Time: 8:00am AKST [9am PST, 10am MST, 11am CST, 12pm EST].

The Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN) announces an open meeting on Tuesday, 13 December 2016 from 12:15-1:15 p.m. in San Francisco, California, during the American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meetings. The meeting will provide a forum to: re-cap the 2016 Arctic sea ice/Sea Ice Outlook season; discuss the next phase of SIPN and how best it can meet the needs of network participants; and share information on relevant efforts and potential collaborations. A boxed lunch will be provided for meeting participants who RSVP by end-of-day Tuesday, 6 December 2016.

The SEARCH Land Ice Action Team wants to help stakeholders interested in future projections of sea level connect with needed information. Are you concerned about sea level rise in your community? Please help us find the best way to communicate information to coastal communities and stakeholders by completing our brief survey. Responses due by Monday, November 21st.