Witness the Arctic - Winter 2015, Volume 19 Number 1

ARCTIC Chronicles of the NSF Arctic Science Section Winter 2015, Volume 19 Number 1 Published by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States • 3535 College Road - Suite 101 • Fairbanks, AK 99709 • inf[email protected] Interagency Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) (pgs 2-4) • Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) Update Arctic Research Support and Logistics (pgs 5-6) • Updates from NSF’s Arctic Research Support and Logistics Program Data Management (pg 7) • ACADIS Data Management At Your Service Science Policy News (pg 8) • Executive Order Issued to Coordinate Arctic-Related Activities Interagency News (pgs 9-15) • IARPC Supports Expanded Communication and Collaboration in Arctic Research • NOAA’s 2014 Arctic Report Card International News (pgs 16-20) • Integrating Arctic Research – a Roadmap for the Future • Update on Arctic Science Summit Week 2016 From the ARCUS Board (pg 21) • Meet the Board of Directors - Mark Ivey In this Issue Interagency Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) Update SEARCH Transition to Implementation Phase SEARCH continues to transition from a planning-focused structure to an implementation phase. As follow-up from a SEARCH kick-off meeting this past fall (http://www.arcus.org /search-program/meetings/2014/kick-off-tactics) and with input from a SEARCH Town Hall and related meetings (http://www.arcus.org/search-program/meetings/2014/agu) at the AGU Fall Meeting, SEARCH has made progress on key governance and structure issues, including posting and announcement of three new SEARCH positions and rotations in the Science Steering Committee (SSC): SEARCH Executive Director : SEARCH announced the position of Executive Director, who will work with the SEARCH SSC, researchers, stakeholders, and agency personnel to implement the goals and objectives of SEARCH. The announcement can be found here (http://www.arcus.org/arctic-info/archive /22892) and application review for this position begins 15 March 2015. SEARCH Communicator/Facilitator : SEARCH announced a SEARCH Communicator/Facilitator position, which will work with a Sea Ice Action Team and SEARCH as a whole to enable communication and collaboration among members of the SEARCH organization, scientific community, stakeholders, other related programs, funding agencies, and government organizations. The announcement can be found here (http://www.arcus.org/arcus/jobs/communicator) and applications for this position are due 1 April 2015. Project Manager : A third position opening announced was for a Project Manager at ARCUS to implement and support a variety of SEARCH activities. The application period for this position is now closed; the archived announcement can be found here (http://www.arcus.org//arctic-info/archive/22926) . Call for Science Steering Committee (SSC) Nominations : A call for nominations for the SEARCH Science Steering Committee was circulated last week. SEARCH seeks nominations of candidates for the SSC who are broad and cross-disciplinary thinkers, good communicators and consensus-builders, and have a strong commitment to the SEARCH vision (http://www.arcus.org/search-program/vision) . The full announcement is here (http://www.arcus.org/arctic-info/archive/22942) and the nomination deadline is 9 March 2015. In addition to hiring and SSC nominations, SEARCH is finalizing an updated Terms of Reference and related governance issues. 2 Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting 2015 Initial planning for an Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting is underway. This meeting, which will be scheduled for November 2015 in the Seattle, Washington area, will gather members of the Arctic research community to share and discuss observing activities and related scientific findings. Meeting co-chairs are Craig Lee (University of Washington) (http://www.apl.washington.edu/people/profile.php?last=Lee&first=Craig) , Matthew Shupe (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado and NOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory) (http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/people/matthew.shupe/) , and Cathy Wilson (Atmosphere, Climate & Ecosystem Sciences Team Leader, Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory) (http://ees.lanl.gov/source/orgs/ees/) . Funding for core meeting activities is being provided by the NSF Arctic Observing Network program (http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503222&org=PLR& from=home) ; co-sponsorship is sought for additional activities, including web streaming, poster session, student/early career researchers travel scholarships, and development of meeting products. Updates on the meeting will be announced through ArcticInfo (http://www.arcus.org/arctic-info) , and the SEARCH (http://www.arcus.org /search-program) and ARCUS (http://www.arcus.org/) websites. Arctic Observing Network (AON) Position Paper A draft position paper (http://www.arcus.org/search-program/aon) on the design and implementation of an integrated AON is undergoing final revision. Key issues addressed in the paper include governance, network integration, and sustained funding. The draft was circulated for input and comments are now being integrated; the final paper will be circulated in the coming weeks. Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN) The SIPN project, a contribution to SEARCH, has several achievements since the last update in Witness the Arctic (http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2014/3/article/22788) . A post-season report for the Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) was finalized and released. The final report was developed by a Sea Ice Outlook Action Team (http://www.arcus.org/sipn/action-team) that worked with SIPN leadership to develop a draft, which was circulated to SIPN members. The report addresses physical processes that factored into the sea ice dynamics during the 2014 melt season, as well as a discussion of the various SIO methods. The final report, including a short highlights summary, can be found here. (http://www.arcus.org/sipn/sea-ice-outlook/2014/post-season-highlights) 3 SIPN held an open meeting at the AGU Fall Meeting focused on issues related to sea ice modeling and initial conditions. The presentation and notes from the meeting, as well as a SIPN poster presented at an AGU session, can be found here (http://www.arcus.org/sipn/meetings/agu/2014/modeling) . SIPN will hold a webinar, "Sea Ice Modeling: Characteristics and Processes Critical for the Radiation Budget" on Tuesday, 3 March 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. AKST. The speaker will be Elizabeth Hunke (Los Alamos National Laboratory) and the webinar is targeted for the sea ice research community and others interested in learning about sea ice modeling from the global climate model perspective. More information and registration is available here (http://www.arcus.org/sipn/webinars/3-3-2015) . More information and updates on SIPN can be found via the SIPN website (http://www.arcus.org/sipn) and mailing list (http://www.arcus.org/sipn/mailing-list) . An open LinkedIn group has also been created; more information on the group is here (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Arctic-Sea-Ice-Prediction-Network-6940799) . For more information about any SEARCH activity, see the SEARCH website or contact Hajo Eicken, U. of Alaska Fairbanks (SEARCH SSC Chair) at [email protected] or Helen Wiggins, ARCUS (SEARCH Project Office) at [email protected]g . Updates on all SEARCH activities are also provided through ARCUS' twitter account: @ArcticResearch. Published by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States • 3535 College Road - Suite 101 • Fairbanks, AK 99709 • [email protected] 4 Arctic Research Support and Logistics Updates from NSF's Arctic Research Support and Logistics Program The NSF Arctic Research Support and Logistics (RSL) program funded an Arctic Field Safety Risk Management Workshop on 4-5 February 2014 to initiate a discussion of Arctic field safety risk management. Over 50 participants attended representing diverse academic disciplines, facility managers, university risk management offices, and field support providers and incorporating experiences from across the Arctic. A pre-publication draft of the workshop report will be available online in March 2015. The final publication will be released in Spring 2015 and announced via ArcticInfo (http://www.arcus.org /arctic-info) and other information channels. For more information, see the workshop webpage (http://rslriskworkshop.com/) or contact Renée Crain ( [email protected] ) or Pat Haggerty ( [email protected] ). Arctic Research Support Opportunities and Events To increase the efficiency of travel for U.S. researchers attending Ilulissat Climate Days 2015 (http://www.polar.dtu.dk/english/Ilulissat-Climate-Days/Registration) , NSF and NASA are co-sponsoring a flight on the 109th Air National Guard. The flight departs 31 May 2015 from Stratton Air Force Base to Kangerlussuaq. The return flight, from Kangerlussuaq to Stratton, is 6 June 2015. Individuals are responsible for their travel to Ilulissat and for all lodging and expenses associated with travel. Only the flight on the 109th Air National Guard is covered. The closest commercial airport to Stratton is in Albany, New York. The deadline for abstract submissions was 13 February 2015. The deadline for accommodation request is Sunday, 1 March 2015. This flight is for NSF and NASA-funded researchers, their students, and related research personnel. This flight is not appropriate for spouses or others not affiliated with NSF and NASA-funded research. To arrange use of this flight, please contact Kyli Cosper ( [email protected] ). More information about traveling to and within Greenland is available here (http://cpspolar.com/project-locations /greenland/) . For questions, please contact your funding program manager or Renée Crain ( [email protected] ). 5 The 11th Annual Polar Technology Conference (PTC) (http://polartech.datatransport.org/) will convene 24-26 March 2015 in Denver, Colorado. The primary purpose of this conference is to provide a forum for polar scientists and technology developers to exchange information on research system operational needs and technology solutions that have been successful in polar environments. This exchange of knowledge helps to address issues of design, implementation, and deployment for systems that are to achieve their research goals in polar regions. More information about the conference, online registration, and abstract submission instructions is available here (http://polartech.datatransport.org/) . Published by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States • 3535 College Road - Suite 101 • Fairbanks, AK 99709 • [email protected] 6 ACADIS Data Management ACADIS Data Management At Your Service By: ACADIS Community Support Team members Toni Rosati, Lynn Yarmey, Lisa Booker, Don Stott, Janet Scannell, Eric Nienhouse, and Sean Arms The Advanced Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service (ACADIS) (http://www.aoncadis.org/) team continues to support the data management needs of projects funded by NSF's Division of Polar Programs (PLR) Arctic Sciences Section with data submission, preservation, search, and sharing services. Updates include: A new and improved data submission interface is now available for data submission on the ACADIS website. For a quick review of changes, please see the documentation here (http://bit.ly/acadissubmission) or download full documentation here (https://www.aoncadis.org/media/ProvidersGuide.pdf) . ACADIS team members are ready to help meet NSF proposal requirements and encourage community members to request a review of their individual Data Management Plan (DMP). The DMP template is also freely available for download and use here (http://bit.ly/datamgmtplan) . ACADIS is in the process of reviewing and cleaning metadata. Metadata updates will ultimately improve data search services. Some Principal Investigators (PIs) may be asked for participation, so keep an eye out for an email from the ACADIS team. The cleanup project is an ongoing process to help ensure that this critical component of the archive is accurate for all datasets. The metadata serves as a key link for interoperability with other archives and search engines to discover and access ACADIS data holdings. The Arctic Data Explorer (ADE) search portal for Arctic data across agencies, repositories, and nations has greatly increased in speed and efficiency. The search tool now includes over 20,000 datasets across 10 repositories. It is available here (http://bit.ly/arcticdatasearch) . ACADIS, funded by NSF, is a joint effort by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) (http://ncar.ucar.edu/) , the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) (https://www2.ucar.edu/) , and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) (http://nsidc.org/) . For more information about ACADIS; to send feedback; or to submit, retrieve, and search data; please visit the ACADIS website (http://www.aoncadis.org/) or contact the team via email ( [email protected]g ) or call 720-443-1409. 7 Science Policy News Executive Order Issued to Coordinate Arctic-Related Activities President Obama issued an Executive Order (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/21/executiveorder-enhancing-coordination-national-efforts-arctic) on 21 January 2015 to help coordinate Arctic-related activities across the Federal Government and to enhance collaborations with state, local, and Alaska Native tribal governments and similar Alaska Native organizations, academic and research institutions, and the private and nonprofit sectors. The Executive Order establishes an Arctic Executive Steering Committee that will serve as a coordinating mechanism on federal Arctic activities and facilitate cohesive guidance to departments and agencies. The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dr. John P. Holdren, will chair the committee. According to its press release, the Office of Science and Technology Policy "looks forward to continuing its work with collaborators within and outside government to apply the best scientific information, data, and tools to support stewardship, preparedness, and long-term sustainability in the Arctic region." More information about the Administration's Arctic priorities and activities can be found in The National Strategy for the Arctic Region (http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/nat_arctic_strategy.pdf) , the Arctic Implementation Plan (http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files /docs/implementation_plan_for_the_national_strategy_for_the_arctic_region_-_fi....pdf) , and on this White House website (http://www.whitehouse.gov/climate-change) . For further information about the Executive Order (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01 /21/executive-order-enhancing-coordination-national-efforts-arctic) and source material for this article, see the Office of Science and Technology Policy press release (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/01/21/promotingscience-based-stewardship-security-and-opportunity-arctic-region) . Published by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States • 3535 College Road - Suite 101 • Fairbanks, AK 99709 • [email protected] 8 IARPC Collaborations - Iceberg photo courtesy of Nick Salava. Interagency News IARPC Supports Expanded Communication and Collaboration in Arctic Research By: Sara Bowden, IARPC Executive Secretary; and Jessica Rohde, IARPC Project Coordinator/Web Manager In 2013, the Principals of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee approved the following vision statement: IARPC envisions a prosperous, sustainable, and healthy Arctic understood through innovative and collaborative research coordinated among Federal agencies and domestic and international partners . The IARPC community has embraced this vision in 2014 and expanded its focus from federal-only discussions to a more collaborative effort that involves both federal and non-federal partners to better harness the talent of the broader scientific and stakeholder community. A number of tools have been put in place in order to enable this far-reaching communication and collaboration. In some cases these tools are tried and true, while others are new, innovative, and even experimental in nature. Collaboration Teams: The heart of the discussion The Obama Administration released the five-year Arctic Research Plan: FY2013-2017 (http://www.whitehouse.gov /sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/2013_arctic_research_plan.pdf) in February 2013. The Arctic Research Plan focuses on advancing knowledge of the Arctic by improving collaboration in seven priority research areas (sea ice and marine ecosystems, terrestrial ice and ecosystems, atmospheric studies, observing systems, regional climate models, human health studies, and adaptation tools for communities). From these seven research areas, 12 collaboration teams were formed to respond to the 145 milestones laid out in the plan. The collaboration teams are charged with enhancing inter-institutional and interdisciplinary implementation of scientific research on local, regional, and circumpolar environmental and societal issues in the Arctic. 9 ICARP III International News Integrating Arctic Research – a Roadmap for the Future By: Volker Rachold, Executive Secretary, International Arctic Science Committee The Third International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III) The scientific, political, and economic interest in the Arctic is rapidly growing and the increasing number of Arctic and polar research programs requires a better coordination in order to agree on shared objectives and ensure the best value for funds spent. Consequently, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) (http://www.iasc.info/) initiated the planning of a third International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III) (http://icarp.iasc.info/) and invited all interested partner organizations to participate in shaping the future of Arctic research needs. ICARP III is a process to: Identify Arctic science priorities for the next decade; Coordinate various Arctic research agendas; Inform policymakers, people who live in or near the Arctic, and the global community; and Build constructive relationships between producers and users of knowledge. Beginning with a formal launch at Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2014 (http://www.assw2014.fi/) in Finland and culminating in a final conference at ASSW 2015 (http://assw2015.org/) in Japan, the ICARP III program includes a series of activities, meetings, and events during 2014-2015. 16 ICARP III is governed by a Steering Committee established by the participating organizations. The last Steering Group meeting was held 11-12 November 2014 in Potsdam, Germany. Photo courtesy of the IASC Secretariat. Outcomes and Products The primary outcome of ICARP III will be an inventory of reports and recommendations from the various ICARP III activities. Each ICARP III activity will report back to the ICARP III Steering Group, and based on a reporting template the Steering Group will extract the key messages and findings of the individual activities and compile a consensus statement identifying the most important Arctic research needs for the next decade. This overarching ICARP III statement, having the endorsement of all ICARP III partner organizations, will be presented at the main ICARP III conference held during ASSW 2015 in Japan. The ICARP III outcome will also be linked to the conclusions of the forward-looking Horizon Scan conducted by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) (http://www.scar.org/) and it will include contributions to the development of the International Polar Partnership Initiative (IPPI) (http://www.europeanpolarboard.org /activities/scientific-initiatives/the-international-polar-partnership-initiative-ippi/) . 17 Recipients The audience of ICARP III includes the international Arctic scientific community (both individual scientists and scientific organizations), funding agencies supporting Arctic research, Arctic policymakers, and residents. All of these stakeholders will benefit from a broadly approved document identifying the priorities for forward-looking, collaborative, interdisciplinary Arctic research, and observing and providing a roadmap for research priorities and partnerships. Further information is available here (http://icarp.iasc.info/) or email [email protected] ). Published by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States • 3535 College Road - Suite 101 • Fairbanks, AK 99709 • [email protected] 18 International News Update on Arctic Science Summit Week 2016 By: Kristin Timm, Science Communications Lead, Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning, Alaska Climate Science Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks Plans are underway for Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2016, which will convene 12-18 March 2016 in Fairbanks, Alaska. ASSW, an annual gathering of international scientists and policymakers, provides a forum to share Arctic research findings and to advance understanding and planning for a rapidly changing Arctic. Over 500 scientists, policymakers, administrators, students, and members of the media from around the world are expected to attend. The conference will consist of several separate but related activities to strengthen international coordination, collaboration, and cooperation in all fields of Arctic science. These activities include: 12-15 March 2016: Arctic Science Summit Week 15-18 March 2016: Arctic Observing Summit 15-17 March 2016: Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials Most conference activities will take place on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. Field trips and local events will provide additional opportunities. Image courtesy of Kristin Timm. ASSW is an initiative of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) (http://www.arcus.org/witnessthe-arctic/2015/1/article/22940) . The intention of the first ASSW, convened in 1999 in Tromso, Norway, was to combine science and management meetings to increase travel and time efficiencies. ASSW has developed a history of being an efficient method of coordinating and facilitating international research programs, which is reflected by the enhanced collaboration and improved communication that has emerged. 19 Additional conference details including program summaries, science themes, and exhibiting opportunities will emerge in the coming months. Further information about ASSW 2016 is available here (http://assw2016.org/) . The community is also invited to subscribe for email updates at http://www.assw2016.org and join the community via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ASSW2016 and on Twitter @Arctic2016. Published by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States • 3535 College Road - Suite 101 • Fairbanks, AK 99709 • [email protected] 20 Mark Ivey From the ARCUS Board Meet the Board of Directors – Mark Ivey Mark Ivey was elected to the ARCUS Board of Directors in 2012. His three-year term ends in 2015. Mark is the manager for the Department of Energy's (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) (http://www.arm.gov/) climate research facilities in Alaska. These facilities, managed by Sandia National Laboratories for DOE, include ground-based systems in Barrow, Oliktok, and Atqasuk, Alaska. Ivey is also a distinguished member of the technical staff at Sandia where he has worked since the early 1980's. He received his PhD in electrical engineering from the University of New Mexico. In addition to working for Sandia, Mark has worked for technology start-up companies in New Mexico, and he taught briefly as an adjunct professor in the electrical engineering department at Montana State University in Bozeman. At the ARM facility, Mark is part of an extended and internationally-distributed climate research team with ongoing efforts to characterize the structure of the atmosphere and the formation and elevation of clouds. Their work to improve the precision in measuring these parameters has provided valuable data to enhance the accuracies of global climate models. These efforts have helped to transform scientists' understanding of what the future may hold for Earth's climate. Mark comments, "The Arctic has always been a unique and important place, and it plays a critical role in the Earth's climate systems. Recognition of the Arctic's role in global-scale issues is growing quickly. When we compare what our models are telling us with what we measure, it's clear that there's much to be done in improving our understanding. "I am glad to be part of current efforts to improve our understanding of the Arctic atmosphere. ARCUS plays an important role in distributing information across many domains and disciplines. I don't know of any other organization that connects such a broad range of stakeholders with science and reaches out to the public with updates on the Arctic environment." 21 Arctic Research Consortium of the United States 3535 College Road Suite 101 Fairbanks, AK 99709 USA Phone: 907-474-1600 Fax: 907-474-1604 [email protected]g Editors: Betsy Turner-Bogren, Kristina Creek, Judy Fahnestock, and Helen Wiggins Contributors: S. Arms, L. Booker, S. Bowden, H. Eicken, M. Ivey, M. Jeffries, E. Nienhouse, V. Rachold, J. Richter-Menge, J. Rohde, T. Rosati, J. Scannell, D. Stott, K. Timm, B. Turner-Bogren, H. Wiggins, and L. Yarmey ARCUS is a nonprofit organization consisting of institutions organized and operated for educational, professional, or scientific purposes. Established by its member institutions in 1988 with the primary mission of strengthening arctic research, ARCUS activities are funded through member dues and contracts and grants with federal and private entities. Witness the Arctic is published periodically by ARCUS. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF. Archived issues of Witness the Arctic are available at: http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic