News Archive

The Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on the planet. Dr. Brendan Kelly discusses what this means and the importance of scientists, Indigenous Peoples and youth in this changing environment. Tune in to join the discussion with The Bridge's host and Students on Ice alum Julia Trombley on August 20th at 3pm EST.

The interview will be on Facebook Live and co-hosted by the US Embassy in Canada.

Please Save The Date! The 2020 ARCUS Annual Meeting will take place virtually this year on Thursday, 29 October 2020, 9-11am AKDT, 10am-12pm PDT, 11am-1pm MDT, 12-2pm CDT, 1-3pm EDT. ARCUS Annual Meetings serve as an important opportunity for for the Council of ARCUS Institutional Member Representatives, ARCUS Individual Members, and other members of the broader Arctic research community to connect with one another, the ARCUS Board of Directors, and staff. The meeting will be open to all interested participants and there is no cost to attend.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) supports a rich range of Arctic research, education, and communication activities. Our Polar Media Archive is a valuable resource that is home to over 20,000 beautiful photos from across the Arctic. Of these, we’re proud to present 30 handpicked images to serve as virtual meeting backgrounds.

SEARCH Executive Director Dr. Brendan P. Kelly has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to Norway. Kelly will conduct research at UiT The Arctic University of Norway as part of a project to study environmental change in the Arctic. In collaboration with Dr. Paul Wassmann and other Norwegian colleagues, Kelly will explore research and education approaches adapted to the rapid pace of change in Arctic ecosystems. At UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Kelly will observe firsthand Norwegian approaches to coordinating Arctic research and share their best practices with the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) in the United States and ArcticNet in Canada.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces the Call for Contributions for the 2020 Sea Ice Outlook August Report (based on May, June, and July 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 2020 August Outlook. We particularly encourage submissions for the Alaska region (i.e., Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas). All participants whose methods provide information at the local scale are encouraged to provide full spatial fields via the SIPN Data Portal. New for the August SIO Report: Forecasts for ice advance dates (IAD) will be calculated from the full spatial fields of sea ice concentration that extend through the ice-advance seasons.

The 2020 SIO will also accept pan-Antarctic sea ice extent of the September monthly mean. Additionally, we encourage submissions to the associated effort of the Sea Ice Drift Forecast Experiment.

Submission deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Wednesday, 12 July 2020 (firm).

This issue includes news about the new NSF Director, Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan; updates from NSF’s Office of Polar Programs; summaries of recently released strategic plans from NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and from the American Geophysical Union (AGU); science articles about understanding circumpolar bear ceremonialism and about the changing carbon cycle of the Arctic Ocean; updates on the PolarTREC program and the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 project; overviews of the first Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Investigators Meeting and of the sixth annual APECS conference; comments from the ARCUS Executive Director, Board President, and other board members; and a highlight of ARCUS member institution, Kawerak, Inc.

The 2020 July Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) report is now available online. The Sea Ice Outlook, an effort managed by the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2), provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

For the 2020 July report, 38 contributions were received that included pan-Arctic predictions. Of those contributions, 10 included predictions for the Alaska Region and 7 included pan-Antarctic predictions. Additionally, we received 13 submissions of sea-ice probability and 10 submissions of first ice-free date. New this year, the report includes ice-free conditions for the Hudson Bay region; the September sea-ice concentration contour in the Fram Strait region, motivated by the MOSAiC expedition; and we invited contributors to submit initial conditions (sea-ice concentration and sea-ice thickness) of their forecasts to better understand how observations are being used in forecasts.

For the pan-Arctic, the median July Outlook value for September 2020 sea-ice extent is 4.36 million square kilometers, with quartiles of 4.1 and 4.6 million square kilometers. The median is close to the observed 2019 September sea-ice extent of 4.32 million square kilometers.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network – Phase 2 (SIPN2) invites registration for an open webinar entitled “Machine Learning—Challenges and Opportunities for Applications in Sea-Ice Prediction.” This webinar will focus on the use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, on how such approaches can be applied in cryospheric research, as well as related challenges and limitations. Discussion will include the use of advanced machine learning algorithms in climate science with attention on how to improve the prediction of future sea-ice. Time for participant questions will follow the presentations. This one-hour event will be held on Wednesday, 29 July 2020 starting at 8:00 am (AKDT).

We are excited to announce new resources available through the PolarTREC website. Whether you are a classroom teacher looking for new lessons for next fall or an informal science educator looking for new ideas to use with your audiences - PolarTREC has resources for you! Recently published resources include:

• Growing Up on Ice – In this STEM-based lesson, students analyze Weddell seal pup growth data, collected by the Growing Up on Ice, B-030, research team.
• Don’t Clam Up - The Effect of Warming Seas on Respiration and Biomass – This lesson plan is designed to teach students about the importance of the benthic community in the shallow portions of the Arctic and how climate change may affect their respiration.
• Jumping Into Warming Seas – This lesson introduces students to the impacts of increasing ocean temperatures on marine life.

SAVE THE DATE for a Sea Ice Prediction Network webinar titled “Machine Learning—Challenges and Opportunities for Applications in Sea-Ice Prediction” scheduled for Wednesday, 29 July 2020 from 8:00 9:00 am (AKDT). This webinar will focus on the use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, on how such approaches can be applied in cryospheric research, as well as related challenges and limitations. Discussion will include the use of advanced machine learning algorithms in climate science with attention on how to improve the prediction of future sea-ice. Time for participant questions will follow the presentations. Registration instructions will be announced closer to the event.

The June 2020 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes two articles: “Arctic Data Center's New Customizable Portal Service,” summarizing features, applications, and examples of effective use of the new data tool; and “US Arctic Research Commission Hosts Virtual Conference and Workshop,” highlighting discussion panels and topics addressed during the virtual conference on COVID-19 Impacts in the Arctic, held in mid-May 2020; as well as an overview of the Virtual Alaska Electric Vehicle (EV) Workshop held in mid-June 2020.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces the Call for Contributions for the 2020 Sea Ice Outlook July Report (based on May and June 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 2020 July Outlook. We particularly encourage submissions for the Alaska region (i.e., Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas). All participants whose methods provide information at the local scale to are encouraged to provide full spatial fields via the SIPN Data Portal. First ice-free dates (IFD) for Hudson Bay will be calculated from the full spatial fields that cover this region. For those interested, submissions the September 2020 80% sea ice concentration contour for Fram Strait are also invited. The 2020 SIO will also accept pan-Antarctic sea ice extent of the September monthly mean. Additionally, we encourage submissions to the associated effort of the Sea Ice Drift Forecast Experiment.

Submission deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Monday, 13 July 2020 (Firm).

The 2020 June Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) report is now available online. The Sea Ice Outlook, an effort managed by the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2), provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

For the 2020 June report, 33 contributions were received that included pan-Arctic predictions. Of those contributions eight included predictions for pan-Antarctic and the Alaska Region. Additionally, we received 13 submissions of sea-ice probability and ten submissions of first ice-free date. New this year, the report includes ice-free conditions for the Hudson Bay region; September sea-ice concentration contour in the Fram Strait region, motivated by the MOSAiC expedition; and we invited contributors to submit initial conditions (sea-ice concentration and sea-ice thickness) of their forecasts to better understand how observations are being used in forecasts.

For the pan-Arctic, the median June Outlook value for September 2020 sea-ice extent is 4.33 million square kilometers, with quartiles of 4.06 and 4.59 million square kilometers. The median is close to the 2019 June Outlook, of 4.40 million square kilometers, and to the observed 2019 September sea-ice extent of 4.32 million square kilometers.

ARCUS is seeking an Accounting Assistant. This position, based in Fairbanks, Alaska, reports to the Director of Finance and Human Resources and provides accounting and administrative support to ARCUS. The position is temporary part-time with the possibility of developing into regular part-time.

The Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook concluded the 2020 season on Friday, 12 June after twelve weeks of weekly reports featuring local observations from seven Bering Strait Communities, National Weather Service sea ice and weather forecasts, and NWS and ACCAP satellite images. All reports are available in our archive. Thank you to our local observers and partners for a productive season!

Lightning talk videos, project update reports, and summary notes from the first Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Investigators Meeting are now available and can be found on the NNA Investigators Meeting webpage. The meeting was held virtually 16-17 April 2020.

"Informed by history, scientists and indigenous people must assess where the Arctic environment is headed and share their knowledge in words accessible to those who influence and make policy. Moreover, the words of policymakers should help define, for researchers, the most urgent societal needs. The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) approaches environmental Arctic change with a recognition that history, people, and words matter. Paying attention to the Arctic’s past, its inhabitants, and how we talk about its environment is necessary to properly define the problems."

Learn more in a new SEARCH article published today in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces the Call for Contributions for the 2020 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 2020 June Outlook. We particularly encourage submissions for the Alaska region (i.e., Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas). All participants whose methods provide information at the local scale to are encouraged to provide full spatial fields via the SIPN Data Portal. First ice-free dates (IFD) for Hudson Bay will be calculated from the full spatial fields that cover this region. For those interested, submissions the September 2020 80% sea ice concentration contour for Fram Strait are also invited.

The 2020 SIO will also accept pan-Antarctic sea ice extent of the September monthly mean. Additionally, we encourage submissions to the associated effort of the Sea Ice Drift Forecast Experiment.

Submission deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Wednesday, 10 June 2020 (Firm)

The May 2020 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes “Winter Worlds Project Highlights the Wonders of Snow in Alaska and Beyond.” This article summarizes the science education efforts of the Informal Science Learning project, “Our Winter World,” with examples of snow-themed community science nights in Alaskan villages; the design and development of a traveling museum exhibition on snow; and research exploring how cultural background affects learning in museum settings.

ARCUS invites registration for our next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Gerald “J.J.” Frost (Alaska Biological Research, Inc.). This seminar, discussing the “greening” of the Arctic, will be held Friday, 29 May 2020 from 9:00-10:00 a.m. AKDT (1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT) online via Zoom.

Update: We are no longer accepting applications for this position. ARCUS is seeking a freelance contract science writer/editor! This three- to six-month contract position will work with staff and contributors to our Witness the Arctic and Witness Community Highlights online newsletters, and other publications. Applications were due by 5:00 pm AK on Sunday, 31 May 2020.

The Polar Technology Conference was held during 10–12 March 2020 in Boulder, Colorado. The goal of the meeting was to link experts in polar science and technology development to discuss current technological resources for polar research and identify barriers to research and application of technology for problems unique to polar regions. Recordings of plenary presentations and presentation files for talks and posters are now available on the conference webpage. This activity was a cooperative effort among the National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs, the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States, and the polar research community.

The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) is holding two webinars—open by registration and scheduled for 14 May and 18 May—for participants to discuss Arctic research needs in the context of the Arctic Futures 2050 conference report and other observations and research. Those discussions will help SEARCH develop both its future programs as well as offer input to the 5-year Arctic research plan being developed by the Interagency Arctic Policy Research Committee (IARPC).

The April 2020 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes an article, “Tracking Alaskan Arctic Changes Through a Collaborative Network of Coastal Indigenous Communities,” that is an overview of the Alaska Arctic Observatory & Knowledge Hub (AAOKH) ongoing work to provide northern Alaska coastal communities with the tools, resources, and scientific support to share their expertise through observations of changing coastal conditions and associated impacts to their access of traditional marine resources.

Two webinars—open by registration and scheduled for May 14th and May 18th—will allow participants to discuss Arctic research needs in the context of the Arctic Futures 2050 conference report and other observations and research. Those discussions will help SEARCH develop both its future programs as well as offer input to the 5-year Arctic research plan being developed by the Interagency Arctic Policy Research Committee (IARPC).