Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments (NGEE Arctic) Project

Synopsis

Characterized by vast amounts of carbon stored in permafrost and a rapidly evolving landscape, the Arctic has emerged as a focal point for the study of climate change. The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments (NGEE Arctic) project, sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, is planned as a 10-year effort to deliver a process-rich model of terrestrial ecosystems in which the evolution of Arctic landscapes in a changing climate can be modeled at the scale of a high resolution Earth System Model grid cell. Initial research is focused on the North Slope of Alaska where thaw lakes, drained thaw lake basins, and polygonal tundra offer distinct land units for field and laboratory investigation, and multi-scale modeling. This project was launched from an understanding of decades of ecosystem and climate change studies conducted by federal and state agencies in Alaska and throughout the pan-Arctic. NGEE Arctic scientists will present a series of talks that highlight critical aspects of the project and how a close coupling between process studies and modeling can inform and advance research in this area. Opportunities to collaborate through investments by other state and federal agencies will be discussed.