ISAC

The International Study of Arctic Change (ISAC) is a long-term, multidisciplinary, international, and pan-arctic program developed to study the effects of environmental change on the circumpolar arctic and the connections with the global system.

Four principal hypotheses guide ISAC research:

  • The complex of interconnected changes is driven by global change but is also influenced by regional arctic feedbacks.
  • Amplification of climate signals in high latitudes, especially in the Arctic, lead to amplitudes of observed changes that are larger than those observed in lower latitudes.
  • The observed changes are expected to continue and possibly accelerate in the future.
  • The observed changes in the Arctic have large impacts on ecosystems and societies.

Planned ISAC activities include:

  • Completion of the ISAC Science Plan (planned for 2008)
  • Building on the SEARCH Project Catalog to incorporate ISAC projects
  • Providing information to other arctic programs and stakeholders
  • Providing a forum for scientific discussion of standards and norms, sharing of information between organizations, and of best practices for communication of scientific information.
  • Fostering cooperation and communication among ongoing initiatives and activities
  • Identifying data gaps in research and monitoring and fostering synthesis
  • Ensuring appropriate data dissemination
  • Engaging in capacity building


ISAC is jointly sponsored by the Arctic Ocean Sciences Board (ASOB) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), and is governed by a Science Steering Group (SSG).

International Study of Arctic Change (ISAC) Activities

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