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)
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
