Past Events

Note: The 52nd Liège Colloquium on Ocean Dynamics was originally scheduled for May 2020, but was postponed to May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Considering the situation with the COVID-19 outbreak, the Scientific Committee has decided to move to a full virtual event that will be organized each day from 1:30-6:00PM.

The coastal ocean is under increasing multiple (climate and not-climate) pressures that affect its functioning and health, and compromise the provision of services to the society. The set-up of a scientifically underpinned ecosystem-based management scheme for the coastal ocean requires a thorough understanding of human impacts on the physics, biogeochemistry and biodiversity at large scale. Such a management scheme should be firmly embedded in the science-management-policy interface, taking account of selecting useful and communicable indicators for the ecosystem health, targeting ecosystem services and making use of novel analytical tolls acknowledging the complexity of Drivers-Pressures-Stressors-Impacts-Responses (DPSIR) interactions.

The 52nd international colloquium will gather an interdisciplinary community of scientists to overview the progress in our capabilities to understand, monitor and forecast the impact of human activities on coastal marine environments to guarantee a productive and healthy system as requested by the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.

From climate change adaptation to broadband connectivity to the rights of Indigenous peoples, Arctic youth leaders’ policy issues are Arctic policy issues. Over two half-days, The Arctic in 25 Years symposium will gather emerging Arctic leaders to inform and influence potential Arctic policy for the next generation. Panelists represent all eight Arctic countries, as well as Indigenous peoples who live there. Based on the research they conducted, policies they coordinated, as well as traditional lifestyles and subsistence missions they’ve led, youth leaders will discuss the Arctic they envision for the future and the actions needed to achieve it. Please join the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute, with Arctic Frontiers and the Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council (supported by the Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat) for the first annual International Youth Symposium, The Arctic in 25 Years.

Panel 1: Arctic Council Permanent Participant Youth – Representatives from the 1st Arctic Youth Leaders’ Summit (Rovaniemi 2019) will discuss the importance of cross-border collaboration between Indigenous youth. Based on the Arctic Youth Leaders’ Summit declaration, panelists will identify the policy priorities that galvanize Indigenous youth across the circumpolar Arctic. Some topics of discussion include environment, economic development, food sovereignty, Indigenous knowledge and mental health.

Panel 2: Infrastructure and sustainable development – How might a just transition look in Arctic economies? Panelists will discuss growing interest in Arctic economic development, including shipping, resource extraction and foreign investment. Considering the impacts of climate change on the Arctic, panelists will discuss what political principles, processes, and practices might accompany the shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative one.

Panel 3: Climate change and biodiversity action and research – Considering the tightly-coupled relationship of Arctic Indigenous peoples with the Arctic environment, co-production of knowledge (innovative research resulting from equitable partnership between scientists, Indigenous knowledge holders and other members of society) is particularly useful in climate change and biodiversity research. Panelists will discuss the ways communities and researchers can work together to reduce daily environmental risks and improve quality of life in the Arctic.

Panel 4: Policy & Governance – Youth are not only the leaders of the future; many have already been elected to office, worked in international governance, and contributed to Arctic decision-making. This panel of youth leaders will identify the most important challenges Arctic nations will face in the future, and their actions to mitigate those challenges today. An important takeaway from this panel will be: What new modes of governance and engagement must emerge for the next generation’s prosperity?

Moderators

Michaela Stith
Program Assistant, Polar Institute; Author of Welp: Climate Change & Arctic Identities

Jack Durkee
Program Associate, Polar Institute; Manager, Arctic Infrastructure Inventory

Larry Ibrahim Mohammed
PhD Fellow, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway

Marisol Maddox
Arctic Analyst, Polar Institute

The next Polar readings (2021) will be devoted to the issues of artistic and philosophical understanding of the Arctic and Antarctic, identifying and forming the meanings that characterize and shape our understanding of the Polar regions.

Specialists, researchers of the Arctic and Antarctic from research institutes, archives, museums, libraries, representatives of state and public organizations are invited to participate in the conference.

In this regard, on May 18-19, 2021 on the eve of Russian Polar Explorer’s Day (May 21) in St. Petersburg on the basis of the Arctic and Antarctic research Institute will be held the next “Polar readings”.

The deadline for submitting applications for participation and abstracts (up to 500 words) is until March 1, 2021.

Join the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the National Weather Service for two events showcasing Arctic research. Meet scientists through virtual flash talks or explore the UAF campus via a socially distanced scavenger hunt.

Arctic Research Flash Talks

Flash talks are short, snappy presentations by scientists and students about unique and fascinating research in climate science, geoscience, fisheries, social science and more. Held virtually via Facebook or Zoom on May 20, 4-6 p.m.

Arctic Research Scavenger Hunt

This Arctic research-themed scavenger hunt is an all-ages, all-abilities, outdoor event on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus! The event is self-led from May 20 — May 23 and designed to get you outside with your friends and family to explore our campus and uncover exciting facts about Arctic research. A map of riddle locations and parking areas will be available at https://www.facebook.com/events/475440797000890 prior to the event.

Organizers announce an upcoming webinar, titled More Rare Events in the Arctic, featuring James Overland from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (NOAA PMEL).

Webinar Abstract

Twenty years ago, the Arctic was more resilient than now as sea ice was three times thicker than today and provided a buffer against the influence of short-term climate fluctuations. The recent decade has seen an increase in Arctic extreme events in climate and ecosystems including events beyond previous records. Such new extremes include Greenland ice mass loss, sea ice as thin and more mobile, coastal erosion, springtime snow loss, permafrost thaw, wildfires, and bottom to top ecosystem reorganizations. While their numbers increase, the distribution of the type, location, and timing of extreme events are less predictable.

The tools and techniques for making monthly and season scale climate forecasts are rapidly changing, with the potential to provide useful forecasts at the month and longer range. We will review recent climate conditions around Alaska, review some forecast tools and finish up the Climate Prediction Center’s forecast for June and the summer season. Join the gathering online to learn more about Alaska climate and weather.

Please follow the link above to register.

In recent years, women researchers, scientists, knowledge holders, and local champions have elevated their visibility and empowered their voices across the world. The polar regions are no exception. In 2021, a coalition of organizations including The Arctic Institute, Women in Polar Sciences, and Women of the Arctic are organizing a webinar series, Breaking the Ice Ceiling, that aims to illuminate polar research and achievements (past and present) by those who identify as women and to foster discussion on systemic change in polar sciences (Indigenous, natural, and social sciences) to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this webinar, you will learn from Director Romani Makkik and Producer Dr. Shari Fox about strengths-based research and transforming the research process through critical reflection and new expression.

In Wounded Healers, director Romani Makkik takes us on a personal journey into reconciliation. Makkik asks, ‘how can we as Inuit come to reconcile amongst ourselves’? What started as graduate study research turned into deep engagement with a counsellor training program, a powerful experience of self-reflection, and learning how one organization and one community transforms lives by drawing on its strengths. Join us for a special viewing of ‘The Wounded Healers’ with the director Romani Makkik and producer Shari Fox. Both long-time researchers and advocates in their fields, Makkik and Fox will host a discussion and Q&A session following the video (27 min), highlighting how the video and its making was a critical part of a research process.

Please follow the link above for more information and to register.

The Korea Polar Research Institute is pleased to invite you to the 26th International Symposium on Polar Sciences (ISPS2021) which will take place in Incheon from September 27 to 29, 2021.

The symposium aims to bring together polar scientists and engineers with diverse background to share their research findings and explore further research opportunities at the international level. With “Responding to Climate Crisis” as its overarching theme, ISPS2021 invites researchers to discuss how polar science and technology can contribute to our understanding of climate change.

Theme:

Climate change is the greatest crisis of our times, as it brings devastating consequences to our planet. We have witnessed many communities suffering from heatwave, drought and wildfire, while others suffered heavy rainfall, typhoon and flood. We are facing extreme events at an unprecedented rate, and they require our immediate and collective attention.

It is the mission of science to continue the observation, and provide scientific understanding and prediction upon which we can implement mitigation efforts. Polar sciences are crucial in the sense that these regions are especially sensitive to climate change, which adds to the instability of the earth system. Warming and cooling patterns are amplified, and the melting of ice sheets causes catastrophic sea level rises.

During this symposium, we will discuss the findings in polar sciences that are closely linked to climate change, and the cutting-edge technologies that enable more efficient and sustainable monitoring under harsh environments, while shedding new light on the unseen.

Session Themes:

• Polar climate science in the context of global climate crisis
• Cryosphere evolution and sea-level change
• Sea ice and polar oceans in rapid transition
• A paleoclimate perspective on climatic and environmental extremes · Integrated study of subglacial Antarctic lake ecosystems
• Technological advances enabling new polar science

Side Meetings:

Side meetings can be accommodated during the course of the symposium. If you wish to take advantage of this opportunity and hold a meeting to exchange ideas on a subject relevant to the conference theme, please contact us at symposium [at] kopri.re.kr

Abstract Submission:

Please submit your abstract at the symposium website from April 12 to May 23, 2021 (extended deadline).

Registration:

Registration will be available at the symposium website from June 2021.

More information about the symposium will be updated on the website as the date approaches.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) announces the Early Career Conference Funding Award for spring 2021 to support up to ten, U.S.-based, early career researchers and students to participate in virtual meetings and events relevant to Arctic research.

In lieu of full travel grants during 2021, these funding awards will cover registration fees, session/abstract submission costs, and other relevant expenses related to virtual conference attendance for one conference or event scheduled to take place during the period of 1 June–31 December 2021.

This award aims to increase participation of early career, underrepresented minorities (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; BIPOC) in Arctic research by providing at least half of the awards to BIPOC students and researchers. This award is for conference attendance and participation—submitting an abstract will be optional.

Qualifications and requirements include:

• Applicants should be early-career, defined for this award as a student (graduate or undergraduate) or within six years of terminal degree. No Arctic education or experience is required;
• Applicants should be U.S.-based (U.S. citizenship not required);
• Intended conference should be virtual, have Arctic-relevant sessions/themes (of any discipline), and occur before 31 December 2021. No in-person conference attendance will be supported through this award;
• Eligible expenses include conference registration, abstract/session submission fees, and other relevant expenses upon approval, which can be paid directly by ARCUS or reimbursed (receipt required); and
• Awardees will provide a brief, written summary of experience (100-200 words) following attendance.

Award notifications are anticipated to be announced during the week of 24 May 2021.

Funding for these awards is made possible through the National Science Foundation’s Arctic Sciences Section (PLR #1928794).

Application deadline: Sunday, 23 May 2021, 5:00 p.m. AKDT

This meeting was originally scheduled for 28th September - 2nd October 2020, but was postponed to 24-28 May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new registration, abstract submission and fee payment deadline is 1st March, 2021.

The PalaeoArc is a network research programme aiming to further understand past and present environmental changes and processes in the Arctic. It is the successor of the previous network programmes of PONAM (Polar North Atlantic Margins), QUEEN (Quaternary Environment of the Eurasian North), APEX (Arctic Palaeoclimate and its Extremes) and, most recently, PAST Gateways (Palaeo-Arctic Spatial and Temporal Gateways).

We welcome contributions on the overall theme of Arctic palaeo-environmental changes and modern processes and we invite contributions particularly on: Role and dynamics of polar ice sheets and ice caps; Role and dynamics of high latitude ocean and sea ice; Role and dynamics of terrestrial environment and landscape evolution; Climate response to, and interaction between, different parts of the Arctic System.

The conference will run for about four hours each day, from 14:00-18:15 CET, with a combination of live talks and discussions and potentially pre-recorded content relevant to the daily themes.

Due to an uncertain opening of non-assigned personnel at HQ U.S. Coast Guard, ADAC will conduct the Center’s Program Year 7 Annual meeting, focused on U.S. Coast Guard Project Champions, key stakeholders and the community of Arctic science and technology researchers. Included in the Program Year 7 Annual meeting are planned guest speakers from HQ U.S. Coast Guard, DHS S&T and senior Arctic Research leadership in Washington D.C. Due to the success of ADAC’s Program Year 6 Virtual Annual meeting, ADAC will once again create an “Event Hub” that showcases each program and project review with videos and other materials sequenced to the Annual Meeting agenda.

International Glaciological Society Global Seminar:

Speaking: Mark Carey, Oregon University, "The Inequality of Ice Loss: Perspectives from a Social Scientist"

Please register in advance for the seminars. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the seminar.

The seminar will also be available afterwards on the Friends of the International Glaciological Society Facebook page so that you can watch it there if technology fails or you can't make it.

France will host the annual meeting of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties from June 14-24, 2021. At that meeting, key countries active in the Antarctic will discuss a range of issues related to environmental protection, climate change, polar science, tourism and governance. Please join us for a discussion with senior officials from key Antarctic Treaty states about current issues in Antarctic diplomacy and the future of the Antarctic Treaty System.

Introductory Remarks & Moderator

Michael Sfraga
Director, Polar Institute // Director, Global Risk and Resilience Program

Evan T. Bloom
Senior Fellow, Polar Institute; Former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries and Director for Ocean and Polar Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Distinguished Panelists

Ambassador Olivier Poivre d'Arvor
Ambassador for the Poles and Maritime Issues

Lisolomzi Fikizolo
Former Head of the South African Delegation to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

Jana Newman
New Zealand Representative to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

Máximo E. Gowland
National Director for Antarctic Foreign Policy, Argentina

ARCUS invites registration for the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Kaare Sikuaq Erickson. Sikuaq’s presentation, titled “Ingenious Indigenous Technology and Inuit History,” will be held via Zoom.

Registration is required for this event.

Abstract

This presentation will provide an introduction to the history of human settlement in northern Alaska as represented in archaeological resources and Inuit oral histories. Following the historical introduction, Sikuaq will focus on one piece of ingenious technology developed exclusively in the Arctic thousands of years ago, the toggling harpoon head. To this day, the toggling harpoon head is an extremely important piece of technology used by all Inuit hunters to retrieve large marine mammals (e.g. walrus, seals, whales, etc.) that would otherwise sink to the bottom of the ocean. Utilizing miniature fully-functional replica ivory harpoons and bananas (to replicate the marine mammal skin and blubber), Sikuaq will demonstrate how the harpoon works and why it is so unique and effective. This activity has been developed at UIC Science and has been shared with dozens of classrooms across Alaska.

Speaker Details

Kaare Sikuaq Erickson was raised in several villages in western and northern Alaska, and has family scattered from Unalakleet to Utqiaġvik. Sikuaq is very passionate about education and orientation, which includes both K-12 educational outreach as well as teaching scientists about the social, cultural, and historical contexts of the rural areas they work.

The American Geophysical Union Cryosphere Sciences section is hosting a conversation between early career researchers and US funding
agency program officers, to be hosted on Zoom.

This will be a rather informal event, but we hope to give ECRs time to ask any questions of NSF and NASA program officers during this challenging time. Topics will include ECR-specific impacts relating to COVID-19, all of our ongoing work to build a more just, equal, and inclusive research community, and open question and answer. We will liberally define early career and welcome all those interested in participating.

Please register & complete the pre-event survey to aid in guiding discussion.

Confirmed participants (subject to change)

• Paul Cutler (NSF OPP) - Program Director, Glaciology, Ice Core Science, & Geomorphology
• Roberto Delgado (NSF OPP) - Program Director, Arctic Observing Network
• Thorsten Markus (NASA) - Cryospheric Science Program Manager
• Jennifer Mercer (NSF OPP) - Acting Section Head, Arctic Sciences
• Allen Pope (NSF OPP) - Program Director, Polar Cyberinfrastructure
• David Sutherland (NSF OPP) - Program Director, Oceans & Atmospheric Sciences

We also welcome additional program officers! Please contact Peter Neff (pneff at umn.edu) with any questions.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is launching an international call for bids to host the International Directorate Office for the organization starting January 2022.

The deadline for bids is 31 May 2021.

APECS is the preeminent international and interdisciplinary organization for early career researchers with interests in Polar and Alpine regions and the wider Cryosphere. With the current funding agreements for the APECS International Directorate at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam coming to an end in January 2022, we are looking for a new host and potentially additional sponsor(s) starting 31 January 2022 or earlier.

The International Directorate of APECS serves as the main contact point for members and partners, coordinating the day-to-day management of the organization, providing support for APECS activities, projects, and committees while also providing continuity and institutional memory of the dynamic organization. It currently includes one full-time position of an Executive Director and a half-time position of an Administrative Assistant.

Please contact the current APECS Executive Director Dr. Josefine Lenz (info at apecs.is) to express your interest before 31 March 2021, as well as for any questions you might have.

The 16th Conference on Polar Meteorology and Oceanography, sponsored by the American Meteorological Society and organized by the AMS Polar Meteorology and Oceanography Committee, will be held 1-4 June, 2021. Due to continued uncertainty and restrictions on travel associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, this conference will take place entirely virtually.

Papers are solicited on all aspects of polar meteorology and oceanography, including but not limited to:
- Climate variability and change in the polar regions
- Rapid environmental change in the polar regions
- Interactions among polar atmosphere-ocean-land-ice components
- Atmospheric, ocean, land ice, or sea ice physical processes
- High latitude atmospheric and oceanic dynamics
- Weather and climate modelling in the polar regions
- Connections of the polar regions with the tropics and mid-latitudes

Please submit your abstract electronically via the AMS conference website by March 5th 2021 (see the website for instructions). Authors of accepted presentations will be notified via email by mid April 2021.

The conference program will be optimized for a virtual platform. Sessions will take place during the same set of standard work hours for the contiguous United States (e.g., 12pm-5pm Eastern time / 11am-4pm Central time / 10am-3pm Mountain time / 9am-2pm Pacific time). Live oral and poster sessions will not overlap.

Submissions by students, early-career scientists, and underrepresented groups will be prioritized, and limited funds in the form of registration fee waivers are available to support participation. Application instructions will be provided when abstract acceptance notifications are sent.

International Glaciological Society Global Seminar:

Three shorter talks:

• Denis Felikson, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center & USRA/GESTAR, "Seasonal tidewater glacier terminus oscillations bias multi-decadal projections of ice mass change"
• Thomas Hudson, University of Oxford, "Breaking the ice: Using icequakes to observe hydrofracture-induced crevassing"
• Rajashree (Tri) Datta, University of Colorado, Boulder, "Capturing Intense Melt Events on Ice Sheets and Ice Shelves"

Please register in advance for the seminars. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the seminar.

The seminar will also be available afterwards on the Friends of the International Glaciological Society Facebook page so that you can watch it there if technology fails or you can't make it.

IARPC has released a draft of the next five-year Arctic Research Plan, which will span from 2022-2026. We are now asking the public to comment on the draft plan by June 11, 2021. To provide additional information about the draft plan contents and development, we are hosting a series of one-hour information sessions.

Each information session will provide an overview of IARPC, the timeline for developing the Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026, the contents of the draft plan, and how to submit comments on the draft. In addition to this information, each webinar will provide a deeper dive into one of the plan priority areas or the foundational activities. This webinar will focus implementation of the plan.

The webinar will take place via Zoom. You do not need to preregister. Please follow the link above for more information.

This webinar provides a brief introduction to the historical context of colonialism in the Arctic, focused on Alaska, and its relationship to climate change impacts on Arctic Indigenous Peoples. For researchers working in the Arctic, it will provide insight into the ways that relationships, resource extraction, compensation, and infrastructure building have been predominantly one-sided.

First contact of European colonizers in Alaska were Russian explorers in the 18th century, with the state purchased by the U.S. government in 1867. The discovery of gold and oil led to the rapid influx of settlers; local Indigenous populations were excluded from gold claims due to their lack of recognition as citizens. During these stages of economic development, the U.S. government took steps to assimilate Alaska Indigenous people such as the forced establishment of permanent settlements rather than traditional semi-nomadic camps. Barely less than a generation later, fossil fuel combustion has altered the greenhouse gas composition of the atmosphere and catalyzed climate change, resulting in dramatic changes in Arctic ecosystems and environments noted by both Arctic Indigenous Peoples and western scientists. Manifestations of Arctic climate change include, but are not limited to, diminished shorefast sea ice which acts as a barrier against storm surges and a platform for subsistence hunting. Food security and management practices are some of the most pressing issues that Arctic communities and peoples are currently facing. Current solutions are to transplant entire communities or relocate. This webinar will go into detail about this historical context.

About the Speaker

Sarah Aarons, Assistant Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Sarah is an Iñupiaq (Alaska Native) Earth scientist and Assistant Professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego specializing in climate change, Earth's surface processes, isotope geochemistry, and paleoclimatology. She was born in Dillingham and raised in Anchorage, with her maternal family hailing from Unalakleet.