Past Events

The Mathematics on Ice Forum meet once a month to discuss mathematical aspects of ice dynamics and bring together the community in an informal online atmosphere.

In each meeting there are two presentations and time for discussions and ice-breaking in small sub-groups. The format is intended to stem from your contributions – give a talk, join the discussions, and invite further participants. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to contribute. The organizers would like to encourage in particular PhD students to present their research.

Theme: Surface processes

Max Brils (Utrecht University)
"The NAO's influence on Greenland's firn layer"

Tilly Woods (Oxford)
"Modelling the weathering crust and microbial activity on an ice-sheet surface"

Ken Tape and Seth Kantner will present “Gnawing and Thawing: Beavers and Rapid Change in Northwest Alaska.”

The interests of acclaimed Alaska author Seth Kantner and UAF scientist Ken Tape have converged over the years. Both have observed the climate and landscape changes occurring in Alaska, but Kantner’s understanding comes from a life inextricable from the land and its inhabitants, whereas Tape’s comes from a life in the office poring over data, often satellite images, and the occasional wilderness foray. In this joint presentation, they will showcase their different perspectives on a half-century of changes in northern Alaska, particularly as related to beaver engineering, and explore how those complementary viewpoints enrich our understanding of the region’s past, present and future.

Talks are free and for the public. All ages are encouraged to attend.

The Permafrost Discovery Gateway hosts a monthly webinar series on a Thursday at 09:00 Alaska time. The webinar aims to 1) connect the international science community interested in big data remote sensing of permafrost landscapes, and 2) provide the Permafrost Discovery Gateway development team with end-user stories (by the presenter and webinar participants), such as exploring tools the community needs to create and explore big data.

Abstract

Understanding the complex feedbacks between surface water and permafrost presence/distribution is vital towards constraining future changes in surface water and related impacts on ecosystems and carbon emissions. Despite the importance of Arctic water bodies, however, their seasonal and interannual dynamics remain largely unquantified, particularly at continental scales and for small (< 0.1 km2) water bodies. In this talk Sarah will present work seeking to better understand Arctic surface water variability and its relationship to permafrost thaw through leveraging three novel satellite technologies. First, using the high spatial and temporal resolution of Planet imagery, we can quantify surface water dynamics at high resolution (3-5 m) at near-daily time scales. By intersecting the resulting maps of surface water variability with permafrost presence, we can assess to what degree permafrost presence affects these patterns. Second, NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite laser altimeter now provides high resolution observations of surface water levels across the Arctic region. Through combining Planet-derived time series of water area with ICESat-2-derived water levels, we can quantify not just area variability but also water level and storage change. Finally, NASA’s SWOT satellite, which launched in December 2022, will soon provide even more temporally and spatially dense measurements of surface water level and area. By fusing these different observations together, this unique area, level and volume dataset will allow us to test multiple hypotheses related to permafrost/surface water feedbacks and will enable exciting new insight into Arctic surface water dynamics.

Scotland Model Arctic Council (SCOTMAC) is a simulation of the real-world Arctic Council. Established in 1996, the Arctic Council is devoted to advancing international cooperation and good governance across the Arctic. Around its table sit not only the Arctic States—Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the USA—but also Arctic Indigenous peoples organisations representing the Aleut, Athabaskans, Gwich’in, Inuit, Saami and the many peoples of the Russian North.

Applications are now open for the second Scotland Model Arctic Council (SCOTMAC 2).

Students studying any subject at any university in the world are warmly invited to apply to take part in this innovative educational experience.

SCOTMAC 2 will take place at Glasgow Caledonian University in Glasgow, Scotland. It will involve three full days of model diplomacy and expert teaching.

Places on SCOTMAC 2 are limited to 32 students. Up to 20 places will be reserved for students from Scottish Arctic Network universities (Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow School of Art, Heriot-Watt University, Robert Gordon University, and the universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Highlands and Islands, St Andrews and Strathclyde). Up to four places will also be reserved for students from SCOTMAC partner Trent University in Canada.

There is no cost to students to take part in SCOTMAC, but selected applicants are asked to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements. Selected applicants from Scottish universities outside of Glasgow will be eligible for a bursary to help defray travel and accommodation costs.

The application period closes on 13 January 2023.

HAI-FES International Workshop “Building Bridges between Arctic and Non-Arctic” will be held online and in-person. Registration is required to join the workshop.

This workshop aims to form a network of researchers who are engaged in problem-solving, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research in the Arctic region, and will bring together researchers who are currently working on such projects to discuss the issues and points to keep in mind when conducting such research. This workshop also aims to deepen the discussion done in the S20 session of ISAR-7, which will be held hybrid of in-person (in Tachikawa, Japan) and online from 6-10 March 2023.

Venue: Main Conference Room, 5F, Creative Research Institution Building, Hokkaido University.
Zoom Link: will be sent to whom registered.
Language: English.　
Participation: Open to all (advance registration required).
Capacity: 50 at the venue, 300 online (first-come, first-served).

The 79th annual Eastern Snow Conference will be held at the Nurture Nature Center in Easton, Pennsylvania, 6-8 June 2023.

Presentations on all physical and social aspects of snow and ice research are welcome, including, but not limited to, in situ and remote measurement of snow and ice covers, snow ecology, new advances in snow and ice observation technology, and social interactions with snow.

Abstract submission deadline has been extended to 14 March 2023.

Student submissions are highly encouraged; all students submissions are eligible for awards and students should identify their status for consideration. All submitted abstracts will be included in the Scientific Program and in the Proceedings of the 79th Annual Eastern Snow Conference.

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) invites you to attend the WCRP Open Science Conference, focusing on “Advancing climate science for a sustainable future”, that will be held in Kigali, Rwanda, and online on 23-27 October 2023, with the major goal of bridging science and society.

Abstract submission is open for 40 science sessions and over 40 poster clusters that bring together a broad range of topics under three conference themes:

• Theme 1: Advances in Climate Research
• Theme 2: Human Interactions with Climate
• Theme 3: Co-produced Climate Services and Solutions

A limited amount of financial support will be available to support attendees who are early to mid-career researchers or who are from low to lower-middle-income countries and can be applied for as part of the abstract submission process.

Abstract submission and requests for financial assistance close on 14 March 2023 [Extended Deadline].

The International Glaciological Society will hold an International Symposium on the Edges of Glaciology at the University of Limerick in the west of Ireland from 2-7 July 2023. This will be an in-person conference.

The edges of glaciology are most obviously those parts of the study of ice and ice masses which involve boundaries: grain boundaries, ice cores, the glacier bed, the glacier surface, shear margins, crevasses, calving. But these and other subjects also sometimes involve philosophical edges, where different presumptions and practices can lead to controversy: for example, theories of drumlin formation or till deformation. And, yet again, there are territorial edges, where glaciology lies at the interface with other disciplines, as for example in ice-shelf–ocean interactions, rheology of granular materials, firn sintering and compaction. The aim of the symposium is to explore and encourage discussion of all such edges. In keeping with this aim, we hope to include some open problem-solving sessions, and will also recover the longlost final open discussion.

Sessions and Topics

Oral and poster presentations will be held on three and a half days. There will be ample opportunity for poster displays. There will be at least one ‘open problem’ session and a final open discussion. The suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

1. Subglacial processes
2. Supraglacial processes
3. Snow, firn and ice at the grain scale
4. Calving and crevassing

Participants wishing to present a paper (oral or poster) at the Symposium will be required to submit an abstract by the extended deadline of 23:59 GMT 15 March 2023.

The Polar Science Early Career Community Office (PSECCO) invites applications for their spring 2023 Conference Travel Grant Program. Travel awards are open to polar early career scientists and educators to be used to attend and present polar-related work at a conference.

In this spring 2023 funding cycle, PSECCO will be distributing $5,000 of awards. Applicants may request a reasonable amount of funding to support their travel to/from a conference, up to a value of $900 per person, with awards aimed at those with demonstrated financial need. An additional $100 is available for awardees who organize a PSECCO social event at the conference.

To be eligible for funding, applicants must:

• Be an early career scientist (undergraduate to seven years beyond your terminal degree) OR be a currently practicing K-12 or informal educator,
• Be based in the United States and affiliated with a U.S.-based institution,
• Do polar-related research or educate about the polar regions,
• Have demonstrated financial need, and
• Be attending a conference taking place after 1 April and before 1 December 2023.

The grants can be used to support transportation, accommodation, per diem, meeting registration, abstract submission, and dependent care costs (if applicable). Other costs may be considered depending on the need and accompanying explanation.

Application deadline: 15 March 2023.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will host a series of virtual listening sessions to inform the development of the 2023- 2028 Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Strategic Plan. As part of a robust public engagement plan, OSTP encourages input from all interested parties, including students, teachers, administrators, parents, researchers, employers, and others to provide information and perspectives on the challenges faced by – and within – the STEM ecosystem in the United States and solutions that might be implemented by the U.S. Government.

Format: Each listening session will focus on one aspect of the STEM ecosystem. The last session aims to include speakers unable to attend any of the earlier sessions and as such, will cover each of the five areas covered in the previous sessions. Registration is required to attend sessions.

The IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute will be facilitating and moderating the meeting on OSTP’s behalf. The meeting will be recorded and participation implies consent for OSTP to capture your name, voice, and likeness, and anything you say may be recorded and transcribed for OSTP use.

The IGS Global Seminar Series are live on Zoom most Wednesdays. Please register in advance for the seminars.

The seminars are also be live-streamed to the IGS Facebook page so that you can watch them afterwards if you can’t make the live seminar.

This week's talks

• Dr. Mark Serreze from the NSIDC will present "Why it all Matters? Evolving Thoughts on the Changing Arctic".
• Dr. Phillip Reid from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology will present "Variability: The Highs and Lows of Antarctic Sea Ice".

The Geosciences Open Science Ecosystem (GEO OSE) program seeks to support sustainable and networked open science activities to foster an ecosystem of inclusive access to data, physical collections, software, advanced computing, and other resources toward advancing research and education in the geosciences. The purpose of this support is to broadly enable geoscientists to leverage expanding information resources and computing capabilities to address interdisciplinary grand challenge research questions at the forefront of the geosciences.

Priority goals for GEO OSE are to: (i) improve the openness and scientific value of the existing network of cyberinfrastructure resources in the geosciences and related fields, such as data repositories, open-source software communities, and shared computing resources (e.g., high-performance and cloud computing), including via alignment on and adoption of common data and metadata standards that advance access and interoperability; (ii) democratize access to cyberinfrastructure capabilities that enable innovative geosciences research and education, including by advancing cloud-based approaches and workflows; (iii) strengthen the capacity of current and future geoscientists to access, utilize, and collaborate within the growing ecosystem of open science resources; and (iv) contribute to advancing open science principles within the geosciences, including (but not limited to) the FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics), and the TRUST Principles for digital repositories (Transparency, Responsibility, User focus, Sustainability, and Technology), as well as Reproducibility and Replicability.

Full proposal deadline date is 16 March 2023.

NSF will be holding an informational webinar on Friday, 20 January 2023, 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST, to offer guidance on the GEO OSE program and to provide an opportunity for questions.

Save the date: Arctic Frontiers Abroad – Scotland will take place on Friday 17 March 2023 and will be hosted by the University of Aberdeen at the iconic King’s College Conference Centre.

The Scottish Government and the Arctic Frontiers are pleased to announce their collaboration on a one-day conference designed to encourage debate and knowledge exchange on some of the key challenges and ambitions that Scotland and the Arctic region have in common.

Scottish and international speakers will come together to share their expertise and identify new opportunities for Scottish-Arctic collaboration, with a special focus on just energy solutions and a sustainable blue economy.

The event will be ticketed but free to attend, encouraging a diverse audience to participate.

Registrations will open in January 2023, when more information on the program and speakers will also be available.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will host a series of virtual listening sessions to inform the development of the 2023- 2028 Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Strategic Plan. As part of a robust public engagement plan, OSTP encourages input from all interested parties, including students, teachers, administrators, parents, researchers, employers, and others to provide information and perspectives on the challenges faced by – and within – the STEM ecosystem in the United States and solutions that might be implemented by the U.S. Government.

Format: Each listening session will focus on one aspect of the STEM ecosystem. The last session aims to include speakers unable to attend any of the earlier sessions and as such, will cover each of the five areas covered in the previous sessions. Registration is required to attend sessions.

The IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute will be facilitating and moderating the meeting on OSTP’s behalf. The meeting will be recorded and participation implies consent for OSTP to capture your name, voice, and likeness, and anything you say may be recorded and transcribed for OSTP use.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will host a series of virtual listening sessions to inform the development of the 2023- 2028 Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Strategic Plan. As part of a robust public engagement plan, OSTP encourages input from all interested parties, including students, teachers, administrators, parents, researchers, employers, and others to provide information and perspectives on the challenges faced by – and within – the STEM ecosystem in the United States and solutions that might be implemented by the U.S. Government.

Format: Each listening session will focus on one aspect of the STEM ecosystem. The last session aims to include speakers unable to attend any of the earlier sessions and as such, will cover each of the five areas covered in the previous sessions. Registration is required to attend sessions.

The IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute will be facilitating and moderating the meeting on OSTP’s behalf. The meeting will be recorded and participation implies consent for OSTP to capture your name, voice, and likeness, and anything you say may be recorded and transcribed for OSTP use.

The 11th International Workshop on Sea Ice Modelling, Assimilation, Observations, Predictions and Verification (aka IICWG-DA-11) will take place at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.

The organizers welcome contributions in the fields of sea-ice modelling, data assimilation, observations, forecast and verification. Contributions from recent research-to-operation transfers that aim towards automated sea-ice prediction systems are encouraged.

The organizers welcome your abstracts no later than 1 November 2022. Participants will be contacted by 15 December 2022 regarding their proposed contribution.

Organizers invite panel submissions to the conference of the Finnish Anthropological Society 2023, after a four years’ pandemic-induced break. The general topic of the conference is “Relations and beyond”.

For the first time hosted by the Arctic Anthropology Research Team in Lapland, this conference invites contributions to an anthropology of relations and beyond, celebrating the multiplicity of facets and “theoretical heterogeneity [that] may strengthen rather than weaken the force of relations as a general concept” (Strathern 2018, in CEA, p.8). These theoretical avenues will be addressed by the three keynotes at this conference, by Dame Marilyn Strathern (University of Cambridge), Tim Ingold (University of Aberdeen) and Piers Vitebsky (University of Cambridge).

During the final plenary discussion these keynote speakers shall engage with selected specialists in the field and the plenary audience to advance our understanding of relations and beyond to the next level. Within Finnish Anthropology, we aim to foster conversations between anthropologists working in the Arctic and elsewhere. The 2023 conference of the Finnish Anthropological Society invites panels that explore the topic of “relations and beyond” in diverse ethnographic and theoretical settings. Panels are also welcome to focus on relations between anthropology and other disciplines – a topic that has become particularly relevant in the current funding landscape with its emphasis on multidisciplinary projects. We encourage submissions on relations between anthropologists and their research partners in the field, be they international and Finnish colleagues or practitioners, and how the process of co-creating knowledge bases on such relations.

Deadlines

• Proposal for panels should be submitted by 30 September 2022 to: finnanthro [at] ulapland.fi
• Acceptance of panel submissions and opening of paper submissions: 15 October 2022
• Paper submission deadline: 30 November 2022

For 29 years, the Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management has been a vital networking space for Tribal environmental professionals from across the state to learn from one another, connect with support organizations and agencies, and discover resources to help assist in efforts to improve local environmental health.

The Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management will take place in Anchorage, Alaska and Online. It will be the first ever hybrid ATCEM, which will allow flexibility to audience members and presenters.

The uncertainty in Arctic governance that resulted from Russia's invasion of Ukraine has extended beyond geopolitical effects in the region. Sustained cooperation amongst the Arctic states, except for Russia, has been key to sustain scientific research after the loss of a large geographic partner. Cooperation on the ocean and climate issues in the Arctic will continue to be essential moving forward. What does the future hold for efforts to understand and steward the Arctic Ocean?

Please join the Wilson Center's Polar Institute and the Centre for the Ocean and the Arctic (Norway) for a discussion about research and ocean-related cooperation in the context of current geopolitical tension.

Keynote Speaker

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
Representative (D-ME 1st District)

Opening Remarks

Ambassador Anniken Ramberg Krutnes
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the United States

Speakers

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
Representative (D-ME 1st District)

Dr. Michael Sfraga
Chair & Distinguished Fellow, Polar Institute // Chair, US Arctic Research Commission

Dr. Jane Lubchenco
Deputy Director for Climate and the Environment, Office of Science and Technology Policy, White House

Dr. Larry Hinzman
Assistant Director of Polar Sciences, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Executive Director, Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC)

Jan-Gunnar Winther
Director, Centre for the Ocean and the Arctic (Norway)

Dr. Antje Boetius
Director, Alfred Wegener Institute; Professor, University of Bremen; Group leader; Joint Research Group for Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology

Moderators

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

Ambassador David Balton
Executive Director, Arctic Executive Steering Committee, Office of Science & Technology Policy, White House; former Senior Fellow, Polar Institute, Wilson Center

This webinar will provide an overview of EU Arctic permafrost research activities, current fields of study and future research needs in a policy relevant context. The three presenters will include perspectives from multiple disciplines. Paul Overduin (Alfred Wegener Institute) will focus on the physical research activities from FP7 to Horizon 2020 and talk about the hot research topics in the near future. Susanna Gartler (University of Vienna) will talk about the relevance of permafrost to those living in the north, community engagement and the relevance-link between environmental change and people. Gustaf Hugelius (Stockholm University) will outline permafrost relevance in the climate change context.