Past Events

2 pm on June 2, 2025 | Virtual
Zoom Link

The Arctic Studies 2025 annual ‘Burch Lecture’ will feature Dr. Aron L. Crowell. Dr. Aron L. Crowell is an Arctic archaeologist and former Alaska Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Arctic Studies Center in Anchorage. His research in collaboration with Alaska Native communities has examined cultural adaptations to coastal ecosystems, historical ecology, cultural landscapes, tectonic and glacial impacts, and Indigenous ecological knowledge. His recent books and edited volumes include Laaxaayík: Near the Glacier: Indigenous History and Ecology at Yakutat Fiord, Alaska (Smithsonian Scholarly Press 2024) and Arctic Crashes: People and Animals in the Changing North (with Igor Krupnik, Smithsonian Scholarly Press, 2020), and Archaeology and the Capitalist World System: A Study from Russian America (Plenum Press, 1998). Crowell has led or cocurated Smithsonian exhibitions includingLooking Both Ways: Heritage and Identity of the Alutiiq People (2001); Gifts from the Ancestors: Ancient Ivories of Bering Strait (2009), and Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska (2010).

The Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) invites you to an upcoming webinar focussed on fieldwork:

Date: June 3rd, 2025
Time: 8 AM AK/6 PM CET
Speaker: We will have a fieldwork panel and Q&A featuring 5 speakers from a variety of backgrounds ranging from arctic to alpine and from both industry and academia.

Registration link: https://queensu.zoom.us/meeting/register/1dmLw9xmRiyzkbb73JDr3w

If you are interested, you can catch up on past webinars on the PYRN YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PermafrostECRs

Follow PYRN on BlueSky for updates on upcoming talks and PYRN activities: @pyrn-official.bksy.social

UArctic Assembly Details

Registration

• Registration fee: 500 €
• Deadline: May 23, 2025

Members can have more than one representative in the Assembly, but only one can vote.

Note: All member representatives will be contacted directly by email during each stage of the meeting preparation process.
To see who the representatives are for a given member institution, go to the Member Profile page and select the country and institution. Representatives are listed under Contact information.

Program and Agenda

The Program Overview includes:
- Pre-meetings and business meetings
- Thematic Networks’ and new members’ presentations
- UArctic Assembly dinner
- Cultural excursions, including:
- Visit to the Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida
- Visit to the Inari Reindeer Farm
- Hike on the Sulaoja Nature Trail (Kevo Nature Park)
- Lake Inari Cruise

Participants will have opportunities to engage with Sámi culture and nature, including Sámi livelihoods, sacred sites, and cultural heritage.

Assembly Agenda and Proposals are available on the Agenda page.

Meeting Venue

Primary venue: Sámi Cultural Centre Sajos
Additional venue: Sámi Education Institute

These venues are ~1 km apart (2 minutes by car / 15 minutes on foot):

Accommodation

Note: Book as early as possible — limited availability!

Preferred hotels offering discounted rates:
- Hotelli Inari
- Wilderness Hotel Juutua

These are within walking distance of the meeting venues.
Click here for accommodation info

Arriving in Inari

From Ivalo Airport:

1. Airport Shuttle Service

   • Drop-off/pick-up at Hotel Inari, Crow Creek Cabins, and Holiday Village Inari
   • Must book by 3 p.m. one day in advance
   • 70€ per person, one-way
   • More Info

2. Ilmari Slant Ky Bus Transfer

   • 40€ per person
   • Details here

3. Taxi Service

   • Must be booked two days in advance
   • Starting at 190€ depending on passengers
   • More Info

From Rovaniemi:

• Buses available to Inari
• Tickets can be bought from the driver or reserved online
• Cost: 54.20€ – 63.20€

From Kirkenes, Norway:

• Daily minibus/coach transfers available
• Click here for full travel details

This summer, get an up close look at the world's largest Arctic research station! Toolik Field Station is celebrating 50 years of research and welcomes all to join us for a Visitor's Day.

Meet station staff and scientists as you tour Toolik facilities and research sites. Learn about the exciting science happening at the station. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Alaska’s Arctic tundra with the Toolik Naturalist.

Tours are free. Lunch is available for purchase in advance on our online store.

Visitors are responsible for their own travel to and from the station. No overnight accommodations will be provided. Camping is not allowed in the Toolik Research Natural Area but is available at the nearby Galbraith Lake Campground.

Learn more on our Visitor’s Day website.

Contact Toolik Field Station at uaf-iab-toolik [at] alaska.edu or 907-474-6407 for more information.

Toolik Field Station, located at mile 284.5 of the Dalton Highway on Alaska’s North Slope, is a leading, year-round Arctic research, observation, and education facility, providing insight to address local and global challenges of the rapidly changing Arctic. The station is operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Arctic Biology with support from the National Science Foundation.

NSIDC Cryosphere Seminar with Dr. Maddie Smith of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Wednesday, June 11 from 11:00 am-12 noon
Zoom link: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/94492027114

Title:
Puddles on a Frozen Ocean: The Role of Meltwater in the Arctic Sea Ice Pack

Abstract:

Dramatic changes in Arctic sea ice extent and volume in recent decades have altered its seasonal growth and melt cycle. During the Arctic summer, the rapid melt of snow and sea ice introduces significant amounts of low-salinity meltwater to the surface ocean on a local scale. However, the fate of this meltwater and its broader impacts on the Arctic system remain key questions.

Here, we summarize recent findings on meltwater formation and distribution, with a focus on observations from the Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition in summer 2020. Meltwater accumulates in thin layers on, beneath, and around sea ice floes?features that are likely widespread yet often undetected by standard methods. Meltwater budget calculations indicate that these layers constitute less than a quarter of the total freshwater produced but have significant physical impacts. They reduce bottom ice melt, initiate new ice formation, and inhibit atmosphere-ocean exchanges of momentum, energy, and materials, potentially altering Arctic system dynamics.

As meltwater fluxes are expected to increase in the central Arctic Basin and decrease along its margins, further research is needed to understand their role in upper ocean freshening and Arctic climate change.

Short Bio: Dr. Maddie Smith is an Assistant Scientist in the Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering Department at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Motivated by the loss of sea ice in a rapidly changing climate, her research uses observations and modeling approaches to understand how sea ice interacts with the ocean. Maddie completed her PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington, exploring the role of surface waves and turbulence in the autumn Arctic Ocean, and her B.A. in Earth & Oceanographic Studies and Environmental Science from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.

2025 HAARP Open House Announced

This Father's Day weekend, the University of Alaska Fairbanks invites you and your families to join the 2025 HAARP Open House in Gakona, Alaska on Saturday, June 14, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This event provides an opportunity for the public to experience this world-class research facility firsthand, learn about the scientific questions the facility seeks to answer, and talk directly with researchers.

Read more about the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) and join the open house Facebook event.

No tickets are required, but visitors are encouraged to RSVP to reserve their time slot to enter the array — and for the chance to win prizes.

• Explore the site on a self-guided tour, about 90 minutes
• See HAARP’s control room, power plant, antenna array and more!
• Experience a show in the Geophysical Institute's portable planetarium
• Hear science talks about aurora, LIDAR & HAARP science
• Area 49 merchandise will be for sale, cash or credit card.
• Local partner Wrangell Institute for Science & Environment (WISE) will join UAF for the event.
• Ernesto’s Grill will be selling food at the facility.

Guidelines for the event:

Please follow all posted signs and staff instructions while onsite for your safety and to protect sensitive research equipment.

Pets are welcome but must be leashed and will not be allowed in UAF buildings or in the antenna array. Please pick up after your pet.

Parking is limited. Vehicles are restricted to a maximum length of 36 feet, maximum width of 9 feet and maximum height of 10 feet.

Drone use: Unauthorized UAS operations over HAARP lands compromise the safety and integrity of ongoing research, pose risks of physical damage, may cause electromagnetic interference, and infringe upon personal privacy. Unauthorized UAS flights are strictly prohibited and may result in enforcement actions, including fines and legal consequences. If you're interested in drone footage, contact the Geophysical Institute at uaf-gi-public-info [at] alaska.edu.

Visitors are encouraged to bring water, wear sturdy shoes for the tour, and prepare for variable weather.
Please contact uaf-gi-public-info [at] alaska.edu before the event for any accommodations requests or assistance.

Array entry:

Entry into the array and diagnostic instruments will be done in timed groups. No entry to the array after 3 p.m. Please keep in mind that the later you show up, the less you'll be able to see.

Parking at the array is limited. You may or may not be able to drive your car to the array. However, visitors can access via a one-mile walk or a short shuttle ride.

HAARP is located in Gakona at mile 11.3 Tok Cutoff, 26 miles northeast of Glennallen. It is about 200 miles from Anchorage and 230 miles from Fairbanks.

If you’re a member of the press, contact Geophysical Institute public information officer Rod Boyce at rcboyce [at] alaska.edu for more information about HAARP and the open house.

Download the event flyer.

Call for Contributions
2025 Sea Ice Outlook June Report
(based on May data)

The Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN) invites you to contribute to the June 2025 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO)—a collaborative, community-driven effort to compare and improve seasonal sea ice forecasts.

Submission Deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Friday, 20 June 2025

The Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) offers a platform for researchers and forecasters to share predictions of September Arctic sea ice extent and related variables. Following submission of contributions, key visualizations (including pan-Arctic sea ice forecast figures) are published by month on the SIO website. A post-season report focusing on June-September forecast accuracy and performance compared to the observed minimum will be released after the melt season.

For an overview of the 2025 SIO and detailed instructions for contributions, please visit the Call for Contributions online: https://www.arcus.org/sipn/sea-ice-outlook/2025/call

We encourage all past contributors to submit Outlooks for 2025, and we also hope to see new participants. Please feel free to distribute this announcement to others who might be interested in participating in the SIO. Interested first-time contributors should feel free to reach out to the SIO Team with any questions. We look forward to seeing your predictions!

Contact: SIO Team
Email: sio2025 [at] arcus.org

2025 SIO SUBMISSION SCHEDULE

JUNE: (Based on May data)
- 2 June 2025 (Monday): Call for Contributions to June Report
- 20 June 2025 (Friday): Extended Deadline for June Contributions

JULY: (Based on May and June data)
- 1 July 2025 (Tuesday): Call for Contributions to July Report
- 15 July 2025 (Tuesday): Deadline for July Contributions

AUGUST: (Based on May, June, and July data)
- 1 August 2025 (Friday): Call for Contributions to August Report
- 15 August 2025 (Friday): Deadline for August Contributions

SEPTEMBER: (Based on May, June, July, and August data)
- 2 September 2025 (Tuesday): Call for Contributions to September Report
- 15 September 2025 (Monday): Deadline for September Contributions

The Arctic Development Expo welcomes all researchers, Indigenous leaders, circumpolar Governments, scientists, industry experts and passionate individuals.

The Arctic Development Expo takes place in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada. This event will strive to make knowledgeable decisions to enhance circumpolar life and create innovative solutions for northern realities. The organizers look to develop the Arctic through sustainable means and will do so by concentrating on the following four themes: Natural & Renewable Resources, Climate and Energy Innovations, Indigenous Leadership and Circumpolar Governance and Knowledge Economy.

Learn more at https://www.arcticdevelopmentexpo.com/

Meeting Goal

The goal of this meeting is to share recent advances in sea ice prediction and the state of seasonal sea ice prediction with the Sea Ice Community of Practice. The meeting will feature talks on the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Sub-seasonal / Seasonal Project (S2S) System, v3 and an assessment of seasonal sea ice forecasting from the Sea Ice Outlook community. The meeting will include discussion of future outlooks for sea ice prediction.

Meeting Presentations will include:

• Predicted Arctic sea ice cover in the GEOS S2S system, version 3 – Richard Cullather, Earth Systems Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland College Park and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (20 min)

• Seasonal Arctic sea ice prediction: How are we doing as a community? – Mitch
  Bushuk, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (20 min)

Connection Information
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android: https://iarpc.zoom.us/j/9407335675

If you plan to call in via telephone only (no computer): +1 346 248 7799 (US Toll) or +1 669 900 6833 (US Toll). Meeting ID: 940 733 5675. International numbers available.

Conference information can be found at https://lps25.esa.int/

The Future of Earth’s Polar Regions
Coordinators: Qinghua Ding, Helene Seroussi, Gunilla Svensson, Patrick Taylor, and Andrew Thompson

The Conference will be devoted to discussions about how the polar climate system will evolve in a warming world. It will focus on understanding key physical processes and interactions between different components of the polar climate with a view towards improving projections of future polar climate. We will recruit a diverse group of participants across research fields, career stage, gender, geographical origin, under-represented groups, from around the world. Sessions will cover topics such as: 1) physical processes, their representation in observations and models, and their importance in a warmer world, 2) feedbacks and interactions between components of the polar climate system, 3) how to learn from the past to improve future predictions, 4) the role of polar regions in an evolving global climate system, and 5) how to leverage technological advances to enable a sustained polar observing system.

This conference is allowing submissions of the following types:

Posters
Contributed talks
The priority submission deadline is May 25th, 2025. Visit your conference registration site.

The Centre for Climate Repair, in association with UArctic, is proud to present Arctic Repair 2025, a pioneering conference on innovative solutions for a changing climate. Over three days, we'll explore the most promising research into protecting the Arctic from rapid warming with experts on science, technology, and ethical pathways.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is now accepting pre-applications for funding under The Polar Initiative, focused on the protection and sustainable management of polar regions.

Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following focus areas:

• Generating knowledge to inform decisions on the protection of polar ecosystems
• Improving polar observation and monitoring systems
• Sharing and disseminating science and monitoring data to support better management
• Conservation actions, including the management of human activities in polar regions
• Supporting community adaptation and mitigation strategies
• Capacity building and integration of Indigenous populations into governance bodies
• Advancing science diplomacy to foster international cooperation

Special priority will be given to Arctic projects developed or co-developed with Indigenous communities.

Pre-Application Deadline: 30 June 2025
For application forms, eligibility, and submission instructions, visit: https://www.fpa2.org/en/depots/the-polar-initiative-02

The 5th Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability (CCES) Conference, held online in partnership with Chongqing University, fosters global collaboration on tackling climate challenges. Experts and researchers will explore innovative solutions in renewable energy, sustainable materials, and environmental design, promoting interdisciplinary approaches for a resilient and sustainable future.

Call for Contributions
2025 Sea Ice Outlook July Report
(based on May and June data)

The Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN) invites you to contribute to the July 2025 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO)—a collaborative, community-driven effort to compare and improve seasonal sea ice forecasts.

Submission Deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) on Tuesday, 15 July 2025 (Firm)

The Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) offers a platform for researchers and forecasters to share predictions of September Arctic sea ice extent and related variables. Following submission of contributions, key visualizations (including pan-Arctic sea ice forecast figures) are published by month on the SIO website. A post-season report focusing on June-September forecast accuracy and performance compared to the observed minimum will be released after the melt season.

For an overview of the 2025 SIO and detailed instructions for contributions, please visit the Call for Contributions online: https://www.arcus.org/sipn/sea-ice-outlook/2025/call

We encourage all past contributors to submit Outlooks for 2025, and we also hope to see new participants. Please feel free to distribute this announcement to others who might be interested in participating in the SIO. Interested first-time contributors should feel free to reach out to the SIO Team with any questions. We look forward to seeing your predictions!

Contact: SIO Team
Email: sio2025 [at] arcus.org

2025 SIO SUBMISSION SCHEDULE

JULY: (Based on May and June data)
- 1 July 2025 (Tuesday): Call for Contributions to July Report
- 15 July 2025 (Tuesday): Deadline for July Contributions

AUGUST: (Based on May, June, and July data)
- 1 August 2025 (Friday): Call for Contributions to August Report
- 15 August 2025 (Friday): Deadline for August Contributions

SEPTEMBER: (Based on May, June, July, and August data)
- 2 September 2025 (Tuesday): Call for Contributions to September Report
- 15 September 2025 (Monday): Deadline for September Contributions