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A hybrid 2021 WAIS Workshop is scheduled for September 20-23, 2021 at The Algonkian in Sterling, Virginia with an option to participate virtually. The meeting, sponsored by NSF and NASA, hosts transdisciplinary and societally relevant science focused on marine ice-sheet and adjacent Earth systems, with particular emphasis on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

The meeting will follow a similar format as past meetings with each topical session followed by panel discussions. As we have done in recent years, the meeting will include a community health session as well as an optional mentoring program for early-career scientists. Prior to the start of the workshop on the evening of September 20, all interested attendees are welcome to participate in an icebreaker dinner and Steering Committee meeting to discuss the future of WAIS Workshops and relevant community issues.

Session themes for our 2021 workshop will include focuses on novel process investigations, big picture integrative science, marine ice sheet sensitivity, innovative data or model applications, and civic engagement.

The deadline for abstract submission is July 30, and the deadline to register for the workshop is August 23.

Thanks to our NSF and NASA sponsors, we have funds to support early-career scientists to attend WAIS Workshop 2021 in person; applications for early-career support will also close July 30.

Please follow the link above for more information.

NOAA/NESDIS is moving to an enterprise suite of algorithms for all of its remote sensing products. This seminar will describe the NOAA Enterprise Cloud Products which are the operational suite for the JPSS/VIIRS sensors and are soon the operational suite for the GOES-R/ABI sensors. These products are available operationally and from software packages such as the Community Satellite Processing Package (CSPP). These products are currently being used in aviation applications over Alaska. In addition to the move to Enterprise Algorithms, NESDIS is also planning the next series of GOES satellites (GeoXO) for the 2030’s. With high spatial resolutions, GOES data are becoming more and more relevant to Alaska. This seminar will provide the current plans for GeoXO and how to become involved in the process.

The US Department of the Air Force released its first Arctic Strategy on July 21, 2020. Signed by the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Chief of Staff of the Space Force, the Strategy noted that the “Arctic is among the most strategically significant regions of the world today.” Four lines of effort were included:

• Vigilance in all domains
• Projecting power through a combat-credible force
• Cooperation with allies and partners
• Preparation for Arctic operations

Over the past year, the Department of the Air Force has worked to optimize air and space capabilities throughout the Arctic region in support of Department of Defense objectives. What progress has been made? Which obstacles and opportunities have arisen?

Please join the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute for a facilitated round table discussion with distinguished Department of the Air Force leaders to explore paths forward in implementation of the Arctic Strategy.

Speakers

Kelli L. Seybolt
Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs

Lt. Gen. S. Clinton Hinote
Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force

Lt. Gen. William J. Liquori
Deputy Chief of Space Operations, Strategy, Plans, Programs, Requirements, and Analysis, United States Space Force

Moderator

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

Register today for the PolarConnect event with PolarTREC teacher Mark Goldner! Learn all about what is happening with a retreating glacier in Svalbard, Norway. This event will focus on the National Geographic supported expedition with the team working with Dr. Julie Brigham-Grette. Teacher Mark Goldner will share what they are learning about the changing glacier and fjord. Learn more about the science at their expedition page.

One of the most conspicuous signals of climate change in high-latitude tundra is the expansion of thermokarst pools above melting ice wedges. Beyond expressing permafrost degradation, this process exerts strong feedbacks on subsequent thaw rates through a series of positive and negative feedbacks which play out over timespans of decades. In this study, we assessed circumpolar thermokarst pool expansion from 2008-present at twenty-seven survey areas dispersed throughout the Arctic. Our workflow, based on convolutional neural networks and executed on a single GPU, segmented thermokarst pools from submeter-resolution panchromatic imagery from the WorldView satellites. The results revealed that recent circumpolar pool expansion has been uneven but widespread, including in very cold settings. Among other findings, the observations indicate that topography plays a significant role in determining ice wedge vulnerability to climate change, as pool expansion was often concentrated in convex regions within upland landscapes.

The International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS), the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS), and the International Association of the Physical Sciences of the Oceans (IAPSO) are pleased to announce a week of online seminars, 19-23 July 2021. Registration is FREE at the link above. Details of the programme can be found here.

The programme of invited speakers includes Early Career Scientist award recipients. From IACS, we are delighted to present our 2021 awardees David Bigelow and Giulia Mazzotti. The IACS Early Career Scientist award is a cash prize of €1000 awarded every two years to two early career scientists who have published the best scientific papers on a cryospheric subject as assessed by an ad-hoc evaluation committee.

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 August and early fall season. Join the gathering online to learn more about Alaska climate and weather.

Please follow the link above to register.

We’re happy to announce this year’s joint PALSEA-SERCE meeting scheduled for September 13-15, 2021, which will be an online and in-person hybrid meeting: participants can attend via Zoom or in-person at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (New York).

This meeting will focus on developing a better understanding of the physical processes that drive ice sheet collapse and solid earth deformation. These processes are highly uncertain due to a lack of observational constraints, yet they are the dominant drivers for local sea level change. Overcoming this uncertainty requires drawing from observations and expertise from a variety of fields complementary to PALSEA (Paleo Constraints on Sea Level Rise) and SERCE (Solid Earth Response and Influence on Cryospheric Evolution) including rheology, hydrology, glaciology, and geodesy. In this meeting, we aim to bring empiricists and modelers from the sea level and ice sheet communities together in order to unify solid Earth deformation and ice sheet evolution across time and spatial scales. Pairing our improved understanding of physical processes with enhanced paleo datasets will allow us to narrow in on ice sheet contributions to past and future sea level rise.

Abstract submission is now open. Submissions and registration are due on July 15th. Abstract selection and a full agenda will be announced on August 1st to allow sufficient time to plan travel for those who plan to do so.

On behalf of USNORTHCOM and the Command’s “The Watch Magazine (https://thewatch-magazine.com/), United States European Command (USEUCOM), United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), and the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN - https://www.naadsn.ca/), we would like to invite you to our July 2021 Arctic Academic eTalks distinguished speaker presentation on "Geopolitics and Military Diplomacy in the Arctic" with Dr. Andrea Charron and Dr. Joshua Tallis on Wednesday July 14th, 2021 at 0900 AK/ 1100 MT/ 1300 EST/ 1900 CET.

Please register at the following link:

https://alaska.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Wz2O7flGRC2T0x2wejbaYw

The Arctic Academic eTalks is an academically-focused, bimonthly forum for open discussion (non-attribution) on key issues affecting the Circumpolar Arctic for scholars and practitioners from Canada, Finland, Kingdom of Denmark (Greenland and Faroe Islands), Norway, Sweden, and the United States, as well as the United Kingdom and Germany.

Dr. Charron and Dr. Tallis will provide 15 minute presentations each which will be followed by a moderated 60-minute Q&A session (non-attribution). Of note, presentations are posted for later viewing on the event website (https://www.naadsn.ca/arctic-academic-etalks/) but the Q&A discussions are not – these are very interesting, insightful and are not to be missed!

Our Arctic eTalks partners include:

• Center for Arctic Security and Resilience - University of Alaska Fairbanks (https://www.uaf.edu/casr/)
• Defence Science and Technology Laboratory - United Kingdom (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-science-and-technol…)
• George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (https://www.marshallcenter.org/en)
• Joint Task Force North - Canadian Armed Forces (https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/operation…)
• Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom (UK MOD - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence)
• NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence (StratCom - https://www.stratcomcoe.org/)
• Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies (IFS - https://www.forsvaret.no/en)
• Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI - https://www.nupi.no/en)
• Royal Danish Defence College (https://fak.dk/en/)
• United States Coast Guard - Arctic (https://www.uscg.mil/arctic/)
• William J. Perry Center, National Defense University (https://www.ndu.edu/)

We look forward to your participation. Thank you for your support!

Dr. Shannon Nash and Dr. Ben Gochman

Shannon Nash, PhD (she/her)
Director of Operations
North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network
shannonnash [at] trentu.ca
naadsn.ca

Dr. Benjamin P. Gochman, DAFC
Chief, Engagements
Arctic, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean
Directorate of Operations (N&NC/J39)
HQ NORAD - USNORTHCOM/J3
250 Vandenberg, Suite B 016
Peterson AFB, CO 80914-3808
COMM: (719) 554-1663

Registration is now open for the 2021 National Marine Educators Association Virtual Conference, which will be held online. The conference theme, “Your Connection to Water,” will focus on our personal connection to water, as well as the new virtual connections to which we have all become accustomed.

Registration is $75 and includes three days of plenary speakers, concurrent sessions, and networking, plus access to field trips sponsored by local chapters on July 17th.

A Student Conference will be held July 15 from 2:00-5:00 pm EDT / 11:00am -2:00pm PDT / 8:00am-11:00am HST.

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