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IARPC Collaboration Teams meet on a regular basis to implement the Arctic Research Plan: FY 2013-2017. Most meetings are open to the Arctic research community. Collaboration teams facilitate communication and collaboration between Federal agencies, the academic community, industry, non-governmental organizations, and State, local and tribal groups.

Contact Sara Bowden, bowden [at] arcus.org, if you would like to join this meeting.

Black carbon is "the second most important human emission in terms of its climate-forcing in the present-day atmosphere; only carbon dioxide is estimated to have a greater forcing." When BC is deposited on snow and ice, it darkens an otherwise bright surface. The darker surface may enhance the absorption of solar radiation resulting in an acceleration of snow and ice melting. In addition, BC particles suspended in the atmosphere absorb solar radiation and heat the surrounding air. Atmospheric BC can also alter cloud properties leading to changes in cloud amount and precipitation. Black carbon has multiple sources including domestic combustion for heating and cooking, diesel combustion related to transportation, fossil fuel and biofuel combustion for power generation, agricultural burning, and wildfires. Identification of the sources and types of black carbon (both the geographical region of the source and the combustion process) is necessary for effectively mitigating its climate impacts. In addition, measurements of black carbon are required to verify whether implemented mitigation strategies that target BC emissions from certain sources are actually leading to reductions in BC concentrations in the Arctic atmosphere and surface. In 2013, NOAA's Arctic Report Card added a black carbon assessment to the Atmosphere Section; the primary conclusions of the assessment are that (1) the average equivalent black carbon concentrations in 2012 at locations Alert (Nunavut, Canada), Barrow (Alaska, USA) and Ny-Alesund (Svalbard, Norway) were similar to average EBC concentrations during the last decade and (2) equivalent black carbon has declined by as much as 55% during the 23 year record at Alert and Barrow (Sharma et al. 2013).

Several issues are currently challenging the Arctic black carbon research community:

• In-situ measurements are the most reliable measure of black carbon; however, the most prevalent techniques which involve filter samplers only make proxy black carbon measurements.
• Retrievals of aerosols optical depth (AOD) over snow and ice-covered surfaces with passive remote sensing from vis-NIR imagers from space are problematic. Some success over incomplete snow-covered surfaces has been achieved, e.g., with MISR. TOMS, OMI, and probably now OMPS UV passive imaging has some qualitative sensitivity (the Aerosol Index), though with limited sensitivity to near-surface aerosol, and CALIPSO lidar is by far the most sensitive, but with limited coverage.
• Standardized ground-based networks such as AeroNET, MPLNet, and BSRN have sparse and sporadic Arctic coverage, and are uncoordinated with the necessary black carbon-in-snow measurements, and some long-standing surface stations have actually been decommissioned in the past few years.
• A promising approach to assessing high-latitude aerosol effects is to constrain aerosol transport models with satellite observations taken at lower latitudes, near the aerosol sources (mainly Boreal fires and pollution sites) where and when the surface is not snow-covered.

Speakers include:

• In-situ ground sensing: Patricia Quinn (NOAA)
• Satellite remote sensing: Ralph Kahn (NASA)
• Transport modeling: Mark Jacobson (Stanford)

For more information on how to join the webinar, please visit the website link above.

IARPC Collaboration Teams meet on a regular basis to implement the Arctic Research Plan: FY 2013-2017. Most meetings are open to the Arctic research community. Collaboration teams facilitate communication and collaboration between Federal agencies, the academic community, industry, non-governmental organizations, and State, local and tribal groups.

Contact Sara Bowden, bowden [at] arcus.org, if you would like to join this meeting.

This webinar will provide an update on the activity within discussion groups on www.arctichub.net and further opportunities to continue discussions relevant to long-term observing management and governance. A recap of recommendations received from the broad observing-minded community will be presented.The webinar will be available through Webex (details available at www.arctichub.net).

Background: On October 31, 2013, a kick-off webinar was held by the National Science Foundation to introduce 35 questions grouped in 8 thematic areas which address best practices for long-term observing management and governance. Over the next 20 weeks, 9 webinars will be held to further delve into each of the 8 themes: (1) Definition, (2) Life cycle and horizons, (3) Review: frequency, criteria, and process, (4) Network relevance, (5) Funding models, (6) Award structure and management, (7) Information sharing and communication, and (8) National and global connectivity. The ninth webinar will be a wrap-up discussion and assessment of current exchanges on these 8 themes. For a list of the 35 questions within these 8 thematic areas, please visit www.arctichub.net and click on the "Long Term Observing Management Discussion Group" link on the home page and then click Discussion on the left-hand side of the group page.

The webinars will introduce the themes and questions in detail, but the discussion continues beyond the webinar timeframe. Interested persons who would like to lead discussions on one or more of the 35 questions are encouraged to apply for discussion funding support through an online application at: http://www.arcus.org/search/aon/discussion-funding-form. Funding details and eligibility are on the form webpage. The discussion content provided through this activity will inform best practices and lessons learned in long-term observing from the viewpoint of the wide range of actors involved in natural and social observing, its management, support, and development.

The 10th annual Polar Technology Conference will be hosted by the Pervasive Technology Institute of Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, on 15-17 April. Conference registration is now available. Abstracts for oral and/or poster presentations may also be submitted. Presentations in all technology fields are invited. Regular oral presentations and a poster session will be scheduled. Abstracts for oral presentations received after 14 March may not be considered. For further information, registration, or abstract submission, please go to the conference website.

The primary purpose of this conference is to bring together Polar Scientists and Technology Developers in a forum to exchange information on research system operational needs and technology solutions that have been successful in polar environments. This exchange of knowledge helps to address issues of design, implementation, and deployment for systems that are to achieve their research goals in the Polar Regions.

Past participants have come from the private sector, state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academia. Presentations generally cover system requirements for proposed research along with descriptions of systems and approaches that have been proven in polar deployments. Typical hardware and software topics have included weather stations, robotics, power systems, telemetry, and remote communications. The scale of systems ranges from the autonomous data collection towers to large scale research stations. Polar venues represented include under, on, and above the ice, tundra, or sea.

Discussions on intra- and inter-national cooperation in site deployment and maintenance are encouraged. Informal breaks allow for opportunities for networking and information exchange. A poster session is also included. We are pleased to have support from the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs as an endorsement of the concept of bringing together providers and consumers of these technologies in hopes of benefiting from that synergy. Previous years' lists of presentations and participants can be found through links on the conference website.

IARPC Collaboration Teams meet on a regular basis to implement the Arctic Research Plan: FY 2013-2017. Most meetings are open to the Arctic research community. Collaboration teams facilitate communication and collaboration between Federal agencies, the academic community, industry, non-governmental organizations, and State, local and tribal groups.

Contact Sara Bowden, bowden [at] arcus.org, if you would like to join this meeting.

IARPC Collaboration Teams meet on a regular basis to implement the Arctic Research Plan: FY 2013-2017. Most meetings are open to the Arctic research community. Collaboration teams facilitate communication and collaboration between Federal agencies, the academic community, industry, non-governmental organizations, and State, local and tribal groups.

Contact Sara Bowden, bowden [at] arcus.org, if you would like to join this meeting.

IARPC Collaboration Teams meet on a regular basis to implement the Arctic Research Plan: FY 2013-2017. Most meetings are open to the Arctic research community. Collaboration teams facilitate communication and collaboration between Federal agencies, the academic community, industry, non-governmental organizations, and State, local and tribal groups.

Contact Sara Bowden, bowden [at] arcus.org, if you would like to join this meeting.

IARPC Collaboration Teams meet on a regular basis to implement the Arctic Research Plan: FY 2013-2017. Most meetings are open to the Arctic research community. Collaboration teams facilitate communication and collaboration between Federal agencies, the academic community, industry, non-governmental organizations, and State, local and tribal groups.

Contact Sara Bowden, bowden [at] arcus.org, if you would like to join this meeting.

The Arctic Shipping Forum is the key industry event focused on Arctic shipping operations, technology, and ship design for ice-going vessels. Presentations will be given on the following subjects:

• The future of Arctic shipping: what new developments will be seen in the next 10 years?
• Impact of insurance on developing Arctic shipping: key drivers for insurers in underwriting ice-going voyages
• New and current energy and mineral projects in the Arctic: focusing on the shipping needs for oil, gas and mining projects
• Update on the Polar Code: Latest status and implications for shipowners
• Sino-Russian cooperation in the Arctic: hear the Chinese views and strategies for the Arctic
• Maritime domain awareness: improving capabilities and ensuring safe operations
• Search and rescue: a panel of regional administrations will examine current implementation of the Arctic Council protocol
• Managing offshore operations: training for offshore and ice management, tracking and detection of icebergs using satellite imagery
• Ship design and technology for ice-going vessels: latest designs for icebreakers, OSVs and large scale vessels
• Trans-shipment hubs: building infrastructure to support future trade