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I want to bring your attention to the upcoming Permafrost Engineering Short Course at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, BC, Canada. The course will be held from December 5 to 10, 2013. This course is tailored towards an engineer who has never attended a permafrost engineering course, or wants to learn more about the latest information in permafrost engineering. It will teach working knowledge of logistic challenges of building in Northern Regions, including:

• Understand the origin and different types of ground ice;
• Know how to determine the existing thermal regime and impact of changing environmental conditions on this regime;
• Understand the unique behaviour of freezing, frozen and thawing soils and understand how to design for these conditions;
• Know how to evaluate and design foundations and slopes in permafrost;
• Be exposed to case histories related to hydrocarbon pipelines in permafrost, mine design, tailings impoundments under Arctic conditions and pile foundation support systems in regions of saline permafrost.

For more information please contact Sally Petaske (sally.petaske [at] ualberta.ca) or the Cold Regions Geotechnology Division of the Canadian Geotechnical Society (ColdRegions [at] cgs.ca).

This is the second webinar in a series on long-term observing management and governance. In this presentation, concepts about long-term observing lifecycle and horizons will be explored that include questions about the initiation, maintenance, (de-)scoping, and denouement of an observing activity. 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 National Research Council invites you to a public briefing for the release of Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change: Anticipating Surprises. The study examines the likelihood of various physical components of the Earth system undergoing major and rapid changes (e.g., a shutdown of ocean circulation, ice sheet disintegration, etc.), explores how to monitor climate change for warnings of abrupt changes and emerging impacts, and identifies high priority needs for future research directions and monitoring capabilities.

Speakers include Dr. James White from the University of Colorado at Boulder, who chaired the report's authoring committee, and committee member Anthony Barnosky from the University of California at Berkeley.

Organizers invite scholars and practitioners interested in presenting in the conference 'In the Spirit of Rovaniemi Process' to submit abstracts to one of the scientific sessions. The conference will be held 2-4 December 2013 in Rovaniemi, Finland.

The conference is organized jointly by the City of Rovaniemi and the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland, Finland. The goal of the conference is to present the latest research scientific knowledge about the global processes as they become local realities. Even if the Conference is scientific in orientation, it aims to bridge science and knowledge into action by bringing top scholars to share their research results, and to organize joint discussion with the leaders of the Arctic Cities.

The papers should address at least one of the three cross-cutting themes:

• Arctic Cities and global processes;
• Management and governance in the Arctic; and
• Arctic together with non-Arctic.

Specific scientific sessions are as follows:

• Rovaniemi Process: past, present, future (Plenary)
• Arctic responses to global environmental problems
• People and extractive industries
• Tourism in the Arctic
• The Arctic in global economy
• Climate change in the Arctic
• Indigenous peoples in cities
• Arctic global flows

PhD students are welcome to present a poster referring to one of the sessions and addressing cross-cutting themes. Abstracts (250 word max) should be emailed (rovaniemi.process [at] ulapland.fi) with the title "Rovaniemi Process Conference - Abstract Proposal" and include the author's affiliation and contact information, as well as to which session the paper is submitted.

Submission deadline: 5 May 2013

On December 2-3, 2013 the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) together with the Institute of the World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) RAS and in partnership with the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Center for Strategic and International Studies will hold in Moscow an International Conference on “The Arctic: Region of Development and Cooperation”. The event is endorsed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The Conference is held in line with RIAC long-term project Roadmap for International Cooperation in the Arctic, aimed at promoting the development strategy of the Russian Arctic and preserving its unique environment on the basis of international cooperation.

The main objective of the Conference is to establish a permanent forum for representatives of the expert community, ministries and departments for systematizing the experience of international cooperation in the Arctic in order to develop proposals for effective development of the region and responsible use of its resources.

The event will be held in plenary and thematic sessions on key areas of international cooperation in the Arctic.

Analytic materials, summing up the results of the Conference, will be sent to the relevant ministries and departments.

The "Life in the Cold" workshop is sponsored by the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and the Astrobiology Society of Britain (ABS) and will take place in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds.

The workshop is free to Astrobiology Society of Britain (ABS) members and will cost 10 pounds (GBP) for non-members (payable on the day).

To register please send a short email to Liane G. Benning (L.G.Benning [at] leeds.ac.uk).

Through generous support from UKSA and ABS we are able to provide a number of travel bursaries for students who present posters.

If you would like to be considered for a travel bursary, please contact Karen Olsson-Francis (k.olsson-francis [at] open.ac.uk).

More information including the Program Details can be found on the website.

This is the first in a series of informational webinars that will introduce 8 thematic areas related to the management and governance of long-term observing. This first webinar will address definitions and interpretations of common vocabulary used in observing. 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 World Wildlife Foundation will host the Fuller Symposium on the Forces of Nature. Speakers from around the world will engage in active discussion around topics including local responses to forces like land grabbing and climate change, evaluation of community conservation impacts, new technologies for catalyzing social movements, private-sector initiatives, and global policy opportunities. The annual Fuller Symposium convenes thought leaders in science, policy, conservation, and development to discuss innovative approaches to complex issues facing our planet. USARC Commissioner Edward Itta will present.

The Aerospace & Defence Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (ADIANL) is pleased to announce plans for our annual Maritime and Arctic Security Conference (MAS13).

With a focus on Sovereignty, Security and Public Safety, MAS2013 will bring together organizations that play a key role in the execution of Maritime & Arctic Security: whether that role be Cultural, Research, Government Policy, Education, Surveillance, Enforcement, Technology Development or Technology Application.

The invited presenters are specifically targeted to address current & future challenges related to Domain Awareness, the complexity of executing Maritime & Arctic Sovereignty and Security - (Responsiveness), and the network of education, research capabilities and applied technologies that contribute to a safe and secure environment for our people, natural resources and culture.

The two day conference will take place at the Delta St. John's Tuesday and Wednesday, 12-13 November 2013. An optional 3rd day (14 Nov) is also being planned for organized visits to local educational institutions and research & development organizations.

Agenda and program items cover a wide cross-section of maritime and arctic related topics, including:

• Maritime Domain Awareness
• Northern Security & Sovereignty
• Technologies Applications for Harsh Environments
• Surveillance/Protection of Critical Maritime Approaches
• Maritime Law Enforcement
• Energy Security
• Maritime & Arctic Search & Rescue
• Environmental Protection (Detection)

Arctic Oil & Gas Conference: Delivering technology innovations and operational excellence for safe, sustainable and economical development of Arctic resources.

Regional Spotlight Session – Exploration opportunities and resource potential

• Iceland – a new energy frontier
• Review of oil & gas development opportunities offshore Greenland

Examples of presentations on key technology developments enabling Arctic development:

• Improving operational safety and efficiency of seismic surveys
• Developing technology to enable platform-free production
• Optimizing design and construction of Arctic wells
• Criteria for effective winterisation
• Numerical simulations of ice loads on Arctic drillships in managed ice
• Result of the ice-induced vibrations JIP
• Solutions for ice resistant wellhead platforms for Arctic conditions