Search Events

The Geophysical Institute and International Arctic Research Center are sponsoring a First Friday event entitled "Views of the Boreal Forest," on April 5, 2013 in Room 204 of the Akasofu Building on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The art show will feature unique perspectives of northern forests through the eyes of local artists. The event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. and parking is free!

The main theme of the conference is the examination of high frequency climate changes reflected in the geological record, and the pacings of change and their geological consequences, during the Holocene (the past 11,700 years). The meeting will be divided into sessions on ocean change, sea-level variability, terrestrial change, ice core change, the modeling of any or all of these, and the interaction between climate and humans. Provisional keynote speakers include Graeme Barker, Ian Hall, Anthony Long, Rosalind Rickaby, Bo Vinther, and Heinz Wanner.

Conference paper and poster contributions are welcome. Abstracts should be 150 words, and must be submitted to Steve Whalley (steve.whalley [at] geolsoc.org.uk) no later than 12 October 2012.

For further information about the conference or to submit an abstract, please contact:
Steve Whalley
Email: steve.whalley [at] geolsoc.org.uk

Scientific writing is like a language. To become fluent you need to overcome a certain amount of fear. You need to repeat the techniques you have learnt so that your skills improve. Finally, you need to continue to talk this new language so that you do not forget your new skills. ClimateSnack builds on these ideas and offers an unintimidating approach to climate blogging, where the main aim is to improve writing skills as part of a community, rather than by oneself. This webinar, given by Mathew Reeve of the University of Bergen, will introduce the background to the ClimateSnack concept and how people can get involved.

Register for webinar or join as it begins: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/930363264

APECS works with mentors and partners to develop webinars to assist APECS members and other early career scientists with their career development goals. The webinars give early career scientists a venue to learn valuable career skills that are usually not covered in their academic training. The webinar audience consists of graduate students, post-docs, and early career faculty across several disciplines. Since its inception in 2010, hundreds of people from around the world have participated in the webinars.

A recording and archive of each webinar is available on the APECS Vimeo site so that anyone can watch the videos anytime.

If you have any questions, potential topics, or potential presenters to suggest, please contact the APECS Webinar Coordinator, Kristin Timm at webinars [at] apecs.is.

Snow grain size is an essential property required for many applications: cold regions hydrology, polar and mountain climatology, optical and microwave remote sensing, snow chemistry, etc. However, field and laboratory measurements of snow grain size are notoriously difficult and impaired by the coexistence of inconsistent definitions. Several instruments and methods based on very different physical principles (optical, gas adsorption, tomography, stereology) have been developed in the last decade, with differences in terms of reproducibility, acquisition time and vertical and horizontal resolution in the field. In recent years, grain size measurements have been conducted by different groups in a wide variety of environments. However, little is known about the accuracy of these methods due to the lack of an approved reference method and the insufficient number of inter-comparison exercises.

The *main objectives *of the meeting is to gather snow grain size specialists to:
1. Present established and new methods of measurements.
2. Discuss about the accuracy, comparability and quality of existing measurement methods,
3. Identify areas where action at the international level is needed to improve the situation.

Emphasis is deliberately placed on field or laboratory methods together with their theoretical relation to a particular definition of snow grain size. Development and applications related to grain size in the field of remote sensing, snowpack modeling and data assimilation are also welcome and open for discussion.

The 4-day workshop will include keynote lectures, oral presentations, poster presentations, discussions and one-day field trip near Grenoble. The objective of this field day is to demonstrate the instruments brought by the participants to the others and to potentially initiate an inter-comparison.

This workshop is the first meeting associated to the working group "From quantitative stratigraphy to microstructure-based modeling of snow" which will be supported by the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (http://www.cryosphericsciences.org/).

The 9th Annual Polar Technology Conference will be held 2-4 April 2013 in Annapolis, Maryland at the U.S. Naval Academy. 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.

Participants from the private sector, state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academia are welcome. Presentations generally cover system requirements for proposed research along with descriptions of systems and approaches that have been proven in polar deployments. Discussions on intra- and inter-national cooperation in site deployment and maintenance are encouraged. Informal breaks allow for networking and information exchange, and a poster session will be included.

A call for presentations and conference registration will be announced in mid-December 2012.

This is a three-day boating course provided by Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA http://amsea.org). Aimed at researchers working in or around water, this course covers topics such as inflatable boat and motor use, emergency signaling devices, personal flotation devices, and hypothermia. Students spend time on and in the water during training.

For more information and registration, please email fieldrisk [at] polarfield.com.

The Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) will meet to receive comments or questions regarding their draft document, "U.S. Arctic Marine Transportation System: Overview and Priorities for Action." To join the conference call, please email your request to ArcticMTS [at] cmts.gov. Staff will provide the call-in information. Both U.S. and international lines are available. The draft CMTS Arctic MTS paper is available here.

The Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard will hold a field hearing in Alaska on Arctic shipping safety and reviewing the lessons learned from the 2012 offshore drilling season. The hearing will also examine the U.S. preparation for Arctic shipping more generally, with testimony from Alaska maritime experts, local communities, and environmental groups. Witnesses include:

• The Honorable Tommy P. Beaudreau, Acting Assistant Secretary - Land and Minerals Management, US Department of the Interior (via video teleconference
• Rear Admiral Thomas P. Ostebo, Commander, Seventeenth District, U.S. Coast Guard
• Mr. Pete E. Slaiby, Vice President, Exploration and Production, Shell Alaska
• Ms. Helen Brohl, Executive Director, US Committee on the Marine Transportation System (via video teleconference)
• Mr. Ed Page, Executive Director, Marine Exchange of Alaska
• Ms. Eleanor Huffines, Manager, U.S. Arctic Campaign, Pew Charitable Trusts
• Mr. Matt Ganley, Vice President, Bering Straits Native Corp.

Polar regions are undergoing considerable changes. To address the potential impact of these changes, new technological tools and mindsets are urgently needed. This webinar, given by Bruno Danis, Associate Professor at Universite Libre de Bruxelles will develop a vision on emerging collaborative networks, illustrated by a set of real-life examples.

Register for webinar or join as it begins: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/930363264

APECS works with mentors and partners to develop webinars to assist APECS members and other early career scientists with their career development goals. The webinars give early career scientists a venue to learn valuable career skills that are usually not covered in their academic training. The webinar audience consists of graduate students, post-docs, and early career faculty across several disciplines. Since its inception in 2010, hundreds of people from around the world have participated in the webinars.

A recording and archive of each webinar is available on the APECS Vimeo site so that anyone can watch the videos anytime.

If you have any questions, potential topics, or potential presenters to suggest, please contact the APECS Webinar Coordinator, Kristin Timm at webinars [at] apecs.is.

The Warming Arctic, the Edward R. Murrow Center and the Center of International Environment and Resource Policy will convene a group of experts, policy makers, business and media to examine the growing body of evidence on the climate impact of the Arctic - and try to share some big approaches to it.

This meeting is sponsored by:

• The Edward R. Murrow Center for Public Diplomacy
• Center of International Environment and Resource Policy
• Canadian Consulate Boston
• Media Partners: Global Post, Alaska Dispatch, Living on Earth