News Archive

The August 2022 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes three articles: Supporting Arctic Food Sovereignty through Sustained, Coordinated Observations of Arctic Change, an overview of the Research Networking Activities for Sustained Coordinated Observations of Arctic Change (Arctic CoObs RNA); Puzzling Vegetation Trends in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta are Resolved in 40-year Climate Record, a summary of recent findings that sea-ice concentration drives vegetation trends; and New Project Connects Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science to Better Understand Impacts of Climate Change on Arctic Rivers, highlights of a five-year project guided by an Indigenous Advisory Council with focus on Arctic rivers in Alaska and Canada and the Yukon River drainage.

For questions, or to suggest topics for future articles, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).

The 2022 August Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) Report is now available online. The Sea Ice Outlook, managed by the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team, provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

For the 2022 August report, 28 contributions were received that included pan-Arctic predictions. Of those contributions, eight included predictions for the Alaska region, nine included predictions for pan-Antarctic, and 12 submitted September mean sea-ice extent anomalies. This report includes discussions of the contributed forecasts for the pan-Arctic, Alaska region, and pan-Antarctic; Arctic sea-ice extent anomalies; predictions from spatial fields; and current condition.

The median August Outlook value for September 2022 pan-Arctic sea-ice extent is 4.83 million square kilometers, which is higher than that from July (4.64 million square kilometers) and June (4.57 million square kilometers).

For questions, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).

ARCUS invites registration for the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Carolina Behe, the Indigenous Knowledge/Science Advisor for the Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska (ICC Alaska). Carolina’s presentation, titled “Circumpolar Inuit Protocols for Equitable and Ethical Engagement (EEE): Sharing the EEE Protocols - Publication to Implementation,” will be held via Zoom on Thursday, 18 August 2022 at 9:00 a.m. AKDT (1:00 p.m. EDT). Registration is required for this event.

The 2022 July Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) Report is now available online. The Sea Ice Outlook, managed by the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team, provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

For the 2022 July report, 30 contributions were received that included pan-Arctic predictions. Of those contributions, eight included predictions for the Alaska region, nine included predictions for pan-Antarctic, and 12 submitted September mean sea-ice extent anomalies. This report includes discussions of the contributed forecasts for the pan-Arctic, Alaska region, and pan-Antarctic; Arctic sea-ice extent anomalies; predictions from spatial fields; and current condition.

The median July Outlook value for September 2022 pan-Arctic sea-ice extent is 4.64 million square kilometers, which is slightly higher than the median cited in the June report of 4.57 million square kilometers.

For questions, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team announces an open Call for Contributions to the 2022 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) July Report and invites predictions for pan-Arctic, pan-Antarctic, and Alaskan regional September monthly mean sea-ice extent (based on May and June data). Submissions for the Alaska region (i.e., Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas) are particularly encouraged. The SIO provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea-ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

July Submission Deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Wednesday, 13 July 2022 (firm).

The June 2022 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes two articles: Rethinking Scientific Meetings in a COVID World, an Example of the 16th International Circumpolar Remote Sensing Symposium, a summary of the symposium program and COVID-19 safety mitigation plans established by organizers; and Remote Uncrewed Aircraft System Inspection and Response Team Developed in Unalakleet, Alaska, an overview of a project designed to train local pilots to fly small UAS as a means to monitor climate change impacts, inform local decision-making, and support the US Coast Guard mission in western Alaska.

For questions, or to suggest topics for future articles, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).