News Archive

The October 2018 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes two articles: “ICESat-2 Launches to Measure Earth's Ice” provides news from NASA about the satellite launch and its capabilities; and “2018 Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Extent Reached in Late September,” which includes highlights from the 2018 Sea Ice Outlook Interim Post-Season Report, published on 11 October.

ARCUS invites registration for our next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Karin Buhmann (Copenhagen Business School). This seminar, titled Responsible Investments in Arctic Mining: Implications of Chinese Policies, will be held Tuesday, 30 October 2018 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. EDT in the ARCUS D.C. office at 1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington D.C. A live webinar is also available to those unable to attend in person.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, has released a 2018 projected onset of sea ice freeze-up on the Chukchi Sea continental shelf. Projection: Freeze onset on the Chukchi Sea continental shelf northwest of Icy Cape will begin the second week of December 2018. This is approximately 47 days later than the long-term mean (1981-2016).

PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is currently accepting applications from researchers for teacher research experiences. Researchers are invited to submit an application to host a PolarTREC teacher in the 2019 Arctic and/or the 2019-2020 Antarctic field seasons. Funding is pending for PolarTREC during the 2019-20 field seasons. ARCUS will keep researcher applicants informed of our funding status. If funding is secured, final matches should be made by January 2019. PolarTREC researchers must be at U.S. institutions. Applications from researchers on National Science Foundation (NSF) funded projects will receive priority in the selection process. Researchers should have secured funding for their research project prior to applying.

The Summer 2018 issue of Witness the Arctic is now published online. This issue includes a call for public comment on the Revised Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic; news from a recent study indicating an increase in amplified Arctic temperatures; news of the recently developed use of remote sensing to study beaver encroachment in Arctic tundra; news about the EarthScope Transportable Array; updates from the SEARCH program, USARC, the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2, the women in polar research panel discussion during POLAR2018, and the 2018 Anchorage Arctic Research Day; comments from ARCUS board members, Board President Audrey Taylor, and Executive Director Bob Rich; and a highlight of ARCUS member institution, the Woods Hole Research Center.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces the call for contributions for the 2018 Sea Ice Outlook August report. The Sea Ice Outlook provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. Submissions are due Monday, 13 August 2018.

PolarTREC has five teachers in the field in July and August. Please join us in following their expeditions. Teachers will be working on Migration and Carry-Over Effects in Arctic Seabirds, Shrubs, Snow and Nitrogen in the Arctic, Permafrost and Community, Sliding Glaciers and Winter Respiration in the Arctic. Also, please join us for upcoming PolarConnect Events with each of these teachers.