News Archive

Going to the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco next month? Overwhelmed by the science program and not sure what presentations to see? We’ve got an online schedule of sea ice-related talks and posters to help!

The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) requests input on a draft position paper on issues related to the design and implementation of an integrated Arctic Observing Network (AON). The paper represents a synthesis of discussions within SEARCH over the last year and builds on past SEARCH-AON community events and workshops. Key issues addressed in the paper include governance, network integration, and sustained funding. The deadline for input is Friday, 21 November 2014.

A draft report on arctic field safety is available for comment. The draft report summarizes discussions at an NSF-sponsored workshop on Arctic Field Safety Risk Management that was convened to improve field safety practices, build communication, and reduce risk. The draft is available for comment until Tuesday, 11 November 2014.

An archive of the Sea Ice Outlook: Post-Season Discussion webinar, held on 9 October 2014, is now available. The webinar, hosted by the Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN), focused on post-season analysis and discussion of the 2014 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) and provided a venue for discussion of the 2014 SIO, including processes that influenced sea ice melt this year and a review of the differing approaches to predicting the sea ice minimum extent.

Registration is now available for the Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN) webinar, which will focus on post-season analysis and discussion of the 2014 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO). This webinar will provide a venue for discussion of the 2014 SIO, including processes that influenced sea ice melt this year and a review of the differing approaches to predicting the sea ice minimum extent. The webinar is open to all interested participants, including sea ice researchers, students, decision-makers, and others. This webinar is scheduled for Thursday, 9 October 2014 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. AKDT. Registration is required.

SAVE THE DATE: The Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN) announces an open webinar focused on post-season analysis and discussion of the 2014 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO). This webinar will provide a venue for discussion of the 2014 SIO, including processes that influenced sea ice melt this year and a review of the differing approaches to predicting the sea ice minimum extent. The webinar is open to all interested participants, including sea ice researchers, students, decision-makers, and others. This webinar is scheduled for Thursday, 9 October 2014 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. AKDT.

Announcing the August Sea Ice Outlook report! We received 23 pan-Arctic contributions and four regional contributions. The median Outlook value for September 2014 sea ice extent is 5.0 million square kilometers, with quartiles of 4.58 and 5.22 million square kilometers. This month's report includes comments on modeling outlooks and on regional predictions, a summary of current conditions, key statements from each Outlook, and links to view or download the full outlook contributions.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN) announces a call for contributions to the August Sea Ice Outlook report. Please see the guidelines for submitting regional and pan-Arctic outlooks. A variety of perspectives, from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists, are welcome.

Announcing the July Sea Ice Outlook report! The Sea Ice Outlook provides a venue for exploring the changing Arctic sea ice extent. It provides a transparent exercise in both scientific sea ice predictions as well as estimates from the public. For the July report, we received 28 pan-Arctic contributions and three regional contributions. The median Outlook value for September 2014 sea ice extent is 4.8 million square kilometers. The report includes a brief executive summary, comments on modeling outlooks and on regional predictions, current conditions, and the individual Outlook contributions.

Announcing the July Sea Ice Outlook report! We received 28 pan-Arctic contributions and three regional contributions. The median Outlook value for September 2014 sea ice extent is 4.8 million square kilometers with quartiles of 4.4 and 5.0 million square kilometers. The report includes a brief executive summary, comments on modeling outlooks and on regional predictions, current conditions, and the individual Outlook contributions.

A new report is now available on Arctic Research Support and Logistics: "Increasing Arctic Accessibility Over the Next Twenty Years”. The report was based on recommendations discussed at a workshop and with input from the broader community. It includes recommendations for sustaining and expanding logistics resources, capacity building, and opportunities for improved coordination of resources. The report is available free as a PDF.

SIPN Team member Cecilia Bitz announces a call for abstracts for an AGU Session: Processes and Predictability (Session #2392). Presentations that examine the processes that govern seasonal to multidecadal polar climate variability, identify sources of polar climate predictability, and characterize uncertainty in polar climate prediction are welcome. The session seeks to connect the community of atmospheric, oceanic, and cryospheric scientists working on topics relevant to the new Polar Climate Predictability Initiative of the World Climate Research Program. It will convene during the AGU Fall Meetings in San Francisco 15-19 December 2014.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN) announces a call for contributions to the July Sea Ice Outlook report. Please see the new guidelines for submitting pan-Arctic and regional outlooks. A variety of perspectives, from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists, are welcome.

The first arctic Sea Ice Outlook report of the year has been published, and we had a record number of pan-arctic contributions! The median Outlook value for September 2014 sea ice extent is 4.7 million square kilometers. Only three outlooks this are above the 2013 observed September extent. This full report includes a brief summary, comments on modeling outlook, current conditions, key statements from all the Outlook contributions, and links to download the outlook contributions.

SIPN Team members Stroeve, Hamiliton, Bitz, and Blanchard-Wrigglesworth published an analysis of the ensemble skill of the SEARCH Sea Ice Outlook 2008-2013 in predicting September Arctic sea ice extent. Their article is published in Geophysical Research Letters - 16 April 2014.

A new article by Larry Hamilton and others on the SIPN Team looks at the overall success of informal sea ice predictions contributed to the Sea Ice Outlook (SIO). Their article was published in Witness the Arctic - Spring 2014.

The Spring 2014 issue of Witness the Arctic is now available. This issue includes an introduction of the new NSF Director, France A. Córdova; articles about other NSF news, the influence of Arctic climate changes on mid-latitude weather patterns, and the overall success of past Sea Ice Outlook predictions. Also included are updates on: the SEARCH program; NSF-funded projects in Arctic natural sciences, social sciences, and science education; international meetings; and NASA, NOAA, ACADIS, USARC, and the Polar Research Board. Special features in this issue are a perspective on the new ARCUS Vision and Mission statement, interviews with three members of the ARCUS Board of Directors, and Brendan P. Kelly's reflections on Arctic research coordination.

Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) announces a position opening for a full-time Project Coordinator/Web Manager. The position will be be open until filled; initial review of applications will begin on 27 June 2014.

A new sea ice thickness and snow depth product of the Arctic Ocean and the Beaufort and Chuckshi Seas is available from NSIDC. The 2014 quicklook data product is available here. The March 2014 CryoSat-2 data product is available here. Data collected on 28 April 2014 are forthcoming.

An Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) webinar will be held on Wednesday, June 25 at 3:00pm Eastern Time on "Building a Conceptual Framework on How to Assess Food Security From an Alaska Inuit Perspective.” This webinar is open to anyone interested in participating.

The Sea Ice Prediction Network announces the launch of the 2014 Sea Ice Outlook season with the first call for contributions! Join a growing network of sea ice experts and contribute your pan-arctic or regional Outlook for the first report to be published in June.

ARCUS education staff, with partners, facilitated three workshops for scientists and educations to increase science communication and create educational products. A paper was recently published in the Journal of Geoscience Education to identify the importance of those workshops focusing on culturally responsive curriculum based on alaskan marine ecosystems. View contributors and the abstract in the PolarTREC Learning Resources Collection.

The Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook (SIWO), a product of the Study of Environmental Change (SEARCH) and part of SIPN, has launched the 2014 season with weekly reports that combine forecasts, remote sensing data, and local observations for the Northern Bering Sea and southern Chukchi Sea regions of Alaska.

Announcing an Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Webinar on "Current Science Questions and Activities Related to Arctic Black Carbon" scheduled for Friday, 18 April 2014 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. EDT. The webinar is open to anyone interested in joining.

Image courtesy of NOAA

The 2014 Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook season is now in progress. Weekly reports describing the sea ice and weather conditions in the northern Bering Sea and southern Chukchi Sea will be available each Friday. Satellite imagery and local observations will be updated throughout the week as they are received.