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Media
Melting Permafrost May Make Oil Production Nearly Impossible on the North Slope. Interested in a long-term career in rebuilding the North Slope oil fields? Maybe not for you, but your grandchildren? In a few decades oil companies may be scrambling to reconstruct sagging pipeline supports and propping up the gravel foundations under big oilfield processing plants as the tundra land surface turns to goo. The slope' oil operators face a long-term, existential threat to infrastructure for which there is no easy solution - thawing permafrost.
Anchorage Press
 Arctic Climate Continues to Concern Scientists. When the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its 14th annual Arctic Report Card on Tuesday, scientists at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in San Francisco, California weren't expecting good news. Although 2019 set no climate records, the ongoing warming of the Arctic continues to be a worry, and it is having an increasing and direct impact on the climate at lower latitudes. Speaking at the meeting, NOAA's acting deputy administrator, Admiral Timothy Gallaudet, called attention to "the speed and trajectory of the changes sweeping the Arctic, many occurring faster than anticipated".
Physics World
Bill Would Give Alaskans an Advisory Role in Arctic Shipping. For ship travel, the Arctic is a new frontier, with an ocean of possibilities and few rules. A bill advancing in the U.S. Senate aims to allow new maritime opportunities while designing a framework that ensures safety. "It's not very often that you are able to really start with a blank sheet, and in this case, even though we're seeing stepped up volume of traffic, it's still a pretty blank sheet up there," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the bill's sponsor. "So let's make sure that we're doing this right."
Alaska Public Media
 Vanishing Sea Ice in the Arctic Could Shake Up Seabird Migrations. For seabirds, an Arctic Ocean with less sea ice could provide some tantalizing alternatives to the long-haul flights that some undertake each year. In a recent study, ecologist Manon Clairbaux and her colleagues found that at least one Arctic dweller would expend less energy by changing its route. For the little auk (Alle alle), plying a new route from the North Atlantic to the North Pacific would require only about half as much energy as their traditional migration. Little auks typically spend summers in their breeding grounds closer to the North Pole, and then fly southward to the North Atlantic in the winter.
Mongabay
Stieglitz Joins OPP as Program Director for Arctic Natural Sciences. Marc Stieglitz has joined OPP's Arctic Science Section's Arctic Natural Sciences' (ANS) team of program officers, alongside Cynthia Suchman and Xujing Jia Davis. Immediately prior to joining NSF, Stieglitz was an associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech. He has been active in Arctic research since the early 1990s. His research interests are at the interface of the fields of hydrology, ecology, and biogeochemistry. He also brings considerable expertise in modelling, remote sensing and cyberinfrastructure to the position.
National Science Foundation
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Future Events
Arctic Frontiers, January 26-30, 2020 (Tromso, Norway).
Arctic Frontiers is a global scientific conference on economic, societal, and environmental sustainable growth. This year's theme will be "The Power of Knowledge," with a pan-arctic emphasis, and
builds new partnerships across nations, generations and ethnic groups.
Arctic Frontiers provides a forum for dialogue and communication between science, government and industry in the Arctic. The
plenary program will have five main sessions with the following working titles: State of the Arctic, The power of knowledge, Robust and resilient Arctic communities, Powered by knowledge, Arctic oceans - distant connections, Sustainable business development. An abstract-driven science program will address Arctic Food Security, Local or Global Arctic? Multi-scaled considerations of connections and remoteness in climate-impacted, Disruptive Technologies and Knowledge-based Development in the Arctic.
ISAR-6: Arctic Research: the Decade Past and the Decade Future, March 2-6, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan). Rapid changes are taking place in the Arctic that impact regional human and natural systems, and affect the global environment. The International Symposium on Arctic Research (ISAR) will meet for the sixth time since its first symposium in 2008 to identify changes in the Arctic environment and society, and to discuss possible future sustainable development. The hosts invite all researchers with interests in the Arctic to participate in this multidisciplinary symposium and share their insights, their challenges, and to explore the possible futures of the Arctic.
International One Health, One Future 2020 International Conference, March 11-14, 2020 (Fairbanks, Alaska USA). This year's conference, presented by University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for One Health Research in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, will host internationally recognized keynote speakers across eight themes. There will be something for all stakeholders - community members, health care providers, state and federal agency employees, researchers, educators and students. One Health recognizes the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health, and that a holistic approach to the well-being of all will lead to improved health outcomes and enhanced resilience.
Linking Experts in Polar Science and Technology, March 12, 2020 (Boulder, Colorado USA). The Polar Technology Conference (PTC) brings together polar scientists, technology developers, and field technicians from academia, state and federal agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. This interdisciplinary space provides an opportunity for technical and theoretical exchange on challenges impeding polar research and field operations. Community input is crucial to ensure that technological infrastructure investments are efficient, satisfy science drivers, and meet field requirements. The conference will address approaches to working and studying in the polar regions, including: terrestrial, marine, atmospheric, and social science disciplines; autonomous instrumentation; observation platforms; and all levels of logistical support.
Arctic Science Summit Week and the 5th Arctic Observing Summit. March 27 to April 2, 2020, (Akureyri, Iceland).
The Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) is a high-level biennial summit that provides a platform to address urgent and broadly recognized needs of Arctic observing across all components of the Arctic system. The theme of AOS 2020 is Observing for Action. AOS 2020 will be held in Akureyri, Iceland (March 31-April 2) and will focus on pressing issues related to the use, design, optimization and implementation of the observing system. To that end, submissions in the form of white papers, short statements and poster abstracts are requested that address any and all aspects of the overarching theme and sub-themes. Currently seeking submissions to the AOS. See link for additional information.
The 7th Annual Arctic Encounter, April 16-17, 2020 (Seattle, WA USA).
The 2019 Arctic Encounter Seattle drew participants and stakeholders from over 20 nations, including over 80 speakers, 27 sponsors, 17 media partners, northern fashion and photography art installations, 13 guest performers, the second annual Far North Fashion Show, live podcast recording sessions, musical and spoken word performances, and over 10 artist exhibitors. The 2020 Arctic Encounter Seattle expects to increase engagement in new sectors and engage participants through policy debates, research presentations, live performances, and more. The Arctic Encounter is the largest annual Arctic policy and business conference convening in the United States, with partnerships and convening efforts worldwide.
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