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February 6, 2020

No Arctic-science event is scheduled for today.
Media

Beneath the Arctic's Sea Ice, Robots are Illuminating a Mysterious World. Less than 200 miles from the North Pole in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, the German icebreaker Polarstern sits frozen into the ice and shrouded in darkness. Several times a week, a handful of crew members venture forth from the relative safety and warmth of their vessel into a realm of bone-chilling temperatures, ice, and marauding polar bears where the sun hasn't risen in over two months. Gizmodo
 
Permafrost Arctic Sinkholes Open in a Flash After Permafrost Melt. Arctic permafrost can thaw so quickly that it triggers landslides, drowns forests and opens gaping sinkholes. This rapid melt, described in a new study, can dramatically reshape the Arctic landscape in just a few months. Fast-melting permafrost is also more widespread than once thought. About 20% of the Arctic's permafrost - a blend of frozen sand, soil and rocks - also has a high volume of ground ice, making it vulnerable to rapid thawing. When the ice that binds the rocky material melts away, it leaves behind a marshy, eroded land surface known as thermokarst.  Live Science
 
[Canada] New Northern Affairs Minister Recaps Liberals' Arctic Plan. If his speech at this year's Northern Lights conference is any indication, Canada's first-ever dedicated minister for northern affairs is going to be really busy over the next few years. Barely two months into his new cabinet post, Dan Vandal, a member of the Métis Nation from Winnipeg, stood before hundreds of well-fed conference delegates on Wednesday, Feb. 5-many of them northern leaders and business people-and basically told them: Don't worry. I'm listening, I'm collaborating and I'm delivering. Nunatsiaq Online
 
Government of Canada Celebrates the Ingenuity of Arctic Peoples. The Government of Canada is collaborating with our northern partners in building sustainable, healthy Indigenous and northern communities, while supporting innovation and the creation of new opportunities for socio-economic development, and enhancing food security in the face of a changing climate. Last evening, the Honorable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, attended the Arctic Inspiration Prize Awards Ceremony to celebrate the ingenuity and innovation of Arctic peoples. Canada NewsWire
 
Arctic Map Circumpolar Partnerships Will be Increasingly Important for Canada's North, Ottawa Arctic Conference Hears. "As globally we become smaller, we have to reach further abroad in terms of our partnerships with northern and Arctic people and then to our circumpolar friends and colleagues around the world," said Yvonne Jones, the Liberal MP in the Labrador riding of the Atlantic Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. "And I think in doing that, we not only strengthen the North and Arctic regions of Canada, but we strengthen the North and Arctic regions around the world and then we become a real force for change," said Jones, whose riding includes the Inuit region of Nunatsiavut. Radio Canada International
 
The Nuclear Arctic. Solving the Global Security Problem. Arctic.ru editors discussed the reprocessing of nuclear waste buried in the Arctic and the Russian Far East with Anatoly Grigoryev, chief of international technical assistance projects at the Directorate for International Programs and Projects in the Area of Radioactive Waste (RAW), Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and Decommissioning of Nuclear- and Radiation-Hazardous Sites (DNRHS), Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation. The interview took place on the sidelines of the 9th International Forum The Arctic: Today and the Future. The Arctic
Future Events
 
** New this week ** Fletcher Arctic Conference, February 7-8, 2020 (Medford, MA). The Fletcher School at Tufts University will hold its 2020 conference titled, " The Kaleidoscope of Arctic Security: The Evolution of Human, Soft and Hard Security in the Arctic Region." Please register here. The opening panel discussion, on Friday, Feb. 7th, features a discussion on "Essential Elements of Arctic Environmental Sustainability," moderated by Fletcher student Ms. Aesclinn Donohue, and including panelists Mr. Inuuteq Holm Olsen (Minister Plenipotentiary and Head of Representation at the Greenland Representation at the Danish Embassy in Washington, DC), Mr. Ben Ford (Partner, Verrill-Dana LLP), Dr. Rebecca Pincus (Assistant Professor, US Naval War College), and Dr. John Farrell (Executive Director, US Arctic Research Commission).

Jim Thomson: Ocean Waves in the New Arctic, February 7, 2020 (Webinar). The rapid decline of summer sea ice cover in the Western Arctic has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in the sea state of the region. Ocean waves are now more common throughout the region, including multiple energetic swell events each summer. These waves interact with the sea ice and help to both form and define the expanding Marginal Ice Zone of the Western Arctic. This seminar will review recent work to observe and forecast changes in the Arctic sea state, including implications for sea ice retreat and coastal morphology.

** New this week ** NASA Program Manager Chat: IARPC Collaborations Webinar Series, February 7, 2020 (Webinar). NASA Program Officers Thorsten Markus, Colene Haffke, and Michael Falkowski will host this webinar on NASA's Cryosphere Program, funding opportunities, and opportunities for early career scientists. They welcome the research community to join, ask questions and share feedback.

Alaska Forum on the Environment, February 10-14, 2020 (Anchorage, Alaska USA). The 22nd Alaska Forum on the Environment will be held February 10-14, 2020, offering 6 Keynote Events, over 100 presentations, panel discussions, special events and workshops. Technical sessions include: climate change, emergency response, brownfields, marine debris, environmental regulations, fish and wildlife, forests, rural issues, energy, military issues, business issues, pollution prevention, contaminants, and more.

"Arctic Worlds: A Symposium on Environment and Humanities" February 26, 2020, (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)  is an interdisciplinary Arctic event at Boston University, hosted by the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. There will be speakers from the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities addressing questions on how the Arctic/North can engender new understandings. Thekeynote speaker will be the Head of Representation in North America for Greenland, Minister Inuuteq Holm Olsen.

** New this week ** 47th Annual Meeting of the Alaska Anthropological Association, February 26-29, 2020 (Fairbanks, Alaska USA). Hosted by the National Park Service and the Alaska Anthropological Association. There are several sessions on traditional knowledge, ongoing Alaska research, early peopling of Alaska, and other Arctic-based sessions.
 
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.

High North Dialogue, March 18-19, 2020 (Bodø, Norway). Since 2007, the High North Dialogue conference series have brought together leaders of the High North - present and future - to discuss the dimensions of the changes taking place in the Arctic.  The High North Dialogue 2020 will provide you with a different perspective on the future of the High North.  The theme of the 2020 conference is "Business in the Arctic."  The conference also includes Master and PhD courses, a research workshop, breakout sessions, the High North Hero award, and the High North Young Entrepreneur contest.  Please visit our website for more information. 

usarc_logo_small_transparent_background 113th USARC Meeting, March 24, 2020 (Orono, Maine USA). The US Arctic Research Commission will host its 113th meeting at the University of Maine. Additional information coming soon on the website and in the Federal Register.

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.

North x North Festival + Critical Futures, April 13-19, 2020 (Anchorage, Alaska USA).  North x North celebrates connection, creativity, imagination and innovation across the Circumpolar North and convenes people worldwide for a discussion about possible futures. It begins with Critical Futures , a creative conference that focuses on language, visuals and ideas for creatively and critically thinking about the future and responding to climate change, and ends with a Fest featuring film, food and music. This event is hosted by the Anchorage Museum.

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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