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Arctic Reading for the Quarantine:
This week's newly shared reports and publicans.
(Arctic Council) The Coronavirus in the Arctic: Spotlight on Mental Health, April 2020. As the current pandemic evolves, the focus on the health effects of the coronavirus widens. While nations around the globe implement strict measures to flatten the curve of infections, concerns are rising that the virus and the measures taken to combat it, will cause long-term mental health issues. In the Arctic, where concerns about mental health and suicide have been long standing challenges, there is a particular need to reflect on the consequences. Fostering mental well-being must be an important component of a holistic approach to address the longer-term effects of the coronavirus outbreak. The Arctic Council's Sustainable Development Working Group project Local2Global is one of these efforts.
(Congressional Research Service) Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress (April 28, 2020). The diminishment of Arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the Arctic, and has heightened interest in, and concerns about, the region's future. The United States, by virtue of Alaska, is an Arctic country and has substantial interests in the region. The seven other Arctic states are Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark (by virtue of Greenland), and Russia.
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 The Revolt of Plants: The Arctic Melts When Plants Stop Breathing. The vapor that plants emit when they breathe serves to lower land surface temperature, much like watering the yard on a hot day. Until now, the greenhouse effect has been blamed for the rise in global temperature. But an interesting study has shown that the Arctic temperature rises when the moisture released by plants is reduced due to the increase of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) in the atmosphere.
Phys.org
Unusual Warmth Pours Over North Pole, Potentially Jumpstarting Melt Season for Arctic Ice. It was a remarkably cold winter across the High Arctic, at least compared with the abnormally mild winters in many recent years. But the weather pattern has reversed this spring and unusually warm air is surging toward the North Pole, paving the way for the Arctic ice melt season to commence. The sudden pulse of warmth is one of many observed in the Arctic in recent years, which research shows are increasing in frequency due to rapid climate change, accelerating the loss of sea and land ice.
The Washington Post
 NASA's ICESat-2 Measures Arctic Ocean's Sea Ice Thickness, Snow Cover. Arctic sea ice helps keep Earth cool, as its bright surface reflects the Sun's energy back into space. Each year scientists use multiple satellites and data sets to track how much of the Arctic Ocean is covered in sea ice, but its thickness is harder to gauge. Initial results from NASA's new Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) suggest that the sea ice has thinned by as much as 20% since the end of the first ICESat mission (2003-2009), contrary to existing studies that find sea ice thickness has remained relatively constant in the last decade.
Phys.org
Science Among Polar Bears: A Day in the Life of an Arctic Researcher. Not many jobs put you at risk of running into a polar bear if you want to make a cup of tea, but it's all in a day's work for one Museum scientist. Dr. Anne Jungblut is a microbiologist whose research takes her to some of the coldest and wildest places on Earth. One trip saw her working among bears and reindeer in the Arctic desert, one of the most fragile ecosystems on Earth.
Natural History Museum
Mastering the Arctic- USS Donald Cook Applies Lessons for Second Trip to the Arctic. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile Aegis destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) recently concluded operations in the Barents Sea as part of a second mission above the Arctic Circle, May 11, 2020. Donald Cook operated above the Arctic Circle as part of a Surface Action Group (SAG) with fellow Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) ships USS Porter (DDG 78) and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80). NATO partner Royal Navy frigate HMS Kent (F 78) also participated in the operation, while USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) provided logistics support.
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
 Thousands are Headed to Alaska's Fishing Towns. So is the Virus. The people of Cordova, Alaska, had weathered the coronavirus pandemic with no cases and the comfort of isolation - a coastal town unreachable by road in a state with some of the fewest infections per capita in the country. But that seclusion has come to an abrupt end. Over the past two weeks, fishing boat crews from Seattle and elsewhere have started arriving by the hundreds, positioning for the start of Alaska's summer seafood rush.
New York Times
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Future Events
COVID-19 Impacts in the Arctic, May 19-20, 2020 (Virtual conference, Zoom). Organized and hosted by the US Naval War College, the Wilson Center's Polar Institute, and the US Arctic Research Commission, this event will be a series of panel conversations on the impacts of the virus in the Arctic. COVID-19 threatens the Arctic region with new challenges to human life, economic prosperity, and the fabric of communities. Ongoing climate and environmental change further compound the challenges facing Arctic communities. In light of these unprecedented, intersecting challenges, the co-hosts will run a virtual conference of panels focusing on Arctic Community health, economic
activities, US Coast Guard Operations, scientific research, international impacts and more. Speakers will include leading voices from Arctic communities, federal and state agencies, academia, international entities, and the private sector.
Registration
is
open
and is
required.
Over 500 confirmed participants so far.
Confirmed speakers/moderators include (among others)...
AlexAnna Salmon, Village Council President, Village of Igiugig, Alaska
Peter Sköld, Professor, Umea Univ., Sweden
David Balton, Senior Fellow, Polar Institute, Wilson Center
Fran Ulmer, Chair, US Arctic Research Commission
VADM Linda Fagan, Pacific Area Commander, USCG
RADM Todd Sokalzuk, Atlantic Area Deputy Commander, USCG
Mark Myers, former Director, US Geological Survey
John Tichotsky, Alaska Capital
Cara Condit, Exec. Dir. Center for Arctic Study and Policy, USCG Academy
Gail Schubert, President & CEO Bering Straits Native Corp.
Rebecca Pincus, Assoc. Prof. US Naval War College
Gwen Healy, Executive Director, Qaujigiartit Health Research Centre
Tim Gilbert, President/CEO, Maniilaq Assoc.
Robert Onders, Medical Dir. of Comm. and Health Systems Improv., ANTHC
Dalee Sambo Dorough, Int'l Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council
Tony Penikett, former Premier, Yukon Territory, Canada
Mia Bennett, Assist. Prof., The Univ. of Hong Kong
Anne Budgell, author and radio/TV journalist in Labrador and Newfoundland
Inuuteq Holm Olsen, Minister Penipotentiary & Head of Rep. for Greenland
Friðrik Jónsson
,
Senior Arctic Official (Iceland), Arctic Council
Tim Gallaudet,
Asst. Sec. of Comm. for Oceans & Atm. & Deputy
NOAA Admin.
Simon Stephenson, Head, Arctic Section, National Science Foundation
Bob Foy, Science & Res. Dir., AK Fisheries Sci. Center, NOAA
Thorsten Markus, Cryospheric Science Prog. Manager, NASA
Doug Causey, Professor, Univ. Alaska Anchorage
Sally McFarlane, ARM Climate Research Facility Manager, DOE
Hajo Eicken, Director, Int'l Arctic Research Center, Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks
Brendan Kelly, Executive Director SEARCH, IARC/UAF
Bob Campbell, Research Scientist (was on MOSAiC), GSO, Univ. of RI
Jackie Grebmeier, Professor, CES, Univ. of Maryland
Kaare Erickson, North Slope Science Liaison, Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corp.
Ted Schuur, Professor, Northern Arizona Univ.
Jackie Richter-Menge, UAF and USARC Commissioner
David Kennedy, Global Fellow, Polar Institute, Wilson Center
Sydonia Brett-Harte, Assoc. Sci. Director, Toolik Field Station, UAF
ICESAT-2 Cryospheric Science Hackweek, June 15-19, 2020 (Seattle, Washington USA). ICESat-2 Cryospheric Science Hackweek is a 5-day hackweek to be held at the University of Washington. Participants will learn about technologies used to access and process ICESat-2 data with a focus on the cryosphere. Mornings will consist of interactive lectures, and afternoon sessions will involve facilitated exploration of datasets and hands-on software development.
Arctic Circle Assembly, October 8-11, 2020 (Reykjavik, Iceland). The annual Arctic Circle Assembly is the largest annual international gathering on the Arctic, attended by more than 2000 participants from 60 countries. It is attended by heads of states and governments, ministers, members of parliaments, officials, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, indigenous representatives, environmentalists, students, activists and others from the growing international community of partners and participants interested in the future of the Arctic.
3rd Arctic Science Ministerial, November 21-22, 2020 (Toyko, Japan). Since the last Arctic Science Ministerial in 2018, changes in the Arctic ecosystem and the resulting impacts locally and globally have been severely felt. While the reasons for these changes in climate largely stem from activities outside of the Arctic, the Arctic is warming at a rate of nearly double the global average. Considering the need for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and repair measures, the relevance of an international Arctic Science Ministerial has never been greater. It is necessary to strengthen scientific cooperation and collaboration among both Arctic and non-Arctic States in order to develop our understanding of the rapid changes impacting the Arctic. The First Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM1) was hosted by the United States in 2016, and two years later, the Second Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM2) was co-hosted by Germany, Finland, and the European Commission. The Third Arctic Science Ministerial will be co-hosted by Iceland and Japan.
Arctic Science Summit Week, March 20-26, 2021 (Lisbon, Portugal). The Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Local Organizing Committee will host the Arctic Science Summit Week 2021. The Conference is organized by FCT, Ciência Viva, AIR Center, the Portuguese Arctic Community and by IASC and partners. Framed by the overarching theme for the Science Conference "The Arctic: Regional Changes, Global Impacts," Lisbon invites International experts on the Arctic and Indigenous Peoples to discuss the "New Arctic" and also its impacts and interactions to and with the lower latitudes.
Save the Date: 2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses, May 3-6, 2021 (Hanko, Finland). Organizers announce, that due to the coronavirus outbreak, the 2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses has been postponed to 2021. This symposium will bring together molecular microbial ecologists specializing in different organism groups to share our latest results and discuss methodological problems, as well as future prospects in the field, including practical international collaborations. The environmental focus will be on cryospheric environments including sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, and permafrost, but excellent research in other polar environments is also invited. The methods to be discussed will focus on 'omics' techniques, ranging from single cells to metagenomes, but research using additional methods is encouraged as well.
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