Arctic Update Header
December 10, 2019
 
1st Southern Hemisphere Conference on Permafrost: Permafrost at Altitude and Latitude, December 4-14, 2019 (Queenstown, New Zealand).This conference will operate in a new format, with three-day field excursions offered before and after the conference session days. This will allow participants to make a roundtrip from Christchurch to Queenstown, with visits to glaciers and glacial lakes, the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area and Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, cultural points of interest, and scenic spots to discuss glacial and periglacial landscape development. 

American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. December 9-13, 2019 (San Francisco, CA). As per usual, there will be a lot of Arctic research presented at this huge gathering.

Arctic Infrastructure: Needs and Opportunities in an Emerging Market, December 10, 2019 (Washington, DC USA and via webcast). With the Arctic experiencing unprecedented changes, there is heightened focus on the region for its economic potential. Investments in the region require an array of infrastructure to support sustainable, community-focused economic development, and to process and transport materials, people, and data. Infrastructure development has wide-ranging impacts and implications on the Arctic's environment and communities, and calls for sustainable approaches. The Wilson Center's Polar Institute and Global Risk & Resilience Program host this discussion on Arctic infrastructure and sustainable investment.
Media

Extension of Comment Period for the Port Access Route Study: Alaskan Arctic Coast. The United States Coast Guard is extending the comment period for the notice of study and request for comments for the Port Access Route Study: Alaskan Arctic Coast that we published on December 21, 2018. This action will provide the public with additional time and opportunity to provide the Coast Guard with information regarding the Port Access Route Study: Alaskan Arctic Coast. The comment period is extended until January 30, 2020. Federal Register
 
In Sweden's Arctic, Global Warming Threatens Reindeer Herds. Thick reindeer fur boots and a fur hat covering most of his face shielded Niila Inga from minus 20-degree Celsius (minus 4-degree Fahrenheit) winds as he raced his snowmobile up to a mountain top overlooking his reindeer in the Swedish arctic. His community herds about 8,000 reindeer year-round, moving them between traditional grazing grounds in the high mountains bordering Norway in the summer and the forests farther east in the winter, just as his forebears in the Sami indigenous community have for generations. Associated Press
 
Arctic Council Highlights Arctic Ocean Acidification at UN Climate Talks. Inuit must be involved in fighting acidification of the Arctic Ocean through monitoring efforts and sharing their knowledge: that was the message from Lisa Koperqualuk, the vice-president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada, today during an Arctic Council panel on ocean acidification at the United Nations climate talks in Madrid. Ocean acidification is taking place in the Arctic Ocean at a rate that's about two times higher than elsewhere in the world, due to the combination of cold water, sea ice melt and input of freshwater from melting glaciers, those attending the panel heard. Nunatsiaq Online
 
globe.jpg Space Can Be an 'Arctic Enable,' Income EU Leaders Are Told. The European Union should promote greater use of space technology in the Arctic in a revised policy towards the region, industry and trade ministers from member states told the union's incoming leadership last week. "Space can act as a true enabler in the Arctic, especially in combatting climate change and ensuring economically, socially and environmentally sustainable growth in the area," the EU Competitiveness Council said in a statement after adopting a 17-point resolution intended to provide Brussels with guidelines for meeting the environmental and development goals it set out for itself in 2016. Arctic Today
 
How Families Eat in the Arctic: From an $18 Box of Cookies to Polar Bear Stew. In the most northerly Canadian territory of Nunavut, grocery shopping is expensive. Like, really expensive. So much so that residents regularly post in a Facebook group called Feeding My Family to share photos of high prices at their local stores. A package of vanilla creme cookies: $18.29. A bunch of grapes: $28.58. A container of baby formula: $26.99. NRP
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.

Workshop on the Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers & the IASC Network on Arctic Glaciology Annual Meeting, January 28-30, 2020 (Obergurgl, Austria). In addition to sessions on glacier dynamics and mass balance, the workshop will host a cross-cutting activity by the Cryosphere and Marine Working Groups of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) on "Glacier-ocean interactions and their impact on Arctic marine ecosystems". This activity aims to provide an inter-disciplinary forum by bringing together glaciologists, marine ecologists and oceanographers interested in glacier-ocean interactions and to stimulate future collaborations.

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. 

USARC header

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter jmml_blue5_btn.gif

4350 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 510
Arlington, VA 22203, USA 
(703) 525-0111 (phone)
www.arctic.gov
[email protected]
 
External links in this publication, and on the USARC's World Wide Web site ( www.arctic.gov) do not constitute endorsement by the US Arctic Research Commission of external Web sites or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities, the USARC does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. These links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this newsletter and the USARC Web site.