Startling heatwaves at both of Earth’s poles are causing alarm among climate scientists, who have warned the “unprecedented” events could signal faster and abrupt climate breakdown. Temperatures in Antarctica reached record levels at the weekend, an astonishing 40C above normal in places.

Arctic warming is affecting snow cover and soil hydrology, with consequences for carbon sequestration in tundra ecosystems. The scarcity of observations in the Arctic has limited our understanding of the impact of covarying environmental drivers on the carbon balance of tundra ecosystems. In this study, we address some of these uncertainties through a novel record of 119 site-years of summer data from eddy covariance towers representing dominant tundra vegetation types located on continuous permafrost in the Arctic. Here we found that earlier snowmelt was associated with more tundra net CO2 sequestration and higher gross primary productivity (GPP) only in June and July, but with lower net carbon sequestration and lower GPP in August. Although higher evapotranspiration (ET) can result in soil drying with the progression of the summer, we did not find significantly lower soil moisture with earlier snowmelt, nor evidence that water stress affected GPP in the late growing season.

At the University of Alaska Fairbanks, studying the Arctic is not only what we do, it’s who we are here at America’s Arctic University. Fairbanks, like the rest of our state, is seeing the impacts of climate change in real-time. The Arctic is warming three times as fast as the rest of the globe. These rapid polar changes have global implications — not only for atmospheric, ocean, and geophysics dynamics but also for U.S. national security.

The dense plumes of wildfire smoke seen in recent years are contributing to the warming of the Arctic, say scientists. Their study says that particles of "brown carbon" in the smoke are drifting north and attracting heat to the polar region.

Don Young, the seemingly indestructible politician who was Alaska’s sole congressman for more than three-fourths of his state’s existence, died Friday. His wife, Anne, was by his side, his office said in a statement. “It’s with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we announce Congressman Don Young, the Dean of the House and revered champion for Alaska, passed away today while traveling home to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved,” the statement said.

The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) is organized annually by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)  to provide opportunities for coordination, cooperation and collaboration between the various scientific organizations involved in Arctic research. It was initiated by the IASC in 1999.

COAL+ICE and the Pulitzer Center present an evening devoted to telling the stories of climate change in the Arctic with a focus on the stories of Indigenous communities. Through arts, photography, podcasts, and exhibitions, "Seeing Change" is an exploration of storytelling on the front line of climate change. The event will feature COAL+ICE photographer Camille Seaman’s photographs from the Arctic, journalist/podcaster Alice Qannik Glenn’s reporting on contemporary Native life in urban Alaska, and documentary photographer and filmmaker Louie Palu’s melting ice block work from Arctic Passage, followed by a conversation between the artists. The event will also highlight a selection of work from the Pulitzer Center and Indigenous Photograph’s call for submissions from Indigenous photographers covering climate change around the world.

114th Meeting of the US Arctic Research Commission. April 6th, 2022 (virtual): Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Arctic Research Commission will hold its 114th meeting virtually on April 6th, 2022. The business sessions, open to the public for viewing, will convene at 8:30 a.m. with a public comment session scheduled from noon-12:30pm.

Join us on April 7th and 8th in Anchorage, Alaska at the Denai’na Convention Center and the Anchorage Museum for Arctic Encounter Anchorage 2022. As the largest Arctic policy and business conference in the United States, with partners and convenings across the globe, the Arctic Encounter brings together thousands of Arctic leaders and voices from around the world. Following two years of cancellation due to COVID-19, the Arctic Encounter is eager to welcome participants to Alaska for a world-class arts and cultural experience, including dialogue and presentations with elected and international leaders, business executives, indigenous peoples, scientists, and more. Visit ArcticEncounter.com to learn more and to subscribe to receive the most up-to-date information as speakers, partners, exhibitors, and more are announced.

The 14th annual Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference (WAISC) aims to bring together local and Indigenous knowledge of subsistence–based communities and other scientific research relevant to Western Alaska, including economic, ecological, social, and health issues important to rural communities. This year’s conference focuses on adapting connections for the communication of knowledge, science, and experiences.

Arctic Symposium 2022 continues momentum in Arctic defense and security collaboration established in prior ALCOM-hosted events. AAS22 seeks to address the challenges faced by the U.S. military and our allies and partners in understanding and responding to our respective national interests. AAS22 is planned and organized by the Arctic Domain Awareness Center at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) in support and in compliance to guidance from Alaskan Command (ALCOM) Staff and Commander. More information available soon.

The 2022 theme, Pathways, reflects the choices the Arctic is facing when addressing pressing global challenges. The urgency for action will be discussed in terms of pathways to economic development, sustainability, climate action, security, stability, and respect for science in decision-making. The scale spans from national to global policies, from corporate strategies to regional actions and indigenous perspectives, emphasizing the need for broad stakeholder engagement and partnership.

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.

Organizers: Dr. Eeva Eronen-Rasimus (University of Helsinki) and Dr. Eric Collins (University of Manitoba & University of Alaska Fairbanks)

This event is hosted by The Arctic Institute (TAI). This event will include topics on: cultural security, economic security, energy security, environmental security, food security, health security, military security, and political security.

The events during the week of August 1st, 2022, will include Enhancing Arctic Science and Engineering Workshop along with Regional Development Tours and forums on the Arctic science to plan for the next 25 years of Arctic research. Participants will include scientists and engineers, Indigenous leaders, Arctic community members, policymakers, government organizations and businesses to celebrate past research success, take stock of current challenges and opportunities and plan for the next generation of collaboration and knowledge co-production that will keep Utqiagvik and Indigenous knowledge at the forefront of Arctic science and contribute to a safe and sustainable future for

the Arctic.