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March 22, 2023

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NEW THIS WEEK | 10:00 am ET on March 22, 2023 | Washington, DC and virtual

Hearings to Examine the President's Proposed Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2024 for the Environmental Protection Agency

The US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold an oversight hearing on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

Event Link

NEW THIS WEEK | 10:00 am ET on March 22, 2023 | Washington, DC and virtual

Hearings to Examine Proposed Budget Estimates and Justification for Fiscal Year 2024 for the Department of State

The Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the US Senate Committee on Appropriations will hold a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2024 budget requests for the US Department of State.

Event Link

NEW THIS WEEK | 2:30 pm ET on March 22, 2023 | Washington, DC and virtual

American Diplomacy and Global Leadership: Review of the FY24 State Department Budget Request

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold an oversight hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2024 State Department Budget Request.

Event Link
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Sea Ice May Soon Disappear From the Arctic During the Summer Months—And It Has Happened Before

The "Last Ice Area" north of Greenland and Canada is the last sanctuary of all-year sea ice in this time of rising temperatures caused by climate change. A new study now suggests that this may soon be over.

Phys.org

A 1952 Landslide Hints at Early Permafrost Thaw in the Arctic

In mid-December 1952, a landslide careened into the ocean in West Greenland and triggered a tsunami. The deluge of water damaged a building in a nearby village. Ten kilometers away, waves overtook four fishermen. One died, and the other three scrambled in freezing clothes into a hut. A local newspaper reported accounts of the tsunami, but the details were otherwise a mystery.

EOS

Arctic Issues Dominate MPs’ Trip to the North

Arctic security and sovereignty were the focus for a delegation of MPs during a visit to the North last week. From March 12 to 19, Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout led the trip as part of an ongoing House of Commons Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee study that included stops in Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk and Yellowknife.

Nunatsiaq News

Arctic Sea Ice Below Average in Winter 2023

After growing through the fall and winter, Arctic sea ice appeared to reach its annual maximum extent on March 6, 2023. This year’s end-of-winter extent was the fifth lowest in the satellite record maintained by the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Arctic sea ice extent peaked at 14.62 million square kilometers (5.64 million square miles), a total area that is roughly 1.03 million square kilometers (398,000 square miles) below the 1981–2010 average maximum. Compared to the average maximum, the Arctic Ocean in winter 2023 was missing an area of ice equivalent to the states of Texas and Arizona combined.

NASA Earth Observatory

Rebuild of N.W.T. Climate Research Station Ramps Up

Efforts to rebuild a research station burned down in a late-season wildfire last year are coming together quickly, according to the director of lands and resources for the Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation (LKFN). “It’s like a train going 1,000 miles an hour,” said Dieter Cazon, describing how things have been moving since the Scotty Creek Research Station was all but burned to the ground in mid-October.

Radio Canada International
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NEW THIS WEEK | 10:00 am ET on March 23, 2023 | Washington, DC and virtual

A Review of Title VII: USDA Implementation of Research Programs

The Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology of the US House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture will hold a hearing to review Title VII: US Department of Agriculture’s implementation of research programs.

Event Link

1:00- 5:00 pm AKT on March 27 | Kotzebue, Alaska USA

116th US Arctic Research Commission Meeting

The US Arctic Research Commission will hold its 116th meeting in person at the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center (National Park Service) in Kotzebue, AK on March 27th from 1pm – 5pm. Presentations and community discussions will be open to the public from 1pm on March 27th, with a public comment session from 4:30 pm–5pm that day.

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March 27-31, 2023 | Santa Barbara, California USA

National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis

This 5-day in-person workshop will provide researchers with an introduction to advanced topics in computationally reproducible research in python, including software and techniques for working with very large datasets. This includes working in cloud computing environments, docker containers, and parallel processing using tools like parsl and dask. The workshop will also cover concrete methods for documenting and uploading data to the Arctic Data Center, advanced approaches to tracking data provenance, responsible research and data management practices including data sovereignty and the CARE principles, and ethical concerns with data-intensive modeling and analysis.

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March 29-31, 2023 | Anchorage, Alaska USA

The Arctic Encounter 2023

As the largest Arctic policy and business conference in the United States, with partners and convenings worldwide, the Arctic Encounter continues to gather leading voices from around the world. 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, students, defense leaders, diplomats, policymakers, and more.

Event Link

1:00 pm ET on April 11, 2023 | Washington, DC and virtual

Public Meeting in Preparation for International Maritime Organization PPR 10 Meeting

The Department of State will conduct a public meeting both in-person at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC, and via Microsoft Teams. The primary purpose of the meeting is to prepare for the 10th session of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Pollution Prevention and Response Sub-Committee (PPR 10) to be held in London, United Kingdom from April 24 to 28, 2023.


The agenda items to be considered at this meeting mirror those to be considered at PPR 10, and include (among other topics):

-      Reduction of the impact on the Arctic of Black Carbon emissions from international shipping

-      Development of measures to reduce risks of use and carriage of heavy fuel oil as fuel by ships in Arctic waters

Event Link

April 19-22, 2023 | Amherst, Massachusetts USA

52nd International Arctic Workshop

The 52nd International Arctic Workshop will be held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The International Arctic Workshop is a friendly, informal, and relaxed conference open to all students and professionals interested in the Arctic. Originally started at INSTAAR at the University of Colorado - Boulder, the Arctic Workshop alternates between INSTAAR and an international host. This year, University of Massachusetts with the department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences & Climate System Research center will be hosting. 

Event Link

April 24-27, 2023 | Nuuk, Greenland

2023 AITC – Mapping the Arctic

The geopolitical situation and increased interest in the sustainable development of the Arctic have resulted in new Arctic funding strategies from agencies such as ESA, the American NSF, and the EU work programs. The AITC conference will provide opportunities to interact across scientific, civil, and commercial domains, in three overall thematic tracks Sea, cryosphere, and land, ranging from ocean, sea-ice, and land ice including permafrost and ice-free land, to develop new ideas and projects and to create new collaboration aiming for sustainable development of the Arctic regions and especially Greenland.

Event Link

May 1-4, 2023 | Houston, Texas USA

Offshore Technology Conference 2023

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. The conference will include presentations discussing technical solutions, innovations, and advancements of all aspects of the offshore energy industry. Participants will include operators, research, vendors, and stakeholders. The experience of the last 50 years in the Arctic will be in attendance. That expertise and knowledge is available to move forward and support energy, mining, renewables, marine transport, tourism, and other activities in the harshest environments.

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May 22-25, 2023 | Anchorage, Alaska USA

Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference

The 2023 Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference will focus on Alaska’s role leading the energy transition from established renewable sources to innovative and emerging technologies. World-renowned speakers and experts will highlight the agenda, along with breakout tracks, panel discussions, and multiple networking opportunities.

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November 14-25, 2023 | Rovaniemi, Finland

6th biennial "Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit" Conference

The 6th biennial "Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit" Conference will be held on 14-15 November 2023 in Rovaniemi, Finland, the birthplace of official Arctic cooperation. This international conference, organized by the City of Rovaniemi and the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland, gathers policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders for Arctic discussions. Due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, changes in Arctic cooperation will be prominently featured in the conference agenda, and will be explored from the point of view of national and international security, and from a regional perspective, including the Barents region.

Event Link

2025 | Boulder, Colorado USA

4th International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV)

In lead up to its 35th anniversary in 2025, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is coordinating a multi-year planning process for the Fourth International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV) that will engage Arctic researchers, policymakers, residents, and stakeholders from around the world to collegially discuss the state of Arctic science, the place the Arctic occupies in global affairs and systems, to consider the most urgent knowledge gaps and research priorities that lie before us and to explore avenues to address these research needs. This event is hosted by a consortium of US institutions, including the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Northern Iowa, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Alaska Pacific University. ICARP I, II, and III focused the attention of the world’s researchers toward the value of strategic international coordination in accelerating progress in addressing critical challenges. ICARP IV will build upon this concept by striving to achieve consensus and build collaborations among the leading scientific, academic, environmental, Indigenous and political organizations currently concerned with Arctic issues.

Event Link
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