Airmen assigned to the 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS) participated in a training exercise at Delta Junction, Alaska, March 20-24, 2023. The training exercise tested the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) and Special Warfare Mission Support (SWMS) Airmen on their ability to conduct operations in arctic conditions.

Arctic rivers play a crucial role in transporting fallen trees from forests to oceans, inadvertently contributing to long-term carbon storage as logs accumulate along the waterways’ twists and turns. Recently, a groundbreaking study has mapped the largest known woody deposit in the Mackenzie River Delta, Nunavut, Canada, spanning 51 square kilometers (20 square miles) and storing an estimated 3.4 million tons (3.1 million metric tons) of carbon.

The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the world and West Texas A&M University are part of an international collaborative research mission in the Arctic. WT Associate Professor of Environmental Science Dr. Naruki Hiranuma said in the Arctic, the temperature is increasing six times faster than the rest of the world. The focus of this research project is to investigate the impact of aerosol particles in clouds and how it affects global climate issues, such as arctic amplification.

Soil stores more carbon than plants and the atmosphere combined, and soil microbes are largely responsible for putting it there. However, the increasing frequency and severity of drought, such as those that have been impacting California, could disrupt this delicate ecosystem. In a perspective published in the journal Trends in Microbiology on April 12, microbial ecologist Steven Allison warns that soil health and future greenhouse gas levels could be impacted if soil microbes adapt to drought faster than plants do. He argues that we need to better understand how microbes respond to drought so that we can manage the situation in both agricultural and natural settings.

Hosted by the Arctic Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network in partnership with the US Arctic Research Commission, this event will be an opportunity to connect early-career Arctic researchers with others interested in Arctic research, policymaking, connections, and study. From students to storytellers, diplomats to interdisciplinary researchers with an interest in the Arctic, all are welcome.

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.

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.

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.

Launch Alaska’s Climate Innovation Showcase celebrates the people and projects working to accelerate the energy transition in Alaska. Featuring a networking reception, project and technology exhibits, and a panel discussion featuring the next chapter of Alaska’s energy transition.

The conference will encompass all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional level during three exciting days of plenary lectures, oral presentations and posters, combined with several local field trips across the eastern Pyrenees (Cerdanya, Núria, Andorra, etc).

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.

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. 

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.