Arctic Update Header
November 21, 2018

No Arctic- science events are scheduled for today.

from arcticsurfblog.com

Media

Climate Change Slows Oil Company Plan to Drill in the Arctic. A milestone oil development project in Alaska's Arctic waters is having to extend its construction timeline to accommodate the warming climate. The recently approved Liberty Project - poised to become the first oil production facility in federal Arctic waters - has altered its plans due to the shrinking sea ice season. The challenge comes as the Trump administration has reversed an Obama-era policy and proposed re-opening the majority of Alaska's federal waters to drilling. It's pushing to hold a lease sale in the Beaufort Sea next year. The lease for the Liberty Project pre-dates the Obama-era ban on oil development in Arctic waters. National Public Radio
 
Biggest Arctic Port Ties Future to Coal. Exports of coal from the Russian Arctic city might almost double to more than 25 million tons per year when construction of the new local coal terminal is completed. An agreement was this week signed by the State Transport Leasing Company and the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport. The deal, a so-called concessional agreement, includes the investments of 24 billion rubles (€320 million) in the new Lavna terminal. The Barents Observer
 
The Long Road From Arctic Science to International Law. Scientists and politicians are meeting in Geneva this week for the second meeting of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The convention was signed in 2013 and entered into force on August 16th 2017, and was the result of 15 years of Arctic research and political efforts. But how did it all happen? And what role did research play along the way? A recent scientific review has some answers. ScienceNordic
 
The Physical and Mechanical Properties of Arctic Sea Ice During Melt Season. The Arctic Ocean is undergoing a series of changes in sea ice, whose concentration and thickness, as well as multiyear ice volume, has decreased significantly. These changes have made the Arctic region more and more accessible and have attracted numerous scholars to concentrate on the spatial and temporal distribution of sea ice. The physical and mechanical properties of Arctic sea ice are less focused; however, they are the key ice characteristics if an icebreaker wants to go through the ice-covered sea safely. Science Trends
Future Events
  
DOD Arctic research session at SERDP/ESTCP, Nov. 29, 2018, Washington, DC. An Arctic research focus will be presented at the SERDP-ESTCP annual meeting "Enhancing DoD's Mission Effectiveness." The Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) symposium is a nationally recognized conference focusing on DOD's priority environmental and installation energy issues. This year's meeting, at the Washington Hilton Hotel, 1919 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, will feature a technical session on Arctic research under the theme of "Resource Conservation and Resiliency." The session is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 29th, from 8:30 am to 11:30 am, and will include the following speakers: Andrew Nelson (USACE), John Farrell (USARC), Martin Jeffries (USACE/CRREL), John Woods (ONR-RC), Kevin Bjella (USARC/CRREL), and Hajo Eicken (UAF/IARC).
 
Causes for the record low sea-ice extent in the Bering Sea in 2018, November 19, 2018 (Webinar). This seminar is part of NOAA's EcoFOCI bi-annual seminar series focused on the ecosystems of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea and U.S. Arctic to improve understanding of ecosystem dynamics and applications of that understanding to the management of living marine resources. This webinar will be an in-depth look at the driving factors of a warm Bering Sea including ice arrival, extent, and implications.

Modeled impact of coastal biogeochemical processes and climate variability on ocean acidification in the Bering Sea, November 28, 2019 (Webinar). This seminar is part of NOAA's EcoFOCI bi-annual seminar series focused on the ecosystems of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea and U.S. Arctic to improve understanding of ecosystem dynamics and applications of that understanding to the management of living marine resources. The webinar will be an examination of spatial and temporal variability of the carbon cycle from 2003-2012 and the connection to ocean acidification.

American Geophysical Union Fall meeting, December 10-14, 2018 (Washington, DC USA). The AGU 2018 Fall Meeting will mark another dynamic year of discovery in Earth and space science, serve as the advent of AGU's Centennial year, and provide a special opportunity to share our science with world AGU logo leaders in Washington, D.C. As the largest Earth and space science gathering in the world, the Fall Meeting places you in the center of a global community of scientists drawn from myriad fields of study whose work protects the health and welfare of people worldwide, spurs innovation, and informs decisions that are critical to the sustainability of the Earth. 

USARC Commissioner Jacqueline Richter-Menge to deliver the Nye Lecture at the 2018 AGU Fall Meeting. The US Arctic Research Commission (USARC) is pleased to announce that Commissioner Jacqueline Richter-Menge will present this year's Nye Lecture, titled "A Career of Change," at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in Washington, DC at 2:50 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 in the Marquis room of the Marriott Marquis Hotel, 901 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001.
 
ArcticNet: Annual Scientific Meeting 2018, December 10-14, 2018 (Ottawa, ON Canada). Canada's North is experiencing unprecedented change in its sea and terrestrial ice, permafrost and ecosystems under the triple pressures of climate change, industrialization and modernization. The impacts of these pressures can be seen on food and energy security, shipping, sovereignty, northern community health and well-being, and sustainable development and resource exploitation. All these issues have brought the North to the forefront of national and international agendas. Building on the success of its previous Annual Scientific Meetings and International Arctic Change Conferences, the Arctic Network of Centers of Excellence announces the 14th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting. 

Arctic Frontiers, January 20-25, 2019 (Tromso, Norway). The Arctic Frontiers is a global scientific conference on economic, societal, and environmental sustainable growth. This year's theme will be "Smart Arctic," with a pan-arctic emphasis, and an effort to build new partnerships across nations, generations and ethnic groups. Arctic Frontiers provides a forum for dialogue and communication between science, government and industry. The plenary program will have five main sessions: State of the Arctic, Blue Growth, Smart Solutions, Bridging the Gap, and Arctic business prospects. An abstract-driven science program will address Plastics in the Ocean, the Future of Governance and Handling Vulnerability in Arctic Ecosystems, State of the Arctic and A Smart Arctic Future.

Save the Date! 

Mark your calendars to attend IDA-8, which some have called one of the best Arctic gatherings around. Historically, this biennial symposium was co-hosted by U.S. National/Naval Ice Center (NIC) and the US Arctic Research Commission (USARC). In 2019, these partners will join forces with the preeminent Wilson Center's Polar Institute, as a third co-host. The now 2-day symposium will be held in the Ronald Reagan Building Amphitheater, in Washington, DC. The event will focus on a broad cross-section of naval and maritime operations and issues in an ice-diminishing Arctic. The symposium brings together nationally and internationally recognized experts on Arctic governance, geopolitics, marine operations, infrastructure, science, and environmental observations, from the local, regional, and pan-Arctic scale. Information on prior symposia, including lists of speakers, video clips, and copies of presentations, is available here. Attendance is free, and registration will begin in Spring 2019. The event will be webcast live, and video recorded.

Arctic Futures 2050: Science and Policy for a Changing Arctic, September 4-6, 2019 (Washington, DC USA). In 2019, the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) and partners will convene Arctic scientists and decision makers to jointly forecast Arctic research needed to inform policy in the coming decades. The conference also is intended to foster more effective and iterative collaborations among Arctic scientists and decision makers.
 
of the AAG includes over 8,500 geographers converging from the U.S., Canada, and nearly 60 other countries in a typical year including geographers, GIS specialists, environmental scientists, and other leaders for the latest in research and applications in geography, sustainability, and GIScience.
 
18th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering / 8th Canadian Permafrost Conference, August 18-22, 2019 (Quebec, Canada). Sustainable infrastructure development and permafrost science, in a climate change context, will be the focus of the discussions of this international conference.

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
info@arctic.gov
 
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.
 
US Arctic Research Commission, 4350 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 510, Arlington, VA 22203
Sent by donotreply@arctic.gov in collaboration with
Constant Contact