Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH)
AGU Townhall Meeting:
Knowledge to Action for Arctic Science
SEARCH Science Steering Committee (Hajo Eicken, Chair)
Permafrost Action Team: Ted Schuur
Land-Ice & Sealevel Action Team: Fiamma Straneo, Ted Scambos
Sea Ice Action Team: Jennifer Francis, Henry Huntington
Observing Change Panel: Craig Lee
Helen Wiggins, ARCUS
Townhall Meeting outline
(1) SEARCH Program Update
- Implementation of 5-year SEARCH strategy
- Key near- and mid-term activities
- Ways to get involved
(2) Action Teams
- Overview & plans
(3) Observing Change Panel
- AON Science Meeting plans
- Community feedback on AON
- Next steps
(4) Feedback and discussion
SEARCH Objectives
The overall objective of SEARCH is to
Understand the nature, extent and future
development of the system-scale change presently
seen in the Arctic.
SEARCH is built around three basic elements:
• Observing Change
- Arctic Observing Network
• Understanding Change - Modeling & synthesis
• Responding to Change - Linking Arctic system science &
stakeholder information needs
www.arcus.org/search-program/
What is SEARCH?
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Collaborative scientific program initiated by Arctic
research community in 1997
University and government agency scientists
prioritize, plan, conduct, and synthesize research
focused on Arctic environmental change
Guided by Science Steering Committee, Panels,
Action Teams and working groups representing
the research community
Response of the research community to
Arctic change
Science
Town Hall
Science Plan
SEARCH/ Agency Mtg
Understanding Arctic
Change Task Force Report
SSC Mtg
Priorities & Goals draft
Strategy
Final Goals, objectives
and proposal
Reports
White paper
ADI Task Force
Report
Implementation
Strategy Plan
State of AON
Workshop
Arctic Obs. Integration
Workshop
ARCUS Ways
Forward Memo
Arctic Observing
Summit
Interagency AON
Working Group Mtg
Interagency/OSTP Arctic
Observations Mtg
Implementation
Implementation
Workshop Report
US AON Coordination
Workshop
Framework & 5yr plan
Kickoff Meeting
2001
2003
2002
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
SEARCH Structure & Activities
www.arcus.org/search-program
SEARCH’s
Tripartite
Approach
to Arctic
Change
Understanding
• Process &
scenario
modeling
• Prediction
Responding
• Adaptation
• Mitigation
• Sustainability
• Decision support
• Education
Observing
• AON data &
information
• AON design/optimiz’n
• Cross-sector/int’l
coordination
Knowledge to Action (K2A):
The Task at Hand
• Contemporary change  Problems in the Arctic
• Local, regional, national & international action
to alleviate or mitigate impacts
– Actions need to be informed by knowledge to
ensure both feasibility and effectiveness
– Research to query & build relevant bodies of
knowledge
• The unprecedented pace of Arctic change
demands immediate actions
– Identify & implement effective research
– Knowledge transfer from research needs to be fast
– Knowledge needs to be actionable
Traditional
Scientific Research Approach
• Plan: Often hypothesis-driven; sometimes
driven by scientists’ agendas
• Observe
• Analyze
• Test/Validate
• Communicate
How well does this work
in responding to Arctic change?
Knowledge to Action (K2A)
in the Arctic
• Science advances without it –
but society does not benefit
• K2A requires a “completeness” difficult to
achieve – Highlighted by rapid Arctic change
• K2A includes different types of knowledge
• K2A builds links between researchers &
stakeholders through mutual involvement in the
research and application process –
Increases the impact of scientific research
K2A Pathways & Knowledge Exchange
Problem definition
Stakeholder
desired
outcomes
Information bridges
Arctic system services
Information bridges
Information
products
• Stakeholder
• Government
Modeling &
synthesis
• Data owner
Arctic
system
science
Data &
observations
• Contractor
• Local expert
• Researcher
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Action Team-led and Overarching
SEARCH Activities
Action teams; synthesis/knowledge exchange efforts; working
groups/networks (e.g., Sea Ice Prediction Network - SIPN)
SEARCH 5-Year Goals
& Action Teams
(1) Document and Understand How Degradation of Near-Surface
Permafrost Will Affect Arctic and Global Systems
Action Team Lead: E. Schuur
• Precursor: Permafrost Carbon Research Coordination Network
• Partnership with DOE Next Generation Ecosystem Experiment (NGEE)
(2) Improve Understanding, Advance Prediction, and Explore
Consequences of Changing Arctic Sea Ice
Action Team Leads: J. Francis & H. Huntington
• Sea Ice Prediction Network (incl. Sea Ice Outlook & Sea Ice for Walrus
Outlook)
(3) Improve Predictions of Future Land-ice Loss and Impacts on
Sea Level
Action Team Leads: F. Straneo & T. Scambos
• Partnership with CLIVAR Working Group
(4) Analyze Societal and Policy Implications of Arctic
Environmental Change
• Activities integrated into three Action Teams
SEARCH
Permafrost Action Team
Document and Understand How Degradation of Near-Surface
Permafrost Will Affect Arctic and Global Systems
1) Improve observation and prediction of the nature, timing, and
location of permafrost thaw
(CALM, GTNP, Permafrost Carbon Network)
2) Improve prediction of how degradation of near-surface
permafrost will influence the dynamics of the arctic landscape
(Climate Feedback: Permafrost Carbon Network)
3) Improve prediction of how degradation of near-surface
permafrost will influence fish, wildlife, and human communities
(Impacts – Establish new working groups/partners)
Permafrost Carbon Network
http://www.permafrostcarbon.org/
OBJECTIVE: Produce knowledge through research synthesis that
can be used to quantify the role of permafrost carbon in driving
climate change in the 21st century and beyond
ACTIVITIES:
1) Organize a sequence of meetings and
working groups designed to
synthesize existing permafrost carbon
research
2) Formation of a consortium of
interconnected researchers to
disseminate synthesis results
3) Permafrost carbon network website
4) Enhance young researcher networks
Permafrost Carbon Network Activities
Presentations/Networking:
Workshops:
2011
• American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA
2011
Synthesis Workshop, Seattle, WA
Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
2012
• European Geosciences Union, Vienna, Austria
• Carbon Cycle Science Steering Group Meeting,
Washington DC
• Center for Permafrost Steering Group Meeting,
Copenhagen, Denmark
• Tenth International Conference on Permafrost
Salekhard, Russia
• Ecological Society of America, Portland, OR
• US-UK Arctic Workshop, Cambridge, UK
• American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA
2012
WG Lead Meeting, St Pete Beach, FL
Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
2013
WG Lead Meeting, Captiva Island, FL
Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
2014
WG Lead Meeting, May, Stockholm,
Sweden
Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
2013:
• Bonanza Creek LTER Annual Meeting, Fairbanks, AK 2015
• NACP, Albuquerque, NM
WG Lead Meeting, spring 2015, TBD
• European Geosciences Union, Vienna, Austria
Annual Meeting before AGU, San
• DOE Terrestrial Ecosystem Sciences, Washington, DC Francisco, CA
• Climate Science & Policy, Washington, DC
• Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, Tromsø, Norway
http://www.permafrostcarbon.org/upcoming%20meetings.html
Permafrost Carbon Network Activities
AGU 2014 Session:
Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon to Climate Change
Session Chairs: Christina Schädel, Dave McGuire, David
Olefeldt
Wednesday: 8:00 AM-12.20 PM- Poster Session
(Moscone West)
Thursday:8:00AM-3:4PM- Oral-Sessions (B41O, B42D,
B43J)
(Moscone West, room 2003)
EGU 2015 Session:
CR5.1: Assessing the effects of global warming on
permafrost degradation
Session Chairs: Annette Bartsch, Reginal Muskett, Guido
Grosse, Christina Schädel, Hanna Lee
Climate Change and the Permafrost Carbon
Feedback
Session proposal submitted
Land Ice Action Team
F. Straneo (WHOI), T. Scambos (NSIDC)
Motivation:
Rapid mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet and Arctic ice caps has rapidly
increased over the last two decades. This loss is resulting in:
• Global sea level rise; regional sea level changes;
• Increased discharge of surface melt;
• Freshening of fjord and regional ocean water;
• Increased iceberg production; increased calving and wave events.
Impact
Local (Arctic) and global coastal communities, businesses, governments
(via sea level rise)
Local ecosystems, fishing and hunting areas, coastlines (freshening, flooding, erosion)
Local Infrastructure (e.g. iceberg flux, floods)
Land Ice Action Team
F. Straneo (WHOI), T. Scambos (NSIDC)
Goal: To improve our understanding and ability to predict future Arctic land-ice loss
and its impact on local communities and other stakeholders.
Science Foci:
1. Facilitate the establishment of a Greenland/Arctic land ice/ocean/atmosphere
observing network ;
1. Facilitate the establishment of a Greenland/Arctic land-ice relevant database
These tasks will be carried out in collaboration with the GRISO Science Network
Stakeholder Foci:
1. Translation of the Science
2. Targeted Stakeholder Activities
Stakeholders are local/global communities and/or businesses/governments affected
by sea level rise and/or other changes associated with land-ice change.
International, multidisciplinary, open network of scientists working together to address
the complex questions associated with Greenland Ice Sheet change, and its interaction
with the ocean, the atmosphere and the marine ecosystems.
Objectives:
- Foster interaction of scientists across disciplines, methodologies, national boundaries
- Sharing of resources (e.g. data, infrastructure, personnel)
- Inform broader science community, stakeholders, policymakers and the public
- Address the recommendations identified during the GRISO 2013 Workshop
(Heimbach et al. 2014 – Workshop Report)
Working Groups
• Bathymetry
• Greenland Observing Network
• Surface Mass Balance
http://web.whoi.edu/griso/
SEARCH Sea-Ice Action Team Goals
Facilitate communication and collaboration to improve
understanding, advance prediction, and explore
consequences of changing Arctic sea ice
 Improve the understanding of atmosphere, sea-ice, and
ocean system interactions through a combination of enhanced
observations and process-based modeling studies
 Explore the consequences of a seasonally ice-free Arctic
Ocean across human and natural systems
 Assess Arctic/global linkages
 Improve sea ice prediction from daily to decadal timescales
Action Team: Ice-Diminished Arctic Ocean
Communicate, facilitate, build linkages
“Knowledge-to-Action”
Three Focus Areas:
#1: Sea Ice Prediction Network (P.I.s Bitz and Stroeve)
 Facilitate communication and linkages among this project
and other Action Teams
 Identify other existing, relevant projects that could
participate and augment activities (ala FWI “bolt-ons”)
Action Team: Ice-Diminished Arctic Ocean
Communicate, facilitate, build linkages
Focus Area #2:
Arctic-Global Connections
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Mid-latitude weather patterns
Ocean currents and composition
Marine food webs
Freshwater systems
Impacts on humans (economic, cultural)
Action Team: Ice-Diminished Arctic Ocean
Communicate, facilitate, build linkages
Focus Area #3:
Hire “Communicator:” Science journalist/educator to
pursue Knowledge-to-Action
 Facilitator to increase collaboration among Action Teams,
existing programs, and PIs of related projects
 Synthesizer, digester, integrator, distiller, translator
 Public outreach – great communicator, educator
 Liaison to SEARCH science officer, funding agencies,
government committees, media
Study of Environmental Arctic Change:
Observing Change Panel
• AON Management and Governance White Paper
• AON Open Science Meeting
www.arcus.org/search-program
SEARCH Input to AON
Governance Discussion
Background
• AON Design and Implementation Task Force
• U.S. Arctic Observing Network Coordination Workshop
• IARPC Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee Arctic
Research Plan (2013-2017)
• NSF-led AON Management and Governance webinar series:
• Lifecycle and horizons
• Review (frequency, criteria, process)
• Funding models, award structure and management
• Coordination and communication
• National and international connectivity
• Request for input…
SEARCH Input to AON
Governance Discussion
• Draft white paper synthesizes material from previous AON
planning and coordination workshops, with input from the
SEARCH SSC and OCP:
http://www.arcus.org/search-program/aon
https://www.arctichub.net/resources/169
• Draft released for public comment in early November. Comment
deadline was 25 November.
• Additional comments through this Townhall meeting.
• Comments will guide revision later this month.
• Submit revised paper to NSF as community input to the AON
Management and Governance discussion.
SEARCH Input to AON
Governance Discussion
Governance and Network Integration
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Planning and prioritizing AON activities.
Evaluating AON efforts for performance and scientific merit.
Network design approaches.
Optimization of available resources around explicit scientific
and operational objectives.
(1) Develop AON governance structure with clearly defined roles
for the research community, AON-contributing agencies and
other stakeholders.
(2) AON steering group (research, agency, stakeholder) to provide
oversight and guidance on system development and
implementation.
(3) Review and implement existing community guidance on AON
design and optimization.
SEARCH Input to AON
Governance Discussion
Sustainable Funding
• Identify funding models that:
• Support a broad range of stakeholder needs.
• Provide stability for the collection of sustained, climatescale observations.
1. Refine approach for reviewing, funding and evaluating the
sustained, decadal-scale scientific observing efforts associated with
the AON.
• Weight network integrity along with component quality.
• Develop mechanisms for long-term stability couple with regular,
rigorous evaluation for quality and continued relevance.
2. Develop interagency funding models through ongoing IARPC and
OSTP discussions.
3. Provide guidance on use of MRE and facilities models for supporting
a core set of sustained observations.
AON Open Science Meeting
Forum for all AON-relevant activity
Objectives
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Review new scientific findings
Review network implementation/status.
Identify opportunities for synthesis and collaborative analyses.
Review network priorities in the context of recent findings. If
needed, develop recommendations for realignment.
• Coordinate network operations.
• Align network data/product delivery with stakeholder needs.
• Prepare US input for 3rd Arctic Observing Summit (joint with
Arctic Science Summit Week, Fairbanks, Alaska, 15-18 March,
2016).
AON Open Science Meeting
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Autumn 2015 (to avoid conflicts with spring/summer field
season).
Funding in place.
Venue selection (Boulder, Anchorage, Washington DC).
Meeting co-chairs:
Craig Lee (Applied Physics Laboratory, Univ. of Washington)
Cathy Wilson (Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos
National Laboratory)
Matthew Shupe (CIRES, Univ. of Colorado, ESRL-NOAA)
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Organizing committee selection January 2015.
Further information distributed via ArcticInfo.
Next steps & how to get involved
(1) Action Teams will be assembled
(2) Observing Change Panel rotation of membership
(3) SEARCH Science Steering Committee rotation of
membership
(4) Working Groups & Networks
(5) Hiring of Science Communicator (J. Francis/H.
Huntington contacts) & SEARCH Executive
Director (H. Wiggins/H. Eicken contacts)