Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) - PowerPoint Presentation

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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 SchuurLand-Ice & Sealevel Action Team: Fiamma Straneo, Ted ScambosSea Ice Action Team: Jennifer Francis, Henry HuntingtonObserving Change Panel: Craig LeeHelen Wiggins, ARCUS

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Townhall Meeting outline

SEARCH Program Update- Implementation of 5-year SEARCH strategy- Key near- and mid-term activities - Ways to get involvedAction Teams- Overview & plansObserving Change Panel- AON Science Meeting plans- Community feedback on AON- Next stepsFeedback and discussion

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SEARCH Objectives

The overall objective of SEARCH is toUnderstand 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 needswww.arcus.org/search-program/

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What is SEARCH?

• 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 

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ADI Task Force Report

Science2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Science Plan

Implementation

Strategy Plan

Implementation

Workshop Report

Strategy

Implementation

Arctic Obs. Integration Workshop

State of AON Workshop

Understanding Arctic Change Task Force Report

Arctic Observing Summit

ARCUS Ways Forward Memo

Reports White paper

Town Hall

SEARCH/ Agency

Mtg

SSC

Mtg

Priorities & Goals draft

Final Goals, objectives and proposal

Framework & 5yr plan

Kickoff Meeting

US AON Coordination Workshop

Interagency AON Working Group

Mtg

Interagency/OSTP Arctic Observations

Mtg

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SEARCH Structure & Activities www.arcus.org/search-program

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SEARCH’sTripartiteApproachto ArcticChange

Understanding

• Process & scenario modeling • PredictionResponding

• Adaptation • Mitigation• Sustainability • Decision support • Education

Observing • AON data & information • AON design/optimiz’n

• Cross-sector/int’l

coordination

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Knowledge to Action (K2A): The Task at Hand

Contemporary change  Problems in the ArcticLocal, regional, national & international action to alleviate or mitigate impactsActions need to be informed by knowledge to ensure both feasibility and effectivenessResearch to query & build relevant bodies of knowledgeThe unprecedented pace of Arctic change demands immediate actionsIdentify & implement effective research Knowledge transfer from research needs to be fastKnowledge needs to be actionable

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Traditional Scientific Research Approach

Plan: Often hypothesis-driven; sometimes driven by scientists’ agendasObserveAnalyzeTest/ValidateCommunicateHow well does this work in responding to Arctic change?

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Knowledge to Action (K2A) in the Arctic

Science advances without it – but society does not benefitK2A requires a “completeness” difficult to achieve – Highlighted by rapid Arctic changeK2A 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

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11

Information productsArctic system scienceStake-holder desired outcomesData & observations

Information bridges

Arctic system services

Problem definition

Information bridges

Modeling & synthesis

K2A Pathways & Knowledge Exchange

• Researcher

• Contractor

• Data owner

• Government

• Stakeholder

• Local expert

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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)

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SEARCH 5-Year Goals & Action Teams

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)

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)

Improve Predictions of Future Land-ice Loss and Impacts on Sea Level Action Team Leads: F.

Straneo

& T.

Scambos

• Partnership with CLIVAR Working Group

Analyze

Societal and Policy Implications of Arctic Environmental

Change

• Activities integrated into three Action Teams

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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)

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Permafrost Carbon Networkhttp://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 beyondACTIVITIES: Organize a sequence of meetings and working groups designed to synthesize existing permafrost carbon researchFormation of a consortium of interconnected researchers to disseminate synthesis resultsPermafrost carbon network websiteEnhance young researcher networks

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Workshops:2011Synthesis Workshop, Seattle, WAAnnual Meeting, San Francisco, CA2012WG Lead Meeting, St Pete Beach, FLAnnual Meeting, San Francisco, CA2013WG Lead Meeting, Captiva Island, FLAnnual Meeting,

San Francisco, CA2014WG Lead Meeting, May, Stockholm, SwedenAnnual Meeting, San Francisco, CA2015WG Lead Meeting, spring 2015, TBDAnnual Meeting before AGU, San Francisco, CA http://www.permafrostcarbon.org/upcoming%20meetings.htmlPermafrost Carbon Network ActivitiesPresentations/Networking:2011American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA2012European Geosciences Union, Vienna, AustriaCarbon Cycle Science Steering Group Meeting,Washington DCCenter for Permafrost Steering Group Meeting,Copenhagen, DenmarkTenth International Conference on PermafrostSalekhard, Russia

Ecological Society of America, Portland, ORUS-UK Arctic Workshop, Cambridge, UKAmerican Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA2013:

Bonanza Creek LTER Annual Meeting, Fairbanks, AKNACP, Albuquerque, NM

European Geosciences Union, Vienna, AustriaDOE Terrestrial Ecosystem Sciences, Washington, DCClimate Science & Policy, Washington,

DC

Cryosphere

in a Changing

Climate

,

Troms

ø, Norway

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Permafrost Carbon Network ActivitiesAGU 2014 Session:Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon to Climate ChangeSession 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 LeeAbstract submission deadline: January 07, 2014

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Climate Change and the Permafrost Carbon FeedbackSession proposal submitted

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Land Ice Action TeamF. 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.ImpactLocal (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)

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Land Ice Action TeamF. 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:

Facilitate the establishment of a Greenland/Arctic land ice/ocean/atmosphere observing network ;Facilitate the establishment of a Greenland/Arctic land-ice relevant databaseThese tasks will be carried out in collaboration with the GRISO Science Network Stakeholder Foci:Translation of the ScienceTargeted Stakeholder ActivitiesStakeholders are local/global communities and/or businesses/governments affected by sea level rise and/or other changes associated with land-ice change.

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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 publicAddress the recommendations identified during the GRISO 2013 Workshop (Heimbach et al. 2014 – Workshop Report)Working GroupsBathymetryGreenland Observing NetworkSurface Mass Balancehttp://web.whoi.edu/griso/

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SEARCH Sea-Ice Action Team GoalsFacilitate

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

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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 TeamsIdentify other existing, relevant projects that could participate and augment activities (ala

FWI “bolt-ons”)

Action Team

: Ice-Diminished Arctic Ocean

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Focus Area #2: Arctic-Global ConnectionsMid-latitude weather patterns

Ocean currents and compositionMarine food websFreshwater systemsImpacts on humans (economic, cultural)Action Team: Ice-Diminished Arctic OceanCommunicate, facilitate, build linkages

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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 projectsSynthesizer, digester, integrator, distiller, translatorPublic outreach – great communicator, educatorLiaison to SEARCH science officer, funding agencies, government committees, mediaAction Team: Ice-Diminished Arctic OceanCommunicate, facilitate, build linkages

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Study of Environmental Arctic Change: Observing Change Panel

AON Management and Governance White PaperAON Open Science Meetingwww.arcus.org/search-program

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SEARCH Input to AONGovernance Discussion

BackgroundAON Design and Implementation Task ForceU.S. Arctic Observing Network Coordination WorkshopIARPC Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee Arctic Research Plan (2013-2017)NSF-led AON Management and Governance webinar series:Lifecycle and horizonsReview (frequency, criteria, process)

Funding models, award structure and managementCoordination and communication

National and international connectivityRequest for input…

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SEARCH Input to AONGovernance 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/aonhttps://www.arctichub.net/resources/169Draft 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.

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SEARCH Input to AONGovernance Discussion

Governance and Network IntegrationPlanning 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.

Develop AON governance structure with clearly defined roles for the research community, AON-contributing agencies and other stakeholders.AON steering group (research, agency, stakeholder) to provide oversight and guidance on system development and implementation.

Review and implement existing community guidance on AON design and optimization.

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SEARCH Input to AONGovernance Discussion

Sustainable FundingIdentify funding models that:Support a broad range of stakeholder needs.Provide stability for the collection of sustained, climate-scale observations.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.Develop interagency funding models through ongoing IARPC and OSTP discussions.Provide guidance on use of MRE and facilities models for supporting a core set of sustained observations.

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AON Open Science Meeting

Forum for all AON-relevant activityObjectivesReview new scientific findingsReview 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 3

rd Arctic Observing Summit (joint with Arctic Science Summit Week, Fairbanks

, Alaska, 15-18 March, 2016).

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AON Open Science Meeting

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)

Organizing committee selection January 2015.Further information distributed via

ArcticInfo.

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Next steps & how to get involved

Action Teams will be assembledObserving Change Panel rotation of membershipSEARCH Science Steering Committee rotation of membershipWorking Groups & NetworksHiring of Science Communicator (J. Francis/H. Huntington contacts) & SEARCH Executive Director (H. Wiggins/H. Eicken contacts)