ARCSS Synthesis and Science Planning

1
ARCSS Synthesis and Science Planning

• John Weatherly,
• ARCSS Committee member
• (affil Cold Regions Research and Engineering
  Lab)

2
Goal

• Overview of ARCSS Science planning, ARCSS
  Committee and the community
• ARCSS program priorities Field research and
  Synthesis
• Ongoing ARCSS structural evolution
• New community web conference forums
• Input from ARCSS community

3
ARCSS Program Goals

• Achieve a better understanding of system behavior
  to
• Improve predictions of change
• Determine role of the Arctic in global climate
  evolution
• Provide information to enable society to respond
  to expected change

4
ARCSS Committee

• ARCSS Committee function
• Make recommendations to NSF ARCSS Program Manager
  on how to address the questions posed by the
  ARCSS science plan (through new announcements,
  workshops, planning groups)
• NSF has no official requirement to convene or
  follow the recommendations of the ARCSS
  Committee.
• All project funding is determined by NSF through
  peer-review
• AC has no say on funding levels for programs

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ARCSS Committee

• ARCSS Committee
• Jonathan Overpeck, Chair
• Jennifer Francis
• Marika Holland
• Craig Nicolson
• Don Perovich
• Charles Vörösmarty
• John Weatherly
• Glen MacDonald
• Mark Serreze
• Matthew Sturm
• NSF - Neil Swanberg, ARCSS Program Manager
• ARCUS logistics and planning support

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Developing ARCSS structure and priorities

• The ACs vision ARCSS will continue to have
• complex, interdisciplinary field-oriented
  programs
• complemented by stronger synthesis activities
• A need for closer coordination between all ARCSS
  efforts, including those related to data and
  information
• The old model of many program offices will be
  replaced by a more coordinated model

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Near-term ARCSS Research Priorities
Current field-oriented ARCSS activities

• SBI Western Shelf-Basin Interactions
• Arctic Freshwater Cycle Land/Upper-Ocean
  Linkages
• Is the Arctic Freshwater Cycle Intensifying? If
  So, Why? What are the Implications?
• SNACS Study of the Northern Alaska Coastal
  System
• How vulnerable are the natural, human, and
  living systems of the coastal zone to current and
  future environmental changes in the Arctic?

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Near-term ARCSS Research Priorities
System Synthesis

• Targeted system-wide synthesis activities
• Current AO Synthesis of Arctic System Science
  (Deadline March 18, 2005)
• Build on and integrate the wealth of existing
  data and knowledge to advance our understanding
  of the behavior of the arctic system or key
  subsets of the system and to understand the role
  it plays in the global system and society.
• Strong proposals will
• Incorporate elements from existing arctic data,
  information, and models
• Focus on interdisciplinary, cross-cutting
  questions
• Demonstrate clear relevance to the entire arctic
  system
• Include specific plans for deposition of data and
  products

9
Developing ARCSS Structure

• ARCSS has been working to develop a
  well-integrated structure that will
• Promote interdisciplinary research initiatives of
  all types while allowing disciplinary groups to
  maintain contacts within their communities
• Foster communication in the ARCSS community
• Allow flexibility and rapid response in a
  difficult budget environment
• Maximize the effectiveness of the ARCSS Program
• Enable ARCSS to work closely with other efforts,
  such as SEARCH and IPY

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The New ARCSS
OASIS
HARC
Outreach Education
C
AC Mgmt Off. DAWG
Synthesis Teams
S
P
Data Support
AO
I
SNACS
SBI
FWI
JOSS
CHAMP
ASOF
Every beginning has an end
SHEBA
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Developing ARCSS Structure

• "Communities of Practice"
• Groups of investigators self-organize to lead
  topical aspects of science coordination and
  planning
• Not organized by formal infrastructure,
  membership, or duties, but will be able to
  receive a nominal level of support (as funding
  allows) to facilitate communications, such as
  teleconferences, website resources, and similar
  assistance from the ARCSS Science Management
  Office

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Community Input
Input into new ARCSS structure and priority needs

• Direct communication to AC members by email and
  phone
• Community Webconferences, online surveys, FAQ,
  etc
• Fall 2005 Community workshop, which will be
  face-to-face (about 50 participants) and
  electronically available (many more participants)

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ARCSS Community Webconference

• First was held Friday, 4 March
• Several more planned in coming weeks

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Ideas for SBI Phase III?
Synthesis of SBI in the Arctic System

• Build on and integrate the wealth of existing
  data and knowledge to advance our understanding
  of the behavior of the arctic system or key
  subsets of the system and to understand the role
  it plays in the global system and society.
• Incorporate ideas to
• Incorporate elements from SBI and other arctic
  data, information, and models
• Focus on interdisciplinary, cross-cutting
  questions
• Demonstrate clear relevance to the entire arctic
  system
• Include specific plans for deposition of data and
  products

15
Ideas for SBI Phase III?
Synthesis of SBI in the Arctic System

• Interdisciplinary, cross-cutting questions
• Demonstrate clear relevance to the entire arctic
  system
• 1. How do water and biogeochem exchanges between
  arctic shelves and basins influence the arctic
  system and its human impacts?
• 2. How will climate change affect these
  biogeochem cycles and exchanges, and how will
  they affect the trajectory of arctic change?
• 3. How do changes in marine species (from
  climate, pollution, human impacts) affect the
  arctic biological system and its sustainability?