Abstracts

Session Topics

The abstract session topics, organized under the four major conference themes, have been structured to facilitate cross-disciplinary exchange and discussion. Each session is designed to incorporate abstracts from the social, physical, natural, and political sciences, and encourages multi- and cross-disciplinary submissions.

Some abstracts might fit under more than one session—in such cases we encourage submission to the session that seems to offer the best fit.

The Organizing Committee and Session Chairs will refine the program and might change, create, or combine sessions, depending on the submitted abstracts. The Organizing Committee may also convene sessions on inter-disciplinary approaches on special topics, as appropriate.

Theme 1 Sessions: Advances in Understanding the Arctic System, Including Human Dimensions

• 1.1 Advances in Understanding Arctic System Components
  Contributions on progress in observing and understanding diverse arctic system components (e.g., terrestrial systems, marine biology, cryosphere, hydrosphere, socioeconomic dynamics, paleo perspective). Contributions can focus on local, regional, or pan-arctic scales. This session is appropriate for disciplinary contributions on aspects of the arctic system. Observational and modeling studies are encouraged.
• 1.2 Understanding the Linkages and Feedbacks Between the Arctic System Components
  Contributions on new insights into the functioning of the integrated arctic system derived from discipline-oriented studies. Contributions can be drawn from local, regional, and pan-arctic scales. Examples include: interactions between ocean, atmosphere, and sea ice; interactions between global and local change on living conditions in the Arctic; consequences of thawing permafrost on hydrology and ecology; retreat of sea ice on marine biology; etc.
• 1.3 Approaches to Integrated Studies of the Arctic System
  Contributions including studies on pan-arctic scales (observations, synthesis, modeling) aimed at understanding the complex interactions and feedbacks between the arctic system components. Explorations on our understanding of how the interactions of the individual components of the system shape its overall dynamics.
• 1.4 Challenges in Arctic System Studies
  Contributions on the limits of our present methods for studies of the arctic system in an integrated fashion (e.g., limits to observing capacity, lack of regional models, challenge of downscaling from global/regional to regional/local levels). Contributions should address how our ability to answer the key scientific questions concerning arctic environmental change is limited by the lack of observational coverage, modeling capability and/or capacity, knowledge of how well the arctic system can be projected, etc.

Theme 2 Sessions: Arctic Change

• 2.1 Observations of Arctic Change
  Contributions on recent observations of arctic change in all components of the arctic system, including human dimensions and the impact of change across components. Contributions can range in scope from studies of individual sites to the pan-arctic scale. Integrated data sets covering two or more subsystems of the Arctic are encouraged. Reports from repeat observations and time series outlining variability and/or trends in the observed variables are especially welcome.
• 2.2 Design and Optimization of an Integrated Arctic Observing System
  Contributions on results from existing and emerging networks with the goal to derive information on optimization of Arctic Observing Systems. Multiple methodologies to analyze the results from observing systems with respect to the optimum number of sensors and frequency of measurement required for addressing scientific questions. Empirical observing system design studies and Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) are encouraged, as are modeling contributions to the optimization of arctic observing systems. Emphasis will be on how these elements will contribute to the science questions guiding arctic environmental change studies. Contributions that address integration of observing system components across several subsystems are especially encouraged.
• 2.3 Arctic Change and Natural Variability
  It is still not well understood to which extent anthropogenic trends and natural variability in the Arctic interact with each other and produce the observed patterns of change. In order to separate these signals, we need a solid understanding of the natural variability on all scales in the arctic system derived from instrumental records, paleo proxies and modeling studies. This session solicits contributions focusing on natural variability obtained by these methods and their contribution to the observed arctic change signal.
• 2.4 Attribution of Arctic Change and Anthropogenic Forcing
  Contributions on how primary anthropogenic drivers such as emissions of greenhouse gases, land use, exploration, and changes in socioeconomic interaction with low latitude communities translate into the observed changes in the arctic system and its components. Contributions can include observational and/or dynamical/modeling approaches.
• 2.5 Understanding Arctic Change and Projection of Future States of the Arctic System
  Capability to project the present state of the arctic system to future states under different forcing scenarios. Contributions on projection of single domains, as well as the integrated arctic system including the human domain on different time scales (seasonal, interannual, decadal, centennial) using a variety of approaches (for example, examining persistence of trends, statistical models, or numerical models) are encouraged.
• 2.6 Responses to Arctic Change
  Contributions on ongoing adaptation of the arctic system to the observed change, as well as on options to design strategies that would minimize the adverse effects resulting from expected future change. Contributions include studies on ongoing adaptation, as well as those of possible measures to deal with changing environmental parameters, landscapes, permafrost patterns, shipping routes, population and socioeconomic shifts.

Theme 3 Sessions: Linkages to the Earth System

• 3.1 Interaction Between the Arctic and Lower Latitudes
  Contributions that examine the principal mechanisms that couple the Arctic to the Earth system, including large-scale atmospheric teleconnections, ocean circulation, hydrological cycle, human activities such as migration, land use and resource development, and other processes.
• 3.2 Low-latitude Forcing of Arctic Change
  Contributions on the forcing of arctic change through human activities or natural processes at lower latitudes, such as socio-economic drivers and the impacts of globalization or societal change, the emission of greenhouse gases, aerosols and short-lived pollutants, or large-scale catastrophic events such as major volcanic eruptions.
• 3.3 Arctic System Response to Low-latitude Forcing
  Contributions on how the Arctic reacts to global and regional forcing from lower latitudes. Of particular interest is the discussion of mechanisms that may either dampen perturbations or prompt further, possibly amplified arctic change, e.g., through internal feedbacks, adaptation or corrective action at the local, regional, and pan-arctic scales.
• 3.4 Feedback of Arctic Change onto the Earth System
  Contributions on principal mechanisms through which processes and changes in the Arctic impact the Earth system. For example, impacts on the global radiation balance, freshwater budgets and ocean circulation, sea level rise, release of greenhouse gases from thawing permafrost and by Arctic nations, resource extraction in a climate of environmental and geopolitical change, the emerging role of the Arctic in the context of regional and global security and its potential importance for marine transportation and renewable resources (e.g., fisheries), etc.

Theme 4 Sessions: Human Dimensions of Arctic Change: Translating Research into Solutions

• 4.1 Defining the Solution Space
  Contributions on stakeholder needs and desires for responding, adapting to and mitigating arctic change; the role of researchers in defining problems and solutions; the integration of stakeholder knowledge, including indigenous and local knowledge, and the role of science, education and technology in solution development.
• 4.2 Establishing Priorities for Mitigation and Adaptation and Evaluating Solutions
  Contributions on ways to establish and evaluate priorities for problem solving. Evaluations of new and ongoing efforts to develop solutions for responding and/or adapting to a changing arctic are strongly encouraged.
• 4.3 Communicating Knowledge and Information
  Contributions on new and innovative approaches to the communication of scientific information about arctic change to a broad array of stakeholders. Particularly encouraged are papers that evaluate current methods and their effectiveness for enabling the use of scientific information in policy development across multiple scales of organization, in educational including curriculum development, in the popular and mass media, and at the level of the individual.
• 4.4 The Interface of Science and Policy
  This session provides a forum for discussion of the utility of different theoretical frameworks (e.g. resilience thinking) to policy makers and the information they need from scientists, the effectiveness of policy instruments such as the Arctic Council, and the influence of policy decisions on different sectors and aspects of the arctic system such as natural resource extraction, transportation, and adaptation initiatives.