Polar and Alpine Community News

We are pleased to present newly combined high-resolution reconstructions of Antarctic palaeotopography and Southern Ocean palaeobathymetry for five time intervals between the Eocene–Oligocene boundary (ca. 34 Ma) and the present-day. The grids were produced by merging separately published reconstructions of palaeotopography and palaeobathymetry from two recent studies (Paxman et al., 2019; Hochmuth et al., 2020), and are a key output of the Past Antarctic Ice Sheet dynamics (PAIS) Antarctic palaeotopography and palaeobathymetry working group of SCAR. The grids are freely available to download here.

We are delighted to announce today the launch of the Læra Institute for Circumpolar Education (Læra Institute), a new institute within the international University of the Arctic (UArctic). Læra Institute lead partners Trent University and the University of Northern British Columbia are privileged to be joined in this initiative by the Arctic State Agrotechnological University in Russia, Nord University in Norway, and Lakehead University and Yukon University in Canada.

New digital technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence are leading to a major transformation in Earth observation and opening up a wealth of opportunities for science and business alike. Embracing this new era, ESA and the European Geosciences Union (EGU) have opened a competition for an award in Earth observation excellence. Do you know someone who is in the early stages of their career, but already deserves recognition for their innovative use of Earth observation? If so, there is now a unique opportunity to nominate them for the new ESA–EGU Earth Observation Excellence Award. The deadline for submitting nominations is 2 November 2020.

A new book entitled “Arctic Hydrology, Permafrost and Ecosystems”, co-edited by Dr. Daqing Yang of Environment and Climate Change Canada and Prof. Douglas Kane of Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks, has been published in September 2020 by Springer. This book, drawing on the latest research results from across the circumpolar regions, provides a comprehensive, up-to-date assessment of the key terrestrial components of the Arctic system, i.e. hydrology, climatology, permafrost, and ecology. With an integrated system approach, the book’s 30 chapters, written by a diverse team of leading scholars (86 authors from 12 countries), carefully examine Arctic climate variability/change, large river hydrology, lakes and wetlands, snow cover and ice processes, permafrost characteristics, vegetation/landscape changes, and the future trajectory of Arctic system evolution.

The Arctic Council published a quick guide to itself; who participates in it, what it does, and its accomplishments. Find the free download here.

©Arctic Council

The Ecologic Institute, Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network (MiH-RCN), and The Arctic Institute invite applications for the Arctic Winter College. The Arctic Winter College is a series of web-based seminars (webinars) that will take place on Tuesdays, 18:00-20:00 Central European Time from 12 January to 23 March 2021. Weekly webinars, featuring diverse experts and hosted by MiH-RCN Principle Investigator Victoria Herrmann, will focus on the theme “Arctic on the Move.” Urbanization, globalization, and the impacts of climate change are activating the simultaneous migrations of species, ecosystems, settlements, and cultures across Arctic coastlines.

The European Commission and the European Space Agency are working together to improve cooperation and to identify the grand science challenges in Polar research that may drive joint EC-ESA scientific activities in the coming years. The European Polar Science Week is one of the first results of this increased cooperation between the two organisations. It will take place on-line October 26-30 2020. Find more details and registration before October 20.

The International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) announces the 10th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS X) to be held on the campus of Northern (Arctic) Federal University, in Arkhangelsk, Russia, 15-19 June 2021.