|
The mission of the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy is to assess the socio-economic and biophysical impacts of climate variability in Alaska, make this information available to local and regional decision-makers, and improve the ability of Alaskans to adapt to a changing climate.
|
** Highlights **
» Alaska Climate Teleconferences
Next Conference:
Tuesday, December 8
10:00-11am Alaska Local Time
CONNECTING ALASKA LANDSCAPES INTO THE FUTURE
Nancy Fresco, Scenarios Network for Alaska Planning, and Karen Murphy, US Fish and Wildlife Service
»Stakeholder Workshop for Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Forested Ecosystems of Alaska
An all-day workshop addressing climate change impacts on Alaska’s forests was hosted by the Scenarios Network for Alaska Planning (SNAP) and the USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station on November 5, 2009. The goals of the climate change impacts on forested ecosystems of Alaska project are to review and synthesize existing knowledge, provide a baseline and scenarios of change, and identify data gaps and uncertainties.
The workshop provided an opportunity to engage with the core research team and discuss what issues are important and how they can be addressed so the resulting report is relevant and useful. For more information on how to get involved, including links to the stakeholder survey and workshop evaluation survey, please see the project website.
»
NOAA's 2009 Arctic Report Card has been published. Issued annually, the Arctic Report Card is a timely source for clear, reliable and concise environmental information on the state of the Arctic, relative to historical time series records. The 2009 Arctic Report Card includes the following information:
Atmosphere: Large scale wind patterns impacted by loss of summer sea ice
Sea Ice: Multi-year sea ice is being replaced by first year sea ice
Ocean: Upper ocean remains warm and less salty
Land: Increased runoff in Siberia, less snow in North America
Greenland: Ice sheet loss continues
Biology: High Arctic species impacted by loss of sea ice
»
2009 Sea Ice Outlook. The 2009 Sea Ice Outlook Summary Reports are now available. These reports, based on statements from contributors to the 2009 Sea Ice Outlook, provide an initial review of the 2009 Sea Ice Outlook effort at both the pan-arctic and regional scale.
The arctic summer sea ice extent minimum in September 2009 (5.36 million square km) was greater than that observed in 2007 or 2008, but still much less than the 1979–2000 average (7.1 million square km). In fall of 2009, the area of second-year sea ice has increased relative to 2007 and 2008. However, the arctic ice pack remains substantially younger, thinner, and more mobile than prior to 2005. The long-term trend in summer sea ice extent is still downward. Furthermore, the rate of refreezing at the end of October is less than in 2007.
For more information, visit the Sea Ice Outlook website, sponsored by the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH).
»The Alaska Governor's Climate Change Sub-Cabinet draft and final reports are now available for the following groups: Adaptation Advisory Group Draft Final Report, Mitigation Advisory Group Final Report, Immediate Action Work Group Final Report, Research Needs Work Group Draft Final Report.
» The Alaska Weather and Climate Highlights for September 2009 are now posted.
Listen to Alaska Public Radio Network coverage of ACCAP's Alaska Weather and Climate Highlights, May 2008.
»The US Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Response to Environmental Arctic Change (WildREACH) workshop report is now available. This peer-reviewed workshop report identifies the priority research, modeling, and synthesis activities needed to predict climate-related impacts to fish and wildlife populations in the Arctic.
Download the report "Wildlife Response to Environmental Arctic Change: Predicting Future Habitats of Arctic Alaska" here.
» ACCAP is in the final review stages with the Fairbanks Interior Issues Council Climate Change Task Force to develop a climate resilience plan including vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning recommendations for the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
|
