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Articles in the latest Issue, Polar Science Vol. 10 Issue 3 (September, 2016)
Special Issue: ISAR-4/ICARPIII, Science Symposium of ASSW2015
The 4th International Symposium for Arctic Science and the 3rd International Conference for Arctic Research Planning, the science symposium of Arctic Science Summit Week 2015 (ISAR-4/ICARPIII)
Peter Wadhams, Yuji Kodama, Takashi Yamanouchi
The 4th International Symposium for Arctic Research (ISAR-4) with the theme of "Rapid change of the Arctic climate system and its global influence" was held as the science symposium of the Arctic Science Summit Week 2015, together with the 3rd International Conference for Arctic Research Planning (ICARPIII) with the theme of "Integrating Arctic Research: a Roadmap for the Future," in Toyama, Japan, from April 27 to April 30, 2015. There were 340 oral and 177 poster presentations, totalling 511 presentations. Among them, 38 papers were submitted to this special issue and 30 were accepted. 16 sessions in which those accepted papers were presented are described.
Quasi-periodic rapid motion of pulsating auroras
Yoko Fukuda, Ryuho Kataoka, Yoshizumi Miyoshi, Yuto Katoh, Takanori Nishiyama, Kazuo Shiokawa, Yusuke Ebihara, Donald Hampton, Naomoto Iwagami
We report rapid motion of pulsating auroras associated with so called 3 ± 1 Hz modulations embedded in the main pulsations. During the pulsation ON phase, repetitive expansions are often observed around the edges of pulsating patches. Some events show a few detached expansions traveling away from the main deformed pulsating patch. Approximately 80% of all expansion speeds were found to be less than 70 km s−1 at ionospheric altitudes, which is less than the projected Alfvén speed from the magnetospheric equator to the ionosphere. The rapid motions with speeds of tens of km s−1 are unlikely to be explained by obliquely propagating chorus elements, which are known to cause the 3 ± 1 Hz modulation, because the perpendicular speed of the oblique chorus waves is higher than the Alfvén speed. We discuss the slow-mode Alfvén wave as a candidate modulation source to generate the rapid motions. A few non-repetitive expansion events with a speed of more than 150 km s−1 also appear at the onset of the ON phase. These non-repetitive expanding motions are characterized by a long displacement compared to the repetitive expanding motions. The differences in the expansion speeds indicate different formation mechanisms of the patch motions.
Axisymmetric structure of the long lasting summer Arctic cyclones
Takuro Aizawa, H.L. Tanaka
Arctic cyclones are unique low pressure systems in the Arctic, which are different from the tropical cyclones and the mid-latitude cyclones. The axisymmetric structures of two major Arctic cyclones which appeared in June 2008 and August 2012 are examined based on the cylindrical coordinate system around the Arctic cyclone. The result demonstrates that the Arctic cyclone has a deep barotropic cyclonic circulation, a secondary circulation in the troposphere, a downdraft at the lower stratosphere, a coupling of a warm core at the lower stratosphere and a cold core in the troposphere, and a deep tropopause folding over the cyclone center. The horizontal scale of the Arctic cyclone reaches 5000 km in diameter which is one of the largest cyclones found on the Earth. Note that the cyclone of June 2008 appears showing axisymmetric cyclonic circulations at the surface level. The cyclone of 2012 is characterized by the structure change from the cold core to the warm core at the lower stratosphere, indicating a shift from the ordinary baroclinic cyclone to the typical Arctic cyclone. Although additional studies are needed, a schematic diagram of the Arctic cyclone is proposed in this study.
Relationship between the Arctic oscillation and surface air temperature in multi-decadal time-scale
Hiroshi L. Tanaka, Mina Tamura
In this study, a simple energy balance model (EBM) was integrated in time, considering a hypothetical long-term variability in ice-albedo feedback mimicking the observed multi-decadal temperature variability. A natural variability was superimposed on a linear warming trend due to the increasing radiative forcing of CO2. The result demonstrates that the superposition of the natural variability and the background linear trend can offset with each other to show the warming hiatus for some period. It is also stressed that the rapid warming during 1970-2000 can be explained by the superposition of the natural variability and the background linear trend at least within the simple model. The key process of the fluctuating planetary albedo in multi-decadal time scale is investigated using the JRA-55 reanalysis data. It is found that the planetary albedo increased for 1958-1970, decreased for 1970-2000, and increased for 2000-2012, as expected by the simple EBM experiments. The multi-decadal variability in the planetary albedo is compared with the time series of the AO mode and Barents Sea mode of surface air temperature. It is shown that the recent AO negative pattern showing warm Arctic and cold mid-latitudes is in good agreement with planetary albedo change indicating negative anomaly in high latitudes and positive anomaly in mid-latitudes. Moreover, the Barents Sea mode with the warm Barents Sea and cold mid-latitudes shows long-term variability similar to planetary albedo change. Although further studies are needed, the natural variabilities of both the AO mode and Barents Sea mode indicate some possible link to the planetary albedo as suggested by the simple EBM to cause the warming hiatus in recent years.
A difficult Arctic science issue: Midlatitude weather linkages
James E. Overland
There is at present unresolved uncertainty whether Arctic amplification (increased air temperatures and loss of sea ice) impacts the location and intensities of recent major weather events in midlatitudes. There are three major impediments. The first is the null hypothesis where the shortness of time series since major amplification (∼15 years) is dominated by the variance of the physical process in the attribution calculation. This makes it impossible to robustly distinguish the influence of Arctic forcing of regional circulation from random events. The second is the large chaotic jet stream variability at midlatitudes producing a small Arctic forcing signal-to-noise ratio. Third, there are other potential external forcings of hemispheric circulation, such as teleconnections driven by tropical and midlatitude sea surface temperature anomalies. It is, however, important to note and understand recent emerging case studies. There is evidence for a causal connection of Barents-Kara sea ice loss, a stronger Siberian High, and cold air outbreaks into eastern Asia. Recent cold air penetrating into the southeastern United States was related to a shift in the long-wave atmospheric wind pattern and reinforced by warmer temperatures west of Greenland. Arctic Linkages is a major research challenge that benefits from an international focus on the topic.
Synoptic-scale fire weather conditions in Alaska
Hiroshi Hayasaka, Hiroshi L. Tanaka, Peter A. Bieniek
Recent concurrent widespread fires in Alaska are evaluated to assess their associated synoptic-scale weather conditions. Several periods of high fire activity from 2003 to 2015 were identified using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) hotspot data by considering the number of daily hotspots and their continuity. Fire weather conditions during the top six periods of high fire activity in the fire years of 2004, 2005, 2009, and 2015 were analyzed using upper level (500 hPa) and near surface level (1000 hPa) atmospheric reanalysis data. The top four fire-periods occurred under similar unique high-pressure fire weather conditions related to Rossby wave breaking (RWB). Following the ignition of wildfires, fire weather conditions related to RWB events typically result in two hotspot peaks occurring before and after high-pressure systems move from south to north across Alaska. A ridge in the Gulf of Alaska resulted in southwesterly wind during the first hotspot peak. After the high-pressure system moved north under RWB conditions, the Beaufort Sea High developed and resulted in relatively strong easterly wind in Interior Alaska and a second (largest) hotspot peak during each fire period. Low-pressure-related fire weather conditions occurring under cyclogenesis in the Arctic also resulted in high fire activity under southwesterly wind with a single large hot-spot peak.
Snow algal communities on glaciers in the Suntar-Khayata Mountain Range in eastern Siberia, Russia
Sota Tanaka, Nozomu Takeuchi, Masaya Miyairi, Yuta Fujisawa, Tsutomu Kadota, Tatsuo Shirakawa, Ryo Kusaka, Shuhei Takahashi, Hiroyuki Enomoto, Tetsuo Ohata, Hironori Yabuki, Keiko Konya, Alexander Fedorov, Pavel Konstantinov
Snow and ice algal communities were investigated on four glaciers in the Suntar-Khayata Mountain Range in eastern Siberia in Russia over three melting seasons from 2012 to 2014. Two taxa of green algae and five taxa of cyanobacteria were observed on the glaciers. The algal community was dominated by green algae: Ancylonema nordenskioldii in the lower bare ice area and Chloromonas sp. in the upper snow area. The total algal bio-volume showed altitudinal variation, ranging from 0.03 to 4.0 mL m−2, and was greatest in the middle of the glaciers. The altitudinal variations in the algal community were similar on all studied glaciers, suggesting that they are typical in this region. Observations over the three years revealed that there was no significant change in the community structure, but a significant change in the total biomass. Since the mean summer air temperature was significantly higher in 2012 when algal biomass was greater, the difference in algal biomass among the years is probably due to the duration of surface melting. The community structure on the studied glaciers is similar to those on glaciers in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions.
Surface elevation change on ice caps in the Qaanaaq region, northwestern Greenland
Jun Saito, Shin Sugiyama, Shun Tsutaki, Takanobu Sawagaki
A large number of glaciers and ice caps (GICs) are distributed along the Greenland coast, physically separated from the ice sheet. The total area of these GICs accounts for 5% of Greenland's ice cover. Melt water input from the GICs to the ocean substantially contributed to sea-level rise over the last century. Here, we report surface elevation changes of six ice caps near Qaanaaq (77°28'N, 69°13'W) in northwestern Greenland based on photogrammetric analysis of stereo pair satellite images. We processed the images with a digital map plotting instrument to generate digital elevation models (DEMs) in 2006 and 2010 with a grid resolution of 500 m. Generated DEMs were compared to measure surface elevation changes between 2006 and 2010. Over the study area of the six ice caps, covering 1215 km2, the mean rate of elevation change was −1.1 ± 0.1 m a−1. This rate is significantly greater than that previously reported for the 2003–2008 period (−0.6 ± 0.1 m a−1) for GICs all of northwestern Greenland. This increased mass loss is consistent with the rise in summer temperatures in this region at a rate of 0.12 °C a−1 for the 1997-2013 period.
Chemistry of snow cover and acidic snowfall during a season with a high level of air pollution on the Hans Glacier, Spitsbergen
Adam P. Nawrot, Krzysztof Migała, Bartłomiej Luks, Paulina Pakszys, Piotr Głowacki
The central Arctic is within the range of air pollution transported from industrial areas of Eurasia and North America. A poor network of weather stations means that there is limited information available about air quality and contaminant deposition in the Arctic environment. For this reason seasonal snow cover is an important source of information. Chemical properties of precipitation, snow cover and fresh snow were monitored at the Hornsund Polish Polar Station (Spitsbergen) and in the altitude profile of the Hans Glacier. Meteorological data from the coast and the glacier helped to examine in detail the impact of atmospheric processes on snow cover contamination. The episode with extremely acidic precipitation was recognized in snow cover analysed in spring 2006. The source area of pollution and type of synoptic situation which enhanced transfer of pollution to the European Arctic were identified. Changes in snow chemistry in the altitude profile demonstrated the impact of the atmospheric boundary layer on chemical properties of precipitation and snow cover. Non-sea salt SO2 emissions and the role of nitrate in acidification should be considered a serious threat to the Arctic environment.
The accuracy of satellite-derived albedo for northern alpine and glaciated land covers
Scott N. Williamson, Luke Copland, David S. Hik
Alpine and Arctic land cover can present a challenge for the validation of satellite-derived albedo measurements due, in part, to the complex terrain and logistical difficulty of accessing these regions. We compared measurements of albedo on transects from northern mountain land covers (snowfield, glacier ice, tundra, saline silt river delta) and over a large elevation range to the coincident 8-day MODIS (MCD43) albedo product. We also compared field measurements at snow covered sites to the coincident daily MODIS (MOD10A1) snow albedo product. For each transect, we measured a range of albedo values, with the least variability on the silt river delta (range = 0.084) and the largest over mid-elevation glacier ice (range = 0.307). The highest elevation snowfield (0.170) had nearly the same range of albedo values as tundra (0.164). The MODIS shortwave White Sky Albedo product (MCD43A3) was highly correlated with the field transect albedo (R2 = 0.96), with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.061. The MODIS shortwave Black Sky Albedo product was similarly correlated with field transects (R2 = 0.96; RMSE = 0.063). These results indicate that remote observation of albedo over snow covered and alpine terrain is well constrained and consistent with other studies. Albedo varied by ∼15% both spatially and temporally for the high elevation snowfields at the point in the season where albedo variation should be at its minimum. There were several instances where MCD43A3 albedo was not produced over snow and was instead classified as cloud covered, despite field observations of cloud free skies. There were also several instances where daily MOD10A1 albedo was produced during the coincident 8-day period at these locations. This suggests that the cloud mask in the MCD43 product is overly conservative over snow. Spatial variation in albedo within the MODIS grid cell (500 m), especially for snow and glacier ice, combined with the uncertainty associated with positional accuracy of MODIS, indicates that the accuracy of MODIS albedo will be dependent on both land cover type and the period of observation.
Spatial and temporal variations in high turbidity surface water off the Thule region, northwestern Greenland
Yoshihiko Ohashi, Takahiro Iida, Shin Sugiyama, Shigeru Aoki
Glacial meltwater discharge from the Greenland ice sheet and ice caps forms high turbidity water in the proglacial ocean off the Greenland coast. Although the timing and magnitude of high turbidity water export affect the coastal marine environment, for example, through impacts on biological productivity, little is known about the characteristics of this high turbidity water. In this paper, we therefore report on the spatial and temporal variations in high turbidity water off the Thule region in northwestern Greenland, based on remote sensing reflectance data at a wavelength of 555 nm (Rrs555). The high turbidity area, identified on the basis of high reflectivity (Rrs555 ≥ 0.0070 sr-1), was generally distributed near the coast, where many outlet glaciers terminate in the ocean and on land. The extent of the high turbidity area exhibited substantial seasonal and interannual variability, and its annual maximum extent was significantly correlated with summer air temperature. Assuming a linear relationship between the high turbidity area and summer temperature, annual maximum extent increases under the influence of increasing glacial meltwater discharge, as can be inferred from present and predicted future warming trends.
Permafrost and indigenous land use in the northern Urals: Komi and Nenets reindeer husbandry
Kirill V. Istomin, Joachim Otto Habeck
Permafrost is an integral part of the environmental conditions that frame indigenous peoples' livelihoods in many parts of the circumpolar region. On the basis of their long-term ethnographic field researches, the authors describe the various ways in which permafrost dynamics influence the lives and economic activities of two groups of reindeer-herding nomads in North-Eastern Europe and Western Siberia: Komi and Nenets. Permafrost affects the herders directly, for the herders have to take into account the probability of thermokarst while choosing the campsite and performing certain herding procedures. It also affects the herders indirectly, through its influence on landscape and vegetation and thus on reindeer behavior. More rapid permafrost degradation will have a range of adverse effects on reindeer herding.
Accumulation of carbon and nitrogen in vegetation and soils of deglaciated area in Ellesmere Island, high-Arctic Canada
Takashi Osono, Akira S. Mori, Masaki Uchida, Hiroshi Kanda
The amount of biomass, carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) in vegetation and soil were measured at two spatial scales in the high Arctic. At the scale of proglacial landscape, the amount of C and N in aboveground and belowground parts of vegetation, surface litter, and soil were significantly affected by the habitat (moraines vs hummocks), the relative age of the terrain after the deglaciation, and/or the vegetation. At another scale, we focused on mudboils as an agent of local disturbance in the vegetation and soil of the glacier foreland. The biomass and the amount of C and N in aboveground vegetation, surface litter, biological soil crust, and soil were generally increased with the stage of mudboils' inactivation. Biomass, C, and N in aboveground vegetation and surface litter were generally greater at moraine than at hummock, whereas those in biological soil crust and soil were greater at hummock. Principal component analysis identified two pathways, xeric and mesic ones on moraines and hummocks, respectively, of C and N accumulation both at the two spatial scales. These results suggested that the C and N accumulation was not linearly related to the time since deglaciation and that moisture condition, vegetation, and mudboil activity were locally important.
Herbivory Network: An international, collaborative effort to study herbivory in Arctic and alpine ecosystems
I.C. Barrio, D.S. Hik, I.S. Jónsdóttir, C.G. Bueno, M.A. Mörsdorf, V.T. Ravolainen
Plant-herbivore interactions are central to the functioning of tundra ecosystems, but their outcomes vary over space and time. Accurate forecasting of ecosystem responses to ongoing environmental changes requires a better understanding of the processes responsible for this heterogeneity. To effectively address this complexity at a global scale, coordinated research efforts, including multi-site comparisons within and across disciplines, are needed. The Herbivory Network was established as a forum for researchers from Arctic and alpine regions to collaboratively investigate the multifunctional role of herbivores in these changing ecosystems. One of the priorities is to integrate sites, methodologies, and metrics used in previous work, to develop a set of common protocols and design long-term geographically-balanced, coordinated experiments. The implementation of these collaborative research efforts will also improve our understanding of traditional human-managed systems that encompass significant portions of the sub-Arctic and alpine areas worldwide. A deeper understanding of the role of herbivory in these systems under ongoing environmental changes will guide appropriate adaptive strategies to preserve their natural values and related ecosystem services.
Diffusive summer methane flux from lakes to the atmosphere in the Alaskan arctic zone
Masafumi Sasaki, Yong-Won Kim, Masao Uchida, Motoo Utsumi
Dissolved methane concentrations (DM) in thirty lakes along Dalton Highway were measured in the open water season in 2008 and in 2012 to estimate diffusive flux from lake surfaces and to verify the enhancive effect of thawing permafrost on flux in the Alaskan arctic zone. An inverse relationship between lake size and DM was obtained in lakes in the regions as was found for European boreal lakes. There was no evidence indicating an effect of thawing permafrost on DM in these lakes. DM in lakes in the taiga region, however, were higher than those in the tundra region. All lake images on a map larger than 0.001 km2 were analyzed, and the area and number distributions were obtained in order to calculate regional mass fluxes of diffusive methane. The total area of all lakes (339,733) in the Alaskan Arctic zone (northern region from 64.00°N) is 25.5 × 103 km2. Regional summer diffusive flux of methane from lakes in the Alaskan arctic zone was estimated to be 22 Gg CH4 yr-1. Average diffusive flux density (per lake area) was 0.86 g CH4 m-2 yr-1, which is similar to that in European boreal lakes.
Norwegian fisheries in the Svalbard zone since 1980. Regulations, profitability and warming waters affect landings
Ole Arve Misund, Kristin Heggland, Ragnheid Skogseth, Eva Falck, Harald Gjøsæter, Jan Sundet, Jens Watne, Ole Jørgen Lønne
The Svalbard archipelago in the High Arctic is influenced by cold Arctic water masses from the north-east and the warm West Spitsbergen Current flowing northwards along its western coast. The eastern waters and the fjords are normally frozen during the winter months, while the coastal waters west of the archipelago remain open. Norwegian fishers have been harvesting from Svalbard waters for decades and detailed records of catches exists from 1980 onwards. We analyze the catch records from the Svalbard zone (approximately ICES area IIb). The large fishery for capelin in summer yielding annual catches up to 737 000 tons was closed by a Norwegian fishery regulation in the mid nineteen nineties. Demersal fisheries have been continuous, and the results clearly indicate a northward trend in landings of Northeast Arctic cod, haddock, ling and Atlantic halibut. Fisheries of Northern shrimp have been more variable and shown no clear geographic trends. A "gold rush" fishery for scallops north of Svalbard lasted for about 10 years (1986-1995) only, and ended due to low profitably. These results are discussed in relation to the possibility of further northward extension of fisheries subjected to climate change.
Mapping of the ai-sea CO2 flux in the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas: Basin-wide distribution and seasonal to interannual variability
Sayaka Yasunaka, Akihiko Murata, Eiji Watanabe, Melissa Chierici, Agneta Fransson, Steven van Heuven, Mario Hoppema, Masao Ishii, Truls Johannessen, Naohiro Kosugi, Siv K. Lauvset, Jeremy T. Mathis, Shigeto Nishino, Abdirahman M. Omar, Are Olsen, Daisuke Sasano, Taro Takahashi, Rik Wanninkhof
We produced 204 monthly maps of the air-sea CO2 flux in the Arctic north of 60°N, including the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas, from January 1997 to December 2013 by using a self-organizing map technique. The partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in surface water data were obtained by shipboard underway measurements or calculated from alkalinity and total inorganic carbon of surface water samples. Subsequently, we investigated the basin-wide distribution and seasonal to interannual variability of the CO2 fluxes. The 17-year annual mean CO2 flux shows that all areas of the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas were net CO2 sinks. The estimated annual CO2 uptake by the Arctic Ocean was 180 TgC yr-1. The CO2 influx was strongest in winter in the Greenland/Norwegian Seas (>15 mmol m-2 day-1) and the Barents Sea (>12 mmol m-2 day-1) because of strong winds, and strongest in summer in the Chukchi Sea (∼10 mmol m-2 day-1) because of the sea-ice retreat. In recent years, the CO2 uptake has increased in the Greenland/Norwegian Sea and decreased in the southern Barents Sea, owing to increased and decreased air-sea pCO2 differences, respectively.
Spatial and geographical changes in the mesozooplankton community in the Bering and Chukchi Seas during the summers of 2007 and 2008
Kohei Matsuno, Jose M. Landeira Sanchez, Atsushi Yamaguchi, Toru Hirawake, Takashi Kikuchi
From July to August 2007 and June to July 2008, the horizontal/geographical changes in the zooplankton community in the Bering and Chukchi Seas were studied. The geographical patterns, which were common for these two years, were observed for salinity, chlorophyll a (Chl. a), zooplankton chaetognaths, hydrozoans and the whole zooplankton community. Among them, the patterns of salinity and Chl. a were related with the horizontal distribution of the water masses. The distributions of the two carnivorous taxa were correlated with their prey (copepods or barnacle larvae). The analysis of the structural equation model (SEM) revealed that the horizontal distribution of the zooplankton abundance and biomass were governed by the different taxa. Thus, the zooplankton abundance was governed by the numerically dominant but smaller-bodied taxa, such as the barnacle larvae and copepod Pseudocalanus spp., while the zooplankton biomass was determined by the large-bodied copepods, such as Calanus glacialis/marshallae and Eucalanus bungii.
Impacts of future climate change on the carbon budget of northern high-latitude terrestrial ecosystems: An analysis using ISI-MIP data
Akihiko Ito, Kazuya Nishina, Hibiki M. Noda
This paper assesses future changes in the carbon budgets of northern terrestrial ecosystems (above 60°N) using data from the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP). By analyzing simulations from seven biome models driven by five climate scenarios under two representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5), the range of responses and their uncertainty in the 21st century was evaluated. The biome models consistently simulated a gradual increase in vegetation productivity driven by an elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and a longer growing period. By the 2090s, most simulations showed average net carbon uptake into the northern terrestrial ecosystems of +27 Pg C for RCP2.6 and +48 Pg C for RCP8.5. These estimates showed a wide range of variability among simulations, especially for soil carbon stocks. Even under low greenhouse gas concentrations (RCP2.6), most simulations indicated that vegetation productivity and biomass would change by more than 10%, implying that it will be difficult to completely prevent climatic impacts in northern regions. Simulated spatial patterns and seasonality in the carbon budget can be used to identify sensitive areas and seasons, allowing for improved monitoring. Further research combining observations and modeling will be required to reduce estimation uncertainty and devise ecosystem management options.
Spatial characteristics of ecosystem respiration in three tundra ecosystems of Alaska
Yongwon Kim, Bang-Yong Lee, Rikie Suzuki, Keiji Kushida
Ecosystem respiration (ER) is a significant source in estimating terrestrial carbon budget under climate change. Here, we report on the assessment of spatial characteristics of ER, using manual chamber over three tundra ecosystems of Alaska. Annual simulated ER was 254-307 g CO2 m-2 based on in-situ air temperature and 212-305 g CO2 m-2 based on soil temperature, at Council, North Slope, and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) sites of Alaska. Growing-season ERs correspond to 79-92% (air temperature) and 81-86% (soil temperature) of simulated annual ER. Hence, soil temperature is a significant driver in modulating ER over tundra, suggesting soil temperature elucidates more than 80% of air temperature. At Council, between 31 and 84 sampling points during the growing season were required to attain spatial representativeness for ER, falling within ±10% of the full sample mean, with a 95% confidence level. At North Slope and ANWR sites, the number of sampling points was chosen to yield results within at least ±20%, with a 90% confidence level. These findings suggest that larger-size chamber and its measurement frequency can overcome logistical constraints and determine mean ER at tundra sites for the quantitative assessment of the tundra carbon budget in response to drastically changing Arctic environment and climate.
Arctic in Rapid Transition: Priorities for the future of marine and coastal research in the Arctic
Kirstin Werner, Michael Fritz, Nathalie Morata, Kathrin Keil, Alexey Pavlov, Ilka Peeken, Anna Nikolopoulos, Helen S. Findlay, Monika Kędra, Sanna Majaneva, Angelika Renner, Stefan Hendricks, Mathilde Jacquot, Marcel Nicolaus, Matt O'Regan, Makoto Sampei, Carolyn Wegner
Understanding and responding to the rapidly occurring environmental changes in the Arctic over the past few decades require new approaches in science. This includes improved collaborations within the scientific community but also enhanced dialogue between scientists and societal stakeholders, especially with Arctic communities. As a contribution to the Third International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARPIII), the Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) network held an international workshop in France, in October 2014, in order to discuss high-priority requirements for future Arctic marine and coastal research from an early-career scientists (ECS) perspective. The discussion encompassed a variety of research fields, including topics of oceanographic conditions, sea-ice monitoring, marine biodiversity, land-ocean interactions, and geological reconstructions, as well as law and governance issues. Participants of the workshop strongly agreed on the need to enhance interdisciplinarity in order to collect comprehensive knowledge about the modern and past Arctic Ocean's geo-ecological dynamics. Such knowledge enables improved predictions of Arctic developments and provides the basis for elaborate decision-making on future actions under plausible environmental and climate scenarios in the high northern latitudes. Priority research sheets resulting from the workshop's discussions were distributed during the ICARPIII meetings in April 2015 in Japan, and are publicly available online.
Erodibility of permafrost exposures in the coasts of Eastern Chukotka
Alexey Maslakov, Gleb Kraev
Coastal retreat caused by coastal erosion decreases the territory of Russia by 50 km2 annually. Erosion of the Arctic coasts composed by fine-grained permafrost turns coastlines into badlands dozens of meters wide and is harmful to the coastal infrastructure. Regional-level variations in the coastal retreat rate in the Arctic tend to follow the climate change dynamics and its consequences, mainly the shrinkage of the perennial sea ice area. This study considers the lower level local-scale variability linked to permafrost features, lithology, and morphology of the coasts in the remote region on the western shore of the Bering Sea within Lorino settlement (Chukotka, Russia). The coastal dynamics was tracked by means of geodesy and remote sensing in 2012-14, and the archival engineering survey data available since 1967. We have derived the erodibility of sediments from the conventional soil properties measured by engineers, and linked the coastal retreat rates to erodibility of the sediments, so that it could be extrapolated to other coastal areas of Eastern Chukotka with similar sediment structure.
Where are they now? - A case study of the impact of international travel support for early career Arctic researchers
Sanna Majaneva, Gwénaëlle Hamon, Gerlis Fugmann, Maja Lisowska, Jenny Baeseman
Supporting and training the next generation of researchers is crucial to continuous knowledge and leadership in Arctic research. An increasing number of Arctic organizations have developed initiatives to provide travel support for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to participate in workshops, conferences and meetings and to network with internationally renowned scientific leaders. However, there has been little evaluation of the effectiveness of these initiatives. As a contribution to the 3rd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning, a study was conducted to analyze the career paths of ECRs who received travel funding from the International Arctic Science Committee between the start of the International Polar Year (2007-2008) and 2013. Two surveys were used: one sent to ECRs who received IASC travel support and one as a specific event study to those unsuccessfully applied for IASC travel support to the IPY 2010 Conference. The results of the surveys indicate that travel support was beneficial to both the research and careers of the respondents, especially if the ECR was engaged with a task or responsibility at the event. Survey responses also included suggestions on how funds could be better used to support the next generation of Arctic researchers.
Limits of pastoral adaptation to permafrost regions caused by climate change among the Sakha people in the middle basin of Lena River
Hiroki Takakura
This article focuses on the pastoral practices of the Sakha people in eastern Siberia to explore the impact of climate change on human livelihood in permafrost regions. Sakha use grassland resources in river terraces and the alaas thermokarst landscape for cattle-horse husbandry. Although they practice a different form of subsistence than other indigenous arctic peoples, such as hunter - gatherers or reindeer herders, the adaptation of Sakha has been relatively resilient in the past 600-800 years. Recent climate change, however, could change this situation. According to hydrologists, increased precipitation is now observed in eastern Siberia, which has resulted in the increase of permafrost thawing, causing forests to die. Moreover, local meteorologists report an increase of flooding in local rivers. How do these changes affect the local pastoral adaptation? While describing recent uses of grassland resource by local people, and their perception of climate change through anthropological field research, I investigated the subtle characteristics of human-environment interactions in pastoral adaptation, in order to identify the limits of adaptation in the face of climate change.
Interest of Asian shipping companies in navigating the Arctic
Leah Beveridge, Mélanie Fournier, Frédéric Lasserre, Linyan Huang, Pierre-Louis Têtu
Climate change in the Arctic is leading to the fast recession of sea ice in the summer. This evolution leads several observers, scientists, media and government officials, to consider the possibility of developing new shipping routes along Arctic routes, as these routes are much shorter between Europe and Asia. The literature displays a strong discourse about interest from Asian countries for these potential shipping routes. This paper tackles with this idea and examines to what extent Asian shipping companies, the ultimate economic agents, are really interested in Arctic shipping routes. The image the research portrayed is that only a minority of Asian shipping companies are indeed interested, and those that are interested stress the destinational dimension of Arctic shipping, not transit shipping.
Securitizing the Arctic indigenous peoples: A community security perspective with special reference to the Sámi of the European high north
Kamrul Hossain
The theory of securitization─the so-called Copenhagen school─centers the concept of security on various identified threats. Security based on the collective identity by which a society preserves its essential characteristics has been defined as community security, or societal security. The underlying principle of the Copenhagen school is that state-based, sovereignty-oriented security is ineffective unless the other components of security threats are addressed. The concept of human security, developed nearly simultaneously to that of securitization, identifies threat components at the sub-state level which are not traditionally understood as security concerns. Both schools of security thought are similar as they offer nontraditional approaches to understanding the concept of security. In this article, I explore securitization theory and the concept of human security to elaborate community perspectives in the understanding of security. In a case study, I investigate the security concerns of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. The transformation of the Arctic by climate change and its impacts has resulted in new challenges and opportunities, so I explore how indigenous peoples in general and the Sámi in particular understand security which promotes their societal security. Although I show that this group of people deserves recognition and the ability to exercise greater authority, I conclude that diverse concepts of security do not by any means undermine the core traditional concept of security. These aspects of security remain subject to scrutiny by states and exist in a vertical structure. The Sámi, therefore, rely on affirmative actions by states to enjoy greater rights to maintain their community security.
Towards transdisciplinarity in Arctic sustainability knowledge co-production: Socially-Oriented Observations as a participatory integrated activity
Tatiana Vlasova, Sergey Volkov
The paper is an attempt to tie together main biogeophysical and social science projects under the auspice of interdisciplinary sustainability science development. Special attention is put to the necessity of the transdisciplinary knowledge co-production based on activities and problem-solutions approaches. It puts attention to the role of monitoring activities in sustainability interdisciplinary science and transdisciplinary knowledge evolution in the Arctic. Socially focused monitoring named Socially-Oriented Observations creating a transdisciplinary space is viewed as one of sources of learning and transformations towards sustainability making possible to shape rapid changes happening in the Arctic based on sustainability knowledge co-production. Continuous Socially-Oriented Observations integrating scientific, education and monitoring methods enables to define adaptation and transformation pathways in the Arctic - the most rapidly changing region of our planet. Socially-Oriented Observations are based on the existing and developing interdisciplinary scientific approaches emerged within natural science and social science projects, sustainable development and resilience concepts putting principle attention to building sustainable and resilient socio-ecological systems. It is argued that the Arctic sustainability science is a valuable component of the whole and broader system of the Arctic Sustainability knowledge co-produced with the help of transdisciplinary approaches integrating science, local/traditional knowledge, entrepreneurship, education, decision-making. Socially-Oriented Observations are designed to be a transdisciplinary interactive continuous participatory process empowering deliberate choices of people that can shape the changes and enable transformation towards sustainability. Approaches of Socially-Oriented Observations and methods of implementation that have been developed since the IPY 2007/2008 and being practiced in different regions of the Arctic are discussed.
Industrial heritage sites in Spitsbergen (Svalbard), South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula: Sources of historical information
Louwrens Hacquebord, Dag Avango
Industrial heritage sites in Polar Regions are very important as sources of historical information. Together with archival documents this information gives us the possibility to complete the picture of the exploitation of natural resources in those regions. Thirty years of historical-archaeological field research at whaling and mining sites in Spitsbergen (Svalbard), South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula has shown that these sites can provide unique evidence about the driving forces behind industrial development, the design of industrial technology, the structure of the settlements, strategies to control natural resources and achieve political influence, and the impact of resource extraction on the local environment. In this article we will give examples of the results of our research at these sites.
The European Arctic policy in progress
Elena Conde Pérez, Zhaklin Valerieva Yaneva
The geostrategic, political, economic, and scientific relevance of the Arctic is constantly growing due to the complex process of climate change. Accordingly, the European Union─as a global political actor─, is already taking steps to ensure and strengthen its influence in the region while demonstrating readiness to face the many opportunities and challenges ahead in cooperation with the traditional stakeholders. Therefore, in order to reflect the renewed importance of the Arctic transformation, the Union has been designing its Arctic Policy focusing on climate change mitigation and multilateral cooperation as its main strengths. Unfortunately, despite the diligence and impetus that has been invested, this process has been delayed in several occasions as the Union had to deal with internal and external destabilizing factors, such as the later immigration crisis or the lack of uniformity among its member states' foreign policy interests. These factors will be analyzed along with the process of creation and development of the EU's Arctic policy. Despite some delays, on 27 April 2016, the long-awaited third communication was issued and progress has been made: even if, in general terms, the new document remains a political statement, there is also a clear commitment to action.
Arctic potential - Could more structured view improve the understanding of Arctic business opportunities?
Henna Hintsala, Sami Niemelä, Pekka Tervonen
The increasing interest towards the Arctic has been witnessed during the past decades. However, the commonly shared definitions of the Arctic key concepts have not yet penetrated national and international arenas for political and economic decision making. The lack of jointly defined framework has made different analyses related to the Arctic quite limited considering the magnitude of economic potential embedded in Arctic. This paper is built on the key findings of two separate, yet connected projects carried out in the Oulu region, Finland. In this paper's approach, the Arctic context has been defined as a composition of three overlapping layers. The first layer is the phenomenological approach to define the Arctic region. The second layer is the strategy-level analysis to define different Arctic paths as well as a national level description of a roadmap to Arctic specialization. The third layer is the operationalization of the first two layers to define the Arctic business context and business opportunities. The studied case from Oulu region indicates that alternative futures for the Arctic competences and business activities are in resemblance with only two of the four identified strategic pathways. Introduction of other pathways to regional level actors as credible and attractive options would require additional, systematic efforts.
Japan's role as an Asian observer state within and outside the Arctic Council's framework
Taisaku Ikeshima
After the recent publication of Japan's Arctic policy, the world is carefully considering the kind of role Japan will play in the future. As an economic power, Japan will certainly seek to pursue its national interest, particularly in the development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and in the offshore drilling of natural resources in the Arctic region. However, as an Asian observer state, Japan will hopefully play a role of a catalyst and watcher in the Arctic Council (AC) and monitor and report the process and conversation of the forum not only for its own benefit but also in the interest of the international community. This aspect should be reflected in the implementation of the new Arctic policy of Japan in near future.