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Alaska Center for Climate Assessment & Policy
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phone: (907) 474-7812
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Archive of Past Webinars

Tuesday, April 16, 2013; 10-11AM
Downscaled Snow Projections for Alaska
Stephanie McAfee, Alaska Climate Science Center
Decision makers around the world are increasingly looking for localized projections of climate change for their particular region. This webinar will include a discussion of a new set of downscaled snow projections available for the state of Alaska, as well as an explanation of how downscaled climate data are created, including strengths and weaknesses. Three major themes related to the Alaska downscaled snow projections will be covered: 1) How will the late-winter precipitation regime change in southwestern Alaska? 2) Will summer snow events still occur on the North Slope? and 3) How vulnerable is snow in southeastern Alaska?

View the webinar video (109 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Downscaled Snow Projections for Alaska

Alaska Public Media Coverage: Researcher Looks At Climate Change Effects On Alaska’s Snow Regime


Wednesday, March 6, 2013; 10-11AM
The National Climate Assessment, Alaska Chapter
Sarah Trainor & John Walsh, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment & Policy
The US Global Change Research Program National Climate Assessment (NCA), synthesizes the latest science on climate change and provides information for communities about the current and projected impacts. A draft of the 2013 NCA Report is available for expert review and public comment until April 12, 2013. This webinar will present draft findings and provide opportunity for discussion about the draft report and the longer-term on-going climate assessment process in Alaska. Discussion topics will include how perceived gaps in the report might be addressed through existing and new research projects, identifying new topics for consideration in future reports and initiatives, and planning for ways that scientists, decision makers, and members of local communities, including Alaska Natives, can play a more active role in the continuing assessment process.

View the webinar video (45 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: The National Climate Assessment, Alaska Chapter
Draft Report: The United States National Climate Assessment - Alaska Technical Regional Report

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner coverage: Federal climate report says Alaska could see big changes


Tuesday, February 19, 2013; 10-11AM
Food Security in the Kenai Peninsula: A Report on Local Seafood Use, Consumer Preferences, and Community Needs
Philip Loring, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment & Policy
This webinar presents data from the final report of a survey implemented in late 2011 to explore use of local seafood by residents of the Kenai Peninsula, and their role in providing for food security. One motivation for this study was to provide the background data necessary for exploring the possible vulnerabilities of these communities to changes in local fisheries, including as a result of climate change. We found extensive use of local fisheries by local residents, and that access to locally caught seafood improves household food security, especially for lowest-income households. We also found that the existing systems for marketing and distributing local seafood leaves some local residents without access. Opportunities for strengthening the local food system will be discussed, as will the question of vulnerability to challenges such as climate change.

View the webinar video (43 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Food Security in the Kenai Peninsula: A Report on Local Seafood Use, Consumer Preferences, and Community Needs

Download Final Report: Loring, P.A. Gerlach, S.C., and H.L. Harrison. 2012. “Food Security in the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: A report on local seafood, consumer preferences, and community needs.” WERC-HD Occasional Report No. 01, Gamble, J.B. (ed.), Human Dimensions Lab at the Water and Environmental Research Center: Fairbanks, Alaska.


Tuesday, January 29, 2013; 10-11AM
ALASKA LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION COOPERATIVES: THE BIG PICTURE APPROACH TO SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT

Philip Martin and Amanda Robertson, US Fish & Wildlife Service
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) are self-directed partnerships that provide science and support for conservation and sustainable-resource management to address landscape-level challenges or stressors, such as climate change. The five Alaska LCCs are at various stages of development, but all have conducted science and management needs assessments to identify region-specific priorities. Alaska and northwest Canada LCCs have funded numerous projects targeted at filling identified science and management information needs. For each Alaska LCC, we will give examples of projects, priorities, and their role in facilitating communication and collaboration among organizations, across disciplines, and across jurisdictional boundaries.

View the webinar video (48 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Alaska Landscape Conservation Cooperatives: the Big Picture Approach to Science and Management


Tuesday, December 11, 2012
DO TROPHIC CASCADES AFFECT THE STORAGE AND FLUX OF ATMOSPHERIC CARBON? AN ANALYSIS FOR SEA OTTERS AND KELP FORESTS

Christopher Wilmers, UC Santa Cruz
We combine data collected over the last 40 years to estimate the indirect effects of sea otters on ecosystem carbon production and storage across their North American range from Vancouver Island to the western edge of the Aleutian Islands. We find that sea otters, by suppressing sea urchins, substantially increase kelp ecosystem productivity and have a strong influence on kelp carbon flux and storage. Over an ecosystem area of approximately 5.1 x 1010 meters, the effect of sea otter predation on living kelp biomass alone is approximate to 5.6-11% of the carbon contained in the volume of atmosphere above the North American sea otter range; 21-42% of the increase in atmospheric carbon since pre-industrial times in that same volume of atmosphere; or the carbon emissions from 5 million cars in an average year. This stored carbon would be valued at $304-603 million on the European Carbon Exchange. Results support evidence that predator-driven ecosystem changes influence the rates of carbon flux and storage in many other species and ecosystems.

View the webinar video (48 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Do trophic cascades affect the storage and flux of atmospheric carbon? An analysis for sea otters and kelp forests

Journal article in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment: Christopher C Wilmers, James A Estes, Matthew Edwards, Kristin L Laidre, and Brenda Konar. 2012. Do trophic cascades affect the storage and flux of atmospheric carbon? An analysis of sea otters and kelp forests. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 10: 409–415. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/110176


Tuesday, November 6, 2012
DATA AT YOUR FINGERTIPS - A TOUR OF THREE DATA PORTALS AND MAPPING APPLICATIONS FOR ALASKA

Jess Grunblatt, GINA; Rob Boechenk, AOOS; Amy Merten, NOAA
A number of data portals and mapping tools provide publicly accessible map-based data about Alaska's environment. Where might one find real-time information on weather and ocean conditions? Download satellite imagery? Or find data useful for spill response? This webinar will provide an introduction to the data resources available through UAF's Geographic Information Network of Alaska (GINA), the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS), and NOAA's Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA). Each group will provide a brief demo of their portal or tools, helping viewers learn about the similarities and differences of these three systems, and how to find the information they need.

View the webinar video (63 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

North Slope Science Catalog
AOOS Data Resources
Arctic Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA)


Tuesday, October 30, 2012
WACKY WEATHER AND DISAPPEARING ARCTIC SEA ICE: ARE THEY CONNECTED?

Jennifer Francis, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University
Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity all around the northern hemisphere. During recent years Alaska has experienced severe flooding, record-breaking snowfall, extensive summer forest fires, and strong autumn storms. This presentation will discuss new research that points to climate change as a culprit in fueling the increase in extreme weather.
View the webinar video (64 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Wacky Weather and Disappearing Arctic Sea Ice: Are They Connected?

CBC News Coverage: Alaska storms could be linked to loss of Arctic sea ice


Wednesday, September 26, 2012
CLIMATE CHANGE AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON BRISTOL BAY SOCKEYE SALMON POPULATIONS

Rebecca Aicher, Science and Technology Policy Fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science hosted by the U.S. EPA; and Jason Todd & Joe Ebersole, Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA
Scientific research has shown that climate change has already caused detectable changes to ecosystems throughout Alaska. As warming is predicted to continue, it is likely to lead to changes in marine and freshwater aquatic ecosystems and impact salmon populations in Bristol Bay, Alaska. In order to better predict how salmon will respond to climate change in both freshwater and marine ecosystems, it is crucial to evaluate the current knowledge of how the salmon and ecosystem are responding and identify key gaps in knowledge. This webinar will describe a conceptual model that is used to synthesize results from over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles to describe current trends in salmon populations, responses to climate change, predicted responses to climate change, and research needs in Alaska.
View the webinar video (54 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Climate Change and Potential Impacts on Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon Populations


Tuesday, July 24, 2012
CLIMATE CHANGE AND POTENTIAL ECOSYSTEM CHANGE IN ALASKA, THE YUKON, AND THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Nancy Fresco, Michael Lindgren, Falk Heuttmann, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Karen Murphy, US Fish & Wildlife Service
The joint final report from the Alaska Cliomes Project and the Canada Cliomes Project is now available for public download. The report offers the public, including land managers, government agencies, communities, businesses, academics and nonprofits, a new perspective on how climate change affects northern ecosystems. Historical weather data was used to divide the landscape into areas of similar climate. Each of these areas — or cliomes — is described based on the characteristic pattern of vegetation and wildlife species that thrive under those particular climate conditions. The project then used climate models to project how ongoing climate change may cause the landscape to shift in coming decades.Project results suggest some major changes in these cliomes and the ecosystems associated with them.
View the webinar video (58 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Climate Change and Potential Ecosystem Change in Alaska, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories

Download the Cliomes report (PDF)


Tuesday, June 19, 2012
LEO, THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL OBSERVERS: A GROWING NETWORK FOR MONITORING CHANGE IN ARCTIC COMMUNITIES

Michael Brubaker, Director of Community Environment and Safety, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
The Local Environmental Observer or LEO network is providing rural Alaska communities with tools to improve monitoring for events such as extreme weather, damage to infrastructure, invasive species, and to perform surveillance for outbreaks of illness in wildlife used for subsistence foods. The program uses an internet-based survey for posting observations on monthly Google Maps which are archived to provide a lasting observation record of the observations. In addition to documenting the impacts of change across Alaska, the network is also improving communication, and connecting local environmental and health managers with agencies and organizations that can provide technical assistance and resources. This presentation provides an overview of LEO as a strategy for community-based monitoring of our changing Arctic environment and climate.
View the webinar video (52 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: LEO: The Local Environmental Observers Network

Click here to visit the LEO network on the web


Tuesday, June 12, 2012
FEDERAL RESEARCH IN THE ARCTIC; A FIVE-YEAR PLAN

Brendan P. Kelly, Assistant Director for Polar Science, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive office of the President
At least 13 Federal agencies conduct research in the Arctic. Research by those agencies as well as State, local, industry, and non-governmental organizations is accelerating in Alaska and other parts of the Arctic. Coordination of the Federal efforts is the responsibility of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC). The IARPC's Arctic Research Plan: FY2013-2017 focuses on research expected to benefit from interagency collaboration; considerable research conducted by single agencies is not included. The Five-Year Plan focuses on seven priority areas: sea ice and marine ecosystem studies; terrestrial ecosystem studies; atmospheric studies effecting energy flux; observing systems; regional climate models; adaptation tools for sustaining communities; and human health. This webinar will include a brief overview of the Five- Year Plan followed by comments and questions from participants. The presentation will also describe how to submit written comments on the Five-Year Plan (due by June 22, 2012). Anyone interested in Arctic research or in learning about the Five-Year Plan is invited to participate.
View the webinar video (48 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Federal Research in the Arctic; A Five Year Plan

Click here to view the IARPC plan on the web


Tuesday, June 6, 2012
ARCTIC SUSTAINABILITY
Erica Key, NSF Arctic Observing Network Program Director; Anna Kerttula de Echave, NSF Arctic Social Science Program Director; Nikoosh Carlo, NSF AAAS Fellow
In a rapidly changing Arctic, there is an immediate need for understanding the resilience and response of the system to various pressures, ranging from environmental to economic, governmental, and social. The Arctic Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (ArcSEES) program was developed by a partnership of basic research, applied, and regulatory agencies to support the informed study of the integrated human, natural, built, and governance systems to better understand potential Arctic futures and co-develop science and engineering-based solutions that have relevance to northern communities. The combined perspectives of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Geological Survey (USGS), US Fish and Wildlife Service (US FWS), and a consortium of French agencies – including Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux energies alternatives (CEA), Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la MER (IFREMER), and Météo-France – bring a broad range of expertise to bear on these research questions and underscore the importance of a cohesive approach to achieving resiliency in a shared environment such as the circumpolar Arctic. Join this webinar to learn more about this novel project and share information about sustainability in the Alaska Arctic.
View the webinar video (31 MB MP4) (heavily edited after 29:45 due to technical difficulty on the phone line)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Arctic Sustainability

Click here to visit ArcSEES on the web


Tuesday, May 15, 2012
SNOW FALLING ON YELLOW-CEDARS

Paul Hennon(1), Dave D'Amore(1), Paul Schaberg(2), Colin Shanley(3), Dustin Wittwer(4), Lauren Oakes(5), Colin Beier(6). (1) USFS, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Juneau, AK; (2) USFS, Northern Research Station, Burlington, VT; (3) The Nature Conservancy, Juneau, AK; (4) USFS, Alaska Region, Juneau, AK; (5) Stanford University, Stanford, CA; (6) State University of New York, Syracuse, NY
Some ecosystems such as those in the arctic or deserts are driven by extreme climates, and these areas may be particularly sensitive to deleterious effects of climate change. However, the moderate temperate climates of the North Pacific Coast are experiencing a critical shift in the form of precipitation with more rain and less snow as winter temperatures warm beyond the freezing threshold. Yellow-cedar decline in coastal Alaska and British Columbia serves as an example of how this shift of a reduction in snow interacts with landscape features and the specific vulnerability of a species to cause widespread tree death. This webinar will feature scientists describing how they untangled climate and ecological characteristics of yellow-cedar to solve the mystery of the dying yellow-cedar forests. This new knowledge then became the foundation for a strategy to adapt the long-term conservation and management to ensure the viability of this valuable tree.
View the webinar video (25 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

BioScience paper: Shifting Climate, Altered Niche, and a Dynamic Conservation Strategy for Yellow-Cedar in the North Pacific Coastal Rainforest
Presentation/Slides: Snow Falling on Yellow-Cedars


Tuesday, April 24, 2012
DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF AN INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEM MODEL FOR ALASKA

Amy Breen, Scenarios Network for Alaska & Arctic Planning (SNAP, UAF); Dave McGuire (USGS, IAB, UAF); Scott Rupp (SNAP, SNRAS, UAF); Eugenie Euskerchin (IAB, UAF); Vladimir Romanovsky (Permafrost Lab, GI, UAF); and Sergei Marchenko (Permafrost Lab, GI, UAF)
Ongoing climate change may affect ecosystems and the services they provide to Alaska and the nation. The physical and biological components that characterize arctic and boreal ecosystems are tightly linked and sensitive to climate change. Understanding the effects of climate change on ecosystem services is challenging due to the lack of available tools to forecast the rate and ways that landscape structure and function may respond to change. The Alaska Integrated Ecosystem Modeling (IEM) Project is a collaborative project that takes a multi- disciplinary approach to understanding ecosystem change. This presentation will describe the development of a dynamically linked model framework for Alaska's terrestrial ecosystems that incorporates climate-driven changes to vegetation, disturbance, hydrology, and permafrost, and their interactions and feedbacks.
View the webinar video (25 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Development and Application of an Integrated Ecosystem Model for Alaska

Download the IEM Project Flier


Tuesday, March 6, 2012
INTERAGENCY SCIENCE IN THE ARCTIC

Erica Key, National Science Foundation
Change in the Arctic has arrived in many forms, whether environmental, social, technological, economic, or a combination of these. Measuring and observing these changes in partnerships with the affected communities is important to improving our understanding of the Arctic as a whole, developing informed policies, and providing useful solutions for the challenges and opportunities that change can present. The Arctic Observing Network (AON) is one contribution to this effort to document change and distribute information broadly to the scientific community and public at large. A successful network draws on all relevant information sources, including efforts spearheaded within communities, other agencies, and other nations active in the Arctic. This webinar is intended to discuss opportunities to engage with the Arctic Observing Network but also hear from the community about developing efforts and needs for an AON.
View the webinar video (39 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Interagency science in the Arctic


Monday, February 13, 2012
ALASKA AND THE NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT: THE ALASKA TECHNICAL REPORT

Carl Markon, US Geological Survey; and Sarah Trainor, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy
The National Climate Assessment (NCA) provides a current report of climate change impacts and vulnerability, evaluates the effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation activities, identifies knowledge gaps, and helps the federal government prioritize climate science investments. It provides the science that can be used by communities around our Nation to create a more sustainable and environmentally-sound plan for our future. Alaska will contribute one of eight Regional Assessment to be included in the 2013 NCA. The purpose of the presentation is to present a draft of the 2013 Alaska Technical Report, and seek public feedback.
View the webinar video (39 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Alaska and the National Climate Assessment: The Alaska Technical Report


Tuesday, January 31, 2012
UPDATED PRECIPITATION-FREQUENCY ATLAS FOR ALASKA

Sanja Perica, NOAA, NWS, Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center; Doug Kane and Sveta Stuefer, Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks
NOAA's National Weather Service's Office of Hydrologic Development and University of Alaska Fairbanks, Water and Environmental Research Center are updating precipitation frequency estimates for the state of Alaska. Precipitation frequency estimates are used by hydrologists, engineers and others when designing infrastructure built to cope with runoff. The new estimates in an electronic format, which will replace estimates published in early 1960s, will be published in NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 7 and will be available through NOAA's Precipitation Frequency Data Server, starting in February 2012. In this webinar, the authors will present the steps taken in the data collection, analysis, QA/QC, discuss some of the problems and finally present results of the updated atlas.
View the webinar video (48 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Updated Precipitation-Frequency Atlas for Alaska

NOAA's Precipitation Frequency Data Server


Tuesday, December 6, 2011
BIOMAP ALASKA: CITIZEN SCIENCE FOR ALASKA'S OCEANS

Maribeth S. Murray, International Arctic Research Center, UAF; Howard Ferren, Alaska SeaLife Center; and Philip Loring, ACCAP
Investigators from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Alaska Sea Life Center are developing a citizen-science initiative to collect local ecological information on the marine ecosystems along the Alaska region of the Chukchi and Bering seas. Using a web-based tool community members will be able to contribute their observations of the marine environment and of species of interest including those that may be extending historical ranges or that may be considered invasive. A companion marine species identification guide, including photographs and English, Yup'ik, and Iñupiaq translations, will be developed to aid identifications. The information contributed will be publicly available and useful to the development of ecosystem-based fisheries management in Alaska. Join this webinar to learn more about this unique stakeholder outreach and survey program.
View the webinar video (52 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: BIOMAP Alaska: Citizen Science for Alaska's Oceans

Take the BIOMAP Alaska Species of Concern survey


Thursday, November 17, 2011
A HUMAN HEALTH PERSPECTIVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE: PROMOTING COMMUNITY-BASED ADAPTATION PLANNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IN ALASKA

Tenaya Sunbury and David Driscoll, Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies, University of Alaska Anchorage
Increasing average temperatures in Arctic regions are affecting human health through multiple pathways, such as changes to the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and changes in the geographic range and occurrence of infectious and chronic diseases. Following several reports of current and potential human health impacts from climate change, the Institute of Circumpolar Health Studies (ICHS) developed and implemented a monitoring system to capture baseline human health and ecosystem data from three ecologically distinct regions of Alaska. In this presentation, Drs. Driscoll and Sunbury describe the monitoring system and the information it provides for improving public-health decision making.
View the webinar video (52 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: A Human Health Perspective on Climate Change


Tuesday, October 25, 2011
ALASKA AND THE NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY AND HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED

Sarah Trainor, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy and Carl Markon, US Geological Survey
ACCAP, the USGS, and other groups state-wide are collaborating to create a technical report of the state of knowledge about climate change impacts and response in Alaska that will be used in writing the Alaska Regional Chapter of the 2013 National Climate Assessment. Join this webinar to learn more about who is involved, the subject and content areas of the report, our process, time-line, and how you can provide input.
View the webinar video (52 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Alaska and the National Climate Assessment

Download the 2000 Alaska Regional report
Download the 2009 Alaska Regional report
Learn more about ACCAP's role in the 2013 NCA


Tuesday, September 13, 2011
INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH IN THE BERING SEA

Mike Sigler, NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Juneau
Fish harvests in the Arctic Ocean are small, yet the largest U.S. commercial fisheries lie immediately south in the Bering Sea. Bering Sea pollock quotas recently fell due to poor recruitment during a run of warm years (2001-2005) only to be followed by a run of cold years (2006-2010) and increased pollock abundance. A large ecosystem study aims to understand and forecast these changes. The Bering Sea project is funded by the North Pacific Research Board and the National Science Foundation (http://bsierp.nprb.org/). Join us to learn more about climate impacts on Alaska fisheries.

View the webinar video (44 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Integrated Ecosystem Research in the Bering Sea


Tuesday, August 9, 2011
SALMON STREAM TEMPERATURES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Sue Mauger, Science Director, Cook Inletkeeper
Will changing air temperature and precipitation patterns influence stream temperatures? Are Alaska's salmon streams warmer than they used to be? And will they get any warmer? Through the Stream Temperature Monitoring Network, Cook Inletkeeper is leading a collaborative effort to collect the data that will help answer these questions. The Temperature Network is a multi-year regional monitoring program designed to capture recent annual variation and will play an important role in identifying the most temperature-sensitive salmon streams in Cook Inlet. With this information, state and federal resource managers can prioritize habitat protection and restoration efforts to ensure Alaska wild salmon endure as thermal change continues.

View the webinar video (52 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Salmon Stream Temperatures: Past, Present and Future


Tuesday, June 21, 2011
CLIMATE CHANGE IN ALASKA: FROM WEATHER TO WHETHER
James Partain, NOAA Regional Climate Services Director, Alaska Region
This webinar will highlight many of the impacts from climate change on Alaska's weather. These impacts span the range of environmental impacts from Aviation to Volcanic Ash and everything in between. The presentation and discussion period will provide information and develop a shared understanding about links between climate change and weather and how these links drive the services, decision-support, research & development, and policy of NOAA. We will also discuss the future directions being planned for more focused, collaborative approaches to dealing with climate change adaptation in Alaska and the hurdles & pitfalls that potentially litter the way.

View the webinar video (52 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Climate Change in Alaska: Weather to Whether

Listen to the KUAC FM Radio story: Newscast Wednesday 6/22/11
Read the Fairbanks Daily News Miner article: NOAA: Climate Service coming to Alaska
Read the Alaskapublic.org article: NOAA Calls for Creation of Climate Change Agency


Tuesday, May 24, 2011
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT WALRUS AND SEA ICE: THE SEA ICE FOR WALRUS OUTLOOK (SIWO) PROJECT
Gary Hufford, National Weather Service, Alaska Region
A weather forecast and sea ice information for northern Bering Sea and Bering Strait subsistence communities called Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook (SIWO) is updated weekly with information on sea ice conditions and weather relevant to the walrus. SIWO includes: an assessment of current ice conditions using up-to-date satellite imagery; a 10-day outlook of wind conditions; written observations of ice conditions from Alaska Native hunters; and comments from sea ice experts and other contributors. SIWO is available through Web and Facebook sites. Join this webinar to hear about what we have learned about walrus distribution and habitat from a blend of western science and traditional knowledge, how this information provides the foundation for creating SIWO, and how you can contribute to the outlook.

View the webinar video (34 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: What We know About Walrus and Sea Ice: The Sea Ice For Walrus Outlook (SIWO) Project

Read the Alaska Newspapers Inc. Article: Ice-forecasting project uses Facebook to improve safety for walrus hunters and whalers
Read the Turnstyle News Article: If Arctic Sea Ice Disappears… What Happens To The Walrus?

To view the latest Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook, click here.


Tuesday, April 19, 2011
WHAT DOES THE NATIONAL OCEAN POLICY MEAN FOR THE ARCTIC REGION?
Cheryl Rosa, Deputy Director, US Arctic Research Commission, Anchorage, Alaska
Mary Boatman, Ocean Policy Advisor, National Ocean Council, Executive Office of the President

In July 2010, President Obama announced a commitment to implement a new National Ocean Policy. What does this mean for the Arctic region, which was specifically highlighted in a “priority objective” in the National Ocean Policy? Efforts to address our stewardship responsibilities in the Arctic Ocean and adjacent coastal areas, in the face of climate-induced and other environmental changes, would greatly benefit from input from local and regional experts. We welcome your input to help identify the critical actions that need to be taken to address environmental stewardship needs in the region. Please join us to learn about the National Ocean Policy efforts to develop a strategic action plan for the changing conditions in the Arctic, and to share your comments, questions, and ideas.

View the webinar video (39 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Developing a National Ocean Policy
Question & Answer summary from the webinar


Tuesday, March 22, 2011
THE EFFECTS OF CHANGING SOIL CARBON ON ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN INTERIOR ALASKA
David McGuire, Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Alaska Fairbanks
It is well known that northern ecosystems store a high proportion of the world's soil carbon. Substantial loss of this carbon in response to climate warming may significantly increase the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide, an important greenhouse gas that has been responsible for climate warming in recent decades. The response of soil carbon to warming also plays important roles in the response of vegetation in Alaska, which has implications for animals in the boreal forest. In this talk, Dr. McGuire will explore the linkages of soil carbon to the goods and services that ecosystems in Alaska provide to society.

View the webinar video (47 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: The Effects of Changing Soil Carbon on Ecosystem Services in Interior Alaska


Tuesday, January 25, 2011;
ALASKA'S PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Mike Coffey, Statewide Maintenance and Operations Chief, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Alaska’s public transportation system lies within one of the most inhospitable and challenging environments on the entire planet. With approximately 80 percent of the state underlain by ice-rich permafrost, 6640 miles of coastline (more than the other 49 states combined), and roughly 47,300 miles of tidally affected shoreline, Alaska is at the forefront of climate change impacts. In addition, a significant percentage of the state’s transportation system is constructed over permafrost and adjacent to or in close proximity to the coast and other water bodies including rivers, streams, and lakes. For these reasons, Alaska’s transportation system is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOTPF) is responsible for managing the state’s transportation infrastructure in this challenging environment. Mike Coffey will discuss climate change impacts on Alaska’s transportation infrastructure and discuss how the department is adapting to the changing environment. Mike will also discuss the State’s efforts to assist the community of Newtok in their relocation to Mertarvik.

Presentation/Slides: Alaska's Public Infrastructure and Adaptation to Climate Change

Read the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Article: Alaska seeing impact of climate change in its infrastructure, villages


Tuesday, December 7, 2010
REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN SEA LEVEL CHANGE IN ALASKA
Jeff Freymueller, Geophysical Institute and Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Projections of global average sea level predict significant sea level rise over the next century, due mainly to thermal expansion of the oceans and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. But the effects of changing sea level in any one place are not determined by the global average, but by the local change in relative sea level -- the level of the sea relative to the level of the land. Transporting water to the ocean from melting glaciers and ice sheets changes Earth's gravity field and causes uplift of the surface due to removal of the ice load. Both of these effects cause regional variations in relative sea level, which can be larger in magnitude than the global average rise. In addition, vertical tectonic motions along large regions of the Alaska coast are more rapid than sea level change. As a result, different parts of the Alaska coast experience both relative sea level rise and fall. In this talk, Dr Freymueller will discuss regional variations in sea level change in Alaska.

View the webinar video (42 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Regional Variations in Sea Level Change in Alaska


Wednesday, October 20, 2010
WAYS TO HELP AND HINDER: CLIMATE, POLICY, AND ADAPTABILITY
Philip Loring, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Dr. Loring will present a component of his dissertation research that compares case-studies from Interior Alaska (subsistence hunting) and the Bering Sea (Commercial Fishing) to explore how policy helps or hinders people's ability to respond effectively to climatic variability and change. The lessons speak both to community needs and to how natural resource policy might be better structured to support sustainability and community livelihoods.

View the webinar video (42 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Ways to Help and Hinder: Climate, Policy, and Adaptability


Tuesday, September 21, 2010
U.S. AND ALASKA PLANNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
Terry Chapin, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Ongoing rapid climate change requires planning that makes choices appropriate to future rather than past conditions. From his perspective as a member of climate adaptation task forces for Alaska, the United States, and the European Union, Dr. Terry Chapin will summarize the major recommendations for policy makers and the factors that explain why a few climate-change adaptation planning efforts have been so much more successful than others.


View the webinar video (42 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: U.S and Alaska Planning for Climate Change Adaptation

Listen to the Alaska Public Radio Network story: Professor Excited About ‘Knowledge Network’ to Promote Information Sharing
Listen to the KUAC FM Radio story: Newscast Wednesday 9/22/10


Tuesday, July 13, 2010
ALASKA CLIMATE DISPATCH: A STATE-WIDE SEASONAL SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK
John Walsh, International Arctic Research Center; Sarah Trainor, ACCAP; and Gerd Wendler, Alaska Climate Research Center
The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy is developing a prototype climate information tool in partnership with the Alaska Climate Research Center, SEARCH Sea Ice Outlook, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, and the National Weather Service. The quarterly Alaska Climate Dispatch will provide seasonal weather and climate summaries as well as Alaska weather, wildfire, and sea ice outlooks in one easily accessible document. It will be distributed electronically and made available on the ACCAP website. Please join us for a preview of this new tool and discussion about how it can best serve your seasonal weather and climate information needs to be most useful to you.

View the webinar video (42 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast

Presentation/Slides: Alaska Climate Dispatch: A State-wide Seasonal Summary and Outlook

Listen to KUAC FM Radio story(Starting at 3:20)

Download the Alaska Climate Dispatch: Spring/Summer 2010


Tuesday, June 15, 2010
WEATHER FORECASTS AND SEA ICE INFORMATION FOR BERING STRAITS COMMUNITIES: THE SEA ICE FOR WALRUS OUTLOOK PROJECT
Hajo Eicken, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Gary Hufford, National Weather Service, Alaska Region; Vera Metcalf, Eskimo Walrus Commission, Kawerak, Inc.
The Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook (SIWO), an activity of the SEARCH Sea Ice Outlook, is a new resource for Alaska Native subsistence hunters, coastal communities, and others interested in sea ice and walrus. The SIWO is updated weekly with information on sea ice conditions relevant to walrus in the Northern Bering Sea and southern Chukchi Sea regions of Alaska. SIWO reports include: an assessment of current ice conditions relevant to distribution and access of walrus; a 10-day outlook of wind conditions; up-to-date satellite imagery for the Bering Strait and St. Lawrence Island; written observations of ice development from Alaska Native hunters, sea-ice experts, or NOAA and university researchers; and additional comments provided by local experts and other contributors. Please join us to learn how the SIWO is created, how to contribute to the outlook, and for discussion about how it can serve your sea ice information needs and be most useful to you.


View the webinar video (48 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar Podcast

To access the outlook, link to the SIWO website here

Presentation/Slides: Sea Ice Outlook for Walrus Project


Tuesday, May 4, 2010
METHANE EMISSIONS FROM THERMOKARST LAKES
Katey Walter Anthony, Assistant Professor, Water & Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas released from millions of lakes in the Arctic. The largest methane emissions come from lakes where organic-rich permafrost is thawing. Permafrost organic matter released into the bottoms of lakes fuels methane production, and methane escapes lakes largely by bubbling. Given the huge quantity of organic carbon in permafrost (>1500 Gt C, which is more than twice the atmospheric C content), and projections of permafrost warming and thawing, the fate of carbon and greenhouse gas release is important for understanding climate change feedbacks.

View the webinar video (39 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Methane Emissions from Thermokarst Lakes

Listen to KUAC FM Radio story: May 10, 2010 Local News


Tuesday, April 20, 2010
THE SKY IS NOT FALLING, BUT THE OCEAN IS RISING; A skeptic’s view of sea ice loss and marine mammals
Brendan P. Kelly, Research Scientist National Marine Mammal Laboratory, NOAA and Professor, International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Over the past 12 million years, a diversity of mammals evolved specializations for exploiting Arctic sea ice. Other marine mammals—lacking adaptations to ice—have been isolated from one another by sea ice and have evolved along separate paths in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. For the past 10,000 years, Arctic people have developed cultures around the seasonal availability of Arctic marine mammals. Today, 11 ice-associated marine mammal species face unprecedented rapid loss of a continent-sized habitat as Arctic sea ice diminishes. A skeptical analysis (a first principal of science) of ecological and evolutionary data indicate that rapid changes in food resources, predation, competition, and interbreeding threaten many species as well as traditional ways of life among Arctic people. Responding to these changes will require sound analyses, mitigation, and adaptation.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: The Sky is Not Falling, but the Ocean is Rising; A Skeptic's View of Sea Ice Loss and Marine Mammals

Read the Anchorage Daily News story: Melting Arctic ice could foster species interbreeding
Read the Calgary Herald story: Arctic species may survive ice melt by interbreeding
Read the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner story: Some scientists think receding sea ice could lead to species mingling
Read the Nunatsiaq News story: Biologist sees mammal hybrids as Arctic warms
Read the Siku News story: Climate change may bring new Arctic species
Read the Vancouver Sun story: Warming Arctic will give rise to mammal hybrids
Read the Windsor Star story: Melting ice cover feeds warming trend: Report


Tuesday, March 23, 2010
OCEAN ACIDIFICATION: WHAT IT MEANS TO ALASKA
Jeremy Mathis, Professor, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Since the Industrial Revolution approximately 1/3 of all human CO2 emissions have been absorbed by the ocean. While this process has mitigated global temperature increases it has had a profound effect on the chemistry of the surface ocean, making the water more acidic. This phenomenon is exacerbated in the cold, highly productive waters in the continental shelf seas surrounding Alaska. Recent observations have shown that the bottom waters over the shelves of the Chukchi and Bering Seas, as well has the Gulf of Alaska become undersaturated with respect to aragonite in late summer and fall. These undersaturated waters could be corrosive to shell building organisms such as clams, oysters, and crabs. Here, the controls and seasonal distribution of ocean acidification around Alaska will be discussed in the context of the import commercial fisheries.

View the webinar video (48 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Ocean Acidification: What it means to Alaska

Read the Alaska Journal of Commerce story: Research expands to "sister" issue of global warming


Tuesday, February 23, 2010
HYDROPOWER PLANNING IN ALASKA: DOES CLIMATE CHANGE MATTER?
Jessie Ellen Cherry, International Arctic Research Center & Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks
The supply, demand, and price for hydroelectric power can be strongly influenced by climatic factors such as temperature, precipitation, and water storage by the environment. The climate, in turn, is driven by both natural variability (on a variety of timescales) and anthropogenic forcing. For planning water resource management here in Alaska, particularly for long-lived, large infrastructure projects, it is useful to understand the sources of uncertainty in climate projections and how they influence long-term and short-term decision-making. A case study in Southeast Alaska is described, where most of Alaska’s hydropower facilities are concentrated. Challenges to assessing the regional impacts of climate change here are discussed, as well as our interpretation of the historical record of climate variability. Our analysis concludes that understanding and accounting for natural modes of variability may be as important as planning for long-term climate change when it comes to managing existing hydropower facilities and planning new infrastructure.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Hydropower Planning in Alaska: Does Climate Change Matter?


Tuesday, January 26, 2010
DECISION-MAKING FOR AT-RISK COMMUNITIES IN A CHANGING CLIMATE
Dan White, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy
Many communities in Alaska are faced with multiple threats to infrastructure and quality of life due, in part, to projected changes in precipitation, temperature, and related incidences of flooding and erosion. Decision-makers must determine how best to manage their community's vulnerability with the knowledge that future environmental change is uncertain. This webinar will discuss a newly released report "Decision-making for at-risk communities in a changing climate" prepared by the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy. The report is intended to inform decision-makers relating to climate change and uncertainty, risk management, and relocation planning. Issues addressed regarding the planning process for relocation focus on the steps from planning through execution, perspectives on community engagement, partial relocation, site development costs, and timing. Sustainability recommendations focus on defining sustainability, future energy planning, planning for a changing cost of living, and available transportation corridors. Join this webinar to learn more about decision-making for at-risk communities in a changing climate.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Decision-Making for At-Risk Communities in a Changing Climate

Download the Report: Decision-making for at-risk communities in a changing climate


Tuesday, December 8, 2009
CONNECTING ALASKA LANDSCAPES INTO THE FUTURE
Nancy Fresco, Scenarios Network for Alaska Planning, and Karen Murphy, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Understanding how climate change will affect biodiversity and traditional subsistence is a common challenge faced by Federal, State, Native, and private land managers. The Connecting Alaska Landscapes into the Future project (Connectivity Project) was a consensus-based effort that included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and University of Alaska researchers as well as state and federal agency and non-profit partners. The project’s goal was to develop the methodology and thought processes to identify a network of lands that support ecosystem functions to ensure landscape-level connectivity within Alaska given climate change using data that are available today.
In order to model projected changes in statewide biomes and in potential habitat for key species, we gathered data on existing conditions and linked these to models of future conditions, using climate projection data from SNAP, input from project participants, and complex statistical models. With feedback from participants, we refined these models and used them as basis for creating maps of potential future statewide connectivity.
The proof-of-concept results presented in this report are preliminary and are not intended to be proscriptive, but rather to serve as a guide for planning and as a jumping-off point for synergy and further research.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Connecting Alaska Landscapes into the Future

Read the UAF School of Natural Resources & Agricultural Sciences story


Tuesday, November 3, 2009
CHANGES TO PERMAFROST IN ALASKA: OBSERVATIONS AND MODELING

Vladimir Romanovsky, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Observed and predicted climatic changes will inevitably change the energy and mass fluxes at the land surface and, as a result, the near-surface and subsurface physical conditions in the Alaskan Arctic and Sub-Arctic. This will trigger changes in ecosystems and infrastructure because the stability of these systems in the north relies on the stability of ice that, so far, holds these systems together. If recent warming trends in the Arctic continue, it will take several centuries to millennia for permafrost to disappear completely in the areas where it is now actively warming and thawing. In losing permafrost, we are losing the stability of these systems. Negative consequences of this degradation will be pronounced from the very beginning because the highest ice content in permafrost is usually found in the upper few tens of meters. In this presentation we will discuss possible effects of degrading permafrost in the Alaskan Arctic and Sub-Arctic on hydrology, ecosystems, infrastructure, and the carbon cycle.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Changes to Permafrost in Alaska: Observations and Modeling

Read the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's story
UAF's Geophysical Institute Permafrost Laboratory


Tuesday, October 6, 2009
CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALASKA FISHERIES
Mike Sigler, NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Juneau
Fish harvests in the Arctic Ocean are small, yet the largest U.S. commercial fisheries lie immediately south in the Bering Sea. Some groundfish and crabs have moved northward. This trend is predicted to continue. A large ecosystem study of the Bering Sea aims to understand and forecast these changes. The Bering Sea project is funded by the North Pacific Research Board and the National Science Foundation (http://bsierp.nprb.org/). Join us to learn more about climate impacts on Alaska fisheries.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Climate Change and Alaska Fisheries


Tuesday, August 11, 2009
TUTORIAL: USING WEB-BASED AND GOOGLE EARTH MAPS OF PROJECTED CLIMATE CHANGE IN ALASKA
Nancy Fresco, Network Coordinator for Scenarios Network for Alaska Planning and Katie Kennedy, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the University of Alaska Geography Program
The University of Alaska, Scenarios Network for Alaska Planning (SNAP) provides quick and easy access to a wide range of climate projections for the state of Alaska at a 2km resolution. Data and maps are available for download in web-based and Google Earth formats. These maps show projected changes in temperature, precipitation, growing season length, freeze-up date and thaw date, and include documentation of uncertainties. Join this tutorial to learn how to view, interpret and download available data and maps and discuss upcoming SNAP products.
Participants will need to download Google Earth onto their computer before the webinar tutorial (see http://www.snap.uaf.edu/google-earth-maps). For assistance contact Brook Gamble, 907-474-7812, brook.gamble@alaska.edu.

Listen to the Podcast of the tutorial

Presentation/Slides: Using Web-Based and Google Earth Maps of Projected Climate Change in Alaska


Wednesday, June 24, 2009
OUTCOMES OF THE ARCTIC COUNCIL'S ARCTIC MARINE SHIPPING ASSESSMENT
Lawson Brigham, Distinguished Professor of Geography & Arctic Policy, UAF and Chair, Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment of the Arctic Council
In response to unprecedented changes occurring in the circumpolar Arctic, in 2004 the Arctic Council called for the Council’s Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) working group to conduct a comprehensive assessment of Arctic marine shipping. The Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment (AMSA) 2009 Final Report represents the results of this four year study. Findings and recommendations were negotiated and approved by the Ministers of the Arctic States on April 29, 2009 and take into consideration Arctic marine geography, changes in sea ice and climate, history of marine transport, governance of Arctic marine shipping, current marine use in the Arctic, Arctic marine infrastructure, human and environmental considerations and impacts, and Arctic marine shipping futures scenarios to 2020. This presentation is an overview of the AMSA findings, presented by Dr. Lawson Brigham.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Outcomes of the Arctic Council's Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment

Read the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's story
Read The New York Times Green Inc. Blog story
Read the Nome Nugget story
Read the UAF School of Natural Resources & Agricultural Sciences story


Tuesday, May 19, 2009
EXPERIMENTAL FORECAST OF AREA BURNED FOR INTERIOR ALASKA
Paul Duffy, Neptune Inc.
2004 and 2005 were the largest fires years on record in Alaska. Climate change is expected to bring warmer temperatures and therefore greater drying and more frequent extreme fire years in the future. The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy is testing a new pilot website to forecast area burned for Interior Alaska, based on a gradient boosting model that takes advantage of strong linkages between teleconnection indices, weather, and fire in Alaska. Join us as we showcase this web-tool to learn more about how the forecasts are created and how you can stay up to date this summer on the fire forecast in Alaska.

Presentation/Slides: Early Season Forecasting of Fire Activity in Alaska

Webinar Summary: Early Season Forecasting of Fire Activity in Alaska

Read the Anchorage KTUU Channel 2 TV transcript or view the newscast (7:20-8:00)


Tuesday, April 14, 2009
CLIMATE INFLUENCE ON ICE BREAKUP IN ALASKA
Larry Rundquist, NOAA National Weather Service
The National Weather Service Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center has monitored river ice breakup on major rivers in Alaska for decades. The breakup process for large rivers in Interior Alaska can range from dynamic to thermal. The timing and severity of breakup is controlled by both weather and climate. Climate variability influences each of the elements of breakup, but weather patterns control the process. Join us to learn about trends in ice breakup conditions over the past decades, to hear expectations for breakup in 2009, and to discuss implications of variability in breakup conditions.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Climate Influence on Ice Breakup in Alaska

National Weather Service, Alaska- Pacific River Forecast Center

Read the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's story


Thursday, April 9, 2009
WE NEED YOUR INPUT: DEVELOPING A WEB-BASED TOOL FOR SUMMARIES OF ALASKA WEATHER PROBABILITIES
The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy is pursuing the development of a new web-based tool to provide likelihoods of weather conditions for any outdoor activity. This tool will convert historical hourly weather data (temperature, precipitation, present weather, visibility and wind speed) into user-specified summaries of weather probabilities. The interactive tool will be based on weather station data and is intended to guide the planning of any outdoor activity. We also plan to provide similar information for all of Alaska and offshore locations based on new analysis from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center that will be available next year. In the future, we plan to add projected changes of climate-related weather variables. WE NEED YOUR INPUT. Please join us for this webinar to give your feedback on how a web-tool for Alaska weather and climate projections can be most useful to you.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE WEB-TOOL DEVELOPMENT SURVEY

Presentation/Slides: Developing a web-based tool for summaries of Alaska weather probabilities

Listen to the Alaska Public Radio Network's coverage


Tuesday, March 17, 2009
THE ALASKA MARINE INFORMATION SYSTEM PROJECT BROWSER AND DATABASE
Dr. Mark Johnson, University of Alaska Fairbanks and
Molly McCammon, Alaska Ocean Observing System

The Alaska Ocean Observing System and the North Pacific Research Board are collaborating to develop the Alaska Marine Information System (AMIS) to catalog and display project information and data. The AMIS Project Browser allows users to search for projects and data by geography, time, funding agency, principal investigator, and data types. AMIS also provides visualization tools for displaying past, current and future projects with their geographic areas and sampling locations displayed on a map. AMIS provides users with data and the project metadata to download. AMIS enhances coordination and efficient use of funding resources by linking visually and through text the status of projects across Alaska. Join us in this webinar to learn how to use and contribute to the AMIS project.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: The Alaska Marine Information System Project Browser and Database


 

Tuesday, February 10, 2009
CLIMATE CHANGE AND TOURISM IN ALASKA
John Walsh, University of Alaska
Recent research at the Universities of Illinois and Alaska has investigated the links between climate warming and tourism demand. A tourism climate index was created to capture weather information relevant to tourist activity at a particular location. Join us to learn about trends in the season length and frequency of weather conducive to sight seeing and skiing in southcentral and southwest Alaska and to learn how this climate index for tourism can be applied in other tourist activities and locations in Alaska.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Climate Change and Tourism in Alaska

Webinar Summary: Climate Change and Tourism in Alaska

Peer reviewed paper on this research: A weather-resolving index for assessing the impactof climate change on tourism related climate resources by Gongmei Yu, Zvi Schwartz, and John E. Walsh. Climatic Change (2009) 95:551–573.

Read the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's story


Wednesday, January 21, 2009
ALASKA CLIMATE VARIABILITY IN THE MODERN ERA

Rick Thoman, National Weather Service
What is the difference between climate and weather? How does the extent and limitation of instrument records in Alaska influence climate observations? What is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and how does it influence climate variability in Alaska? Join us for this ACCAP webinar to learn the answers to these questions and more.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides:Alaska Climate Variability in the Modern Era

Webinar Summary: Alaska Climate Variability in the Modern Era

This webinar received state-wide media coverage:
Listen to the Alaska Public Radio Network's coverage
Read the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's story

Wednesday, November 5, 2008;
GOOGLE EARTH MAPS OF PROJECTED CLIMATE CHANGE IN ALASKA,
Now Available from the Scenarios Network for Alaska Planning
Michael Sfraga, T. Scott Rupp, Katie Kennedy, University of Alaska
The Scenario Network for Alaska Planning (SNAP), housed within the University of Alaska Geography Program, now has Alaska climate change projections available for download in Google Earth Format. These maps show projected changes in temperature, precipitation, growing season length, freeze-up date and thaw date, and include documentation of uncertainties. Join us for a demonstration of these newly available maps and a discussion of how SNAP's continued work can be most useful to you.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Google Earth Maps of Projected Climate Change in Alaska, University of Alaska SNAP Program

Instructions for downloading the SNAP maps: SNAP Google Earth Download Tutorial

Fairbanks Daily News Miner story about the Google Earth Maps webinar:. Mapping 21st Century Climate Change in Alaska


Tuesday, October 14, 2008
INCREASING INSECT REACTIONS IN ALASKA: IS THIS RELATED TO CHANGING CLIMATE?
Jeffrey G Demain, MD, FAAP, FAAAAI
Director, Allergy Asthma & Immunology Center of Alaska
Associate Clinical Professor, University of Washington

This webinar will discuss changes in distribution of venomous insects in Alaska over the past decade including two recent sting deaths. We will explore the six regions in Alaska to determine how each area has been impacted and will look at possible causes such as increases in average annual and winter temperatures.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Download Presentation: Increasing Insect Reactions in Alaska: Is this Related to Changing Climate?


Tuesday, September 23, 2008
CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE OCEAN: ACIDIFICATION BY ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE
Dr. Jeff Short, Auke Bay Laboratory,
National Marine Fisheries Service

The surface layer of the world's oceans have been acidified by 30% in the last 60 years due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Continued unconstrained CO2 emissions may triple ocean acidity by 2100. Such a fundamental and abrupt geochemical shift has significant impacts on marine life, including possible mass extinctions. Cool temperatures and upwelling make Alaskan coastal waters among the most vulnerable to acidification effects, which already threaten shellfish and corals. Many additional, more subtle effects are likely but difficult to predict. Join us for this webinar to learn more about the implications of ocean acidification for Alaska.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Download Presentation: Climate Change in the Ocean: Acidification by Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Listen to radio coverage of this teleconferece:
Ocean acidity threatens Alaska waters. Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock. KCAW Raven Radio, aired Sept 23, 2008.


Tuesday, July 29, 2008
UNCERTAINTY IN THE ARCTIC WATER CYCLE

Jessie Cherry , University of Alaska
There are large uncertainties regarding not only the future of the hydrologic cycle and water resources but also their spatial and temporal variability in the present. Many components of the water cycle are difficult to measure accurately, creating one source of uncertainty. Sparse observing networks in the Arctic create another type of uncertainty in that sampling may not be spatially representative. Water-related resource managers must take these uncertainties into account while facing other unknown factors such as the timing of supply and demand and the reliability of infrastructure. This talk will discuss techniques for identifying and where possible quantifying various types of uncertainty.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Uncertainty in the Arctic Water Cycle

Read the article by Christi Hang in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner about this webinar: Data gaps bedevil research into Arctic water cycle


Tuesday, June 10, 2008
WATER AVAILABILITY IN ALASKA: USING AND UNDERSTANDING NOAA's DROUGHT MONITOR AND DROUGHT OUTLOOK

Doug LeComte, NOAA Climate Prediction Center
Water is important to communities, industry and ecosystems in Alaska. What are NOAA's Drought Monitor and Drought Outlook? How can we use them in planning and decision-making? Join us to address these questions and explore ways that these tools can be more useful to Alaskans.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Water Availability in Alaska: Using and Understanding NOAA's Drought Monitor and Drough Outlook


Tuesday, May 13, 2008
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY IN ALASKA

Gwen Holdmann, Alaska Center for Energy and Power
With rising fuel costs, tapping local renewable resources for energy as an alternative to fossil fuels is gaining more and more attention throughout the state. Projected increases in temperature and precipitation from climate change may have consequences for the long term health of renewable energy projects, such as reduced water availability and increased sedimentation for hydroelectric and geothermal projects, changes in available biomass, and shifting wind, wave, and tidal patterns.  Join us for a discussion of how climate change is likely to impact renewable energy production in Alaska.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Climate Change Impacts on Renewable Energy in Alaska
Webinar Summary:Summary - Climate Change Impacts on Renewable Energy in Alaska


Tuesday, April 8, 2008
THE IMPACTS OF CHANGES IN WATER RESOURCES ON NORTHERN SOCIETIES

Dan White, University of Alaska
Water is critical in Northern Alaska for drinking and residential use in villages, for the construction of ice roads and pads in oil and gas exploration and drilling, and as habitat for migratory birds and water fowl. Join us to find out more about how climate change has and will continue to impact availability of water in Northern Alaska

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: The Impacts of Changes in Water Resources on Northern Societies
Webinar Summary:The Impacts of Changes in Water Resources on Northern Societies
Related References: Journal of American Water Resources Association on Water Use from Arctic Lakes: Identification, Impacts and Decision Support


Tuesday, March 4, 2008
PERMAFROST DEGRADATION AND MONITORING IN ALASKA

Kenji Yoshikawa, University of Alaska
Dr. Yoshikawa is installing permafrost monitoring projects in schools across Alaska. Join us to learn about mechanisms of permafrost thaw, areas in Alaska that are most susceptible to permafrost degradation with climate change, and how this school-based monitoring project is helping us understand permafrost degradation in Alaska.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Permafrost Degradation and Monitoring in Alaska
Presentation Handouts (3 slides/page with lines for notes): Permafrost Degradation and Monitoring in Alaska


Tuesday, February 19, 2008
CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS FOR YUKON FLATS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, ALASKA

Anna Springsteen, University of Alaska and The Wilderness Society
Dr. Wendy Loya, The Wilderness Society

In conjunction with the University of Alaska, Scenario Network for Alaska Planning, we analyzed predictions from the 5 climate models that perform best in Alaska to understand how climate change may affect Yukon Flats NWR over the next ~80 years. Join us to learn more about projected changes in temperature and precipitation and the resulting possible impacts on growing season, fire regimes, permafrost stability, and river and lake hydrology.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Climate Change Scenarios for Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Presentation Summary (2-page written summary):Climate Change Scenarios for Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska


Tuesday, January 15, 2008
SEA ICE CHANGE AROUND ALASKA AND IMPACTS ON HUMAN ACTIVITIES

Hajo Eicken, University of Alaska
The Arctic sea-ice cover is rapidly transforming, with sustained northward retreat of the summer ice edge and thinning of the pack ice. The seas around Alaska have experienced some of the largest changes anywhere in the Arctic. The talk will discuss some of the causes of such change and what this may mean for coastal communities, marine ecosystems and industrial activities.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Sea Ice Change and Impacts on Human Activities


Tuesday, December 18, 2007
LAST ICE: THE FATE OF BERING SEA MAMMALS IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Gary Hufford, National Weather Service
Sea ice in the Bering Sea is beginning to recede apparently in response to climate change. Walrus and Ribbon Seals seek ice floes as habitat where they breed, give birth and haulout to rest. This makes the walrus and ribbon seal vulnerable to and an indicator of climate change. There is also evidence that the walrus may play a role in the productivity of the Bering Sea by releasing nutrients trapped in pore waters of the bottom sediment when they feed. Join us for this webinar to learn more and and discuss the potential implications of loss of these species.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Last Ice: The Fate of Bering Sea Mammals in Response to Climate Change


Tuesday, November 13, 2007
ESTIMATING FUTURE VALUE OF ALASKA PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AT RISK TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Peter Larsen, The Nature Conservancy
Alaska's public infrastructure is disigned for a cold climate. We can expect 10-20% higher costs for infrastructure replacement due to climate change. Join us for a discussion of work conducted at the Institute of Social and Economic Research to update a public infrastructure database and estimate future costs to infrastructure replacement due to climate change.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides:
Estimating Future Value of Alaska Public Infrastructure at Risk to Climate Change

Project Summary:
8-page Project Summary
Full Project Report


Tuesday, October 9, 2007
UNDERSTANDING COASTAL EROSION IN ALASKA

David Atkinson, University of Alaska
What are the physical mechanisms for erosion in the coastal regions of Alaska? How does permafrost thaw influence erosion? Join us to explore these questions and discuss what information you need to understand and prepare for coastal erosion in Alaska.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/slides: Understanding Coastal Erosion in Alaska

Expanded version of presentation


Tuesday, September 18, 2007
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN ALASKA: THE WEATHER PERSPECTIVE

James Partain, National Weather Service
This webinar will highlight many of the impacts from climate change on Alaska's weather. These impacts span the range of National Weather Service program areas from Aviation to Volcanic Ash and everything in between. The presentation and discussion period will provide information and develop a shared understanding about links between climate change and weather and how these links drive the services, decision-support, research & development, and policy of the National Weather Service.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Climate Change Impacts in Alaska: The Weather Perspective
Webinar Summary: Climate Change Impacts in Alaska: The Weather Perspective Webinar Summary (pdf)

Listen to radio coverage:

Alaska Public Radio, Weds. Sept. 19, 2007. Climate change affecting forecasting models.

National Public Radio, KSTK, Wrangell, Alaska, Weds. Sept. 19, 2007. Expert says Southeast climate is uncertain, constantly changing.


Tuesday, August 21, 2007
FIRE AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN ALASKA

Paul Duffy & T. Scott Rupp, University of Alaska
2004 and 2005 were two of the three most extreme fire seasons in Alaska's fifty year fire record. Models project more frequent occurence of extreme fire seasons with climate change. Join us in this discussion of how climate change can be expected to impact the fire regime in Alaska, what information gaps still exist, and what implications this might have for communities in Alaska.

Listen to the webinar Podcast

Presentation/Slides: Fire and Climate Change in Alaska

Webinar Summary: Fire and Climate Change in Alaska Webinar Summary (.pdf)


Tuesday, July 17, 2007
ALASKA STORM TRACKS: Monitoring, Outlook and Assessment

Jon Gottshalk, NOAA Climate Prediction Center
Join us for a brief overview and tutorial of information about Alaska storm tracks that is currently available on the world-wide-web. Discussion to follow will focus on how the storm tracks website can be modified to meet your needs. Click here to view the NOAA, Alaska Storm Tracks website.

» Please give us your feedback on the storm track website. Fill out this on-line form or send an email to Sarah Trainor
Presentation/Slides: Storm Track Monitoring and Prediction Related Activities at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center

Storm Tracks Webinar Summary (.pdf)


Tuesday, June 12, 2007
CHANGES IN SEASONALITY: IMPACTS ON RURAL COMMUNITIES IN THE ALASKAN INTERIOR

Craig Gerlach & John Walsh, University of Alaska
Extreme high or low precipitation and/or temperatures and the timing of freeze-up and spring melt, all affect river and air transportation and subsistence harvest in Alaska. This webinar focuses on how changes in seasonality impact residents and businesses that operate in the interior. The goal of the discussion will be to identify specific climate information needs in the interior and to brainstorm ways to meet those needs.
Presentations/Slides:
Interior Alaska: Bellweather of Global Warming - John Walsh
Examples of Climate Products from Arizona - Colin West

Request Webinar Summary

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