Call number:
AWI P5-14-0057
Description / Table of Contents:
Once ice-bound, difficult to access, and largely ignored by the rest of the world, the Arctic is now front and center in the midst of many important questions facing the world today. Our daily weather, what we eat, and coastal flooding are all interconnected with the future of the Arctic. The year 2012 was an astounding year for Arctic change. The summer sea ice volume smashed previous records, losing approximately 75 percent of its value since 1980 and half of its areal coverage. Multiple records were also broken when 97 percent of Greenland's surface experienced melt conditions in 2012, the largest melt extent in the satellite era. Receding ice caps in Arctic Canada are now exposing land surfaces that have been continuously ice covered for more than 40,000 years.
What happens in the Arctic has far-reaching implications around the world. Loss of snow and ice exacerbates climate change and is the largest contributor to expected global sea level rise during the next century. Ten percent of the world's fish catches comes from Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that up to 13 percent of the world's remaining oil reserves are in the Arctic. The geologic history of the Arctic may hold vital clues about massive volcanic eruptions and the consequent release of massive amount of coal fly ash that is thought to have caused mass extinctions in the distant past. How will these changes affect the rest of Earth? What research should we invest in to best understand this previously hidden land, manage impacts of change on Arctic communities, and cooperate with researchers from other nations?
The Arctic in the Anthropocene reviews research questions previously identified by Arctic researchers, and then highlights the new questions that have emerged in the wake of and expectation of further rapid Arctic change, as well as new capabilities to address them. This report is meant to guide future directions in U.S. Arctic research so that research is targeted on critical scientific and societal questions and conducted as effectively as possible. The Arctic in the Anthropocene identifies both a disciplinary and a cross-cutting research strategy for the next 10 to 20 years, and evaluates infrastructure needs and collaboration opportunities. The climate, biology, and society in the Arctic are changing in rapid, complex, and interactive ways. Understanding the Arctic system has never been more critical; thus, Arctic research has never been more important. This report will be a resource for institutions, funders, policy makers, and students. Written in an engaging style, The Arctic in the Anthropocene paints a picture of one of the last unknown places on this planet, and communicates the excitement and importance of the discoveries and challenges that lie ahead.
Type of Medium:
Monograph available for loan
Pages:
xiii, 210 Seiten
,
Illustrationen
Edition:
[Final report]
ISBN:
9780309301831
,
0-309-30183-1
URL:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18726
Language:
English
Note:
Contents: SUMMARY. - 1 INTRODUCTION. - Study Context and Charge to the Committee. - Study Approach and Methodology. - Report Organization. - 2 RATIONALE FOR CONTINUED ARCTIC RESEARCH. - 3 EMERGING QUESTIONS. - Evolving Arctic. - Will Arctic communities have greater or lesser influence on their futures?. - Will the land be wetter or drier, and what are the associated implications for surface water, energy balances, and ecosystems?. - How much of the variability of the Arctic system is linked to ocean circulation?. - What are the impacts of extreme events in the new ice-reduced system?. - How will primary productivity change with decreasing sea ice and snow cover?. - How will species distributions and associated ecosystem structure change with the evolving cryosphere?. - Hidden Arctic. - What surprises are hidden within and beneath the ice?. - What is being irretrievably lost as the Arctic changes?. - Why does winter matter?. - What can "break or brake" glaciers and ice sheets?. - How unusual is the current Arctic warmth?. - What is the role of the Arctic in abrupt change?. - What has been the Cenozoic evolution of the Arctic Ocean Basin?. - Connected Arctic. - How will rapid Arctic warming change the jet stream and affect weather patterns in lower latitudes?. - What is the potential for a trajectory of irreversible loss of Arctic land ice, and how will its impact vary regionally?. - How will climate change affect exchanges between the Arctic Ocean andsubpolar basins?. - How will Arctic change affect the long-range transport and persistence of biota?. - How will changing societal connections between the Arctic and the rest of the world affect Arctic communities?. - Managed Arctic. - How will decreasing populations in rural villages and increasing urbanization affect Arctic peoples and societies?. - Will local, regional, and international relations in the Arctic move toward cooperation or conflict?. - How can 21st-century development in the Arctic occur without compromising the environment or indigenous cultures while still benefiting global and Arctic inhabitants?. - How can we prepare forecasts and scenarios to meet emerging management needs?. - What benefits and risks are presented by geoengineering and other large-scale technological interventions to prevent or reduce climate change and associated impacts in the Arctic?. - Undetermined Arctic. - Priority Setting. - 4 MEETING THE CHALLENGES. - Enhancing Cooperation. - Interagency. - International. - Interdisciplinary. - Intersectoral. - Cooperation through Social Media. - Sustaining Long-Term Observations. - Rationale for Long-Term Observations. - Coordinating Long-Term Observation Efforts. - Managing and Sharing Information. - Preserving the Legacy of Research through Data Preservation and Dissemination. - Creating a Culture of Data Preservation and Sharing. - Infrastructure to Ensure Data Flows from Observation to Users, Stakeholders, and Archives. - Data Visualization and Analysis. - Maintaining and Building Operational Capacity. - Mobile Platforms. - Fixed Platforms and Systems. - Remote Sensing. - Sensors. - Power and Communication. - Models in Prediction, Projection, and Re-Analyses. - Partnerships with Industry. - Growing Human Capacity. - Community Engagement. - Investing in Research. - Comprehensive Systems and Synthesis Research. - Non-Steady-State Research. - Social Sciences and Human Capacity. - Stakeholder-Initiated Research. - International Funding Cooperation. - Long-Term Observations. - 5 BUILDING KNOWLEDGE AND SOLVING PROBLEMS. - REFERENCES. - APPENDIXES. - A Acronyms and Abbreviations. - B Speaker and Interviewee Acknowledgments. - C Summary of Questionnaire Responses. - D Biographical Sketches of Committee Members.
Location:
AWI Reading room
Branch Library:
AWI Library
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