Workshop on Polar and Global Climate Modeling: Connection and Interplay

June 14-16, 2006
International Arctic Research Center
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

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Announcement

Sponsored by

Center for Climate System Research (CCSR), University of Tokyo
Frontier Research Center for Global Change (FRCGC), JAMSTEC
International Arctic Research Center (IARC), UAF

Perspective
The workshop will bring together leading experts in climate modeling to discuss the present status and future directions of polar and global climate modeling with a focus on the connection and interplay between them. The workshop will assess modeling issues that are central to the interactions between the arctic and global climate systems (such as fate of sea ice, role of freshwater in overturning circulation of the ocean, polar amplification). The workshop is designed to guide strategies for integration/synthesis of high latitude climate subsystem studies, and to guide the use of models in distinguishing natural variability and anthropogenic components of polar climate change. The workshop will produce recommendations on polar climate modeling approaches that capitalize on the successes of global modeling, and will consider alternatives such as an Arctic Earth System Model (ESM) in the future.

Introduction
The Arctic and Antarctic climate systems consist of five subsystems: the atmosphere, ocean/hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere. Particularly in the Arctic Ocean, multi-year sea ice is not only an indicator of climate change, but also is directly driven by and feeds back to the atmosphere, ocean, and other subsystems. Therefore, Arctic climate, including the fate of sea ice that is projected by many IPCC models to retreat dramatically or even disappear in summer during the present century, might alter the entire global system of the atmosphere, ocean, and other components. Yet the mechanisms and impacts of long-term variability (and trends) of arctic sea ice are not fully understood, as SEARCH (Studies of Environmental ARctic CHange) explores with its driving question "Is the Arctic moving to a new state?" The European Global Change and Ecosystems Integrated Project called DAMOCLES (Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environment Studies) and the SIMBA (Sea Ice Mass Budget of the Arctic) workshop also have a goal to improve our understanding of processes that control the arctic sea ice mass budget by joint modeling/process study/observation campaigns, including the establishment of an integrated sea ice observation system. Both climate models and regional climate models are important tools and platforms to synthesize and integrate historical observations, process-oriented parameterizations, and modern satellite measurements in line with the International Polar Year. Therefore, this workshop will emphasize the following areas: 1) Effective representation and reproduction of climate variability in the atmosphere, sea ice, ocean, and other components, 2) Model physics and parameterizations which are essential to improve the high-latitude climate model simulations, and 3) Future directions of high-latitude climate modeling.  

Objectives
The workshop will promote discussion of the following topics:

• Connection and interplay between the high-latitude climate and global climate:

Modeling and observation

• Modeling impacts of sea ice and freshwater on global climate via THC
• Modeling polar amplification and polar climate feedback processes
• Modeling polar biosphere: Terrestrial and marine ecosystems

Workshop Format
Participants, based on invitation (contributors are welcome), are requested to submit one-page abstracts in advance of the workshop (see below), including title, authors’ names, affiliations, and email addresses. The organizers/steering committee will select a number of papers for oral presentation on each of the primary topics, including one invited speaker at each session. Other papers will be selected as poster, and time will be made available for a dedicated poster session, including a brief oral introduction of all posters.

Call for Abstracts
Participants should submit their one-page (including figures) abstracts to Dr. Jia Wang (jwang@iarc.uaf.edu) with a copy to the workshop coordinator, Ms. Kathy Glodowski (katcam@iarc.uaf.edu) by April 18, 2006 (preferred text, MS Word). The abstract should fit on a single A4 or US Letter (8.5x11’’), using font Times New Roman, no smaller than 10 points, with minimum 2.5 cm (1”) margin all around. They should be sent electronically to katcam@iarc.uaf.edu.

Registration and Fees
There are no registration fees. Registration can be done electronically (email and online) or by fax (see the Registration Form).

Travel Support
The workshop organizers will cover travel expenses for up to 15 participants (including round trip airfare, per diem, hotel and local transportation) if they have no funding from their institutions. Participants from government labs are encouraged to use their own funding for traveling. Please contact Dr. Jia Wang (jwang@iarc.uaf.edu) for travel support to attend the workshop (also see the Registration Form).

Letter of Invitation for Visa Applications
Those requiring a visa to attend the conference will need a letter of invitation from the local hosts. Please contact the workshop coordinator, Ms. Kathy Glodowski (katcam@iarc.uaf.edu), International Arctic Research Center-Frontier, University of Alaska Fairbanks.  Please allow enough time to complete the procedure prior to the workshop.

Organizing Committee

Venue and Information
The three-day workshop will be held at the International Arctic Research Center (http://www.iarc.uaf.edu), University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, June 14-16 (Wed.-Fri), 2006, immediately preceding the famous Fairbanks Mid-Night Sun Run event on June 17 (Saturday). The local organizing committee will reserve rooms in local hotels. Further information on transport and accommodation will be sent to those who wish to attend.

Contact Details
Initial inquiries may be directed to
Ms. Kathy Glodowski (katcam@iarc.uaf.edu)
International Arctic Research Center-Frontier
University of Alaska Fairbanks
930 Koyukuk Dr.
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7335
USA
Ph: 907-474-1960
Fx: 907-474-2643

or to Jia Wang (jwang@iarc.uaf.edu)

Downloads
Registration Form: Microsoft Word or PDF

Important deadlines
March 20: Call for abstracts
April 18: Abstracts due (early registration preferred, particularly for whose who apply for travel support, limited to 15 people)
April 28: Confirmation of acceptance of presentations due
May 12: Registration due
May 18:  Workshop agenda due
June 14-16: Workshop held