Polar AGU Session Announcements and Call for Abstracts

The National Academies' Polar Research Board is pleased to announce a call for abstracts for three AGU sessions:

1. Responding to Rapid Environmental Change at the Poles
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm15/preliminaryview.cgi/Session8473.html

Invited Speakers:
Marcia McNutt, Science
Phil Rasch, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Riley Duren, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The Earth's polar regions are undergoing rapid transformation-with destabilization of the major ice sheets, loss of glaciers, and (in the Arctic) loss of sea ice, snow cover, and permafrost. Because these changes can have profound consequences for global society, some people feel the scientific community must not only study current trends and refine projections of future change, but also must consider how to effectively communicate about and respond to such changes. Building on the recent NRC reports on Climate Intervention, this session will address questions such as: Will the polar regions simply "unravel" or are there in fact any feasible interventions that could slow, stop, or reverse any of the changes taking place? What would be needed in terms of emissions reductions? Atmospheric carbon removal? Other response strategies? If not, what recommendations might scientists communicate to the public?

Conveners: Julie Brigham-Grette, Waleed Abdalati, Lauren Everett

2. SEARCH-PRB Joint Session: Global Eyes on the New Arctic: Impacts of Rapid Warming on Ecosystems, Society, and Policy
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm15/preliminaryview.cgi/Session8477.html

Invited Speakers:
Julie Gourley, Department of State
Andy Revkin, New York Times and Pace University
Brendan Kelly, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Larry Hamilton, University of New Hampshire

Once considered a frozen and desolate region, irrelevant to all except those who live and/or work there, the Arctic has recently become a literal and figurative "hot spot" of interest to the world. Rapid disintegration of sea- and land-ice is hampering indigenous ways of life and disrupting natural systems while also creating new opportunities for commerce and other human activities. This session will illuminate our rapidly evolving understanding of the effects of system-wide Arctic change on physical, ecological, societal, and political domains well beyond traditional Arctic boundaries-and vice-versa.

Conveners: Jennifer Francis, Hajo Eicken, Henry Huntington, Lauren Everett Looking to the

3. Future of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm15/preliminaryview.cgi/Session8827.html

Antarctic and Southern Ocean research is advancing science on many frontiers, from climate change to astrophysics to biology. The continent is the coldest, driest, highest, windiest, and most remote continent on Earth, and it offers an unparalleled platform for making profound scientific discoveries about our planet and about the universe beyond. But conducting research in this harsh environment is hugely challenging and requires substantial resources to establish and maintain infrastructure for housing, transportation, and research support. The science community has been working both at a national and international levels to develop strategic plans for the future of Antarctic science. This session will explore ideas about the future of the Antarctic research enterprise and of the infrastructure to support this research. We will discuss outcomes of recent community-driven advisory efforts and current developments.

Conveners: Terry Wilson, Robin Bell, Chuck Kennicutt, Laurie Geller

The abstract submission deadline is Wednesday, August 5, 2015.

Please go to: http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2015/abstract-submissions/ for more information.