First Announcement: 2010 Sea Ice Outlook
Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH)
For further information about the Sea Ice Outlook, please go to:
http://www.arcus.org/search/seaiceoutlook
Or contact:
Jim Overland
Email: james.e.overland [at] noaa.gov
Hajo Eicken
Email: hajo.eicken [at] gi.alaska.edu
The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) Sea Ice Outlook (SIO)
organizers are preparing for the 2010 season. We invite and encourage
new contributors to this year's efforts!
2010 PLANS AND SCHEDULE
The first monthly outlook report will be released in June. The
solicitation for pan-arctic and regional outlook contributions for the
June report will be released shortly, with submissions due the end of
May.
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON RELEVANT DATA RESOURCES
We are currently soliciting data resources (e.g., web links to sea ice
products, data sources, graphics) that may be useful to Outlook
contributors; these resources will be listed on the SIO website. If you
have a resource to contribute, please email the information to Helen
Wiggins, Sea Ice Outlook Central Office at ARCUS: helen [at] arcus.org.
BACKGROUND
The SIO is an international effort to provide a community-wide summary
of the expected September arctic sea ice minimum. Monthly reports
released throughout the summer synthesize community estimates of the
current state and expected minimum of sea ice at both pan-arctic and
regional scales. For more information and to see past years' outlooks,
go to: http://www.arcus.org/search/seaiceoutlook/index.php.
The winter arctic sea ice season this year was very interesting.
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), arctic sea
ice reached its maximum extent for the year on 31 March at 15.25 million
square kilometers, and this was the latest date for the maximum arctic
sea ice extent since the start of the satellite record in 1979. For more
information from NSIDC on winter sea ice conditions, as well as current
data and daily images, see: http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/.
NEW PRODUCT: SEA ICE FOR WALRUS OUTLOOK
In addition to the monthly pan-arctic and regional outlook reports, we
have recently launched the "Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook (SIWO)," which is
a weekly report released each Friday as a resource for Alaska Native
subsistence hunters, coastal communities, and others interested in sea
ice and walrus. For more information on the SIWO, go to:
http://www.arcus.org/search/siwo.
Further information about the Sea Ice Outlook is available at:
http://www.arcus.org/search/seaiceoutlook.
Or by contacting:
Jim Overland, Core Integration Group Lead
Email: james.e.overland [at] noaa.gov
Hajo Eicken, Core Integration Group
Email: hajo.eicken [at] gi.alaska.edu
Helen Wiggins or Kristina Creek, Sea Ice Outlook Central Office, ARCUS
Email: helen [at] arcus.org, creek [at] arcus.org