Arctic Observing Network (AON) Design and
Implementation (ADI) Task Force
Website Available
For more information, see:
http://www.arcus.org/search/aon.html
Or contact:
Hajo Eicken
Email: hajo.eicken [at] gi.alaska.edu
Phone: 907-474-7280
Alison York
Email: york [at] arcus.org
Phone: 907-474-1600
The interagency Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) is
organizing the first phase of a rapid planning process to provide
guidance to governmental agencies, the scientific community, and others
engaged in arctic environmental observations on how to best achieve a
well-designed, effective, and robust arctic observing system. With
support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar
Programs, this planning effort is led by an Arctic Observing Network
(AON) Design and Implementation (ADI) Task Force. Composed of
researchers with observing-system expertise both within and outside of
the Arctic, the ADI Task Force is working with other key experts over
the coming year to identify and assess effective, promising approaches
and tools for multidisciplinary observing system design and
optimization.
Building an effective, scientifically robust Arctic Observing Network
(AON) requires planning, coordination, and analysis of data and model
output over a range of disciplines, as well as temporal and spatial
scales. The International Polar Year (IPY) has facilitated a substantial
enhancement of observation campaigns and deployment of sensor networks,
ushering in a phase of more widespread observing efforts carried out by
many countries, including the 40 AON projects currently funded by NSF.
With U.S. agencies and others maintaining complementary observation
efforts in the Arctic, there is now an urgent need for coordination,
consolidation, and optimization of the existing observing system
elements, as well as for development of a broader strategy that includes
more detailed and systematic design studies to enhance and sustain the
observing system. The ADI planning effort is expected to culminate in a
summary report with recommendations for the next steps in optimizing,
coordinating, and enhancing the existing components of an international
arctic environmental observing system.
As part of the first phase of this effort, the ADI Task Force will
convene a small workshop, scheduled for Wednesday, 2 December-Friday, 4
December 2009 in Boulder, Colorado, directly following the AON Principal
Investigators' meeting 30 November-2 December
(http://www.joss.ucar.edu/events/2009/aon/index.html). Participation in
this first workshop is by invitation only to enable the ADI Task Force
to develop a more specific plan of action and obtain a detailed
understanding of promising quantitative methods and rigorous approaches
to inform observing system design and optimization. Longer-term plans
call for open solicitations of broad community input, including a
second, larger meeting as well as opportunities to review results and
inform drafting of a report to NSF.
More information on the ADI planning effort, including a project plan,
the membership of the task force, and background information and
resources is available on the ADI website:
http://www.arcus.org/search/aon.html. The ADI Task Force welcomes
comments or input regarding observing system design efforts that are
relevant in the context of their deliberations.
For more information, see:
http://www.arcus.org/search/aon.html.
Or contact:
Hajo Eicken
Email: hajo.eicken [at] gi.alaska.edu
Phone: 907-474-7280
Alison York
Email: york [at] arcus.org
Phone: 907-474-1600