Diane M. Stanitski

International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere: An International Polar Year Legacy Consortium

AbstractInternational Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere (IASOA) activities and partnerships were initiated as a part of the 2007–09 International Polar Year (IPY) and are expected to continue for many decades as a legacy program. The IASOA focus is on coordinating intensive measurements of the Arctic atmosphere collected in the United States, Canada, Russia, Norway, Finland, and Greenland to create synthesis science that leads to an understanding of why and not just how the Arctic atmosphere is evolving. The IASOA premise is that there are limitations with Arctic modeling and satellite observations that can only be addressed with boots-on-the-ground, in situ observations and that the potential of combining individual station and network measurements into an integrated observing system is tremendous. The IASOA vision is that by further integrating with other network observing programs focusing on hydrology, glaciology, oceanography, terrestrial, and biological systems it will be possible to under...

Designing the Climate Observing System of the Future

Climate observations are needed to address a large range of important societal issues including sea level rise, droughts, floods, extreme heat events, food security, and fresh water availability in the coming decades. Past, targeted investments in specific climate questions have resulted in tremendous improvements in issues important to human health, security, and infrastructure. However, the current climate observing system was not planned in a comprehensive, focused manner required to adequately address the full range of climate needs. A potential approach to planning the observing system of the future is presented in this paper. First, this paper proposes that priority be given to the most critical needs as identified within the World Climate Research Program as Grand Challenges. These currently include seven important topics: Melting Ice and Global Consequences; Clouds, Circulation and Climate Sensitivity; Carbon Feedbacks in the Climate System; Understanding and Predicting Weather and Climate Extremes; Water for the Food Baskets of the World; Regional Sea-Level Change and Coastal Impacts; and Near-term Climate Prediction. For each Grand Challenge, observations are needed for long-term monitoring, process studies and forecasting capabilities. Second, objective evaluations of proposed observing systems, including satellites, ground-based and in situ observations as well as potentially new, unidentified observational approaches, can quantify the ability to address these climate priorities. And third, investments in effective climate observations will be economically important as they will offer a magnified return on investment that justifies a far greater development of observations to serve societys needs.

New Directions for the AMS Symposium on Education

AFFILIATIONS: Charlevoix—UNAVCO, Boulder, Colorado; PanDya—American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C.; briDger—San Jose State University, San Jose, California; gill, hamPTon, anD li—The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas; herman—Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois; Knox—The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia; sTaniTsKi— NOAA/Climate Program Office, Silver Spring, Maryland CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Donna Charlevoix, UNAVCO, 6350 Nautilus Dr., Boulder, CO 80301 E-mail: donnac@unavco.org

Climate-Driven Physical and Chemical Changes in Marine Ecosystems

Covering more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface, the oceans are a central component of the global climate system. The oceans help to control the timing and regional distribution of the Earth’s response to climate change, primarily through their absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) and heat. Changes to the physical and chemical properties of the oceans are already being observed. Sea surface temperatures are warming, sea level rise is accelerating, the oceans are becoming increasingly acidic, and the rate of sea ice melt is steadily increasing. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment released in 2007 projects that, due to the persistence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, it is highly likely that the oceans will continue to warm and the impacts will be felt for centuries (IPCC, 2007a). This section focuses on the physical and chemical changes currently being observed in the Earth’s oceans, including changes in temperature, stratification, salinity, sea ice, climate regimes, ocean circulation, and ocean acidification. Knowledge gaps and research needs will be discussed throughout. The aim is to assess the current state of knowledge related to how climate change may be interacting with, and in some cases, driving, the observed physical and chemical changes in the Earth’s oceans, and what that means for the U.S.

THE 15TH AMS EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM

In final form 28 September 2006 ©2007 American Meteorological Society he 15th Education Symposium, held as part of the 86th American Meteorological Society (AMS) Annual Meeting, addressed the scope of education and outreach efforts within atmospheric and related sciences. The symposium was animated by the participants’ deep commitment to the goal of broadening the impact of science and contributing to the development of a literate scientific population. The goals of the symposium were to share the innovations and lessons learned, and to energize the participants to continue as change agents in atmospheric education. These goals were realized though formal presentations and posters, and, equally important, informal conversations. This year, the program focused on innovations in K–16 education, the growing opportunities in the arena of space weather, and the role of data in the classroom. The program consisted of 58 posters and 39 oral presentations. Posters were emphasized because the symposium organizers wanted to focus on a venue that encouraged greater interaction between the presenters and their audience. Three themes emerged from the symposium. The first theme was the notion that K–12 education, particularly in the atmospheric and related sciences, is a shared responsibility—that universities, government agencies, and even publishers can and should play an active role in supporting K–12 education, both nationally and internationally. A second crosscutting theme emphasized the need for students and citizens to experience science not only as observers, but also as participants. For example, two programs—Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS)—involve either students or citizens in collecting atmospheric data. A third, and related, crosscutting theme was centered around the development and use of tools, especially visualization tools, that can involve students in scientific exploration of atmospheric data. As one presenter noted, real learning occurs not from a textbook, but from real investigations driven by data. THE 15TH AMS EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM