Definition and Mission

1. TheInternational Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is a non-governmental, international scientific organization. The mission of IASC is to encourage and facilitate cooperation in all aspects of Arctic research, in all countries engaged in Arctic research and in all areas of the Arctic region, by promoting and supporting leading-edge multi-disciplinary researchto foster a greater scientific understanding of the Arctic region and its role in the Earth system. Definition and Mission

2. Member Countries IASC´s membership today includes national science organizations from 21 countries involved in Arctic research. IASC is an International Scientific Associate of the International Council for Science (ICSU)and observer on theArctic Council.

3. Organizational Structure IASC draws on an organizational structure that provides mechanisms for initiating and implementing cutting-edge science-led international programs.

4. Representatives of the national science organizations from all 21 IASC member countries form the IASC Council. Council usually meets once a year during the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW). An Executive Committee, consisting of an elected President, four elected Vice-Presidents and a permanent Executive Secretaryoperates as a Board of Directors and manages IASC activities between Council meetings. The Secretariat is currently hosted by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine in Potsdam (Germany), and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization. Council, Executive Committee and Secretariat

5. Working Groups are IASC´s main scientific working bodies. They identify and formulate science plans, act as scientific advisory boards to the IASC Council and assist IASC in the implementation of its science mission. TerrestrialWorking Group CryosphereWorking Group MarineWorking Group / Arctic Ocean Sciences Board AtmosphereWorking Group Social &HumanWorking Group Working Groups

6. Terrestrial Working Group Scientific Foci Estimating pastchanges in arctic geo- and biodiversity, measuring currentchange and predicting futurechanges Determining the net effect of the terrestrial and freshwater environmental and biosphere’s processes that amplify or moderate climate warming Developing high spatial resolution models of terrestrial geosystemand ecosystem change, and other tools that can be used by arctic stakeholders for adaptation strategies and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystem services Developing unifying concepts, fundamental theories and computer models of the interactions among species, interactions between species and their environment, and the biology of life in extreme environments Determining the role of connectivity in the functioning of arctic terrestrial systems, including connections within the arctic and the global system Steering Group Chair: Terry Callaghan Vice-Chair: Benjamin Vinegla Vice-Chair: Warwick. F. Vincent Vice-Chair: Torben Christensen

7. Cryosphere Working Group Scientific Foci Sea-ice boundary layer dynamics, particularly as they relate to biogeochemical exchanges and polar amplification. Permafrost, including support of activities being undertaken by the International Permafrost Association. Tidewater glacier dynamics and response to climate change, with a focus on methods for studying these issues. This activity is intended to have a large early career scientist and training component. Steering Group Chair: Martin Sharp Vice-Chair: Julian Dowdeswell Vice-Chair: Pedro Elosegui Vice-Chair: Tetsuo Ohata

8. Marine Working Group Scientific Foci Predicting and understanding rapid changes to the Arctic Ocean system Understanding biological and ecosystem processes in the Arctic and Sub-arctic seas Understanding sea ice structure dynamics and the Arctic system Understanding geochemical processes in the Arctic and Sub-arctic seas Facilitating Deep Sea drilling in the Arctic Ocean Steering Group Chair: Bert Rudels Vice-Chair: Rolf Gradinger Vice-Chair: Jinping Zhao Past Chair: Savi Narayanan

9. Atmosphere Working Group Scientific Foci Polar Climate Predictability: Polar Climate Predictability is an issue of growing concern particularly as it becomes clear that Arctic amplification has an impact on lower latitudes. IASC, together with WCRP can play a leading role in bringing the international community together to address issues related to decadal and multi-decadal prediction. Long-term, International Sea Ice Observatory: The AWG has as a priority the initiation of planning and design a long-term, international, observational in order to provide much needed observations to support regional and global climate model simulations. Historical Data Retrieval and Reanalysis: The AWG will provide support for historical data retrieval and reanalysis to inform current observations, models and policy makers. Steering Group Vice-Chair: Michael Tjernström Chair: James Overland Vice-Chair: Hiroshi Tanaka

10. Social & Human Working Group Scientific Foci Indigenous peoples and change: adaptation and cultural and power dynamics Histories and methodologies of arctic sciences and arts Exploitation of natural resources: past, present, future Security, international law and cooperation Cross-cutting Collaborative community research on climate change Human health, wellbeing and ecosystem change Perceptions and representations of arctic science Competing forms of resource use in a changing environment People and coastal processes Steering Group Chair: Peter SchweitzerVice-Chair: Sylvie Blangy Vice-Chair: Gail Fondahl Past Chair: LouwrensHacquebord

11. Participants of the IASC Working Groups Workshop, January 2011, Potsdam

12. Action Groups • Actions Groups are providing strategic adviceto the IASC Council concerning bothlong-term activities andurgent needs. They are small expert groups that act within a limited timeframe of two years. • Joint SCAR/IASC Bipolar Action Groupon Science Development • Data Policy Group • Action Group on Geosciences

13. SCAR-IASC Bipolar Action Group (BipAG) Formed in 2008 with the objectives to advice the SCAR and IASC Executive Committees • on how SCAR and IASC can work together most effectively, e.g. through development of joint SCAR-IASC workshops, programs and networks addressing bipolar issues, and • on the development of mechanisms to nurture the IPY legacy, with a focus on the roles of SCAR and IASC. Renewed in 2010 (for another two years) with the objective to advice SCAR and IASC on bipolar science. The IPY legacy tasks was taken over by the SCAR and IASC Executive Committees. Participants of the second BipAG II, May 2012. BipAG II is chaired by Cynan Ellis-Evans(NERC Arctic Office, UK)

14. IASC Data Policy Group A small advisory group of external experts formed in 2012 to reinforce IASC’s commitment to robust data management and sharing activities. The Data Policy Group will recommend a data policy, including steps toward its implementation, that would provide guidance for IASC supported activities. The group is chaired by Mark Parsons (US National Snow and Ice Data Center), who previously served as a co-chair of the IPY Data Subcommittee.

15. IASC Action Group on Geosciences Formed in 2012, the IASC Action Group on Geosciences will particularly address emerging research questions in the field of: • Arctic solid-earth geoscience, including Arctic tectonic evolution and the exploration of the ridge systems; • sedimentary records and climatic and environmental history obtained from marine and lake sediments, ice cores and permafrost deposits; • geologic and geochemical processes especially related to the stability of permafrost and of gas hydrate deposits known to underlie the continental slopes of the Arctic Ocean Basin; • seismic risk of the Arctic regions. The group is chaired by Carlo Barbante(University of Venice, Italy) and reports to IASC Council on emerging fields in Arctic geosciences, in order to better address, coordinate and prioritize the research efforts at national and international level.

16. IASC Networks • Arctic Climate System Network (ACSNet)www.iasc-acsnet.org • Arctic Coastal Dynamics (ACD)www.arcticportal.org/acd • Circum-Arctic Lithosphere Evolution (CALE)www.cale.geo.su.se • Network on Arctic Glaciology (NAG)www.iasc-nag.org • Palaeo-Arctic Spatial and Temporal Gateways (PAST Gateways)www.geol.lu.se/pastgateways • Polar Archaeology Network (PAN)polararchaeologynetwork.blogg.no • Networks are • IASC-endorsed, thematic groups; • address specific scientific issues on a circum-arctic scale; • strive to involve early career scientists.

17. IASC Partner Organizations MoU: Memorandum of Understanding LoA: Letter of Agreement

18. HighlightsandMajor Achievements

19. Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) • ASSW 2015 Japan • ASSW 2014 Helsinki, Finland • ASSW 2013 Krakow, Poland • ASSW 2012 Montreal, Canada • ASSW 2011 Seoul, Korea • ASSW 2010 Nuuk, Greenland • ASSW 2009 Bergen, Norway • ASSW 2008 Syktyvkar, Russia • ASSW 2007 Hannover, NH, USA • ASSW 2006 Potsdam, Germany • ASSW 2005 Kunming, China • ASSW 2004 Reykjavik, Iceland • ASSW 2003 Kiruna, Sweden • ASSW 2002 Groningen, Netherlands • ASSW 2001 Iqaluit, Canada • ASSW 2000 Cambridge, UK • ASSW 1999 Tromsø, Norway • Initiated by IASC in 1999 • Most important annual gathering of the Arctic research organizations • Provides opportunities for coordination, cooperation and collaboration • Any organization engaged in Arctic research may participate • In odd number yearsincludes a 3-day Science Symposium • Has been held in a dozen different IASC member countries

20. International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP) • An Arctic Science Conference, convened periodically by IASC and its partners to identify key scientific questions and issues. • ICARP I, held in Hanover NH 1995, reviewed the state of Arctic scienceand resulted in a series of IASC-supported research projects. • ICARP II, held in Copenhagen 2005, developed twelve forward-looking science plans and resulted in several follow-up international projects and programs, in particular within the framework of the emerging International Polar Year.

21. IASC Medal Awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic since 2010. Patrick WebberIASC Medal 2010 Igor KrupnikIASC Medal 2012 Martin JakobssonIASC Medal 2011

22. Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) An international project of the Arctic Council and IASCto evaluate and synthesize knowledge on Arctic climate variability, climate change, and their impacts. • ACIA Reports • Scientific Report (1000 pages) • Synthesis Report (140 pages) • Policy Report Published 2005

23. Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic (SWIPA) • … was an Arctic Council project coordinated by AMAP, IASC and CLIC. • … integrated scientific information on the impacts of climate change on the ice, snow, and permafrost characteristics of the Arctic, which have potentially far-reaching implications for both the Arctic and the Earth as a whole. • … also considered the social, economic, and cultural implicationsof these changes for people living in the Arctic. Published 2011

24. State of the Arctic Coast 2010 • Background • ACIA Key finding # 5 • ICARP II WG 3 • IASC: ACD • IPY: ACCO-Net • History • IASC/LOICZ/IHDP/IPA/AMAP Workshops Arctic Coastal Zones at Risk in Tromsø October 2007 and January 2008 Release Final Report publishedMay 2011

25. International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008 • The largest internationally coordinated research program in the Earth´s Polar Regions, co-sponsored by ICSU and WMO, involving • estimated 50,000 participants; • more than 60 nations; • 220 projects. • IASC was deeply involved in the development and implementation of the IPY: • Ex-office member of the ICSU/WMO Joint Committee; • Organizer (jointly with SCAR) of the first IPY Conference 2008; • Co-organizer of the IPY 2010 and 2012 Conferences; • Co-editor of the IPY Summary Publication. Status Global Connections Change Human Dimension New Frontiers Vantage Point

26. Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) A partnership between the Arctic Council and IASC The Goal of SAON is to enhance Arctic-wide observing activities by facilitating partnerships and synergies among existing observing and data networks (“building blocks”), and promoting sharing and synthesis of data and information.

27. Bipolar Cooperation • Letter of Agreement with IASC´s Southern Hemisphere counterpart Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), signed 2006 and renewed 2011, resulted in several successful joint activities during the last years: • SCAR/IASC Open Science Conference St. Petersburg (Russia), 2008; • Joint work on the steering committees for the IPY 2010 and 2012 Conference; • “Polar Research - Global Challenges" Symposium, Siena (Italy), 2011; • Bipolar Action Group; • Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Sea Level Group (ISMASS); • Three successful applications for ICSU Grants; • Joint meetings of the Executive Committees; • Trilateral agreements with APECS, IACS, IPA and WCRP; • Several joint presentations given by the two Executive Directors; • Joint outreach activities, many including APECS.

28. The Next Generation of Polar Researchers • Established and run by early career scientists • An outcome of the IPY • IASC supports APECS by providing travel stipends and mentoring APECS members • Co-sponsorship MoU, jointly signed with SCAR in 2008 • At the final IPY conference, IASC, SCAR and APECS received the IPY torch (“budstikke”)

29. International Polar Initiative (IPI) • A new and novel framework for long-term cooperation in the Polar Regions • addressing the emerging challenges identified within the IPY; • optimizing and better coordinating existing resources and facilities; • developing mechanisms for concerted investments in areas where activities are lacking. • Steering Group to develop the concept established early 2012

30. 25 Years of IASC (1990-2015) • IASC´s 25th anniversary will be celebrated 2015, culminating in a final conference in Japan • including • Arctic Science Summit Week 2015; • 3rd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III); • IASC History Publication; • and involving • IASC Working Groups; • IASC Partner Organizations.

31. …more information about IASC… www.iasc.info