Workshop Announcement
Second Workshop on Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks
9-11 April 2008
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Early Registration Deadline: Monday, 3 March 2008
For further information, please go to:
http://www.arcticobserving.org
The second workshop on Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks will be held
on 9-11 April 2008, in Edmonton, Alberta, and will address the question:
How will Arctic observing and data and information management activities
be coordinated and sustained over the long-term?
Attendance is open to representatives of organizations with an interest
in sustained arctic observations. The number of participants will be
limited to approximately 200. Speakers will be selected by invitation,
however poster contributions from all participants are welcome.
Abstracts from invited and contributing authors will form part of the
workshop documentation. The deadline for early registration is Monday, 3
March 2008, but organizers request notification of intent to attend as
early as possible at: SAON2 [at] ualberta.ca.
Plenary and break-out sessions include:
- Earth Observation Platforms
- Community-based Observations
- Coordination of International Arctic Observing Networks and of
National Funding (governments and agencies)
- Operational Observing
- New and Emerging Technologies
- Integration Across Networks and Modeling - Observations, Modeling, and
Data Management
Information about the conference program, registration, hotel booking,
and travel advice will be provided at:
http://www.arcticobserving.org
The need for well-coordinated and sustained Arctic Observing Networks
that meet scientific and societal needs has been identified in numerous
high profile reports and forums. In November 2006 at the Arctic Council
Ministerial Meeting in Salekhard, Russian Federation, ministers welcomed
the International Polar Year as a unique opportunity to stimulate
cooperation and coordination of arctic research and increase awareness
of the importance of the Arctic. Further, the Arctic Council Ministers
requested the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP)
cooperate with the other AC working groups, the International Arctic
Science Committee (IASC), and other partners in efforts to create a
coordinated Arctic Observing Network that meets identified societal
needs.
In January 2007 the Sustained Arctic Observing Networks Initiating Group
(SAON IG), composed of representatives of international organizations,
agencies, and northern residents involved in research and operational
and local observing, was formed to develop a set of recommendations on
how to achieve long-term Arctic-wide observing activities that provide
free, open, and timely access to high-quality data that will realize
pan-Arctic and global value-added services and provide societal
benefits.
The first workshop was held in Stockholm, Sweden, on 12-14 November
2007, and addressed the question: Are current Arctic observing and data
and information management activities sufficient to meet users' needs? A
third workshop is planned for 15-17 October 2008, in Helsinki, Finland.
Reports from the first workshop and announcements and documentation for
all three workshops are available at: http://www.arcticobserving.org.
For more information, please contact:
David Hik, Workshop Organizing Committee Co-chair
E-mail: dhik [at] ualberta.ca
Karen Edwards, Canadian IPY Secretariat Coordinator
E-mail: SAON2 [at] ualberta.ca