Re: The Changing Sea Ice Cover and Primary Productivity in the Arctic

Hi all,

Just a reminder/additional piece of information: 

Please be advised that the seminar of Dr Josefino Comiso will be presented live and saved on the following link: http://www.livestream.com/cercbabin_comiso

Don't hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.

Best regards,

Marie-Hélène Forget, PhD

Helene.Forget@takuvik.ulaval.ca

2011/10/31 Allen Pope <apope00@gmail.com>

Presentation by Dr. Josefino Comiso Wednesday November 9  2011

The TAKUVIK Joint International Laboratory will be presently a seminar entitled  The Changing Sea Ice Cover and Primary Productivity in the Arctic by Dr. Josefino C. Comiso, a leader in the field of Polar Research and a specialist in satellite monitoring of oceans and sea ice. Dr. Comiso will address the change of ice cover in the Arctic Ocean resulting from global warming, and will present the impact of this change on marine ecosystems, especially on organic production. The conference will be hosted by Dr. Marcel Babin, Holder of the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Remote Sensing of the Canada's New Arctic Frontier.

Wednesday November 9 2011, 15h30, in the auditorium (1168) of the Pavillon d'Optique Photonique (2375, rue de la Terrasse), adjacent to Pavillon Alexandre Vachon, Université Laval.  

 

Refreshments will be served during the informal discussion period after the presentation. 

Pay parking is available close to the venue.

 

For more information : Marie-Hélène Forget, marie-helene.forget@takuvik.ulaval.ca, 418-656-2131 ext. 2777

 

 

The Changing Sea Ice Cover and Primary Productivity in the Arctic

 

Josefino C. Comiso

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA 20771

 

Average surface temperature in the Arctic as inferred from satellite thermal infrared data has been observed to be increasing at the rate of about 0.6 degree Celsius per decade during the last 30 years confirming expected amplification of globalsignals in the polar regions.  The impact of warming on the Pan-Arcticregion is strongly manifested by the decline of sea ice by about -4% per decade in the region for the period 1979 to 2010 but for the period from 1996 to 2010, the rate of decline has become more negative at -8% per decade, indicating an acceleration in the decline. A more drastic decline of -13% per decade for the perennial sea ice area during the 1979 to 2010 period is also observed.  The perennial ice consists mainly of the thick ice floes that usually survive the summer melt and are the mainstay of the Arctic ice cover.  Although a slight recovery occurred for three years following the abrupt decline in 2007, the area of the perennial ice cover in 2011 was slightly lower than the record low in 2007 suggesting a continuation of the decline.  Moreover, the thick component of the perennial ice, called multiyear ice (or ice that survives two summers) as observed during winter, is declining at an even stronger rate of about -17% per decade suggesting a possible disappearance of the summer ice in the foreseeable future.  The subsequent increase in ice-free ocean surface in the Arctic basin is expected to cause significant changes on the primaryproductivity of the region.  Using near-concurrent ocean colour data from 1998 to 2011, high phytoplankton concentrations are observed in the shallowshelf regions during the summer period.  These regions that are expected to have abundant nutrients and iron and are the highly productive areas.  Sea ice is expected to play a key role in the process because meltwater from sea ice is lighter than sea water thereby forming a stable layer at the surface that serves as an ideal platform for photosynthesis.  The recently uncovered, deep ocean regions, however, show relatively low plankton concentration likely due to the lack of nutrients and iron.  Overall, the net primary productivity of the region is generally low because of the low productivity of the deep ocean regions and the relatively brief period of summer when the surface ocean is ice-free. Techniques for retrieving geophysical parameters from satellite data and associated errors will be discussed.

 

via

Debra Christiansen-Stowe

Coordonnatrice adjointe

Chaire d'Excellence en Recherche du Canada sur la télédétection de la nouvelle frontière Arctique du Canada

Unité mixte internationale Takuvik,

Université Laval,

Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon

1045, avenue de la Médecine

Québec, (Québec) G1V 0A6

Canada

téléphone : 418-656-2131 #5193

télécopieur : 418-656-2339

Courriel ...... debra.christiansen-stowe@takuvik.ulaval.ca 

National Film Board of Canada launches Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories

Hello APECS members,

I found out today on the news that the National Film Board of Canada
in collaboration with a number of partner organizations has recently
launched a new project called "Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories". It
is a collection of 40 films, old and new, showcasing the Inuit
experience. They are all original films, unaltered, and therefore are
a really interesting tool for exploring Inuit culture and history. In
addition, I think it's a great chance to consider the past and present
relationships between the Canadian Inuit and interacting cultures.
Films are screening around Canada and online.

Here are the links, firstly to the site and secondly to the playlist
of films. Hope you enjoy!

http://www.onf-nfb.gc.ca/eng/unikkausivut/?lg=eng

http://www.nfb.ca/playlist/unikkausivut-sharing-our-stories/

Cheers,
Meagan Grabowski
APECS Council 2011-12