Organisation information

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research is pleased to announce the addition to our journal of “Arctic Answers” science briefs to inform policy. “Arctic Answers” concisely present information synthesized from the scientific literature to answer policy-relevant questions about the Arctic and climate change impacts. The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) has commissioned “Arctic Answers” to facilitate synthesis of Arctic science and to communicate this current understanding to help society respond to the rapidly changing Arctic.

Interdisciplinary scientific knowledge is essential to policymaking for a wide variety of stakeholders including researchers, local, state, and federal governments, and society in general. “Arctic Answers” briefs present important issues, such as “When will the Arctic Ocean become ice-free?”, “How is rapid Arctic warming influencing weather patterns in lower latitudes?”, or “Arctic meltdown and unruly tropical storms: are they connected?”. The briefs discuss why the issue matters, the state of our knowledge and understanding, and where the science is headed – what we still need to learn or potential improvements. “Arctic Answers” offer a chance to dig deeper, by providing key references, and a link to the knowledge pyramid upon which each brief is built. The briefs are not meant to recommend policy, but rather to provide valuable tools to inform stakeholders and policymakers, as well as the interested public in these vital issues of the Arctic.

Upcoming topics to be addressed include “How will diminishing sea ice impact commercial fishing in the Bering Sea?”, “Can extreme Arctic climate change be avoided with cost effective mitigation?”, and “Climate Change and the Permafrost Carbon Feedback”.

Explore our Arctic Answers collection here.