Search Workshop on Large-Scale Atmosphere–Cryosphere Observations

Abstract

in instrumentation or satellites. In short, there has been no program like SEARCH to promote and support basin-wide, continuous long-term, multidisciplinary data sets in the Arctic.A second workshop conclusion is that present data sets are vastly underutilized in understanding Arctic change. Barriers include lack of conceptual models for conducting interdisciplinary analyses, data accessibility, various data formats, spatial inhomogeneity, and lack of easily applied tools for visualization and analysis of multi-disciplinary data. SEARCH can provide solutions by harnessing existing methodologies and technologies.A third conclusion is that a distributed observing system must accommodate a wide range of spatial patterns of variability. A hypdhesis of SEARCH is that many Arctic processes, both biological and physical, show Arctic-wide &ability, both for individual variables and between variables. Research has indicated that even for parameters such as surface temperature, there is not one fixed mode of variability and that patterns shift on seasonal and decadal scales. This conclusion leads to the following criteria:Observations should be pan-Arctic.Observations should resolve variability on a scale of 500 km, which is typical of meteorological length scales, or different ecosystems.Observations should be located in regions of large decadal variability and long-term trends; priority should be given to locations with long historical records. 0 Observations must be multi-variate. Detection and prediction is improved by using multiple indicators. 0 Data from observations must be accessible. This includes future observations and making available retrospective data sets. The following bullets provide examples of activities that would address the first SEARCH workshop conclusion "Them is no cohesion among various disciplines and data types to fonn a complete observation set of Arctic change": Advocate for continued quality-controlled data from surfacebased and satellite weather sensors, permafrost boreholes, glacier and lake monitoring sites, and coordinated runoff measurement activities. Make the best use of satellite sensing of vegetation changes supported by continuing selected International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) sites and IGBP transeds. 0 Develop a climate quality, four-dimensional temperature data set over the Arctic by upgrading the TOVS soundings by bias removal. Enhance logistics and sensor suite for the International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP). Continue to monitor sea ice extent with microwave sensors from satellite, and use current generation sea ice models and data to design a system for direct observations to track changes in ice thickness. f SEARCH LARGESCALE OBSERVATIONS WORKSHOP 3 Sfc. temperature trend 1950-96 (C/decade) A 0 surface temperature anomalies (C) 1950-96 Figure 1.1: A map of 5O-year trends of Northern Hemisphere winter temperatures; (right) the regression of local temperatures on to the wintertime A 0 index (JISAO website). 0 Support the utility of long-term intensive measurement sites, apeci...

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