Posts by Heather McFarland
Study shows stronger winds in store for northwestern Alaska
By 2099, winds along Alaska’s northwestern coasts are projected to grow stronger, according to a new study from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. To understand past and future winds, programmer Kyle Redilla, of UAF’s International Arctic Research Center, and Sarah Pearl, an undergraduate from Dartmouth College, analyzed over 30 years of data from 67 airports…
IARC presentations at the 2019 American Geophysical Union Meeting
Many IARC researchers are participating in the 2019 American Geophysical Union meeting in San Fransisco this month. Below is a list of their presentations. For anyone attending the meeting, we would love for you to join our staff, faculty and students at these events. Please consider stopping by the UAF booth (#629) in the AGU…
2019 IARC report released
The IARC team is excited to share this selection of notable research activities, updates and achievements from fall 2018 to 2019. During this time, we furthered our mission to foster Arctic research in an international setting through sustained Arctic system science. We continue to help the nation and the world understand, prepare for and adapt to…
Newsletter highlights community-based observations
IARC’s Alaska Arctic Observatory & Knowledge Hub is excited to share their 2019 newsletter. AAOKH helps northern Alaska coastal communities share their expertise and observations of environmental change. Read AAOKH news to hear first hand experiences from local observers about how warming air and ocean temperatures, shrinking sea ice and other changes are impacting wildlife and the…
We’re hiring a science communicator!
We’re excited to announce that IARC is hiring a Science Communicator! Join our dynamic team of professional science communicators working to interpret and share UAF research. The successful candidate will join research teams to communicate results and implications that inform policymakers and help people adapt to a changing climate. This position primarily works within the AK…
UAF researchers embark on an expedition frozen at sea
Five UAF researchers are among hundreds of scientists worldwide who will spend part of the coming year on board a research ship frozen in the Arctic sea ice. The 387-foot icebreaker Polarstern will embark from Tromsø, Norway today to kick off MOSAiC, the world’s largest and most comprehensive expedition to the central Arctic Ocean. During…
Fostering the next generation of Arctic researchers and managers
We’ve heard it many times: “You are what you eat.” The concept enabled college sophomore Annie Masterman to do cutting edge research connecting humpback whales to their diet. Every organism has a distinct signature of stable isotopes like carbon and nitrogen. As a whale digests its food, the prey’s stable isotope “signature” is incorporated into…
Alaska’s Changing Environment publication
Alaska’s Changing Environment is a newly released publication that compiles observations of physical and biological change in and around Alaska. The publication, which is intended for a general audience, focuses on the time period 2014 – August 2019, but often provides information from earlier decades for historical context. Using mostly visualizations and photos, Alaska’s Changing…
IARC researchers contribute to Anchorage Climate Action Plan
On May 21 the Anchorage Assembly adopted the Anchorage Climate Action Plan, a long sought-after strategic framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for the impacts of climate change. The plan was developed in collaboration between the University of Alaska and the Municipality of Anchorage. Several International Arctic Research Center scientists were involved including…
Position opening: Science communicator
The UAF International Arctic Research Center (IARC) seeks a Science Communicator to interpret and share UAF research with audiences in Alaska and beyond. Join research projects to communicate important results and implications that can inform policymakers and help people adapt to a changing climate. In this position, you will: Support the science communication work of…