Alaska RISA team members to lead Arctic climate change course

Climate change has reduced the amount of multiyear ice, like the ice floe shown here, in the Arctic. Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard

Starting on October 5th, a pair of team members with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP), a CPO RISA team, are set to lead a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) aiming to educate participants about what climate change looks like in the Arctic. Richard Thoman, the Alaska Climate Specialist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ International Arctic Research Center (IARC), and John Walsh, the Chief Scientist at IARC, will collaborate with other IARC and partner researchers and staff from a variety of disciplines to deliver the course.

Titled “Climate Change in Arctic Environments,” the introductory course will cover modern climate science and the impacts of climate change across atmospheric, marine, terrestrial, and human systems. By introducing a variety of areas of expertise, from atmospheric science to traditional knowledge on subsistence calendars, the instructors will equip participants to understand these complex systems and the knowledge-holders who examine them in detail. Some key concepts will be explained with practical Arctic-focused examples including Arctic climate modeling, climate policy, physical properties of the ocean, and more.

Read more at the link below.