Role of Freshwater in Polar Ocean Climate Change and Global Linkages

Project Report

After three days of comprehensive review presentations, productive discussions, and enthusiastic debate, the online workshop on polar fresh water: Sources, Pathways and ImpaCts of frEshwater in northern and soUthern Polar oceans and seas (SPICE-UP) jointly organized by the Northern and Southern Region Panels (NORP and SORP) of CLIVAR (co-sponsored by CliC and SCAR) concluded successfully on 21 September 2022. This workshop, for the first time brought together scientists with expertise in processes of the northern or southern high latitude oceans to review the role and evolution of polar fresh water and compare and contrast the two polar oceans. The workshop connected different communities: observationalists, modellers, remote sensing experts and those carrying out data assimilation with the aim to provide a holistic overview of the role of polar fresh water and its projected future evolution. Both regional and global ocean communities were included.

The workshop featured three keynotes, each with two speakers with expertise on the Arctic and Southern Oceans. Seven topical discussion sessions consisting of small breakout rooms, three summary discussions and a wrap-up were organized across time zones following the keynotes. The participants and organizers were energized by the exceptionally well-prepared keynote presentations and engaged in wide ranging discussions. More than 140 registrants from several continents were able to participate in this virtual workshop across time zones. The workshop was successful in spreading multidisciplinary knowledge surrounding polar fresh water and global linkages to scientists with a broad range of expertise. Knowledge and observational gaps were identified and unsolved conceptual issues were discussed. The discussions from this workshop form a basis for future collaboration and further events, such as summers schools or workshops, and will be reported on in a Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society article.

More info: https://www.clivar.org/events/norp-sorp-workshop-polar-fresh-water-sources-pathways-and-impacts-fresh-water-northern-and