Arctic Observing Network (AON): Toward a U.S. Contribution to Pan-Arctic Observing (NSF 08-42) (Full report)
The U.S. Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) consists of fifteen-plus agencies, departments, and offices across the Federal government. Established by Congress through the Arctic Research and Policy Act, IARPC is chaired by the National Science Foundation.
Recently, the IARPC compiled member agency information about the Arctic environment in the Committee’s latest report, Arctic Observing Network (AON): Toward a US Contribution to Pan-Arctic Observing. The report pinpoints where and how the different Federal agencies are collecting environmental data as part of the implementation of the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH). SEARCH aims to understand the rapidly changing Arctic, improve predictive capability, and identify appropriate adaptive responses to change. The agencies will continue to coordinate their efforts, make the data readily available in usable form, and work together to serve Arctic residents, involving them in the observing and research efforts as full partners.
The development and deployment of the Arctic Observing Network, or AON, is a major contribution to the International Polar Year, a time of intense, coordinated scientific activity at both Poles. The new report sets forth a plan to continue the observations in cooperation with local, State of Alaska, and international groups.
