# Presentation: 284883

## 1&2. Considering what NASA is currently doing and could do in the near 

- Lack of field data on BGC processes, impeding calibration and validation.
**Integrating observations and remote sensing and modeling**
- Observations at additional wavelengths (e.g. UV in ocean systems, hyperspectral RS for mapping functional types) are needed.
- Issues of scaling. Data at higher spatial resolutions are crucial for understanding features that are typical for the Arctic. E.g. LIDAR for mapping micro-topography
- High latitude ecosystem modeling needs high-quality RS data, validated for high latitudes
**How do river inputs (DOC) and sea ice cover change affect arctic marine ecology and carbon flux**
- How does the reduction in sea ice cover change the morphology of the Arctic coast
- How is the terrestrial Arctic system going to change as permafrost degrades (CH4, carbon flux, ...)?
**RS to address ‘shrubification’ of tundra.**
- Characterizing vegetated wetlands (carbon exchange, CH4)
**Linkage between permafrost degradation and depth of thaw and wetland extent**

- 1&2. Considering what NASA is currently doing and could do in the near
- future, what are the most important science questions to address? (“ripe” in bold)

## Warmer and drier vs. Warmer and wetter (precipitation, ET, hydrology & ecology)

- Sub-surface processes, carbon storage.
**The energy budget**. Models that can deal with incoming flux, ET, wave energy, sea-surface and troposhperic winds, albedo ...
- Total energy budget of the panarctic
- How will changes in the surface energy budget affect atmospheric and ocean circulation.
- How will changes in sea ice and permafrost change cloud structure and how will this feed back
- Where and how will released energy be stored?
**The role of atmospheric iron inputs and transformations on Southern ocean systems**
- Permafrost degradation
- Stored methane-hydrates
- How will different functional types respond to temperature changes? (shrubs vs trees vs tundra, as well ocean life)
- What is the sensitivity of ecosystems to changing disturbance regimes?
- Marine mammal populations, those that require sea ice in particular. Migratory birds and sea mammals.
**Need for better estimates of the carbon balance of high-latitude systems.**

## International exchange of data, Data rescue

- Improved intra and interagency data-sharing and coordination
- Integrating RS products into models
- Improve interactions with other funding agencies, both US and international (e.g. leverage polar cruises)
- Participation in long-term observation networks
- Long-term data archiving
- Monitoring of key circumpolar locations (e.g. with respect to CAVM)

- 3. Is there a need for additional coordination of existing research
- activities in this topic area?

## 4. What are the most promising opportunities for interdisciplinary 

- collaboration to answer compelling global change research questions?

- Is sea ice a cap for CO2 exchange?
- Links the ice community to physical oceanographers, and biologists
**Antarctic coastal oceanography (ship-based**)
**strengths and duration of katabatic winds and their effects on the formation of polynyas along the coast **
**The chain of events by which increased winds and precipitation **
**(stratification) over the Southern oceans affect the ability of the **
**ocean to take up atmospheric CO2.**
- Dynamics of snow cover distribution, and depth, as well as snow
- water equivalent.
**Fluxes of persistent organic pollutants (including mercury) **
**in the absence of ice or snow.**

##  Global climate implications

-  Native communities
- Marine subsistence communities, herding communities
- Damage to infrastructure, pipelines, airports (melting permafrost)
- Sea ice and shipping
- Fisheries, both Arctic and Antarctic
- Conservation
- Resource extraction vs. sustainability, e.g. forestry

- 5. Where will there be strong societal benefit?

## Purpose: Discussions should allow workshop participants to consider scientific questions and issues that will shape future directions for the NASA Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems Focus Area. 

- There is an emphasis on cross-cutting topics that involve more than one of the Focus Area's program elements and/or applications areas.
- All of the session topics are areas for future research by NASA and/or the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. Many have already been the subject of NASA solicitations.

- Science, Emerging Issues and Future Directions:
- High Latitude Ecosystems - land and ocean, Arctic and Antarctic

## Individual topic breakouts will identify opportunities and priorities for NASA as well as raise issues or concerns for the Focus Area to address. 

- RE: the scientific topic: why it is important, the role of remote sensing in addressing it, and what has been done and what may be proposed in the near future in this regard.
- The breakouts will open up to allow for general discussion in order to raise and address questions and issues.
- One issue that is open for discussion is the ability of upcoming NASA missions to address these scientific topics.

## 1. Considering what NASA is currently doing and could do in the near future, what are the most important science questions to address (in the topic area of the breakout)? 

- 2. Which are especially "ripe" with a high likelihood of producing major results?
- 3. Is there a need for additional coordination of existing research activities in this topic area?
- 4. What are the most promising opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration (especially within the CC&E Focus Area, but also with other disciplines and programs) to answer compelling global change research questions?
- 5. Where will there be strong societal benefit?

- Questions