Dear Colleagues,
The summer 2020 issue of PolarPredictNews, the newsletter for the Year of Polar Prediction, is now available with updates and news from the polar prediction community, and with the beautiful watercolour drawings by sea-ice scientist Amy Macfarlane.
For the 15th issue of PolarPredictNews, the YOPP Coordination Office has done some research about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the polar prediction community so far, what is expected for the coming polar field seasons and how the German Weather Service took immediate action to compensate for the loss of airborne observations caused by the reduced commercial air traffic that came with the pandemic.
Fostering Creativity for Networking and Exchange
But the pandemic may also introduce new habits and foster creativity among the science community. "In some cases, the new way of networking might even be an advantage, with new collaborations between far-apart colleagues being established and online conferences being much more accessible to everyone", says Helge Goessling, former director of the YOPP Coordination Office and climate scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute. New options how to organize exciting meetings to provide networking and exchange are explored these days; among them is the upcoming APECS Southern Hemisphere Workshop where YOPP runs an entire session plus a live broadcast of the YOPP podcast The IcePod. Abstracts can already be submitted to the 2021 Arctic Frontiers Science Conference from 1 to 2 February 2021 – expected to probably come as a hybrid meeting with face-to-face and online sessions – where YOPP with partners organizes another session, entitled Advanced Prediction Capability for the Arctic and Beyond
Contributions from the Community
Benefits of a new multi-layer snow scheme that is being implemented into the ECMWF weather forecast and scheduled to become operational within the next upgrade. Highlighted in the new issue of PolarPredictNews is also a recent study on seamless sea-ice prediction.
Further, two more YOPP Special Issues are now available, one on the progress being made in Antarctic meteorology and climate, and another one on the Societal Value of Improved Forecasting. As well, two new contributions to Polar Prediction Matters, the dialogue platform between users and providers of forecast, have been published. And make sure you don't miss the interview with the German meteorologist and PI of the YOPP-endorsed project DACAPO-PESO.
YOPP Endorsement Continues
For those of you currently submitting – or considering to submit – new research proposals: YOPP Endorsement is still available for projects, initiatives and institutions and will be until the end of 2021. We have now also introduced what we call a 'blind' YOPP-endorsement process for competitive funding situations.
The PolarPredictNews #15 Art-and-Science Project
As a special treat, PolarPredictNews #15 features beautiful watercolour cartoons drawn by sea-ice scientist Amy Macfarlane during MOSAiC leg 3. Find the drawings across the issue with the full drawing in the middle – you may want to print it as a poster to decorate your (home) office walls.
Get your issue of PolarPredictNews #15 as a pdf to read on the screen
or take out your prints
to the lake to enjoy it with a summer drink – whatever way you choose: enjoy reading!
Dr. Kirstin Werner
Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) International Coordination Office (Director)
Alfred Wegener Institute
Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Bussestrasse 24
D-27570 Bremerhaven
Germany
phone: +49 (0)471-4831-1588
mail: kirstin.werner@awi.de
www.polarprediction.net
www.awi.de
