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The Cooperative Institute for Arctic Research (CIFAR) was
established in 1994 at the University of Alaska. CIFAR fosters collaboration
between NOAA, the University of Alaska, and several other U.S. universities
working in the Western Arctic. CIFAR collaborates with NOAA's Pacific Marine
Environmental Laboratory, Arctic Research Office, Ocean Exploration Program,
NMFS, and the National Weather Service. CIFAR is also a major partner in
the annual Global Change Student Research Grant Competition, conducted by
the Center for Global Change (CGC) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Research presently supported by CIFAR falls under nine themes: (1) Arctic
Atmospheric and Climate Research - Research Arctic atmospheric circulation,
clouds and the global energy balance, and paleoclimates; (2) Fisheries
Oceanography - Study the life histories, habitats, and assessment of
targeted populations to improve sustainable management of living marine
resources in the Bering Sea; (3) Tsunami Research - Enhance the computer
modeling abilities for the prediction and propagation of tsunamis; (4)
Marine Ecosystem Studies - Increase the understanding of processes controlling
Arctic ecosystems and their productivity; (5) Contaminant Effects
- Determine the quantities, sources, sinks, and effects on both humans and
animals of various pollutants in the Arctic; (6) UV and Arctic Haze Studies
- Enhance the understanding of ozone depletion in northern latitudes and
determine the health and environmental impacts of the man-made, gaseous
and particulate matter in the Arctic's atmosphere; (7) Hydrographic and
Sea Ice Studies - Study sea ice properties and deformation; examine
the role of tidally-induced, coastal freshwater discharge, and wind-driven
circulations in the formation of the Bering Sea hydrological regime and
biological productivity; and investigate how the Arctic Ocean circulation
works and what are its important inputs and outputs; (8) Climate Modeling
- Perform coupling of general circulation models to regional models of the
Arctic and inter-comparisons of various existing numerical models; and (9)
Data Archiving and Support - Contribute to the development of an integrated
database of climatic indices and supporting materials that meets needs of
the user community and NOAA partners such as the Alaska Ocean Observing
System.
CIFAR investigators publish 18 scientific publications annually of which
60% are peer-reviewed. CIFAR's work has included contributions to the preparation
of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), which has synthesized information
on recent and projected climate changes and consequences in the Arctic.
CIFAR operated the international secretariat for the ACIA and coordinated
the preparation of the Overview and Final Scientific Report of the assessment.
Another major CIFAR activity is the funding of the Russian-American Long-term
Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA) research projects conducted on a 2004 cruise
to the Northern Bering Sea, a highly productive area that is being subject
to rapid climate change.
CIFAR's research activities assist NOAA in four of its Mission Goals: 1)
Protect, restore, and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through
an ecosystem approach to management; 2) Understand climate variability and
change to enhance society's ability to plan and respond; 3) Serve society's
needs for weather and water information; and 4) Support the nation's commerce
with information for safe, efficient, and environmentally sound transportation.
