Description: About 50 locations ('cold spots') where permafrost (Arctic and Antarctic) in situ monitoring has been taking place for many years or where field stations are currently established (through, for example the Canadian ADAPT program) have been identified. These sites have been proposed to WMO Polar Space Task Group as focus areas for future monitoring by satellite data. Seven monitoring transects spanning different permafrost types have been proposed in addition.

Description: Four automatic stations measuring soil temperature and VWC were deployed in the central Lena River Delta, Siberia in August 2013 and retrieved in August 2014. They were installed in a very shallow depth on the islands Kurungnakh and Samoylov. Three stations were placed on Kurungnakh (K1, K2, K3) and one on Samoylov (S1). Each station on Kurungnakh consisted of a) one VWC Campbell Recording Sensors CR625 and one Temperature T109 sensor at the most upper depth one (W1 and T1), b) one VWC CR625 sensor and one T109 sensor at depth two (W2 and T2; Figure 1C). The station on Samoylov had the same setup as those on Kurungnakh, with the exception that only one depth could be instrumented (W1 and T1). The sensors at depth one were placed in the lower end of the uppermost porous moss layer (in average of 5 to 7 cm thickness). The sensors at depth two were placed in the moss fibric layer, a thin layer of ca 2 to 3 cm which is the water storage layer of the moss and mostly water saturated. The field work in the Lena Delta has been supported by two scholarships for transnational access (2013 and 2014) of the International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (FP7 INTERACT). The data have been analyzed for satellite derived soil moisture within the framework of the FP7 project PAGE21.

Description: Over the past two decades, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) have organized activities focused on international and interdisciplinary perspectives for advancing Arctic and Antarctic research cooperation and knowledge dissemination in many areas (e.g. Kennicutt et al., 2014). For permafrost science, however, no consensus document exists at the international level to identify future research priorities, although the International Permafrost Association (IPA) highlighted the need for such a document during the 10th International Conference on Permafrost in 2012. Four years later, this presentation, which is based on the results obtained by Fritz et al. (2015), outlines the outcome of an international and interdisciplinary effort conducted by early career researchers (ECRs). This effort was designed as a contribution to the Third International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III). In June 2014, 88 ERCs convened during the Fourth European Conference on Permafrost to identify future priorities for permafrost research. We aimed to meet our goals of hosting an effective large group dialogue by means of online question development followed by a “World Café” conversational process. An overview of the process is provided in Figure 1. This activity was organized by the two major early career researcher associations Permafrost Young Researchers’ Network (PYRN) and the Association of Polar Early career Scientists (APECS), as well as the regional research projects PAGE21 (EU) and ADAPT (Canada). Participants were provided with live instructions including criteria regarding what makes a research question (Sutherland et al., 2011). The top five questions that emerged from this process are: (1) How does permafrost degradation affect landscape dynamics at different spatial and temporal scales? (2) How can ground thermal models be improved to better reflect permafrost dynamics at high spatial resolution? (3) How can traditional environmental knowledge be integrated in permafrost research? (4) What is the spatial distribution of different ground-ice types and how susceptible is ice-rich permafrost to future environmental change? (5) What is the influence of infrastructures on the thermal regime and stability of permafrost in different environmental settings? As the next generation of permafrost researchers, we see the need and the opportunity to participate in framing the future research priorities. Across the polar sciences, ECRs have built powerful networks, such as the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN), which have enabled us to efficiently consult with the community. Many participants of this community-input exercise will be involved in and also affected by the Arctic science priorities during the next decade. Therefore, we need to (i) contribute our insights into larger efforts of the community such as the Permafrost Research Priorities initiative by the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) project together with the IPA and (ii) help identify relevant gaps and a suitable roadmap for the future of Arctic research. Critical evaluation of the progress made since ICARP II and revisiting the science plans and recommendations will be crucial. IASC and the IPA, together with SCAR on bipolar activities, should coordinate the research agendas in a proactive manner engaging all partners, including funding agencies, policy makers, and local communities. Communicating our main findings to society in a dialogue between researchers and the public is a priority. Special attention must be given to indigenous peoples living on permafrost, where knowledge exchange creates a mutual benefit for science and local communities. The ICARP III process is an opportunity to better communicate the global importance of permafrost to policy makers and the public.

Description: Poster Presentation about the Permafrost Comics at the Bolin Days. This is the launch of the new Bolin Centre for Climate Research after the merge of former EkoKlim and the Bolin Centre! Come and listen to interesting talks, enjoy discussions over fika, celebrate Tarfala research station 70 years, hear the latest about ICOS, attend the SWERUS photo exhibition, view interesting posters, jugde in the PhD poster competition, talk with the database team, involve yourself in the mentoring programme, rack your brain with puzzles and equip yourself with Bolin Centre give-aways. End the Bolin Days by letting your hair down at the Ceilidh dance after the relaxed conference dinner. There are also excellent opportunities to interact with the Bolin Centre External Science Advisory Group during the Bolin Days.

Description: The Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) is an international organization hosted by the International Permafrost Association (IPA) and technically supported by Arctic Portal. The network provides a platform for innovative collaboration between young permafrost researchers and aspires to recruit, maintain and promote future generations of permafrost researchers. PYRN strives to apply its multi-disciplinary talents toward global awareness, knowledge and response to permafrost-related challenges in a changing global climate. Officially founded at the 2nd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP II) in 2005, it will already celebrate its 10th birthday in the coming year. PYRN became increasingly popular after the International Polar Year that highlighted the importance of including young generations in polar research activities. Since then PYRN expanded constantly with more than 1000 permafrost young researchers from permafrost and non-permafrost countries today. PYRN built partnerships with large organizations such as the Climate and Cryosphere Project (CliC) and the International Permafrost Association (IPA). Under a joint Memorandum of Understanding, PYRN works closely together with the IPA and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) on a bi-polar and interdisciplinary perspective for a better understanding of cryospheric processes for society. PYRN is guided by an Executive Committee, consisting of 12 young researchers, but operates through its members that self-organize themselves. In the last years PYRN organized several workshops during regional and international conferences related to polar research and was active in education and outreach activities in schools and universities. To keep it members and partners updated the network regularly publishes a newsletter. The latest activities have been arranged at the European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP4) in Portugal, to maintain an active, dynamic and growing early career scientific network on permafrost. Organized together with APECS, PAGE21, and ADAPT, this workshop was kindly sponsored by the IPA, CliC, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Bolin Centre for Climate Research. The workshop included around 100 early career permafrost scientists from 20 countries that gathered interdisciplinary knowledge about permafrost and its key role in the Earth System in thematic break-out sessions and workshops. In coordination with the ICARP III activities, a major goal of the workshop was to frame the future avenues of permafrost research from a young researcher’s perspective, contributing directly to IASC and the IPA strategy with Permafrost Priority Sheets for ICARP III. For the 11th International Conference on Permafrost 2016 (ICOP 2016) in Potsdam (Germany), PYRN has been involved in the conference planning from the very beginning to effectively integrate PYRN members in the process of organization as well as young researchers activities in the overall conference program (e.g. session co-chairs, workshop, PYRN awards, social program). On its way to Potsdam, you can approach PYRN on many upcoming conferences with permafrost-related topics. It will collect and trying to integrate ideas for a successful young researcher program during ICOP 2016 and is looking forward to discussions with its worldwide members. The Arctic Change conference 2014 in Canada will be the first stage on the road to ICOP 2016 in Germany.