NEWS

Antarctica InSync will host two global webinars on 20 & 21 January 2026 to present draft White Papers for scientific planning and invite feedback from the wider scientific community. These events are designed to foster dialogue across the international science community and disciplines as the White Papers progress toward final publication.

Purpose of the webinars

The webinars will provide an overview of all draft White Papers released in late December on the SCAR website. The lead authors of the White Papers will summarise the scientific priorities and strategies for research activities during Antarctica InSync as presented in each document. Participants are invited to engage in a moderated discussion and offer comments that can guide the next phase of refinement.

White Papers presented

The webinar programme will cover the following Antarctica InSync White Papers:

•  Overarching White Paper on Impact and Policy
• Thematic White Papers

  • Southern Ocean and Antarctic heat, freshwater, carbon and other element cycles under climate change
  • Rapid sea-ice decline: causes and consequences
  • Melting ice sheets and ice shelves, and coastal impacts
  • Knowledge and protection of unique Antarctic life: land, ocean, and deep sea
  • Anthropogenic signatures in Antarctica: pollution and other pressures
  • Aerosol–cloud interactions and radiative feedbacks
  • Climate variability: extremes, weather, long-term variability, and global teleconnections

•  Cross-cutting White Paper on Earth Observation

Additional cross-cutting groups are welcome to contribute White Papers and may be included in the programme.

Event dates and times

To maximise accessibility across time zones, the webinars will be held in two sessions:

· 20 January 2026, 17:00–19:00 (CET)

· 21 January 2026, 09:00–11:00 (CET)

Participants may join either or both sessions.

DESCRIPTION 

Saroma Sea Ice School 2026 is designed for early-career scientists (preferably Ph.D students, but master students and early post-docs are also eligible to apply) interested in exploring the complex interactions between sea ice, snow, clouds, and aerosols in polar regions. 

Participants will engage in hands-on data collection such as sea ice coring, snow, seawater, atmospheric samplings, field experiments, and workshops led by experts, focusing on processes critical to the Arctic and Antarctic climate systems. Key topics include aerosol-cloud interactions, ice-atmosphere linkages, and cutting-edge observational techniques. 

The program combines classroom lectures, practical fieldwork, and data analysis, comprehensively understanding these vital Earth system processes and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Saroma Sea Ice School 2026 is preparation for next generation scientists for the International Polar Year. The BEPSII, CIce2Clouds, and CATCH working groups are organizing this winter field school. 

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM (planning)

Frontal lectures, daily field and lab work on topics such as:

·        Sea ice and snow physics and biogeochemical processes

·        Sea ice biogeochemical modelling: 

·        Gas fluxes at the ocean–ice–atmosphere interfaces

·        Primary and secondary aerosols in the sea ice environment 

·        Atmospheric observation and modelling 

·        Clouds formation in polar marine boundary layer 

·        Interactions with underlying water

·        Sea ice one day cruise with ice breaker Aurora in Abashiri

TARGET

About 30 international Early Career Scientists (preferably Ph.D students, but master students and early post-docs are also eligible to apply).

LECTURERS (planning)

·        Daiki Nomura (Hokkaido University, Japan) 

·        Naoya Kanna (University of Tokyo, Japan) 

·        Takenobu Toyota (Hokkaido University, Japan) 

·        Jessie Creamean (Colorado State University, USA) 

·        Jennie Thomas (Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement, France) 

·        Lisa Miller (Institute of Ocean Sciences, Canada)

·        Emelia Chamberlain (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA) 

·        Nadja Steiner (Institute of Ocean Sciences, Canada)

·        Letizia Tedesco (Finnish Environment Institute, Finland) 

·        Yannick Ilunga (Digital Communication and Marketing Expert, Finland) 

·        Bruno Delille (University of Liège, Belgium) 

·        Emiliano Cimoli (Hokkaido University, Japan)

·        Odile Crabeck (University of Liège, Belgium)

·        Pat Wongpan (University of Tasmania, Australia)

·        Karley Campbel (UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway)

·        Brent Else (University of Calgary, Canada) 

·        Anoop Mahajan (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, India)

·        Megan Willis (Colorado State University, USA)

·        Eeva Eronen-Rasumus (Finnish Environment Institute, Finland)

·        Jacqueline Stefels (University of Groningen, Netherlands) 

·        Paul Zieger (Stockholm University, Sweeden)

·        Sakiko Ishino (Kanazawa University, Japan) 

·        Hakase Hayashida (JAMSTEC, Japan) 

·        Keiichiro Hara (Fukuoka University, Japan) 

DESCRIPTION 

Saroma Sea Ice School 2026 is designed for early-career scientists (preferably Ph.D students, but master students and early post-docs are also eligible to apply) interested in exploring the complex interactions between sea ice, snow, clouds, and aerosols in polar regions. 

Participants will engage in hands-on data collection such as sea ice coring, snow, seawater, atmospheric samplings, field experiments, and workshops led by experts, focusing on processes critical to the Arctic and Antarctic climate systems. Key topics include aerosol-cloud interactions, ice-atmosphere linkages, and cutting-edge observational techniques. 

The program combines classroom lectures, practical fieldwork, and data analysis, comprehensively understanding these vital Earth system processes and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Saroma Sea Ice School 2026 is preparation for next generation scientists for the International Polar Year. The BEPSII, CIce2Clouds, and CATCH working groups are organizing this winter field school. 

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM (planning)

Frontal lectures, daily field and lab work on topics such as:

·        Sea ice and snow physics and biogeochemical processes

·        Sea ice biogeochemical modelling: 

·        Gas fluxes at the ocean–ice–atmosphere interfaces

·        Primary and secondary aerosols in the sea ice environment 

·        Atmospheric observation and modelling 

·        Clouds formation in polar marine boundary layer 

·        Interactions with underlying water

·        Sea ice one day cruise with ice breaker Aurora in Abashiri

TARGET

About 30 international Early Career Scientists (preferably Ph.D students, but master students and early post-docs are also eligible to apply).

LECTURERS (planning)

·        Daiki Nomura (Hokkaido University, Japan) 

·        Naoya Kanna (University of Tokyo, Japan) 

·        Takenobu Toyota (Hokkaido University, Japan) 

·        Jessie Creamean (Colorado State University, USA) 

·        Jennie Thomas (Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement, France) 

·        Lisa Miller (Institute of Ocean Sciences, Canada)

·        Emelia Chamberlain (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA) 

·        Nadja Steiner (Institute of Ocean Sciences, Canada)

·        Letizia Tedesco (Finnish Environment Institute, Finland) 

·        Yannick Ilunga (Digital Communication and Marketing Expert, Finland) 

·        Bruno Delille (University of Liège, Belgium) 

·        Emiliano Cimoli (Hokkaido University, Japan)

·        Odile Crabeck (University of Liège, Belgium)

·        Pat Wongpan (University of Tasmania, Australia)

·        Karley Campbel (UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway)

·        Brent Else (University of Calgary, Canada) 

·        Anoop Mahajan (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, India)

·        Megan Willis (Colorado State University, USA)

·        Eeva Eronen-Rasumus (Finnish Environment Institute, Finland)

·        Jacqueline Stefels (University of Groningen, Netherlands) 

·        Paul Zieger (Stockholm University, Sweeden)

·        Sakiko Ishino (Kanazawa University, Japan) 

·        Hakase Hayashida (JAMSTEC, Japan) 

·        Keiichiro Hara (Fukuoka University, Japan)