Marketing and Outreach: The Arctic Theme Page and

Arctic Change Detection

Nancy SoreideNOAA/PMEL

May 17-18, Boulder, CO

“… combining the interests of the scientific community … with those of the computer science and engineering community to create integrated, tool-oriented computing and communication systems… ”

National Research Council

NOAA Strategic Plan• Successful, theme-based web pages support NOAA’s mission strategy:

“Engage, advise, and inform individuals, partners, communities, and industries to facilitate information flow, assure coordination and cooperation, and provide assistance in the use, evaluation, and application of information” *

• Websites that present NOAA science, data, analysis and information in a manner that is clear, scientifically validated, useful, interesting and intelligible by a broad audience support NOAA in promoting the

“increased use and effectiveness of climate information for decision makers and managers” *

* NOAA Strategic Plan for FY2003 – FY2008 and Beyond http://www.osp.noaa.gov/docs/NOAA_Final_Strategic_Plan_March31st.

pdf

Data Quality Act

• Congress has directed OMB to issue government-wide guidelines for:

“ensuring and maximizing the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information disseminated by Federal agencies …" *

* Section 515(a) of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001

Communicating Arctic

Information

The Arctic Theme PageA Comprehensive Resourcehttp://www.arctic.noaa.gov

• Photographs• Maps• Animals• Ships• Northern Lights• Exploration• Data• Climate indices

• Educational links• Environment• Pollution• Archaeology• Native Peoples• Forecasts• Climate programs• Expert Essays

Comprehensive Information Resource

The Arctic Theme Pagehttp://www.arctic.noaa.gov

Expert Essays on key Arctic issues

• How do scientists study climate change? Nick Bond• Are environmental changes impacting Alaska Natives? Caleb Pungowiyi• UVB radiation: Threat to the Arctic? Betsy Weatherhead• How does Arctic sea ice form and decay? Peter Wadhams• How has sea ice volume changed? Norbert Untersteiner• Is sea level affected by changes in Arctic land ice? Roger Barry• What long term trends are seen in the Arctic atmosphere? John Walsh• Is mercury a significant contaminant? Steve Lindberg/Steve Brooks• What organisms thrive in Arctic sea ice? Christopher Krebs/Jody Deming• Is there life on the Arctic sea floor? Peter Vogt• Arctic Wolves and their prey David Mech• What’s happening to Polar Bears? Scott Schliebe• The puzzling Arctic summer of 2003 – Norbert Untersteiner

The Arctic Theme Pagehttp://www.arctic.noaa.gov

Integrated NOAA Arctic Web Presence

• Integrates all NOAA’s Arctic-related activities– Arctic Theme Page– Arctic Research Activities

• Climate research• Ecosystem research• Arctic Research Office

The Arctic Theme Pagehttp://www.arctic.noaa.gov

NOAAArctic

Research

Activities

The Arctic Theme Pagehttp://www.arctic.noaa.gov

NOAA Arctic

Research Office

The Arctic Theme Pagehttp://www.arctic.noaa.gov

NOAA’s Climate Researc

h Activitie

s

The Arctic Theme Pagehttp://www.arctic.noaa.gov

NOAA’s North Pole Web CamDeployed April 30, 2004

NOAA SEARCH

The Arctic Theme Pagehttp://www.arctic.noaa.gov

NOAA SEARCH

The Arctic Theme Pagehttp://www.arctic.noaa.gov

NOAA’s Ecosyste

m Research Activities

The Arctic Theme Pagehttp://www.arctic.noaa.gov

Impact• 5000-6000

hits/day

• Science magazine, USA Today, Yahoo, Scientific American

• Ranks #1 or #2 on Google search

• Significant NOAA Web Presence

The Arctic Theme Pagehttp://www.arctic.noaa.gov

Arctic Change Detection

• Purpose– Increase Issue Awareness, Inform

Dialogue, Support Decision Making• User Community

– Leaders and Residents of Circumpolar Nations and Communities, Industries/Decision Makers/Climate Scientists, Public and Educational Communities

Arctic Change Detection

• Addresses core Arctic issues (ACIA Report)– Relevant, effective, reliable,

understandable, objective Information – Information that Users can Relate to– Narrative Style– Issues relate to Benefits, Risks

• Expert evaluation of current and credible information from expert sources

• Multi-year, multi-government effort effort by hundreds of scientists

• Identified key issues• Synthesized 1500

page report into 10 key findings

• Draft report finalized in November 2004

ACIA Report

• Converted the ACIA ten key findings into six core issues

• Here are the first four

Arctic Change Indicator

s

• Here are the last two core issues

Arctic Change Indicator

s

Detailed Information

on Individual Indicator

Historical Indicator

Time Series provide

perspective

Detailed Information

on each Historical Indicator

Time Series

Summary

• NOAA has a significant, integrated Arctic Web presence– Arctic Theme Page– Integrated ARO, NOAA Climate and

Ecosystem Research Activities, NOAA SEARCH

• Future Products– Arctic Change Detection– Animated Arctic Story