Uniting Arctic climate observation systems

The Arctic is more affected by climate warming than any other region. To monitor the ongoing changes, to predict the evolution of the climate system and to develop mitigation measures, we need a coherent system of Earth Observation.

The scientific, societal, and economic challenges associated with the changing Arctic are immense. Free and open access to the best-available information and services empowers communities, economy, governments, and others to develop evidence-based economic, policy, investment, management, and societal decisions. As the Arctic continues to change, the demand for improved access to observational data streams and services that are more reliable and more diverse, will continue. Unrestricted access to the latest environmental observations strengthens the decisions we make for a safe, sustainable, and prosperous Arctic.

Although there have been several advances in integrating Arctic observations in recent years, the various components of current Arctic observation systems seem fragmented, and the data are, in part, difficult to access and often not tailored to the needs of the users or stakeholders. Arctic PASSION aims to improve the situation by co-creating an integrated pan-AOSS via international collaboration, including Indigenous and local communities, that can continuously provide unrestricted, high quality, science-based Earth observation information tuned to address the urgent needs of people living in the Arctic and have relevance to European and global society.

Arctic PASSION Objectives:

The key motivation for the EU-funded Arctic PASSION project is the co-creation and implementation of a coherent, integrated Arctic observing system: the Pan-Arctic Observing System of Systems – pan-AOSS. It aims to overcome shortcomings in the present observing system by refining its operability, improving and extending pan-Arctic scientific and community-based monitoring and the integration with indigenous and local knowledge. The project will streamline the access and interoperability of Arctic data systems and services, improve the economic viability and sustainability of the observing system, while working with the Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON), Copernicus, GEO and other international programmes. Arctic PASSION will also co-create eight new EuroGEO pilot services serving Arctic rights holders and stakeholders, science, and policy.

External Collaborators:

Michael Karcher – Project Coordinator
Luisa Cristini – Project Contact
Anna Sinisalo – Communications and Dissemination Task Group
Sabrina Heerema – Communications and Dissemination Task Group
Tina Schoolmeester – Stakeholder Interactions
Volker Rachold – Policy Advice Task Group
Ilkka Matero – Stakeholder Engagement & Data Management Task Groups
Petteri Partanen – Observations