Conference: Improving the Greenland Data Ecosystem for Scientific Insight

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

Climate change is causing rapid warming in Greenland and on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Changes in Greenland have impacts around the globe, from adding freshwater to ocean ecosystems in the North Atlantic to raising sea levels in Florida and other faraway places. Scientists are studying Greenland changes and producing important and useful data and science tools. As the amount of data increases and the number of tools available to help with science expands, it is critical that people producing, using, and applying Greenland-focused data are coordinating with each other. This workshop will bring together people who create and use Greenland data so that they can discuss data needs and outline ways that tools can be made more useful. They will also identify gaps in knowledge, data, and tools that need to be addressed. In this way, the workshop will help the Earth sciences community to work together to ensure that data is usable and used, and to create new knowledge more effectively. Follow-through on workshop recommendations will also help Earth scientists work effectively with other researchers and non-scientists, like decision makers or local townspeople. Greenland-focused research is crucial for addressing issues including ocean ecosystem transformation, rising global sea levels, and Earth system links that may increase or decrease how quickly climate impacts appear. The National Science Foundation and others have supported key data, tools, and programs related to Greenland research. As these projects mature, coordination and community discussion are required to ensure that projects are working together, gaps in data, tools, and workflows are identified, and there is a shared vision to support efficient and effective research across a broadening group of participants. This 2-day (virtual and in-person) interactive workshop will gather data and tool creators and users to discuss needs, identify open opportunities, and chart the developments in Greenland data and tools to support the next decade of science in service to society. The workshop will enhance coordination in the Greenland Earth science community, develop community recommendations for more effective and efficient data-to-insight and insight-to-application workflows, and ensure the Earth science community is well prepared for collaboration with other researchers and nonscientists. These improvements will have widespread positive societal benefits, connected closely with urgent topics such as sea level rise and ecosystem change. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.