Keep CALM and carry on: Changing conditions on Alaska's North Slope

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The North Slope of Alaska seems far from Missoula, MT, but changes there and elsewhere in the Arctic have impacts around the globe. Work by the Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) network, is one of many efforts to document the climatic changes underway and the impacts that changing weather and climate patterns are having on permafrost and ecosystems, in addition to other resources. By some measures, northern Alaska is changing a bit more slowly than the rest of the Arctic, but increasing disturbance, such as tundra fires, is being observed. The complex feedback mechanisms are trying to be understood, particularly those related to carbon and methane fluxes. This talk will review what CALM has found, what other groups have observed, and what future scenarios may be as we try to plan for adaptation.