AEVO

Arctic environment

Arctic Environments: Vulnerabilities and Opportunities

AEVO is a research network that aims to:

  • foster interdisciplinary research by scientists working at high northern latitudes
  • help to train the next generation of (sub-)Arctic scientists

Why the Arctic?

The Arctic is already undergoing the effects of anthropogenic climatic change and climate models suggest that the Arctic will continue to be very strongly affected by climate change in the coming decades. Many Arctic social and ecological systems are finely balanced and are particularly vulnerable to climate change. On the other hand, a warming Arctic presents opportunities, for example for resource extraction and shipping in the Arctic Ocean.
There is a great need for new research aimed at understanding how different parts of the Arctic environmental system interact, because poorly-understood interactions can lead to unexpected consequences and to potentially useful or dangerous feedbacks.

Project activities

This project will address the gaps in our knowledge by enabling scientists from two or more disciplines, who would not normally work together, to learn more about each others' work and to explore the ways in which research at the boundary of their disciplines could lead to advances in our knowledge of Arctic systems.
  • Field schools: AEVO has funding to run two field schools, one in Åbisko (Sweden) in the summer of 2012, the other at Kluane Lake in the Yukon (Canada) in the summer of 2013. AEVO members – both faculty and PhD students – will be able to apply for funding to attend a field school. The focus of the field schools will be to collect pilot data for project proposals, while training PhD students in Arctic science and fieldwork techniques
  • Data visualisation: GIS and web-based mapping/database technologies have advanced dramatically in recent years. AEVO plans to explore how databases and data visualisation technologies can be used to make new and existing data more readily accessible. We believe that this will not just stimulate collaboration between scientists, but will also make a strong contribution to influencing policy and informing the public about social and environmental change in the Arctic.
We also have funding for video conferences, workshops and sessions at scientific conferences.
 
AEVO is a project under the "Adapting to Climate Change" WUN programme and AEVO members are participating in the wider activities of that group.
 

Getting involved in AEVO

AEVO welcomes new members - staff or graduate students - from any of the 16 WUN member institutions! Just get in touch with Dr Katy Roucoux: k.roucoux@leeds.ac.uk.