Geir Ottersen, a scientist, specializing in research on climate variability and its effects on marine ecosystems at the Institute of Marine Research in Norway has been selected to be one of the lead authors for the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, to be published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is well known for producing regular and authoritative reports on climate change.  The most recent one, known as Assessment Report 5 (AR5) was finalized in 2014. In February 2015, the IPCC decided to produce a Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), with the first publications expected in 2022. 

Special Reports undertake an assessment of cross-disciplinary issues and are shorter and more focused than the main assessments.  Geir Ottersen will co-lead the work on the Polar Regions chapter in this Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

The chapter will review literature across many topics, much of which builds on observations in the Arctic and thus is highly related to INTAROS. Topics to be addressed include:

• Changes in atmospheric and ocean circulation that influence polar regions;
• Changes in Arctic ice sheets, ice shelves, and glaciers and consequences for ocean circulation and biogeochemistry, and sea level;
• Changing snow cover, freshwater ice and thawing permafrost and impacts on infrastructure and ecosystems; community based adaptation;
• Changing sea ice; effects on ocean and atmospheric circulation and climate and implications for ecosystems, coastal communities, transportation and industry;
• Changing polar ocean, implications for acidification, carbon uptake and release; and impacts on ecosystems and their services (e.g., fisheries);
• Access to resources and ecological, institutional, social, economic, livelihood and cultural consequences of polar change.

Following a thorough selection process the IPCC has invited 101 experts from 41 countries to begin work on the report. These lead authors will get together for the first of four joint meetings during October 2-6, 2017. The special report is scheduled to be finalised in September 2019.