Final Synthesis report

The overall results of INTAROS are summarized for each WP as follows:
WP1 The requirements for integrated Arctic Observing Systems” Existing requirement documents have been reviewed and consolidated. Links have been established with various stakeholders and user groups including international bodies, public administration, private sector, local communities, and science communities. Collaboration has been developed with several other projects, programmes and institutions working with Arctic observing systems in Europe, North America and Asia. A data management plan and data governance framework for Arctic data has been developed and a Roadmap for future sustainable Arctic Observing System has been prepared.
WP2 Exploitation of existing observing systems. The term “observing system” was defined as an observing asset consisting of a data collection component (physical infrastructure) and a data management component (e-infrastructure). An observing system can be multidisciplinary or focused on a specific discipline, and it serves a clearly identified scientific or operational purpose. A survey was conducted among the partners providing information about 50 in situ observing systems ranging from large pan-Arctic programs such as International Arctic Buoy Programme to local observations at a single station. A part of the survey was to assess characteristics of the systems (e.g. documentation, data management, uncertainty handling, sustainability) using a maturity score from 1 to 6. Systems with highest maturity were those with sustainable funding for the whole data production and data management chain. The online survey system was further developed in a spin-off project, resulting in the ARCMAP system, which will be operated as a service after INTAROS. Many of the assessed observing systems, including satellite data products, were used to build the INTAROS data catalogue (WP5) and in case studies demonstrating integrated use of observing systems and modelling systems (WP6).
WP3: Enhancement of multidisciplinary in situ observing systems. The work has focused on developing and implementing new solutions and novel technologies to fill selected gaps identified in the existing Arctic observing systems. Novel instruments and sampling methods were integrated with mature components of existing observatories to increase temporal and geographic coverage of in situ observational data in the Arctic and to include missing key parameters. New clusters of sensors have been integrated into a variety of platforms, and several experimental setups have been tested and implemented. The field work was conducted in different marine and terrestrial regions to collect important data to understand ongoing climate and environmental changes and their consequences for the Arctic. The field implementation of new ocean and sea ice observations was supported by use of icebreakers, research vessels, ships of opportunity and seafloor observatories provided by collaborating national projects. The data collection from ice sheets, glaciers and terrestrial stations was based on existing reference sites and other research sites in the Pan-Arctic region. New collected measurements have been pre-processed and formatted to provide standardized data sets ready for integration into existing data repositories and registered in the INTAROS data catalogue. Metadata and data formats for observations made with multidisciplinary platforms have been developed in collaboration with WP1, WP2, and WP5. Selected data sets have been exploited in demonstration actions (WP6) and in consultations with stakeholders in (WP7).
WP4: Community-based and citizen science observing programs in the Arctic have been strengthened in a number of ways. Existing programs have been analysed and capabilities, “good” practice and challenges have been identified. A website has been set up with tools to cross-fertilize local knowledge with scientific knowledge. Moreover, new and expanded existing community-based and citizen science observing initiatives have been initiated in Svalbard, Greenland and Yakutia to inform local and national decision-making. Finally, datasets derived from community-based and citizen science observing programs have been registered in the INTAROS data catalogue.
WP5. Data integration and management. Work has focused on deploying and demonstrating a cloud platform with geo-statistical tools for services as part of the integrated Arctic Observation System (iAOS). The objectives were to demonstrate integration of data and provide tools for data analysis, transformation, and visualization, in the cloud platform. Selected applications in WP6 have been used as showcases for the services and tools provided by this cloud platform. In addition, work has concentrated on improving data integration from existing repositories, along with metadata, so that it is findable and exploitable by iAOS applications. Extensive efforts have been devoted to streamline the data flow between data producers, data managers and data users. A major outcome of the project is the iAOS Portal and the INTAROS Data Catalogue, providing access to multidisciplinary data from a wide range of data repositories containing Arctic data. The portal and catalogue will be maintained and used for promotion of data and services in other projects after INTAROS.
WP6. Applications towards stakeholders. Work has focused on studies of how data from various observing systems can be used to develop useful results to the benefit for different stakeholders on local, regional or pan-Arctic scale. The results demonstrate how the Arctic observing system can be applied to further develop the accuracy of climate models, improve the understanding of biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functioning, enhance fisheries and environmental management, increase the level of preparedness towards natural hazards, and develop better management and decision-making for selected local communities. The following topics are addressed: (1) Improving skill of climate models in the Arctic, with examples from sea ice prediction and hydrological forecasting; (2) Applying observations and models for environmental and fisheries management, with case studies in the Barents Sea and west Greenland; (3) Ice-ocean statistics using examples from Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSE), preparation of a 10 year reanalysis, development of a risk assessment system, studies of ocean sound, oceanographic and sea ice time series, sea level studies from altimeter and tide gauge data, sea ice data from ice mass balance buoys, sea ice remote sensing applications; (4) natural hazards, (5) greenhouse gas studies, (6) promoting community-based observing systems in Greenland and Svalbard, and (7) summary of ocean observing benefit for blue growth in the Arctic.
WP7. Communication and outreach. Work has been focused on planning and conducting various communication activities to inform projects, programmes, user and stakeholder groups, agencies, and policy makers about INTAROS. The consortium members have promoted the project through several hundred meetings, workshops, conferences, publications, and other dissemination activities. Much of this communication and dissemination work has been done in collaboration with WP1. Various online tools were employed to maximize the visibility and communicate the project activities including: a public project website, social media, videos on YouTube, blogs, printed materials (brochures, factsheets, posters, policy briefs, photos), project identity toolkit (graphical image, logos, lettering, templates, and branded materials). Furthermore, several training and education activities have been organized, including communication with local communities.