Software Sustainability Collaborations Workshop 2013

The Software Sustainability Institute is running its annual Collaborations Workshop (CW13) at Merton College, Oxford from 21-22 March 2013. This workshop brings together researchers, software developers, managers, funders and more to explore ideas in software pertinent to their research and exploit any synergies that may lead to interdisciplinary collaborations.

Last year's workshop (CW12), also held in Oxford, was attended by researchers, developers, managers, funders and some independent developers was a great success. An article on the workshop can be found in the Ariadne magazine: http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue68/cw12-rpt

The 2013 workshop will give you an opportunity to meet and network with fellow researchers, learn more about the Software Sustainability Institute and how they may be of help to make you more productive in your research. It will give you an opportunity to network with other researchers and developers that may lead to new collaborations being established: http://www.software.ac.uk/blog/2013-03-07-collaborations-workshop-2013-many-many-reasons-attend
Amongst the attendees will be most of the new Institute Fellows: http://www.software.ac.uk/fellowship-programme/fellow-profiles
To find out more and register for the Software Sustainability Institute's Collaborations Workshop 2013 please go to: http://www.software.ac.uk/collaborations-workshop-2013-cw13
Places are going fast so please try to register early.

SUMup snow depth, density and accumulation data collection effort

The Surface Mass Balance and Snow on Sea Ice Working Group (SUMup) is leading NASA's effort to improve spatial and temporal estimates of surface mass balance on ice sheets and snow accumulation on sea ice.  At the 2012 SUMup meeting it was determined that easy, consolidated access to observational data would help improve modeling and remote sensing efforts. SUMup is currently compiling three observational datasets to be updated yearly and distributed to the community. SUMup has already compiled many datasets internally and are asking for additional contributions to the three datasets which are:

•  Annual Accumulation over the ice sheets and ice caps from 1800 on including ice cores, stake  and radar measurements.
•  Snow Density over sea ice, ice sheets and ice caps.
•  Snow Depth over sea ice including measurement and radar derived snow depths.

If you would like to contribute data to any of these datasets, or have addition questions please visit the SUMup webpage at http://neptune.gsfc.nasa.gov/csb/index.php?section=267 or email Lora Koenig at lora.s.koenig@nasa.gov by March 31, 2013. All data contributors will be cited in the dataset.

SnowALP - Smartphone App

SnowALP is a mobile app for crowd-sourcing snow height data. SnowALP wants to engage mountain enthusiasts in the observation and collection of environmental data such as snow depth. Collected data are used to estimate the amount of water stored as snow (i.e. Snow Water Equivalent, SWE) in the Alps.

Using SnowALP you will help studies of climate change impacts and water management.

SnowALP is available for both Android and iPhone devices. For more information go to the SnowALP - Info page

Witness the Arctic Online Issue Available Winter 2013

Articles in this issue include:

Interagency Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH)
- SEARCH Updates
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19614

Arctic Social Sciences Program
- Demographics of True and False Arctic Facts
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19609
- Recovered Artifacts Indicate Prehistoric Trade Across Bering Strait
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19624

National Science Foundation News
- Impact of FY 2013 Sequestration Order on NSF Awards
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19617
- NSF's Polar Cyberinfrastructure Program Initiative
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19613
- Community Updates from NSF Arctic Town Hall Meetings
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19649

Interagency News
- Administration Releases Five-Year Arctic Research Plan
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19623
- The Arctic Report Card: Past and Present
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19615

U.S. Arctic Research Commission
- Recent Presidential Appointments to USARC
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19611
- USARC Resources and Reports
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19612

Polar Research Board
- Polar Research Board Releases Report on Seasonal to Decadal Predictions of Arctic Sea Ice
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19610

International News
- International Arctic Observing Summit to Convene Spring 2013
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19630

A Note from the ARCUS President
- A Brief Personal Look at the Evolution of the R/V Sikuliaq
   http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic/2013/1/article/19620

The next issue of Witness the Arctic will be published in spring of 2013. For further information or to submit an article idea for future issues, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren at ARCUS (betsy@arcus.org).

To view articles or to download a PDF file of this issue, please go to:
http://www.arcus.org/witness-the-arctic.

Faculty position in Arctic Geophysics at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)

The department of Arctic Geophysics is now seeking candidates for the position of Professor/Associate Professor in Snow and Ice Physics with focus on glaciers, ice sheets, snow cover and sea ice. Deadline for applications is 2nd of April 2012. UNIS is located in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, the studies at UNIS are marketed internationally and all classes are offered in English. See full call at http://www.unis.no/30_ABOUT_UNIS/4020_Vacant_Positions/documents/Announcement-Professor-associateprofessor-snowandicephysics.pdf

Release of the Javascript Ice Sheet Model

The Javascript Ice Sheet Model (J-ISM) is a browser-based ice sheet model for educational purposes. The model is based on Frank Pattyn's Excel-based GRANTISM, and thus behaves more or less identically to that model.

The model is available to play with online at http://mewo2.com/ism.html
and the code is on GitHub at https://github.com/mewo2/j-ism

The model has been tested on undergrads by Martin O'Leary, Research Officer at the Department of Geography, Swansea University. The instructions he gave the students (3rd year geography undergrads) are accessible at
http://mewo2.com/assets/model.pdf and http://mewo2.com/assets/practical.pdf
Martin O'Leary welcomes comments, issues and bugfixes, please e-mail to: m.e.w.oleary@gmail.com