About Us - The Purpose of SEARCH

The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) is conceived as a broad, interdisciplinary program whose core aim is understanding significant, interrelated atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial changes that have been occurring in the Arctic in recent decades. These changes are affecting virtually every part of the arctic environment and is having repercussions on society. There is evidence that the changes are connected with changes in atmospheric circulation of the Northern Hemisphere, and there are indications that these changes are indicative of greenhouse warming. It is unclear what feedback processes on climate or ecosystems may be involved in the recent changes, or what the long-term impacts may be.

The plans for SEARCH have come about through two workshops. The first, in 1997, explored evidence of change in the Arctic and is summarized in the Study of the Arctic Change Workshop Report. A Second Workshop produced a plan for SEARCH research activities and lead to the development of a SEARCH Science Plan.

The SEARCH organization includes the community of arctic principal investigators and funding agencies. The principal investigators are represented by the SEARCH Science Steering Committee (SSC). With National Science Foundation – Office of Polar Programs support, the SEARCH SSC has been responsible for developing the Science Plan. The funding agencies, under the auspices of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC), have formed an Interagency Working Group (IWG) for SEARCH to develop a funding implementation plan. The SEARCH Project Office, also with funding by the NSF–OPP, has facilitated the work of the SSC and IWG and is responsible for this Web site. The project office developed an IWG SEARCH Presentation Kit that is excerpted here. It describes important examples of recent changes in the Arctic and hypotheses about these changes.

The SEARCH strategy is conditioned in part by the knowledge that a number of long-term, large-scale Arctic observing systems have disappeared or are in danger of disappearing. The strategy includes four major activities:

We visualize that these activities will require an interdisciplinary, international effort composed of many parts. The activities may be carried out by groups wholly initiated and supported by SEARCH and by groups previously initiated in the international community, such as the Arctic and Subarctic Ocean Flux (ASOF) study.