Gaps in knowledge and research needs for infrastructure in the Arctic
This is Section 6.5 of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment.
Lead Author: Arne Instanes; Contributing Authors: Oleg Anisimov, Lawson Brigham, Douglas Goering, Lev N. Khrustalev, Branko Ladanyi, Jan Otto Larsen; Consulting Authors: Orson Smith, Amy Stevermer, Betsy Weatherhead, Gunter Weller
The main gaps in knowledge are the lack of site-specific scenarios providing the probability of occurrence of various meteorological conditions (temperature, precipitation, wind, snow and sea-ice thickness and extent, waves, and erosion rates). Monitoring of infrastructure and the coastal environment is essential, as are climate sensitivity analyses.
It is also important to combine engineering knowledge with socioeconomic development scenarios and environmental impact assessments (see Chapters 3 (Gaps in knowledge and research needs for infrastructure in the Arctic), 12 (Gaps in knowledge and research needs for infrastructure in the Arctic), and 15 (Gaps in knowledge and research needs for infrastructure in the Arctic)) to evaluate how projected climate change may affect human lives in the Arctic in the future. Studies examining impacts and socioeconomic assessments have been performed in Canada[1]. Studies are also underway for other regions of the Arctic, including Alaska (University of Alaska, Institute of Social and Economic Research) and northwest Russia (Centre for Economic Analysis, Oslo; Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Oslo; and the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Bergen).
Chapter 16: Infrastructure: Buildings, Support Systems, and Industrial Facilities
16.1 Introduction (Gaps in knowledge and research needs for infrastructure in the Arctic)
16.2. Physical environment and processes related to infrastructure
16.2.1. Observed changes in air temperature
16.2.2. Permafrost (Permafrost and infrastructure in the Arctic)
16.2.3. Natural hazards
16.2.4. Coastal environment
16.2.5. Arctic Ocean (Arctic ocean, climate and infrastructure)
16.3. Infrastructure in the Arctic
16.4. Engineering design for a changing climate
16.5. Gaps in knowledge and research needs
References
Citation
Committee, I. (2012). Gaps in knowledge and research needs for infrastructure in the Arctic. Retrieved from http://editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/Gaps_in_knowledge_and_research_needs_for_infrastructure_in_the_Arctic- ↑ Couture, R., S.D. Robinson and M.M. Burgess, 2001. Climate change, permafrost degradation and impacts on infrastructure: two cases studies in the Mackenzie Valley. Proceedings of the 54th Canadian Geotechnical Conference, 4–9 September 2001, Calgary, 2:908–915.
