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Sea Ice Day

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Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) invites you to participate in Sea Ice Day, a one-day workshop directly preceding the CliC Open Science Conference. The workshop is open to anyone, but we ask that you register for logistics. Attendance is limited to 50 participants and will work on a first come, first served basis.

Date: Sunday, 08 February 2026 (the day before the CliC OSC begins)
Time: 8:15am – 5:00pm (lunch self-catered)
Attendance: Open and free to all – 50 participant maximum
Location: Rutherford House, RHMZ03

Remote Participation
Zoom Links →

MORNING LINK

Meeting ID: 893 7475 0938
Password: CliC–2026

AFTERNOON LINK

Meeting ID: 896 2193 5833
Password: CliC–2026

About the workshop

The Earth’s cryosphere has recently experienced rapid change. This has been clearly evidenced in the recent demise of Antarctic sea ice and, more recently, the collapse of global sea ice. This forum will be convened to catalyze collaboration and advance our understanding of bipolar sea-ice change. Sea Ice Day will bring together key international initiatives, including Arctic Sea-Ice Working Group (ASIWG), Sea-Ice Model Intercomparison Project (SIMIP), Antarctic Sea-Ice Processes & Climate (ASPeCt), and Biogeochemical Exchange Processes at Sea-Ice Interfaces (BEPSII), plus operational sea-ice services such as the International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG). Sea Ice Day will provide a focus to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration and streamline research efforts among bipolar sea-ice research initiatives and operational services.

Objectives:

Strengthen international collaboration across Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice communities.
Align scientific approaches, methodologies and instrumentation between the two poles.
Integrate observational, modeling, and analytical advances to improve climate projections and short-term forecasting.
Engage stakeholders (including policy and Indigenous communities) with authoritative, science-based updates.
Address geopolitical challenges threatening Earth observation continuity and climate records.

This forum will provide a platform to:

Share the latest findings and advancements in observational, analytical and modelling studies of sea ice across both polar regions, linking scales that impact short term forecasting and climate projection.
Systematically investigate opportunities for synergistic research activities, including adoption of Sea-Ice Best Practices as well as acquisition and sharing of data.
Identify common research challenges (such as geo-engineering projects relevant to sea ice) and priorities, including with regard to Antarctica InSync, Arctic Pulse, and the 5th International Polar Year (IPY).
Build integrated sea-ice task groups around ship-based techniques, engaging maritime uses of operational sea-ice monitoring services, and fast-ice and long-term observatories providing data sets that can provide physical constraints for system learning, integration of models and observations, role of sea ice in the coupled Earth system, such as teleconnections (i.e.,  into mid- and low latitudes) and tipping-point assessments.
Discuss and formulate an effective prototype for monthly and annual assessments of sea ice within the climatic, ecological and anthropogenic (including Indigenous communities) systems.
Foster interdisciplinary connections among observationalists (in situ, autonomous and remote), modellers, and climatologists as well as with Indigenous, Humanities, Social Science, Economy and Policy participants.

Alongside the workshop, there will be sessions with CliC OSC presentations. See the agenda below for more information.

Agenda

TimeDescription
08:15 – 08:45Welcome, opening remarks, and very brief around-room
• The State of Sea Ice: Summary of recent Arctic, Antarctic and global sea-ice decline
• Goals of the Sea Ice Day: “Bipolar Synergy”
08:45 – 09:30Session I: Bipolar Synthesis Across Communities (8 min each)
• ASIWG: Coordination between Arctic sea-ice observation and modeling communities (Ioanna and Walt)
• ASPeCt: Antarctic sea ice in the coupled atmosphere-ice-ocean system (Petra and Marilyn)
• BEPSII: Biogeochemical shifts and ecosystem impacts (Letizia) 
• SIMIP: Current challenges in modeling the “new normal” for sea ice (Francois Massonet)
• IICWG: Bridging the gap between climate research and operational ice charting (Penny and Flo)
09:30 – 10:30Session II: CliC Presentations Block I (12 + 3 min each)
10:30 – 11:00Morning Break and Networking
11:00 – 12:30Session III: Methodologies and Integration
• Standardizing the Toolkit: Adoption of sea-ice best practices across both poles
• The Hybrid Observer: Integrating in situ, autonomous, and remote sensing observations
• Panel Discussion: Addressing the “Geopolitical Gap” – maintaining Earth observation continuity despite global tensions
12:30 – 13:00Session IV: CliC Presentations Block II (12 + 3 min each)
13:00 – 14:00Networking Lunch – BYO or quick run on a holiday Sunday
14:00 – 15:30Session V: Strategic Activities and Future Initiatives
• Antarctica InSync and Arctic Pulse: How do we synchronize these two massive efforts?
• Defining the sea-ice Grand Challenges for the upcoming IPY-5
• Geo-engineering and Sea Ice: A critical discussion on the scientific and ethical implications of proposed interventions
15:30 – 15:45Afternoon Break
15:45 – 17:00Session VII: Sea-Ice Assessment and Closing
Design a prototype for monthly/annual sea-ice assessments:
• Physical constraints and tipping-point indicators
• Linking ice loss, biogeochemistry and ecosystem change

Brief rapporteur summaries: Key takeaways from the breakout groups

Closing and Next Steps
• Summary of key insights 
• Pathways for follow-up (task groups, white papers, IPY-5 inputs)
• How outcomes will be communicated beyond the Sea Ice Day

Location

Building: Rutherford House
Level: Mezzanine
Room: RHMZ03