NSIDC Cryosphere Seminar

Assessment of a changing cryosphere in the IPCC Sixth Assessment cycle: process, key messages, and the path forward presented by Dr. Chris Derksen
 
Abstract: The Sixth Assessment Cycle (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is nearly complete. In addition to the Reports of the three IPCC Working Groups, three additional Special Reports were produced as part of AR6, including the Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC). In this presentation, I’ll revisit the key messages from SROCC (completed in 2019) in the context of the more recent Working Group I assessment (completed in 2021). These key messages span observed and projected changes to the cryosphere, attribution of these changes to human influence on the climate system, and the impacts of a changing cryosphere on the polar regions and across the entire planet. I’ll also provide an overview of the IPCC process, including reflections as both an SROCC author and national delegate to the Working Group I and II approval process.
 
Bio: Chris Derksen is a research scientist with the Climate Research Division of Environment and Climate Change Canada. His research activities focus on the use of satellite data and climate models to understand climate change impacts on the Arctic. Chris has participated in numerous snow and sea ice field campaigns across the Canadian Arctic. He is the science lead for a new satellite radar mission under development with the Canadian Space Agency, and was a lead author of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate.