Background

One of the great challenges for global society over the coming century is impending climate change driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and other climate forcers. In the Arctic, the warming climate has already had strong impacts on ice sheets, sea-ice cover, ecosystems, and biodiversity with additional consequences for local communities, business and industries. These effects are likely to increase dramatically over the next 100 years with strong feedback effects for the rest of the world. As a consequence, the Arctic environment, the abiotic system, the biosphere and the society are under rapid transformation.

Aim

The Aim of STAAR is to further develop expertise in Arctic research such that some of the most relevant questions on local, regional and global scale can be addressed. Special attention will be paid towards climate-related research as climate change is a central driver for a rapid changing Arctic which in turn affects Arctic societies. Focus will be on both threats and opportunities. 

Basic research on key processes for understanding the vulnerable Arctic environment and on the interaction between the Arctic environment and societies will be most important activities. Both research within pure disciplines and interdisciplinary activities will be carried out and results will be disseminated to the relevant authorities.

Mission

STAAR organizes the scientists working with Arctic subjects in the Department of Environmental Science at Aarhus University in order to optimize and assemble synergies in Arctic research in the department and promote interdisciplinary research. It is the idea to strengthen the quality of research carried out in the department as well as to increase the visibility of the Arctic activities in Aarhus University internationally. Within the STAAR the Department of Environmental Science will reach out to connect Arctic researchers from all over the world and facilitate bridges between major Arctic projects carried out on different continents.

Vision

The vision of STAAR is to form at least one research center at highest international level for Arctic research. This is planned by obtaining a major grant (> 5 mill. € over the next 6 years) within the next one to three years. The center will carry out research in specific Arctic research areas and will be based on a multi-disciplinary approach. The center will include the whole carrier line of researchers from master thesis students to professors and continuously hosting 2-3 visiting scientists and it is anticipated that there will be 15 active senior researchers and about the same total number of post docs and Ph.D. students hosted in the center.  

Projects within Arctic research in the Department of Environmental Science are listed below.

• Villum Research Station - VRS (Station Nord). Web site for Villum Research Station. (HSK)
• Effects of short lived pollutants on atmospheric chemistry, health and climate in the Nordic and the Arctic region (FREYA). (ULAS)
• AMAP CORE Air*. (HSK)
• Climate forcers in the High Arctic (CLIF). (HSK)
• INTERACT (HSK)
• ICOS(LLS)
• Meteorology and pollution in the Arctic (Metapol). (ANMA)
• PhD project (Robert Lange). NUMEN. (ANMA)
  PhD project (Ingeborg, JAKN)
• Transport of non-methane hydrocarbons. (RBO).
• Verification/intercalibration of POP sampling. (RBO)
  CAMS 84. (KMH)
• Model validation.(KMH)
• Impact of black carbon on air quality and climate in Northern Europe and Arctic. CarbonNord. (CAG)
• Emissions from shiPs and the Impacts on human healTh and envirOnMEnt in the nordic - now and in the future. EPITOME. (CAG)
• Dechloran plus. (KVO)
  SCCP. (KVO)
• Contaminants peregrine falcon eggs. (KVO)
• Brominated flame retardants in pilot whales. (KVO)
  AMAP Core biota.(KVO/RBO)
• AMAP assessment new contaminants.(KVO)
• AMAP assessment POP and climate. (KVO)