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PolarRES General Assembly October 2024

29 October 2024

PolarRES partners meet in Potsdam, Germany, for this year’s Annual Meeting: a pivotal moment to realise our potential and develop our legacy!

A key event on the PolarRES calendar is the General Assembly, where researchers showcase developments within their respective Work Package and outline future plans. This year’s gathering took place over three days in Potsdam, featuring a programme filled with scientific updates, lively debates, and some fun social activities. Hosted on a rotational basis, this year’s meeting was organized by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and held in the Albert Einstein Science Park – a fitting venue that includes the renowned “Einstein Tower”, a historic astrophysical observatory built in collaboration with Einstein to test his theory of General Relativity.

The opening of day 1 was all about looking ahead as we enter the third and final phase of the project where we will have to realise our potential and develop our legacy. The meeting started with a session led by Priscilla Mooney, who emphasised the significance of this crucial phase that the project is now entering. With a powerful dataset now delivered, it is time to extract as much information and insight from it as possible. Karsten Godderz, Project Officer for Horizon Europe at the European Commission’s CINEA, joined the meeting online and spoke about the importance of dissemination and exploitation activities in the finalisation stage of Horizon projects.

Afterwards all Work Packages got the opportunity to present their latest developments. You can find some of the key takeaways here.

  • WP1: Provided an overview of the predictor indices selected for different storylines. In the Northern Hemisphere, the storylines show significant differences in how the land-sea contrast may evolve under global warming. In the Southern Hemisphere, the storylines indicate high sensitivity in Antarctic warming.
  • WP2: Examined the influence of higher-resolution surface temperature data at the poles. Refined simulations show that winter cooling over Eurasia can be linked to a weakened North Atlantic jet stream. In future models, warm spells are expected to become more frequent across all storylines, with a corresponding decrease in cold spells.
  • WP3: Most simulations have been completed, a large dataset is now available for offline Model Intercomparison Projects (MIPs).
  • WP4: Aiming to integrate and synthesize research on key processes and interactions. One finding is that increases in humidity due to global warming potentially influences changes in cloud cover.
  • WP6: Supporting other WPs. Ongoing research on permafrost thaw, with impact assessments and simulations expected to conclude by March 2025 (after climate models are finalized).

On the second day, the event kicked off with a poster session, setting the stage for engaging discussions. The posters served as ideal conversation starters, sparking dialogue among our experts. This setting allowed presenters and attendees to exchange support and insights on methodologies. Plus, for the Early Career Researchers, it also provided an excellent opportunity to practise and enhance their communication skills.

Before noon, Hannah Hayes from WP7 led an interactive “Exploitation Workshop”, giving everyone at PolarRES the chance to share their insights and ideas on how best to disseminate and put to use the project’s outputs – a key aspect of all Horizon projects. The goal is for PolarRES research to inform scientific projects, shape guidelines, and influence future policies. To achieve this, several events and exploitation efforts are already in the pipeline, so stay tuned for updates on the activities planned for the project’s final year!

The afternoon of day 2 was reserved for panel reporting and individual meetings among project members. We wrapped up this productive day with a group dinner, providing an excellent occasion to blow off some steam and connect in a more informal setting. The evening outing was a much-needed break and a highlight of the trip, especially after the packed schedule of previous days.

On the third and final day of the General Assembly, the first hour featured a general meeting for a last round of interactive discussions, while Early Career Researchers attended their own ECR panel meeting. Afterwards, WP6 reported on the impact of their Work Package, and Chiara de Falco (NORCE) and Nadine Johnston (BAS) shared the outcomes of the ECR panel and the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion panel, respectively. The ECR panel also selected 3 new chairs for the last year of the project: congratulations to Abraham, Jan and Lucia!

Priscilla Mooney provided concluding remarks before we all said our goodbyes. Perhaps a bittersweet farewell for some of the Early Career Researchers wrapping up their work by the end of the year. We would like to thank everyone for making this Annual Meeting a success, with special appreciation to AWI for hosting this year’s edition. We look forward to seeing many of you again at our legacy conference (date TBD) next year!