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WCRP/IASC Polar Climate Predictability Workshop

2-4 April 2012
Toronto, Canada

This workshop was a follow-on meeting to the Bergen workshop in October 2010 (click here). The purpose of this meeting was to develop a draft implementation plan for an initiative, to be considered by the WCRP Joint Scientific Committee (JSC) at its meeting in July 2012, as well as at the IASC Atmosphere WG meeting in April 2012.

The JSC endorsed the proposed approach, which was expected to lead to a limited-lifetime initiative (e.g. 5 years), led by a dedicated Scientific Steering Group, which would generate a number of specific, targeted activities ranging from focused workshops to coordinated efforts of up to 2-3 years duration. It was imagined that the initiative would serve as an incubator to generate community research efforts that could be adopted, in the longer term, by more permanent components of the WCRP (e.g. CliC) or of partner organizations such as IASC and SCAR.

Key working principles were that:

The initiative must complement/engage/empower existing activities, within WCRP and elsewhere, not duplicate them

  • It should focus on defining specific activities where international coordination can make a difference, and be able to identify the added value with respect to existing activities
  • The plan for the meeting was to have a few presentations, but to devote most of the time to open discussion, and to break-out groups for writing particular sections of the plan. The main effort will need to be on the expected implementation mechanisms to address those goals.   

List of Participants

Ghassem Asrar, World Meteorological Organization, Switzerland
Cecilia Bitz, U Washington, USA
David Bromwich, Ohio State U, USA
Xianyao Chen, First Institute of Oceanography, China
Greg Flato, Canadian Climate Centre for Modelling and Analysis, Canada
Ed Gerber, New York U, USA
Sarah Gille, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, USA
Edward Hanna, U Sheffield, UK
Ed Hawkins, U Reading, UK
David Holland, New York U, USA
Julie Jones, U Sheffield, UK
Thomas Jung, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany
Johann Jungclaus, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Germany
Torben Konigk, U Stockholm, Sweden
Peter Lemke, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany
Xichen Li, New York U, USA
Yvan Orsolini, Norweigen Institute for Air Research (NILU), Norway
Jim Overland, NOAA, USA
Judith Perlwitz, NOAA, USA
Thomas Piekutowski, CSA, Canada
Marilyn Raphael, UCLA, USA
Vladimir Ryabinin, World Meteorological Organization, Switzerland
Vladimir Semenov, U Kiel, Germany
Ted Shepherd, U Toronto, Canada
Michael Sigmond, U Toronto, Canada
Doug Smith, Met Office, UK
John Walsh, U Alaska, USA

Venue, Travel and Accommodation

Venue

The workshop will be held in the Faculty Club at the University of Toronto. The Faculty Club is located at 41 Wilcocks Street, just south of College Street and east of Spadina Ave.

Travel to Toronto

Toronto Pearson International Airport can be reached from most international destinations.

From the airport, taxis cost $53-$54 to the downtown area.

Alternatively, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) runs a public bus route – route 192 Airport Rocket to Kipling subway station. The buses run frequently (every 10-12 minutes for most of the day) from Terminal 1 (ground level) and Terminal 3 (arrivals level) at a cost of $3.00. Drivers do not have change. Once you reach Kipling station, take the subway to Spadina Station or St. George Station. (Use Spadina Station if you have a big suitcase.) The hotel is a short walk from either station.
Accommodations

Blocks of rooms have been reserved at the Holiday Inn Toronto Bloor-Yorkville at the discounted rate of $129.99 per night. Please reserve rooms by March 1. To reserve a room, phone the hotel at 1-416-968-0010 (Fax: 1-416-968-7765) or go to the website and use the code WPW.

About Toronto

While April is officially spring in Toronto, the weather can vary drastically, from a lovely warm day to several cm of snow, so be sure to check the forecast before you come.

Eating in Toronto

The workshop included a continental breakfast and lunch. For dinner options, Toronto has many excellent restaurants featuring international cuisines. Many are within walking distance to the University and hotel. Below are a few suggestions:

  • 93 Harbord – Middle Eastern cuisine – 93 Harbord, Tel: 416-922-5914
  • Pomegranate – Persian cuisine – 420 College Street, Tel: 416-921-7557 (make a reservation before heading down)
  • Duke Of York – Traditional pub fare – 39 Prince Arthur Avenue, Tel: 416-964-2441
  • Spring Rolls – Chain restaurant that serves fusion Thai cusine – 691 Yonge Street, Tel: 416-972-7655
  • Babur Restaurant – Indian – 273 Queen Street West, Tel: 416-599-7720 (make a reservation before heading down)

For more information about the workshop, contact Diane Pendlebury.