Interdisciplinary Research for Arctic Coastal Environments (InteRFACE)

Coastal environments in Arctic regions are facing unprecedented change as historically reliable climate patterns shift. The interaction and interdependence of fresh-water, salt-water, land, and atmospheric systems in these areas is complex and not as well-understood as we would like. In an attempt to better understand those systems and the effects of a changing climate on them, the project will integrate expertise in new ways across the new U.S. Department of Energy Complex and UAF.

What we are doing

The project focuses on three key scientific questions:

1. How will changes in the nature of sea ice affect Arctic shipping and resource extractive industry?
2. How will shifts in coastal rivers affect coastal ecosystems and economies?
3. What will the impact of coastal erosion and flooding be on coastal communities and infrastructure?

The collaboration spans a number of DOE departments including Los Alamos National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, who work alongside researchers across groups within IARC including SNAP.

Further information on the InteRFACE project is available through the Department of Energy Office of Science.