To understand not just how, but why the Arctic system is changing, and to better serve the needs of stakeholders in the changing Arctic environment, an integrated spatial-temporal and cross disciplinary approach is needed. Ongoing international collaborations have increased inter-comparability of long-term measurements. Two examples are for atmospheric and cryospheric observations through the International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere (IASOA) (www.iasoa.org) and the Global Cryosphere Watch http://globalcryospherewatch.org/). The primary measurements made by the atmospheric observatories are clouds, aerosols, radiation, chemistry, atmospheric structure, fluxes and meteorology. The primary measurements made over land by the cryospheric observatories are permafrost, soil temperatures, ground ice, ice sheets, albedo, melt-freeze cycles, and a myriad of snow properties. In most cases, the IASOA observatories are also GCW observatories and atmospheric and cryosphere observations are considerably strengthened by co-located measurements of the atmospheric boundary layer, surface and sub-surface properties, which enable studies of Arctic ice/ocean/land/atmosphere interactions and coupling. The IASOA and GCW consortiums operate by promoting standardized measurement practices and data acquisition, data accessibility, and coordination of international science collaboratory working groups. This session invites the following presentations:

1. Analyses of observations in the Arctic, including process studies, climatologies, and validation of reanalyses, prognostic models, and satellite products, in particular those that utilize both atmospheric and cryospheric observations and make regional comparisons.

2. Studies of processes using multiple sensors at a single observatory that support process understanding of the Arctic atmosphere-terrestrial-cryosphere-ocean system.

3. Studies that advance our understanding of the coupling processes between the Arctic atmosphere and the cryosphere surface.

4. Reports from projects and network organizations working to improve consistent observation practices, data accessibility and data standardization in the Arctic region.

5. Reports on status and capabilities of the individual observatories that support both IASOA and GCW.

It is expected that presentations will be relevant to providing a science foundation under the umbrella of SAON (www.arcticobserving.org/), which is purposed “to support and strengthen the development of multinational engagement for sustained and coordinated pan-Arctic observing and data sharing systems that serve societal needs, particularly related to environmental, social, economic and cultural issues” as well as the IASC atmosphere (iasc.info/working-groups/atmosphere) and cryosphere working groups (iasc.info/working-groups/cryosphere).