Work

Toward community-ready weather observations in a rapidly changing Arctic: bridging local needs, extreme events, and climate adaptation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Arctic communities are increasingly facing rapid-onset hazards; however, lower-tropospheric observations remain limited, constraining predictability. Previous enhanced observation efforts improved forecast skill but remained costly and impractical for community use. We synthesized these lessons and advocate for low-cost, community-ready atmospheric profiling systems that provide on-demand vertical data and interfaces with emerging AI-based forecasting models. This scalable paradigm can strengthen short-range hazard prediction and climate resilience across polar and other data-sparse regions.

Source: npj Climate Action

DOI: 10.1038/s44168-026-00383-1

Authors: Jun Inoue, Hajo Eicken

Institutions: The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, National Institute of Polar Research, University of Alaska Fairbanks, International Arctic Research Center

Language: English

Topic: Indigenous Studies and Ecology

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,340