National Institute of Polar Research

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The Arctic / Arctic Environment Research Center

As a bridge of Japanese and international Arctic researches

Director  Hiroyuki ENOMOTO

The Arctic Environment Research Center (AERC) was established in June 1990 at the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) to promote the study of sea ice, oceanography, marine ecology, terrestrial ecology, atmospheric sciences, glaciology, and upper atmospheric sciences. Since April 2015, AERC has started enhancements of international research planning and cooperative works. AERC is gathering and providing information on Arctic observations and arranging a cooperative use of Arctic observation facilities. AERC manages and supports the use of an Arctic observatory in Ny-Ålesund, and an office at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen Island. It assists researchers by supporting registration, providing base information, and implementing safety measures. AERC assists in the international cooperation for polar observations, such as the Antarctic-Arctic aurora conjugate observation point in Iceland and the EISCAT (European non-interference scattering) radar project.

University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)

Ny-Ålesund Research Station

NIPR operates a research station at Ny-Aiesund on Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard Islands (79o N, 12o E), with support from the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) since 1991. The station has engaged in the observations of clouds, aerosols, radiation, aurora, greenhouse gases, vegetation distributions and ecosystem studies within the international cooperative observation system in Ny-Åiesund.

Regional strengthening of the North American academic base

NIPR is strengthening research collaborations with the International Arctic Research Center(IARC), University of Alaska Fairbanks

Implementation of the GRENE Arctic Climate Change Research Project

NIPR has been managing the Green Network of Excellence (GRENE) Arctic Climate Change Research Project since 2011. AERC provides the core functions for the implementation of management and planning. With the initiation of the new project, AERC has been improving its management operations and has made data from the Arctic Data archive System (ADS) readily available.

The Japan Consortium for Arctic Environmental Research (JCAR)

JCAR established in May 2011, is a nation-wide-network based organization for promoting Arctic environmental research. AERC supported JCAR office. JCAR coordinates future research plans, the development of research infrastructure, and the promotion of early career development. JCAR also gathers and distributes domestic and international information on the Arctic environment. JCAR supported the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW), held in April 2015 at Toyama, Japan.

Ny-Ålesund Research Station

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