What does ACSIS mean in CLIMATE

ACSIS stands for Atlantic Climate System Integrated Study which aims to research and understand the climate changes in the North Atlantic Ocean and its impacts on global, regional, and coastal environments.

ACSIS is a multi-disciplinary multi-organizational effort that involves many partners from government organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities, and research institutions in the US, Canada, and Europe.

The main objectives of ACSIS are to better understand the key physical, chemical, biological processes linking climate change and ocean variation within the North Atlantic as well as their effects on ecosystems, including fisheries.

Researchers involved with ACSIS study topics related to climate variability and change such as sea level rise; ocean currents; wind patterns; extreme weather events; eddies; air-sea interactions; biological systems; carbon dioxide cycles; polar ice caps and glaciers; acidification of the oceans.

Human activities are significantly influencing both natural variations and observed changes in land surface temperatures throughout the North Atlantic region. These include increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), ozone (O3) as well as emissions from deforestation activities. These emissions are altering Earth’s energy balance leading to a rise in mean global temperature.

Scientists measure changes in temperature structure using satellite data to observe how fast ice melts or sea level rises caused by ocean warming or how quickly Arctic snow cover decreases when permafrost thaws due to warmer temperatures associated with climate change. Sea surface salinity is also measured using satellite data enabling scientists to better predict future oceanic trends associated with global warming such as more powerful storms over coastal areas or increased flooding due to rising sea levels.

Researchers use advanced instrumentation such as sensors attached to autonomous gliders or drifting buoys equipped with pressure transducers for measuring ocean parameters like temperature, salinity, oxygen concentration etc., sediment cores for analyzing past environmental conditions that can help provide clues about future transformations due to global warming.

Yes! Citizens can volunteer their time on research projects run by academics analysing their local environment. They could also join citizen science initiatives such as Opwall Expedition where citizens work together with trained marine biologists surveying coral reefs threatened by increasing sea surface temperature associated with climate change.