Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning (SNAP)

Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning (SNAP) is a part of the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks - a global and national center of arctic expertise. SNAP develops data products, visualizations, and analysis tools to aid the study of interrelated systems, improve decision making, manage resources, and inform policy. SNAP projects address: Ecosystem change; Fire and post-fire processes; Permafrost, hydrology, and water resources; Public safety and infrastructure; Forestry, mining, and resource development; Subsistence and wildlife resources; Sea ice and coastal erosion; and more.

SNAP produces downscaled, historical and projected climate data for sub-Arctic and Arctic regions of Alaska and Canada; and shares other types of project-specific data that cover much larger regions. Detailed descriptions of the SNAP methods are available, but in general SNAP uses statistics, geographic information systems, remote sensing, visualization and cartography, software programing, engineering, ecological modeling, and print and web design to create their products.

Some of SNAP’s current projects (as of May 2015) include:

State change and vulnerability in the Alaska boreal forest
Arctic climate change impacts on ecosystem services and society
Assessing climate change impacts on forested ecosystems of Alaska
Chugach climate change scenario planning (SNAP, along with the UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research, is collaborating with Chugach National Forest and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to project ecological and socioeconomic effects of climate change in the Chugach region.)
Projecting changes in land cover and habitat suitability (with USGS)

SNAP has developed many publicly available modeling and mapping tools for Alaska and the Arctic region, including:

Community Charts: Explore temperature and precipitation histories and projections for thousands of communities across Alaska and Canada

Daily Precipitation: Analyze historical and projected daily precipitation amounts for communities across Alaska

Extreme Weather: Explore CMIP5 quantile-mapped daily data to analyze the frequency of extreme daily temperature and wind events from 1958 and projected through 2100

Historical Sea Ice Atlas: View historical sea ice data collected between 1850 and today on an interactive map of the seas off northern Alaska

Modeled Sea Ice Coverage: Explore and visualize various models of historical and projected arctic sea ice extent and concentration through 2099

Regional Climate Projections: Use the interactive map tool to browse and compare climate scenarios created from SNAP data

Sea Ice and Wind: Examine projected interactions between monthly sea ice concentrations and extreme wind events

Phone: (907) 474-7535

Related Organizations:

University of Alaska Fairbanks