PNNL

Hailong Wang, an Earth scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), was selected as a non-federal co-lead for the Arctic Systems Interactions Collaboration Team within the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC). Wang began his service in January 2023.

IARPC brings together leaders from across the U.S. federal government to enhance research in the climatically crucial Arctic region. Its collaborations platform helps researchers from across sectors and Arctic communities to work together. The platform is open to all who can contribute to Arctic research.

The Arctic Systems Interactions Collaboration Team will focus on the dynamic and interconnected systems of the Arctic. Related research spans observation and modeling of the Arctic and its connections across the Earth system. Understanding the interplay between Arctic systems, such as how changes in sea ice and storm strength affect coastal erosion, can help increase the accuracy of model projections.

“I’m ready to collaborate with my co-leads from the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and other non-federal organizations, as well as members of the IARPC community.” said Wang. “Our goal is to put the relevant research plans outlined in the Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 into practice. The Arctic is a sensitive and rapidly changing region. The more we know about the Arctic, the better we can understand the effects of climate change across the world.”

Wang is an expert in modeling the interactions between aerosols, clouds, snow/ice surface, and other aspects of the Earth system. Some of his recent research has focused specifically on the Arctic region, including finding a link between Arctic sea ice and wildfires in the Western U.S. His work has been covered by the news media, including The Seattle Times, Scientific American, and Inverse.