| Summary: | The debate on the climatic impact of Arctic changeis currently focused on the fate of the perennial sea-ice andthe climatic and social effects of its disappearance. Developmentsin our observing techniques mean that we are in prospect of beingtechnically able to describe the ocean-atmosphere-cryospheresystem of high northern latitudes operating as a complete systemfor the first time. Understanding this system and improving itspredictability in models seems to be our most direct way of extendingthe ability of society to mitigate for or adapt to its changes,including global change. The integrated Arctic OceanObserving System (iAOOS), described here, is a means of piecingtogether the available PIs, gear, ships and funding on the pan-Arcticscale that seems necessary to making the attempt, and the InternationalPolar Year (2007-2009) provides the necessary stimulus for doingso.
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