Experts from around the world are meeting in Lanzhou, China today through July 28, 2018 to advance preparations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC).

At the meeting, which brings together more than 100 scientists from more than 35 countries, SROCC lead authors will discuss next steps and update their chapters, addressing more than 12,000 comments from the expert review of the first order draft. The second order draft will be available for expert and government review in November 2018. The report will be finalized in September 2019.

More about the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere

Following proposals from several governments, the SROCC assesses the latest scientific knowledge about the physical science basis and impacts of climate change on ocean, coastal, polar and mountain ecosystems and human communities that depend on them.

The word cryosphere—from the Greek kryos, meaning cold or ice—describes the areas of the Earth where water is found in its solid state. This includes ice sheets, frozen lakes and rivers, regions covered by snow, glaciers, and frozen soil. Vulnerabilities of different ecosystems as well as adaptation capacities are evaluated, and options for achieving climate resilient development pathways will be presented. The report is being prepared by IPCC Working Group I, which assesses the physical science basis of climate change, and Working Group II, which deals with impacts, adaptation and vulnerability.

Lanzhou Events

An outreach event will be held at the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science on Thursday, July 26, 2018 from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. (320 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou: 7th floor conference room, building 3). Speakers will include: Tao Wang, director of the Institute of Northwest Eco-Environment and Resources; Valerie Masson-Delmotte, co-chair IPCC Working Group I; Hans-Otto Pörtner, co-chair IPCC Working Group II; Regine Hock, University of Alaska Fairbanks, coordinating lead author SROCC Chapter 2 “High Mountain Areas”; Stephan Gruber, Carleton University, lead author SROCC Chapter 2 “High Mountain Areas”; Moderator: Shichang Kang, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science. —IPCC