Welcome to the Shishmaref Climate Study (SCS) project website. The SCS is being funded by the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) to help evaluate potential new runway locations for the community of Shishmaref. Wind data is being collected for evaluating the safest runway alignment orientations. Additional climate and soil subsurface data is being collected to evaluate various designs for runway embankments, and the thermal performance of these designs under different climate-change scenarios.

There are two stations (SCSM1 and SCSM2) monitoring the two potential runway conditions. The project is also coordinating with other nearby climate studies by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, International Arctic Research Center (IARC), and the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL). Climate information has many applications. These applications can include traveler safety, use in weekly weather forecasts, development and evaluation of new housing and building designs, and downscaling of regional climate change scenarios.