Following a decision by the Arctic Ocean Sciences Board (AOSB) in July
1996 the then chainnan, Geoffrey Holland, wrote a letter of invitation
to a meeting to plan a "Symposium on the Freshwater Balance of the
Arctic". The meeting was held in Ottawa on November 12-13 1996 and was
attended by representatives of various organisations, including the U.S.
National Science Foundation (NSF), as well as individual scientists.
Results of this meeting included: - Co-sponsorship with AOSB by the
Scientific Committee on Ocean Research (SCOR), the Arctic Climate System
Study (ACSYS) and the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment
(GEWEX). - A decision to apply for funding as a Advanced Research
Workshop (ARW) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
Scientific Affairs Division. - That expenses would be covered in part by
funds available through an existing NSF grant to the SCOR Executive
offices in Baltimore, MD. - The appointment of myself to be
Chairman/Manager for the Symposium. - Provision of a recommended list of
Scientific Advisors to assist the Chainnan in selecting key speakers.