The CIFAR Workshop, held on 23–24 March 2026 at Aarhus University, brought together researchers to advance a unified understanding of the Greenland Air–Ice–Land–Sea System (GAILSS). 

The meeting combined short scientific presentations with collaborative sessions aimed at identifying the key processes linking the atmosphere, cryosphere, terrestrial, and ocean systems. 

Participants worked to map seasonal heat and freshwater budgets, identify critical data gaps, and examine interactions spanning glaciers and fjords to the open ocean. Through discussions and breakout groups, interdisciplinary knowledge was integrated into a shared conceptual framework, resulting in a clear, high-level synthesis of the importance of these coupled Arctic systems for climate-land-ice-ocean dynamics. 

This work was structured in three parts. First, we reviewed the defining properties of the atmospheric, cryospheric, terrestrial, and marine components of the system. 

Next, we investigated the dynamic linkages between these components, with particular emphasis on how the seven surrounding seas responded to climate change and anthropogenic forcing. This analysis provided a foundation for disentangling the processes governing the formation of the lower limb of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). 

Finally, we aim at synthesized these insights into a conceptual model of GAILSS, highlighting key knowledge gaps and establishing a framework for future research.