IPY 2007-2008

ITASE Synthesis Workshop
Castine, Maine 2-5 Sept. 2008

A joint NSF-SCAR sponsored workshop hosted by the Climate Change Institute (CCI) at the University of Maine.

Registration: Please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to register. No registration fees. Please register by 1 May 2008.

Funding: Some NSF and SCAR funds are available for travel and/or subsistence. Please contact Paul Mayewski as soon a possible to request funds if necessary since they are limited.

Purpose: To integrate and synthesize research produced by ITASE (International Trans Antarctic Scientific Expedition) and associated scientific activities.

Goals:

1. To take Antarctica from the most sparsely sampled continent with respect to instrumental era climate to the best sampled for the last 200-1000 years, because of the extremely critical role that Antarctic climate change plays in global climate change (oceans, atmosphere, biological systems), and for the purpose of refining predictions of future climate change.
2. To determine where and how Antarctic physical and chemical climate has or has not changed over the last several hundred years.
3. To develop a coupled ice core – instrumental platform for assessing future climate change over Antarctica.

Specific workshop products:

1. Develop a synthesis of existing ITASE and related data to provide a detailed understanding of Antarctic climate (physical and chemical) change over the past 200-1000 years. At least one jointly authored statement paper is intended from the meeting to be first authored by a group name such as ITASE. Use this synthesis as input to the SCAR ACCE document.
2. Further the integration of ITASE climate reconstruction products and climate models addressing past and future change.
3. Synthesize ITASE data relating to the glaciological and geophysical characteristics of the Antarctic ice sheets, including integration of geophysical (GPR) and ice core data.
4. Update ICE READER - a meta data base maintained by SCAR that contains information concerning ITASE and all other Antarctic ice cores http://www2.umaine.edu/itase/content/icereader/index.html. PLEASE bring metadata (location, depth, year drilled, measurements, resolution) for your cores.
5. Update the ITASE web site. PLEASE bring updates regarding field programs, scientific achievements, and publications.
6. Maintain and further collaboration developed as part of IPY.

Host organizing committee: Paul Mayewski (CCI), Gordon Hamilton (CCI), Brian Welch (St. Olaf College)

Workshop style:
Initial one to one and one half days will be dedicated to short presentations by participants intended to summarize national ITASE and/or associated research results as relevant to the goals of the workshop.

Remaining days will be dedicated to workshop style discussion and paper writing.

Each meeting day will start with breakfast at 8AM and include lunch. Attendees are advised to arrive in Castine by the evening of 1 September (Monday, Labor Day in the US). The meeting will end at 3 PM on 5 Sept (Friday). One half day will be dedicated to seeing the sights either on foot around Castine and/or by sailboat.

Venue: Manor Inn Castine, Maine. Castine is considered to be one of coastal Maine’s prettiest and best -preserved towns. It is an ideal place to stay or use as a base for exploring coastal Mane vacation. The Manor Inn is a classic shingle style coastal Maine bed and breakfast (www.manor-inn.com). If the number of meeting attendees exceeds the bedrooms available in the Manor Inn other inns are within a short walking distance.

Travel to Castine: The closest airport is Bangor, Maine approximately 40 miles from Castine. For people interested in associated vacation travel and/or lower fares consider flying to Boston, Mass. or Portland, Maine.