IPY 2007-2008

Ice Cold Science: and exhibition on Polar Research into Global Warming will take place from 28 April 2007 until 26 October 2008 at the Sonnenborgh Museum and Observatory, Utrecht, The Netherlands.


Global Warming is a well known phenomenon. Every day, newspapers are reporting on rising sea levels and the melting of the polar ice cap. But how do the researchers really know this? What kind of investigation is carried out to predict forthcoming climates? Embark on an expedition to the Sonnenborgh and discover the answers at the Ice Cold Science exhibition.


…Fighting the bitter cold, you make your way over the ice cap. You pinpoint your exact location using a combination of chronometer readings and the starry sky. In temperatures below- 20˚C, you begin your investigation into the condition of the ice caps. A weather station provides current data from the South Pole and the past history is read from the core sample taken from the ice. The instruments used during the 1882-1883 Dutch polar expedition and a radiosonde used in the thirties for taking height measurements show how climate research in the North and South Poles has developed.

Climate change is most apparent in Polar Regions. Polar research makes it possible to interpret variations in climate and through this, to predict future patterns. What will the weather be like on 5 July 2057? Reinier van de Berg makes a forecast for this date. The visitor can experiment with his own energy consumption and will discover that he can contribute to a better environment from the comfort of his own armchair!

Contact: for address and opening hours see the IPY NL website or the museum website (in Dutch only)