Written 6 December, 2007 3589 meters above sea level Minimum temperature: -41 °C One of the associated projects that we accommodate on the traverse is to collect samples for studies of concentrations of black carbon in the snow pack. Black carbon originates from the industrialized parts of the world and is transported to the Polar Regions through the atmosphere. Presence of black carbon efficiently reduces the surface albedo, i.e. how efficient the surface reflects solar radiation. The lower the albedo, the more solar energy is absorbed at the surface which in turn can reduce the albedo even more by changi...

Written December 5, 2007 3585 meters above sea level After traveling all day, tonight we set camp at a location where satellite imagery told us we would experience very different snow structure across an expanse of several kilometers. Standing outside the vehicles and looking out across the expanse of the ice sheet, on casual inspection it looked pretty much the same in all directions; very small surface roughness with evidence of shifting winds, including occasional patches of shiny wind-induced surface polish. Yet our crevasse-detection radar had recently begun showing signs of unusual vertical fe...

Contents: 1. IPY Science Day: Ice Sheets, December 13th 2007 2. AGU 3. Data Coordinators 4. IPO in December 5. IPY Events and Conferences 6. Logos and Clothing 7. Two recent meetings 8. Blog on IPY.org From: IPY International Programme Office To: IPY Project Coordinators cc: IPY Community Google Groups 1. IPY Science Day: Ice Sheets, December 13th 2007 December 13th marks the second IPY Science Day, focussing on Ice Sheets. You can find information from more than 20 IPY Projects researching various aspects of Ice Sheets on ipy.org, as well as an educational flier, in 16 languages, and information for teachers and media. Show your involve...

Contents: 1. IPY Science Day: Ice Sheets, December 13th 2007 2. AGU 3. Data Coordinators 4. IPO in December 5. IPY Events and Conferences 6. Logos and Clothing 7. Two recent meetings 8. Blog on IPY.org From: IPY International Programme Office To: IPY Project Coordinators cc: IPY Community Google Groups 1. IPY Science Day: Ice Sheets, December 13th 2007 December 13th marks the second IPY Science Day, focussing on Ice Sheets. You can find information from more than 20 IPY Projects researching various aspects of Ice Sheets on ipy.org, as well as an educational flier, in 16 languages, and information for teachers and media. Show your involve...

Report no 6 Written December 5, 2007 We are on our way now with four tracked vehicles and five sledges. Our departure became delayed by a few extra days due to practical problems of various kinds. We started our traverse on December 4 and are now heading towards the Swedish station Svea. Some load adjustments will be carried out during the next few days to level the speed of the tracked vehicles. The plan is to drive to Svea and make some fuel arrangements and then go up Kibergdalen to the Polar plateau. Our science plan is unchanged but sample density and sample timing have by necessity been adjusted to the present situation. Today we took a firn core close to the nunatak Fossilryggen and we also took snow samples for different projects. The weather ha...

MEDIA ADVISORY: DECEMBER 13TH: IPY DAY FOCUSSING ON ICE SHEETS IPY_Ice Sheet Press Release PDF December 5th, 2007 On December 13th, 2007, the International Polar Year (IPY) will launch its second 'International Polar Day', focussing on Ice Sheets and Traverses. In preparation for this, a special webpage, has been prepared with information for Press and Educators, details of current projects and expeditions, contact details for scientists around the world, including in the polar regions, images, background information and useful links and resources. ...

Written December 3, 2007 3590 meters above sea level With a sense of accomplishment, this noon we bid farewell to the packed snow and the lone temperature array transmitter, which is all that was left to mark our drilling site 91. Under a cool, cloudless sky, the horizon looked identical in all directions: flat and white, with lighter sky near the horizon fading into a deep blue straight up. Very small patterns formed by drifted snow, less than ten centimeters high, now provide the major surface features. Such a huge expanse dominated by the smallest of features! The calm, clear, sunny day makes th...

Written December 3, 2007 3587 meters above sea level Minimum temperature: -47 °C Clear, sunny skies today made it possible for a long-planned flight to visit us at site 91. We said good-bye to three of the part-time traverse crew, Tom, Unni, and Torbjørn, who are heading back to their jobs and families. They were a big help and also a joy to be with, and we will miss their company as we continue the traverse toward South Pole. Today was also a special day, almost like Christmas, for our lead mechanic, Kjetil, who received six differentials for the vehicles! Two have broken so far on the traverse, and Kjetil has been able to replace them in the field. We are all hoping that now that we have plenty of extras, they will not be needed! ...

"Ivan’s Appeal" is a new book by Catherine Drury which explores global climate change via Ivan, a talking iceberg. Aimed at 8-11 year olds, it is now available for order via this form, which also contains more information about the book (ISBN 978-1-904985-57-0). Below are some reviews of Ivan’s Appeal. Melanie Lister-Kaye Education Manager, Aigas Field Centre:Earnest, informative and sincere: Ivan’s appeal is packed full of information and ideas conveyed through endearing characters and a strong plot that is accessible to most children in the UK today. This book is a must for parents struggling to answer their children’s questions about climate ch...

Written 2 December, 2007 3587 meters above sea level Minimum temperature: -45 °C Now that we have been here at Site 91 for three days, several of the main tasks here are done, and the list of things to do is becoming shorter. The big event yesterday was finishing the 90 meter ice core (well, 90.40 meters actually). Drilling went so well that the core was finished almost a day early. Mary and Tom also finished the work in the snow pit by measuring the thermal conductivity and grain size, and collecting samples for stereology, stable isotope analyses, and trace chemistry. Atsu and Jan...