After a short period in the harbor of Punta Arenas, the German research icebreaker Polarstern will start for its next Antarctic Expedition. More than 40 scientists, students and technicians will be working on board until the middle of April. The two days stay in Punta Arenas were used to get all preparations done for the upcoming 12 weeks on sea. Containers were put on board or taken off, provisions were topped up and the fuel tanks were filled with 2,800 tonnes of diesel at the bunker pier "Cabo Negro" — rnough to keep the "Polarstern" running for 12 weeks and more. On February 1st all scientists and technicians finally arrived in Punta Arenas, and all were on board Polarstern by the next day. Passports were checked and collected by the first mate S...

After a short period in the harbor of Punta Arenas, the German research icebreaker Polarstern will start for its next Antarctic Expedition. More than 40 scientists, students and technicians will be working on board until the middle of April. The two days stay in Punta Arenas were used to get all preparations done for the upcoming 12 weeks on sea. Containers were put on board or taken off, provisions were topped up and the fuel tanks were filled with 2,800 tonnes of diesel at the bunker pier "Cabo Negro" — rnough to keep the "Polarstern" running for 12 weeks and more. On February 1st all scientists and technicians finally arrived in Punta Arenas, and all were on board Polarstern by the next day. Passports were checked and collected by the first mate S...

For the participants of the Polarstern ANTXXIII/8 Antarctic Expedition, Punta Arenas means the end of an exciting journey through the everlasting ice. However, for the scientists, explorers and technicians of the upcoming Polarstern ANTXXIII/9 Expedition, this place stands for the beginning of their travel in the very eastern part of Antarctica — a place Polarstern has never been before and which only few scientists have ever put foot on. In addition to the various scientific programs, the ship and its crew will supply the German scientific station Neumayer, and a huge measuring program will be undertaken, in cooperation with the Russian Research Icebreaker Akademik Alexander Karpinsky. ...

There is a variety of material available for journalists about IPY. The IPY Brochure is a colourful hand-out about IPY for a general audience. This IPY Science Summary gives an brief overview of IPY science and activities. And here are some Frequently Asked Questions about IPY. The IPY Scope of Science provides a much more in-depth account of the breadth, variety, complexity and ...

February 15, 2007

The 8th International ACUNS Student Conference on Northern Studies, titled Melting Boundaries: Carrying Out Effective Research in the Circumpolar World will be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on October 19-21, 2007. We are expecting participants from around the circumpolar world, including Canada, United States, Finland, Norway, Russia, and other countries. Additionally, an International Polar Year (IPY) themed workshop will be held on Thursday October 18, 2007 to provide an opportunity for students to interact with leading Arctic and Antarctic researchers. The intent of this conference is to showcase student rese...

On the 2nd of February 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group 1 released a contribution to the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report: "Physical Science Basis, Summary for Policy Makers". Sciencepoles has produced a summary of the polar aspects contained in this document. Here is a short synopsis, the full article is available on our website. Overall, the report concludes that global average temperature will rise between 1.1°C to 6.4°C by 2100, and that it is 'very likely' (90% certainty) that human activities and emissions are causing global warming As key components and contributors to the global cl...

Hi everyone! I have just embarked on a two month research cruise around the coast of Antarctica. Because I like to communicate, I've set up a blog where I can send email which can then be viewed by everyone! It's a little one-way -- I won't be able to see your comments and/or read email until I get back, but it'll have to do. I am participating in a research cruise as part of the US Antarctic Program on the Nathaniel B. Palmer (NBP) to coastal Antarctica. Hopefully I will post photos after we return. In the meantime, Laurie Padman's photos on previous Anslope research cruises should be pretty close to what we're looking at. Cruise background and goals The ...

The permafrost regions occupy 24% of the Northern Hemisphere’s land area and all glacier-free areas of the Antarctic continent. To obtain a snapshot of ground temperatures, thawing rates, and organic carbon contents of the permafrost regions, four coordinated IPY permafrost programmes are underway, involving 50 individual projects from 28 countries and hundreds of researchers and students. Geographically, the programme includes both polar regions and covers the mountains and plateau regions of the mid- and low-latitudes. The major focus of the programme is to observe and document current changes in permafrost conditions. These measurements serve as a baseline against which to evaluate future changes and to validate current models. Existing networks include boreholes for ...

Hello! Word about the IPY site is starting to get around! We just received an extremely well-written and passionate note from one of our past participants. A Battle with Nature by Sharon Querido - SOI Antarctic past participant In late August 2005, a horrible tragedy struck the nation: Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, Louisiana. As the police lost control, anarchy in its worst form began to rise within the area. Though many people believe lawlessness can only lead to chaos, I have experienced anarchy as a utopia. Antarctica, exempt from governmental control by any country through the Antarctic Treaty of 1961, has become a peaceful, international territory. In December of 2005, I was invited to attend an education...