Adam Soule from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution talks about his volcano research and how Antarctica is sensitive to climate change. As a volcanologist, he will study the lava flows of the past, an important process in an actively evolving planet such as Earth. The products of volcanic eruptions cover more than 2/3's of the Earth's surface and are primary means for transferring heat and mass from the Earth's interior.

Mark Kurz from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution discusses how he can find out the ages of rocks in Antarctica to discover when ice sheets and glaciers advanced and retreated on the icy continent. That knowledge, in turn, helps scientists learn more about how and why Earth's climate changed in the past, providing clues to determine how humans are affecting Earth's climate today, and the impacts climate change will have on humans in the future.

Oceanographer Mary-Louise Timmermans discusses the importance of research to determine how much the Arctic's climate is changing.

As part of the International Polar Year, Polar Discovery brings you the stories of science on ice. The polar regions are experiencing unprecedented environmental changes that are having significant impacts on global climate, ecosystems, and society. Using the latest engineering advancements, scientists are studying the changing climate at the heart of the icy Arctic Ocean, the melting glaciers of Greenland, and the creatures of Antarctica's Southern Ocean.

Return to Main Land and Life Pages Courtesy of the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research Program The McMurdo Dry Valleys are the coldest and driest desert system in the world and represent 2% of the Antarctic Continent that is free of ice. This polar desert is a configuration of barren ground, alpine, terminal, and piedmont glaciers, and ephemeral streams. The high winds and bitt...

IPY.org Introductory Presentation IPY Multimedia; videos and podcasts of IPY participants in various languages. Also available from 'Browse by' menu at top of ipy.org. Arctic Portal webcasts IPY Opening Ceremony, March 2007 (follow links from webcast archive) PolarTrec Live From IPY! Presentations by IPY scientists talking...