COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In a mission of unprecedented scale, scientists are about to cover West Antarctica with a network of sensors to monitor the interactions between the ice and the earth below -- 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The National Science Foundation (NSF) just awarded the collaboration, called POLENET, $4.5 million to plant global positioning system (GPS) trackers and seismic sensors on the bedrock that cradles the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). Lead institution Ohio State University will receive more than $2.2 million, and the rest will be divided among partners in the United States as part of an International Polar Year project. As scientists have tried to understand how climate change is af...

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...

Permafrost underlies up to 20% of the world land surface and is highly sensitive to changes in air temperatures. Large parts of the world’s uppermost permafrost are likely to disappear with increasing global air temperatures. This can lead to the release of additional greenhouse gases (in the form of carbon dioxide and the more powerful greenhouse gas methane) to the atmosphere from carbon pools that are currently stored in the permafrost. In addition, permafrost degradation will pose threats on infrastructure built on frozen ground. Paradoxically, permafrost temperature evolution is relatively unknown and global approaches to monitor ground temperatures are lacking. The location of permafrost areas in often remote areas of the Arctic and the Antarctic makes it a challenge to provide a c...

Fifty young researchers from thirteen countries around the world will meet for three days (Nov. 29 – Dec. 2, 2007) in Saint-Petersburg to learn more about the latest permafrost research methods and to discuss future plans to address climate change issues in permafrost areas. Permafrost underlies up to 20% of the world land surface and is highly sensitive to changes in air temperatures. Large parts of the world’s uppermost permafrost are likely to disappear with increasing global air temperatures. This can lead to the release of additional greenhouse gases (in the form of carbon dioxide and the more powerful greenhouse gas methane) to the atmosphere from carbon pools that are currently stored in the permafrost. In addition permafrost degradation will pose threats on infra...

By, Louise Huffman, Kate Pound & Robin Frisch-Gleason (with help from the galley staff, McMurdo Station, Antarctica!) Background: Ice sheets cover almost all of East and West Antarctica, and most of Greenland. They are as much as 3 km thick. As snow accumulates, it gets buried and turns to ice. The ice flows out from the center of accumulation, and then moves across the landscape under the influence of gravity. The ice follows existing valleys and other low points; eventually it will cover the entire landscape; only the highest peaks might poke through the ice. The ice may also carve its own valleys. The ice may be blocked by mountains. If the ice reaches the ocean it floats on the water as an ice shelf. Objectives: To model how ice shee...

Polar bear family feeding on a seal, Northwest Passage, 1999. © Hinrich Bäsemann, www.polarfoto.de In the September issue of Polar Research, the politics of science is one of the themes in an essay by historian Stian Bones, who examines Norway's role in past International Polar Years, starting with the first one in 1882-83. Bones describes the strengths of the scientific traditions of this polar nation, and he examines the varying motivations that have driven Norwegian involvement in International Polar Years. Also in this issue, scientometrician Prabir Dastidar presents the results of his research on sc...

Contents: 1. Report from the JC Meeting 2. IPO announcement 3. International Polar Days 4. Ice Sheet Day: December 13th 2007 5. AGU 6. EGU/SCAR-IASC 7. Call for 2012 Science and Policy Conference Venue From: IPY International Programme Office To: IPY Project Coordinators cc: IPY Community Google Groups 1. Report from Joint Committee Meeting The IPY Joint Committee held its 6th meeting in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, on two days in late October. For most of one afternoon we joined the Canadian National IPY Committee to learn and discuss the many facets of Canada's IPY programme. The JC focussed on IPY legacies, and pa...

The IPY International Programme Office (IPO) has recently received some sponsorship to seed a meeting of the IPY International Youth Steering Committee (IYSC), including the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS). This meeting will occur in Stockholm at the end of September. Below is background material for this meeting. Meeting Details (252 KB DOC) includes participants, overview, agenda, and logistics Planning Information and Summary (128 KB PDF) APEC...

IPY is possibly the largest and most interdisciplinary science project ever conducted. Tens of thousands of investigators from dozens of countries are collecting data in diverse disciplines in physical, life, and social sciences. The data management challenge presented by IPY is huge. The current approach to the challenge is through an informal global partnership of data centers, archives, and networks working to ensure proper stewardship of IPY and related data. This partnership is called the IPY Data and Information Service (IPYDIS) and a new web site, discussion forum, and help desk has been established at http://ipydis.org to help coordinate the effort. The IPYDIS seeks to actively engage and support the IPY community, as such, advice, critique, and suppo...