Biogeography and Geological Diversity of Hydrothermal Venting on the Ultra-Slow Spreading

The eight arctic countries have been working together to evaluate the source and impacts on humans and the environment of contaminants (eg. PCBs, DDT, mercury etc.) since the early 1990s. Several reports released by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) have documented the distant sources of these contaminants and outlined the human and evironmental concerns. This meeting in Arctic Canada during the fall of 2008 will outline the state of knowldege on the human health concerns related to these enviromental contaminants.

This project will bring together researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Pacific Oceanological Institute in Vladivostik to study the energy budget of the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas while onboard a Russian icebreaker, the Kapitan Dranitsyn during late summer of 2007 and 2008. Measurements of incoming and outgoing radiation, carbon dioxide fluxes, and light intensity in the water column will be studied in relation to ocean surface condition. These observations will be placed in the context of the observed and predicted further reduction in Arctic sea ice.

The Kinnvika project will re-open an old research station from the previous polar year to study Arctic Warming and Impact Research. The spectrum of projects from geosciences to the humanities, investigates how the environmental and anthropogenic dynamics have changed recently in comparison with past records of change from existing expedition logs and photographs, proxy climate data from ice-, lake- and sea-sediment cores, and dynamic studies both on terrestrial as marine ice. This is a major multi-national multi-disciplined project involving 26 working groups and more than 80 Principal Investigators.

Several traverses across Antarctica are occurring this season, studying the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. They all have very informative and helpful web pages, as well as daily or weekly updates about their progress. Previous Expeditions: More information on previous International Antarctic Traverses can be found on the following pages: Summary of International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expeditions (ITASE) Previous scientific traverses across East Antarctica almost fifty years ago Current Expeditions: ...

ANDRILL’s website provides a wide range of information and activities from simple interactives, photos and images, videos, interviews and blogs from the field, and hands-on inquiry activities developed by the ARISE teachers, to an explanation of the science of drilling for sediments and developing a paleoclimate record from the evidence found in the sediment core samples. This site includes information on ice sheets and ice shelves, drill rig technology. Educators’ journals from the field in Antarctica explain the science in words and photos for non-technical audiences and children. Teachers can sign up to receive polar science curriculum materials and e-mail updates and link to many other worthwhile websites. Activity: On ...

ANDRILL’s website provides a wide range of information and activities from simple interactives, photos and images, videos, interviews and blogs from the field, and hands-on inquiry activities developed by the ARISE teachers, to an explanation of the science of drilling for sediments and developing a paleoclimate record from the evidence found in the sediment core samples. This site includes information on ice sheets and ice shelves, drill rig technology. Educators’ journals from the field in Antarctica explain the science in words and photos for non-technical audiences and children. Teachers can sign up to receive polar science curriculum materials and e-mail updates and link to many other worthwhile websites. Activity: On ...

Read about how Barrie Ford of Kuujjuaq, in Northern Canada, is spreading the word of IPY. Nunatsiaq News has the story: It could have been just called a northern office, but the idea was to have people in the North who would be concrete and visible, Ford said. Part of my job is to spread the word about IPY so people are more aware of it and know what is going on, and also to be a point of contact for scientists. Ford has spoken to schools in Nunavik, designed posters and contacted the region's mayors, where a growing awareness of climate change is sparking interest in IPY. ...

The yacht Tara has now sailed through Russian waters and into the Kara Sea. Grant is captain of this expedition which is part of the larger, IPY endorsed, DAMOCLES programme. We are following their journey into the ice, where they will drift across the arctic by posting some of the captain's logs: Passing through the Karskiye Vorota Strait between Novaya Zemlya and Ostrov Vaygach Islands this morning we have now entered the south Kara Sea. The weather conditions have changed little since the last log, cold and grey. With little wind to speak of we are ...

Aug 16: Our last few days at sea since Cape Chelyuskin have passed much like the rest since Murmansk, albeit with heightened excitement for our arrival in Tiksi. Little wind and calm conditions allowed us to make a test of our new sounder. Capable of measuring to a depth of 4,000m, this instrument will be important during the drift to assess the depth before making a CTD sounding. However, for now our minds are turned to the coming few days in our last port of call before two years in the high Arctic Ocean. Early this afternoon, shortly after fastening the mooring lines, we had the pleasure of receiving an official welcome from the people of the Sakha Republic. Adorned in traditional robes, singing and offering food and drinks provided an unexpected but appreciated reception...