Polar field stations have been a key part of polar research for the past two centuries and one of the most tangible legacies of previous IPYs, yet they have been little studied. This novel project will look at field stations, both as sites of production of scientific knowledge in the field, and as flag carriers and symbols of geopolitical and diplomatic conflict and cooperation.

Scientists studying the vast Southern Ocean rarely get the chance to build a bigger picture of their often-specialised research in the Antarctic environment. ICED-IPY is a unique collection of polar scientists from different backgrounds willing to pool their collective talent and look beyond their usual focus to answer one of the biggest questions facing Antarctic science: how polar marine ecosystems operate on a circumpolar scale.

The proposed project focuses the efforts of 20 scientists in 9 countries to produce a series of benchmark data sets for the International Polar Year. Those data sets culminate in the first quantification of the total rate of ice loss by flow from the Antarctic Ice Sheet. This work will be conducted by young scientists mentored by professional scientists to help train the next generation of scientists in the use of remote sensing data of the polar regions. Satellite data include ICESat laser altimetry, Landsat optical imagery and various European and Canadian synthetic aperture radar data.

The Network for ARCtic Climate and Biological DIVersity Studies (ARCDIV) is a multidisciplinary international research initiative. The project explores the diversity of ecosystem on Arctic archipelago Svalbard, central part of Isfjorden, Billefjorden and Petuniabukta, by integrating existing and new intensive measurements of key biological and physical variables and processes.

UCAA (Upper-ocean characteristics between Africa and Antarctica) During the 26th Indian Antarctic Expedition (IAE), data collection campaign for the above project was launched. Surface meteorological parameters from ship's AWS and density data using XCTD for the upper 1000m of the water column were collected along the ship route: Mauritius-Durban-India Bay (onward journey) and India Bay- Prydz Bay- Mauritius (return journey) on board Emerald Sea. These data are being processed and results are planned to be published by end of 2007.

Origin, evolution and setting of the Gamburtsev subglacial highlands
Discovered during International Geophysical Year 1957-1958, Antarctica’s Gamburtsev Mountains extend for more than 1,200 km and rise to heights of over 3,000 m. These mountains, however, have never been seen by humans because they are covered by ice up to 600 m thick. Using aircraft and field expeditions, this ambitious project will collect major new data sets – including offshore marine, gravity, magnetics, ice radar and a wealth of geological observations – to produce a four-dimensional history of the evolution of the Gamburtsev mountains. As well as recovering samples from this last great unknown region of Antarctica, the project will shed new light on the origins of the Antarctic ice sheet and its role in future climate change.

DAMOCLES (Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies) is an integrated ice-atmosphere-ocean monitoring and forecasting system designed for observing, understanding and quantifying climate changes in the Arctic. DAMOCLES is specifically concerned with the potential for a significantly reduced sea ice cover, and the impacts this might have on the environment and on human activities, both regionally and globally.