FSU IPY Cruise: Meet Professor of Oceanography Bill Landing CLIVARI6S, Southern Ocean, approaching Antarctica: FSU’s Bill Landing works on deck in the driving sleet of austral summer. Photo by Brett Longworth Hi, again, from your outreach coordinator and the whole FSU Oceanography team. Though we’ve been “off the radar” for some time now, having traded our sea legs for terra firma, our IPY work is far from over. We’ve introduced part of our team and shared some experiences from our ship time collecting samples on the outbound leg of our CLIVARI6S transect, Longitude 30° E, from S. Africa to Anta...

Content: 1. Polar Oceans Weeks - March 2009 2. Changes in the IPO 3. Changes to ipy.org 4. Polar plans and assessments from ISAC and SCAR 5. Upcoming conferences and meetings 6. Update from APECS 7. Archiving IPY materials 8. Data, data, data - monthly reminder Report no. 24, April 2009 From: IPY International Programme Office To: IPY Project Coordinators cc: IPY Community Google Groups 1. Polar Oceans Weeks - March 2009 In March 2009, we focussed on Polar Oceans as the eighth IPY Polar Day. Our usual 'Day' turned into more than 2 weeks of activities, starting from 14th March and continuing to the end of March. Events and activities took ...

The Maryland Science Center at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Credit: Maryland Science Center On the 6th of April 2009, the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the Arctic Council met together in Washington DC. The fourty-seven signatory nations to the Antarctic Treaty include several northern countries that also hold membership on the Arctic Council, but in Washington the two polar political organizations met together for the first time. The USA hosted the meeting, at the US Department of State, in recognition of the initial signing of the Antarctic Treaty, also in Washington, in 1959, 50 years ago. The Treaty meetings extend for an additional two weeks, in Baltimore, and the Arctic Council will go on to its own meetings later this month, in Norway. This special...

Looking for some new ideas for your ecosystem unit? The latest issue of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears can help! In Tundra: Life in the Polar Extremes (Issue 13, April 2009), learn about the species and relationships that characterize the tundra in both the Arctic and Antarctica. Discover science and literacy as well as ...

The 8th Polar Day (topic: Polar Oceans) elicited so much interest that it turned into a full week of events that took place across the globe from some likely places such as Edinburgh, Winnipeg and Nuuk to some not so likely places like Brazil & Malaysia. Take a peek at some of the exciting highlights from classrooms, radio stations, field schools and public outreach sessions around the world. Edinburgh, UK: March 14th - 15th The Dynamic Earth science center hosted a hands-on public session with researchers from the Scottish Association for Marine Science who displayed Arctic research footage from recent expeditions. The most popular part of the event was when people got a chance to don the equipment worn by polar scientists. We may have just h...

Transmission Location: At sea, 21 miles south of Punuk Island (sample station NEC2), south of St. Lawrence Island. Lat/Long: 62deg 42 min N/168 deg 38 min W (grid 62.70). Time: 0834. Temperature: 1.0 dgF, Wind: 24 mph from NW. Wind Chill: ?22 dgF. Scattered clouds, 30% cover. Sunrise: 9:07 AM, Sunset: 9:22 PM. Ice: New ice, small floes, 1-2ft, high ridges. Note: large group of ~30 walrus on large floe ice edge, in and out of water. Ship’s log by Tom Litwin, scientist profiles by Tom Walker. Flying into Gambell, the Bering sea and Russian Siberian coast beyond. Photo Credit: Tom Litwin This ...

Transmission Location: At sea, 30 miles SW of Southwest Cape, (sample station SEC1.5), St Lawrence Island. Lat/Long: 62deg 49 min N/170 deg 38 min W (grid 62.82). Time: 0915. Temperature: ?0.5 dgF, Wind: 17.8 mph from NW. Wind Chill: ?22 dgF. Scattered clouds @ 1000ft. Sunrise: 9:15 AM, Sunset: 9:41 PM. Ice: New ice- Nilas/Young-/2-6”. Ship’s log by Tom Litwin, scientist profiles by Tom Walker. Laysan albatross forgage in Bering sea “hot spots”. Photo Credit: Tamara Zeller, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service The desk I’m writing at is actually a chart table in the back corner of th...

Transmission Location: At sea, 30 miles SW of Southwest Cape, (sample station SEC1.5), St Lawrence Island. Lat/Long: 62deg 49 min N/170 deg 38 min W (grid 62.82). Time: 0915. Temperature: ?0.5 dgF, Wind: 17.8 mph from NW. Wind Chill: ?22 dgF. Scattered clouds @ 1000ft. Sunrise: 9:15 AM, Sunset: 9:41 PM. Ice: New ice- Nilas/Young-/2-6”. Ship’s log by Tom Litwin, scientist profiles by Tom Walker. Think flexibility. This is an important ingredient for travel in the Northern Being Sea. A stickler for events unfolding the way planned could find this to be a very long, nerve-wracking experience. The combined influences of wind, ice, and currents humble even the best laid plans. Fluidity in mind and action serves well those working in the ice. Today is a case in point. ...

Transmission Location: At sea, 46 miles SW of Sikniq Cape (sample station SEC2), St Lawrence Island. Lat/Long: 62deg 12 min N/170 deg 16 min W (grid 62.2). Time: 0925. Temperature: ?1.5 dgF, Wind: 19.5 mph from NW. Wind Chill: ?19 dgF. Clear skies. Sunrise: 9:41 AM, Sunset: 9:39 PM. Ice: very close pack, new ice ~3ft. thick, big floes. Ship’s log by Tom Litwin, scientist profiles by Tom Walker. USCGC HEALY’S ICEBREAKING BOW, BOSON MATE JIM MERTEN Photo Credit: Tom Litwin I’m standing in the Forward Machine Room where I can put my palm on the inboard side of the Healy’s stem, the most forward part ...

Transmission Location: At sea, 25 miles SW of Northwest Cape, Gambell Village, St Lawrence Island. Lat/Long: 63deg 45.282 min N/171 deg 47.34 min W (grid 63.75). Time: 0915. Temperature: ?1.5 dgF, Wind: 19.5 mph from NW. Wind Chill: ?19 dgF. Clear skies. Sunrise: 9:41 AM, Sunset: 9:39 PM. Ice: very close pack, new ice ~3ft. thick, big floes. Note: Ravens on ice, St. Lawrence Island clearly visible from Bridge. Reports provided by Tom Litwin and Tom Walker. MOUNTAINS OF ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND’S SOUTH COAST FROM DECK OF USCGS HEALY Photo Credit: Tom Litwin The first sampling station quickly reveals t...