The IPY exhibit at the Exhibition on Earth observations during the Ministerial Summit of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) 27-30 Nov 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa was well attended by ministers and visitors. Dr Pierre Cilliers from the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory and Mr Michael Nxumalo, professional officer of the Souith African IPY office at the National Research Foundation set up and attended to the stand on behalf of the International IPY office. The stand also featured several posters on topics related to the South African IPY programme. The themes of the posters were among others "The Hermanus Magnetic Observatory, Contributions to Global Observations of the Earth's Geomagnetic Field", "The Hermanus Magnetic Observatory, Space Weather Observation for disast...

Terrestrial ecosystems in ARctic and ANTarctic: Effects of UV Light, Liquefying ice, and Ascending temperatures. (TARANTELLA, IPY project no. 59) IPY project page TARENTELLA website Predicted changes in climate and ozone concentrations in Polar regions, make it critically important to understand how changes in key environmental factors influence Polar terrestrial ecosystems via the modification of their individual but interconnected components. Observational and experimental research on the effect of climate change and ozone depletion is affiliated to international research programmes to t...

The October 2007 issue of the WMO Bulletin focussed on the International Polar Year 2007-2008. The issue contained an IPY overview and six articles covering polar weather, stratospheric ozone, polar atmospheric chemistry, polar oceans, cryosphere connections to hydrological cycles in the Arctic, and future space observations of polar regions. As part of its sponsorship of IPY, WMO makes the IPY articles (in English) available for free download on its website, see: http://www.wmo.ch/pages/publications/bulletin/october_2007.html These articles provide fresh reviews of many aspects of polar science. The I...

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...

In order to share their enthusiasm for the IPY with other young people, a group of NZ young polar researchers (the NZ Youth Steering Committee for the IPY) ran a contest for secondary schools this year. Students were asked to design digital interactive educational materials that can be used to communicate the international importance of the Polar Regions to other people of their age group. The winners were officially announced last week at a ceremony held at Gateway Antarctica at Canterbury University. Second prize was awarded to Carina Donald from Middleton Grange School in Christchurch who received a $1...

More than 150 enthusiastic students and their parents took a trip to Antarctica on Saturday, October 27, 2007! ANDRILL Education Coordinator Louise Huffman organized the virtual field trip with the help of Polar Trec teacher, Mindy Bell, using ARCUS’s web seminar technology. Gathered in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, 75 fifth grade girls and their parents listened to a presentation by Louise and Mindy and scientists Tracy Frank, Sandra Passchier and Staci Kim while watching a powerpoint presentation depicting the frozen south and the science being done there. The Girls + Science + Math = Success Confere...

By Dr. Frank-Oliver Nitsche, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University The Amundsen Sea continental shelf is one of the remotest areas of coastal Antarctica, and was relatively unexplored until the late 1980s. Over the last two decades, increased oceanographic and geological interest has led to several cruises that resulted in sufficient bathymetric data to compile a fairly detailed regional map of the Amundsen continental shelf. We have combined available multibeam and singlebeam bathymetry data from various sources and created a new regional bathymetry of the Amundsen Sea continental shelf and margin. Deep trough systems that dominate the inner shelf are aligned with present glaciers and separated by shallower ridges. Shaped by paleo-ice streams, these featur...

In cooperation with the approaching Sea Ice Day, IPY project ICED talks about relationships between sea ice and marine life in the Southern Ocean: Some of the strongest expressions of climate change have been noticed in Antarctica. In some areas sea ice has markedly decreased, in others it has increased. Sea surface temperatures in the west Antarctic Peninsula region have increased significantly over the last 50 years. These and other such changes affect the delicate balance of life in the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Changes in sea ice can have a direct impact on ecosystems through shifts in the amount of habitat available for ice-associated animals. Recent research revealed a decline in tiny shrimp-like creatures (krill) across the Scotia ...

Conference Announcement and Call for Papers 2007 Polar Archive Symposium 19-20 November 2007 London, UK Abstract Submission Deadline: Wednesday, 1 August 2007 Publication "Archive" Proposal Deadline: Monday, 10 September 2007 For further information, please go to: http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/about-the-faculty/events.php or contact: Kathryn Yusoff Open University E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it The symposium "POLAR: Fieldwork and Archive Fever" will be held on 19-20 November 200...

WP10 HERMES to the NORDIC MARGINS, POLARSTERN EXPEDITION PS ARK XXII/1a ( Coldwater coral reefs off Norway (72