Learn about Ice Sheets by doing an experiment, following an expedition, contacting a scientist, or designing your own community event. Launch a virtual balloon to show your involvement, and watch as people around the world join in! Take part in the live web conferencing connection with the Antarctic. Quick Ways that Teachers and Students can learn more about Ice Sheets, and get involved during the week of December 13th! 1. Learn About Ice Sheets and IPY: by reading this ...

Launch a virtual balloon to show your participation in this International Polar Day: Ice Sheets. Follow these simple steps: 1. Sign in to Tagzania 2. Select "Post" (top right), then "Point" 3. Find your location by clicking 'Go directly to the map' 4. Add the tag ipy2007icesheet 5. Fill in your other details: name, description, photos, links.... 6. See your balloon appear on the Ice Sheet Virtual Balloon Launch Map. Click on the balloons to see the pop-up text and pictures. Here is a preview: ...

PRESS RELEASE Bremerhaven, November 22, 2007. On December 9, 2007, the ice-breaking research vessel Polarstern will celebrate her 25th anniversary of service: since 1982, the world¹s most powerful polar research vessel has been venturing to the Arctic and Antarctic on behalf of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, part of the Helmholtz Association. 7600 scientist from 36 nations have gained insights into the polar oceans aboard Polarstern, facilitating our current understanding of the earth as a system. Polarstern provides ideal working conditions for international and interdisciplinary research teams and offers safe transport in polar seas. Currently, Polarstern is on her way to the Antarctic as part of the International Polar Year 2007/08. T...

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...

This week, a Nordic tissue paper company called Metsa? Tissue, launched it's campaign announcing a one million kronor donation to IPY. The majority of these funds were directed to the IPY project, KINNVIKA , but about one third was used to support the first meeting of the International Youth Steering Committee and Association of Polar Early Career Scientists. The meeting was essential for bringing together key volunteers who have been working hard over the last two years to establish an international network of polar researchers, and aspiring polar researchers, between the undergraduate and early-career stages of their careers. At the meeting, the two groups agreed to merge under the common title: APECS, Association of Polar E...

In light of record low sea ice levels, several people have asked us for information on Sea Ice animations and images. NASA has released new images and animations showing changing sea ice and comparing with the average between 1979-2007. In addition, NSIDC (National Snow and Ice Data Centre) have regular updates and latest news about Sea Ice and links to a wide range of sea ice images, graphics and animations...

Meet the SALE members. Mahlon C. Kennicutt II Project Lead for Subglacial Antarctic Lake Environments (SALE): A Unifying Phenomenon in Antarctic Earth Science SALE Main Web Site SALE UNITED IPY Project page ...

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: ...

Ship Cruises Antarctic Sea Ice in IPY (ASPECT) (IPY Project 141) ASPeCT has a number of associated expeditions investigating Sea Ice. These include: SIPEX: Sea Ice Physics and Eco-system eXperiment SIPEX website SIPEX Press Release This Australian led expedition to the Southern Ocean will be conducting a range of exciting experiments in the sea ice ...

Learn about Ice Sheets by doing an experiment, following an expedition, contacting a scientist, or designing your own community event. Launch a virtual balloon to show your involvement, and watch as people around the world join in! Take part in the live web conferencing connection with the Antarctic. Quick Ways that Teachers and Students can learn more about Ice Sheets, and get involved during the week of December 13th! 1. Learn About Ice Sheets and IPY: by reading this ...