IPY launch events around the world can be viewed live at the Arctic Portal. We also encourage everyone to launch a virtual balloon and show how many people around the world care about the polar regions and are interested in IPY. Everyone is welcome to join in, young or old, polar or tropical! The Official Opening Ceremony takes place in Paris at 11am local time. That is UTC 10:00, or, 1am in Anchorage, 5am in New York, 7am in Santiago, 3.30pm in Calcutta, 7pm in Tokyo, and 9pm in Sydney. You can watch it live or after the event on the web at the Arctic Portal, where you will also find webcasts of other national launch events from around th...

ICSU and WMO launch the largest polar research programme in 50 years IPY Launch Press Release (PDF) 26 February, 2007 International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008 officially gets underway on 1 March, 2007. IPY, which is a programme of the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), will be the largest internationally coordinated scientific research effort in 50 years. During the course of IPY, thousands of scientists, from over 60 countries and a wide range of research disciplines, will carry out 220 science and outreach projects under six major themes: Status: to determine the present environmental s...

The International Polar Year 2007-08 will be launched on the 1st of March. Across both hemispheres, dozens of nations are organizing events and ceremonies both large and small to celebrate the occasion. Together, they will engage experts, children and the general public, and will play an important role in raising awareness as to the Polar Regions' central relevance as climate archives, early warning systems, threatened habitats, and (in the case of the Arctic) homes to indigenous cultures.(This article does not aim to present each and every IPY related event or initiative. For more information on this vast collaborative effort, please refer to the ...

The Circumpolar Arctic is one of the least technologically connected regions in the world. In an effort to change that, the people who call this vast geographic area home have been stepping up to take their rightful place in the growing global information society. Over the past two decades, rapid changes to communication technologies have created a steady rise of organizations and leaders dedicated to finding ways to better promote and share aboriginal experiences, current events, traditional stories and art from all high Arctic regions. Two events, the Shared Arctic: Contemporary Circumpolar Artwork Exhibition and a Round Table Discussion entitled Breaking the Ice: Communications with the Arctic have been scheduled in Geneva, Switzerland to celebrate both the d...

The USGS Educational Resources Index for IPY let's you explore a variety of USGS resources on polar research, from maps and fact sheets to photographs and databases. Designed for researchers, students, teachers, and others interested in research and findings related to polar science, this index contains more than 65 different resources. To make finding information you're interested in easier, these resources are divided into eight categories: Alaska and the Arctic, Antarctica, Climate Change, Glaciers and Ice, Photographs, Satellite Imagery, Wildlife, and Other USGS Resources. Each entry is then broken down by three questions—What is it?,...

After a short period in the harbor of Punta Arenas, the German research icebreaker Polarstern will start for its next Antarctic Expedition. More than 40 scientists, students and technicians will be working on board until the middle of April. The two days stay in Punta Arenas were used to get all preparations done for the upcoming 12 weeks on sea. Containers were put on board or taken off, provisions were topped up and the fuel tanks were filled with 2,800 tonnes of diesel at the bunker pier "Cabo Negro" — rnough to keep the "Polarstern" running for 12 weeks and more. On February 1st all scientists and technicians finally arrived in Punta Arenas, and all were on board Polarstern by the next day. Passports were checked and collected by the first mate S...

There is a variety of material available for journalists about IPY. The IPY Brochure is a colourful hand-out about IPY for a general audience. This IPY Science Summary gives an brief overview of IPY science and activities. And here are some Frequently Asked Questions about IPY. The IPY Scope of Science provides a much more in-depth account of the breadth, variety, complexity and ...

February 15, 2007

The 8th International ACUNS Student Conference on Northern Studies, titled Melting Boundaries: Carrying Out Effective Research in the Circumpolar World will be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on October 19-21, 2007. We are expecting participants from around the circumpolar world, including Canada, United States, Finland, Norway, Russia, and other countries. Additionally, an International Polar Year (IPY) themed workshop will be held on Thursday October 18, 2007 to provide an opportunity for students to interact with leading Arctic and Antarctic researchers. The intent of this conference is to showcase student rese...

The permafrost regions occupy 24% of the Northern Hemisphere's land area and all glacier-free areas of the Antarctic continent. To obtain a snapshot of ground temperatures, thawing rates, and organic carbon contents of the permafrost regions, four coordinated IPY permafrost programmes are underway, involving 50 individual projects from 28 countries and hundreds of researchers and students. Geographically, the programme includes both polar regions and covers the mountains and plateau regions of the mid- and low-latitudes. The major focus of the programme is to observe and document current changes in permafrost conditions. These measurements serve as a baseline against which to evaluate future changes and to validate current models. Existing networks include boreholes for ...