Content: 1. IPY Data letters to National Committees 2. Publications, Reports, Special Issues 3. IPY Celebrations, February 2009 4. IPY at AGU Conference, December 2008 5. Current Antarctic Season 6. Images 7. IPY Closure over Holiday Season Report no. 20, December 2008 From: IPY International Programme Office To: IPY Project Coordinators cc: IPY Community Google Groups 1. IPY Data Management letters The IPY Joint Committee co-chairs have sent Data Management letters to 10 IPY National Committees (Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK). These letters encourage those countries that have national IP...

Today, Thursday December 4th, IPY is celebrating it's seventh International Polar Day, this time focussing on research Above The Polar Regions. In conjunction with this event, several IPY partners have released new information about their projects. Here are some examples: *** Global Interagency IPY Polar Year Snapshot GIIPSY ...

New rifts have developed on the Wilkins Ice Shelf that could lead to the opening of the ice bridge that has been preventing the ice shelf from disintegrating and breaking away from the Antarctic Peninsula. Full Story, including animations The ice bridge connects the Wilkins Ice Shelf to two islands, Charcot and Latady. As seen in the Envisat image above acquired on 26 November 2008, new rifts (denoted by colourful lines and dates of the events) have formed to the east of Latady Island and appear to be moving in a northerly direction. Dr Angelika Humbert from the Institute of Geophysics, Münster University, and Dr Matthias Braun from the Center for...

Solar Linkages to Atmospheric Processes (SLAP) is an International Polar Year project investigating the links between changes in solar output and weather and climate. Thunderstorms and lightning strikes drive electricity around the world and form part of a global 'atmospheric electric circuit' that flows between the ground and the lower reaches of the ionosphere – about 80km up. Thunderstorms and electrified clouds are the 'batteries' of the atmospheric electric circuit, which drive the current from the ground to the ionosphere, while lightning is a visual representation of the current. The flow of current around the world is modulated by cosmic rays, whic...

New rifts have developed on the Wilkins Ice Shelf that could lead to the opening of the ice bridge that has been preventing the ice shelf from disintegrating and breaking away from the Antarctic Peninsula. The ice bridge connects the Wilkins Ice Shelf to two islands, Charcot and Latady. As seen in the Envisat image above acquired on 26 November 2008, new rifts (denoted by colourful lines and dates of the events) have formed to the east of Latady Island and appear to be moving in a northerly direction. Dr Angelika Humbert from the Institute of Geophysics, Münster University, and Dr Matthias Braun from the Center for Remote Sensing, University of Bonn, spotted the newly formed rifts during their daily monitoring activities of the ice sheet via Envisat Advanced...

MEDIA ADVISORY On December 4th, 2008, the International Polar Year 2007-8 (IPY) will launch its seventh International Polar Day focusing on research Above the Polar Regions, including meteorology, atmospheric science, astronomy, and the view of the polar regions from space. This event coincides with the start of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA). During the week of December 4th, IPY scientists will make themselves available to discuss their research and answer questions from university students, the media, general public, and school children. Activities include live events, a world-wide ‘launch a virtual weather balloon

Background NISSE may evoke for some of us a short Elf type fellow with a long beard and a red knitted cap. According to an old tradition Norwegian farmers believe that if Nisse lives in their barns, they will be blessed. Therefore around Christmas when the Nisses are active, they prepare food for them and, believe it or not – it's always eaten up by the next morning! Some other readers may be familiar with the name NISSE because of a Norwegian s...

Below is a list of Press officers responsible for IPY events around the world.

Please also consult National IPY Committees for information on national events.

ICSU: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , ICSU Paris
WMO: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Australia: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Government Antarctic Division
Canada: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Canadian IPY secretariat

Did you know that Antarctica is home to the world's southermost active volcano? Do you teach about the forces that change Earth's surface: wind, water, and ice? If so, you'll want to check out the latest issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine! In the December 2008 issue, Earth's Changing Surface, you can explore topics such as erosion, earthquakes, and volcanoes and discover ideas and resources for including the polar regions in an earth science unit, including: Content refr...

How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch For grades 4-9 (and their teachers and parents!) As Environmental Education professor David Sobel writes in this book’s introduction: “The global climate change wave is cresting and it’s about to crash on public schools. Empowerment needs to be the core element of the approach.” Robert Coontz, deputy editor of Science Magazine wrote: “This beautiful and informative book fills a major gap in environmental writing for children. It cove...