INteRNatIoNaL PoLaR yeaR 2007-2008
An Overview of Research Goals and Activities
National Academy of SciencesNational Academy of Engineering
Institute of MedicineNational Research Council
POLAR RESEARCH BOARD
MEMBERS:
ROBIN BELL,Chair,Lamont-DohertyEarthObservatory,ColumbiaUniversity
JAMES E. BERNER,CommunityHealthServices,AlaskaNativeTribalHealthConsortium
DAVID BROMWICH,ByrdPolarResearchCenter,OhioStateUniversity
CALVIN R. CLAUER,UniversityofMichigan
JODY W. DEMING,UniversityofWashington
ANDREW G. FOUNTAIN,PortlandStateUniversity
SVEN D. HAAKANSON,AlutiiqMuseum,Kodiak,Alaska
LAWRENCE HAMILTON,UniversityofNewHampshire
LARRY HINZMAN,UniversityofAlaska
STEPHANIE PFIRMAN,BarnardCollege
DIANA HARRISON WALL,ColoradoStateUniversity
JAMES WHITE,UniversityofColorado
Ex-OFFICIOMEMBERS:
JACKIE GREBMEIER,UniversityofTennessee
MAHLON C. KENNICUTT,TexasA&MUniversity
TERRY WILSON,OhioStateUniversity
STAFF:
CHRIS ELFRING,BoardDirector
MARIA UHLE,ProgramOfficer
LEAH PROBST,ResearchAssociate
RACHAEL SHIFLETT,Sr.ProgramAssistant
ANDREAS SOHRE,FinancialAssociate
InternationalPolarYear(IPY)2007-2008isoneofthelargestcollaborativescience
programseverattempted.FromMarch1,2007,throughMarch9,2009,scientists
from across the globe will conduct coordinated research programs in theArctic
andAntarctic.Morethan200projectsareplanned, involving50,000peoplefrom
more than 60 countries.The ambitious agenda has a distinctly multidisciplinary
approach, incorporating physical and biological sciences, social sciences, and a large
educationcomponent.
IPY2007-2008continuesalongtraditionofscientificcollaborationandachievement,
datingbacktothefirstIPY150yearsagoin1882-1883,asecondIPYin1932-1933,
andtheInternationalGeophysicalYearin1957-1958.TheNationalScienceFoundation
has already funded the first round of IPY 2007-2008 projects in the United States,
andmanyothernationshaveputsubstantialresourcesbehindthecollaboration.The
NationalAcademies’PolarResearchBoarddevelopedavisionforIPY2007-2008and
continues to provide leadership for theUnitedStates and to serve as a resource to
participantsandthegeneralpublicasIPYgetsunderway.
Today, the polar regions still represent a vast frontier ripe for scientific discovery.With
thesupportof IPY2007-2008,scientistswillwork together tounlock thesecretsof the
ArcticandAntarcticworlds:Howdoes lifepersist in these, thecoldest,darkestcorners
of the globe? How will changes in glaciers, ice sheets, snow cover, and sea ice affect
theglobalEarthsystem?Howaretraditionalwaysoflifeinthepolarlatitudesfacingthe
challengesofachangingplanet?Whatwillbediscoveredwhen21stcenturytechnology
and new scientific monitoring and observational systems examine this unique frontier?
IPY2007-2008willhelpanswertheseandotherquestions.
POLAR REGIONS CRITICALLY LINKED TO GLOBAL CLIMATE SYSTEMS
Warmertemperaturesarecausingseaicetomeltandglacierstobothrecedeandflowfasterintothesea,asillustratedbytheJakobshavnGlacierinGreenland(above).NASAdatashowsthatArcticperennialseaice,whichnormallysurvivesthesummermeltseason,shrunkby14percentbetween2004and2005.Andwhateverhappensinthepolarregionsmattershereathome—whereverhomemaybe.Meltingicecanleadtosea-levelrise,threateningcoastalcommunitiesandecosystems.Itcanalsoalterglobaloceancirculation,whichiscloselyconnectedwithregionalclimateconditions.
GLOBAL CHANGES MOST KEENLY FELT IN POLAR REGIONS
IPY2007-2008isaccompaniedbyapowerfulsenseofurgency.Recentyearshavebroughtaflurryof
troublingchangesinthepolarenvironment—changesthatarehappeningfasterthanatotherlatitudes,andfasterthanscientistshadexpected.Thawing
permafrostispopulatingthearcticwithsinkinghouses,forestsof“drunkentrees”thattiltatoddangles,
aswellasweakenedroads,runways,andpipelines.
a samPLINg of IPy PRojects
GLOBAL LINKAGES:Meltingseaiceaffectsmorethanjustsealevels.Whenpolaricefreezes,itexudesasaltybrinethatdescendstothedeepocean.Whenpolaricemelts,it
releasesrelativelyfreshwaterthatremainsintheocean’ssurfacelayers.Thisfreeze-meltcyclenotonlyaltersthecomplexionofpolaroceans,butitcanalsoalterthecirculation
ofwaterandheatthroughoceansaroundtheworld,affectingregionalclimates.DonPerovichandBruceElderoftheU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineersColdRegionsResearch
andEngineeringLaboratoryandStephenAckleyoftheUniversityofTexasatSanAntonioaresettingupasystemofbuoysbothintheArcticBasinandinAntarctica’sAmundsenandBellingshausenSeas.Thebuoyswilltakeyear-longmeasurementsofseaicethatwillhelpscientistsunderstandthechangingdynamicsofthepolarfreeze-meltcycle,
andwhattheymeanforthefutureoftheworld’soceans.
NEW FRONTIERS:Discoveredin1996,Antarctica’sLakeVostokisoneofanumberofwetenvironmentsrecentlydiscoveredbeneath4kilometersofglacialice.Theiceisfartoothickforlighttopenetrate,andthelake’swater(whichis-3oCelsius)iskeptfromfreezingonlybytheimmensepressureoftheglacier’sweight.It’snotthemosthospitableofhabitats,butonethatscientistsbelievemaybehometoauniquecollectionofmicroorganisms.CraigCary,UniversityofDelaware’sCenterforMarineGenomics,shownherewithDonCowan,willleadateamofresearcherstocharacterizethe“metagenome”(thegenomicDNAofanentirecommunityoforganisms)ofthelake’smicrobialoccupants,whichhavebeencutofffromtherestoftheworldformillionsofyears.ThisprojectisajointeffortofRussian,French,andAmericanresearchers.
UNIqUE VANTAGE POINT:PlantedamilebeneaththeAntarcticicesheetandencompassingacubickilometer,IceCubeisnoordinary
telescope.Insteadoflight,IceCube’sstringsofbasketball-sizedsensorsdetectcollisionsofneutrinoswithatomswithintheice.Mostofthese
neutrinosaretheproductofinteractionsbetweencosmicraysandtheatmosphere.Butforeverymillionoftheseatmosphericneutrinos,aneutrinofromdeepinthecosmoswillreachIceCubeafterpassingthroughtheEarth,includingneutrinosthatoriginatedinblackholes,
gammaraybursts,andsupernovaremnants.Sensorsarealreadycollectingdata,andconstructiononthetelescopewillbecompletedin
2011.Scientistshopethatthisnewkindofastronomywillleadtonewdiscoveriesabouttheuniverse.
Here are just some of the planned IPY research projects within the six key themes shaping the IPY scientific agenda.
Notallpolarresearchisdoneontheground.RobinBellatColumbiaUniversity’sLamont-DohertyEarthObservatoryisdevelopingasystemofairborneinstrumentstoexplorepolarregionsthatarecoveredbyice.Bymountingtoolslikeanice-penetratingradarantennaeandalaseraltimeteronasmallplane,Dr.Bellwillbeabletostudyanentireworldoflakes,rivers,mountains,andactivevolcanoesburieddeepbeneathpolaricesheets.
ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS:TounderstandhowclimaticvariabilityandhumanactivitieshaveaffectedtheAntarcticice,ateamofNorwegianandAmericanscientistswillworkwithoneeyeonthepastandoneonthefuture.They’llcrossoverlandfromaNorwegianbaseattotheSouthPolein2007-2008,andmakethereturntripthefollowingyear—3,000kilometersin63days.Byretracingsomeofthestepsofscientistswhotooksimilarroutesinthe1960s,they’llbeabletodetectchangesintheiceduringthelast40years.Atthesametime,thedatathey’llbecollectingcanbeusedbyfuturescientiststoanswersimilarquestions,perhapsduringthenextIPY.
qUANTIFYING CHANGE:PolarbearsmaybethemostrecognizedmembersoftheArcticcommunity,butwemightdowelltopaymoreattentiontothefungilivingunderground.Howtheseorganismsreacttowarmingtemperatureswillbekeytodetermininghowmuchofthecarboncurrentlylockedupinarcticsoilsisreleasedtotheatmosphereascarbondioxide,thelargestgreenhousegas.Usingarangeofnewmoleculartechniques,LeeTaylor,UniversityofAlaskaFairbanks,andChadNusbaumoftheGenomeSequencingandAnalysisProgramattheBroadInstitute,willconductacommunitywideanalysisofArcticfungitofindoutexactlyhowtheseorganismsfunctionintheirenvironmentandwhatkindsofchangesincreasingtemperaturesmaybring.
HUMAN DIMENSIONS:AstridOgilvie,UniversityofColorado,Boulder,willleadaninternationalteamofresearchersinanexaminationofthesocialdimensionsofenvironmentalchangeinnorthernregionsofCanada,Iceland,andNorway.Avarietyofmethodsandprojects—interviewingmembersofthefishingandwhale-watchingindustries,studyinghowfarmersinthemountainsofNorwayhaveadaptedtochangingconditions,andexaminingdiariesdatingfromasfarbackas1725—willhelpDr.Ogilvieandhercolleaguesdevelopanunderstandingofhownorthernsocietiesperceivedandwereaffectedbychangesintheirenvironment,aswellashowtheyhaveadaptedtheirlivestothosechanges.
International Polar Year 2007-2008 is an intense, internationally
coordinated campaign of research in the polar regions.
Key ReseaRch aReas• EnvironmentalStatus:Assessingenvironmentalstatusandchangeinthepolarregions
• QuantifyingChange:Understandingpastchangeandpredictingfuturechange
• GlobalLinkages:Linksbetweenpolarandglobalprocesses
• NewFrontiers:Scienceexplorationinthepolarregions
• UniqueVantagePoint:ObservingEarthandspacefromthepoles
• HumanDimensions:Sustainabilityofcircumpolarsocieties
IPy LeadeRshIPThe NationalAcademies’ Polar Research Board serves as the U.S. National Committee for IPY
2007-2008 and as the liaison to the primary international partners, the International Council
for Science (ICSU), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). U.S. federal agencies
involved in IPY 2007-2008 include the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Geological
Survey, National Institutes of Health, Smithsonian, and many others (for a full listing of U.S.
partners,goto http://www.us-ipy.gov).
ToreadmoreaboutIPYandfindouthowyoucanparticipate,visitthefollowingwebsites:
U.S.NationalCommittee:http://www.us-ipy.org
U.S.Government:http://www.us-ipy.gov
InternationalProgrammeOffice:http://www.ipy.org
IPYYouthCommittee:http://www.ipyyouth.org
Attention educAtors!Visithttp://www.us-ipy.govforalistofnewclassroomresources.
Photo credits: Sinking house and Quantifying Change: Larry Hinzman. New Frontiers (top photo): Craig Cary, University of Delaware; New Frontiers (airplane): Michael Studinger, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University; Unique Vantage Point: Gerald Przybylski, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Human Dimensions: Trond Woxen; Environmental Status: Daniel A. Dixon, University of Maine. Researcher (front cover): University of Washington; Walrus (front cover): NOAA
about the PoLaR ReseaRch boaRd
ThePolarResearchBoard isaunitof theNationalAcademiesdedicated to
enhancingunderstandingoftheArctic,theAntarctic,andthecryosphereand
providingguidancetothenationonissuesofimportanceincoldregions.The
PRBprovidesa forumfor thepolarsciencecommunity toaddressresearch
needsandpolicyissues,conductsprogramreviews,andfacilitatescommuni-
cationsonpolarissuesamongacademia,industry,andgovernment.
about the NatIoNaL academIes
TheNationalAcademyofScienceswasestablishedbyCongress in1863to
provideindependentscientificadvicetothegovernmentandnation.Today,the
Academycomplexincludesthreehonorarysocietiesthatelectnewmembers
to their ranks each year—the NationalAcademy of Sciences, the National
Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine—and the National
ResearchCouncil,theoperatingarmthatconductsthebulkoftheinstitution’s
science-policyandtechnicalwork.
POLAR RESEARCH BOARD
MEMBERS:
ROBIN BELL,Chair,Lamont-DohertyEarthObservatory,ColumbiaUniversity
JAMES E. BERNER,CommunityHealthServices,AlaskaNativeTribalHealthConsortium
DAVID BROMWICH,ByrdPolarResearchCenter,OhioStateUniversity
CALVIN R. CLAUER,UniversityofMichigan
JODY W. DEMING,UniversityofWashington
ANDREW G. FOUNTAIN,PortlandStateUniversity
SVEN D. HAAKANSON,AlutiiqMuseum,Kodiak,Alaska
LAWRENCE HAMILTON,UniversityofNewHampshire
LARRY HINZMAN,UniversityofAlaska
STEPHANIE PFIRMAN,BarnardCollege
DIANA HARRISON WALL,ColoradoStateUniversity
JAMES WHITE,UniversityofColorado
Ex-OFFICIOMEMBERS:
JACKIE GREBMEIER,UniversityofTennessee
MAHLON C. KENNICUTT,TexasA&MUniversity
TERRY WILSON,OhioStateUniversity
STAFF:
CHRIS ELFRING,BoardDirector
MARIA UHLE,ProgramOfficer
LEAH PROBST,ResearchAssociate
RACHAEL SHIFLETT,Sr.ProgramAssistant
ANDREAS SOHRE,FinancialAssociate
CONTACT THE POLAR RESEARCH BOARD
TheNationalAcademiesPolarResearchBoard500FifthStreet,NWWashington,DC20001Phone:202-334-3479http://dels.nas.edu/[email protected]
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