The Greenland Ice Sheet is an outstanding archive of information about what the Earth’s climate was like in the past, and the water locked in its ice will have a major impact on sea level rise due to climate change. Because of this, understanding how Greenland will react to global warming is crucially important. By gathering seismic data, ice cores and using radar, laser ranging and echo sounders, this project will shed new light on the Greenland Ice Sheet and improve scientists’ ability to model how it will react to climate change.

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is currently undergoing rapid change, in particular over the Amundsen Sea Emabayment (ASE) region, and this may lead to accelerated future sea-level rise. Previous aerogeophysical investigations over the Siple Coast reveal that the geology of the West Antarctic Rift System may strongly modulate the dynamics of fast-flowing glaciers that drain the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. But what are the interplays between the virtually unknown sub-ice geology and the apparently thinning and retreating ASE glaciers, such as Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier? We will utilise new airborne geophysical data collected by UK, US and German teams over the ASE region to provide a unique window on the lithospheric cradle for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and to study the geodynamics of the largest glaciated rift system on Earth.

Climate of the Arctic and its role for Europe/Arctic System Reanalysis The overall objective of IPY-CARE (International Polar Year - Climate of the Arctic and its Role for Europe) is to create, co-ordinate and prepare a Pan-European science and implementation plan for Arctic climate change and ecosystems research programme as contribution to the International Polar Year.

Changing Trends in Polar Research as Reflected in the History of the International Polar Years The aim of the project is to study to what degree research in the Arctic and Antarctic during the first three International polar years primarily was driven by scientific criteria. To what extent were compromises made in the light of political barriers, territorial borders of circumpolar countries and logistical limitations? Employing historical perspectives we will review essential background factors during international workshops and conferences.

International Team Collects New Information about Ice Sheet Growth and Collapse With a Long-range Aircraft in East Antarctica Our international team will conduct an airborne survey over the central East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS), which has been nearly inaccessible until now. We will use a long-range aircraft to fly from a US base deep into the interior of the EAIS over a two-year period. The team will use radar and other airborne instruments to image the EAIS’ internal features and the bedrock below the ice. The observations will allow our team to study ice sheet formation and decay, as well as subglacial lakes, subglacial geology, and changes in ice accumulation through time.

Dense water formation in Polar areas; Impact on global ocean circulation and climate This international team of oceanographers will embark on expeditions to the Polar Oceans with ice going vessels to measure ocean temperature, salinity and currents, ice formation and distribution. They will employ remote sensing as well as bottom anchored instrument moorings to feed global numerical models. The project will try to estimate the impact of dense water formation in the polar regions on the global ocean circulation and climate.

Northern Material Culture through International Polar Year Collections, Then and Now: In the Footsteps of Murdoch and Turner This project is a modern version of the ethnological collecting by the 1st International Polar Year (IPY) expeditions to Pt. Barrow, Alaska and Fort Chimo in Quebec. It will involve Northern community residents, including students. Current material culture will be documented with digital photograpy and gathering of information on how the items are made and used. Educators can incorporate this into broader educational activities, which will expose students to the Arctic, Northern peoples and Arctic research history.

The International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere Program is coordinating intensive measurements of the Arctic Atmosphere in Canada, Russia, Norway, Finland, Sweden and the U.S. The focus of the program is to combine information so that it can be determined WHY and not just HOW the atmosphere is affecting Arctic climate change). The activities and partnerships initiated during the IPY are expected to continue for decades.

"What does it mean for an bird to be sick? How does this affect not only survival but also reproduction. In short, the aim of the project is: The role of parasites and pathogens in determining the size and distribution of arctic and antarctic bird populations. 1. Study geographic variation in infections, parasite loads, viral prevalence, immune system functioning 2. Study the effects of infections, parasites, viruses and immune response on fitness parameters and energetics of individually marked birds 3. Link the observed trends to pathogen-host (or parasite-host) interaction, dynamics of the pool of pathogens and pollution levels. 4. Modelling future scenario’s of geographic variation and relating the findings to climate change, nature management and human health."