The Challenges of Polar Science We gain a better understanding of our planet through excellent science. However, carrying out scientific research at the poles presents some unique challenges, and requires special cooperation among countries and individual scientists. The International Polar Years Cooperation in polar research has been marked by bursts of activity called International Polar Years. Such an IPY typically lasts for more than twelve months, to include full winter and summer seasons at both poles. The first IPY was held in 1882 – 83 and the second fifty years later. A third IPY, planned for 1957-58, grew into an 'International Geophysical Year’. Understanding the complex and rapidly changing polar systems during IPY 2007 – 08 demanded international collaboration across disciplines and among nations. For example, understanding the net change of Antarctic or Greenland ice sheets required integrated research and knowledge from glaciologists, meteorologists, hydrologists and oceanographers of many countries. In addition to excellent and broad interdisciplinary science, the planners of this 'fourth' IPY recommended effective science communication to a wide audience, communication that would involve many languages, fonts, writing styles and modern communication tools. This IPY also highlighted a need for improved communications and data sharing within science, among researchers working in different locations and disciplines. The cold remote polar regions remain difficult places for humans to live and work, and are places where governments maintain small but expensive research stations. The logistics of polar research (including transport, food, fuel, hardware, safety and communications) also require extraordinary international cooperation at all levels. Science funding and relevance Science competes for funding priority in every country. As national budgets get ‘squeezed’, justifying the expense of polar science gets progressively harder. Sometimes, as happened during the recent IPY, public attention, informed by polar news from 'online' sources, stimulates and converges with political interest, allowing a momentary burst of funding for polar research. Despite this ready access to scientific news, the public generally does not grasp the natural processes of science. As a consequence, distinction between legitimate scientific news and deliberate disinformation becomes difficult, as can be seen with the current confusion around climate change. Science itself exacerbates this disconnect when it fails to utilise modern information tools. For individuals who have grown up in a world of instant, informal and international access to almost any piece of information, the way current scientific data is portrayed seems irrelevant and cumbersome. The speed of science The 2007 – 08 IPY revealed surprisingly rapid changes in sea ice, permafrost, glaciers, oceans, terrestrial and marine polar ecosystems, and the internal and external challenges faced by polar communities. In many cases these rapid changes challenged our fundamental understanding of the earth's processes. Meanwhile, the speed at which science operates remains snail-like, with: • 5 years of specialised education needed to develop skills; • 3 – 5 years needed to gain funding and collect data • 2 – 3 years needed to interpret the data • 5 – 7 years needed to publish the results and develop predictive models. Such a timeline for research careers unfortunately means that results become quickly outdated and preliminary hypotheses become irrelevant, especially in a rapidly changing environment such as the poles. Although many IPY Projects focussed on vulnerable polar ecosystems, with the hope of developing prediction skills and protection strategies, it is likely that major changes have already occurred. Examining sponges in Antarctica, Image, University of Illinois, Wikicommons About science communication... "In the time it took me to write 15 words for the printed page, young students walking within my sight sent at least 1500 words as txt to and from each other’s mobile phone. We publish our data as obscure black-and-white graphs, while the public views colourful video messages on buses and trains and plays vivid 3D games on handheld devices. Meanwhile I download recent sea ice data as ASCII text files, but I can see live train schedules, watch approaching weather, read the menus of nearby restaurants and broadcast instant colour photos from my mobile device. My physician can quickly compare my just-completed EKG to thousands of others from males of my age across Europe, but I can’t show her comparisons of future temperature projections from the latest IPCC climate models. Thousands of students in computer and electrical engineering departments around the globe explore search algorithms, pattern matching, shortest distance algorithms and cool visualisation technologies, while most of our national and world data centres lack useful geographic interfaces. Increasingly, the data and communication technologies of science fall behind the information tools of the modern world". -David Carlson. (Director IPY, International Programme Office). For a full range of Antarctic and Southern Ocean resources visit: The Antarctic Hub www.antarctichub.org
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The Challenges of Polar Science
We gain a better understanding of our planet through excellent science. However, carrying out scientific research at the poles presents some unique challenges, and requires special cooperation among countries and individual scientists.
The International Polar YearsCooperation in polar research has been marked by
bursts of activity called International Polar Years. Such an IPY typically lasts for more than twelve months, to include full winter and summer seasons at both poles. The first IPY was held in 1882 – 83 and the second fifty years later. A third IPY, planned for 1957-58, grew into an 'International Geophysical Year’.
Understanding the complex and rapidly changing polar systems during IPY 2007 – 08 demanded international collaboration across disciplines and among nations. For example, understanding the net change of Antarctic or Greenland ice sheets required integrated research and knowledge from glaciologists, meteorologists, hydrologists and oceanographers of many countries.
In addition to excellent and broad interdisciplinary science, the planners of this 'fourth' IPY recommended effective science communication to a wide audience, communication that would involve many languages, fonts, writing styles and modern communication tools. This IPY also highlighted a need for improved communications and data sharing within science, among researchers working in different locations and disciplines.
The cold remote polar regions remain difficult places for humans to live and work, and are places where governments maintain small but expensive research stations. The logistics of polar research (including transport, food, fuel, hardware, safety and communications) also require extraordinary international cooperation at all levels.
Science funding and relevanceScience competes for funding priority in every country.
As national budgets get ‘squeezed’, justifying the expense of polar science gets progressively harder. Sometimes, as happened during the recent IPY, public attention, informed by polar news from 'online' sources, stimulates and converges with political interest, allowing a momentary burst of funding for polar research.
Despite this ready access to scientific news, the public generally does not grasp the natural processes of science. As a consequence, distinction between legitimate scientific news and deliberate disinformation becomes difficult, as can be seen with the current confusion around climate change. Science itself exacerbates this disconnect when it fails to utilise modern information tools. For individuals who have grown up in a world of instant, informal and international access to almost any piece of information, the way current scientific data is portrayed seems irrelevant and cumbersome.
The speed of scienceThe 2007 – 08 IPY revealed surprisingly rapid changes
in sea ice, permafrost, glaciers, oceans, terrestrial and marine polar ecosystems, and the internal and external challenges faced by polar communities. In many cases these rapid changes challenged our fundamental understanding of the earth's processes. Meanwhile, the speed at which science operates remains snail-like, with:
• 5 years of specialised education needed to develop skills;
• 3 – 5 years needed to gain funding and collect data• 2 – 3 years needed to interpret the data• 5 – 7 years needed to publish the results and develop
predictive models.
Such a timeline for research careers unfortunately means that results become quickly outdated and preliminary hypotheses become irrelevant, especially in a rapidly changing environment such as the poles. Although many IPY Projects focussed on vulnerable polar ecosystems, with the hope of developing prediction skills and protection strategies, it is likely that major changes have already occurred.
Examining sponges in Antarctica,Image, University of Illinois, Wikicommons
About science communication..."In the time it took me to write 15 words for the printed
page, young students walking within my sight sent at least 1500 words as txt to and from each other’s mobile phone. We publish our data as obscure black-and-white graphs, while the public views colourful video messages on buses and trains and plays vivid 3D games on handheld devices.
Meanwhile I download recent sea ice data as ASCII text files, but I can see live train schedules, watch approaching weather, read the menus of nearby restaurants and broadcast instant colour photos from my mobile device.
My physician can quickly compare my just-completed EKG to thousands of others from males of my age across Europe, but I can’t show her comparisons of future temperature projections from the latest IPCC climate models.
Thousands of students in computer and electrical engineering departments around the globe explore search algorithms, pattern matching, shortest distance algorithms and cool visualisation technologies, while most of our national and world data centres lack useful geographic interfaces.
Increasingly, the data and communication technologies of science fall behind the information tools of the modern world". -David Carlson.
(Director IPY, International Programme Office).
For a full range of Antarctic and Southern Ocean resources visit: The Antarctic Hub www.antarctichub.org
The Assets of Polar Science
International CooperationRepresentatives of the Antarctic Treaty nations often
start their meetings with expressions of thanks. In doing so they acknowledge that working in Antarctica is only possible through international cooperation. Only through mutual assistance among countries, to share scarce fuel, provide timely icebreaking, or support an emergency evacuation, can operations in Antarctica continue.
The recent IPY proved the necessity and opportunity of international scientific collaborations. Dutch students explored sea ice in the Southern Ocean from a German research vessel, a Swedish ice-breaker carried US and Chilean oceanographers on its transit to Antarctica, and Russian aircraft supported French researchers drifting across the Arctic. International exchanges extended to conferences and workshops as well: a young New Zealand researcher opened the IPY celebration in Geneva.
Many IPY Projects, particularly those focused on exploited ecosystems, stimulated new exchanges among economists, ecologists, hydrologists, sedimentologists, climatologists, geneticists and even archaeologists. Despite its regional focus, polar research encourages the advancement of science through the cross-fertilisation of ideas among varied disciplines.
Free and Open Data AccessIPY 2007 – 08 established an advanced data policy:
free and open access to all data. Achieving such a goal challenged the existing world data systems with some basic but crucial questions:
• Where would the data be stored?• Which formats will be used to store the data?• For how long will it be stored?• How would providers contribute their data, and how
would users find it?
One new solution to these questions came from the establishment of a Polar Information Commons (www.polarcommons.org) to ensure that data and information about the polar regions remains readily available, with minimal constraint, for the interests of all humanity. Today the PIC offers an open, virtual, online storehouse for vital scientific data and information. It encourages innovation, participation in research, education, planning and management in the polar regions.
Association of Polar Early Career ScientistsA major goal of the 2007 – 08 International Polar year
was to, " ...inspire a new generation of polar scientists and engineers". A new umbrella organisation bringing together polar-related young researcher initiatives across disciplines and nations, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) filled this need for international and interdisciplinary career development activities for young researchers. APECS developed new ways to sustain the international leadership, involvement and energy of early career researchers after IPY and beyond polar science.
Visit: www.apecs.is
Task: Using an IPY chart
IntroductionThis chart has
developed into a much-used symbol of 2007 – 08 IPY.
Originally developed as a table to identify gaps in the programme, the hexagons were a useful way to show the abundance and variety of projects.
The chart's success continues, with regular updates continuing to show funding or data status of IPY Projects. Without national icons or acronyms, it reinforces the shared connection to the poles, a special region of our planet.
What to do1. Search online to find a version of the chart. You may
find the one relating to your own country.2. Pick a project that interests you, from one hexagonal
cell.3. Search online for information about this project.4. In less than 140 characters, describe what the project
was about, or revealed.5. Send your description to a mobile device (optional).
RelevanceThe recent IPY
• achieved many of its goals.• involved many disciplines.• produced a unique chart• encouraged the sharing of data, especially online• for many people, represented an example of the right
science in the right place at the right time.
PolarResearch Book
Series(79)
Networkof Children’s
Museums(96)
PublicationDirectory
(51)
MarineOrganisms in
Aquariums(80) Base
PreservationWorkshop
(135)
PolarInformationfor Teachers
(397)
YouthSteering
Committee(168) Bringing
the Polesto Life(441)
Education &CommunicationClearinghouse
(328)
IPYHistory
Exhibitions(296)
MarineEcosystemsWorkshop
(158)
PolarIssuesBook(440)
On-linePolarAtlas(176)
StudentOn-Ice
Expeditions(343)
IPY Themesin Earth
Education(179)
MeltdownGiant Screen
Film(405)
PolarEducationGateways
(453)
InternationalPolar
School(402)
New Mapsof PolarGeology
(315)
Ice Stories(457)
BeringLand
Bridge(29)
Hydro-thermal Vent
Systems(173)
History ofIPY FieldStations
(100)HistoricalExploitation of
Polar Areas(10)
History ofInternational
Polar Years(27)
TakingPolar
Pulses(341)
ContinentalMarginDrilling(256)
GamburtsevHighlands
Exploration(67)
RiftSystem
Geodynamics(109)
AtmosphereObserving
System(196)Climate
of theArctic(28) Pollution
Transport tothe Arctic
(327)Tracersof Climate
Change(443)
ClimateSystem of
Spitsbergen(357)
PollutionTrends
(19)
Hydro-logic Impactof Aerosols
(140)
PolarRegion
Contaminants(175)
AerosolDistribution
Network(171)Climate,
Chemistry &Aerosols
(32) OzoneLayer & UVRadiation
(99)
PolarWeather
Forecasting(121)Pollution
MonitoringNetwork
(76)
AtmosphereCirculation &
Climate(180)
AntarcticMeteorology
(267)
PolarStratosphere
& Mesosphere(217)Solar-
AtmosphereLinkages
(56)
HeliosphereImpact onGeospace
(63)
PolarSnapshot
from Space(91)
MesosphereClouds &
Aurora(78)
Astronomyfrom PolarPlateaus
(124)
Polar View of
Ice(372)
Observatoryat Dome C
(385)
IceCube(459)
Ice & SnowMass
Balances(125)
GlacierHydrosystems
(16)
Air-IceChemical
Interactions(20)
State &Fate of the Cyrosphere
(105)
History ofFast
Ice Flows(367)
Ice CoreScience
(117)
PolarMicrobialEcology
(71)
OceanBiogeochemical
Cycles(35)
MarineMammal
Explorations(153)
Sea Level &Tides in Polar
Regions(13)
AtlanticThermohaline
Circulation(23)
BipolarClimate
Machinery(130)
PolarBioactive
Compounds(142)
AntarcticSea Ice(141)
Ice & Climate ofPeninsula
(107)
AntarcticPlateauScience
(41)
SurfaceAccumulation &
Ice Discharge(88)
Calving &Iceberg
Evolution(81)
SubglacialLake
Environments(42)
AmundsenSea ActiveIce Sheets
(258)
Prydz Bay,Amery Ice Shelf
& Dome A(313)
OceanAcoustic
Observatories(52) Climate
& EcosystemDynamics
(92)
Deep-SeaBiodiversity
(66)
Census ofAntarctic
Marine Life(53)
AntarcticMarine
Ecosystems(131)
IndigenousFish(93)
Evolution& Biodiversityin Antarctica
(137)
AntarcticMarine
Biodiversity(83)Marine &
TerrestrialCommunities
(34) AntarcticShelf-SlopeInteractions
(8)
Climate ofAntarctica &
Southern Ocean(132)
Ocean between Africa
& Antarctica(70)
DrakePassage
Ecosystems(304)Circumpolar
PenguinMonitoring
(251)
Pan-ArcticLake Ice
Cover(423)
Biosphere-Atmosphere
Coupling(246)
Greeningof the Arctic(139)
BiodiversityMonitoring
(133) RangiferMonitoring
(162)
Environ-mentalImpacts
(213)
NorthernLakes(169)
USNPEnvironmental
Change(21)
Hydro-logicalCycle(104)
WildlifeObservatories
(11)
ColdLand
Processes(138)
Biodiversityof ArcticSpiders
(390)
TundraExperiment
(188)
BiologicalDiversityNetwork
(72)
CoastalObservatory
Network(90)
FreshwaterBiodiversity
Network(202)
MonitoringHuman-Rangifer
Migrations(408)
Biodiversityof Arctic
Chars(300)
ChangingArctic & Sub-
Arctic Soils(262)
ProtectedNaturalAreas(284)
Past &Present
Conditions(151)
BirdHealth(172)
DeepPermafrost
(113)
TerrestrialEcosystems
(59)
CarbonPools in
Permafrost(373)
PlateTectonics &
Polar Gateways(77)
PermafrostObservatories
(50)
LandEcosystemChanges
(214)
PolarObservingNetwork
(185)
EcologicalResponse to
Changes(55)
USGSIntegratedResearch
(86)
PolarExtreme
Environments(432)
EastAntarcticTraverse
(152)
Biology &Ecology ofAntarctica
(452)
CryosphereEvolution
(97)
Aliensin
Antarctica(170)
AntarcticClimate
Evolution(54)
Permafrost& Soil
Environments(33)
PolarEcosystems &Contaminants
(329)
Linguistic& Heritage
Network(82)
Learning& IndigenousKnowledge
(112)
IPY atUniversity of
the Arctic(189)
Wireless& MobileLearning
(45)
ArcticInterdisciplinary
Dialogue(160)
GeomaticsConference
(156)
HealthAssessmentWorkshop
(145)
Congressof Arctic Social
Sciences(69)
MultimediaBridges to the
North(208)
YouthConservation
Projects(446)
IndigenousWell-beingSymposium
(433)ImpactAssessmentPerspectives
(378)
Research &Education
Base Camp(282)
ArcticResearch for
the Public(295)
Yukon IPYCommunity
Liaison(389)
ArtistsExploration
(338)
ArcticPortal(388)
IndigenousForum on
Monitoring(396)
NextGeneration of
Scientists(395)
RangiferResearchNetwork
(400)
InuitVoicesExhibit(410) Arctic
NationsExhibition
(438)
Circum-polar Student
Exchanges(294)Snow
CrystalNetwork
(336)
ArcticEnergy
Summit(299)
EnvirovetArctic(349)
FranklinSearch(330)
GlobalIssues at
Science Centers(455)
Art &ClimateChange
(460)
Sami inLiterature
(30)
Conservation
Hunting(259)
ArcticChange
(48)
CommunityAdaptation &Vulnerability
(157)
CommunityResiliency& Diversity
(183)
Language,Literature,& Media
(123)
GlobalChange, Social
Challenges(210)Food
SurveillanceSystem(384)
DynamicSocial
Strategies(6)
Sea IceKnowledge
& Use(166)
Relocation& Resettlement
in the North(436)
ExchangeLocal
Knowledge(187)
NorthernMaterialCulture
(201)
Food Safety& Wildlife
Health(186) Economy
of theNorth(355)
HumanHealth
Initiative(167)
Bering SeaCommunityMonitoring
(247)
PoliticalEconomy of
Development(227)
ReindeerHerding &
Climate Change(399)
Impactsof EcosystemDisturbances
(275)
Impactsof Oil & Gas
Activity(310)
People,Wilderness,& Tourism
(448)
Survey ofLiving
Conditions(386)
ProtectingTraditionalKnowledge
(206)
IntegratedTools for
Communities(431)
Land &Coastal
Resources(411)
MonitoringOil
Development(46) Initial
Colonisation(276)
Community-based Research
Alliance(248)
CulturalHeritage in
Ice(435)Land
Rights &Resources
(337)
NorthernGeneologies
(285)
SustainableDevelopment
(456)
ArcticSocial
Indicators(462)
OceanObserving
System(14)
Sea Ice &Arctic MarineEcosystems
(26)
ArcticModeling &Observing
(40)Health ofBears, Seals,
& Whales(257)
Arctic &Sub-ArcticEcosystems
(155)
WestGreenland
Ecosystems(122)
Ecosystemsin European
Seas(22)
PolarBear Health
(134) MarineFishes of
NE Greenland(318)
FisheryEcosystems
(325)
OceanMonitoring &Forecasting
(379)
Tracking
Fish & MammalMigrations
(293)Seabirds as
Indicators ofMercury Levels
(439)
FutureArctic Observing
Systems(305)Marine
Biodiversity(333)Pan-Arctic
Tracking of Belugas
(430)
Inuit,Narwhals,
& Tusks(164)
GreenlandIce
Discharges(339)
Change &Variability of
Arctic Systems(58)
SurgingGlaciers
(266)
Sea IcefromSpace(108)
ClimateChangeAlaska(114)
Sea IceProperties &
Processes(95)
PastArctic Climate
Variability(36)
NorthernClimate
Variability(120)
GreenlandIce SheetHistory
(118)
Heat & SaltthroughSea Ice(322)
GlacierResponse to
Warming(37)
ArcticPaleoclimate
(39)
Ocean-Atmosphere-Ice
Interactions(38)
CapacityBuilding for
Research(191)
AntarcticAnthology
(244) MultimediaExploration of
Antarctica(110)
UniversityConsortium for
Antarctica(147)
AntarcticTouring
Exhibition(451)
PolarOutreachVoyage
(116)
Art-Science
Consortium(417)
AntarcticEnvironmental
Legacy(454)
AntarcticTreaty
Conference(342)
ImageMosaic ofAntartica
(461)
Integrated
Data
&
Infor
mation
Services
Arctic
Antarctic
Both
IPY PLANNING CHARTwww.ipy.org
10 Oct 2007, Vers 6.0
Future polar scientists? Image Public domain.
Adapted from material by David Carlson, Director IPY International Programme Office by Donald Reid, iMatters.co.nz in association with Gateway Antarctica. University of Canterbury.
NZ Curricula: Science L4 - 8, Social Studies L3 - 4, Geography L6 - 8 Technology.
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