Past Events

UPDATE:

With great regret we inform you that the Karthaus course planned for September 2020 has to be cancelled. We have discussed the situation with the teaching staff, and all agreed that there is no way around it. There are too many uncertainties concerning the development of the covid-19 crisis, especially with regard to international travel.

We sincerely hope that the next Karthaus course will be in September 2021, in a world that is in a better shape and in which we can move more freely again!

The course provides a basic introduction to the dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets with a focus on ice-climate interactions. Topics include: continuum mechanics, sliding and hydraulics, numerical modelling, polar meteorology, ice-ocean interaction, ice cores, interaction of ice sheets with the solid earth, etc. The course is meant for Ph.D. students that work on a glaciology-related climate project. Some places are available for junior scientists.

The standard registration fee is € 1000. This covers lodging, full board, excursion and course material. The International Glaciological Society offers three fellowships to cover the registration for students that qualify but have difficulties to pay the fee (this requires a justification).

Lecturers include: T. Blunier, I. Hewitt, N. Karlsson, F. Keller, F. Navarro, F. Pattyn, F. Sandberg Sørensen, G. Spada, A. Stroeven, C. Tijm-Reijmer, R. Winkelmann, J. Oerlemans (convenor).

Send your application before 1 May 2020. Follow the link above for more information.

Scientific research into complex coastal systems and the interplay with coastal hazards is vital for predicting, responding to and mitigating threats in these regions. Understanding the risks associated with coastal hazards requires a holistic Earth Systems approach that integrates improved understanding of and, where possible, predictions about natural, social, and technological processes with efforts to increase the resilience of coastal systems. The Coastlines and People program supports diverse, innovative, multi-institution awards that are focused on critically important coastlines and people research that is integrated with broadening participation goals. The objective of this solicitation is to support Coastal Research Hubs, structured using a convergent science approach, at the nexus between coastal sustainability, human dimensions, and coastal processes to transform understanding of interactions among natural, human-built, and social systems in coastal, populated environments.

Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time): August 10, 2020.

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time): September 09, 2020.

Please follow the link above for complete details.

Doug Benn, St Andrews University, UK, "Icy Oscillators: A Widescreen View of Glacier Surges".

Please register in advance for the seminars. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the seminar.

The seminar will also be available afterwards on the Friends of the International Glaciological Society Facebook page so that you can watch it there if technology fails or you can't make it.

Join us as members of the MOSAiC expedition education and outreach team describe new virtual reality tools (including a new planetarium show) that can be used as immersive resources to bring students to the Arctic and allow them to really experience this unprecedented expedition!

About MOSAiC

The MOSAiC expedition is one of the largest Arctic research expeditions ever conducted with more than 500 scientists from 19 countries participating. The goal of the expedition is to study all aspects of the changing Arctic climate system by freezing a ship in ice and drifting with the ice for an entire year! Since the start of the expedition in September 2019, MOSAiC scientists have braved sub-zero temperatures, months of total darkness, curious polar bears, and logistical challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these obstacles, this unprecedented expedition has persisted and will continue through October 2020.

Bring MOSAiC into your virtual classrooms today!

WHO: K-12 science teachers.
WHAT: Webinar focused on virtual tools to introduce students to the MOSAiC expedition.
WHY: The MOSAiC expedition will continue through October 2020. Take advantage of the many MOSAiC-related virtual teaching tools and connect your students to the science and adventure of the MOSAiC expedition in real-time!
HOW: Register for the webinar to receive an invitation and Zoom link for the event.

Update: The conference has been postponed to 16-21 May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The symposium provides a platform for the exchange of current applied research and best practices, the presentation of new technology and further innovation, and the advancement of international cooperation in the circumpolar regions of the world. We look to build on the more than 100 participants and the record 50% attendance by students and early career researchers at the 15th ICRSS!

This symposium deals specifically with remote sensing applications in the polar environments, both Arctic and Antarctic. Earth’s Polar Regions feature cold-climate environments characterized by unique landscapes, biota, and processes. Many of these features and dynamics are Cryosphere-driven and either are already subject to or have the potential for fundamental and rapid changes in a warming world. Earth observation technologies provide crucial tools to understand and quantify these changes.

This symposium will be of interest to scientists, scholars, and industry and government professionals involved in studying and quantifying Arctic and Antarctic Change, renewable and non-renewable resource management, and development of new technologies and methods targeting remote sensing observations of polar environments. The symposium will provide a platform for the exchange of current applied research and best practices, the presentation of new technology and further innovation, and the advancement of international co-operation in the circumpolar regions of the world.

The theme of the 16th ICRSS is Convergence at the Poles – Addressing urgent research questions and management needs through remote sensing in the Arctic and Antarctic.

The 16th ICRSS is being hosted at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Oral presentations will take place in the Wood Center Ballroom and various conference activities will be scattered through the greater University and Fairbanks community.

Update: Following the many challenges posed by the current COVID-19 pandemic, the organizing committee has decided to postpone the PALSEA-SERCE 2020 workshop to September 2021.

However, to continue fostering scientific exchanges in the sea level and ice sheet community in these difficult times, the organizers have decided to set up a virtual meeting, named PALSEAExpress, for the dates of September 15th and 16th, 2020. Each day will consist of three hours, divided between invited talks (20 minutes each plus question time) and virtual poster presentations.

This meeting will focus on developing a better understanding of the physical processes that drive ice sheet collapse and solid earth deformation. These processes are highly uncertain due to a lack of observational constraints, yet they are the dominant drivers for local sea level change. Overcoming this uncertainty requires drawing from observations and expertise from a variety of fields complementary to PALSEA and SERCE including rheology, hydrology, glaciology, and geodesy. In this meeting, we aim to bring empiricists and modelers from the sea level and ice sheet communities together in order to unify solid Earth deformation and ice sheet evolution across time and spatial scales. Pairing our improved understanding of physical processes with enhanced paleo datasets will allow us to narrow in on ice sheet contributions to past sea level rise.

The first day of the meeting will be dedicated to better understanding past sea level, solid Earth deformation, and the glacial isostatic adjustment process. The second day will be dedicated to presentations addressing cutting-edge constraints on paleo ice sheets including ice sheet modeling and ice margin constraints. During the third day of the meeting we will address data stewardship in the sea level modeling community in breakout groups. In particular we will (1) try to establish best practices for the documentation, distribution, and citation of numerical code, (2) review what benchmarking across different 1D and 3D GIA codes exist and / or should be done, and (3) understand how ice and sea level model output should be made available to the community (what format, what platform).

Abstract submission is now online. Please submit your abstract through this form. Abstract submission will close July 1st 2020. Registration will open later and will close August 10th 2020.

7-10 December 2020, Arctic Change will make history by going virtual for the first time ever. ArcticNet’s international Arctic science conference takes place every 3 years, bringing together researchers and partners from around the world. This year, we’re taking the conference to you! Building on the success of our previous Annual Scientific Meeting while facing the realities of our times, we are pulling out all the stops to reach a bigger audience than ever before. The ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence and our partners warmly invite the global Arctic community to join us—from wherever you are—at the Arctic Change 2020 Virtual Conference.

The Arctic is experiencing an unprecedented change in its sea and terrestrial ice, permafrost, and ecosystems under the triple pressures of climate change, industrialization and modernization. The impacts of these pressures can be seen on food and energy security, shipping, sovereignty, northern community health and well-being, and sustainable development and resource exploitation. All these issues have brought the North to the forefront of national and international agendas. Circumpolar nations face an increased demand to enhance the observational capacity and understanding of this region to ensure that the best information possible is available to support evidence-based policy and decision-making. Science and knowledge mobilization play a pivotal role in this process.

Arctic Change 2020 will bring together leading Arctic researchers, Northern community representatives, graduate students, government and industry partners and stakeholders from all fields. During the week, the world’s foremost northern scientists will discuss the emerging global challenges and opportunities arising from climate change and modernization in the circum-Arctic. With over 1500 participants expected to attend, Arctic Change 2020 will be one of the largest trans-sectoral international Arctic research conferences ever held in Canada.

The deadline for abstract submissions has been extended to September 14, 2020 at midnight EDT. Follow the link above for more details.

On July 21, 2020, the United States Department of Air Force released its Arctic Strategy. The strategy “recognizes the immense geostrategic consequence of the region and its critical role for protecting the homeland and projecting global power,” stated Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett. The Secretary also underscored the region’s elevated importance to the Air Force and Department of Defense.

Please join Polar Institute director Dr. Mike Sfraga for a conversation with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) regarding the Air Force’s Arctic Strategy and its implications for the United States, the North American Arctic, and the unique role Alaska plays in our new, global Arctic.

Join us for this webinar to hear directly from Yugra State University’s leading researchers on the University’s ongoing and future scientific projects linked to the Arctic and climate change. Topics include: environmental monitoring, paleo-climate reconstruction, peatlands & wetlands and, carbon cycling. Discover the fantastic Mukhrino Research Station and hear about opportunities for fieldwork in West Siberia, and learn more about the region and what makes it a unique research environment.

Located in the north of West Siberia, Yugra State University is an exciting place for Arctic research. A member of the University of the Arctic, the University is home to the UNESCO chair on “Environmental dynamic and global climate changes” and manages its very own Mukhrino Research Station which is part of the EU Horizon 2020 INTERACT programme.

The University has links with the UK science community and is keen to develop more. In February this year, ARCTIS2020 - a bespoke UK-Russia field course for early career researchers in the Russian Arctic - was organised in Khanty-Mansyisk, at the University and the Mukhrino Research Station, by the UK Polar Network and APECS Russia.

Speakers

Dr. Evgeny Zarov: Researcher, UNESCO chair “Environmental dynamic and global climate changes”, Yugra State University (Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia).

Research interests: peatlands and peat properties, GIS, carbon sequestration and its storage in the high latitude soils, hydrology.

Studied at Saratov State Technical University (Russia), Faculty of Ecology, and Utrecht University (the Netherlands), Faculty of Physical Geography. Arrived at Yugra State University in 2009 and has been involved in science activities of the UNESCO chair. 11 years of active field work in West Siberian taiga and tundra zones. Involved in several international scientific and educational projects (including Interact, ERASMUS+, CNRS.). Current activities are related to developing international collaboration.

Dr. Nina Filippova: Senior researcher, UNESCO chair “Environmental dynamic and global climate changes”, Yugra State University (Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia).

Research interests: mycology, funga of West Siberia, fungi of peatlands.

Since 2007 Nina has been working in Yugra State University as an engineer of Mukhrino research station, researcher of UNESCO chair. Since 2010 Nina has been developing the collection of fungi (the Fungarium of Yugra State University) and is involved in the regional initiative on biodiversity data digitisation. Nina is actively participating in science outreach and set up a local mycological society and a citizen science community in the region. Google scholar & Research gate profiles.

Dr. Egor Dyukarev: Lead researcher, UNESCO chair “Environmental dynamic and global climate changes”, Yugra State University (Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia).

Research interests: climate change, microclimate, heat and mass transfer, soil temperature, bog ecosystems, carbon balance, greenhouse gases, methane, carbon dioxide, mathematical modeling.

Graduated from Tomsk State University: Master’s (1995), PhD (1999). Has published about 50 peer‐reviewed scientific articles and five book contributions related to carbon balance of West Siberian peatlands, regional climate changes, analyses of microclimates of wetland and forest landscapes, vegetation cover mapping using satellite images, and observation and modelling of soil thermal regimes with a focus on seasonal frozen layer dynamics. Currently working with chamber techniques for measuring and estimating GHGs fluxes in wetland ecosystems and modeling wetland soil thermal regime.

This webinar is organised by the NERC Arctic Office, UK Science and Innovation Network in Russia and Yugra State University.

Update: Frozen Pasts 5 has been postponed until 7-10 September 2021, with optional field trips on the 11th.

These are unsettled times, but we are holding out hope for convening the 5th International Frozen Pasts Conference (FP5) on the human dimensions of glacial and ice patch environments at all latitudes and on all continents in mid-September.

FP5 represents the continuing tradition of the conferences themed around glacial and ice patch archaeology begun in Bern in 2008. The schedule for the conference is described on the website.

Most events will be held at the Chico Hot Springs Resort (Pray, Montana), starting with a Tuesday evening Icebreaker. Exceptions include afternoon field trips on Wednesday and Thursday. At the end of the Thursday trip, a poster session will be held at the Mammoth Hotel, Wyoming. Poster presenters should bring their posters with them on the Thursday afternoon trip.

30 June 2020: extended deadline for abstracts and registration.

Following the many challenges posed by the current COVID-19 pandemic, the organizing committee has decided to postpone the in-person PALSEA-SERCE 2020 workshop to autumn 2021.

However, to continue fostering scientific exchanges in the sea level and ice sheet community in these difficult times, the organizers have decided to set up a virtual meeting, named PALSEAExpress, for the dates of September 15th and 16th, 2020. Each day will consist of three hours, divided between invited talks (20 minutes each plus question time) and virtual poster presentations.

Meeting times

• September 15th, 11:00 am - 02:00 pm UTC (3:00-6:00 am AKDT, 7:00-10:00 am EDT)

• September 16th, 4:00-7:00 pm UTC (8:00-11:00 am AKDT, 12:00-3:00 pm EDT)

Virtual poster abstract submission

During the two-day meeting, we will reserve time slots for virtual posters. Abstract submission is now online and will close August 15th, 2020. You can submit your abstract through this form.

PLEASE NOTE: each abstract will be reviewed by the organizing committee. As the virtual meeting time is limited, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate all abstracts. Priority will be given to Early Career Researchers and researchers from low GDP countries.

An online webinar will be held to provide information about the ongoing TA/RA call and for answering questions related to the application process and TA and RA in general.

The EU-H2020 funded INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic) opens a call for research groups to apply for Trans-National Access and Remote Access to 52 (TA) and 33 (RA) research stations. The sites are located across the Arctic and northern alpine and forest areas in Europe, Russia and North-America and they represent a variety of glacier, mountain, tundra, boreal forest, peatland and freshwater ecosystems, providing opportunities for researchers from natural sciences to human dimension. Trans-national Access includes free access (either physical or remote) for user groups/users to research facilities and field sites, including support for travel and logistic costs. Overall, INTERACT provides three different modalities of access: Transnational and Remote Access that are applied through annual calls, and Virtual Access which means free access to data from stations, available at all times through the INTERACT VA single-entry point.

The current call for Trans-national and Remote Access applications is open until 15th October 2020, and it is for access taking place between April 2021 and March 2022.

Regarding COVID-19 and the ongoing call: we proceed with the call in a regular manner, but reserve the possibility to modify the call, postpone the granted accesses or negotiate shift from physical access to remote access if the situation and safety regulations so require. You can find the TA/RA Call information, descriptions of stations and their facilities, and registration to the INTERACCESS on-line application system from the INTERACT website.

International Glaciological Society Global Seminar #20:

Ginny Catania, University of Texas at Austin, USA, "Topographic Control on Greenland Outlet Glacier Retreat and Thinning".

Please register in advance for the seminars. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the seminar.

The seminar will also be available afterwards on the Friends of the International Glaciological Society Facebook page so that you can watch it there if technology fails or you can't make it.

Join us as members of the MOSAiC expedition education and outreach team describe the MOSAiC media library (MOSAiC scientist video calls, images, podcasts, and more) and how it can be used as a teaching tool to connect with the expedition and learn more about the Arctic climate system!

About MOSAiC

The MOSAiC expedition is one of the largest Arctic research expeditions ever conducted with more than 500 scientists from 19 countries participating. The goal of the expedition is to study all aspects of the changing Arctic climate system by freezing a ship in ice and drifting with the ice for an entire year! Since the start of the expedition in September 2019, MOSAiC scientists have braved sub-zero temperatures, months of total darkness, curious polar bears, and logistical challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these obstacles, this unprecedented expedition has persisted and will continue through October 2020.

Bring MOSAiC into your virtual classrooms today!

WHO: K-12 science teachers.
WHAT: Webinar focused on virtual tools to introduce students to the MOSAiC expedition.
WHY: The MOSAiC expedition will continue through October 2020. Take advantage of the many MOSAiC-related virtual teaching tools and connect your students to the science and adventure of the MOSAiC expedition in real-time!
HOW: Register for the webinar to receive an invitation and Zoom link for the event.

The BEST Secretariat is pleased to announce the launch of the new call for proposals for the EU and UK Overseas Countries and Territories.

This grant scheme is designed to provide effective support for actions on the ground carried out by local stakeholders. The maximum amount and duration of a project are respectively €60,000 and 19 months. It has been adapted to cope with the consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak and extended to circular economy solutions preserving ecosystems and reducing pressure on biodiversity.

The Guidelines and related application forms – which encompass all the information needed – are available on the BEST 2.0+ website. Potential applicants are invited to carefully read all the documents before submitting their application on the portal.

The deadline to apply is 22 October 2020.

Webinar info

Interested Polar and Sub-polar stakeholders are also invited to attend an upcoming information session to find out more and ask questions.

Link to meeting: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/426152909

You will be prompted to download the GoToMeeting application if you do not already have it installed.

The tools and techniques for making monthly and season scale climate forecasts are rapidly changing, with the potential to provide useful forecasts at the month and longer range. We will review recent climate conditions around Alaska, review some forecast tools and finish up the Climate Prediction Center’s forecast for October and the late fall/early winter season. Join the gathering online to learn more about Alaska climate and weather.

Please follow the link above to register.

In conjunction with Polar Week 2020, USAPECS is announcing the fifth annual Polar Film Fest.

What is the Polar Film Fest?
After the success of Polar Film Fests 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 US APECS is organizing the fifth Polar Film Fest for 2020, which is taking place during International Polar Week. To follow the previous PFF the five days of the Film Fest (September 21-25) will showcase films about the Arctic, Antarctic, and wider cryosphere.

We invite submissions for the following themes:
1) Dreamland Fieldwork
2) The Great Arctic Drift: Views of Polar Research
3) Homegrown: Stories by Indigenous Storytellers
4) “What is it that you do again?”: Explaining your research to your family
5) Ask a Polar Scientist
6) Represent for the Alpine - The quest for the perfect powder

Please follow the link above for more details.

Cryosphere 2020 postponed until 2021

Even though the spreading rate of the COVID-19 virus seems to be slowing in many countries the situation is still very uncertain. According to latest information from Icelandic authorities, restrictions on travel to and from Iceland might be upheld throughout 2020. We have therefore decided to postpone the symposium until next year.

New dates: September 27 - October 1, 2021

The symposium title will thus become Cryosphere 2021 as we continue our preparations into next year. Please stay tuned for further information on the symposium website, on Cryolist and other mailing lists. Note that we might decide to run a 5-day symposium instead of the originally planned 4-day event.

We thank you for your consideration and look forward to seeing you in Iceland next year!

This symposium will bring together scientists, stakeholders and policy makers for a discussion on the latest results from studies of the entire cryosphere, which plays an important role in the hydrological cycle and the Earth System and is one of the most useful indicators of climate change. The symposium will allow ample time for panel discussions on scientific results, new technologies, research gaps and future perspectives in the light of the Paris Agreement, which calls for limiting global warming to 1.5–2°C.

We seek papers and presentations on timely topics related to all components of the cryosphere and its changes due to global warming. Contributions related to adaptation and mitigation strategies in view of the UN´s 2030 sustainable development goals and on the coordination of studies of snow and ice and associated hydrological changes on Earth through the Global Cryosphere Watch or other bodies are also welcome. Key focus areas will include (but are not limited to):

1. The state of the planet and its cryosphere
2. Earth´s snow cover
3. Glacier changes
4. The Greenland Ice Sheet
5. The Antarctic Ice Sheet
6. Sea ice on Earth
7. Permafrost/frozen ground
8. Lake and river ice
9. Climate variations, climate and Earth systems modelling
10. The cryosphere in high mountain areas
11. Research gaps and new technologies
12. Opportunities, adaptation and mitigation
13. The Global Cryosphere Watch

The symposium will include oral and poster sessions. The organizers will facilitate interaction between representatives of different research fields, and stimulate discussions on one of the most pressing issues facing humanity. Additional activities will include an opening Icebreaker reception, a banquet dinner and an optional full-day excursion after the symposium.

Participants who wish to present a paper (oral or poster) at the Symposium will be required to submit an abstract. The Council of the International Glaciological Society will publish a thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology on topics consistent with the Symposium themes. Participants are encouraged to submit manuscripts for this Annals volume.

Participants who wish to present a paper (oral or poster) at the Symposium will be required to submit an abstract. The International Glaciological Society will publish a thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology on topics consistent with the Symposium themes. Participants are encouraged to submit manuscripts for this Annals volume, see https://www.igsoc.org/annals/a85_call_4_papers.pdf. The abstract should not contain any figures nor references and should not be longer than 2500 characters. Abstracts should be submitted through the conference website (https://www.cryosphere2020.is/abstract-submission).

Deadline for submitting abstracts: 15 April 2020.

After the first attempt to organise the conference in the usual dates (April), which was made impossible by the COVID-19 restrictions, we set a new date - end of September. We are aware of the difficulties that might arise at any time, therefore a parallel online streaming from the conference will be organised for those who will not be able to come in person. We would like to encourage you to register for the conference!

f you are a student or Early-Career Researcher (<3 years after PhD defense), you are cordially invited to attend our conference which serves as a platform for presenting your research, as well as for exchanging experiences and strengthening the bonds within a community of Polar and Alpine scientists, within the fields of both bio- & geosciences.

This seminar will be presented by Matthew Burtner (University of Virginia), Leena Cho (University of Virginia), and Gabrielle Russomagno (School of Visual Arts). During this webinar presenters will discuss how their work spans science and the arts through media such as music, landscape architecture, and the visual arts.

Speaker Abstracts:

Matthew will share how he uses sound as a medium between music and science in Arctic coastal ecosystems. Ecoacoustic music utilizes sonification, field recording and environmental materials to imbed natural systems into music. He will discuss the methodology and show examples of these techniques in his work.

By merging the study of environmental humanities, and science and technology studies with landscape architecture, Leena will highlight the Arctic ground’s vibrant materialities as a conceptual and physical basis for design, while delineating potential areas of landscape design research and collaboration to further examine design potentials unique to the Arctic’s built environment. Permafrost ground is one of the defining landscape elements in the Arctic, and is a foundation for dynamic socioecological and cultural expressions in Arctic cities.

Gabrielle will discuss A Quick and Tragic Thaw, a series of artworks that explores the impact of a warming world using the arctic region as the symbolic apex. Through the study of scholarly research and data, use of mapping technology and satellite imagery, as well as essays, poems, photographs and illustrations, these artworks interpret the more recent story of human influenced climate change. More broadly, this urgent narration recognizes migration movements of biological forms, toxins, and water and is meant to be a meditation on loss and the fragility of the planet.