Our Important Polar Caps - International Polar Year
by Ronnee Ruselle
The International Polar Year is a large, internationally coordinated scientific programme which will focus on the Arctic and the Antarctic, initiating a new era in polar science.
It is organized through the International Council for Science and the World Meteorological Organization and will involve over 200 projects, with thousands of scientists from over 60 nations examining a wide range of physical, biological and social research topics. It is also an unprecedented chance to witness and be involved with cutting edge science.
Why it's necessary
There are many changes occurring in the world's snow and ice. These include shrinking glaciers and ice sheets, less snow cover, and reductions in the thickness and amount of sea ice. The effects caused by these changes are local and global. These changes have immediate consequences for land and marine ecosystems. Permafrost, ground which is permanently frozen or statistically speaking, for at least 2 years, covers around 20% of the Earth's landmass. This has also substantially reduced due to the Earth's warming climate. This affects local environments including water and coastal soil stability.
Changes in the large ice sheets will affect the global sea level. This in turn will have an affect on coastal cities and low-lying areas. Coastlines are beginning to deteriorate and become submerged by water, shrinking the land masses that are already struggling to support man and the other creatures of the planet. It affects the temperature and volume of the Earth's water and in turn, the very survival of the planet's marine life which are already struggling due to man's hunting, fishing and pollution.
For those people, flora and fauna who live in the Polar Regions, the changes are important and affect every part of their existence. The movement and melting of the ice has been a constant thing over thousands of years. It has increased with the changes in climate and may answer many questions for science. IPY 2007-2008 will recognize the strong links these regions have with the rest of the globe.
You can visit the IPY website (http://www.ipy.org/) for blogs, announcements, events and more associated with this important scientific event.