Michael de Laine

Polar research reveals new evidence of global environmental change

By Michael de Laine, Copenhagen, 25 February 2009

Recent polar research has uncovered new evidence that the global environment is changing, thus strengthening the scientific basis on which politicians and scientists build their future actions.

Research conducted during the International Polar Year 2007–2008 (IPY) has uncovered new evidence that the global environment is changing. The research can thus strengthen the scientific basis on which politicians and scientists build their future actions.

The IPY has provided a critical boost to polar research at a time when the global environment is changing faster than ever in human history, the International Council for Science (ICSU) said today in connection with a conference in Geneva, where the ‘State of Polar Research’ report was published.

“It now appears clear that the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are losing mass, contributing to sea level rise,” the council said. “Warming in the Antarctic is much more widespread than it was thought prior to the IPY, and it now appears that the rate of ice loss from Greenland is increasing.”

Researchers also found that, during the summers of 2007 and 2008, the minimum extent of year-round sea ice in the Arctic decreased to its lowest level since satellite records began 30 years ago. IPY expeditions recorded an unprecedented rate of sea-ice drift in the Arctic as well.

Due to global warming, the types and extent of vegetation in the Arctic shifted, affecting grazing animals and hunting.

Other evidence for global warming comes from IPY research vessels that have confirmed above-global-average warming in the Southern Ocean. A freshening of the bottom water near Antarctica is consistent with increased ice melt from Antarctica and could affect ocean circulation. Global warming is thus affecting Antarctica in ways not previously identified.

ICSU said IPY research has also identified large pools of carbon stored as methane in permafrost.

“Thawing permafrost threatens to destabilize the stored methane - a greenhouse gas - and send it into the atmosphere,” it added. “Indeed, IPY researchers along the Siberian coast observed substantial emissions of methane from ocean sediments.”

In the area of biodiversity, surveys of the Southern Ocean have uncovered a remarkably rich, colourful and complex range of life. Some species appear to be migrating poleward in response to global warming. Other IPY studies reveal interesting evolutionary trends such as many present-day deep-sea octopuses having originated from common ancestor species that still survive in the Southern Ocean.

“The IPY has also given atmospheric research new insight,” ICSU said. “Researchers have discovered that North Atlantic storms are major sources of heat and moisture for the polar regions. Understanding these mechanisms will improve forecasts of the path and intensity of storms. Studies of the ozone hole have benefited from IPY research as well, with new connections identified between the ozone concentrations above Antarctica and wind and storm conditions over the Southern Ocean. This information will improve predictions of climate and ozone depletion.”

Many Arctic residents, including indigenous communities, participated in IPY’s projects. Over 30 of these projects addressed Arctic social and human science issues, including food security, pollution, and other health issues, and will bring new understanding to addressing these pressing challenges.

“IPY has been the catalyst for the development and strengthening of community monitoring networks across the North” said David Carlson, director of the IPY International Programme Office. “These networks stimulate the information flow among communities and back and forth from science to communities.”

The wide-ranging IPY findings result from more than 160 endorsed science projects covering a wide range of research disciplines and with the involvement of thousands of researchers in more than 60 countries.

Launched in March 2007, the IPY covers a two-year period to March 2009 to allow for observations during the alternate seasons in both polar regions. A joint project of World Meteorological Office (WMO) and ICSU, and with international funding support of about US$ 1.2 billion over the two-year period, IPY spearheaded efforts to better monitor and understand the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

“The International Polar Year 2007–2008 came at a crossroads for the planet’s future,” said Michel Jarraud, WMO’s secretary-general. “The new evidence resulting from polar research will strengthen the scientific basis on which we build future actions.”

“The planning for IPY set ambitious goals that have been achieved, and even exceeded, thanks to the tireless efforts, enthusiasm, and imagination of thousands of scientists, working with teachers, artists, and many other collaborators,” said ICSU president Catherine Bréchignac.

The IPY leaves as its legacy enhanced observational capacity, stronger links across disciplines and communities, and an energized new generation of polar researchers.

“The work begun by IPY must continue”, said Jarraud. “Internationally coordinated action related to the polar regions will still be needed in the next decades.”

Bréchignac concurs: “This IPY has further strengthened the ICSU-WMO relationship on polar research coordination, and we must continue to assist the scientific community in its quest to understand and predict polar change and its global manifestations at this critical time.”

The increased threats posed by climate change make polar research a special priority. The ‘State of Polar Research’ document not only describes some of the striking discoveries during the IPY, it also recommends priorities for future action to ensure that society is best informed about ongoing polar change and its likely future evolution and global impacts.

A major IPY science conference will take place in Oslo in June 2010.

The launch of the International Polar Year (IPY) on 1 March 2007 marked the onset of one of the most ambitious coordinated international science programmes ever attempted, which set out to discover more about the Polar regions and their critical influence on the rest of the planet.

The IPY campaign also aims to educate and involve the public while helping to train the next generation of engineers, scientists, and leaders.

Click here to download the ‘State of Polar Research’ report.