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International Polar Year (IPY) 2007 - 2008

International Polar Year (IPY) is an international effort to research the polar regions. This concentrated burst of polar science and exploration will help to shed new light on the impact that the polar regions will have on our climate and the consequences for humanity.

This is the biggest internationally coordinated research effort for 50 years. Around 50,000 scientists, students and support staff from over 60 nations are involved in more than 200 Arctic and Antarctic projects.

Recent international reports such as the Stern Review and the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change emphasise the uncertainties regarding how polar regions will influence future climate change and sea-level rise. The melting of snow and ice is the biggest tipping point in the Earth's climate system. This research will focus on key issues, such as 'how are the ice sheets responding?' and the trillion dollar question 'how much will the sea level rise and how quickly?'

What is POL doing?

The 'Schools on Board' programme will allow a team of 12 participants (high school students and teachers) on board the Canadian research vessel CCGS Amundsen for a 5-6 day field trip in the Arctic. POL is going to nominate one lucky student from the Merseyside area to take part in 10-14 day program. POL director (Prof Andrew Willmott) visited a school on the Wirral to explain the program and generate some interest.

The 2008 International Schools on Board Field Program will be part of the Circumpolar Flaw Lead (CFL) system study, that plans to over-winter the icebreaker within the Banks Island flaw lead (south of Bank island) in the Canadian Beaufort Sea from November 2007 to August 2008.

The Canadian Coast Guard ship Amundsen is 98m long 20m wide with a capacity of 46 scientific and 33 crew members. This new icebreaker was renovated and modified in 2002, with state-of-the-art scientific equipment and became Canada's dedicated research icebreaker. The icebreaker is managed and operated by the Canadian Coast Guard.