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History of the Institutionalisation of Antarctic Research

The XXVIII SCAR Delegates, meeting in Bremerhaven in October 2004, agreed to form an Action Group to deal with this topic. The Group is chaired by Cornelia Lüdecke. The Group has broad international membership, as similar research is on-going or has been done in several nations. Interested SCAR Members are encouraged to nominate members to the Action Group.

History Group Formation

Proposal to Delegates at XXVIII SCAR in Bremerhaven 2004 to form the SCAR History Action Group

History Workshop: 'Exploring Ice and Snow in the Cold War', January 2011, Munich, Germany

This workshop, which will take place from 27th to 29th January 2011 at the Deutsche Museum in Munich, is interested in new research projects at the interface of environmental history, military history and the history of science and technology to contribute to the discussion on the scientific perception and constitution of nature in the Cold War.

The workshop is supported by the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society in Munich. Travel and accommodation costs will be met by the organizers. Applications must be written in English. Abstracts (500 words) and a short CV should be submitted by email no later than 30 August 2010 to Dr. Christian Kehrt (kehrt@hsu-hh.de). For more information on the workshop and how to take part, please see the Workshop Call For Proposals or contact Dr. Franziska Torma (franziska.torma@carsoncenter.lmu.de).

1st Meeting of SCAR History Action Group

Report of the 1st meeting of the SCAR History Action Group, Munich, Germany, July 2005

Publications

2nd Meeting of SCAR History Action Group

Report of the 2nd meeting of the SCAR History Action Group, Santiago, Chile, October 2006

Publications

Members of the SCAR History Group meeting in Santiago, Chile in October 2006

3rd Meeting of SCAR History Action Group

Report of the 3rd meeting of the SCAR History Action Group, Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio, USA, October 2007

Publications

4th Meeting of SCAR History Action Group

Report of the 4th meeting of the SCAR History Action Group, St Petersburg, Russia, July 2008

Publications

5th Meeting of SCAR History Action Group

Report of the 5th Meeting of the SCAR History Action Group, Washington D.C., USA, December 2009

History of SCAR

The plans for the IGY, the International Geophysical Year, 1957-58, included a major Antarctic component.

At the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) Antarctic meeting held in Stockholm on 9 - 11 September 1957 it was decided that there was need for further international organization of scientific activity in Antarctica, and that a committee should be set up for this purpose. The Bureau of ICSU invited the twelve nations actively engaged in Antarctic research to nominate a delegate each to a Special Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

Delegates were also invited from the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), the International Geographical Union (IGU), the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS), the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) and the Union Radio Scientific Internationale (URSI).The following permanent delegates were nominated: Argentina, Captain L. de la Canal; Australia, Professor J. van Mieghem; France, Mons. B. Imbert; Japan, Professor T. Nagata; New Zealand, Dr. E. I. Robertson; Norway, Professor L. Harang (also representing URSI; South Africa, J.J. Taljaard; United Kingdom, Dr G. de Q Robin; United States, Dr L.M. Gould; USSR, Dr M.M. Somov; IUBS, Dr A. Brunn; IUGG, Ing. Gen. G. Laclavère; and IGU, Dr V. Schytt.

The first meeting of SCAR was held at the Hague from 3 - 6 February 1958 and all the participating nations and societies were represented except New Zealand and South Africa. Dr R. Fraser and Colonel E. Herbays represented the ICSU. The meeting elected Ing. Gen. G. Laclavère President, Professor K.E. Bullen Vice-President, and Dr V. Schytt Secretary. The main ask of the committee at the first meeting was to "prepare a plan for the scientific exploration of Antarctica in the years following the completion of the International Geophysical Year programme". A Finance Committee was also formed. Three working groups were set up to discuss and prepare future research programmes and each later reported their recommendations to the Committee.

Subsequently SCAR was renamed the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.

A Brief Account of the Evolution of SCAR, 1958-2006 by Peter D.Clarkson

Achievements of SCAR to 2006: SCAR Report 29

International Collaboration in Antarctica - the IPYs, IGY and SCAR, with acknowledgements to Polar Record

Preparing SCAR for 21st century science in Antarctica - the Review of April 15 2000

Report on Putting into Effect the Recommendations of the SCAR Review 2000: Paper 28 from XXVIII SCAR (Bremerhaven) 2004

Report on Putting into Effect the Recommendations of the SCAR Review 2000: IP 20 from XXIX SCAR (Hobart) 2006

SCAR Performance Review 2009: WP05 from EXCOM 2009

Geographical Scope:

For the purposes of SCAR, in 1958 "Antarctica" was defined as being bounded by the Antarctic convergence, and also including the Sub-Antarctic islands on which International Geophysical Year observations were being made.

In 2005, this definition was enlarged as follows (from the SCAR Strategic Plan 2004-2010): SCAR's area of interest includes Antarctica, its offshore islands, and the surrounding Southern Ocean including the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the northern boundary of which is the Subantarctic Front. Subantarctic islands that lie north of the Subantarctic Front and yet fall into SCARs area of interest include: Ile Amsterdam, Ile St Paul, Macquarie Island and Gough Island.

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