SCAR Science and Business News
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Autobiography of Richard Laws, former President of SCAR
6 February 2013
The autobiography of Richard M. Laws, past Director of BAS and former President of SCAR, is available online. Entitled 'Large animals and wide horizons: adventures of a biologist', the work has been edited by Arnoldus Schytte Blix. It is published in three parts, which are available to download from the Scott Polar Research Institute website.
Dr Cornelia Lüdecke elected to the International Academy of the History of Science
28 January 2013
SCAR would like to congratulate Dr Cornelia Lüdecke, chief officer of the SCAR History Group, who was elected as a corresponding member of the International Academy of the History of Science in Paris due to her work in the history of meteorology and history of polar research.
New co-chairs of the SCAR 2014 Open Science Conference
28 January 2013
Jefferson Simões (Brazilian SCAR Delegate and Glaciologist) and Dana Bergstrom (Australian SCAR Delegate and terrestrial ecologist) will be the co-chairs of the International Scientific Organising Committee of the SCAR 2014 Open Science Conference. For further details, see the Conference website.
Polar Educators International (PEI) endorsed by SCAR
28 January 2013
As a growing global network promoting education in, for, and about the Polar Regions, PEI aligns with SCAR's education and outreach plans. Through SCAR endorsement, PEI will gain important connections to SCAR member countries and member institutions and a strong message of legitimacy as an emerging organization for polar education. For PEI this endorsement will hopefully facilitate subsequent partnerships and proposals. Together, SCAR and PEI will enhance their international impact and their ability to draw global attention to Antarctic science. For further details see the group's page on Facebook.
Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) Asian Workshop
17 January 2013
The SOOS Asian Workshop, to be held on 23-24 May 2013 in Shanghai, China, is generously hosted and supported by the Polar Research Institute of China and aims to showcase Asian nations' Southern Ocean research and observation activities and to stimulate discussion for further involvement in SOOS by Asian nations.
The Workshop will be held over two days. Day 1 is open to all interested parties (registration essential) and will see guest speakers from the Asian science community present their nation/organization's Southern Ocean observation and research activities. Members of the SOOS Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) will also present a brief overview of relevant SOOS activities. Day 2 is by invitation only (guest speakers, SSC members and other key representatives) and will provide an opportunity for working group discussions and strategic development planning.
Anyone wishing to attend Day 1 of the Workshop is urged to register with SOOS (email: info@soos.aq) by 23 April 2013, as numbers will be limited to 100 participants (due to the maximum capacity of the workshop venue). Day 1 guest speakers and Day 2 working group participants will be contacted separately.
We look forward to welcoming colleagues from Asia with an interest in Southern Ocean research and who wish to learn more about how to become involved in SOOS.
SCAR Executive Officer gives online lecture to students in India
15 January 2013
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Students attending Dr Renuka Badhe's 'webinar' |
SCAR Executive Officer, Dr Renuka Badhe, recently delivered an online lecture to students of Environmental Science at the Institute of Science in Nagpur, India, where she was formerly a student. The lecture, entitled 'The Role of Antarctica in Science' gave a flavour of the range of science activities currently being carried out in Antarctica, and touched on her own experiences there. The lecture was followed by a question and answer session, with students asking Dr Badhe about a variety of issues.
This was the first time that the Institute of Science had organised an online lecture for its students and hoped set a precedent, both for itself and for other Institutes and Colleges in the region. |
2012
New Version of the SCAR Organisation Chart
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7 November 2012 |
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The SCAR Organisation Chart has been updated to take into account the outcomes of the SCAR Meetings held in Portland in July. To view the full chart, please go to the Organisation section. |
Our Antarctica – images from the Great White South
6 November 2012
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'Abandoned Sledge' by René Robert |
A joint SCAR/COMNAP photographic competition was held in early 2012 and resulted in submissions from 22 countries from both scientists and logisticians. An international jury selected 53 of the photographs for exhibition and both Winners and Highly Commended for each category. A grant from COMNAP allowed the images to be printed and framed for exhibition and they were first displayed at the XXXII SCAR Open Science Conference in Portland, Oregon in July. It is intended to exhibit the collection in several other countries over the next two years. To see all the the winning and highly-commended photos, visit the Photographic Competition page in our Conferences section. |
Forum on the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS)
22 October 2012
The Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) will hold a 'Town Hall' on 7 December at this year's AGU Fall Meeting (San Francisco, 3-7 December).
SOOS, co-sponsored by the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), has the goal of coordinating international data gathering to develop a sustained set of observations in the circumpolar Southern Ocean to address key scientific and societal challenges. SOOS Scientific Steering Committee members will discuss current activities, international coordination, and wish to receive ideas from the Southern Ocean community how to advance SOOS both internationally and in the United States.
For further details of the SOOS, please visit the SOOS website. For information on the SOOS Forum, please visit the AGU Fall Meeting website.
Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Sea Level workshop: Outcomes available
11 October 2012
On the 14th of July in Portland, prior to the SCAR Open Science Conference, a workshop was held on Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Sea Level. This workshop, sponsored by ICSU (International Council for Science), SCAR, IASC (International Arctic Science Committee), WCRP (World Climate Research Programme), IGS (International Glaciological Society) and IACS (International Association of Cryospheric Sciences) with support from CliC (Climate and Cryosphere) and APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists), had a number of aims including assessing the current knowledge of the contribution of the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets to global and regional sea level and planning the future of the joint SCAR/IASC Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Sea Level Expert Group. The workshop was chaired by Francisco Navarro, Frank Pattyn and Edward Hanna.
Thanks to APECS and CliC, movies of all the presentations are available from the ISMASS Workshop website.
XIth SCAR Biology Symposium
10 October 2012
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The XIth SCAR Biology Symposium will take place from 15-19 July 2013 in the lovely city of Barcelona, Spain. The title of the Symposium is 'Life in Antarctica: Boundaries and Gradients in a Changing Environment' and will cover a range of themes including terrestrial biocomplexity, Antarctic marine ecosystems, human impacts, physical and biogeochemical processes and biodiversity. Outreach and education is a very important aspect of the Symposium, emphasizing the importance of communication and connections between scientists and society. Details are available in the First Circular. Abstract submission is now open and registration will be available soon. For more information, please visit the Symposium website. |
2013 SCAR Lecture to the Antarctic Treaty
8 October 2012
Professor Jemma Wadham, from Bristol University, will give the SCAR Lecture to the Antarctic Treaty in 2013 on the topic of Subglacial Lakes. Jemma is co-chair (along with Peter Doran) of the SCAR Expert Group Advancing TecHnological and ENvironmental stewardship for subglacial exploration in Antarctica (ATHENA). For more information on the group, see the ATHENA website.
Call for Expert Review of Contribution to IPCC AR5 on Climate Change
19 September 2012
Working Group I (WGI) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has announced that the Second Order Draft of the WGI contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis will be available for Expert and Government Review from 5 October - 30 November 2012.
The SCAR ACCE Advisory Group highlighted the need for SCAR Scientists to become involved in this review and so we encourage those interested to do so.
In order to review the Second Order Draft, please register on the IPCC website.
Astrophysics from Antarctica at the Beijing IAU meeting
11 September 2012
The XXVIII General Assembly of the IAU (International Astronomical Union) was held 20 – 31 August 2012 in Beijing, China. Attended by over 3,000 astronomers from all around the world, this was the largest such meeting yet held.
The IAU is an ICSU body (as is SCAR), and the IAU is a union member of SCAR. General Assemblies are held every three years. In an approach similar to that adopted by SCAR, these assemblies consist of both formal business meetings and scientific meetings, the latter organised as Symposia, Joint Discussions and Special Sessions. For the first time, a full symposium (IAUS 288) was devoted to Astrophysics from Antarctica. The plenary talk was presented by John Storey, and a talk on the role of SCAR was presented by the SCAR Vice-President Sergio Marenssi. These presentations, along with most of the other talks and posters presented during the week-long symposium, can be downloaded from the Symposium website.
New SCAR Powerpoint Presentation
13 August 2012
A new SCAR Powerpoint Presentation is available to download from Dropbox.
This presentation focuses on the Vision and Mission of SCAR, its organisation (including an outline of many of the new SCAR groups) and how it accomplishes its science. It also highlights the opportunities for participation in SCAR and how one stays informed of SCAR activities.
Venezuela joins SCAR
1 August 2012
Venezuela are the latest country to join SCAR as an Associate Member, bringing the membership to 37 countries and 9 ICSU Unions.
New SCAR Executive Committee
1 August 2012
Professor Jerónimo López-Martínez is the new SCAR President. Professor López-Martínez is a professor of Geodynamics at the Universidad Autonoma of Madrid, Spain. He has also worked in the UK, France and New Zealand and published around 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is a previous vice-president of SCAR (2002-2006), Spanish representative to COMNAP (1999-2003), and member (2004-2009) and co-chair (2009-2010) of the Joint Committee for the International Polar Year.
SCAR will also have two new Vice-Presidents: Professor Karin Lochte from the AWI in Germany and Professor Bryan Storey from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. They will join Professors YeaDong Kim (Korea) and Sergio Marenssi (Argentina) as well as Mahlon "Chuck" Kennicutt who will remain on the Executive Committee for two years as Past President.
New SCAR Scientific Research Programmes approved
1 August 2012
The next generation of SCAR Scientific Research Programmes have been approved. These are: State of the Antarctic Ecosystem (AntEco), Antarctic Thresholds - Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation (AnT-ERA), Antarctic Climate Change in the 21st Century (AntClim21), Past Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics (PAIS), and Solid Earth Response and Cryosphere Evolution (SERCE). These join Astronomy and Astrophysics from Antarctica (AAA) and Evolution and Biodiversity in Antarctica (EBA), the latter of which will finalise at the SCAR Biology Symposium in Barcelona in July 2013.
SCAR Lecture - Aliens in Antarctica
2 July 2012
Aleks Terauds presented the SCAR lecture to the Antarctic Treaty on research associated with the SCAR IPY Aliens in Antarctica project and links of this research with other, related studies coordinated by SCAR (follow the link to view and download the presentation).
In this lecture, Aleks discusses Antarctic biodiversity, highlighting its vulnerability and rarity on a global scale. He discusses human activities in the region and describes some of the past and current levels of visitors to Antarctica. He then moves onto the threats, making the point that biological invasions have already occurred in Antarctica and already represent a very real threat. He highlights the research that has been initiated in response to some of these threats and the outputs and outcomes of the research. Finally he discusses the implications and links with other research before finishing up with a brief discussion of the future challengers and how we may be able to meet them.
The Southern Ocean Observing System website is now live
26 June 2012
The Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) is an international initiative to enhance, coordinate and expand the strategic observations of the Southern Oceans that are required to address key scientific and societal challenges. The SOOS website is now live at www.soos.aq. The website provides a resource for the science behind the SOOS, SOOS products, connections and other information.
The SOOS is co-sponsored by SCAR and SCOR and endorsed by POGO, CliC and CLIVAR. The SOOS project office is hosted by the Australian Antarctic Division with additional support from Antarctica New Zealand and the Integrated Marine Observing System.
John Priscu and Ian Allison to receive SCAR Medals
26 June 2012
Dr John Priscu will be awarded the SCAR Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research during the SCAR Open Science Conference banquet to be held in Portland, USA, on Wednesday July 18th. Dr John Priscu has been studying the microbial ecology of Antarctic ecosystems for almost 30 years and is one of the leaders in the investigation of sub-glacial biogeochemical processes. In addition to his leadership in sub-glacial lake research, John has also conducted seminal work on the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of sea ice, lake ice and the water columns of Antarctic lakes, and led the first research expeditions to study microbial dynamics in lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys during the polar night.
Joining Dr Priscu will be Dr Ian Allison, who will be awarded the SCAR Medal for International Scientific Coordination. Ian has been an active member of the SCAR community, for example serving as previous co-chair of the Antarctic Sea Ice Processes and Climate (ASPeCt) group and as a member of the Group of Specialists on Antarctica and Global Change. He is also the current chair of the Martha T Muse Selection Committee. Ian has played a lead role for 30 years in international collaboration in climate science through bodies such as SCAR, the World Climate Research Programme, the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, and most notably as co-Chair of the ICSU/WMO Joint Committee for the International Polar Year 2007-2008.
For further details on SCAR Medals and to read the citations of the medal winners, go to the SCAR Awards page.
Dr Stephen Rintoul awarded the 2012 Martha T Muse Prize
8 June 2012
Dr Stephen Rintoul, a physical oceanographer from CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research in Hobart, Australia, has been awarded the prestigious 2012 Martha T. Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica for his outstanding research on the Southern Ocean. Dr Rintoul is also affiliated with the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre and with the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research.
Dr Rintoul's research has made a profound contribution to our scientific understanding of the Southern Ocean and of Antarctica's role in the global system. His leadership has been critical to advancing coordinated international investigation of the Southern Ocean and to promoting long term Southern Ocean observing systems.
Dr Rintoul will be awarded the Prize and will deliver the Muse Prize Lecture at the SCAR Open Science Conference in Portland, Oregon in July 2012.
For more details, please visit the Martha Muse Prize website or watch the video interview with Dr Rintoul.
The next generation of SCAR Scientific Research Programmes
2 May 2012
The next generation of SCAR Scientific Research Programmes (SRPs) are available for comment.
SCAR Scientific Research Programmes (SRPs) are transformative scientific initiatives that address compelling issues and emerging frontiers in Antarctic or Southern Ocean science of regional and global importance. SRPs are SCAR's highest level of investment in science. They are meant to advance scientific questions that are expected to require sustained efforts by international teams of scientists and researchers for six to eight years.
The five proposed programmes, as well as an evaluation form for External Reviewers, are available from the SRP Proposals page of the SCAR website. Comments from the community on any of the programmes are welcome.
SCAR Executive Director gives presentations at the IPY 2012 Conference
25 April 2012
Presentations given by the SCAR Executive Director from the Montreal IPY 2012 conference are available as MS PowerPoint files via Dropbox:
- The Southern Ocean Observing System:
Mac presentation (.pptx)
PC presentation (.pptx), and associated video (.mpg) - Short presentation on Future Antarctic/Southern Ocean Research Activities:
Mac presentation (.pptx)
PC presentation (.pptx), plus associated animation (.wmv) and movie (.mov) - Short presentation on Polar Science in Service to Society:
Mac presentation (.pptx)
PC presentation (.pptx)
APECS Webinar on Antarctica Day now available
26 March 2012
The APECS webinar on Antarctica Day is now available online. This session, chaired by Julia Schmale, features presentations on "Polar Science in a Global Context (Mike Sparrow, Volker Rachold and Jenny Baeseman); Antarctica Day and Where it Came From (Allen Pope); Southern Ocean Marine Food Webs: Engaging Early Career Scientists in an International Collaborative Modelling Community (Tosca Ballerini) and Adding Value to Antarctic Social Science Research (Daniela Liggett).
Lewander Lecture
20 March 2012
During the SCAR Open Science Conference the SCAR History group will host the Lewander Lecture on 'A gender analysis of South African Antarctic and sub-Antarctic science, c. 1961-2011' by Dr Heidi Prozesky. Further details of timing, etc. will be made available soon.
Climate and Cryosphere project
20 March 2012
The Climate and Cryosphere project (CliC) is a project of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) that is also co-sponsored by SCAR and our sister organisation, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC).
Both the SCAR Executive Director, Mike Sparrow, and the IASC Executive Secretary, Volker Rachold attended the meeting of the CliC Scientific Steering Group in March to discuss how CliC will evolve in the future and its interactions with SCAR and IASC.
CliC is currently working with SCAR on the workshop in Portland on Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Sea Level and on implementation of the Southern Ocean Observing System. CliC jointly sponsors the CLIVAR/CliC/SCAR Southern Ocean Panel and the International Programme for Antarctic Buoys. CliC has also recently appointed a new Executive Director, Jenny Baeseman, whom many of you will know as the Founding Director of APECS. We will look forward to working closely with Jenny and CliC on issues of mutual interest in the cryosphere.
Announcement of Opportunity - SCAR and COMNAP Fellowships 2012
7 March 2012
SCAR Antarctic Science Fellowships 2012-13 and COMNAP Antarctic Research Fellowships 2012-13
Two Antarctic organisations have joined forces to launch Fellowships for early career researchers. The Fellowships are worth up to US$15,000 each and up to five (4 SCAR and 1 COMNAP Fellowships) are on offer for 2012. SCAR has been offering scientific fellowships to early career scientists since 2005. Such fellowships have enabled Antarctic and Southern Ocean scientists to participate in a range of significant research including using ice cores to determine proxies for the Southern Annular Mode, a molecular study of Antarctic ostracods, and investigating particulate carbon and biogenic silica in sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Since 2005, twenty-five SCAR Fellowships have been awarded. Up to four awards are being offered by SCAR in this round. In 2011, the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) launched its own Antarctic Research Fellowship Scheme, offering one fellowship for an early career person in order to carry out research within a COMNAP National Antarctic Program. The two schemes were announced together in February and are being jointly promoted by both organisations. The excitement generated during the recent International Polar Year (2007-2008) has created an enthusiastic group of early career Antarctic researchers, many of whom would benefit from the opportunities the Fellowships provide. This supports the scientific goals of SCAR and the international cooperation goal of COMNAP to develop and promote best practice in managing the support to Antarctic science. The fellowships enable early career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating research partnerships that last many years and over many Antarctic research seasons. The deadline for applications is 13 June 2012.
For more information, see the SCAR Fellowships page or visit the COMNAP website.
SCAR President gives interview on Lake Vostok
28 February 2012
SCAR President, Mahlon "Chuck" Kennicutt, gives an interview on penetrating Lake Vostok to EarthSky, the US science channel.
To listen to the podcast, please visit EarthSky 22: Penetrating Lake Vostok.
ISMASS 2012 Workshop, Portland, Oregon, 14 July 2012
27 February 2012
The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) are organising a kick-off workshop of the renewed Ice-Sheet Mass Balance and Sea Level (ISMASS) expert group.
Where: Hilton Portland, Portland, Oregon, USA - a venue of the SCAR Open Science Conference
When: 14 July 2012, from 08:00 to 17:00
Who should plan to attend: Anyone interested!
The ISMASS 2012 Workshop is free to all registered participants. For planning purposes, please register by 31 May.
For further details and to register, please visit the ISMASS workshop website.
Diana Wall to receive SCAR President's Medal
27 February 2012
Professor Diana H Wall will be awarded the 2012 SCAR President's Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research. The President's Medal is awarded for outstanding achievement in Antarctic science and scientific advice to policy makers.
Diana is a University Distinguished Professor, Professor of Biology, and Director, School of Global Environmental Sustainability at Colorado State University. She is actively engaged in research to explore how soil biodiversity contributes to healthy, productive soils and thus to society, and the consequences of human activities on soil sustainability. She has conducted more than twenty years of research in the Antarctic Dry Valleys examining the response of soil biodiversity and ecosystem processes to environmental change. Diana is an active member of the SCAR Standing Scientific Group on Life Sciences and has been involved in the development of SCAR's next generation of Scientific Research Programmes. She is also working closely with SCAR on the 21st Century Conservation initiative. Further details are given in Diana's citation.
The Medal and a certificate will be presented to Diana at the conference banquet of the XXXII SCAR Open Science Conference to be held in Portland, US, on Wednesday July 18th.
Note that applications for the SCAR Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research and the SCAR Medal for International Scientific Coordination are still open until March 15th. Further details and application forms can be downloaded from the Awards page of the SCAR website.
Launch of the Southern Ocean Observing System
21 February 2012
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The Southern Ocean plays a key role in the climate and ecosystem functioning of the whole planet, but understanding has long been hampered by lack of data. The science community, led by SCAR and SCOR (the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research), has established the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) to address this. For further details, please see the SOOS press release.
The SOOS Initial Science and Implementation Strategy document is available for download from the SOOS website. |
Honour for SCAR Geo-Scientist
9 January 2012
Professor Michael Hambrey, a chief officer of the SCAR Standing Scientific Group on Geosciences will receive an award from the Queen for his research into glaciers in Antarctica.
Professor Hambrey will be given a "second clasp" to his Polar Medal at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace early in 2012. He originally won the Polar Medal in 1989, but now joins an elite list of recipients who have earned the award a second time, including Sir Ernest Shackleton and Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
A member of the Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences since 1998, Professor Hambrey has spent 10 field seasons in Antarctica and around 20 in the Arctic, and has a further trip to Antarctica planned in February. He has undertaken extensive field research on the response of glaciers and ice sheets to climate change, not only in the Antarctic and Arctic, but also the Alps, the Himalaya and the Andes.
"I feel deeply honoured to receive this award, but it would not have been possible without the unstinting support of colleagues and graduate students, as well as the financial and logistical support of numerous international organisations," said Professor Hambrey.
Read the full story on the University of Aberystwyth website.
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