IPY Open Science Conference 2010 – 2nd Circular and Permafrost Session

logooscliggende60webThe 2nd Circular and Call for Abstracts for the IPY Oslo Science Conference is now available at: http://www.ipy-osc.no/.

The IPY Oslo Science Conference is a timely and auspicious gathering of the full polar community to celebrate the accomplishments of this IPY, to display and explore the richness of IPY data, and to chart future directions for polar and global science. It will be held from June 8th to June 12th, 2010 in Oslo. The deadline for abstract submission is 20th of January 2010.

A session on Permafrost will be convened by Jerry Brown and is entitled: IPY Theme 2.4 Permafrost on a Warming planet.

Permafrost regions occupy approximately 22% of the planet’s land surface. Warming of permafrost lands and subsequent degradation of ice –rich terrains are of scientific, engineering and related societal concerns. During the IPY intensive regional and site specific campaigns were initiated to document the current status of permafrost, active layer and associated processes in both hemispheres and included the status and fate of soil carbon and erosion of ice-rich coastlines. Papers and posters in this session are invited on regional syntheses and site specific research of the IPY projects with emphasis on thermal state of permafrost and active layer dynamics. Results of modeling and mapping approaches are invited. Over 50 individual permafrost projects (EoI) as well as national and multi-national programs were proposed for the IPY, and we encourage those researchers to contribute including members of the Permafrost Young Researchers Network.

These Theme 2.4 papers and posters will help build the permafrost legacy that consists of a robust and sustainable database, the establishment of permafrost observatories, and the development of a new generation of permafrost researchers. Permafrost researchers who are enroute to Svalbard for the Third European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP III) are encouraged to contribute to this IPY theme.