Scientists convene to discuss next steps for polar research
Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) join over 1500 polar experts in Davos, Switzerland this week, to discuss the big issues and next steps for research in the polar regions.
POLAR2018 brings together the world’s leading experts and decision makers working in the Arctic and Antarctic. For the first time since the International Polar Year 2007-2008, the organisations leading in both Arctic and Antarctic research will convene in one place. The conference takes place from 15 to 26 June 2018.
BAS scientists are participating in several keynote talks and events, which present new results from international science programmes.
Today (Tuesday 19 June), BAS Director Dame Professor Jane Francis will chair a town-hall event to discuss the European team’s ambitions for Beyond EPICA to drill for the oldest ice core on Earth from East Antarctica.
On Wednesday 20 June, a special event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of SCAR (the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research), will comprise a Q&A session with lead authors from a recent special ‘insight’ on Antarctica in the journal Nature. The panel – along with BAS Director Dame Professor Jane Francis – comprises authors from two papers in the recent special issue which reported that the Antarctic ice sheet is melting at an accelerated rate and explored the future of the continent under two warming scenarios. In addition and on the same day, BAS ice core scientist Dr Liz Thomas will give the opening key note talk ‘Frozen in Time’ about how ice cores can unlock the Earth’s climate history.
On Thursday 21 June – Midwinter’s Day, which is a big celebratory event in Antarctica – BAS oceanographer Professor Mike Meredith will present a talk for the acceptance of the highly prestigious Tinker Muse Prize for science and policy in Antarctica. Professor Meredith will receive his prize from Tinker Foundation president, Caroline Kronley, and SCAR president Dr Steven Chown.
POLAR2018 is a joint event from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research SCAR and the International Arctic Science Committee IASC. The SCAR meetings, the ASSW and the Open Science Conference will be hosted by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL under the patronage of the Swiss Committee on Polar and High Altitude Research. The WSL-Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF is organising POLAR2018, which will take place in Davos, Switzerland from 15 – 26 June 2018.
Read more about the full programme here: https://www.polar2018.org/