A project of the International Polar Year
Svalbard, 2-13 July 2007
Main sponsors
(Through IPY projects BIAC: Bipolar Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation and iAOOS: The integrated Arctic Ocean Observing System )
Other sponsors
Overview
Sea ice plays a very active role in the Earth's climate system and reacts rather rapidly to climatic changes. To reflect the recent progress in our understanding of sea ice and its interaction with the ocean and the atmosphere, an "International Sea-Ice Summer School" was held in Svalbard in July 2007. The school provided a platform for interdisciplinary exchange between students and scientists and was part of the outreach program of the International Polar Year (IPY). It was held in association with the University of the Arctic (UArctic) at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) on Spitsbergen / Svalbard in the high Arctic from July 2nd to July 13th 2007.
The main objectives of the school have been to
- increase the knowledge of sea-ice related geophysics, biology, bio-geo-chemistry, modelling, measurements, etc. among both students and scientists,
- facilitate inter-disciplinary research and stimulate international cooperation
- gather the findings of the last very active years of research for a broad audience.
World-leading experts on a wide range of sea-ice related subjects have been lecturing at the sea-ice summer school. The school managed therefore to provide a broad base for inter-disciplinary discussion among both scientists and students.
The sea-ice summer school was aimed mainly at PhD (and master) students in geophysics, biology, physics or other relevant subjects who conduct sea-ice related research. However, interested postdocs and senior scientists did also take part in the school. Participants had the opportunity to present their own work and to discuss it with senior scientists from all over the world. A broad social program gave ample opportunity to get to know each other and to experience life in the high Arctic at first hand.