History of Polar Research

25 May 2005 - Special Reports, Logistics, Human Dimension, Arctic, Antarctic

The Fram

The history of polar research has always been intertwined with the great chapters of polar exploration, but looking beyond the national expeditions of the past, polar science is perhaps most indebted to the succession of International Polar Years (including an International Geophysical Year) organised in the last 125 years. Milestones in the history of polar research, it was through these events that today's international and collaborative spirit was established and later strengthened.

When Captain Scott drew up his plans for his 1902-1904 and 1911-1912 British Antarctic expeditions, his main motivation was to discover new land and to expand scientific knowledge in fields such as biology, meteorology, geology and glaciology. However, like most other expeditions organised by competing European and world nations in the 19th and early 20th century, Scott's efforts also had deeply nationalistic undertones to do with precedence, territorial claims and international stature.

Nations begin cooperating on polar research

Against this background, the first International Polar Year (IPY) of 1882-1883 focused mainly on the Arctic and came more from necessity than from a desire to build diplomatic bridges. Since geophysical phenomena could not be surveyed by one nation alone, twelve countries agreed to collaborate in organising fifteen simultaneous surveying expeditions - thirteen to the Arctic and two to the Antarctic. Whilst these expeditions contributed significant advances in science and geographical exploration, perhaps the most important, and unforeseen, legacy of the First IPY was an early model for international co-operation and co-ordination.

A hundred-plus research stations set up in the 1930s

Half a century later, the International Meteorological Organization initiated the Second IPY of 1932-1933, which wanted to investigate the global implications of the newly discovered jet streams. With forty nations taking part, the Second IPY heralded advances in meteorology, magnetism, atmospheric science and in mapping ionospheric phenomena. The vast co-ordinated effort also resulted in permanent establishment of 114 observation stations in the Arctic and provided the impetus for the United States' Admiral Byrd to establish the first ever station situated inland from the Antarctic coast.

Nationalist claims on the Antarctic relinquished after the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958)

Going as far back as Captain Cook, however, there is perhaps no greater milestone in polar research than the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-58, which involved as many as 61 nations. Realising the potential of radar and other technology developed during WWII, a handful of American physicists instigated an international program of research using this technology to gather data from all over the world on subjects as varied as the upper atmosphere, ice mass and the long disputed theory of continental drift.

What was effectively a third IPY gave particular attention to Antarctica with twelve nations collaborating to deploy forty-five bases around the continent and sub-Antarctic islands. This deployment resulted in significant discoveries on the abundance of fresh water held in the form of Antarctic ice, the theoretical analysis of glaciers, seismology and the weather patterns of the Southern Hemisphere. Indeed, the IGY proved such a success that it paved the way for the Antarctic treaty signed on 1 December 1959 and the designation of Antarctica as an international territory for "peace and science".

IPY 2007-2008: a warming world focuses on the polar regions

Remote and inhospitable, the polar regions remain insufficiently studied. At a particularly sensitive time in the history of the Earth due to global climate change, the International Polar Year (IPY) of 2007-2008 will seek to remedy this situation through an intense, internationally coordinated campaign of research. The fourth of its kind, it will build on the work of past Polar and Geophysical Years in an effort to raise awareness of these regions as integral components of the Earth system.

The 2007-2008 IPY, co-sponsored by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), is endorsed by 31 nations and more than 16 scientific bodies and other organisations. It will focus on the role of the Arctic and Antarctic in the global context by coordinating international efforts in a wide range of research disciplines.

According to Professor Chris Rapley, Chair of the IPY Planning Group, this research programme will instigate rapid progress in understanding polar processes and will generate new or enhanced observational systems. Through innovative education and outreach, it will also inform the general public. This will focus the attention of engineers, scientists, and leaders on the central importance of the polar regions as climate system heat sinks that respond to and drive the planet's climate.

Working together

Because polar processes extend across and, in the case of the Antarctic, beyond national boundaries the IPY Planning Group expects this coordinated approach to maximize cost-effective outcomes while encouraging researchers from all nations and disciplines to share information and build relationships for present and future programmes.

With the endorsement of international bodies such as the European Polar Board (EPB), the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Committee of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (COMNAP), the International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the 2007-2008 IPY initiative benefits from a vast expertise in international research programmes. This expertise will be coordinated through an International Programme Office located at the British Antarctic Survey headquarters in Cambridge, and administered with the support of World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) staff.

Priorities

The Planning Group has selected six major themes for the 2007-2008 IPY .

IPY Themes:

Status: to determine the present environmental status of the polar regions.
Change: to better quantify and understand past and present natural environmental and social change in the polar regions; and to improve projections of future change.
Global Linkages: to advance understanding of the links and interactions between polar regions and the rest of the globe, and the processes controlling these.
New Frontiers: to investigate the frontiers of science in the polar regions.
Vantage Point: to use the unique vantage point of the polar regions to develop observatories from the interior of the Earth to the Sun and the cosmos beyond.
Human Dimension: to investigate the cultural, historical and social processes that shape the sustainability of circumpolar human societies, and to identify their unique contributions to global cultural diversity and citizenship.

These themes provide guidelines for applicants presenting research proposals and for the IPY Joint Committee selecting projects for endorsement. They set the agenda for the Polar Year: in reaching out to the international public; and, in instigating major advances in our knowledge and understanding of the polar regions.

By: Richard de Ferranti