Research News
AWI researcher measuring the thickness of the ice during the 26th Arctic expedition aboard the Polarstern. Photo: Stefan Hendricks/AWI
From Knowledge to Action
Occurring at a pivotal time for the environment of our planet, the International Polar Year (IPY) 2012 Conference draws international attention to the Polar Regions, global change, and related environmental, social and economic issues. From Knowledge to Action will bring together over 2,000 Arctic and Antarctic researchers, policy- and decision-makers, and a broad range of interested parties from academia, industry, non-government, education and circumpolar communities including indigenous peoples. The IPY 2012 Conference will contribute to the translation of new polar scientific findings into an evidence-based agenda for action that will influence global decisions, policies and outcomes over the coming years.
Research for Protecting the Arctic
The Arctic is a key region that has been placed at the centre of political and economic interest due to climate change and geopolitical developments. The protection and sustainable development of this unique habitat present major challenges and lead to questions for the solution of which polar research provides a knowledge base.
Changes that coincide with the above average warming of the northern-most regions, such as the fast decline of seasonal sea ice, the melting of the Greenland ice cap or the expansion of the hole in the ozone layer above the northern hemisphere, have an effect far beyond the Arctic region. The Arctic is connected to the rest of the world via the atmosphere and ocean currents and plays an important part in the formation of the global climate. New results demonstrate that the reduced summer minimum Arctic sea ice extent increases the probability of cold winters in Central Europe, as could be witnessed in the past few years.
Given the increase of human activities in the Arctic, for instance, the opening up of new shipping routes and exploitation of resources, the protection and sustainable development of the Arctic as a biosphere constitute a task of high priority. To this end, improved scientific observations and forecasts are an urgent requirement. Previous research, in particular the many projects in the context of the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007/2008, has provided a solid basis for this.
The Helmholtz Association will likewise continue to give new impulses for Arctic research, for example, by way of the scheduled further development of an ocean and deep sea observatory located in the Fram Strait between Spitsbergen and Greenland, where the main exchange of water between the northern Atlantic and the Arctic takes place. High resolution measurements and observations at this marine "artery" will allow for improved deductions regarding the characteristics and developments in the entire Arctic Ocean. The challenge faced now is to further improve Arctic research on both a national and international level. "From Knowledge to Action": This is also the motto of the IPY Conference that will take place in Montreal in April 2012.
