International Polar Year 2007-2008

The International Polar Year 2007-2008 (IPY) has been an international coordinated research initiative. Its celebration coincided with the 125th anniversary of the First International Polar Year (1887-1888), the 75th anniversary of the Second International Polar Year (1932-1933) and the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958), which led to the establishment of SCAR and the Antarctic Treaty.

It has been one of the most ambitious internationally coordinated scientific projects, and its observational period was from the 1st March 2007 to 1st March 2009. It has been one of the most ambitious internationally coordinated scientific projects which observational period was from the 1st March 2007 to 1st March 2009. The first results of the IPY have been presented in June 2010 in the largest polar research and education venture undertaken before, the IPY Oslo Science Conference. More than 2400 people with around 2100 presentations were held during this conference.

IPY came to an end at an official closing ceremony in Oslo the final day of the IPY Oslo Science Conference, on 12th June 2010.

It has subsequently been published an overview of the organization and the preliminary results of the IPY: "Understanding Earth´s Polar Challenges: International Polar Year 2007-2008".
Link to the publication on-line (Flash Player)

Download leaflet about the International Polar Year 2007-2008

In the International Polar Year about 50,000 persons participated from over 60 countries. They collected information to yield new knowledge in key areas, including: Earth, Land, Ocean, Ice, Atmosphere, Space and People. Activities on Education and Outreach and data systems integration were also included in the program.

See chart of official projects of the International Polar Year

The IPY 2007-2008 is supported by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). On a first stage the document A Framework for the International Polar Year 2007-2009 was elaborated.

The ICSU-WMO Joint Committee for the IPY, organizer of the API, has published the following documents that can be downloaded on the links that are indicated:

- The scope of Science for the International Polar Year 2007-2008 (2007)
- The State of Polar Research (2009)
- "Understanding Earth´s Polar Challenges: International Polar Year 2007-2008" (2011) (27 Mb)

During the IPY, activities in the Arctic and in the Antarctic have been carried out. SCAR, by means of the Scientific Research Projects and other subsidiary bodies, participated in different Antarctic and bipolar IPY projects. SCAR´s participation in the International Polar Year can be see here.

The IPY projects relevant to SCAR can be consulted in: www.scar.org/events/internationalpolaryear.

Information about the Spanish research groups and projects included in the International Polar Year can be seen in:

- Spanish participation in the International Polar Year 2007-2008 in Antarctica
- Spanish participation in the International Polar Year 2007-2008 in the Arctic

- Chart of official projects of the International Polar Year indicating projects with Spanish participation