Climate change, the depletion of natural resources, the emergence of new diseases, and the loss of biological diversity are amongst some of the most serious and complex challenges facing the human race today. Addressing these threats to our common home will require effective national policies plus international collaboration on a grand scale.
Map Reveals Key Wildlife Hotspots
Scientists develop a technique that reveals biodiversity hotspots, which they say will help protect vulnerable species.
Observations to support predictions of sea level “CReSIS” contribution toward understanding the term glacial speed
Accurate prediction of sea level is arguably one of the most important societal goals facing the research community. Combining cutting-edge technologies with sustained observations to understand processes and improve numerical models will be required to address the issue of future ice-sheet changes and impacts on global sea level.
NASA Launches Airborne Study Of Arctic Atmosphere, Air Pollution
In a mission poised to help scientists identify how air pollution contributes to climate changes in the Arctic, NASA is beginning the most extensive field campaign ever to investigate the chemistry of the Arctic’s lower atmosphere.
IPY Data Sets at the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF): RADARSAT-1
Like a canary in a mineshaft, the Earth’s polar regions display the effects of climate change sooner than other places on Earth. International Polar Years (IPY) are specific time frames chosen to gather diverse data sets to examine these effects.
Securing the Legacy of IPY
We are in the midst of one of the most exciting international and interdisciplinary science projects that many of us will encounter in our professional careers – the International Polar Year. Scientists in the natural, social, and health sciences are collaborating on some 228 endorsed projects in both the Arctic and Antarctic during a two-year period (March 2007-March 2009) of intense field observations.
Sea Ice Thickness: Hidden Key To Understanding Arctic Change
In the summer of 2007, satellite observations showed that the sea ice coverage of the Arctic Ocean declined to a record low areal extent of only 4.14 km2, 23% less than during the previous summer minimum observed in 2005. The shrinkage of the Arctic sea ice cover is generally considered as one of the most striking expressions of the ongoing global climate warming.
Keeping an Eye On Antarctica
One goal of the International Polar Year is to learn more about the polar regions, but it may not be obvious to most people how we know as much as we do. These areas are remote and harsh, to say nothing of the obvious cold.
Researchers Say Arctic Sea Ice Still At Risk Despite Cold Winter
Using the latest satellite observations, NASA researchers and others report that the Arctic is still on “thin ice” when it comes to the condition of sea ice cover in the region, despite the effects of a colder-than-average winter.
Can A Change In Fire Burning Season Affect Air Pollution?
A new report published in Environmental Science and Technology examines the issue of air quality and prescribed burns in the United States.