Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) An International Scientific Partnership

1. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)An International Scientific Partnership

2. Presentation Outline • What is SCAR? • What is SCAR’s mission? • How is SCAR organized? • How does SCAR function? • How does SCAR accomplish its science? • What opportunities are there for you to participate? • How do you stay informed about SCAR activities?

3. What is the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research? • An Interdisciplinary Scientific Body of the International Council of Science (ICSU) • Meets every two years to conduct administrative business (now combined with an Open Science Conference) • Secretariat is housed in the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, England • Secretariat includes an Executive Director, an Executive Officer and an Administrative Assistant (1/2 time)

4. (former USSR) A Brief History of SCAR • SCAR was a creation of the International Geophysical Year and had its first meeting in February 1958 • "Antarctica" was defined as being bounded by the Antarctic convergence (Polar Front) • There were 12 founding nations and 4 unions

5. SCAR in the 21st Century • 35 member nations and 9 ICSU Unions • The Antarctic Treaty System- A Complex Array of Antarctic Governmental Organizations • Convention on Antarctic Marine Living Resources • Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals • Protocol on the Environment (Committee on Environmental Protection) • Council of Managers of Antarctic Programs • Convention on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels • Proliferation of Global and Regional Scientific Programs with an Antarctic Focus or Interest

6. SCAR’s Mission for 50 Years • Science Leadership - initiate, develop and coordinate high quality international scientific research in the Antarctic region • Scientific advice - provide objective and independent scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS)

7. Climate change/global warming Ecosystem structure/functioning Census of living resources and biodiversity Astronomy and near-earth space science Recovery of paleo-climate records Satellite observations Remote sensing and mapping of the continent above and below the ice. Ice balance and sea level Subglacial environment hydrology and biogeochemistry Southern ocean and coastal oceanography Targets of Scientific Investigations

8. Measure upper atmosphere physics Define the pre-Pleistocene history of Antarctica Refine ice sheet mass balance, stability, and global sea level estimates Recover paleo-records in the interior of Antarctica Understand evolution and biodiversity in Antarctica Study life in the cold and dark Map biological habitats, ecosystems and organism distributions in the Antarctic Major Scientific Objectives

9. Assess the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Recover the oldest ice core record of climate Describe regional and temporal variability in Antarctic climate Enter and sample subglacial environments Establish atmospheric and oceanic observing networks Determine the nature and history of sub-ice basement geology in East Antarctica Major Scientific Objectives

10. How Does SCAR Accomplish its Mission? • Standing Scientific Groups • Expert Groups • Action Groups • Planning Groups • Standing Committees • Scientific Research Programs • Interdisciplinary Cross Linkage Workshops • Partnerships • Open Science Conference • Thematic Symposia/Workshops

11. SCAR Organogram

12. Standing Scientific Groups and Committees • Standing Groups • Life Sciences • GeoSciences • Physical Sciences • Standing Committees • Antarctic Treaty System • Antarctic Geographic Information • Data and Information Management • Capacity Building and Education

13. Expert Groups Birds and Marine Mammals, Human Biology and Medicine, and Continuous Plankton Recorder Action Groups Census of Marine Life, MarBIN, and Fuel Spills Shared Action Groups Seeps and Vents (GS), Prediction of Change (PS), and King George Island (GS,PS) SCAR Scientific Subsidiary Groups Standing Scientific Groupon the Life Sciences

14. Expert Groups Geodesy, Permafrost, Southern Ocean Bathymetry, Magnetic Anomalies, and Sub-Ice Geological Exploration Action Groups Acoustics in the Marine Environment Shared Action Groups Vents and Seep (LS), King George Island (LS, PS), and GPS for Weather and Space Forecasting (PS) SCAR Scientific Subsidiary Groups Standing Scientific Group on the GeoSciences

15. Expert Groups Oceans, Operational Meteorology, Ice Sheets and Sea Level, and Ice Core Science Action Groups Environmental Contamination, Observing Systems, and Polar Atmospheric Chemistry Shared Action Groups King George Island (LS, GS), GPS for Weather and Space Forecasting (GS), and Prediction of Change(GS) SCAR Scientific Subsidiary Groups Standing Scientific Group on the Physical Sciences

16. SCAR Scientific Research Programs • Preceded by a Program Planning Group formed by a Standing Scientific Group • Major cutting-edge research questions • International in participation and interdisciplinary in scope • Expected duration: 6 to 8 years • Strategic and implementation plan required • 2-year internal and 4-year external review • Data management policy and outreach plan

17. ACE AGCS EBA ICESTAR SALE SCAR Scientific Research Programs

18. Antarctic Climate Evolution (ACE) An international research initiative to study the climate and glacial history of Antarctica through paleo-climate and ice-sheet modeling integrated with the geological record • The scale & rapidity of ice sheet and sea ice response to climate forcing • Sea level changes • Changes in heat sinks and insulators http://www.ace.scar.org/

19. Antarctic Climate Evolution (ACE) Model past ice-sheet behavior in response to change • Climate • ice cores • sedimentary facies • seismic data • Paleo-oceanographic conditions • paleo-ecology • climate proxies in ocean sediments • Paleo-geography • recorded in landscape evolution Hypotheses building and testing through modeling of responses to future global change http://www.ace.scar.org/

20. Antarctica and the Global Climate System (AGCS) Theme 1 Decadal Time Scale Variability Theme 2 Global & Regional Signals In Ice Cores http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/met/SCAR_ssg_ps/AGCS.htm

21. Antarctica and the Global Climate System (AGCS) Theme 3 Natural and Anthropogenic Forcings On the Antarctic Climate System Five years of Summer Storm Tracks The Deep Ocean Conveyor Belt Theme 4 The Export of Antarctic Climate Signals http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/met/SCAR_ssg_ps/AGCS.htm

22. Evolution and Biodiversity in the Antarctic (EBA) The response of life to change • Evolutionary history and adaptations • Gene flow and population dynamics. • Organismal, ecosystems and diversity patterns • Environmental change, biodiversity and ecosystem function. http://www.nioo.knaw.nl/projects/scarlsssg/eba/

23. Evolution and Biodiversity in the Antarctic (EBA) Programs • Census of Antarctic Marine Life • Marine Biodiversity Information Network (MARBIN) http://www.nioo.knaw.nl/projects/scarlsssg/eba/

24. Interhemispheric Conjugacy Effects in Solar-Terrestrial and Aeronomy Research (ICESTAR) Linking Near-Earth Space to Polar Regions Use the unique polar regions vantage point of the polar regions to study the Earth’s inner core, the Earth’s magnetic field, geospace, the Sun and beyond http://www.siena.edu/physics/ICESTAR/

25. Interhemispheric Conjugacy Effects in Solar-Terrestrial and Aeronomy Research (ICESTAR) Thematic Groups • Similarities and differences between polar upper atmospheres • Atmospheric consequences of the global electric circuit • Dynamics of the inner magnetospheric particles, fields and the polar atmosphere • Creating a data portal for all polar data sets and modeling results http://www.siena.edu/physics/ICESTAR/

26. Geodynamics of Lake Evolution Global Climate Connections Subglacial Hydrology Paleoclimate Records Ice Sheet Dynamics Microbial Life, Evolution, and Adaptation Limnology andBiogeochemistry Subglacial Antarctic Lake Exploration (SALE) Scientific Themes http://scarsale.tamu.edu/

27. Subglacial Antarctic Lake Exploration (SALE) Scientific Foci • Geological evolution of Antarctica • Next generation of ice sheet models incorporating the subglacial aquatic environments • Role of discharges of subglacial water in ice dynamics • Evolution, phylogeny and metabolic diversity of subglacial organisms • Seed organisms and subsequent adaptations. http://scarsale.tamu.edu/

28. SCAR Scientific Research ProgramsNext Generation - 2010 Astronomy & Astrophysics from Antarctica Image: David A. Hardy

29. ICED IGOS-P iAnZone IPICS IPA IWC WCRP GBIF IACS ACAP IGBP/PAGES SCAR CCAMLR IGBP/SO-GLOBEC COMNAP SCOR CEP CODATA APECS SCOSTEP ICSU IASC Strength Through Partnerships Scientific Bodies of ICSU Elements of the Antarctic Treaty System

30. Conferences, Thematic Symposia,and Workshops SCAR Biennial Open Science Conference • Biology Symposium • International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES) • International Glaciological Symposium • Thematic Workshops • i.e., SALE 2006, Ice Drilling, ACE, AGCS, ICESTAR, SOOS, and ISMASS • Joint Thematic Workshops • SCAR-IASC Bipolar High Latitude Climate Workshops

31. Data, Information and Products • Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management • Managers of National Antarctic Data Centers, Antarctic Master Directory • Standing Committee on Antarctic Geographic Information • Manages Geographical Information, Gazetteer of Place Names, Antarctic Digital Database, Features Catalogues, Map catalogue • Other Products • Reference Antarctic Data for Environmental, Research (meteorology, oceanography, ice data sets), Sea Ice Database, Terrestrial Biodiversity Database, Marine Biodiversity Information Network, Seismic Data Library, Antarctic Bedrock Map, Magnetic Anomaly Map

32. SCAR Fellowships SCAR Medals – Outstanding Achievement in Science, Excellence in Research, and International Scientific Coordination Named Lectures – Weyprecht OSC Lecture Young Scientists Presentation Awards - OSC Certificates of Appreciation Honorary Memberships Martha T. Muse Prize – early to mid-career leaders Visiting Professor Program SCAR Recognition Activities Please Nominate Fellow Students, Scientists And Researchers

33. Serve on Action or Expert Groups Form or Participate in a Program Planning Group Join an Existing Scientific Research Program Act as National Representatives to SCAR – Delegates, SSGs How Can I Participate in SCAR?

34. Propose Sessions for, Serve as Chairs of Sessions, and/or Submit Abstracts to the SCAR Open Science Conferences Propose or Participate in Workshops and Symposia Participate in Standing Committees Apply/Nominate for Fellowships Secondment to the Secretariat How Can I Participate in SCAR?

35. SCAR Fellowship Program • Encourage involvement of early career scientists • Strengthens international capacity and cooperation • Awards up to US $15,000 To allow researchers from one SCAR Member country to undertake short term visits to major international laboratories, field facilities, and/or home institutions of other SCAR Member countries

36. Administration of the Martha T. Muse Prize

37. Web site Newsletters and Bulletins (quarterly) Publications and Proceedings SCAR National Committees Join SCAR Facebook Colleagues and peers Chairs, conveners, and leaders of SCAR subsidiary bodies Attend conferences, symposia, and workshops The SCAR Secretariat How do I Learn About SCAR Activities? Contact me!!!!! m-kennicutt@tamu.edu

38. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) We invite you to join an international community of Antarctic scientists, researchers, and enthusiasts!!!! http://www.scar.org/

39. Questions ?