Polar News and Notes Ezine Departments

National research centers in the United States and the United Kingdom have agreed to work together on atmospheric science and technology and develop joint educational and training programs. The agreement, which runs for three years, is between the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Britain’s National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS).
NCAS Director Stephen […]

What’s happening under and inside the masses of ice in the polar regions is of great interest to scientists. Recently researchers in West Antarctica have found that one ice stream–a region of the ice sheet that moves faster than the surrounding ice—jerks along in an earthquake-like pattern equivalent to a magnitude 7 quake.
Their findings ran […]

While many scientists are studying snow, ice, and permafrost on the earth for clues to climate change, others are flying a jet into the tropopause, the boundary between the lower atmosphere (troposphere) and the stratosphere. They are interested in this region because the buildup of greenhouse gases has altered it in ways that are not […]

Jeff Peneston, a PolarTREC teacher, Program Director of Camp Fire USA (Camp Talooli), and a 9th grade Earth Science teacher, is traveling to Antarctica on the International Expedition of the Icebreaker Oden. He has created his own expedition flag as well as a special Camp Talooli Antarctic Expedition flag, and is initating a flag exchange […]

Interested in extending your science and literacy lessons into other content areas? Check out the Across the Curriculum department of Issue 4 of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears - Weather and Climate: From Home to the Poles!
In this issue:
Discover free podcasts on climate and climate change from the NSDL on iTunes U collection.
Learn how weather […]

This summer 75 teenagers, ages 14-19, will sail to the Arctic with a team of scientists, environmentalists and polar educators in the Students on Ice program. The Arctic expedition, August 2-17, will explore southern Baffin Island, Nunavut, and the northern reaches of Nunavik in Quebec province. The itinerary includes workshops, lectures and seminars as well […]

Russian and American scientists have found that the world’s largest lake, located in Siberia, is becoming warmer, another sign of climate change.  
They have expressed surprise because it was thought this lake with its vast volume of water and a unique water circulation would be more resistant to climate change.
Lake Baikal contains 20 percent of […]

Interested in refining your teaching practice? Using science notebooks? Creating a web site or publishing a resource list for students or parents? Helping English Language Learners develop science and academic vocabulary? Check out the Professional Learning department in Issue 4 of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears - Weather and Climate: From Home to the Poles. In […]

For the past 30 years ago, the use of DDT as a freely used pesticide has diminished worldwide. One of the first successful campaigns against the chemical was based on its effects on birds. So, it came as a surprise to scientists that Adelie penguins in the Antarctic have the same levels of DDT in […]

By 2009, Greenland’s Institute of Natural Resources and the University of Greenland expect to open the Centre for Climate Research in Nuuk. The centre will document climate changes and study the impact on Arctic society and the environment. Greenland and Denmark scientists will work from the facility as well as scientists from other countries.
An Institute […]