ANTPAS is an IPA Standing Committee with the aim to develop an internationally coordinated, web-accessible, database and monitoring system on Antarctic permafrost and soils. ANTPAS is also a Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Expert Group and has a close working relationship with the International Union on Soil Sciences (IUSS) cryosols group. ANTPAS aims at promoting international collaboration towards the development and consolidation of Antarctic permafrost research. This is done through annual organization of workshops and conference sessions, dissemination of an annual newsletter on member activities, and promotion and discussion of needs for Antarctic permafrost research.
Specific objectives of ANTPAS are:
- A common, web-accessible repository for permafrost and soils data.
- The production of thematic maps on Antarctic permafrost and soils.
- A system of boreholes providing data on permafrost and soils properties, records of past environmental change, and recording permafrost responses to climate change.
- A well-designed monitoring system recording active layer and periglacial process responses to climate change along selected environmental gradients. Launched as an International Polar Year (IPY) activity the database and monitoring project will continue as an ongoing activity of the supporting associations.