Country Reports 2021
Reports from the Adhering Bodies of the International Permafrost Association…
Permafrost Pathways Panel Q&A
Join the Arctic Initiative for a virtual panel Q&A on 14 June…
Dr. Mike W. Smith (1944-2022)
On 12 May 2022, Mike W. Smith passed away peacefully…
Dr. Sue Natali’s TED Talk on the new Permafrost Pathways project
On Monday, April 11, 2022, the Woodwell Climate Research Center‘s…
The Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Award
The Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Award serves to promote…
Read the annual news bulletin: Frozen Ground 45
Frozen Ground 45 (2021) is now available! Frozen Ground 45 highlights the…
International Symposium on Ice in a Sustainable Society (ISS)
The International Symposium on Ice in a Sustainable Society (ISS)…
EUCOP6: call for session proposals
The 6th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP6) will be held…
6th European Permafrost Conference (EUCOP6)
Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce the forthcoming 6th European…
Permafrost Engineering Short Course (University of Alberta)
The University of Alberta Geotechnical Centre is offering an International…
Dr. Jerry Brown – Lifetime Achievement Laureate 2020
Dr. Jerry Brown is awarded IPA Lifetime Achievement Award for…
Call for new IPA Action Groups
The IPA currently has an open call for new Action…
Circum-Arctic Map of the Yedoma Permafrost Domain
Last week Strauss et al. published the “Circum-Arctic Map of…
Dr. Geoffrey “Graeme” Carré Claridge (1931-2021)
With great sadness, the IPA has been informed of the…
Country Reports 2020
Reports from the Adhering Bodies of the International Permafrost Association…
Welcome to our NEW website!
We’ve got a fresh new look with fantastic photos from…
Dr. Arthur H. Lachenbruch (1925-2021)
A tribute to Arthur H. Lachenbruch (1925-2021)and reflections on his…
Cryosphere Forum 2021: Status of research on changing permafrost and associated impacts in the Hindu Kush Himalaya
The cryosphere initiative at International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is…
Introduction to Permafrost Science and Cold Regions Engineering – A Short Course
Hello permafrost scientists and engineers! Are you interested in learning…
Permafrost Discovery Gateway webinars
The NSF NNA funded Permafrost Discovery Gateway is starting a…
RCOP21 / 19th ICCRE Permafrost Conference
Abstract submission is now open for the virtual 2021 Regional Conference on Permafrost…
International Conference in Salekhard, Russia
On behalf of the Yamal-Nenets Department for External Relations, the…
Read the annual news bulletin: Frozen Ground 44
Frozen Ground 44 (2020) is now available! This year the news bulletin…
IPA Photo Contest
We are pleased to launch a Permafrost Photo Contest. Enter…
Call for New Action Groups
Funding of up to 2500€ is available to fund targeted groups working towards the production of well-defined, permafrost-related products.
Prof. Dr. V.N. Konishchev 1938-2020
With sadness, the IPA records the passing of Professor Dr Vyacheslav Nikolaevich Konishchev on July 21, 2020.
New IPA Vice-Presidents and Executive Committee
Isabelle Gärtner-Roer and Gonçalo Vieira have been appointed as Vice-Presidents of the IPA for 2020-2024. In addition, Professor Yuanming Lai has agreed to join the Executive Committee for 2020-2022.
First virtual IPA Council Meeting and new Executive Committee
The 29th IPA Council Meeting was held online during two sessions on 22 and 23 June 2020.
IPA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 awarded to Dr. Jerry Brown
The IPA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 recipient is Dr. Jerry Brown of the USA.
International Permafrost Association Conferences 2021-2023
The IPA regrettably had to announce the cancellation of the 12th International Conference on Permafrost.
Read the annual news bulletin: Frozen Ground 43
Frozen Ground 43, which details IPA activities in 2019, is now available as a PDF! This newsletter demonstrates the diversity of interests among our members, and this issue in particular highlights growing activity in the Southern Hemisphere. Thanks to those that have participated in the highlighted activities and/or contributed material for this volume of Frozen Ground. If you are curious about IPA happenings in other years, all Frozen Ground volumes are available via the "Publications" tab.
Cancellation of the International Conference on Permafrost in 2020
The International Permafrost Association has been closely watching the developing situation with the COVID-19 virus in China with the utmost concern for the wellbeing of all our Chinese colleagues. The 12th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2020) was scheduled for 22-26 June in Lanzhou, China. Given the current situation with COVID-19, the ICOP 2020 Local Organizing Committee has concluded that it is simply not possible to host an international conference as planned in 2020. The Internationa…
Call for New Action Groups
The IPA currently has an open call for new Action Groups. Funding up to 2500€ per year is available.
10 years of permafrost research at the famous Matterhorn in Switzerland
A team led by Jan Beutel (ETH Zürich) just published a high-resolution dataset from 17 different types of sensors installed on the Matterhorn’s Hörnli ridge (115 million data points over 10 years!)
Passing of IPA Founder and Past President, Dr. Hugh M. French
The IPA is saddened to announce the sudden passing on May 11, 2019 in Victoria, B.C. of Dr. Hugh M. French, former Dean of the Faculty of Science and Professor Emeritus in the departments of Geography, Environment and Geomatics and of Earth Sciences at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Hugh is internationally recognized as a specialist on periglacial processes and permafrost science. In a career as a professor that started with his first visit to the Arctic in 1967 and spanned 36 years, plus a further …
Advances in hemispheric permafrost mapping
New permafrost mapping at the hemispheric scale has just been published by Dr. Jaroslav Obu (University of Oslo) and co-authors. Here is Dr. Obu’s introduction to the work: We are delighted to present a new permafrost map of the Northern Hemisphere, which is a result of joint collaboration between 21 permafrost experts from 9 different countries. The map presents mean annual ground temperature, permafrost occurrence probability and permafrost zones at 1km2 resolution. Access the article here: https:/…
New IPA Report released in Permafrost and Periglacial Processes
"Report from the International Permafrost Association: Increasing regional activities on a global scale" was recently published in Volume 30, Issue 2 of Permafrost and Periglacial Processes. The report covers our past two conferences (ACOP2017 and EUCOP5), ongoing core activities, and future events. Access the report at: https://rdcu.be/bzUo8
GlobPermafrost products available through the Permafrost Information System (PerSys) portal
The ESA GlobPermafrost project (2016-2019) recently completed the Permafrost Information System (PerSys), an open access data portal for GlobPermafrost products and related results and data sets. The thematic products include global mean annual ground temperature and zonation for permafrost areas, Landsat trends (1999-2014; 10% of Arctic permafrost covered), local to regional maps on landcover, vegetation height, ground fast lake ice, subsidence rates, and rock glacier activity. A dedicated interface f…
Read the annual news bulletin: Frozen Ground 42
Frozen Ground 42, which details IPA activities in 2018, is now available as a PDF! This newsletter demonstrates the diversity of interests and high level of involvement among our members. Thanks to those that have participated in the highlighted activities and/or contributed material for this volume of Frozen Ground. If you are curious about IPA happenings in other years, all Frozen Ground volumes are available via the "Publications" tab.
IPA Senior VP Chris Burn awarded Canadian Polar Medal
The IPA Senior Vice-President, Chris Burn, has been awarded the Canadian Polar Medal. Prof. Burn is being honored for his contributions to permafrost science based on his work in the western Canadian Arctic, productive partnerships with stakeholders in Canada's North, and dedicated training of the next generation of northern researchers. Prof. Burn is also on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Permafrost Association. The Polar Medal was presented to Prof. Burn in Ottawa on November 5th. The list of…
Call for new IPA Action Groups
The IPA currently has an open call for new Action Groups. Action Groups are meant to fund targeted groups working towards the production of well-defined, permafrost-related products. Action Groups are funded on a competitive basis at up to 2500€ per year (maximum of 5000€ over the life of an Action Group). These groups focus on clearly defined research outputs, such as maps, science plans, or databases, that can be supported through the organization of workshops, management support, technical suppo…
Register for the Canadian Permafrost Association annual meeting
Registration is currently open for the inaugural annual meeting of the Canadian Permafrost Association (CPA)! The IPA encourages those working with permafrost in Canada to consider attending this meeting at Yukon College in Whitehorse. We are pleased to see this growing national network.
Official opening of EUCOP5 and presentation of the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award to Prof. Dr. Wilfried Haeberli
The 5th European Conference on Permafrost officially began this morning at the Opening Ceremony at Le Majestic Congress in Chamonix. Participants were welcomed by Philip Deline on behalf of the Local Organizing Committee, the mayor of Chamonix, and IPA President Hanne Christiansen. During the ceremony, the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Wilfried Haeberli, a prolific permafrost scientist and general cryosphere expert with extensive experience studying and working in the Alps. The IPA w…
27th IPA Council Meeting held in Chamonix
The Council of the International Permafrost Association convened in Chamonix, France on 24 June as part of the 5th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP5), an IPA regional conference. Council members reviewed the IPA’s activities over the past two years (when the Council last met), and had a number of discussions related to our Regional and International Conferences on Permafrost, which are a priority of the IPA. The IPA was pleased to gather today as the governing body of the association and look…
Read the annual news bulletin: Frozen Ground 41
Frozen Ground 41, which details IPA activities in 2017, is now available as a PDF! This newsletter demonstrates the diversity of interests and high level of involvement among our members, especially PYRN members. Many thanks to those that have participated in the highlighted activities and/or contributed material for this volume of Frozen Ground. If you are curious about IPA happenings in other years, all Frozen Ground volumes are available via the "Publications" tab.
Nunataryuk, a new EU permafrost project, kicks-off
Congratulations to our collaborators and friends at AWI with their EU-funded project, Nunataryuk, which kicks-off this week. Nunataryuk (an Inuvialuit word roughly translating to coast) will focus on the degradation of coastal permafrost and its implications in the climate system. The IPA supported this proposal and are happy to see it funded, and look forward to the opportunities and insights it will bring to the permafrost community. Read more about Nunataryuk in this AWI press release: https://www.a…
Create a new IPA Action Group!
The IPA Executive Committee currently has an open call for new Action Groups. Action Groups are meant to fund targeted groups working towards the production of well-defined, permafrost-related products. Action Groups are funded on a competitive basis at up to 2500€ per year (maximum of 5000€ over the life of an Action Group). These groups focus on clearly defined research outputs, such as maps, science plans, or databases, that can be supported through the organization of workshops, management supp…
Frozen Ground Cartoons Available Online
The Frozen Ground Cartoons team has recently made a website that provides digital access to the informative and beautiful cartoons produced for the project. The cartoons are a unique, approachable, and fun way to communicate science, and represent approximately two years of collaboration between permafrost scientists and professional illustrators. A complete booklet with all the cartoons and information about the project will be available at the end of the year. The Frozen Ground Cartoons project is fu…
ACOP 2017 Wrap-up
Earlier this afternoon, the 2nd Asian Conference on Permafrost came to a close at Hokkaido University. The conference was a definite success and covered a wide range of permafrost research and engineering topics through a total of 141 presentations (86 oral presentations and 55 posters). In total, there were 178 participants from 17 countries. Though the conference was located in Japan, many participants came from elsewhere in Asia – including 62 from China and 6 from Mongolia. Japan and Russia were th…
The 2nd Asian Conference on Permafrost this week
The IPA has been enjoying a productive and fun week in Sapporo, Japan for the 2nd Asian Conference on Permafrost (ACOP 2017). The conference officially opened on July 3, and will end later today, July 6. Our Japanese colleagues have been gracious hosts, and there have been multiple excursions and dinners in addition to the scientific program of oral, poster, and plenary sessions. After the conference concludes, another post will provide an overview of attendees and activities. Photo: Conference Chair, …